New Boards! EPS?

[Brocktoon]

OK-

I just ordered two new surfboards. I'm really excited about them. I ordered a 5'10" Kane Garden Twinzer Fish and a 6'3" Steve Barto thruster (fatter and thicker than my standard for summer slop schralping). Here is the interesting twist: I went EPS (extruded polystyrene) Epoxy.

EPS has been around for a long time and I've always heard that they are great. I'd heard rumors that the flex issues of traditional epoxy boards has been worked out. With Clark Foam closing and gas prices making resin and other materials so expensive, the price differential between a polyurethane board and EPS just wasn't that gnarly (granted, I'm paying about 40% more for both boards than I would have 7 months ago).

Nonetheless, I can't wait to feel the new boards. Both boardmakers told me the boards are livelier and more durable than than polyurethane.

Anybody already made the leap? I ordered both EPS so if I don't like it I'll be pretty bummed.

[hop]

I've got 3 Point Blanks boards (all EPS) but thanks to my lack of skills and experience I'd have a hard time comparing them to anything else.

How helpful was that?

[tuffy109]

a 5'10" Kane Garden Twinzer Fish

nice, post pictures

[Brocktoon]

nice, post pictures

Definitely! The Barto will be post-worthy as well. A couple weeks out until they're ready.

[Artz]

Hop How about a little info on the Point Blank Quiver? Seems like they have ben doing the epoxy thing fora few years now.

[hop]

Here's me and the 7'2" Rocket Sled (go-to board, and first in the quiver) contemplating the last day of 2005. It's 2 3/8" thick instead of 2.5, but otherwise stock.



The other boards are stock 6' Quark (only been wet twice... to change this weekend) and an 8'6" but otherwise stock Triditional.

I use the 7'2" 75% of the time, and when the waves are extra shitty or I'm extra tired, I use the 8'6". When I'm feeling strong and the waves are nice and regular, I busted out the 6'. I'm not strong enough to paddle that thing around sloppy beachbreaks just yet, but it's fun as hell when I know where to set up.

They seem to get dinged up fairly regularly, but I don't know how much more/less vs. "normal" boards since I've never owned a "normal" board. True Surftech construction boards seem to hold up better to the normal dings than these, but I'm told these are better than polyurethane. YMMV.

[Brocktoon]

Incredibly, neither of these boards is done yet. The 6'3" was completely shaped and I picked it up from my shaper and dropped it off at Diamond Glassing on Sunday (a priveledge I didn't know I'd have until I called him on Friday to ask if it was glassed yet). The glasser said it would be two weeks to get it glassed. Christ, I used to count on a 2 week turnaround for a complete board - now it takes me two months for a shaped blank!

The Twinzer Fish is also two weeks out. All the small shitty summer waves are going to be gone by the time I get this things. Fuck letting them cure.

Surfers are flakes and the surf industry is filled with flakes. I have had to constantly remind myself of this as I wait for these two boards. It's going to be ski season by the time I get them!

OK, just venting. Carry on. Nothing to see here.

[tuffy109]

out for a walk with the dog the other day and this guy had a 6'0" bluish-green campbell bros bonzer sitting near the curb. "uh, is this just for the taking?"

sucks to wait. dropped my fish off the other day (skip enbloom works at aqua tech, you'd think this guy wouldn't have to work any more after the whole dogtown, SMA, lords of dogtown) and, uh.....was just about to complain that they said it would take a week to fix some glass cracking (i suck at resin), but they just called.

anywho, let us know when they're done!