ThePaddler 104
Once a prototype is finished, the lake provides the ultimate playground to test the primary performance of the board. Svein also has a large input in testing all the boards that are produced to enforce the very best shapes. During lunch Svein excitedly talked about having a busy weekend testing new kit, not finishing until 8pm that night. After a relaxed lunch meeting more of the team, Svein and I hit the water; jumping on a couple of new Starboard Sprint boards we paddled over to his house. It was now my time to test some of the latest 2014 boards and paddles before they were sent to be produced, including the handle made earlier that day. I couldn’t wait, as I hadn’t been for a good paddle in over a couple of weeks and wasn’t sure when I would next have the chance. The next three hours I tested a complete mix of boards that were straight out of the mould with no branding but just a pencil marking of the name and dimensions. Each of the boards had its own ride, ranging from the faster 23-inch wide race boards up to the more stable and wider allrounder. After doing a few laps of the circuit pushing the tightest turns around the race markers, I moved onto the next one. Each time I brought back one board with my feedback, Svein would eagerly give me “just one more“ to test.
As the sun started to set, I ended the day with a paddle with Scott Mckercher. What a way to finish a day than to paddle with pro rider and designer of both the boards I use. After talking about my trip and Waterborn back at home, I was surprised to find out that Scott had actually surfed Bantham a couple of times, my local break. Small world hey? After thanking Svein and the team for everything, I left with Scott in a cab back to the centre of Bangkok. During my visit to Starboard, I honestly didn’t want to leave. I enjoyed every minute meeting the team and being under the guidance of Svein Rasmussen. The brand speaks through its products, but its drive and passion is fuelled from its HQ, where everyone connects towards a shared vision. Its commitment to its research and development, allows Starboard to persistently develop its range of products, continually pushing the boundaries of what is believed possible in SUP.
As well as the boards, I tested Starboards paddle designs. The paddle designs are one of the most advancing innovations in the Starboard range, motivated by the paddle often being more influential than the board in performance. At this time I monitored the difference in performance using an oval shaped shaft over a circular, greater flexibility in the blade with a stiffer shaft, and a smaller lighter Enduro shaped blade over the larger wave blades. I reviewed the new handle prototype, which focused on a pushing technique instead of pulling the paddle to create further drive. After testing numerous boards and slowly getting defeated by the heat, I was one of the lucky few to try one board that Svein had kept till last. This board you could see Svein was really excited about as it had only been tested a couple of times and was so new they hadn’t even named it yet. It was awesome!
Zane Schweitzer