Recognition for a Legend

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I'm very, very proud of a certain Californian G-Mat rider today. 

Some of you may know of, or even personally know Henry. An extremely talented mat rider with a colossal pedigree as a surfer having been a previous Rusty team rider.  Henry has a special mat which we christened the Glider XR. I built two of these to the same dims. On called Big H (a play on "Bad H") which now lives with my friend Bob Booth. The other was "Stinkles". 

"Stinkles" Photo: Graeme Webster

Henry at Swamis Photo: Lance Smith

There's plenty more to read on Henry and his mat surfing in his UK Mat Surfers Here & Now interview . For now, lets get back to why I'm so proud of Henry.

I'm sure most will know that Henry has dabbled in Skateboarding over the years. When I say "dabbled" I mean that he is a bona fide legend of the sport. Seven times World Slalom Champion who competed regularly up until just a few years ago. 

Henry went on to organise the Hester Series comps and famously developed revolutionary skateboard wheels. And then there's the Skatecars. And then the Snowboards...

Too much to cover in a brief blog post and that UKMS article has it from the horses mouth.

What that article does't is why I'm so proud of Henry today. I'm proud because a few days ago, Henry was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.  So well deserved for a true legend of our time and a really top guy.

What blows me away most with Henry is his openness and humility (kinda blustering hell-man chaotic humility that is of course!) Henry has undoubtedly forgotten more about skating and surfing than most of us will ever know. Still, he goes through life with his eyes and ears open and is always looking for the new stoke. 

He picked up a surfmat and took glee in being a novice. Guess what... Now he's RIGHT up there.

Henry, I salute you mate. Enjoy Henry's acceptance speech and look on Planet X. Henry Hester has a few lessons for you on how to ride a surfmat.

Cheers

G

Just What the Doctor Ordered

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Please welcome G-Mats 79 and 80 into the world. This pair are called Gladys and Dorothy, respectively.

Dorothy is a Ute and Gladys is a Chino Racer. Both are 200/70 free-breathers with subtle elastic rocker. This is an ideal quiver for all eventualities.

First up, Dorothy. She's a Ute and the perfect all rounder. Sean currently surfs around North Devon and with summer coming a mat to glide those long, glassy peelers at spots like Woolly is ideal. Dorothy isn't shy of the juice though but I have slightly emphasized the bottom end  as she is part of a double act.

Next we have Gladys. She is a Chino Racer so loves power. Sean travels an awful lot and surfs some very high quality solid waves. He tells me that he has found that he has been pushing the limits of his existing mats in some of these waves so Gladys is here to fill that gap.

Gladys will dig those big hollow North Devon days too.

Can't wait to hear how these girls go. 

Cheers

G

Feedback from John Hughes

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I've had a couple of emails from John Hughes regarding his early experiences with his 70/70 Rubber Bucky, Sylvia.

John says:

EMAIL 1:
My first session was on tiny waves at the local pier. There is a break on the north side of the pier that happens only when the tide and swell direction are just right. When it breaks a wedgy peak forms right next to the end of the pier. That turns into a fast drop which usually breaks right away and puts you in the whitewater. That lasts for a few yards then it re-forms into a walled up ledge that reels right into the pilings. Just as you get to the pilings you can pull out then take the outgoing channel next to the pier and go right back to the take off zone.

The ride is short but exhilarating.

Although the swell that day was tiny, the conditions were right and a miniature version of the wave was working. The mat handled it easily, tracking down every little seam in the wave, turning a potential non-session into an hour of fun. No pics of this. I took a camera with me but no one was there to take pics. The inflation pic is from that morning.

EMAIL 2:
I got the mat out again this morning, this time in some waist high but lined up groundswell. This mat is blazing fast! I was easily blowing by sections and the mat was smooth and controlled. When the offshores held the wave back I could hang the mat at the top of the wave until it walled lined up then let it loose. I am definately clicking with this mat. It is another level above Phileas. I can't wait to get it in some big stuff.

I didn't get actual surfing pics. I just had the snapshot camera. I include one pic of the inflation level I am at. It works very well with low inflation. Also include the latest update on my car stickers. We may be getting some big onshore slop soon. If so, I will send a report.

aloha, John

Bring on the slop!

Cheers

G

Word from Scandinavia

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Word has come in from Sweden's minister of matting, Tim Ciasto.  Tim has a couple of Rubber Buckies, both in sultry black on black. You can read all about them HERE.

Anyway, having a lot of work on as a film maker, plus living in a land with inconsistent waves, it's not always easy to get quality surf in but it sounds like the Norse Gods have been smiling on Tim judging by his recent email:

 

Got incredibly busy the last week but guess what...

Today I went surfing. It almost didn't happen because when I tried to put my DaFin Big Boo's on over my winter booties I ripped the strap of one fin... damn :( need a replacement now...

I really thought that was it, but I discovered that I had backup in my car (my V7's and 5mm dive socks). 

The wind was not too extreme so I decided to take "Geburtstag Bonus"...

You said it will take probably a couple of waves to get used to it... well ... what can I say...

My first 3 waves where pure magic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

On the first one I pulled into a steep section an had the brief feeling that I side-slipped but then the mat locked in and accelerated rapidly... so much fun. It was at my favorite spot but those waves today where among the best I ever surfed in Sweden. 

Thank you so much for this incredible gift. I still have a big smile on my face :)

Well, now I have a big smile on my face! Great to hear. Tim is planning on another visit to the UK soon which the UK Mat Surfers crowd are very pleased to hear. His last visit was great fun:

I'm looking forward to hearing about more adventures from Tim and his girls. It warms the cockles to know that I've played a small part in people's stoke. 

Cheers

G

Blue & Green Should Never be Seen...

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.... or so the saying goes. 

Luckily, that saying is a bunch of ol' pap and I've just built my second 70/70 Rubber Bucky in a row with a blue deck and green bottom skin.

Meet G-Mat 78 (AKA "Sylvia") built for Floridian, John Hughes.  John is a connoisseur of lightweight surfmats and a strong advocate of drifting mat surfing. Oh and he lives in the land of raggedy short-fetch swells so a Rubber Bucky seems like the perfect chariot.

Sylvia Is a free-breather with rocker and a Hestered valve. John asked for lighter grip so we went with Sikaflex 11FC+. He also asked me to leave a good amount of clear fabric up the the middle pontoon to save his chin from rashes so I've compensated with a little extra grip on the inside of the outer pontoons to make up for it.

John has also ordered a charcoal grey tee with black print. Sexy monochrome... Cool guy. :-)

Just waiting on the Tee and then Sylvia is off to her new home.

G

G-Mat 76 (AKA "Aquamanbag") - Happy (Early) Birthday Me!!!

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Never let it be said that I'm not an advocate of self-compassion and to prove that, here's my new steed, Aquamanbag.

I built this mat as a birthday present to myself an fully intended to wait until my birthday to unleash her. I was even gonna wrap her up.

That all went out of the window though and I've already had her out in some sloppy pap! She went great though.

Aquamanbag  is a G-Mat Rubber Bucky. Blue  70 denier deck and green 70 denier bottom skin. She is a free breather (of course) and has a flat rocker. That flat rocker does special things in those mats that you need to just run and they get quicker over time.

Stuff happens to them...

Special stuff...

Anyway, I've gone for a little colour and jazziness with a yellow logo and grey jungle grip. The grip is Sikaflex 11FC+ to keep things light and pliable.

Summer is on the way ladies and gents!!!

G

Happy Birthday Webbo!!!!!!!!!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BOY!!!!

Photo: Becky Webster

My boy Webbo (AKA Joe Webster) is 14 today and I'm not being at all biased when I say that he is a great lad of whom I am very, very proud.

Anyway, Webbo is becoming a pretty good mat rider and asked for a new mat for his birthday so here she is... "The Camo Carrot".

The Camo Carrot is a 200/70 G-Mat Ute. She has an Urban Camo style grip job with Sikaflex EBT, offering plently of traction, is hard  wearing and also helps to add stability to the deck to make things more manageable. 

That stability is also increased with the restricted airflow in this mat. I don't usually built "wheezers" these days but it does offer a more predictable platform so should help Webbo to continue to progress.

The Camo Carrot also has a bit of rocker. Webbo seems to have developed a bit of a taste for steep waves so that should help to keep things in order.

Finally, The Camo Carrot has a bungee leash attachment. Nice to keep Webbo attached to his mat... At least for now.

Once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!!!!!!!!!

Dad.