Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 3:08 pm
Frank,
From what I've been told, there are several factors that determine a board's flex for a particular rider's weight. It's not only the number of layers of glass or composite material. There's also the question of how many layers on top and how many on bottom, the thickness of the foam core, the density of the foam core and how all these parameters relate to the LENGTH of a board. A medium flex board at 36" will be a bit stiffer if you use the same recipe for materials but shorten it to 29".
You might ask, "how do I figure all this out?" Well, Bobby, Rick and Gareth did it by building a lot of boards, breaking a lot of boards, giving away a lot of boards that didn't work but maybe somebody could ride and finally developing a "feel" for what works best. Bobby Turner blew out his knee in 1979 because he had spent so many years wrapping boards around it and pulling at both ends. That's how he measured a board's flex and response. (I can't speak for Chicken and Pocket Pistol because I've never had a conversation with Barrett about his development of the board 2-3 years ago.)
Anyway, it's like you said: it's like building a surf board. And anyone will tell you that a good glasser doesn't learn his trade from a book. It's like any other craft: you do it over and over and develop the techniques for optimum results.
From what I've been told, there are several factors that determine a board's flex for a particular rider's weight. It's not only the number of layers of glass or composite material. There's also the question of how many layers on top and how many on bottom, the thickness of the foam core, the density of the foam core and how all these parameters relate to the LENGTH of a board. A medium flex board at 36" will be a bit stiffer if you use the same recipe for materials but shorten it to 29".
You might ask, "how do I figure all this out?" Well, Bobby, Rick and Gareth did it by building a lot of boards, breaking a lot of boards, giving away a lot of boards that didn't work but maybe somebody could ride and finally developing a "feel" for what works best. Bobby Turner blew out his knee in 1979 because he had spent so many years wrapping boards around it and pulling at both ends. That's how he measured a board's flex and response. (I can't speak for Chicken and Pocket Pistol because I've never had a conversation with Barrett about his development of the board 2-3 years ago.)
Anyway, it's like you said: it's like building a surf board. And anyone will tell you that a good glasser doesn't learn his trade from a book. It's like any other craft: you do it over and over and develop the techniques for optimum results.