The Full Story
Expresso long
After extensively testing the expresso, it just made ultimate sense to make a longboard version. Same simple single concave feeding into a subtle V from mid section to tail. little lower rocker and area pintail. And ooooh it far beyonded expectations. But this time it's not a twin.
( Or supplied with. Can also be ridden as twin. )
The first session on the Expresso longboard was at a bay In West oz which has a large take off area, requiring a lot of paddling to get yourself to the right take off point. Which was where the paddle speed of a 9 footer came in very handy. Let alone the distance of paddle to get out there.
It was pretty solid size with a lot of push and water behind it, so i was a little hesitant as to how the board was going to cope. Sucking backwards up the face as the wave started to pitch and then feeling the acceleration and smoothness of the way it set its line was instantly apparent. As was the way it trimmed down the line, effortlessly drawing up the face of the wave and diving down to make the section and then drive off the bottom at a rather rapid pace. (Expresso)
Yet it was the way in controlled the speed to drive off the bottom up into the cutback with seamless rail to rail transition to engage the top turn and then bite into the turn that was the eye opener for a 9ft board. I was an instant fan of this board from this very first wave. From the way it intuitively new how to deal with the complexities that this wave through at it, combing control of speed and generation of speed.
And subsequent waves and surfs at different waves for myself and others who tried after, only my only consolidated the thoughts. There was something special going on.
Unlike the Expresso short which is a little longer and wider than I normally ride, the 9ft is staying 9ft and width true to what i'd normally ride at 94kg of 29" But thickness and rail profile is quite fine still.
Below's sequence was from a good friend paul Lane who lives in the margaret river region, and has been umming and ahhhing about a new board for some years now and after trying the board on this surf ordered instantly. (has never been a longboard style surfer till now. )
For the first time ever we're doing a fin collaboration with HANALEI fins.
I was introduced to these fins by Keith in Bali at the LSR event and although a different model to this could feel there was some thing special about their designs.
It's not just the outline that's unique. It's the rake, the foils, the twist. There's so much thought gone into these fins it's plainly obvious and they blended so perfectly with this new board, that they just had to supplied with them.
The second person to surf this board was my great mate Mike Galvin (see above) who owns the Stand up surf shop in Fremantle Western Australia. A long time fan of the hiptsertwin fin longboard in 9'0 and 8'5 version, he is a prolific longboard SUP rider and doesn't hold back in his opinions if things aren't up to scratch, (as only best mates can) and his response was one that utterly convinced me that I was on to something special. (He wanted to throw the board straight into the back of his car.)
So to try and sum up in as few a words as possible, I would classify this as a longboard with a lot of speed, which is incredibly smooth rail to rail with excellent nose riding capabilities and turns like a dynamo on rail.
A board with a huge range and capabilities from small gutless surf, to the power of the roaring 40's southern ocean. It's got all bases covered.