Evil Twins

Having just taken deposits for the next 10 builds, I have quickly slipped in a couple of mats for Derek Hynd as Australia slides into winter. We went for a quiver of two to cover all bases.

This is mat number 1 named Evil Twin F. She is a 70/70 RB-JMC free-breather with negative elastic rocker.

Derek puts a lot of pressure on his mats, taking late drops in solid waves. We talked about grip patterns and opted for diagonal strips to give grip both length ways and across the mat, whist still maintaining maleability as Evil Twin F is Derek's all-rounder out of the 2.

Mat 2 of 2 for Derek is Evil Twin M is the gun of the quiver, ready for the solid winter swells at The Pass.

Evil Twin M is a Nouveau Racer; a mat with a lot of hold. As is standard for this model, ETM is a 200/70 wheezer, meaning the ride is stable with the mat holding it's shape more. It also means that when cutting back you have air in the outside rail (when in trim) for longer when you make the turn, giving more hold. The narrower, rounder outer pontoon, more acute curve in the rail and rounder corners also help with hold.

I personally think the RB-JMC and Nouveau Racer are pretty much the prefect quiver combo. I'm looking forward to the feedback on the Evil Twins.

Have fun Derek.

Cheers

G

Joni

Say hello to Joni, a G-Mat RB-JMC built for Aussie mat surfer Madi Farrelly.

Madi has been riding mats for a while now and is a very accomplished surfer. Madi is mates with our Antipodean RFT Series stockist Johanna Brebner (to be fair, Jo seems to be mates with everyone) and chatted to her about what to get.

Of course, Brebsy recommend a 70/70 RB-JMC super-free-breather with negative rocker. Fast and lots of glide... Perfect fit for Madi's style. Madi also had colours in mind. After a bit of acid dye fiddling (the colour on the pot and what comes out aren't always the same) we have a kind of mint bottom with teal deck.

The mint was meant to be more like the teal, but was so nice that the combo was a must! I have pigmented the grip too, to match the bottom a touch, and it's really made the logo pop. All in all, Madi is happy and so am I. Madi has also gone with a bung style valve to keep things simple.

Here's what Madi had to say:

“I named her Joni, after Joni Mitchell and her album Blue. The mat itself isn’t strictly blue, it’s a blend of teal and sea-glass, like the ocean under changing light. But this colour has been following me like a ghost lately. I see it everywhere, and I find myself drawn towards it, in the ocean, in the clothes I reach for without thinking, even in the music that drifts into my days. Maybe it’s just a colour, but it lingers, and feels strangely familiar …”

— Madi Farrelly

Lovely stuff! I'm really looking forward to hearing how Madi finds the ride with Joni. I really enjoy building mats for skilled matsurfers as the feedback is priceless.

It's been a fun build this. Have fun Madi!

Cheers

G

Marellen

Here's a mat for @therollonforever over in California. @therollonforever values his privacy so I won't share his name but he has said his Insta handle is fine.

The mat is an RB-JMC named Marellen. Unusually for an RB-JMC, we have gone for a 200d deck but this is certainly in line with @therollonforever's tastes, plus Marellen is quite a big mat so the influence of the heavier deck is mitigated a bit.

@therollonforever opted for free elastic rocker as he is keen get the balance between turning and out and out speed. We spoke about venting and have gone for my standard free-breather set up. Having only ridden wheezers, it will be interesting to hear how @therollonforever's finds a less restricted mat. I think he'll dig it from our discussion.

Here's what @therollonforever had to say:

“So I ordered because I’d only ridden stock mats up to this point. As a tall, 6’5 rider, I’m hoping this size is what I’ve been missing with a custom fit. I’m looking to boost my mat riding to its pinnacle. I’d say I want to be more serious about mat riding, but that defeats the “fun”of it. So I’m looking for a more serious effort toward fun: making sections, perfecting the cutback, and because it’s red— fast down the line trimming.

The mat name which combines my mother’s name and my youngest sisters name is a tribute to the women in my family. The name Marellen is a variation of Maryellen, which is a combination of the names Mary and Ellen. Mary, of Hebrew origin, means “bitter” or “beloved”. Ellen, of Greek origin, means “light” or “torch”. Therefore, Marellen can be interpreted as “light of the sea” or “beloved of the sea”.”

— @therollonforever

@therollonforever has gone for a bungee up-front for those occasions where a very long swim is the consequence of losing his mat. He's also gone for a mat bag.

Finally, @therolloforever has ordered a G-Mat Apparel Tee. Lovely stuff. As these are printed to order (with sustainably sourced materials and eco friendly ink) I am always stoked when I get to see one in person.

They're ace! You really should get one!

https://gmatsurfmats.teemill.com/collection/products/

Anyhoo, the grip is about cured so Marellen will head off to Cali tomorrow. I'm looking forward to hearing about her adventures!

Cheers

G

The White Tiger

Here's a new ride for Aussie mat surfer Gavin Knowles. Gav lives in Byron Bay and has been riding mats for some time. He has an RFT and got in on this run of customs. We spent a bit of time thinking about options, before settling on a 70/70 RB-JMC.

Gav was keen to make this an all-rounder and opted for free-elastic rocker. As he has been surfing wheezers, we have loosened it up with less restricted air flow. The other thing Gav wanted was to leave the middle pontoon free of grip. I literally wrote "leave the middle!" on the tube of sealant and STILL started to mask up a middle panel. Thankfully my reminder worked!!!

Gav shared a few words:

“Simplistic-Technical, subtly nursing your ride with that grin from ear to ear is why we all mat ride . We have come along way from the old canvas that stripped off your titties and thanks to G and the builders before him we are all blessed to have such beautifully built airbags under our bellies .

With a stroke of luck I got on the short list and here we are the Rb-Jmc built for the east coast point breaks here in Aus!

It has been a seamless process getting this done and I can’t wait to meet the dolphin line on my new ride . Thanks for all your knowledge and input G .. Mahalo!!”

— Gavin Knowles

Thanks Gav!

Gav has named his mat" The White Tiger". Crazily, when he WhatsApped that to me, Becky and I were watching Daredevil Reborn and there was a guy called the White Tiger on the screen as I read Gav's text! Coincidence?... Yes... Still freaky though!

Anyway, the white tiger is being picked up today by the courier. Have fun Gav!

Cheers

G

August West

Say hello to a mat named August West. This is the second Grateful Dead themed mat I've built. People really are into that band aren't they?!

I'm not able to say who this mat is for right now and can't even say why I can't say, so how's that for a bunch of intrigue?

Annoying, eh?

I will update this post down the line when I'm allowed.

I can talk a bit about the mat though. August West is a first mat (or first modern mat at least) so we have gone for a 200/70 Ute, set up with free elastic rocker. The mat is a restricted breather too, so well set for a steady and dependable ride to cover almost all conditions.

I'm pretty pleased with the stencil too. It's always a moment of anticipatory anxiety when you come to peel it off. Has it worked? Has it bled? Can I fix it if it has?! Stressful business but worth it! Gives a clean and subtle pop of colour. (Perhaps I should avoid the word pop!)

Anyway, I'd love to say more but can't so I'll sign off for now.

Cheers

G

Happy Place

Say hello to a G-Mat Ute built for Californian, David Connor. David came with a clear idea that he wanted a 200/70 Ute with a grey deck (this grey material really seems to be in vogue), but other than that gave me a free reign. He likes to be fairly low key so the seemingly popular colour combo of grey deck, navy bottom seemed a good fit.

As a contrast, I've added a bit of colour with a deep orange and yellow logo and dedication that I think pops nicely. I'm pretty pleased with it. I'm also pleased that David is pleased with it! The mat is a free-breather with free elastic rocker so a perfect all round mat. I love the Ute for it's versatility.

David has named his mat "Happy Place" and with all the turmoil and nonsense going on around the globe, we certainly all need one. If this mat helps David to inhabit his then I'm stoked.

Have fun David.

Cheers

G

Joe Harding - Matsurfing in Western Australia

Stoked to be able to host this video of Joe Harding riding his G-Mat RFT in Western Oz in May, 2024.

Flimed by Jamie Hay. Simpel Wetsuits.

Get 15% off Simpel Wetsuits in the UK or EU here:

https://livesimpel.co.uk/discount/CREW15%2525GMATS

Cheers

G

Last Light

This is Last Light. A G-Mat RB-JMC built for master potter, Gus McDiarmid https://panpottery.com/

This is the second mat built for Gus and is very similar. The key difference is slightly increased venting. Gus rides some fast waves and being able to get on a high line and down the line quickly is a real help.

Gus rides mats well (see my recent post of a shot of Gus by Nashy Surf Photos @nashysphotos), and this construction and venting hands much more fine tuned control to the rider.

Last Light has a negative elastic rocker and Hestered mini-Boston valve.

So, Last Light is heading off to Oz to hit some left hand points.

Have fun Gus!

Cheers

G

Chino Albino

This is the other mat built for myself on my week off. A 70/70 Chino Racer named Chino Albino.

I love the Chino Racer. A definite all-rounder with a little more hold than the RB-JMC and a touch more drift through turns than the Ute. All in all, a nice addition to the quiver to sit between my Nouveau Racer, "Dusty" and my RB-JMC, "Snowflake" .

The eagle eyed will notice the valve. I used these on a few mats years ago and they worked well. My good friend Alex of Eyebeam Surfmats has been using them and I thought I'd give them a go as a couple of people have asked for bung type valves. Personally, I love the mini Boston valve but I aim to please. I want to get a fresh feel for these valves though, having not used them for over 10 years.

Anyway, as mentioned, Chino Albino is a 70/70 Chino Racer. She is a wheezer to help keep her shape and has free elastic rocker. I aim to use her for steeper, small to medium sized waves.

I'm hoping for a session or 2 on Chino Albino over the next couple of days. I'm assuming the valve is a goer and will be an option for people on custom mats moving forward.

Cheers

G

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

Snowflake

Another rainy-day project and the next addition to my monochrome quiver is a 70/70 RB-JMC named "Snowflake".

Showflake is a super-free-breather with negative elastic rocker. I have gone fairly light with the grip as top-ups take about the same time as re-waxing a board, so no bother, and the increased maleability is worth it.

There's not much more to say other than she's the perfect quiver mate for my new Nouveau Racer named Dusty, my 5 Star General and my BodyBag mini-mat. I have a couple more in mind and have a week off with strong winds and rain in the mix so might get something done.

I've just finished a mat for that I'll put up in a couple of days. Colin shares my love of the low-key. It looks slick...

Anyway, cowabunga and all that!

Cheers

G

No Pressure

Here is a mat named "No Pressure", built for Zach Kerns.

Zach has been a mat surfer for some time and has a range of mats so was pretty clear when he got in on the list about what he wanted. He surfs a range of waves around Santa Cruz, some of which are petty hollow and racy, with some power. With that in mind a Nouveau Racer was the go. 200/70 wheezer with free elastic rocker and a bungee for an occasional leash when surfing some sketchy spots.

Zach had a design idea in mind to nod to the weather systems that create our playground. We tried a few options but settled on this stencil of a high pressure system moving into a low.

I asked Zach about his surfmat journey and he said:

“Twas a cold and drear day. The water was frigid and flat. The horizon blended sky and water into a single slate grey. I was in the water but not having a lot of fun, and a change of pace was needed. Fun was missing, style difficult to discern, and surfing was flat. In a masochistic viewing session of surf videos, I happened across a clip featuring a weird dude on a mat, blowing by a bunch of board surfers. That guy, free of posturing and claims, was having a blast. That looked like fun. A few days later, In a twist of fortune, I found out that a local fun-loving fella was selling one of his mats (thanks, Steiny). I FLOUNDERED for a year, with occasional glimpses of intention, but the entire learning process has been so much fun. So much fun. Some kind of style (not so much grace) came as I improved my skills. After many mat iterations, with valuable feedback and mats from Paul Gross and Matt Fedden, I slid prone back into the stoke.

The prone slide of stoke continues with a new G-Mat. With lots of valuable input from Graeme, we’ve put together the bright idea of a Nouveau Racer to increase the stoke even more and meet the challenges of some Santa Cruz area – and beyond – breaks. There are many fast reef breaks with a tendency to section out, but a fast ride can link things up on a good day. I am sure the Racer will tip the odds in my favor.”

— Zach Kearns

I think it just might! No Pressure should land with Zach soon so let's hope they get some swell over there.

Have fun Zach!

Cheers

G

Pooltoy II

Here is a mat for Rincon regular Jason MacMurray.

It's been some time since I built a mat for Jason MacMurray. Jason is one of the old school (by which I mean the sold school of the new school) who cut his teeth riding Neumatics built by Dale Solomonson. Back when there weren't many of us riding mats and we all knew each other.

Jason got in on this run and immediately knew what he wanted. Being best friends with Andrew Buck, he has seen and heard all about my super-free-breather configuration in combination with the neg elastic rockered RB-JMC design and was all in! With Rincon as his local, a mat that holds a line whilst breaking out the tail and hailing ass down the line was just what he wanted. I already had dimensions for him so that was the easy part. He did come with octopuses (or octobodes if we want to get all fancy with the ancient Greek) drawn by his daughter to spice things up so stencils and dye were the order of the day.

Oh and he asked for a bungee which was a real surprise! However, you never know when you might end up in a pool so the leash option can be helpful.

I asked Jason about the name for his mat and he said:

“I think I am going to go with the seemingly uninspired ‘Pooltoy II’ for the nickname of the new white mat.  The original Pooltoy was built by Dale and was the first mat that he produced that I know of that didn’t just have the rider’s initials.  It took hours of conversations with him by both Andrew and me to convince him that he should allow us to give our mats nicknames. I’m not sure Dale ever thought Andrew and I were as funny as we think we are but we finally wore him down.

When Dale retired, I was on the waitlist for him to make me a much coveted white mat.  He had a very limited amount of a superlight white material he made a few mats out of.  I’m sure he thought I was not worthy or capable of the white mat, and he was right, no doubt, but again I wore him down.  Though my skills weren’t there yet, I think Dale knew Andrew and I had a vision of where we could take the mats and it aligned with his.

Now, roughly 20 years later the coveted white mat is finally landing thanks to you.  The mats are better than we could have dreamed of 20 years ago and I like to think I am finally worthy of such a tool.  Plus, my daughter delivered with the artwork to remind us all not to take it too seriously.  It’s just a highly tricked out Pooltoy.

Gracias”

— Jason MacMurray

That's perfect. I remember the original Neumatic Pooltoy so am personally stoked to add to the lineage.

Pooltoy II is en route as we speak so I am looking forward to hearing how things go. Maybe you'll be able to keep up with Andrew now, Jason!

Cheers

G

Dusty

So, what do you do when you wake up on a Sunday and the winds are a bit shifty, the rivers up and wind-blown and you have already knocked out a bunch of miles on the chase over the last few days?

That's right... Make something... In this instance it was welding up the new addition to my quiver: A Nouveau Racer named "Dusty".

As I've mentioned, I've had a real hankering to get back to my roots of monochrome surfing with black wetsuit and white craft. I sold my old quiver and have been embarking on replacements when I have the time. The first was the one that kicked this off, A BodyBag mini mat. When I committed to the monochrome project, my next was a white 5 Star General to give me a mat for all bases.

We've had some really solid swells so the next was something for that, hence dusty. I cut the bottom skin last week to get the Dusty Bin artwork done (google "Dusty Bin 321" if you're wondering about the reference). On Sunday, I cut the other panels and did the whole build.

I'm really stoked to have a Nouveau Racer back in my life. The confidence this mat will give me in juicy, heavy and/or hollow waves is a really important bit of the quiver.

Just to cover the techno-waffle. Dusty is a 200/70 free elastic rockered wheezer. You'll notice I have added a bungee (for those big days in spots where a swim isn't really an option and I need a kook-cord). I've also added a Cornish St Piran's Flag. I was so pleased with this that I've added flags to the 5SG and the BodyBag too and will go with it for the rest of this quiver when I get to it.

Anyway, back to the slog. A fun mat for Jason MacMurray to post next but for now, enjoy Dusty.

Cheers

G

Blue Lotus

Mat 2 of 2 for Matty Snelling.

When Matty got in on the current run, he hit go on two mats. The first was a 200/70 5 Star General (basically a RFT) to cover all bases. This second mat is a custom RB-JMC named "Blue Lotus".

Blue Lotus is a 70/70 super-free-breather with negative elastic rocker. Very fast mat. Matt is a very talented surfer and has been riding a mat for a while and has recently been riding them exclusively. He has pretty much all conditions covered with this quiver.

I asked Matty about the name and he said:

“It was a name my very good friend gave me a while ago and she is a wonderful woman. Got a lot of time for her.”

— Matty Snelling

I'm hoping to hand deliver over the weekend and share some waves (we did hook up and shared a few fun ones!)

Matty has a trip to surf Peruvian points later in the year and Blue Lotus is going to love them!

Have fun Matty!

Cheers

G

If Can, Can

Here's a mat heading to the US. The customer values their privacy so I won't say anything about them, but they came asking for a mat to surf a very specific wave with a fat, roll-in take off before dropping over a ledge into a hollow section. So with that in mind we considered the options and settled on a Ute. The Ute is the ultimate all-rounder, and as this wave goes from one extreme to the other, that sounds a perfect fit.

G-Mat Apparel Tee

We went for a 200d deck and wheezy venting to allow for much lower air for the first section, but more structure when dropping into the inside. As you can see, the colour scheme fits the customer's low key approach perfectly with a dark grey deck, lighter grey grip and lighter again grey logo.

The customer is pretty tall and the scaling, in particular the length, took a bit of work but I'm pretty confident that we have hit the spot.

The mat is named "If Can, Can". I haven't asked why. I'm enjoying the intrigue.

So If Can, Can is off on her travels and I'm excited to get feedback. It's been an interesting journey nailing this one.

Cheers

G

G-Mats at The Pass

Seeing in the New Year with Ari Browne, Johanna Brebner, Derek Hynd and Peter Abbott - G-Mat Surfmat Session at The Pass.

Camera: Milo Inglis

Water footage: Tania Buijten

Mats:

Johanna - G-Mat RB-JMC

Derek - G-Mat RB-JMC

Pete - G-Mat RFT

Ari - G-Mat RFT2 (that's right... Stay tuned...)

Marita

So here's a mat that was supposed to be a quick build for Johanna Brebner, before the first order form came back for the new run. Unfortunately, things didn't quite pan out as hoped because I'm really ill with flu (yes I've done a Covid test) and jobs like doing the simple grip job were enough to wipe me out for the day. Don't even start me on cutting out the flange!

Anyway, she's all done and ready to head to Oz. For those unaware, @brebsy is a fantastic mat surfer and is the Australian stockist for the G-Mat RFT Stock Series @rftsurfmats Jo is due to head on a trip that she needed a new mat for hence the squeeze in.

So, the mat is a 70/70 RB-JMC super-free-breather with negative elastic rocker named “Marita”. Very similar to her last mat, Florence, although will feel different just by virtue of being different materials (it's amazing the nuance we notice as mat surfers that the industry swears is perceptual).

The main motivation is that Brebsy wears brown zinc and it gets on the mat. Dark colours hide stains innit! Anyway, this build has ultimately been a slog given my condition but hopefully a worthy one for the trip.

Have fun Jo and thanks for all you do.

Cheers

G

Ponyo

So then, the second mat for a Bennink in this run. You'll recall from the last mat I posted that I built a pair for Yoko and Ben of slideaholics.com and this is Yoko's. Yoko has named her mat Ponyo after the 2009 anime classic:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ponyo

That's a pretty solid Tomatometer score so maybe worth a watch!

So back to the mat. In essence, Ponyo and Ben's mat, The Tardis, are of the same ilk as they are both 200/70 RB-JMC's. Both are free-breathers and both have free elastic rocker. The key difference is the scaling. Yoko is a lot smaller than Ben and this mat, like all customs, is carefully tailored to fit. I wish I had taken a photo of these two together but you can see the size difference in the mats I built them back in 2019:

https://customsurfmats.com/blog/2019/2/18/his-and-hers

Yoko has gone for a dark grey deck and navy bottom. This grey material is interesting. It looks great and almost nobody asks for it but I'm really pleased with how Ponyo has come out. The pink grip and branding sit well with the grey.

Yoko and Ben love to share waves and mix crossing-over with running over so I'm really hopeful to see a bit of footage. There are a lot of mat snaps coming out of that part of the World these days so fingers crossed.

Have fun Yoko!

Cheers

G

The Tardis

Here's a the first of two mats heading down under for Ben and Yoko Bennink. For those who unaware, Ben and Yoko run the slideaholics.com site and live around Lennox. I built a pair of mats for them many years ago and since then they have been looking to extend the quiver so I was stoked to see them get in on the current run.

This mat has been built for Ben and is a 200/70 RB-JMC Free-Breather with free elastic rocker. Ben is a really big fella, nicknamed 'Bear'. He referred to himself as a hunk when I asked for his body type [NB this may be a slight distortion of what he actually said].

I still had the scaling down from the last mat which Ben said was a good fit so we went with that.

Ben's last ride was a Rubber Bucky and we both felt that the slight down-scaling and different corner templates between this and the RB-JMC would be the right step.

Ben has gone for a deck valve as he and Yoko enjoy running each other over. You will also notice the sparce front corner grip which is designed to offer something to grab but leaving clear nylon for sleeveless arm paddling.

On to the name, Ben has named his mat "The Tardis" because "it's blue and can take me where I want to go, fast!"

Lovely stuff!

The Tardis and Yoko's mat are both heading off with the courier so we'll see how long that takes with the Christmas hecticness. I'll do a post about Yoko's mat dreckly, but for now, have fun Ben!

Cheers

G