Unofficial Asymmetrical Board Design Forum

The Asymmetrical surfboard is nothing new, dating as far back to the 60’s and the Ekstrom design.  I have done forum searches on here, found one old thread, that didn’t really go anywhere.  At any rate, I have been gearing up to make, originally, two fish boards.  A dialer and a keel.  I thought this might be a great opprotunity take a crack at an asymmetrical board of my own, half dialer, half keel.  Backside dialer,frontside keel.

At any rate, thought I’d throw some pics out there, and maybe open this up to get some inspiration and hopefully good conversation on asymmetrical board design.

Thanks,

T.

 

 

awesome thread.

I just inherited a new block of XPS and have been noodling on what to do…

I’m thinking assymetrical open-faced sandwhich…use up the last of my balsa.

that thruster is out there.

Hey. I’m really interested in this. Not sure I’m ready to jump off the cliff and design a full on asymetrical until I understand more. However, I am ready to experiment with asym fin placement and maybe a little extra length on one rail. I have some text I pulled from somewhere talking about outline and to be honest, it seemed exactly backwards to me. I’ll drop it in tomorrow.

What I’ve read about this idea of design boils down to this: Take two boards, in similar design like the fish for example, one board that rides really well for you backside, and one that works really well for you frontside and combine them. The rail outline, tail kick, fin set up and all that is specific to one half of the board. The only information I’ve found on this has come from surfer mag, tsj, and a few online sources.

At any rate, I think that since most of the time people ride their boards rail to rail, backside to frontside, it makes perfect sense that the design should follow function, not fashion. Symmetrical boards are more pleasing to the eye, but may very well be not as functional. It’s all up to the rider really, but you never know until you try right?

Since I’m making a dialer and keel, I thought it would be really cool to make a hybrid asymm. version of the two.

Note to China: Call back those moldmakers.

Sickdog

I’ve made a few asymetricals. Wasn’t my intent, though(attempt at humor). These boards make me go cross-eyed. Fish boards go well backside. If a board surf’s well one direction and it’s symetrical, it should go the other direction, too. It’s just an adjustment. Perhaps surfers that have grown up planting their feet on a rubber pad and not needing to adjust foot position don’t transition to fish boards. I don’t know, just a thought. Anyway, hope yah’all have fun with the idea. Mike

I think I might be WAY too obsessive compulsive for this thread!

Well, they work.

http://hydrodynamica.blogspot.com/2009/05/1st-sesh-on-60-ekstrom-asym.html

and we have Carl on the job

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Finally! I’ve been sucking up all available info on asymetrical boards after reading the TSJ article, bounced the concept of my freind and brother, who have owned asym snowboards and sailboards in the eigthies, they said they worked, but got taken of the market because you basically need to produce two boards instead of one(goofy/regular) and fashsion/ trends also sadly seem outweigh function.

The keel dialer concept sounds great but tricky, the fin placement and the split rocker sounds a bit complicated. Keep them pics coming!

Get in there Todd. You got a guy that test rides those boards for you. Take one of you test blanks and get with that rider, have him give you feedback on his fav board for lefts and rights and combine the outlines!

Thanks for the hydrodynamica blogspot link. I knew there was another online source that I had seen before but couldn’t recall.

Thought this would be of interrest, The only asymetric snowboard still being built:

http://www.pureboarding.com/index.php?id=one&L=1

Anyone out there actually ridden an asymetrical surfboard, ekström or any other shapers?

The ‘‘intentional’’ asymmetrical surfboard design originated in Australia, pre-dating Carl’s activities by several years. I saw one on the North Shore, in 1963, with a Surfboards Australia label. Carl described the design to me, in 1962, or '63, as an Austrailian ‘‘Hook Tail’’, with a different rail line, and rail length, on each side of the board. Any Aussies out there know the deeper history of the design?

http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/help-setting-fins-unusual-tail

Funny - This thread is/was going on at the same time. Some where I’ve posted about one of mine, and with the help friends there are pictures… I’ll try to find it.

I gave up. I need a double cross reference for searching the archives…

I’m not an Aussie but I know where they write stuff down sometimes…

http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1978_McT_Asymmetric_Seanotes_Aug_p38.html

.

this kicked off on the 'er bb as well. funny…

Anyway, why make only the tail asymmetrical? For example, I have a bad habit of catching my forward rail on a traditional fish when (attempting to…) snap in the pocket frontside. So, why not pull the nose in a bit to free that rail? Would also stop it from catching if sneaking in to a steep late drop backside…?

I’m sure I saw one in a post about carl ekstrom, or myerhoffer…??? found it. Look at the board, towards the nose:

I’d be doing one also, but need to free up some space - that is get rid of all the other “experimental” boards. It’s a hard area to crack commercially, but for truly “tuned” surfcraft there can be no other…

His bed could make the picture deceptive, but I’m for the idea.

Granted, I don’t do asymmetry forward of the wide point, but I off set those. I didn’t read that whole link Keith posted, but it seemed to say asymmetry wasn’t good for all around boards, as though it were to specialized. I think that’s bunk.

I don’t know enough about the full on business of surfboard making an selling, but I do know from the reaction of the average local around here, they can’t get there head around it, and I’m not the one to try and convince anyone. Although, I may have mentioned this before, it puts them in a “Catch 22,” which puts me in a good light: Many admit I surf well on my boards, but they question my boards, which would make me a really good surfer over coming my crappy equipment, which they don’t want to say, nor would I, but they don’t want to say my boards must work well, making me a good surfboard maker, and my “odd” boards having something to them even though they look so unorthodox… Ha! Either way, I try to surf my “secret” spot alone, and keep working on my research… :wink:

Taylor,

you could be right about the bed, or that the board is in the corner, leaning at an angle away from the camera, but my point is why not? One board on one side of the stringer…to the max…?

I guess it could make it unbalanced, especially if you pulled it way in, but then the light side rail would be easier to engage…oh hell…

I hear you on the local thingy. Where I live is, even though some UK champs are from here, is pretty close-minded. Fish and quads are the “new” thing up here and anything - even riding a log properly - can be looked down on, let alone my short, weird, funky finned creations…ho hum…sometimes its better to just smile and say, “yeah, uh-huh, you’re right…”

if they only knew…or i surfed better…lol

“Locals…” Ha!

I toyed w/the idea of putting on my latest board, “If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand…” Ha!

But, I didn’t want to be too much of an arrogant asshole, if it’s not to late, but they may not know…

And, I remembered the time I made it the Swayloholix anonymous, and some guy was loudly proclaiming the MVG’s on my board were gimmicks… “Yeah, that’s why NASA patented them, and put 'em on the space shuttle…” Some times it seems better just to say what you said… “Uh hu, yep.”

from http://decembersnowskates.blogspot.com

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