Executive Order

So here we have Colin McCrindle's new ride named Executive Order (we did discuss Gulf of Matsico too ).

Colin is a very experienced mat surfer and has ridden my mats for many years now. He surfs around Santa Barbara and has a boat, meaning he gets about and is seen (or should I say not seen) dodging the crowds and surfing quiet reefs and points, tucked away from the masses. Colin's Insta page is worth a follow with some stunning photography, but you won't see shots of him surfing. I have some tucked away, but they come with a strict "do not share" attached, for good reason. Colin likes to keep his surfing low key and to that point, likes to keep his mats low key too.

EO is no different on that front. The deck is grey (after having this roll for years, this colour is suddenly becoming popular), with a navy bottom. The grip and branding are both in black and I think gives a really clean look.

On to the tech gubbins, EO is a 200/70 Ubercat free-breather. Colin asked for positive elastic rocker. What this means is that EO will be inclined to get up on the rail, have a tighter arc through turns and will be well suited to riding tight in the pocket.

EO sets off to the US today. Colin is one of my earliest customers and knew what he wanted and where it fits in the quiver. I'm looking forward to hearing how she goes and, maybe, seeing some photos.

Have fun Colin!

Cheers

G

Yaroomba

Say G'day to G-Mat 274 (AKA " Yaroomba"). Mat 1 of 2 built for Adam Goldin.

Adam got in with a double-barrelled deposit drop in the last run and came with a clear idea of what he wanted to have for a balanced quiver. More on the other half down the line but for now let's focus on Yaroomba.

Adam says:

I was born in South Africa but have spent the majority of my life living in Australia. I am currently based in Coolum Beach, situated on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. I mostly only surf prone whether it be body surfing, belly boarding or mat surfing. Occasionally I’ll take my finless foamie out for a bit of knee sliding too.

I’m fortunate to have an abundance of great surf spots in my vicinity, including my local beach breaks in Coolum and Yaroomba, as well as the renowned points in Noosa just a short distance away.

I first got into mat surfing about 3 to 4 years ago after seeing some locals flying down walled point breaks. I already knew of mat surfing and was highly intrigued but after seeing the speed and glide with my own eyes I just knew I had to get involved. I immediately bought my first mat. Although I’ve been mat surfing on and off since then, I’d say it only “clicked” about a year ago when I finally committed myself to really low inflation.

I now mostly only take the mat out with me.
— Adam Goldin

A true example of jumping off-board.

Yaroomba is a 200/70 Ubercat with elastic rocker. Adam has some heavy wedgy beach breaks nearby and this really is what the Ubercat loves. The narrow aspect ratio encourages lively rail to rail transition and the rocker really supports hard carving turns so getting off the bottom and cutting back high into the pocket are much easier and assured. Ubercats definitely have waves they don't go so well in, but Adam is buying 2 so something more specialised makes sense.

I'm still working on Yaroomba's quiver-mate so Adam will have to wait but that's all part of the fun, eh mate?! 😂

Back to the workshop I go for round 2...

Cheers

G

FEEDBACK: 5th October, 2023

Turbinia Down-Under

Here’s a mat headed down under to mat surfer Mike Curran. Mike is a self-confect mat addict as you can see from what he had to say when we spoke about his journey into matting:

I am 65 and nowadays a part time Marine Engineer.

I had my first mat/surfoplane rides at Torquay, Victoria way back when 10 years old when you hired them at the front of the Torquay lifesaving club. The thrill of catching a wave has never been lost.

Wind on to 5 years ago & after 45 years as a stand up surfer, (knees getting stiff) as an avid adventure motorcyclist, (Tiger 900) went way over to the NE coastal side of Tasmania to a little known remote area and took a RedBack Surf Mat so I could have a splash, fun and a laugh and ..actually caught some waves. (And still no idea how to use a mat). I was Immediately inspired!

Then In 5 years since has become absolutely hooked! I am now a regular Matter, and have improved a lot, and also helped immensely when he met through work connections the famous NSW, SCUMM. Since then I have matted around Victoria, NSW, even Long Island in New York, Mentawis, and recently South Central Atoll Maldives!

To add to my current mat quiver I needed a mat with more bite and turning ability to use in grungier waves. I’m ready to welcome my new G-Mat Ubercat. My aim is to eventually position on the inside of Stand-Up surfer and call them, for your wave…When you can do that you know ..you know how to surf a mat !

I have named my mat “Turbinia” which was the name given to the very first experimental & extremely fast ocean going steam turbine ship from 120 years ago.
— Mike Curran

So then, on to Turbinia. She has a very specific place in Mike’s quiver being specialised to surfing hollow and gruntie waves. After some discussion we settled on the idea of an Ubercat. We went for free-breather venting to maximise responsiveness but combined with a 200/70 construction so a stable deck but responsive morphing characteristics on the go. We have also gone with a positive elastic rocker which I have tried to capture in the photo’s below. The camera never really shows this that well.

Turbinia is all black with grey/black Sikaflex EBT grip and white branding which pops nicely I think.

Mike has also gone for a classic G-Mat Apparel Tee. Thanks for the support Mike!

Have fun with your new ride Mike!

Cheers

G


Feedback - 21st May, 2023

She’s had about 5 surfs. Main points In point form. 🤔

1. Seems to be much easier to bend and paddle through broken waves than my others.

2. Yes gripping better on the bottom turns and seems to point and turn easier than others.

3. Is faster!

4. Must have it more than 90 degs fold over for best inflation.

5. Loves a late drop.

6. Deck grip very good.

The Widow Maker V6

This mat is an Ubercat build for one of the English South Coast’s prone stalwarts, Mike Steele. Mike has been a body boarder for many years, seeking and charging some of the phenomenal hidden gems on the Jurassic Coast. Mike says:

Got the bug when I was 10 when my dad bought me a polystyrene board for the summer and then progressed to the Mach 7-7 and was a devout Morey fan until they sold to Mattel. Grew up surfing Bournemouth Pier, then discovered the local reefs and was completely sold on boogin’. One of the spots was in an M.O.D. training range and we got arrested for trespass for walking back from the break after we had been told to get out by the range boat. In and out of court for two years and the day before judgement they dropped the charges. The whole thing was very underhand by the M.O.D., false evidence etc. Anyway, after that ordeal we decided to buy a boat so we would never have this problem again and we discovered a few spots that were literally made for bodyboarding. We had a few eventful boat trips in the surf, one in particular was witnessed on quite a big day, my mate driving hit a big wave too fast and we were apparently fully vertical and the ‘prop was 10ft clear of the water’. How we all survived is beyond me and hence we named the boat ‘The Widowmaker’. Most of our crew has their own boat now, mine is the Mk 5, and now the mat is the Mk 6. Re: board progression, had many boogs over the years, and I know the guy who imports NMD and VS and he is very pally with Nick Mezeritz so been getting customs with experimentary tails for about 10 years. Then saw Noah Lane in Ireland riding Guy Butcher wooden boards and went down that route, again experimenting with shapes with Guy. 3 boards in and started following the fringe element and saw some clips of fellas on mats going exponentially fast and have been trying to get my grubby mitts on one of yours for a couple of years. And now I have one!
— Mike Steele

Mike and I spoke about the amount of adjustment needed to switch from a bodyboard/paipo to a mat. He is up for the challenge!

So on to the mat, WMV6 is a wheezy 200/70 Ubercat with positive elastic rocker so has good hold and is well set up for tight S-turn surfing on slabby waves and wedges. Mike has gone for the bungee leash option as a lot of the waves he surfs involve tricky swims if losing the mat. You will notice the 2-tone blue and white bottom skin and logo. This was based on a design Mike sent me and we’re pretty stoked on how it’s come out.

Widow Maker V6 is with Mike now and with a winter of south swells looking to be on the cards we’re pretty hopeful that they will get plenty of action!

Have fun Mike. Can’t wait to hear about your journey into matting!

Cheers

G

Z-Brah

A bit of a weekend project here building a mat for myself. It was flat and absolutely freezing cold so a warm workshop and podcasts seemed very appealing. I've had a big hole in my quiver for some time now with a Nouveau Racer named "Steady Eddie" and a RB-JMC Ultralight named "Featherweight Fordy" and nothing in between. Basically, if it was ether solidly overhead/heavy or upto shoulder high glass I was golden. The 80% in between I was having to work a lot more and poor FF had been taking a right pounding!

So then, on to this mat. It's called "Z-Brah" because the name makes me laugh and works however you pronounce "Z". Z-Brah is a 70/70 Ubercat. Standard free-breather with positive elastic rocker to get tight on the turns. I've also added a bungee for leash attachment for night surfs and wave pools so all in all... I'm covered! Weight off my mind to be honest!

I've actually finished another mat before this one for Mike Steele which I'll post dreckly.

We have waves at the mo so Z-Brah should see some action pretty soon.

Cheers

G


UPDATE/FEEDBACK 06/03/2023

Well after all that I sold Z-Brah to Chris Cavey over in Santa Cruz. I ended up building my son and myself mats over Christmas and needed money for a trip so with heavy heart let Z-Brah go.

Here’s feedback from Chris. It’s good to see that the Ubercat does what it says on the tin.


UPDATE - APRIL 2024

A little edit of Chris Cravey riding Z-Brah at the Kelly Slater wave pool.

The 70/40 Experiment Goes On...

The experiment continues and I am very excited to send this mat off to her new owner.

G-Mat 221 Ubercat 70/40 Surfmat positive rocker elastic rocker Chinook James Tanner

As a mat builder I have always been a believer in testing things out before imposing them on the general public (or ‘going to market’ I guess if I want to sound fancy).  I believe I am a reasonably good mat rider but certainly not the best and aside from anything else, it is important to get things under the bellies of talented mat surfers who are able to give me detailed feedback. That’s no different for this 70/40 construction.

So far, Andrew Stephen Buck has an RB-JMC built with these materials. He’s had a few waves as Rincon has had the worst winter you can imagine but the feedback to date is “best yet”. The next test pilot is Kiwi James Tanner.

G-Mat 221 Ubercat 70/40 Surfmat positive rocker elastic rocker Chinook James Tanner

For those who don’t know him, James is one of those watermen who just hit the flow whatever they are riding and that’s no different with his mat riding. James has a really dynamic style getting a mat right onto it’s rail and really defining S-turn surfing, without losing an iota of speed. He has an RB-JMC in his quiver but we talked about an Ubercat given his style so we’re both excited to see how this mat named “Chinook” goes.

The 70 denier deck is dyed salmon pink with the bottom and I-beams being cut from orange 40d taffeta. Chinook has an elastic bottom hiving a natural inclination to create a smooth progressive curve into turns. Perfect!

G-Mat 221 Ubercat 70/40 Surfmat positive rocker elastic rocker Chinook James Tanner

So lets see how she goes. My 70/40 RB-JMC has been surfed 15 to 20 times. She has developed a super-slow leak. It doesn’t affect inflation when surfing but it is there. I think this is due to a scrape with a reef but I can’t be 100% sure. This is why we test... to see what happens over time with different mats, different riders and different conditions.

Exciting though!

Cheers

G

G-Mat 221 Ubercat 70/40 Surfmat positive rocker elastic rocker Chinook James Tanner

FEEDBACK 25th JANUARY 2022

Jason Stanson - 2 of 2

2 of 2 for Jason Stanson is a mat named "Pink Panter". This slinky pinky is the quiver mate to Ghost Rider, Jason's RB-JMC and is built with a mind to surfing the OC beaches and hollow wedges.

Pink Panter is a G-Mat Ubercat. With her positive elastic rocker and narrow beam, as well as deep concave and rail hooks, Pink Panter will transition from rail to rail easily with hold and drive through tight radius turns. She is also a free-breather to keep things responsive.

I recently built a similar mat for a very notable mat surfer who fedback that "it comes off the bottom real well and when the wave has some power it really goes". Just the ticket then eh Jason?

Pink Panter and Ghost Rider are on route so I'm hoping to get word of their adventures in the not too distant future.

Have fun Jason.

Cheers

G


FEEDBACK - 7th JANUARY, 2022

Moonlight Matting

G-Mat 201 Rental Peter St Pierre Ubercat 70/70 Elastic rocker

I have been excited about building this mat for a while. This is the latest in the run of mats I’m currently doing for some fine people. The latest in that run is Peter St Pierre. For those unaware, Pete is a legend in the So Call surf industry. A true master craftsman in every sense of the word and, to be honest, a legend who’s name spans far beyond his locale. I’ll let Pete tell you about himself in his own words in this Local Legendz video from Korduroy TV.

So on to Pete’s mat. Pete told me that her likes a mat that goes rail to rail easily with decent hold. Also something very lightweight and fast. That perfect combo eh?! Well, an Ubercat sounded like the perfect fit for these qualities. Pete has been riding a 5 Star General he got from Ken McKnight a while back although this is a little over sized and is a different mat to the Ubercat.

G-Mat 201 Rental Peter St Pierre Ubercat 70/70 Elastic rocker

Rental (as Pete has named this mat) has a 70/70 construction. She has been built as a free-breather to up the speed and has a positive elastic rocker to help to drive her through tight turns.

Rental is certainly different from anything else in Pete’s quiver but I’m sure she will fit in nicely. Pete is a vastly experienced surfer who has embraced the way of the mat for years so I’m pretty sure they will get on well with each other.

G-Mat 201 Rental Peter St Pierre Ubercat 70/70 Elastic rocker
G-Mat 201 Rental Peter St Pierre Ubercat 70/70 Elastic rocker

Have fun Pete!

Cheers

G

Pocket Rocket

I have a number of models in my range but have never owned them all. As I am currently working through a batch of mats for people I who have helped me out, I am working through a quiver for myself of all of my mats (in my own time).

Surfmat G-Mat 200 Pocket Rocket Ubercat.jpg

This is the latest named “Pocket Rocket”.. She is a G-Mat Ubercat with elastic rocker which combined with the narrow profile of the Ubercat gives a mat that performs tight turns assuredly on the rail. Perfect for wedgy hollow waves.

Pocket Rocket has a deck made from 100/70 twill which was sent to me by Paul Gross (4th Gear Flyer) several years ago. The bottom and I-beams are 70d taffeta as always so I guess this mat is a 100/70/70!

IMG_20210224_074144.jpg

The other thing you’ll notice is that Pocket Rocket has a leash bungee attachment. This is for 3 reasons: firstly, I injured the tendons in my right forearm a year ago which flares up on occasion. Secondly, I am developing an interest in full moon surfing and don’t want to lose a mat into the darkness. And finally, I am planning a matmeet on my birthday at The Wave, Bristol so getting a few mats sorted with leashes means I can loan them out to meet the rules of the Wave.

Let’s hope Covid restrictions play ball with that plan. Could be an amazing day out!

Surfmat G-Mat 200 Pocket Rocket Ubercat Plan.jpg.jpg

Pocket Rocket has been out on a local wedgy peak a couple of times now and is just what it needs. Easy to get a high cuttie back into the pocket and back out. Perfik!

Surfmat G-Mat 200 Pocket Rocket Ubercat bottom.jpgjpg

2 mats left to go in my self-care project then. A Rubber Bucky and a Ute.

I just need to stop moving them on!

Cheers

G

So.... You like long names do ya?!

Here we have G-Mat 195 (AKA “The MK1 May-y D Semi-Inflation Revelation”). It might not be concise but sums up this girl perfectly.

G-Mat 195 Matt Dight Ubercat Acid Dye

The MK1 May-y D Semi-Inflation Revelation is a G-Mat Ubercat built for Matt Dight, a new matter who lives in Newquay in Cornwall. Matt describes hiself as:

“Fom Somerset exmoor coast - best described cringeingly as an all round water man. Lived and surfed on the south Devon and Cornwall coasts and now living in Newquay. After new wave riding experiences and he been frothing to get a mat for ages”.

Well froth no more my rabid friend because your dream has come true! (At some expense). The MK1 May-y D Semi-Inflation Revelation is a 200/70 Ubercat,. She is a wheezer to give a more controlled flow of air internally as mat was looking for a mat to take on wedges. There is a particular one on his doorstep that will love this mat.

G-Mat 195 Matt Dight Ubercat Acid Dye

Matt has gon for an acid dyed deck with something of a bleached jeans effect. He’s also gone for a bungee leash fitting for those certain rare days when it might be helpful.

The MK1 May-y D Semi-Inflation Revelation has free rocker so best of both worlds. A versatile but narrower that most mat that should nuzzle into those bowling pockets just lovely.

I’m keen to hear how Matt finds The MK1 May-y D Semi-Inflation Revelation. I surf around his way on ocvcaision so will doubtless get a go on her if I play my cards right!

Have fun Matt!

Cheers

G

G-Mat 195 Matt Dight Ubercat Acid Dye

Little Wing

G-Mat Ubercat Claude Ricord Little Wing Surfmat

It's been a little while since I've built an Ubercat but when Claude Ricord got in touch that was exactly what he was after. What's more, Claude was after a 70/70 free-breather. Vroom vroom!

G-Mat Ubercat Claude Ricord Little Wing Surfmat

This is "Little Wing". Claude was unfortunately bereaved recently losing his wife to stomach cancer. Of course, Claude is grieving but he is bringing a real positivity to his life, mat surfing with his son in the breaks around their home in Southern California. 

G-Mat Ubercat Claude Ricord Little Wing Surfmat

Claude says that his and his wife shared a favourite colour scheme of green and white so this was Claude's choice for Little Wing. The deck has been acid dyed in 2 tone green with clear grip which is set off with a clear logo with a mix of holo and green glitter. Claude has gone for the option to have a leash just for those big rippy days.

It's been a real honour to build this mat for Claude. Ride on mate. 

Cheers

G

G-Mat Ubercat Claude Ricord Little Wing Surfmat
G-Mat Ubercat Claude Ricord Little Wing Surfmat

Blue Bottle

Surfmat Surf mat G-Mat 153 Peter Horton Blue Bottle
Surfmat Surf mat G-Mat 153 Peter Horton Blue Bottle

Meet "Blue Bottle", the second 70/70 Ubercat in a row that I've built. This time, with free rocker.

The deck is the last of my old roll of navy 70d. The I beams and bottom are a new roll which has a lighter PU laminate. That means more pliability! I had some green fabric a while back that some will remember fondly. This is reminiscent of that. Nice combo in Blue Bottle then!

G-Mat 153 (2).jpgSurfmat Surf mat G-Mat 153 Peter Horton Blue Bottle

Blue Bottle has been built for Australian Peter "Marsupial" Horton. Peter was keen to get a mat that had plenty of lift and would be fast and lively in decent waves, 

Good choice then! That said, I've been riding my Ubercat in all conditions for a few months now and she's going great!

The grip is white Puraflex 40 so Blue bottle really is going to be a light weight ride! Blue Bottle is still en route but I'm looking forward to hearing how she goes.

So then. A little more about Pete... Well, I'm not going to tell ya, but I've added a bit of reading below.

Cheers G

facebook_1528441953029.jpg

Dirt McGirt

G-Mat 152 Surfmat Jamie McClellan

Ladies and Gents I'm pleased to introduce G-Mat 152 (AKA "Dirt McGirt" is a free-breathing 70/70 G-Mat Ubercat built for Jamie McClellan. 

She has an elastic rocker and is gripped with Sikaflex EBT. Jamie lives in a land of solid, heavy waves so she's a good fit and that grip offered that bit of stability without adversely affecting the pliability.

Hestered valve to protect Jamie's beautiful face. 

G-Mat 152 Surfmat Jamie McClellan

As you can see, the Ubercat's deep concave will give a stack of lift, working will to support the slim-Jim plan shape. 

Looking like a run of Atlantic swells this summer so hopefully Dirt McGirt will get plenty of action.  

Always a pleasure building mats for Jamie and it's been a pleasure to build this mat. 😁 

Sometimes you build one that's just that bit too hard to let go.

Have fun Mr McClellan!

Cheers

G

G-Mat 152 Surfmat Jamie McClellan

G-Mat 142 (AKA "Michael Stripe")

Having taken a little time off for a wee trip away, I thought it would be nice to build myself a new mat for my personal quiver. It's been a while since I built myself a mat that wasn't a proto but I decided to treat myself.

G-Mat 142 Surfmat Ubercat Acid Dye

So, what to have. Well, I've been missing my old Ubercat and it has been a really long time since I've had one. Bryn Dampney has one named "Kessel Run" and I have really enjoyed riding her when we've surfed together so 70/70 with rocker seemed the way to go. 

G-Mat 142 Surfmat Ubercat Acid Dye

As you can see, I fancied a bit of colour and had surfed with a fella on a hull with stripes which I thought would look good on a mat so I got busy with the acid dye. I'm pretty pleased with how she looks, although Paul Mason did ask if I was going to "Police the lineup" (Perhaps I should have called her Nina!).

One interesting observation is the optical effects of the horizontal stripes... They make the narrower/longer Ubercat look short and fat! I did check in comparison to my Rubber Bucky though and as you can see, all is as it should be. 

G-Mat 142 Surfmat Ubercat Acid Dye
G-Mat 142 Surfmat Ubercat Acid Dye

Anyhoo, Michael Stripe has been surfed in waves at Gwenver in West Cornwall, that were less powerful than really warrant this design but she went well.

Gwenver Surf Surfmat

We also had a session in slightly bigger surf which really let Michael Stripe open up. Rail to rail surfing at speed... I forgot how much I love Ubercats!

Gwenver Surf Surfmat
G-Mat 142 Surfmat Ubercat Acid Dye

Suffice it to say, I am really stoked to welcome this mat in to my quiver.Here's hoping for a winter of solid hollow waves! 

Cheers

G

G-Mat 142 Surfmat Ubercat Acid Dye

G-Mat 127 (AKA "Isabel")

This is Isabel. She's a 200/70 G-Mat Ubercat built for Paul Lorello over in New Jersey.

G-Mat 127 Surfmat Paul Lorello

Paul is an experienced mat surfer and got on the waiting list after getting hold of a 5 Star General from UK Mat Surfers.

G-Mat 127 Surfmat Paul Lorello

Isabel has been built with a free rocker. Paul surfs hollow, fast breaking beach breaks (well, he is in NJ after all!) so free rocker seemed the best bet to get down the line whilst still benefitting from the Ubercat's hold.

G-Mat 127 Surfmat Paul Lorello

The deck is 200d in royal blue and the bottom 70d navy. The grip is Puraflex 40 and covers the front corners.  The livery looks yellow in these pics but that's down to some kind of interaction with the blue I think. The logo is actually green, as you can see from the bag.

G-Mat 127 Surfmat Paul Lorello

Paul has gone for a free breather to add a little more zip and a standard deck valve placement.

G-Mat 127 Surfmat Paul Lorello

As for the name. Isabel is named after Paul's new Granddaughter.

CONTRATULATIONS!!!!

G-Mat 127 Surfmat Paul Lorello
G-Mat 127 Surfmat Paul Lorello

So off she goes. I reckon Isabel is going to be the perfect companion for Paul's 5SG. Looking forward to hearing back. Have fun Paul!

Cheers

G

G-Mat 127 Surfmat Paul Lorello

UPDATE 04/08/2017

Word from Paul:

"Isabel arrived yesterday and  I lucked out  because the wind turned offshore and the 2-3 ft closeouts I’ve been riding the past few weeks turned into glass, with some punch.

Mat rode great and I was able to get a feel for how good it will be when the size bumps up, which should be soon.

Can’t say enough about the excellent quality and really appreciate the fact that these are handmade…kind of a rarity these robotic  days.

Paul Lorello"

Fun Sessions with Bryn and Tim

I had a really good time with with Tim Ciasto and Bryn Dampney on the South Coast of Cornwall near the Devon border. Tim had his camera. Saturday was a session with just me in the water (and a crowd of about 5895)  on my Chino Racer. It had a little grunt (although I was pretty over-gunned). It was also super busy and hugely frustrating. Still, I managed to snag a few away from the pack on my favourite left which was bumpy but fun.

On Sunday, Bryn joined me on the same reef. The waves were really nice early doors and beautifully quiet when we arrived. 

The waves dropped a bit in quality as the tide pushed and Tim turned up with his camera so he definitely missed the best of it but I'm still pretty pleased with what he got. ☺️

It was nice getting the Bodybag out for a couple at the end, although Bodysurfing is probably best done before, not after a 2 1/2 hour session!  

All good fun. Tim has been sniffing around Cornwall of late and will be back. It would be good to get a few more mat riders together for his return.

Cheers

G

Here Come the Vikings!

Ladies and Gents, meet G-Mat 125 (AKA "Oselvar") She is a 200/70 G-Mat Ubercat heading to David Hoke on the East Coast of the US. Oselvar has a positive rocker to help with turns and Sikaflex EBT grip wrapped around the nose to help Dave to hang on in heavy surf.

G-Mat 125 Ubercat Surfmat Surf Mat David Hoke 3654

About the name, Dave told me:

"I am naming the mat "Oselvar" after the Norwegian wood boats that are fast, agile and bend. My Grandfather was an off the boat Norski (Fritz Heede).   I keep in touch with my cousins. 

When I visited last year I got to mat in Hoddevik at Midnight and then go spear fishing.

I got to row a vintage wood boat in Fjaerland. It was used by a minister who rowed among his congregations in the 1920s."

 

Dave Hoke Norway 357

Mat surfing a Norwegian fjord sounds amazing. Spearfishing in Norway?! F*ck that!!!

So where are Dave and Oselvar planning to surf. Dave lives in Pennsylvania and doesn't see much in the way of surf at home. The answer is... Costa Rica. Big, peaky reef waves a long way from dry land to be precise.  

This explains the rocker and the nose grip and Dave's choice of a low volume mat. His Viking ancestry probably explains his attitude to surfing though, I cant wait to hear about this trip!

Cheers

G

G-Mat 125 Ubercat Surfmat Surf Mat David Hoke 852
G-Mat 125 Ubercat Surfmat Surf Mat David Hoke 12365
Surfmat surf Mat Ubercat David Hoke 6433

The Madgoose!

This mat is a 200/70 G-Mat Ubercat named "The Madgoose". She is the new friend of Hawaiian mat surfer, Dave Monasevitch over on Kauai. You may remeber Dave from his adventures with Phileas.

You'll see in the following 2 shots that Ubercats have pronounced rail hooks and a deep concave up the middle of the bottom. The canting that achieves this also offers an enhanced sense of structure.

As you can see here, The Madgoose sports an elastic rocker to work with the stretched out profile and aid turns, particularly off the bottom in heavy Hawaiian surf.

Dave has also gone for some grip on the front corners. Given the waves he has in mind, who can blame him. Here's his first bit of feedback:

"Aloha G!

Got to try it today, 2-4’ Hawaiian surf. Occasional breakers to 3rd & 4th reef. 1st wave was a  late drop, and I didn’t feel back of the mat soon enough to stay in the pocket and trim the face. It didn’t slide out in the flats though :-D  Once I negotiated the forward-aft through the drop, I felt the open highly evolved form of your Smooth Hold design. But what is the most unique and enjoyable aspect, so far, is it’s ability to climb; even a steep feathering face, and get over the top and out the back.. It was sizable, and kind of a thrill.  Thankfully, do to that hold/climb ability, I managed to stay outside long enough to catch a few good waves…That’s impressive.  I caught an insider and the next clean up sets drove me in past the second reef and then the first reef. The constant hammering to get so far back out to the breakers, indicated that I was done for the day. Didn’t lose her in all that energy, though! Good fun!!! Hope there’s a few waves left tomorrow. :-D

Many Thanks You da Mat  man!,

Dave"

Talented mat rider... Good waves... Pleasure to build...  Have fun Dave!

G

G-Mat Surfmat Surfmats David Monasevitch Ubercat 14715

Anuket - Heading to Wales

This is G-Mat 118 (AKA "Anuket"), built for super-talented prone riding Welshman, Keith Usher.

Anuket is a 200/70 G-Mat Ubercat with elastic rocker. The grip is Puraflex 40, pigmented light blue on a royal blue deck with white livery and black bottom skin. As you can see, Keith has gone for a leash attachment as well.

Keith has had Anuket out for her maiden voyage on the day of writing. He seems pretty please with her getting over flat spots and plenty of hold at low inflation. These were soft waves so not really where this type of mat really gets to open up. 

Today Keith didn't wear a leash. The leash isn't intended for every day waves. It's there because Keith takes on waves like these! 

G-Land

Aileens

Leashes are always only a back up on mats but sometimes, keeping hold just isn't an option and a swim around the inside at Aileen's doesn't sound a ton of fun!

Keith has another G-Land trip planned soon. The spot where he first tried a mat! I can not wait to see how Anuket and Keith get on.

Cheers

G