Asnews Interviews SurfTech: Surf Co Sees Future in Sport

[marina]

Podcast #80:



Our guest this week is Sander Nauenberg from SurfTech. Based out of Santa Cruz, California, SurfTech is a well-known brand in the surfing world but has been largely under the radar of the mainstream kiteboarding scene until recently. Now, with the introduction of SurfTech’s new TL2 technology, traction pad/footstrap package with built-in insets, and summer demo tour, SurfTech has formally entered the kitesurfing market, prompted by the growing crossover between surfers and kitesurfers.

With over 200 different models to choose from, SurfTech wants to help demystify the choices that kitesurfers have when searching for a directional kiteboard that rips when surfing or kiting. With the motto, “all kitesurfers are not created equal,â€Â

[zero]

where are the new roush skimboards available for sale? can't find them anywhere.

are any of the surftech models actually being designed with kiters' input, or are you still just selling existing surf models that kiters happen to like?

is TL2 really as strong as the normal tufflite for kite surfboards or is there a tradeoff in strength for the flex?

[liv2surf]

what is the best quad vs thruster shape for beach vs reef vs point break, for high vs low wind

what is best generalization for a surftech shape for upwindability ?

one of my buddies says surfboards and kiteboards are totally different due to especially to rocker considerations -- which woukd argue that most all surftechs are suboptimal for kiting -- please comment.

Some of my most fun surf kiting has been when I was really underpowered and had this surf-like yet floaty kind of riding experience (however it involved lots of walking). would boards with more volume allow this sort of underpowered kiting more ?

I wish all you shapes had volume attribute reported - why reporting of this data so spotty ?

why is it so hard to get certain shapes (stretch quad ?)

Do you think there is any future for longboard style footwork and noseriding in kite surfing ?

[CaptainArgh]

Is that picture of Billy P on the cover legit? There was some conversation on the forum that the height looked doctored.

Either way, great photo! (I don't really care, just figured the podcast is a good forum to set the record straight!)

Keep doing what you're doing.

[TopHat]

I introduced, or at least tried to introduce the sport of surfing with a kite on a surfboard several years ago to Surftech. I own a well Known surf shop(we sell Surftechs) on the north shore of hawaii. I have been surfing since 1967 (Waikiki,Oahu). I kite every day on a regular surfboard. I have been bringing pictures and videos to Surftech to view at the trade shows for at least the last four years. I'm just an average over 40 year old rider who has surfed my whole life everyday at the beach and kite when i'm not surfing... Seeing the progression of riding here in surf with kites I figured my customers would love to sample these hi tech boards(Surftech). I have hounded their rep to get their boards down to the beach for the people to try. Ha Ha ha. A year ago we had some boards to try(1 week), but the supposed top pro's pulled the boards from our beach. Now, I guess you just buy a slingshot or a naish, those are the riders that the surftech company gives boards to. I always thought those companies made their own shapes. Man, I wish all shops with a large # customers that surf and kite could try your stuff. (or at least my customers wish they could) try their surfboards. (My Surftech sales are down). It is about demo's. Get them to the beach . We all can not wait till we are paid pro's to try surftech's stuff. It's great their finally showing some intrest in this versitile market. Oh yeah, who is this sander guy call me...

ALOHA,RIDE SAFE, HAVE FUN,

[DBKITER]

Is Surftech only planning on produceing boards that work well only
for paddle surfing, and light air / nicely shaped wave riding?.

In my experience, roughly shaped waves with very high winds,
(Northern Calif), demand a very short quad fin board w/ very little tail
rocker, and is NOT something I would choose to paddle surf on.

[sherman_es]

Sander - I think you guys are onto something. You have a whole warehouse of shapes in production, so I would assume that a rider could find a board that fits them when they are pulling into wind blown waves with kites. The problem I see is with durability and weight; kitesurfing demanding different characteristics than your surfing segment. What do you think?

Also, for a company in an industry as large as surfing, trying to enter a sport as small as kitesurfing, is it economically viable that SurfTech would tailor its kiteboard construction to the specific needs of kitesurfing?

[MonkeyAir]

We have been testing and shaping all sorts of surfboard to kiteboard waveboards since the beginning. In light winds we love to use the surf tech Xanadu 5'10" with the NSI pads, with and without straps and a swap out of the paddle in fins for another model for kite application. A bit more duro construction for the deck would be nice for our application would be great. The build of a board like the underground would be amazing if you could spec that. People do end up getting some air on their larger surf style boards and like windsurfing, these boards should be able to take it with a thicker rail. Any chance of making a heavy duty version for the kite wave sailing market? Most guys in our area use paddle in size boards and smaller kites to really surf the wave and not just chase the kite. Surf style boards without excessive rocker is what is needed to carry momentum and not make a rider totaly dependent on the kite. Excess rocker kills light wind wave riding kite boards. Hope a few flatter rockered and substantially sized boards for kiting will come from you guys. Most of my customers out here are 200 lbs and above. A couple of 265 pounder wave riders as well. Light wind SO Ca.
Thanks for a fun board.

[TopHat]

Surftech has many surfboards. I used to ride the 6'2" Brewer's. I went through a few of them. They were great rides. I wish I could have sampled more of their other shapers boards. However, Their distribution to surf shops is limited according to volume of product sold. Unfortunatley I only had business relationships with Dick Brewer, Jeff Bushman, and Pat Rawson so we had a limited selection of boards to try from Surftech. The boards were fairly durable, my custom epoxys do not last long. Riding surfboards takes some time, you have to adjust your style a bit to ride a regular surfboard with a kite. It is a challenge and worth it. There are many epoxy surfboards on the market now. I suggest trying anyone you can. I wonder what sets Surftech apart from the rest of the ever emerging epoxy surfboard market. Let's ask Sander... How's that rocker thing going?

[Wetstuff]

This 'ole, 7-3, pop-out BIC is probably 4-5yrs old. It has classically layed out inserts, so as per usual; what-is-new is already old. It work OK, but has too much tail kick to be really useful ..but toys are fun to have anyway, no?

....I recently improved it: pulled the graphics and clear-tape nonskid off ..so now it's Clear with painted-on RE-DEK so I can walk around on it.

j i m