New proto, just in time for my Hossegor trip! (shop pics, not yet in my hands)
Actually I am glad that small clean conditions are forecasted to enjoy this beauty on zipping racetracks...
I have not the exact dims yet (I tend to trust the shaper blindly on details). I guess ~30" wide and 120 liters for my 100kg. Carbon + PVC sandwich top + kevlar rails (Gong XTR construction). Plenty of fin boxes to play with...
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Oh what an Awesome looking Board! Why can't the Gong guys figure out a way to get their boards to the USA.....
My L41 Simsup's most noticeable bottom design feature is the extreme deep double concave in the tail, makes it very easy to get on rail .
That deep single concave on yours in the tail is interesting.....Please Explain.
Would love to swap boards, maybe see you out here in the line up.
Some nice banks between bourdaine ond penon.
Looks like a rocket ship 
I'm guessing the concave is to channel water between the fins and get even more speed out of the board?
Select to expand quotesurfinJ said..
Would love to swap boards, maybe see you out here in the line up.
Some nice banks between bourdaine ond penon.
Hope so... we are renting a place behind the dunes between the Bourdaines and Le Penon, last 2 weeks of June :-)
The concave gives the traditional Simmons feeling: the boards takes some time to get up to speed and on the rail, then powers through turns. But going rail to rail will be easier and more controllable with a double concave. The single concave is there more for the "retro" feeling. I dont think it adds speed (flat is the fastest bottom design), more some different type of control.
Don't now on this new one, I Have it's bigger brother with the same concave between the fins wich is great in tiny waves
Colas, that board looks like a lot of fun potential. I'm looking forward to you enlightening us on its pros and cons in the near future.
One question - how do you find the thickness of the boards and the rails affects performance? Your last photo showing rail volumes makes it look like they're still very chunky.
cheers
Tang, well, I am fairly chunky myself, so I need some volume :-)
Also looks can be deceiving, for instance the tail on my 6'8" manages to hide aways the volume out of the rails:
Also, as I said in www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Under-8/?page=2#1507810 the science of rail design is a mysterious one...
flowmaster, yes I have also this 8' Simmons. Total fun, and such an easy board. It is the one I use for lending to beginners, although only 8' long... and a blast even on non-breaking waves.
I see what you mean, Colas. Love seeing c drives in other boards too.
Now what is the board next to the square nose? It looks about 9'6"x25"?? I want one of them too!
It is a prone surfboard, 9'9". I guess a cross between a longboard and a "cruiser" like this 9'1"
Patrice has had issues on how to glass the different prototype blank he shaped for one year, and they only arrived today... 31 of them!
(He wetted my appetite with the 6'10" Simmons shape more than one year ago...)
He will publish the pictures on the Gong site in the following days www.gong-galaxy.com/en/ for thos interested, and often more info on facebook: www.facebook.com/gong.sup
Here is a re-visit of the Meyehoffer "TIPPIN POINT" in 10' and.. brushed carbon, PVC sandwich deck!
woooow, these boots are made for shaping .........
like the square door shape, if the day of surfing is done, it makes a perfect camping table.
Received, and already some sessions in micro-waves.
I have the impression to have found my soulmate! incredible planing, and the short length means you don?t have to walk on the board to have the back foot fall right on the kickpad.
The wide tails gives a surprising stability for its length, plus the parallel outline good paddling performance.
Here are some pics compared to the production Gong 6'8" One XTR 120l for reference. Actual dims: 6'10'' x 30 1/4" x 4 7/8" 126 liters
I use it now only with 2 keel fins on the rearmost position: I tried more forward, but the board turns too early and the rail do not have time to sink.
A sequence to show the "carving glide" of the ride: On a glorified chop, not even proper waves, see how the spray is actually a sheet of water, and the wake at the last pic a clean slice of water with no turbulence. This board banks its way in turns like a plane, no slashes or tail slides, just pure carving on any mushburger. of course, you must anticipate turns, it is less spontaneous than a modern shape, but a really great feeling...
The single concave is there more for the "retro" feeling. I dont think it adds speed (flat is the fastest bottom design), more some different type of control.
This concave shape looks like a Derek Hynd "PAN" and comes from the fundamental research he has been doing on his finless boards.
The concept behind the "PAN" is to increase the rocker of the board along the centre line thus shortening the arc of the boards turn, especially on the flatter tail rockers he uses.
boardbumps, you are right. The concave is for control and tail rocker at center
Here are 2 waves in micro conditions showing how the wide tail make take off easy and help smoothing the turns by not losing speed in turns
Interesting to see how sup surfing is evolving and how many different boards are out there. Indeed catering to everyone's style and how each one of us like to ride waves. Cheers for the insight Colas, your opinions are really valued, my quiver may shortly include a sub 7 sup
.
Man, that was cool. It's like the windsurfing evolution to short wide boards.
i think I have found my new board. I guess it just a matter of finding one!
Am I the only one that could not help but notice just how easily Colas got onto those waves with little to no effort?My JP PRO would require a lot more effort to get on than that and would not have "held" onto the wave for as long as that which is to say that it requires
a more powerful wave to open up. It would be interesting to see this board on an overhead wave. I think it would excel.
Rory the only board mate that I have come across so far here in Australia that comes close to that would be the Minion. Get a hold of Casso who lives
on the Northern Beaches and I am sure he would tee up a demo for you since he made the offer to me. I intend coming down in the next few weeks to
try one and if I like look into buying one. I could be wrong but I dont think there are any shapers over here who are playing around with the simsup design.
Cheers Ozzie
Thanks Ozzie.
Yep I noticed Colas pulling onto those waves with ease and with crazy acceleration on almost no face. Hence my eagerness to have a crack myself.
I've been a bit hesitant to go such a low volume, but I am a lightweight so this should be fine.
Keen to head onto the north side to check out a couple of boards so would be great to sneak a dem of this one too. I'll contact Casso directly and let you know if we work out a time.
Thanks again matey
Rory
Beautiful, colas.
just checking that you're on the mini Simmons as the header/banner in the vid says xtr....?
cheers
Thanks for your comments, I am blushing 
and transmitting the feedback to Patrice Guenole...
ghost4man, yep, wide tail and fast rocker make take off incredibly efficient, but it is all in the timing. With a longer board you can just blindly paddle until the board takes off. With a short board you have to time your second paddle stroke just when the "bump" of the wave hits your rear foot, and use a lot of body english. If you do it at the right time, take off is surprisingly efficient. The trick is to practice in very small & weak waves, trying to take off in 2 strokes.
Of course on powerful waves, things can get hairy, be prepared for an "aircraft carrier" launch :-) Too bad I had only one good day (2', with SurfingJ) but I tried other boards I wanted to test in these conditions. I am eager to try the mini Simmons in good waves too.
Tang: XTR is the name of the construction (brushed carbon, PVC sandwich deck). The model is called "AS" for Alaia / Simmons, as these shapes can be also be used finless, but this is too hard for my abilities...
Greystoke: yes, that's why quivers are for: to have wildly different styles of boards!
Rory,
Mate I think that volume is an area of contradiction that a lot of people get hooked on and with great loss as well I might add. We need to focus more on shape and volume
distribution as opposed to simply looking at a number. The same holds true for board length and I think a lot of this can be attributed to what people are used to and then
develop the mindset that going smaller is too problematic. Thats just a negative attitude I feel. Have a look at Colas. Lets face it and I say this with all due respect to Colas but
he is not exactly a Greek Adonis but every video I have seen of the guy has impressed me greatly. At 72kg and 184cm in height I am in pretty good shape but he embarasses me
with what he does on a board that small. I find that quite inspiring. Keep me posted when you arrange a time with Casso. I am out for the school holidays with child care duties but
after that I am as keen as mustard.
Colas,
That board looks extremely efficient at take off which leads me to think that it would be quite friendly in the preparatory phase which I have noted is to my mind the most important
element. I get the feeling that it could handle a steep face and would absolutely rip on a double overhead wave. Maybe thats just the dreamer in me but I figure you have to do it once
in your life on a board like that :)
Keep the vids coming mate.
Cheers Ozzie
A saw Colas out alone on a bank, two paddle takeoff into a clean face, and turn, turn turn.
No big deal except it was a one foot wave!
My board was a 200l log. Colas stood around as casual as me and caught the waves just as easy*
*it is quite a special takeoff technique
Select to expand quotesurfinJ said...
A saw Colas out alone on a bank, two paddle takeoff into a clean face, and turn, turn turn.
No big deal except it was a one foot wave!
My board was a 200l log. Colas stood around as casual as me and caught the waves just as easy*
*it is quite a special takeoff technique
I agree, Colas takeoff technique on a board that small in such small surf like that with little power is very impressive.
These boards are obviously very very fast in the water. There is no way that my JP PRO would perform like that and would
struggle to get on a wave and stay on there the way this board does.
Yes, it is a pity to see here (mediteranéan sea) people buying boards designed for powerful waves, lured by advertisements, magazine hype & contest results. I mean JPs. Hokuas, etc... are very nice boards, but not adapted to all conditions. And in some places, adapted to conditions you see only once a year :-)
On the vid, I was alone taking wave after wave on my peak, 50m away from 30+ surfers battling on a more spectacular bank (wave focusing more at peak but flattening out). That's also the advantage of fast boards: enjoying weaker (but often cleaner) waves, away from the crowds.
colas i would love to see someone do a sup version of this board .
its the new firewire nano. the most dynamic fastest board i've ridden hands down. the principals are very much in keeping of your board including deep concave
Lacey, description seems similar (clean foil, wide tips) to Gong flagship model, the Faking www.gong-galaxy.com/magazine/pics/mika-faking/ gongsupshop.com/epages/box1707.sf/fr_FR/?ObjectPath=/Shops/box1707/Products/GON4SUPFAK
Except the Faking has no concave but basically a flat hull + light double concave. Also this nano seem to have a lot of rocker.
Note that my board has only a deep concave at the tail, to help rail to rail and projection out of turns. The nano seem to have a concave in the middle.
And yes, the Faking is one of the most fun & versatile board I tried.
I guess all the SUP shapers in weak waves countries should be able to make one.
