Donald Takayama was working on a new epoxy surfboard system that was designed to replace the aged Surftech Tuf-light line of Hawaiian Pro Designs surfboards before he went to that uncrowded lineup in the sky. Today I had the opportunity to test ride one of the prototypes of his endeavor.
My current quiver includes a 10ft. Model T, a Takayama nose rider circa 1982, a 9ft. Scorpion, a 9'2 speed shape, and two Skip Frye mid lengths, a 7'2 and an 8'0. I have ridden a Surftech In The Pink at Blackies, Diamond Head and at Concessions and liked how it rode. The conditions those days were good with no wind and decent swell. I had an absolute blast on the surf tech at Diamond Head, though I don't really care for the way the Surftech paddles. It is corky and it makes you feel like you are above the water more than you actually are. It does hum when you are going down the face of a nice wave, which is annoying as well. I do like the durability of the Surftech, but don't like the "paint job" on these boards as they don't hold up well.
The ITP Epoxy Flyer is an entirely different surfboard. While it is epoxy, it doesn't have that Surftech feel to it. Now I don't know about the construction of the Epoxy Flyers but what I was told is it has a bamboo stringer, comes off a CNC, and is hand glassed, versus the sandwich construction of the Surftech ITP.
Test Ride: I rode Hawaiian Pro Designs In The Pink Test model 002 at San Onofre's Old Man's on 4-21-2013. I believe it was 9'0 and 2.91 inches thick. I didn't note the width but I imagine it is comparable to other ITP models. The board was outfitted with the standard 2+1 setup, FCS side bites and a 7-inch Takayama finger fin. It paddles like a poly board and rides like a poly board. It is extremely lightweight and is fairly easy to throw around. I caught a few good lefts and got in the pink rather easily, and going frontside, was able to carve four buttery turns on one wave all the way to the inside. In essence, HPD has the makings for a very competent alternative to the Surftech technology that surpasses it in many areas, without the chatter and without the corky feeling of the Tuf-lite system. If Hawaiian Pro Designs can come up with a glass/epoxy foam schedule that equals the durability of the Surftech without compromising the poly riding feel of the Epoxy Flyer, it will have the makings of a winning combination. As with all new technology, the durability is not yet proven as these are still just in the testing phase, but so far, I am very impressed with how the Hawaiian Pro Designs In The Pink Epoxy Flyer rides and paddles, so much so that I wanted to walk off with the board today, test model or not.
What I would like in the final version? The durability of the Surftech without the crap paintjob; A smidgen more heavier than what it is now (my preference for heavier weight glass boards, my Scorpion is 6x6x6; and a much less capital outlay (read: less expensive) than a similar poly model.
