G-Mats 41 & 42 (Glider XR)

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I've just packed up a mat going to Californian skateboarding legend that is Henry Hester.  

G&S Hester Model Logo

Henry recently tried out my G-Mat Glider and enjoyed the ride but, having come from riding round-tail mats, found the tail a little loose. After a little arm twisting, Henry talked me into building him a modified Glider with my original XR corner template at the tail and an extre 1/2 inch of length. I used this template on the first two mats I ever made.

Other than that, this is a Glider with Tweener template front corners and completely free-breathing (I'm done with wheezers).

So, here's introducing G-Mat 41 (AKA "Stinkles").

G-Mat 41 (AKA "Stinkles")

G-Mat with valve fitted to bottom skin.

Henry tells me that his face is too beautiful to risk damage so he has opted to have his valve below the seam at the nose of the mat. I've tucked it up under the edge-lap to ensure that it stays clear of the water.

How well this arrangement works out remains to be seen but it should be fine. All in all this is a really experimental model which will need to be field tested.

Given that, I just have to try one myself so have built the monochrome sister of Stinkles: G-Mat 42 (AKA "Big 'H'"). I've named the mat after Henry. 

G-Mat 42 (AKA "Big H")

G-Mat XR Corner Template

So then, that's two of us trying these out so lets see how they go. It'll be really interesting for me to get back to the XR corner and see how it performs with my current dimensions and I can't wait to hear Henry's thoughts.

Cheers

G

G-Mat 40 (AKA "Richard")

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My new ride and I'm pretty pleased with her. 

G-Mat 40 (AKA "Richard")

Richard is a 70/70, free-breathing Ute and is likely to be the last mat I'm going to be making for myself for some time. I really fancied a clean look and am pleased with the results, with the giant G logo not looking too OTT. 

I personally love the responsiveness and speed achieved through 70/70 construction, combined with easy air transfer. I've had a go out in small, sectioning waves so far and she's got into waves early and displaces very little water. Richard made sections well, holding a high line but releasing well when asked. 

Fins out and off... A thoroughly pleasant afternoon.

The 70/70 Ute is a different creature to the 200/70 set up (well, 70/70 mats are completely different to their heavier counterparts full-stop) and aren't for everyone, being very sensitive. But for me, nothing really comes close to the feeling.  

Got some more waves about at the mo and I've got time off after Tuesday so should get plenty on my new go to mat. 

G

G-Mat 39 (AKA "Grace Cajones")

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This is Grace Cajones, a G-Mat Ubercat built for Dan Lawrence.

G-Mat 39 (AKA "Grace Cajones")

One of Dan's local breaks

Dan lives in Mid-Cornwall in the UK and has to wedges and shallow breaking beach breaks close to home so spends a lot of his time having to get his act together and find a line pretty sharpish! Given that, the obvious choice was an Ubercat. Dan has opted for a 200/70 set up and Sikaflex grip. The is a free-breather.  

As you can see, he's gone for the sleek and subtle approach being the suave man of style that he is.  This is a very small mat because... well... she's a custom surfmat so you work it out!

Anyway, it looks like a reasonable run of swell over the next week or so, so I'll be interested to hear (and see) how Dan and Grace Cajones get on.

Cheers

G

G-Mat 38 (AKA "Matilda")

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G-Mat 38 (AKA "Matilda")

G-Mat 38 (AKA "Matilda")

Something of an experiment here...

Meet Matilda, a 200/70 G-Mat Ute:

Matilda features some beyond the norm features. First off, coloured grip, which has been done before by my friend and mentor Dale Solomonson using Vulkem, but I have tried using the stink-free Sikaflex. 

Next, some people have asked about designs on the bottom of mats... Tricky...

Dye can't do this in the right way because it bleeds. Also, the sealants used for the lettering on decks aren't suitable because they would seriously affect pliability and would feel like an anchor.

So, a foray into the world of spray paint. I wasn't entirely into the idea of this initially and time will tell whether this has worked or not. Right now, it isn't something I would really want to do again but it has given an interesting effect on the bottom of the mat one way or another.

So, we'll have to await feedback from whoever ends up with this mat but it'll certainly catch a few eyes, that's for sure!

Matilda is currently up for sale and being something of an experiment is available for:

£200 GBP plus shipping.

Please email me if you would like to be the one to break her in.

Cheers

G

G-Mat 38 (AKA "Matilda") - Spray Paint!


The Bullet is Dead... LONG LIVE THE UTE!

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G-Mat Ute - 200/70

As people will be aware, I was keen to work towards an all-round mat that would be an option in almost any conditions. Following that train I recently developed the G-Mat Ute which certainly seemed to hit that spot. 

A few went out to various experienced mat riders and the feedback has been really positive.

For example:

I went faster yesterday on two different waves then I have ever gone before. On the blue mat [below]. I rode two waves almost a quarter mile each. Super winter spot I know of. Local knowledge in Southern California is worth gold.
 
No shit! Those that saw it commented and there were only five of us out. I can't tell you how fast that little fucker went but I was hauling ass. Two career waves in one session. Both about six feet, or double overhead to stand up surfers. Total strangers paddled up afterwards and commented.

G-Mat Ute 70/70

My personal experience has been the same, that the Ute really likes solid, sizable surf and making long drawn out turns. Oh, and it goes like a greased turd!

The thing is, that's the G-Mat Bullet''s job. But my experience is that the Ute actually does the Bullet's job for it, and better. It also beats the Bullet at the bottom end of it's range.

RIP the G-Mat Bullet

So where does that leave the Bullet?

Well... Redundant! 

It's not to say that anyone with a Bullet has a bad mat because the Bullet has performed well in all sorts of conditions and is a good mat, but it has been superseded.

The Bullet's slightly rounded corner is certainly something that could be looked at on the Ute, I have a Standard corner template called the "Tweener" (used on the Glider, Ute and Ubercat) and then the rounder Bullet corners...  

A little more maneuverable and a touch more hold at the expense of a little speed might be someone's bag. Custom is as it says!

G 

PS Of course, any Bullet lovers can still have one for old time's sake. 

PPS COMING UP... The does the Ute leave the Flying Carpet?!

Non-Stick Problems

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I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to use some new fabric samples and I said that I noticed that this 200d Oxford weave appeared to have seen treated... It has... And as feared, grip can't stick to it as I discovered on a South Devon reef yesterday. Even the logo is touch and go.

So it's back up plan time. I've had some Non-Stick mesh kicking a round so have made strips for the deck and fixed them with strong glue (Stormsrure). This is the glue used on the valve which has held up fine. I could have left a bigger gap at the tail. That's a weak point for sure.

Now, I don't think this is a grip I would want to do as a rule but it will be interesting to see how it goes. I could have just applied more Sikaflex to the glue but it's nice to experiment now and then. Will this be robust enough? Probably not but there's only one way to find out.

Suffice it to say, I won't be buying any of this fabric any time soon.

G

Trouble with treated nylon.

Trouble with treated nylon.

Sikaflex periods straight off!

Sikaflex periods straight off!

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G-Mat 36 (AKA "te Ika-a-Maui")

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I'm really stoked to be sending my first mat to New Zealand. Lee Morgan has named his Ute "te Ika-a-Maui", the Maori word for the North Island.

G-Mat 36 (AKA "te Ika-a-Maui")

G-Mat 36 (AKA "te Ika-a-Maui")

As you can see, this 200/70 free-breather is set up for an optional leash. The leash is attached to the middle part of the bungee, under the extended edgelap at the nose. This provides an even distribution of stress across the mat, maximising the shock absorbing affects of the bungee and the mat itself. 

The grip is Sikaflex 11FC. I've given this a really light grip with plenty of space at the tail to help Lee to get up on to the mat on take-off. He is a practical fella who is more than able to top up his grip later if need be.

I'm looking forward to hearing how Lee gets on with his new ride. This has been a really fun project to work on.

G