Gettin' Zapped!

Here's a couple shots from last Saturday's session. Super fun day of surf!



Photo: This board's a fun one. Rumors of some surf this weekend- time to take the 'Zap hunting?



Photo: Clean, cruisin'.

Back Foot Drivin': Stu Kenson Zapper

Get your foot back over the quad fins and drive this thing down the line. That's the name of the game with the Zapper. Stu pushed the wide point and volume back so it's an easy half step back to the tail to start jamming. What's cool is from the paddling position it's super easy to be back in the sweet spot.

Check it out:



Photo: Nice lines. Believe it or not this board is a ridiculously fast paddler and far more stable than you'd suspect. I'm well over two hundred pounds and have had no problems zipping all over the line up on this one. In a quiver this might fill the "big, short board" slot- it's the board you could use on a meatier waves and longer paddles and still have the loose feeling of a shorter board. Versatile.



Photo: Super secret bottom contours... actually Stu told me what was going on- but there's so much happening there I couldn't catch it (or really understand it) all. Whatever it is, it all comes together in a package that produces nice drive and good flow down the line.



Photo: Bumps off the tail keep her loose off the top. I was surprised at how quickly this board comes around off the top- especially on backhand snaps. Those are tough turns on a stand up board- on this board they were pretty intuitive.



More data points are still needed on this board, especially in some open face race-track waves (of which we've had very little in the last couple of days) but so far the initial results are in and we're stoked!

Stu Kenson Zapper: 9'10" x 30" x 4.25"

Stu Kenson just dropped off a hot looking board; one of his new Zapper model SUBs. Can't wait to get it into some solid waves and let her run- this one just reeks of speed.



Quad fin, advanced bottom effects, tuned rocker- it's all happening here. Check the outline, Stu pushed the wide point back so you can get your back foot over the fins and drive, rather than pendulum, through turns.



I've been warned, though, to take it slowly. Stu says jumping onto a quad fin SUB will require a little bit of an adjustment period, especially since I ride 2 + 1 set ups with moderately large center fins. Getting water time on this one may be tough, I'm already getting phone calls from the boys- all wanting to give the Zap a run. We'll keep you posted.



Photo: Full frag-pad set up straight out of the SK board shop. I like it- really grippy and still nice and comfy.

New Stuff From Stu Kenson

Stu's got other things going on besides the Zapper. Here's a couple of shots from a trip I just made up to the shop. Check 'em out:

Top Photo: Here are a couple in the 10' range. I've paddled and surfed one of Stu's new 10'2"s- the thing went insane! I managed to luck into one of the best lefts of the morning, drove the thing straight down and square off the bottom- not a warble. The diamond tail held and juiced me down the line- his new shapes have speed to burn and yet retain an enormous amount of stability. Check 'em out if you get a chance.

Bottom Photo: Just look at the 10'er next to Stu- don't even start to ask me about what that six channel Byrne is doing there... naked for all to see. Don't even ask me why Allan Byrne stopped by while I was there and chatted with Stu about things I'm not supposed to talk about... don't even ask.

Here's something else I'm not technically supposed to talk about. It's called KookBox. I can tell you this- it's a Joel Tudor/Stu K. collaboration. You're going to see Joel on them soon- boards with designs that are all over the map. And I may just have a couple of semi-authorized photos. Check Back!

New BeachSurf photos click it, kook.

Paddle Surfing Baja: Scorpion Bay Report

Check out these photos of Scorpion Bay- are you kidding me??? The place was made for stand up boards. Many thanks to Tom English of www.alohawealth.com for the pictures.

Tom and his friends just returned from a trip down to San Juanico- from the looks of it they pretty much scored. I think this is another validation of my belief that a stand up board can save any surf trip.

The stand up board takes the wave anxiety away- even if it's flat, you know you've got something fun to do. And if there's even a ripple in the water- you're on it!

I contacted Tom to ask him about airline travel with stand up boards. I've been a fan of his homegrown travel and SUP videos- the guy's been all over the place and he's always got a big old SUB with him. I figured if anybody knew the true scoop on flying with big boards it'd be him.

I needed to know if I could fly Alaska airlines with a 10' board. The airline's guidelines state that boards are restricted to lengths no longer than 9'6". In August, I'm heading to a spot in mainland Mexico that looks perfect for a stand up board- it's a left point that runs for a few hundred yards- the kind of spot that's just begging to be stand up paddled. It's an absolute necessity that my stand up board gets loaded onto that flight.

I was stoked to hear that Tom flew Alaska airlines with two stand up boards and that both violated the length restriction. That's the kind of real information I can use- believe me, I'm sleeping better at night knowing my board's coming along.

Top Three Photos: Scorpion Bay and riders with the English party doing their respective things down in Baja.

Photo Four: A couple of my buddies were down there at the same time as Tom English- here's Stukey cruising a six-incher on a twelve footer. The stand up board can save any surf trip.

Photo Five: Just how long do you think this waves is. Right. Now double that and you're just about there.

More Zapper Data: I've received some inquiries regarding the Zapper's dimensions. I'll give you the numbers that I know: 10' x 29.5" x 4.25" sorry but I don't know the tail and nose numbers. What I do know is that it looks SICK!!

The latest BeachSurf photos right here!

Stu Kenson Paddle Boards: The Zapper

BeachSurf Photos Click Here!

Want to see the board that's captured my attention for the last two weeks? Check out these photos. This is Stu Kenson's latest creation: The Zapper.

I was able to get a first hand look at this one in my buddy Trent's garage. Trent's stoked on it. Unfortunately, he took a nasty hit from a stingray right to the joint of his big toe and the complications from the subsequent infection have kept him off the board for a month. One look in his eyes though and you can tell he's dying to ride this thing- shoot, so am I!

Trent ordered this one up specifically for carving fat, high tide sections. The guy's regular ride is a little Kenson potato chip fish- so you can see the world he's coming from. Trent's no cruiser, he's not into the point and shoot, post up like a hood ornament groove. He doesn't want to noseride.

Trent's got that Archie speed demon thing going on. He's more into pumping down the line and violent redirection. After working through the learning curve on more traditionally shaped stand up boards Trent got together with Stu and talked about where he wanted to go with his next board. The product is the Zapper.

If you think the thing looks like something Cheyne Horan was riding in the early '80's you're right on track- anybody remember the Laser Zap? True to the original design, the Zapper's built to be driven off the tail.

Stu put this one together with the wide point well back from his normal stand up shape. In addition, the foil on this board puts the volume back toward the wide point, lowering the swing weight and also opening up the sweet spot.

The result is a board that whips around very quickly while remaining an extremely paddleable platform.

Stu's going to have to send one of these down to the beach for "testing" purposes because the Zapper's definitely caught the attention of everyone paddling down here!

Don't forget check the Beach Surf Link for beach life and surf photos!

Looking for stand up paddle surf lessons in San Diego? Contact us at paddlesurfbaja@gmail.com or (619) 213-6622. We can also set up stand up paddle board rentals with drop off and delivery. Click here for more information.

December Morning Bonus: Good Times

Woke up this morning to clear blue skies and fun 3 foot waves with a slight offshore breeze. Zipped down to the end of the street and here's what we got:

Also, I was stoked to paddle Kelly's new Stu Kenson stand up board (the yellow one 9'10"x 28" x 3.75"). I really didn't think the board had enough in it to float me so I was totally blown away when I hopped right up on it and caught three fun waves. Stu's got something going on with his decks, the boards way more stable then you'd expect. At 220lbs I had only slight wobbles paddling it around in relatively glassy conditions- give me two weeks on that board and I think I'd have it nailed. The board's a little ripper. I busted one of the biggest floaters of my life on it on my last wave. We're lucky to have such a cool little community of paddlers down here, lot's of boards to pass around. On it again tomorrow!

Que Onda? Stu Kenson Shows Us What's Up

Hours are lost in at the surfboard factory. But that's a huge part of the fun and it's also why your custom board is taking so long to get made, guys like me keep gumming up the works. Here's a short clip of our little visit to the SK factory. Stu's crazier then ever about making these boards and this last batch looks super fun. I'm going to poach both Kelly's (yellow) and Kiwi's (blue) and do a full report. Going to be interesting to see what the volume is on the yellow board and how it does with a big guy (220lbs) on board. More to come.

How'd you like that last video of Pavones? More importantly did anybody catch the video that I was ripping off with that composition. It's my favorite all time surf video, the guy who made it was a crazy Californian (I heard a story about him showing up way down in Baja with nothing but his camera, his girlfriend and a space blanket) who's since passed away and the section that I'm snaking features Stuart Caden S-turning on a fat left. Way too many hints, who knows which video I'm talking about?

New Boards: Stu Kenson's latest

Kiwi's got his. Trent, yours is almost done and Kelly, your board looks so good it's almost unfair.

Some fresh ones straight out of the SK factory. Hot looking shapes. This is going to be a big weekend of board swapping.



Top and Bottom Photos: Kelly's = yellow, Trent's = green, Kiwi's = blue.
Don't we all deserve new boards?

And, yes I was made privy to some proprietary information. Think bullet proof but custom.

All Photos: El Tigre

Stu Kenson Stand Up Boards: Kiwi's New Custom Shape

Kiwi's torturous wait is over. His new custom SK stand up board is ready for pick up. Tomorrow, we're out there! Good for Kiwi and great for me because I've been due for a trip back to the magician's shop. Stu's always got something new brewing up there and if I can get a peek at it, that's a good thing for me and you.

Now I'm not going to reveal any trade secrets but I will tell you that I am going equipped with my trusty spy cam and syringe of sodium penathol. Shoot, if I have to water board the guy, I will. I'm looking for follow up information regarding the develoment of new blanks and some vacuum bagging lamination schedule that he dropped on me a few months ago (and you thought I wasn't really listening- gimme a break). We'll see how it works out. Check back tomorrow evening for the full scoop.

Top Photo: Stu-dizzle fo'shizzle- or, whatever.

Photo: Chuck Forsbergentoff


Bottom Photo: You likey, I likey- man, I like them all; board fetish anybody?

Photo: Gustav Klimpt

You can't have them... easily.

Nobody is making stand up boards like Stu Kenson.

I've done my homework on this and no one else is wrapping full custom, EPS handshapes with carbon fiber and epoxy resin. This is not only decadent, given the square footage we're talking about, it's crazy. Which is perfectly fine because according to Stu, its the only way to do it right. And to Stu Kenson, getting it right is important.

We all deserve boards made this way. Strong, light and resonant, carbon fiber is magical stuff. Boards made with it don't break down like conventional fiberglass boards, they retain their "memory"- they stay "alive". Come to my beach and you'll see proof of these qualities, we've been prone surfing Stu's carbon boards for years- they're unreal.

But now we have a real problem; Stu's been stand up surfing and he's hatching some boards that look pretty damn good. It's just that you can't have them... easily. And, believe me, if you crave perfection, you'll want one of these boards. Here's a couple of the bumps in the road to satisfaction:

1. A Material Problem: Take a look at the roll of carbon fiber that Stu's holding in the photo above, the price tag on that roll is six thousand dollars. Setting aside the prohibitive cost of the stuff, it's extremely difficult to locate cloth of the dimensions required for laminating stand up boards. Our boards are wide, strangely wide. Strangely wide means "special order". Special order means cross all fingers and toes and maybe you'll have the carbon next week. Or the week after.... (repeat).

Second Material Problem: The paint job. Stu tells me that not only does the spray look good, it plays a structural role. The paint is baked on automotive paint, the stuff is tough and the idea is that it forms a second protective layer on the board. The guys that do this are hot rod paint artists. Artists require time; see where this is going?

2. Workmanship: In Stu's words "These boards have to be perfect". Each set of hands that moves the board to completion has to be on-board with this ideal or the board building process comes to a halt, which in the world of a perfectionist- isn't necessarily a bad thing.

3. Stu Kenson: The man is self-limiting. Stu is one third master shaper (forty years behind the planer), one third materials mad scientist (if you think EPS wrapped in carbon fiber is the terminus of his ideas- wait 'til you see what's coming next) and one third just plain surfboard design weirdo. Want a beak nosed, single wing, swallow tail, five fin wrapped in tin foil? No problem, and if Stu makes it, you'll surf better because of it (For the record: wait 'til you see the "Beaver's return"... you'll want one, I do.). Stu's also the shaper behind the Kane Garden tag, designing and producing the label's highly refined fish. Eclectic San Diegans love his boards, to the point where an extra set of arms just might bring him to dead even with the demands of his day job. Tough to mow throw a full day's stack of orders and then start on a ten foot paddle board even if it is what you'd rather be cutting.

Where does that leave us?

Can you have one of Stu's creations? Undoubtedly. But like all good things it will require patience and a well developed appreciation for delayed gratification. After all, this is a board for those of us who appreciate an idea perfectly executed. A board done right.

Contact: Stu Kenson at www.stukensonsurfboards.com

Check out this ride: I call it the LowRider.

Quad finned, tough flames, speed to burn; meet the LowRider. The board was shaped by Stu Kenson, it's 11'0" x 28" x 4", totally laminated in carbon fiber and painted in a hot rod shop. Check out the green metallic flake in the second photo- that's why I call it the LowRider. This board is full custom, you'd have to be on the A-list to get one of these made. The thing's got enough carbon fiber on it to cover the airframe of an F-16 and that stuff's hard to get these days.

Check back for more information about this board and about Stu's other, soon to be released, stand up boards.

Also: If you haven't stumbled upon it yet, go check out www.standupzone.com a great place to post questions about every thing that has to do with SUP surfing, boards, fins and anything else that you're wondering about.