03 May 2012

For the Love of the Paipo

First things first: how in the hell do you steer these things?

I did my first paipo session last Sunday with my boys Glenn and Marvin. They were on paipos made by Jon Wegener, paipos with a good amount of rocker, paipos that were somewhat user-friendly. (Can one really define something sans fins as being "user-friendly"?)

The photo below shows that I was beginning to get the hang of it by the time I got out of the water. The paipo stoke was in full effect. I was actually going down the line by the end of the session. I've got the photo to prove it!

Paipo session #2 was . . . uh . . . well . . . a full-on kook fest that saw me trying to remember that the paipo floats quite well WHEN I'M NOT ON IT. I was on my own paipo for this session, a paipo with no rocker, a paipo that was intent upon letting me spend the bulk of my water time being swallowed up by whitewater, unable to steer or find the gear that would launch me onto the shoulder. Most of the session saw me trying to figure out how to ride my plank. And it wasn't pretty. Of course, that's half the fun of riding things like mats and paipos. They make you work for it, really work for it. And that's why the payoff, when it comes, is so damn sweet

It's going to take me awhile to get the hang of riding a piece of plywood like I know what I'm doing.


4 Comments:

At 5/4/12, 6:21 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

the difference between the two boards is the reason i dont make mine like the one you own. sure, they look traditional hawaiian kine outline but, it's that outline that wont let you go where you want. no rocker is better for speed, the wegner outline is better for make you turn, as does the rocker. the rocker isnt needed in wood paipo if the outline be right, yo! make your own or i'd be glad to make you one that hauls ass!

lsoro
try one a my foam and glass displacement hull paipos. they designed to surf, carve, shralp, shred...

 
At 5/4/12, 6:57 AM, Blogger pranaglider said...

Part of the joy of new toys is in the discovery, "how does it work?", if it's too easy then the next question is usually, "can I have more fun in the box it came in?" and you don't want that!

 
At 5/5/12, 6:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

hmmmmmmmm, sometimes you do! ;)

 
At 5/5/12, 11:10 AM, Blogger Surfing Grandma of OC said...

^ I ABSOLUTELY LOVE PRANAGLIDERS RESPONSE!!!..but I don't even know what a paipo is.. it looks like a bigger hand plane..Which I still have no idea how those work. However It would be fun to try and test & play with a few ocean toys! Good for you for trying something new!

 

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