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"Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 12:50 pm
by zensuni
Hi there !
I just ordered this weird 1992 bodyboard on ebay:
turbo.jpg
It seems to be an interresting attempt of making a paipo board using bodyboard materials.

Has anybody ever tried this board ?
I'm looking forward to try it :D

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 2:37 pm
by krusher74
WOW! where did you find that!!! :shock:

Can't wait to see some more pics of it to see the rail etc.

It's very similar in template design to what I ride. I think you will find it a whole different beast to what you are used to, maybe slightly slower, but the buoyancy will help you catch waves easier and the shorter rail curve will be far more maneuverable;

On another note, I would expect a bodyboard collector might give you over $200 for that if you kept it as new.

They don't even have a picture of one! http://www.vintagebodyboards.com/brand.asp?ID=turbo

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 3:51 pm
by zensuni
Krusher, the saler still has one left ;) :
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Turbo-Bodyboard ... 0013.m1986

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 3:53 pm
by krusher74
I got this reply about it from the vintage bodyboard guy

"It was meant to be a mix between a skimboard and a paipo. On the bottom. there are a few little channel grooves. They were touted as pretty much indestructible, although that wasn't completely the case. Ken Brown, the brother of Russ Brown (aka "Captain Turbo", the owner of the company), tells the story of how Russ was once demonstrating the Speedstik's durability to a customer. He propped up the board between two chairs and smacked it with a hammer. The Speedstik unexpectedly shattered into a million shards, which was the last time they ever tried to sell Speedstiks and never even mentioned them ever again. Ha ha."

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 4:06 pm
by zensuni
I guess it is never a good idea to smack a product with a hammer in order to sell it :lol:
That explains why I couldn't find anything about this board on google though...
Nevermind, I'm sure it's is going to be a blast to test ride !

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 4:22 pm
by krusher74
thanks for the link to the other one, will cost me more to ship it than buy it if he accepts my offer!!

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 10:55 am
by rodndtube
Any dimensions on this board? Please post after delivery along with some photos from different angles.

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Fri May 31, 2019 11:39 am
by zensuni
I received the board !
Dimensions: 104x54cm (41'x21')
It is definitly not a bodyboard, it is a plastic version of a plywood paipo.
It is made of a 1cm thick pvc plank, it is a material I easily recognize as I used it when I worked in the printing industry.
It is solid, has flex (more than plywood), as heavy as plywood is, it is a material that is easy to cut or sand.
It is also easy to bend this material using heat.
So it is just a plank, no channels, dead flat (except the nose rocker), they glued a piece of foam on the deck for confort I guess.
It looks good, I'm sure it will work well.
My wife is not a big fan of the prints on the deck, but I like it, reminds me the glory early 90's !
IMG_20190531_171848.jpg
IMG_20190531_133924.jpg
IMG_20190531_133911.jpg

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Fri May 31, 2019 2:39 pm
by krusher74
Well, I bought the other one :shock: cost me more to have it mailed to me that I paid for it :?

If I had seen the pictures of yours first I probably would not have bothered. :lol:

Might just be a wall hanger for me. 8-)

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2019 1:43 pm
by rodndtube
Krusher, you might just be channeling your early-80s disco fever lol.

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2019 3:59 pm
by zensuni
I tested the board Today in small, fat waves, surounded by swimmers and SUPs.
Some waves had enough power to feel how the board works.
Well, it's not that bad. It is actually very similar to my plywood board in terms of feeling, except it has more flex.
The flex allows quick turns, like bodyboards. It also helps for "pumping" during rides to generate some speed. Navigating around swimmers during the rides was very easy (not to say fun). Beside that, it is faster than bodyboards, skims over the water like a paipo, and wave catching is very easy.
So, to me the board passed the first test, I'm looking forward to test it in bigger waves.
The only downside is the "toy" look...

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 12:49 am
by krusher74
The looks are all part of an era I'm sure you are to young to have known. look at the wetsuits you could get :?

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 9:53 am
by zensuni
It reminds me my childhood in the 80s, when my brothers used to sailboard during hollydays, wearing that kind of colored wetsuits. Sailboarding used to be hype ! :D

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:06 pm
by krusher74
oh . I've guessed your age completely wrong, I though you were in your 20's

Re: "Turbo speedstik paipo" vintage bodyboard

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2019 8:04 am
by krusher74
I got my board (same model) a few months back, only riden it once on a knee high glassy day at a reef, it sure is fun, rips along in the pocket. Its a little over flexy for me, managed to bend reverse rocker into it and the nose went under on one turn, but a great little craft.