More Green & Blue - Synapse

Here we have a G-Mat RB-JMC named Synapse built for Californian, Rob Belli. Rob is a very fine mat surfer who you may well have seen sharing waves with mat art master Jared Katz.

I asked Rob to tell me a bit about his journey into mat surfing. Here’s what he said:

“I got into mats about 2008 (I think, I can’t quite remember) when I ordered a mat from a shop called Wetsand in Ventura,CA. They were selling mats called Neumatics made by some guy named Dale Solmonson haha. So I ordered one but around that time Dale had some health problems and didn’t get the mat till about a year later. In the meantime I think I got a 4th Gear with denim on it for grip. But as everyone knows once you get a good wave on a mat you realize there is nothing on earth like it. What’s funny is once I got Dale’s mat it smelled so bad from the grip (even after riding it for a while) I stupidly sold it for 100.

I picked to name my mat Synapse from my experience riding mats in choppy onshore conditions. I was amazed at the feeling I experienced at the micro adjustments the mat was making to the bumps and chops at high speed and going faster and faster down the line. It was like the mat had a brain that was taking input and translating to speed.”

— Robert Belli

Synapse is a 70/70 super-free-breather with neg rocker. Rob was inspired by a mat I sent to Oz for colours although the clear grip and black logo give a different feel. As you see, Synapse has a bungee for a leash on really windy days as Rob travels to some breezy places with long swims and is keen not to lose his mat!

I'm really looking forward to feedback on this.

Have fun Rob!

Cheers

G

Green & Blue

A quick post here about a mat heading down-under. As you can see there is a different valve on this mat.

This mat is a 70/70 RB-JMC super-free-breather named “Green and Blue”. It is heading down to Byron Bay, Australia to hang out with an experienced mat rider who has a G-Mat already and gives really good feedback. Part of this was that they wanted a smaller and/or softer valve. That’s not an easy ask but I managed to ger a TPU version of a pool toy type valve which seems to hit the mark.

These can come in colours if I buy an absolute stack of them! I’m yet to decide what I think on that front though. They really do look a little pool toyish! They can be made in black apparently which would look better and might be a good opion for the BodyBag mini mats. I’m interested to hear people’s thoughts on that.

Anyway, I am looking forward to hearing feedback on the mat and the valve. Personally I really do like my usual mini-boston valves but it’s always good to have options. I certainly plan to put one into a BodyBag mini mat soon to try. The lightweight, smaller design could be perfect for that.

Anyway lets’s see. I’ve been trying out a few design ideas of late with a mat due to go out to Andrew Buck for testing.

More of that soon though. .

Cheers

G

Ellie

Say hello to “Ellie”, a Nouveau Racer built for Aussie matter Peter Abbott. Peter has been riding a mat for around 12 years having been inspired, like many of us, by the Innermost Limits of Pure Fun.

Peter lives in Northern NSW, a place with excellent waves. He has every day covered with his existing quiver, but wanted a mat for those days where things really get cooking and the local spots really light up. With that in mind we felt that a Nouveau Racer tailored to Peter was the order of the day.

Given the conditions Ellie is aimed at we went for a wheezer with a 200d deck. Ellie has free elastic rocker to offer plenty of flexibility. Peter opted for a red deck and black bottom with black grip. I have to say, I dig this look!

So why Ellie? Ellie was Peter’s old red cattle dog who loved the beach and the water. What a perfect name. I am really honoured to have been able to create the tribute to what sounds like a really special girl.

Have fun Peter. I can’t wait to hear how you and Ellie go down there.

Cheers

G

FEEDBACK - 20th Jan 2024

Mimosa

This is Mimosa, a mat built for Welshman Huw Beynon. Huw has been a mat surfer for some time and has been riding a stock G-Mat and pretty well at that. Living on the Gower in South Wales, Huw has some great mat waves on hand so when he got his deposit in for a custom mat I was over the moon!

Mimosa is definitely a step up from Huw's current ride being a 70/70 super-free-breather so much more sensitive and responsive than the 200/70 wheezer RFT that he currently rides. We discussed elastic rocker options and Huw opted for free rocker, given the wide range of conditions he will be surfing. With some very peaky waves in the mix, Huw felt a mat that would respond to hard cutbacks was handy whilst flattening nicely for the points. The bungee has also been added to cover nipping over the Severn to jump in the wave pool.

Huw has also gone for pigmented grip and logo. They say blue and green should never be seen. Well... I beg to differ.

The only downside is my spelling of Beynon! Sorry Huw... As a fellow Celt I feel suitably ashamed. Huw seemed to find my balls up funny though so all's well that ends well.

I'm going to get to surf with Huw and Mimosa in April at The Wave on Bristol. Can't wait to see them in action!

Cheers

G

Unburdened & Becoming

Here's is a mat for Mark "Tom" Underwood that I built during a week off in February.

Tom has been after a mat for a while and with the upcoming Wave meet coming up on April 16th (still a slot or two available by the way. Advanced level, 11am on the right) he was keen to get a mat with a bungee set-up for a leash. Also handy for long-swim avoidance on some of the sketchier reefs on big days. Tom is a big fan of the 70/70 neg rocker RB-JMC having been riding one exclusively for some time. He's a fine mat surfer (fine everything surfer to be honest) and really does fit the performance of the RB-JMC.

Tom has called his mat Unburdened and Becoming saying:

“It’s a song lyric line by Bon iver. A band that me sons all went to see live. It resonates with me. It’s positive and life affirming, like matting.”

— Mark Underwood

Tom has been out and about with Unburdened and Becoming in his local area of South Devon and South East Cornwall on the seemingly endless run of swell we're having. With this cold snap the Arctic camo grip is pretty appropriate!

Have fun Tom!

Cheers

G

Warchild

Here's a mat for Joe McEachern over in New England on the East Coast of the US of A. Those with eagle eyes might spot that Joe got in on the last round of builds and I was pretty surprised to see his deposit roll in. What are the odds?! Well it turned out he was stood at the beach with Ryan Kleinert when the email dropped and Ryan clocked it! Joe jumped in on the act and there you go. If only he'd been quicker. I could've shipped his and Ryan's mats together!

Anyway, Joe's first mat, Red Rider was a 200/70 wheezy Ute which he has been having a blast on. He wanted to move things on this time and "Warchild" was conceived. A 70/70 RB-JMC free-breather cut with neg elastic rocker. Perfect stable mate for Red Rider and I reckon a mat that will open things up for Joe.

Joe tells me Warchild is from the movie Pointbreak. (I watched it about a million years ago and thought it was rubbish so don't recall... Deal with it! )

So Warchild is off to the US East Coast. A pretty healthy mat scene growing over there you know. Great to see!

Have fun Joe!

Cheers

G

Pure Joy

Here’s a new mat for Josh Jacobs over in Hawaii named “Pure Joy”.  Josh has been after a new mat and managed to get in on this round, having been riding one of my mats for some time.

 Here’s what Josh had to say:

“How can I explain Mat surfing.. As someone that has been in the ocean for most of my life and have played with many different types of ocean crafts (bodyboards, surfboards both short and long, body surfing, paddle boarding, and a few others), mat surfing might be the only one that brings me back to the childhood joy that I experienced the first time I rode a wave. I really only got into it a few years ago watching one of my buddies ride his mat at a funky little wave on Maui, which is where I live. My buddy let me have a go on his mat and I was hooked after the first speedy free-flowing right that I ever had on one. After that I hit up my old friend from California [Jason MacMurray] who’s been riding your mats for sometime, and he so generously sent me one of his older mats to use. I love riding the mat in all types of waves, from reef breaks to A frame rights and lefts to longer island style point breaks. It’s always fun to see peoples reaction to how much fun I am having on such a different style of surf craft. I have surfed many times in my life, but I can honestly say that some of the sessions that stand out to me are the days that I rode my mat. I can’t wait to ride my new mat “AKA” Pure Joy.”

— Josh Jacobs

We talked about what Josh was after. The mat he had from Jason is a 70/70 free-breather Rubber Bucky. The mat is a bit under sized for Josh but still, that particular set up can be tricky in heavier and hollower waves. Josh was after something more stable to expand his matting options but still an all rounder.

With all that in mind, a Ute seemed the obvious choice. I have scaled around Josh’s existing mat (see G-Mat 83) and his body dimensions in combination as he feels happy riding it. We have gone for a 200d deck with restricted venting (wheezer) on the inside so Pure Joy will hold her shape and offer a more stable deck. Pretty nice quiver mate for his other mat named “Self-Pleasure” (Jason named it!). 

Looking forward to feedback from Josh on this build. Have fun mate!

 Cheers

 G

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FEEDBACK - 16 February, 2023