Sandpiper
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Say hello to G-Mat 270 (AKA "Sandpiper"), a 200/70 Ute built for Sam Arkinstall.
Sam is a UK based surfer who is fairly new to mats but he is friends with Ethan Greenwood who has been riding mats for a few years now so it was only a matter of time.
Sam came with a clear colour scheme in mind for his mat so I had to crack out the dye. Lighter colours like those towards the tail can often be a bit fickle but I think we've got away with it!
I asked Sam about his journey into mats. He said:
“My journey in to mats started with my friend Ethan who introduced me to it. I had never seen or heard about it before. I was definitely sceptical about it at first , then when I used a mat for the first time the feeling of riding a wave was very different to any form of surfing I have done before!
It’s nice for me because I can add another Watersport to my quiver as already windsurf, surf, paddleboard, sail and wakeboard. I like to think I am an all round waterman, so I have a water sport for near enough every weather condition.
My go to places are usually Crooklets or Widemouth but recently moved to North Devon so been exploring some spots round there.
There’s not much meaning behind the name really. basically went on a long google search around Monterey bay as that’s where the colour scheme derives from, and found there was a movie called Sandpiper filmed there and though it sounded cool.”
I was stoked to build a mat named Sandpiper myself as it was my Dad's CB Radio handle when I was a kid!
So back to this Sandpiper, as I say we have gone with a 200/70 free-breather. This offers stability in the deck so the mat maintains it's shape more readily which will be useful for Sam as he develops as a mat rider whilst maintaining the ability to morph responsively to the wave and rider input. Sam has gone for a free elastic rocker for versatility.
Have fun Sam. I hope we get to share some waves one day.
Cheers
G
