Muzza's Trippin' - "THE BOURTON SNOW SHOE"
The Purpose of the 6.1 Snow Shoe
To create an ultra loose twinny that will
deliver more tail thrust through turns due
to the wider tail pod.
Board
Specifications
BOARD DIMENSIONS: 6'1 x 14' 3/4 x 19'1/2
x 14' 7/8 x 2 1/16
IDEAL WEIGHT: 60 to 70kg
DESIGN EMPHASIS: Again a design sporting
a flattish rocker for running speed combined with
a heavy tail vee and double concave which runs forward
into a single concave bordered by a flat rail chine. Most
prominent is a plan shape scallop in the tail that curves
back out to a wider swallow.
Muzza's Rambling
I was always inspired by a Sydney shaper, named Rodney Ball,
who was doing a plan shape where the tail flared back
out behind the fins similar to what I have included
in the Snow Shoe. The break in the plan shape obviously creates
a release and a decrease in water pressure due to
the sudden decrease in planing area and this combined with
the tail vee should be responsible for the added looseness,
not to mention that the design being a twinny is a pretty
loose concept anyway.
I am convinced that flaring the tail back out will have a
stiffening effect for want of a better word so that is why
I am incorporating it into a twinny. In the other shapes such
as the Con Deck Fish I have used a drop wing
to get the extra thrust, in this design I am trying another
method in the plan shape to gain maximum thrust. The nose
area although it is full is not wider than the tail which
should encourage the rider to stay back on the tail and go
for as much thrust as possible from the widish pod. There
is a double concave in the swallows which will add
to the thrust. The forward concave with the chine
is to give front foot speed and forgiveness.
The deck shape is a little different to the Spine Fish in
that it has a roll under the back foot but runs into
a concave deck under the front foot. The idea behind
this is that the back foot always runs perpendicular and if
it sits on a concave then there is a lot of air under the
arch and a loss of contact of flesh to fiberglass. The front
foot is on more of an angle and therefore fits into a concave
with more flesh contact moreover it is more the steering foot
and will be benefited by sitting in a concave. I have already
explained how a concaved deck increases rail to rail
persuasion due to the increase in feet leverage.
I have also kept the thickness down so the concave deck did
not make the rails too thick and I have helped to minimize
this by pulling the rail ridge in another ½ inch which
takes down the steepness of the rail.
Prediction
I do not expect any sonic booms with this design however
I do expect to get some acceleration out of the second
half of every turn and with the vee under foot to
be able to get more rail to rail turns in
which means more opportunity for more acceleration.
In a nut shell this board should be able to wind up
to great speeds given some elbow room but should
be able to turn on a sixpence, maybe I might have to build
in a seat belt.
Results
Will be looking for a young rubber man to trial this idea
because I think the rider will need to deal with sudden
responses. One result I had on this baby was that
the flare out was too extreme and it struggled
to release. Maybe Rod Ball had it as about as extreme as it
could be?
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