TECH TALK: RETRO LONGBOARDS
Alright, let’s talk about retro noseriders. A topic that’s particularly close to my heart. We’ve got a lineup that’s pretty easy to grasp because, basically, it follows a crescendo. The boards, as they get longer, are generally going to have more lift at the nose, and obviously, more and more stability and even more glide.
And tails that are going to get a bit wider too, for reasons I’ll explain in a moment. Let’s start with the Pampa. The Pampa, which originally - alright, let me set it up like this.
the Pampa, which originally draws a lot of inspiration from the "pig" models, so a board with a wide point set far back, plenty of width between your feet when you’re on the tail, and a sharp drop-off at the one-foot-off mark. So, the wide point is sitting right about here. On a pig, the wide point can be even further back. The wide point is fairly pulled-back, but there is still a generous width up front. Overall, it makes for a board that - you pivot off the tail like this— it wraps around super easily, you can set it up effortlessly, and it pulls off roundhouses with ease.
Same goes for drop-knee turns. So this Pampa is kind of the gateway into the world of retro noseriders without too much complexity. We’re sticking with the classic 50/50 rails. So you’ve got a rail here that’s particularly efficient in pre-planing situations, which we refer to as displacement hull conditions. The rocker isn’t particularly aggressive, neither at the nose nor the tail.
It stays very smooth, very moderate, relatively low. So, the Pampa— a great entry-level board into the world of let’s say, retro noseriders— let me put it that way. Second board in the lineup, we’re going up in size. We were at 9'4, now we’re at 9'6. Second board in the lineup— the Deano. And right away, you can see the shape is different. The wide point is positioned further up, with more width concentrated around the shoulders.
And so, you’ve got a board that’s incredibly stable up on the nose, but a bit less responsive at the tail— mainly because the tail is noticeably wider. So, if I’ve got a wider tail, I’m not going to pivot as easily, I won’t be able to turn as tightly— instead, my turns will be more drawn-out, and I’ll have to extend my weight shifts to compensate for that. It naturally smooths out my carves. You can see the significant rocker at the tail— right at the back of the Deano.
So, if we look at it like this, we still have those 50/50 rails, which are particularly well-suited for lower speeds. And there is a tail rocker— I’ll try not to knock it into the foils here. You can really see a kick here, and that’s something you’ll also find on the deck. See this kick? It’s not smoothed out on the deck by extra volume running straight through. So what effect does this curve have, both on the hull and the deck? Well, on the hull, it means that when I lean into a turn, I can really sink this corner right here, allowing me to pivot right off that deep tail rocker. And that lets me pivot right off this deep rocker.
Now, when I’m up on the nose— the water flowing over my board comes up and meets this deck curve, and that has a specific effect. On a flat board, the natural tendency is to sink, to follow the trajectory, or even disappear into the line. But a board with this kind of curve on both the hull and the deck— the water actually lifts the nose up.
So instead of dropping out, the board constantly wants to climb back up into the trim line. Which means I don’t need to keep pressing too hard on the inside rail just to hold the line and keep it in check. That’s a big help because, if I’m not having to force my weight too far inside the turn, I’m less likely to make a mistake where the board suddenly slips out.
So I also don’t need to use massive fins or oversized fins just to counteract the board slipping out. We’re talking retro noseriders here— we’re not trying to do 360s. We’re here to link up noses, stalls, and cutbacks. That’s pretty much what it’s all about— and a whole lot of style and flow. You soak in the moment, enjoy the ride. With this board, everything’s effortless, everything just feels super easy.
You’ve got something that constantly climbs back up into the line and positions itself perfectly in the trim. Thanks to this work on the rocker— we’ve got a rocker that’s actually quite pronounced. You don’t need a perfectly flat rocker to hold a noseride, because what really matters is loading up this back section of the board, which is super wide.
You can see here, the one-foot-off measurement is pretty massive on this board. Now, if I grab— the next one up, which has just been released, the Frank. The Frank—right here, I think the tail speaks for itself. We’ve got a tail that, as you can see— the one-foot-off measurement, right where my hands are— is absolutely massive. We’re still keeping those 50/50 rails, which are all about glide before planing kicks in. We’re not trying to bounce off the water, we’re looking for smooth, seamless glide through the water.
These rails sink into the water effortlessly, letting the water flow off cleanly. Then, we’ve got some rocker on this board too. But it’s more evenly distributed than on the Deano. On the Deano, the nose is fairly flat with a strong curve in the tail.
On the Frank, the curve is much more consistent— very similar to the Pampa, but slightly more pronounced since we’re working with longer lengths—this one’s a 9’8. So we need to emphasize certain elements a bit more to avoid getting into tricky situations, Like something keeps digging in, which is pretty frustrating. And this rocker also brings a bit more freedom when it comes to handling trajectories. That super wide one-foot-off measurement at the tail— we’re really pushing the limits here. This is the extreme version of what I did on the Deano, just like I explained earlier. So what that means is, the moment you step back on the tail, you’ve always got support. You can step way back
without the board sinking. You can move way back, tilt it up on the rail, right on this edge here. You see, there’s still a bit of roundness here— That's not actually wider than the Deano.
Here, it’s wider. Here, it’s wider. And right here, it stays nice and round. So, you’re going to turn better right in this section, doing drop-knee turns, cruising through smooth roundhouses.
I left some fingerprints.. So, what we’ve got here is a board that stays super maneuverable, but above all, one that’s perfect for tiny waves. That extra width I mentioned lets you step way back without losing speed. So, you can really stall it at just the right moment— pivot, reset, pivot again, get it right back into the line.
It rises, you run to the nose, the tail loads up with water, the nose sits right where it needs to—without overdoing it. This board has a nice concave scoop. I’d say it’s got a B-shaped scoop, finishing off like this— not a V. That shape holds a lot of water, giving the board tons of stability when noseriding. The Frank— a 9’8 board for small waves, relatively narrow. The other models come in different widths, but this one only comes in at 59 cm wide, which is pretty narrow for a 9’8.
Which means when paddling, it moves fast— really fast. You can take off from way out. And with just a bit of rocker, you get that little flutter at the nose, but it never pearls. So you can really paddle super hard, for a long time, and drop into slopes that barely even feel like slopes. That’s one of its biggest advantages. The Frank is essentially an extreme version of the Deano.
Now, in a totally different category— let’s put this one back over here— in a completely different style, and I’d even say, almost the opposite approach, we have the Incredible. The Incredible— featuring these little wingers right here, a tail with the wingers just above my hands. So, the one-foot-off measurement right where my hands are is actually pretty narrow. Which means that, despite being close to ten feet long, this board stays super maneuverable. The moment I step back, shifting my weight behind this winger, you can see how the rocker curve really kicks up right from this point. And from there, the board stalls— hard.
Really aggressively, exaggerating every movement I make. Of course, I can control it— I don’t to exaggerate— but with the Incredible Ten, whenever I shift my weight backward, it amplifies my rotations. Basically, every movement I make on this board gets more pronounced.
Up front, there is a pronounced nose rocker. You could almost split this board into two separate boards— one down the wingers, and one up the wingers. Up the wingers, you’ve got a board that’s totally traditional— very low on the water, with a nose that sits super low. The biggest conceptual difference between this board and a Deano or a Frank is that when I’m on the nose of this board, because the front section is so straight, I’m going to gain speed—fast. But at the same time, it’s going to drop down.
So, I’ll need to— like I mentioned earlier— adjust my weight inward, slightly shift my back foot’s toe placement, or recenter my stance to keep it locked into the line. So, with the Incredible Ten, as soon as I step onto the nose, it just picks up speed— faster and faster. Which makes it particularly well-suited for fast, small, and relatively soft waves. That’s where it really shines.
On the other hand, the Deano and Frank have a pronounced rocker and a lot of width in the tail. All that width loads up with water, which slows things down and holds me back. It’s not night and day, of course, but you do feel the difference. And it matters. So, with the Incredible Ten, I have to actively pilot the board— constantly managing my trajectory, shifting, stepping forward, stepping back, adjusting. But when it comes to noseriding, it delivers insane performance.
Whereas on a Deano, and even more so on a Frank, it’s almost like autopilot. That means when I step forward, the board automatically settles almost perfectly into the wave’s speed. It’s slightly held back by the tail, but the moment the wave picks up speed, the rocker’s glide takes over, counterbalancing the tail’s drag and constantly finding equilibrium. It took me 30 years to refine these shapes— years of fine-tuning every tiny parameter. So, the key difference between the Incredible Ten and the Deano or the Frank— with the Frank being the extreme version of the Deano— is this board's unrestricted flow.
It glides, it’s got momentum. You have to pilot it— actively working around the trim line to keep it in the sweet spot. Some people love that feeling.
I’m one of them. The Deano and the Frank are more restrained boards— they naturally climb up the wave face. That wide tail helps them rise up into the slope.
It’s a totally different feel. When you step back to stall the board, it reacts in a completely different way. If I stack them on top of each other— I think it’s pretty obvious. Come check this out. Let’s film from above. See here? Look at this extra part on the Frank compared to the Incredible Ten. And here— you see, they almost match up— then right here, boom, they start to diverge.
And right here, my Incredible Ten starts narrowing down, while the Frank stays super wide— I’m actually pushing on it right now— and you can see, right here, there’s a big difference. Even just a few millimeters here make a noticeable impact. A few centimeters, that’s huge. They’re two completely different worlds. Now, to continue on the topic of— Sorry, I’m a little sick— To continue on the topic of retro noseriders, I’d like to talk about the different technologies. Obviously, we have a huge range of technologies— since at GONG, we manufacture gear for a wide variety of board sports.
Originally, we were a surfboard manufacturer— I started out as a surfboard shaper. But over time, we expanded our expertise— first into windsurfing, and now into everything you see around us, right up to foils— the latest step in technological evolution. So today, we’re able to integrate a variety of technologies into the needs of a super traditional noserider— bringing in materials and designs that deliver vastly different performance. The first technology— and of course, it’s at the very bottom of the stack— let me pull it out— the very first and most well-known, is the classic PU construction.
Yep— good old PU tech. Polyurethane. This board right here has a fairly dense foam core with a polyester resin layup. So this is the classic construction. You’ll find these boards in painted, tinted, or full custom versions.
It’s a construction with a lot of strong points, mainly because we’ve been making boards this way since the ‘50s and ‘60s. It’s a technology that’s widely mastered, so if you ever need a repair, it’s incredibly simple. You can even fix it yourself— because it’s easy. And one of the big advantages of this construction is that the board has a lot of inertia. The board is relatively heavy—at least, if it’s solid, it’s going to be heavy. And that’s a good thing, because when you walk toward the nose, it’s not the board that’s going to shift backward.
The board has its own inertia, it keeps moving forward, so as you step up the board, you’re actually adding speed. You’re adding momentum. That’s the benefit of polyester.
A polyester resin on a PU board helps maintain that inertia— that slight heaviness that gives you such a smooth, consistent glide in softer waves. It’s something you really appreciate, and it also ensures that the board won’t suddenly slip out from under you at the slightest mistake. So, you don’t end up with a board that’s overly twitchy. Now, moving on to the next technology—
we have something very similar, but built on a different foam blank. So, instead of PU, this one uses an EPS core— which stands for expanded polystyrene. Not the fanciest name, but these constructions have a major advantage.
They offer a lot of plasticity, let’s say. Meaning the foam blank inside is lighter than what you’d find in a traditional PU board. So, the core, the heart of the board, is less dense, which makes the board more responsive. And instead of stopping there, what I prefer to do is reinforce the outer layers. So rather than leaving it as is, we add more layers to the glassing— thicker laminations on an EPS board compared to a PU board In the retro noserider range, the goal is to maintain that inertia, to keep a board that has momentum. When I walk forward, it doesn’t push back.
When I step back, it doesn’t just shoot out from under my feet and become uncontrollable. Everything stays smooth, controlled, and predictable. So, with this EPS construction, I get almost— or at least close to—the same inertia that I love in a PU board. However, this construction here is more advanced, more modern, and much more impact-resistant. A direct hit—an impact, a collision with another board— with an epoxy board, I get flexibility.
Like I mentioned earlier, the material has a bit of give, which helps it absorb and recover from impacts way better than polyester resin. If you hit a polyester board hard enough, it stars out, it cracks. Whereas here, the material can flex and return, move slightly and bounce back— maybe not as much as originally, but it won’t necessarily crack. It’s not a fragile eggshell— that’s the property of epoxy resin.
It’s more dynamic, a bit more forgiving, and has a little more flex to it. It can bend and spring back into place, whereas polyester is stiffer and takes longer to recover from flex. They feel very different on contact. And all of this comes down to the core of the board— the foam blank and the resin used for the lamination.
The next step in evolution— instead of changing the internal components, we keep them the same— EPS foam blank, resin, still laminated with epoxy resin. So we retain all the benefits of EPS technology, but instead of using a very soft, very forgiving fiberglass layup— which gives a smooth, easygoing feel on the water— fiberglass is very flexible, very cool— it delivers that soft, mellow glide— but for this retro noserider series, I chose to go a different route. For this construction, I went with a carbon fiber layup. With a full carbon fiber layup. Now that—some might call blasphemy.
But actually, yeah, it’s unconventional— but it works insanely well. Why? Because when you walk on a longboard, you realize— especially with ultra-light, minimally glassed longboards, or boards with super light laminations, or even stringerless boards— that the moment you step up to the nose, you get that effect where— on a light board—it’s the board that moves backward. I remember making some 2-kilo longboard prototypes, and they were completely unrideable. Unrideable because every time I went to the nose, the board would just slide backward— which meant I was losing speed instead of maintaining it.
So, it was totally inefficient. The board was moving, but it wasn’t actually going anywhere— I constantly had to pump to keep it going. Every time I stepped onto the nose, I lost my momentum. With carbon, I’m also tackling another major issue with noseriders— which is that the further I walk toward the nose, the more my rocker tends to flatten out. And if it flattens out too much, it creates a shift in behavior that significantly affects how I control my line and the overall feel of the board.
I step forward, the board flattens out. I step back, the rocker kicks back up. So I end up with something inconsistent. With carbon, I lock in the shape.
Carbon is way more stiffer than fiberglass, so it locks the rocker in place. And that’s the key advantage of using carbon fiber on a retro noserider— it gives me a board that delivers perfectly consistent sensations. The drive and feel of the board stay completely stable. I’ve made sure to layer enough material to match the weight of the other boards, so there’s no loss of inertia. And that gives me a ride that’s super predictable. Now, some people will say, “Carbon is great, but it bounces, it feels harsh on the water.”
And yeah—yes and no. Because on this type of board, you’re not going fast. We’re talking small waves, low speeds—you’re not in the same situation as, say, a big-wave gun. If I were shaping a gun in full carbon, I’d have to approach it completely differently compared to a board built without carbon— which would naturally absorb the texture and variations of the water much more effectively. I’d get fewer vibrations with a board built using a different construction. With a full carbon gun,
I’d have to shape the hull differently, adjust the rocker differently, just to get the ride I want. But that’s not the case here. I don’t have those constraints. On a retro noserider, the board is living in small waves. That’s what we’re talking about here— this, this, maybe this when you’re pushing it. We’re still talking micro waves. You’re not dealing with crazy chop like you’d hit at 25 knots.
No, we’re in the 10-knot range, everything’s happening "in slow motion"—it's just smooth and easy. So those issues that some people dislike on high-performance carbon boards— you simply don’t experience them on a retro noserider. So, this is actually a technology that enhances stability. It locks in the board’s shape, and gives you a completely consistent performance. Let me set this one here, and introduce you to the next technology.
Here we have the Deano— an absolutely stunning board— built in the Origin 2.0 construction. So, this is yet again a different mix of materials, a unique combination. On this board, we’ve got an EPS core, laminated with epoxy resin. And from there, everything changes compared to what I just showed you.
Both on the deck and the hull, there’s a 0.6mm wood layer. This is real marquetry— not a printed design, not just a graphic. These are actual thin wooden strips bonded directly onto the fiberglass— which itself is laid over the EPS core. So here, we’ve added a layer of wood over an EPS core.
Which means that, compared to a simple fiberglass lamination over an EPS core, this is significantly stronger— it’s much more rigid. It’s not just about aesthetics. And to top it all off, I’ve added a full carbon belt wrapping around the entire board.
That carbon belt doesn’t just sit flat— because if I lay carbon flat, it adds some stiffness, responsiveness, and reactivity. But if I wrap it around the rails like this, suddenly, bending this structure versus bending a flat surface becomes exponentially harder. So, the effectiveness of carbon on the deck is already strong— but on the rails? It’s a hundredfold. So by keeping this carbon belt wrapped around the rails, I’m aiming to achieve the same flex control as a full-carbon board. The rails are super rigid. At the same time, the board is strong, and it looks amazing.
But at the core, you get this natural softness from the wood. Something a little smoother, more forgiving. So this construction is really the best of both worlds. It blends the responsiveness and consistency of carbon with the retro feel and aesthetics of wood. The wood construction really brings out that vintage vibe.
And then there’s one last technology— I could't get my hands on a retro log just now, but just quickly— the final technology is the Origin Pure construction. Instead of having a carbon belt around the rails, this one is fully enclosed in wood. This is an incredibly precise marquetry job— because, in the end, you don’t actually see it. That’s why the rail is painted— but underneath, there are tons of tiny cuts, meticulously shaped and layered to wrap around the rail and fully encase it in wood. It’s a complex process that takes an incredible amount of time— a true craftsmanship of the highest quality.
And when applied to a noserider, this technique creates strength and durability, thanks to the structural benefits of wood. It’s a noble material, which gives the board a softer, smoother feel compared to the carbon version— but still firmer under your fingers than the full epoxy model, and certainly more rigid than polyester. Each of these constructions has its own strengths. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this video— it’s all a crescendo. So, it’s up to you to find the perfect balance for your needs.
This board would fit somewhere between —let me put them in order— PU, EPS, Origin Pure, Origin 2.0, and EPS Pro. And if we really wanted to push it— we’d go full-on PVC sandwich construction and carbon fiber. That’s our FSP Pro tech, which we use in other board sports. But for longboards, I don’t think it’s really necessary.
I’ve made plenty, and so have other shapers. I’m thinking of François Pacou, a friend from Wave’s, who was one of the first to experiment with that— along with Frédéric Meunier from Ace. Back when I was competing, I rode for them. Actually, the first board we ever made like that is right up there on the ceiling— the board Fred shaped for me. So, we do have the option to go full sandwich construction, but I don’t think that’s really interesting. One brand that’s done this for a long time is Surftech.
That kind of construction is excellent— super durable. But it’s also incredibly expensive. For me, one of the key aspects of surfing is getting in the water easily. The economic factor— to me, that’s a major part of accessibility. When it comes to getting in the water, there really aren’t many barriers— before you surf, maybe you learn to swim at a pool or in the ocean, then maybe you try skimboarding, bodyboarding, and finally, surfing. And then, little by little, you move farther out— it’s another crescendo, pushing away from the shoreline.
Then you move on— to other sports like kitesurfing, wing foiling, lowkite, and eventually full-on sailing. It’s all part of a natural progression— a gradual distancing from shore, something that often happens as we grow, sometimes without even realizing it. That’s why I believe surfing should remain accessible.
It’s accessible because it keeps you close to shore, it’s financially accessible, it’s easy to get into— it’s simple to understand. Surfing is essential. In Brazil, it’s the second most popular sport.
If I’m not mistaken, right after football. That tells you just how widespread it is. It’s a sport anyone can take up. It’s incredibly easy to access. So in the range of technologies— in the crescendo I’ve laid out— I’ve tried to maintain that accessibility, while giving everyone the option to choose their own balance. Alright, that covers everything.
Mathieu, any questions? No questions. Great, I think that wraps up the presentation on the 2025 GONG Retro Noserider range. And I’m finishing up with a fish in my hands— Perfect! Totally on point. So if you have any questions, I’m available on social media, and my team is here to help. Thank you!
2025-02-09 21:56
