Bob Simmons

The 'squirrel' had died. On a coast trip, wave one creased its nose on a too steep take off and wave two was interrupted as the bottom deck peeled off with a ripping sound, stopping progress like an anchor. Bleeding from glass grazes, I washed in, more worried about a replacement board for the continuing swell than the end of an era. Squirrel had been a family board, serving us all well - but it was time. Now, you don't want to arrive at Eastern Cape point breaks without a board. A yellow donated Faith had retro appeal, but the foam was dead in the water. Coupled with my extra kilos and dwindling fitness, Bing became the priority buoy that people paddled around for position. Greg had a knowing vibe as he handed me the 'ironing board'. "I think you'll enjoy this, you like trying new stuff...!" Stoked with any offer that floated, I ran up the point.  Guys chirping,"Oi - washing piling up?!" Greg says he's basically thrown every shaping concept out the window and recreated this board - a crude 5'8" spoon nose, squared off tail, fat keel fins at the back. But the design has a history from early 50's balsa boards. Based on hydrodynamics for planing hulls that had just come out of WW2, Bob Simmons had fine tuned the shape with foam core surfboards - lighter and faster than the redwoods being ridden, years ahead of their time. Recently, the Hydrodynamica project has revisited Bobs' designs ( he died at 35 surfing Windansea), and are recognising him as the father of the modern surfboard. Does it go? This ugly duckling flies and I'm going the fastest I've ever been on a board. Theres work to be done still to do it justice, but the stoke is back! Now just to sort out those extra kilos...
Deon
www.deonbing.co.za
www.bingdigital.co.za
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