On a recent trip to SoCal (see Walzer Pintail preamble) we had the opportunity to ride Stripes new prototype and also their standard Fish.
Chip Conrad, the man behind Stripes is a prolific shaper, with an eye towards innovation. His classic longboard design in 5'6" is unique in the marketplace. I'm certain that he will be the first to offer a board capable of noseriding behind the boat.
Currently Stripes is in the process of R&D on a new shape that can be used in a competition setting or for folks that want to ride that way.
The prototype is a very short surfstyle board with a blunted nose. This version used FCS fins. Pretty much the industry standard in the surf board market. Different lengths and styles of FCS fins are readily available online or at most surf shops, to affect the ride.
James found the prototype to have considerable drive and the shape would lend itself to certain skate influenced tricks. These pictures show some airs and a fire hydrant that James was capable of on the prototype.
Chip does an excellent job glassing his boards ( although he was quite impressed with my handiwork on Dennis' "brown" - inside joke
) he is using 7oz glass and his boards feel sturdy.
This proptotype had a Poly U core, but as with most folks in the Market, Stripes is switching to EPS and Epoxy for lighter, stronger and more environmentally friendly construction.
As part of their ongoing R&D work, the folks at Stripes are looking for riders with mad skills and style for testing - can't beat free boards!
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