Kite surfers AWESOME JUMP over Worthing Pier, East Sussex
DAREDEVIL kite surfer Jake Scrace makes the most of the extreme wind yesterday with a death-defying 100ft jump over a pier. Jake, 25, used the waves as a ramp to leap 40ft across Worthing Pier in East Sussex, before landing back in the water. His extreme surfer pal Lewis Craften followed. Two kite surfers from West Sussex took advantage of strong winds on the south coast to realise an ambition to jump over Worthing pier. Jake Scrace, 25, and Lewis Crathern, 24, had been planning Monday morning’s jump for three years but had to wait for perfect weather conditions. They took off from Goring to the west of Worthing in gusts of wind that were more than 40mph. Mr Scrace described the build up to the jump as “terrifying”. Carpenter Mr Scrace, who makes kite boards, and professional kite surfer Mr Crathern are both from Worthing. Between them they have 16 years’ experience in the sport. The pair said the jump was quite hazardous and should not be attempted by amateurs. “It was probably the most terrifying thing I’ve ever built up to,” said Mr Scrace. “We were practising down the road and we were pretty confident we were going to do it but as soon as we got nearer the pier it was quite hard.” Mr Crathern said the jump was “epic”. “It was everything I’ve lived for – amazing,” he said.
What are surfboards made of ?
What are surfboards made of?
In Hawai’i surfing is a part of traditional culture. Ancient Hawai’ians manufactured all manner of wooden surfboards initially without the aid of metal tools and without electric power tools.This is quite an accomplishment! People today have more modern materials and the benefit of power tools, applied science and knowledge, but the skill and achievements of ancient Polynesians should not be disregarded especially considering the conditions under which they were working.
Some of the well known surfboards in ancient Hawai’i were the Olo or a long, heavy board made of Koa or wiliwili woods. The Paip’o or belly boards are ridden lying prone on one’s stomach. People are still riding them and they can be seen sometimes in Hawai’i. An alia is a shorter type of board typically around six feet in length compared to the sometimes close to eighteen or twenty feet in length that the olo can reach. People are rediscovering the fun of making and riding traditional wooden surfboards, especially alia which have become fairly popular due to Tom Wegener’s work with them.
Modern performance surfboards are typically made from polyurethane foams and resins to which a catalyst is added. The catalyst hardens the resin saturating a fiberglass cloth wrapped around the board during a process called lamination which seals the porous foam inside from water and gives the properly laminated board a special type of “pop” or flexibility when ridden. Most skilled amateurs and pros still prefer to ride a well made PU board because of this special feeling they have. Even though newer materials are available which afford more durability, still most pro and high level amateurs still prefer the PU boards.
One of the newer materials used in making surfboards is EPS or expanded polystyrene foam combined with an epoxy resin. The surfboards made from this material are light, stronger than PU boards and more resistant to damage. Many people use them when they have limited time to spend on repairing a lighter PU board which is more easily damaged or to use when taking their surfboard with them since it is more resistant to being damaged during transport.
Other manufacturers are making surfboards without the traditional stringer which runs along the length of the surfboard blank, giving it strength. They are substituting a stringerless EPS or other foam core with either the rails and/or deck and bottom laminated with a carbon fiber, Kevlar or wood veneer to give the surfboard flex and some degree of rigidity. A company in New Zealand even makes custom surfboards completely laminated with a very thin bamboo veneer.
A few more new and experimental construction materials for surfboards are Hydroflex 3 dimensional composites which reputedly offer a better 3 dimensional bonding structure. Manufacturers claim that problems common to PU and even some epoxy boards such as buckles and delaminations are not possible with this technology.The author does not have sufficient experience or information to verify these claims
Neville Hyman of Firewire Surfboards (formerly Nev Surfboards) has been an active an integral agent in the evolution and continuing development of surfboard design. His striving to bring surfboard design, shaping machines and tools and the act of surfing itself to the very highest levels makes him one of the true champions of this area. He and others using CAD alongside modern materials and robotics have brought surfboards to an almost F1 level of technological sophistication. His team rider Taj Burrow while riding one of his Firewire composite, computer designed and robot shaped boards surfs at the absolute highest ranks of the WCT. Most competitors on the WQS and WCT circuits still use the PU boards due to their unique feeling or “pop”, however.
People are applying available technology to surfboard design, which is good! We need to experiment and try to improve. As surfboard technology advances we will see new possibilities in all aspects of surfing performance. Just look at tow in surfing using straps an idea borrowed from snowboarding.
The next time you and your friends or family go to the surf shop or to the beach, look around at all of the different types of surfboards you see. How man different types of materials can you identify? Play a game with your friends and see who can identify the most. Look also at the other things you see at the beach or while surfing. Wetsuit neoprene, foam rubber used in tail pads, wax, sunscreen, etc.
Surfing and science go together.
Wendell Fugate
Waianae, HI