Stay on the rails

Stay on the rails ….an obvious but sometimes overlooked component of ur kneeboard. The rail shape comes in a variety of choices egg, blocky, blade, chine, foiled, even thru out. Time and thought has been put in with hours of research and development to come to a good all-round rail. Today’s surfers are spoilt, the hard work has been done – can a rail get any better? So what u can do is use it to ur advantage. Bury it, roll it and release it with a fury to set ur whole ride up. Drive off it, feel it, understand what happens if u shift ur weight forward or back, use ur rail to stall and then lean forward to release….

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A normal idea when shaping is to keep ur rails user friendly; what u call ‘forgiving.’ Soft from middle to nose and from middle to tail, harder with a sharp, tucked-under edge. It’s about using it to help u. Some guys’ surfing style is to run and plane and that’s fine, it’s ur trip, however if u get the full use out of rail to rail surfing I guarantee u will jump for joy and become a more complete surfer ! You will go faster , turn harder and make more unmakeable sections . The science of surfing is simple really, as it’s about feel. Put ur hands around ur rails from nose to tail, feel the change from nose to tail it’s almost enough to bring u into a state of different thinking about how these two main components of ur Kb work. It’s serious to know and think about what is happening when u make that tube u thought u wouldn’t but did.

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So it’s about staying on the rails. Little pumps into a long, drawn out carved turn to compliment the wave not splatter urself all over it. Flow, flow and flowing. It will take time, so endure and have confidence because u are not surfing for anyone else but urself. Stay on the rails bros and u will be fine.

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Me, well I like edges, I like to roll off and accelerate thru concave and bevel – chine rails with a hard edge from nose to tail and use these elements to go fast thru turns. I always thought u can’t do much without speed and rail surfing is the answer. We could go on for ages about different types of rail shapes but I know I am not talking to people who are ill informed or can’t surf. Most, if not all of u, know what rail works for u, so all I can do is encourage u to do is ‘stay on the rails ‘ and enjoy always these two beautiful components of ur board wrap ur hands around them feel the contour think about how and why they work and perhaps how u can refine them in ur next Kb for more enjoyment . My favorite part of a board has and always will be the ‘rails’. Thanks my two friends for helping me with direction and drive.

”Stay on the rails”

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