Summer Time Fun on the ...Lost Plank

Sometimes the best blogs are the ones I don't have to write myself. This one comes straight to you from ESPN surf blogger, Jon Coen and it's a well written piece on the ...Lost Plank. Click HERE to view some of Jon's other posts.

"There was a time that you only had one choice of things to ride on a gutless summer day. It was, quite literally -- a plank -- a longboard, a heavy, suntanned, probably something you switched off riding with your friends, or a hand-me-down from your uncle.
Then the fish came back in the mid 90s to save us from the foam-starved direction that pro surfers were taking us in. The modern fish evolved for a decade as well. Then certain surf stars, the same group who bought us 17 3/4" slivers at 2 1/32" thick, admitted to having a fetish for stubbier things with wide points forward. Concaves were tweaked. Rockers were decreased. And by 2010, the best selling surfboard in the world was a glorified fish. Now we're back to planks?

What it is:
It's called the Plank, but not the kind you're thinking of. To be fair, ...Lost's Matt Biolas, as a shaper, is more of a leader than a follower. He's been experimenting with Rockets, Grockets, and Squash-It's forever. The Plank, and the more pronounced "Uber Plank," are part of ...Lost's 'Post Modern Fun' line, designed for the weakest of dribble, so you never have to ride a longboard. According to Biolas, he was inspired by a "Mini Simmons" twin keel retro board. His Plank is a diamond-tail quad with virtually no rocker and an outline fuller than a cruise ship tourist looking for the buffet. We're talking 20-plus inches of width on these things. Check this video of Kolohe Andino, James Woods, and Aaron Cormican putting the Uber Plank to the test at Lower Trestles.

Why it rocks:
Actually, it's not so different from a longboard. Check that outline. You have to imagine a cheater five is very possible. Not that there's anything wrong with a log. Sometimes, it's just the medicine for the summertime blues. But if you live somewhere that the water's only warm for three to six months, you want to take advantage and surf as much as possible. And if there's a board you can fit in your backpack and ride micro-waves, (just a slight stretch) why not?

"I actually borrowed the Uber Plank from Kolohe at Lowers and the first thing I thought was 'no way.' It wasn't until I hopped on it that I realized it was kind of cool. It has flat rocker so definitely not for your quick, snappy beach break, but for Florida summers or small Lowers, it is rad," says longtime team rider, Aaron Cormican, "It carries the speed through the flats with pretty much no effort. I rode it as a quad, which made it very loose and forgiving. Still, I was able to do a shortboard snap even with the fuller nose. Overall, I say it's a good board to have in your quiver."

The last five years, we have seen a revolution in small wave boards. And that, my friends, is great for us butt wiggling, head snapping, everyday surfers. It's nice to know that the foam mowers of the world are tweaking Jordy's rocker for his Indo trip or refining the outline of Mick's Chopes quiver. But the research and development at ...Lost (which, contrary to popular belief, involves something other than a quick huddle around the vaporizer followed by a walk to Lowers) is leading to boards that advance speed and performance on the waves the rest of us surf. Is it a crutch? If you can do turns on a boat wake on your skinny 6'2 squash, then call it whatever you want. The rest of us need these to save our summer sanity.

Where to find it:
For slogging through summer slop, check out Catalyst Surf Shop in Melbourne Beach, FL. Those guys are suspiciously pumped on it. Try Pioneer Board Shop up in North Hampton, New Hampshire, or Surf Skate Supply, right there in San Clemente, CA."