The pointy nose category of boards is vast. They cover a broader application and range of ocean environments than all the round nose boards put together. If we had the space and cash, none of us would stop at one… a 12’6 for your club meets, 14’ for downdinders and a 16+ for expeditions? Of course! We caught up with Travis Grant, a man with many spears in his armoury, to talk about the process of whittling one of his NSP Elite SUP racers into life…
“Yeah I collaborate with Dale Chapman on all my board designs. We talk about shape and lay up. With my 14ft and 12’6” which will be in production end of this year at NSP, we will have three 14ft and three 12’6” options, from beginner to average to elite. My boards being the elite, for which I had a lot of input.
All boards look similar and have a similar outline but behave very differently. We have gone for an all rounder, one board for all conditions, as you never know what the surf or weather is going to throw at you on race day. So it has to be fast and slippery on the flat, yet still able to handle the big stuff! We have done a lot of testing in flat and almost all surf conditions, from big downwind runs to BOP style in-and-out through the surf. All testing was done at our home on the Gold Coast at Currumbin Ally, where let me assure you, we get plenty of challenging surf.
It is hard to get a fast/slippery flat water board that can also handle, and even excel, in surf and downwind type conditions but that was our goal and I think we have nailed it. The Elite boards I am using now are exactly that; pretty elite. They are not super narrow as I like a wider stance still, so I am able to still generate plenty of power while being stable enough. The thing that makes them elite is that even though they are wide, they tend to roll from side to side, giving you that slippery feeling. Once you can learn to finesse that you can then use it to your advantage and have more board control then the rest of the field”.
BIC ACE-TEC 12’6” WING
Designed for in-land flat water or open-ocean touring, racing and down-winding the 12’6 WING is aimed at riders looking for excellent glide, versatility and easy paddling. The flat hull under the recessed paddling position assures good lateral stability and the bow section ‘Vee’ enables the board to cut easily through chop, with no slapping and no loss of forward speed. ACE TEC construction offers high impact resistance, ultimate stiffness and is super lightweight.
RRP: £899 • Length: 12’6” • Width: 30” • Volume: 285L
Contact: +44 (0)1332 813150 • info@ultrasporteu.com • www.ultrasporteu.com
COREBAN TURBO
The Turbo features a revolutionary displacement hull design that passes water into three chimed concave channels to reduce water resistance. The result is a pure racing bullet that is ahead of its time. The red/black – Carbon Kevlar model comes with high-end, extra padded board bag for increased protection and longevity of this beautiful product.
RRP: £2000 • Length: 14’ • Width: 26.75” • Volume: 303L
Contact: +44 (0)7504 562674 • info@coreban.co.uk • www.coreban.co.uk
FANATIC RAY
Compact cruisey shapes of an all-new easy-to-use line derived from our Fly Race R&D program. Perfect for either first-time paddlers or experienced racers, the Rays are effortless to handle both on and off the water. For the ultimate in adventure and cruising we’ve also attached net-fixing inserts for carrying extra equipment. Especially for race and touring board shapes we developed the RaceAce fin. Mast base option for windsurfing.
RRP: £1,129 • Length: 12’ • Width: 31.75” • Volume: 271L
Contact: +44 (0)1903 532383 • nik@k66.org.uk • www.k-66.com
IMAGINE PADDLE SURF ROCKET
Taking the 2012 Sprinter and updating the wave piercing nose to the latest most efficient hydrodynamic bow design, Imagine once again Rockets to the front of the pack. The new bow silently pierces through the water, creating the least amount of resistance between the water and the board. Flatwater, chop, slop, the Rocket blasts through it all. Intec wood sandwich construction. 14’ model also available.
RRP: £TBC • Length: 12’6” • Width: 27” • Volume: 191.4L
Contact: 07976 526 825 • info@agenteight.co.uk • www.imaginesurf.com
JP SPORTSTER
The all new Sportsters are a great compromise between our Race and Cruiser boards, you could also call them Freerace. For most amateur racers they will be faster than full-on race boards as they are more stable and easier to handle than race boards. They work great in anything from really flat-water to slightly choppy conditions. They feel at home on lakes, rivers and the ocean.. Also available: 14’ wood sandwich and 12’6 & 14’ full carbon.
RRP: £1299 • Length: 12’6” • Width: 29” • Volume: 237L
Contact: 07976 526 825 • info@agenteight.co.uk • www.jp-australia-sup.com
LOCO RACE TOURER
12’6’’ Race Tourer is a beautifully hand-crafted allround race board that’s been likened to a 1950’s Riva. At home on all bodies of water, the shape promotes stability but not at the expense of speed. Take it anywhere: lakes, rivers or the coast this board does it all and incorporates nice-to-haves like bungee ties and a GoPro mount to capture nature at its best. Price includes board bag.
RRP: £1079 • Length: 12’6” • Width: 29” • Volume: 200L
Contact: 07779 127 230 • info@loco-sup.com • www.loco-sup.com
NAH-SKWELL SCOW
Nah Skwell’s Scow redefines performance and accessibility in the ‘Stock Raceboard Class.’ The refined shape and light stiff OSS Full Wood Sandwich construction give both race and recreational riders incredible stability/glide, kind handling in a wide range of conditions, overcoming most noted drawbacks of this performance class. Simply, we’ve made a board with race winning performance, and put the fun back in!
RRP: £1,149 • Length: 12’6” • Width: 27’5” • Volume: 250L
Contact: +44 (0)238 084 077 • info@kaisports.co.uk • www.nahskwell-sup.com
NAISH ONE
The Naish ONE design is the perfect recreational touring board for paddlers of all ages, it’s also a highly competitive race design which is fun, stable and unbelievably fast. In a sport that is constantly progressing and where costs of competitive boards are in the thousands, the Naish ONE design concept offers a level playing field – who has the money to buy the latest and greatest board is less a factor.
RRP: £1049 • Length: 12’6” • Width: 30” • Volume: 265L
Contact: 07889 808 625 • sales@kubus-sports.nl • www.naishsurfing.com
NSP TRAVIS GRANT
Travis Grant is one of the world’s best SUP racers. This board is a collaboration using the technical mastery of NSP surfboards, Travis’s shaper of choice Dale Chapman and leading Naval Architect Craig Loomes. Travis is just back from injury in 2013 and has already won two of Australia’s most prestigious races, on this board. This board is fresh out of prototype stage, so numbers are limited – please call asap if you would like to reserve one.
RRP: £TBC • Length: 12’6” • Width: 29” • Shaper: Dale Chapman
Contact: +44 (0)1271 812 442 • tiki@tikisurf.co.uk • www.tikisurf.co.uk
RED PADDLE CO. RACE RSS
The Red Race 12’6” RSS redefines what you thought was possible on an inflatable board. Using the patented RSS system (a stiffening batten along the rails) and Red Paddle Co’s unique rocker system and construction process you get an inflatable race board that is as fast as most hard race boards on flat water. Marie Buchanan placed 5th at the ISA World Racing Champs on this board proving this is a race board like no other.
RRP: £899 • Length: 12’6 • Width: 30” • Thickness: 6
Contact: +44 (0)1803 712 140 • SUP@tushingham.com • www.redpaddleco.com
ROGUE PSYCHO
Designed for speed and glide, Rogue’s new R1-F.R.O. Racing boards are some of the lightest and most efficient standard production designs in the industry today. These amazing boards are at home in the open-ocean or flat water, their stable profiles move well in all conditions. Shaped for maximum glide and performance with unsurpassed construction, fit and finish, there are no better boards on the market.
RRP: £1480 • Length: 12’6 • Width: 28” • Volume: 265L
Contact: 1-877-88 ROGUE • info@roguesup.com • www.roguesup.com
RRD AIR RACE
The Air Race gives you full carbon speeds but on an inflatable board. Stable, practical and furiously fast, the special narrow nose, mid width 30” outline and super flat scoop rocker make the perfect recipe for a great competitive board for flat water racing and recreational fast rides. Built with only 1 layer of Aereosol HPTD Fabrics on deck and bottom to keep weight to a minimum, a laminated strip of PVC woven marine fabric promotes stiffness.
RRP: £TBC • Length: 12’6 • Width: 30” • Volume: 300L
Contact: +44 (0)1903 778828 • info@seaspritesports.com • www.robertoriccidesigns.com
SLINGSHOT NITRO CWVS
The Nitro is built for performance touring. This board delivers maximum glide, stability and speed for fitness paddling, recreational racing or flatwater touring. The Nitro’s displacement bow cuts through the water providing a smooth ride, combined with an innovative double concave planing hull that flows into a slight V at the tail. This shape provides stability, control and helps maintain an efficient stroke.
RRP: £TBC • Length: 12’6 • Width: 28” • Volume: 244L
Contact: 1 509 427 4950 • riderhotline@slingshotsports.com • www.slingshotsports.com
STARBOARD TOURING
A fast, stable and exciting touring design that promotes great tracking and stability. The low-riding nose is fully engaged when gliding over flat water and efficiently pierces small chop. The low nose produces an extended waterline creating extra glide which makes the Touring board very fast on flat water and able to accelerate quickly when catching bumps downwind.
RRP: from £849 • Length: 12’6 • Width: 30” • Thickness: 6
Contact: +44 (0)1803 712 140 • sup@tushingham.com • www.star-board-sup.com
SURFTECH BARK PHANTOM
The Bark Phantom in quantum carbon construction by Surftech is stable, confident and forgiving on stretches of rough water, yet fast-accelerating and maintains speed well, making the most of every paddle stroke. Phantom riders paddle hard and fast, and that is why they demand complete performance. Stiff, lively and lightweight with a hydrodynamic hull designed by Joe Bark. Exceed your expectations.
RRP £3,395 • Length: 12’6 • Width: 27.8” • Volume: 253L
Contact: +44 (0)1205 722745 • info@surfcommission.co.uk • www.surfcom.co.uk