Superman board design

What works and what doesn't. Share design ideas, references and contacts for paipo board builders.
Nels
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Superman board design

#1

Unread post by Nels »

Rather than hijack another thread...

If one was to design a board to ride like Superman...arms outstretched in front...what should it look like? Fins?
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Re: Superman board design

#2

Unread post by GeoffreyLevens »

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Re: Superman board design

#3

Unread post by zensuni »

I really like this move too (in small waves!), it gives you the feeling of bodysurfing and maybe flying too.
I think it works great as long as the board has neutral buoyancy.
In this video I do it on a plywood board, that has a bodyboard shape:
https://youtu.be/ItqWdJPv2EE
In this one I do it on a HPD board, it works fine too, although the extra width makes things more complicated at times:
https://youtu.be/59x8_Sct7aA
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Re: Superman board design

#4

Unread post by Nels »

My wood paipos plane well enough but the width of the more traditional one makes it necessary to keep a hand on at least one rail (HPD guys will understand if that isn't clear) and the more marrow one is so thin I have to keep a hand on the nose to prevent a Flex/Pearl situation.

Actually the one Geoffrey offered up...a more serious version might offer up a good rush. As shown though...can you imagine swimming out? Talk about volume of flotation causing problems... (an aside...how come you spell it "flotation" but the root word is "float"?)

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Re: Superman board design

#5

Unread post by Uncle Grumpy »

Most of my boards are the long, narrow alaia type and the superman is my usual style.
One or both hands lay flat on the nose of the board. The inshore hand comes off as a pivot during cutbacks.
I'm usually only gripping the rail during steep takeoffs.

Here's another:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=652&p=5922&hilit=Melville#p5922
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DSCF1234.jpg
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cleaned up shot - Copy.jpg
cleaned up shot - Copy.jpg (75.88 KiB) Viewed 8072 times
Paipo surfer in repose,
Nose on the nose,
No grunting he-man pose.
See how fast he goes!
What is it he knows?
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Re: Superman board design

#6

Unread post by Nels »

Most of my boards are the long, narrow alaia type and the superman is my usual style.
I've never made anything other than handboards out of "real" wood other than a mini paipo - the rest have been .25" birch ply. Maybe time for a summer project if I could just get caught up and reclaim my workspace. Time to go poke around the archives...
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Re: Superman board design

#7

Unread post by Uncle Grumpy »

For me, most plywood is just too heavy. The lightweight boat building stuff is too $pendy . I prefer solid wood.

There are other woods that will work but finding stuff that is somewhat buoyant and light enough for pleasant use is tough, Paulownia really is the hot ticket.

I get US plantation grown stock from these guys
http://www.worldpaulownia.com/paulownia-wood/

If you don't have all the necessary tools they carry pre-made blanks too
http://www.worldpaulownia.com/paulownia-wood-blanks/
Paipo surfer in repose,
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No grunting he-man pose.
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Re: Superman board design

#8

Unread post by rodndtube »

GeoffreyLevens wrote:Maybe like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3OKP-Q9h_A
The Blow-Up paipo. :lol:
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re: Superman board design

#9

Unread post by zensuni »

rodndtube wrote:
GeoffreyLevens wrote:Maybe like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3OKP-Q9h_A
The Blow-Up paipo. :lol:
It does exists :D

Image
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Re: Superman board design

#10

Unread post by zensuni »

I had a nice session last weekend, I used a plywood board with a simple template, parralel rails, finless, no leash, long and narrow, 16x47".
I was used to the delta shape (like the HPD), but I found that this long and narrow shape worked better for the kind of waves I surf (mostly beachbreak closeouts).
You can backdoor much easier, and fit into micro barrels. No need to outstrech the arm, the board is self balanced and the long rails bite the wave easily just by leaning.
So I wonder what kind of waves and / or boards require the superman stance ? Maybe you need open waves that peel gently, and a delta shape board.
paipo.jpg
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Re: Superman board design

#11

Unread post by Nels »

So I wonder what kind of waves and / or boards require the superman stance ?
I would guess that no waves actually "require" the Superman stance, which may be a reason this hasn't been more formally addressed as a "design issue".

For me it's just something that is practically dream-like. I've had dreams where surfing a wave morphs into this feeling, and I'd like to be able to recreate it in reality. Of course in reality - say a Southern California point break - it would result in getting dropped in on by every short and long boarder, SUP, and Wavestorm foam rider...unless I suppose it was a big crunching day, which would result in getting dropped in on by all the others except maybe the Wavestorm people.

So if nothing really requires the Superman Stance, does that make it more of a pose or an artistic move? Or a style, or a movement? I suppose such a style would require a design that allows the Stance but also turns and cutbacks, or else it becomes a "one trick pony"...

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Re: Superman board design

#12

Unread post by zensuni »

Tell me about dreams, recently I had this weird dream where I was riding a big hollow wave, stand up...on a scooter. I really had the feeling of holding into the face, even though I know it would be impossible in real life it was very realistic and really fun :D
If one day I decide to have a tatoo I think I will ask for a picture of that :lol:
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Re: Superman board design

#13

Unread post by asier esnal »

someone has already had that dream and has been able to make it happen, fight and work hard to achieve it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDi9uFcD7XI
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Re: Superman board design

#14

Unread post by Nels »

Tell me about dreams, recently I had this weird dream
I once read that motion dreams are really falling dreams, leftover genetic memories from the time we were monkeys in trees.

It was either in that article or during that era, the 1970's, that I also read you can somehow harness the dreams; through awareness that it is in fact a dream you are having you can then somehow will your way into controlling the dream...you can fly under your own control. Translate that into whatever you are interested in and things could get interesting.

I was and continue to be incredibly amused by the idea of the falling dream, and haven't pursued that much further, preferring to see what kind of stuff my subconscious vomits up on its own. As with the rest of life, nothing more interesting than riding waves has come to light.

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Re: Superman board design

#15

Unread post by zensuni »

I tested a funny stance today, a variant of the superman one.
I would call it the canonball stance, just like the superman stance my body is very forward on the board (the head is above the water), but instead of outstrech the inside arm, I just keep both arms along the body, sometimes I let the inside arm dragging in the wave face a little bit for extra control.
Very funny stance, the feeling is a little bit like bodysurfing "head first" :)
I wouldn't test that on bigger waves however, as the "head first" takeoff might be a little scary.
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Re: Superman board design

#16

Unread post by bgreen »

Zensuni I've seen Hawaiian guys use a style like you describe, controlling the board through body movement rather than the arms Jarrett Lui might be able to say a bit more about this.

Nels, there is another school of thought that dreams are what you think they are, e,g asking what does falling represent for you? The Freudians had an approach where a dream is meant to symbolise something specific.
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Re: Superman board design

#17

Unread post by Papa Paepo o »

Aloha gang,
Been reading a lot of stories of how to shape a paipo (Papa Paepo'o) wood board. There's many, sizes goes from height to width to thickness that will fit that rider. There's a measurements that I used to build a wood-board for that rider. Each boards models are customs made to each rider who knows what they want from "Old Skool style" flat-board to Spoon shaped. I'll ask them what size surf or an every day wood board.
Founder of "The Malolo Style" (Hawaiian Superman) an ex professional body surfer brought back the useful "God Father of ALL" surfboards wood board to life. Adding my "Kahanalu" to "Papa Paepo'o" ways of riding have created new rider's from kahanalu to ride "malolo style" with great respect not to me but to themselves to "BECOME AS ONE", the ocean, your wood board and yourself. JKL
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Founder found his "Keiki Alaia" worth using in surf ranging 2ft. to 8ft. plus.
Founder found his "Keiki Alaia" worth using in surf ranging 2ft. to 8ft. plus.
IMG_20171011_182159_904.jpg (49.23 KiB) Viewed 7848 times
As a Hawaiian Ex Professional Body surfer he Professionally executed his own Style of Riding a "Papa Paepo'o Board.
As a Hawaiian Ex Professional Body surfer he Professionally executed his own Style of Riding a "Papa Paepo'o Board.
There's time you will need to pivot your board so she's slicing rather than planning across shallow reef.
There's time you will need to pivot your board so she's slicing rather than planning across shallow reef.
Learning to use the wave and to become as one, "malolo style".
Learning to use the wave and to become as one, "malolo style".
Sandy Beach Middles going right "Malolo-Style" for a full coverage.
Sandy Beach Middles going right "Malolo-Style" for a full coverage.
edited_1484192222398.jpg (17.37 KiB) Viewed 7848 times
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Re: Superman board design

#18

Unread post by Papa Paepo o »

Just wanted to share these unique styles of wood board riding.
Attachments
There's so much to learn from this "Malolo style" positions or what you call "Superman" while taking chances barrel hunting.
There's so much to learn from this "Malolo style" positions or what you call "Superman" while taking chances barrel hunting.
Sometimes you have to make your "opu" hard  for a hard landing.
Sometimes you have to make your "opu" hard for a hard landing.
Keiki Alaia board is ready for a Retired Federal worker. Top deck is everything about that person.
Keiki Alaia board is ready for a Retired Federal worker. Top deck is everything about that person.
Retired Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Richard Soo with his NEW Papa Paepo'o board.
Retired Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Richard Soo with his NEW Papa Paepo'o board.
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Re: Superman board design

#19

Unread post by Papa Paepo o »

Nels wrote:
So I wonder what kind of waves and / or boards require the superman stance ?
I would guess that no waves actually "require" the Superman stance, which may be a reason this hasn't been more formally addressed as a "design issue".

For me it's just something that is practically dream-like. I've had dreams where surfing a wave morphs into this feeling, and I'd like to be able to recreate it in reality. Of course in reality - say a Southern California point break - it would result in getting dropped in on by every short and long boarder, SUP, and Wavestorm foam rider...unless I suppose it was a big crunching day, which would result in getting dropped in on by all the others except maybe the Wavestorm people.

So if nothing really requires the Superman Stance, does that make it more of a pose or an artistic move? Or a style, or a movement? I suppose such a style would require a design that allows the Stance but also turns and cutbacks, or else it becomes a "one trick pony"...

Nels
As a body surfer you use all your skills on one wave. Meaning taking off, either sweep left or right or take the straight down drop with a bottom turn knowing its the end for you. Using that style with a wood board is possible to a limit, how fast your coming across, what maneuver to perform will be on surf conditions. 2nd would be board size to perform these maneuvers, bigger the board size more body movements needs. 3rd it's all in the rider style of performing on surf size and conditions. I've accomplished many surf styles and surf conditions just riding wood boards prone style " Malolo Style".

Jarrett K. Liu (malolo style)
"Papa Paepo'o"
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Re: Superman board design

#20

Unread post by bgreen »

Aloha Jarrett,

The first classic superman style arm images I'd seen are from the 60s - the inside arm extended straight and fixed forward, not retracting.

The style in your photos with the arms not in contact with the rails is a style I've not seen anywhere else other than Hawaii.

Rod asked me the other day what was happening with the interview. Should I drop you a line?

Bob
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