Above Bowie drifts on the Tom Thumb Mini Simmons. The rail is a chined Vacuum rail with a thick fin foiled on both sides.
In March, 2011, I started to make a line of foam boards with Noosa Longboards. The biggest challenge for me was the Mini Simmons. I wanted to make a board that was half way between a Seaglass and a fish. When the first batch of boards came back from the glassers the surf was pumping and we took them out. Alex and Bowie from the shop are on the Mini Simmons for the first few waves. I have been studying this vid for a few months and I really like the way the Mini Simmons is tracking on the wave. It is the boogie board "Vacuum" rail that is holding the board in. The little keel fins just help straiten the board out after a slide but the do little when the board is in trim. The rail under the front foot is holding the board in. Bowie on the fish is clearly carving harder but I wonder where it is because he is much more familiar with the board than the Simmons. You can cut back hard on the finless but it is a very different approach than a finned board.
I am on a Model A. Wow, I look like a kook with a leash on. I traded my board for the Model A when in the water and didn't take the leash of. Note to self: Take leash of when filming and wear a tighter rashie around the waist.
Thanks Pete from Noosa Longboards for putting this video together.