Saturday, April 5, 2008

Video: 8'0 Stand Up Board- with Big Boy on Board!

Short, curvy and fun... we're either talking about Salma Hayek or Stamps' 8'0 a.k.a "the biscuit". Check out this short clip of a short SUB... understand, the waves were horrible on this day- and that little chunk managed to get itself going!



>Amazing that at 235lbs it even floated me at all. I'm going to pester Stamps for the volume number on that board. I've seen other small boards but the owners of the boards have weighed much less than two bills. I've always thought that a 10' for a guy above 210' is proportional to an 8'0 for riders in the 100lb to 160' range. This board has made me think about how small I can go on my next board- I'm thinking I'd like to see something in the 9'4" or 9'6"length. Maybe even a 9'0 like Stamp's performance model but beefed up to 30" wide.

The board is ridiculously fun to surf. I'm dying for a head-high, glassy day where I can really get my back foot into the thing. It's a fast board and it's soooo much easier to throw it up into the lip than my big board. I can only imagine the speed I could generate on a lined up left hander, I'm also curious about how straight up into the lip I could put the thing and how it'll behave coming off the bottom at speed.

In the paddling department, you have to remember that as the board shrinks, the paddling sweet spot shrinks as well. Standing on this board was tough. I fell a lot, probably three times as often as when I'm on my ten footer. Dropping in on such a small board was also much different than on the bigger stand up, you get into the wave much later than you're used to, there's very little "glide in". Additionally, I'm going to have to figure out how to punch whitewater with this one- I was totally unsuccessful on it today. In fact, paddling this board makes you feel like you're learning all over again- which is cool with me because I love the process of figuring things out.

What's the point? This question crossed my mind a few times out there. After all, don't I have a hot 8'0 mini-longboard at home that surfs equally well when prone paddled into a wave? Uh yeah, but... who cares! It's just fun to paddle out on all kinds of crazy things and have fun- and having fun has always been the point to me.

6 comments:

Chad said...

That's right bro, it's jst fun. People that don't do it just don't understand why we always ride these things and never our regular surf boards. It is just really fun. Could a manual board surf better? Yes. IS it as fun right now? No.

Chad said...

I thought Stamps quit putting the release valves on boards, but in the video it looks like there is one on the 8'0.

Anonymous said...

that biscuit needs some butter your right about the drop very diff.but what the hay.i like to see different things.if we rode the same thing day and day out.there would be no progress that board has a very specific spot where you need to stand.like you said gimme a week and glass and i'll surf it to the moon.captneg9.

John Ashley said...

Hey Chad-

Yep, nobody knows 'til they try it do they???

And this board was from when he was still putting vents in... I'd still keep boards out of the sun- just in case!

Neg9- Tiny sweet spot on that- on a glassy day though, it'd be fun for schnitzel.

John Ashley said...

Oh yeah, Neg9 check back tomorrow for Camera Grom's cut of the footage quite a few waves with you and the Spork on it. Some good ones too.

Also, Kevin Ferris boosting a good air on the manual. If you see him at Surf Hut let him know!

Anonymous said...

captneg9 your sucksssss