SurfPulse » longboard

Ask Beth: What Should I Do About Cramps in My Feet?

beth — Sun, 09 May 2010 01:59:21 +0000

QUESTION: What should I do about cramps in my feet while knee-paddling?

Hi Beth,

I am in my mid-fifties and like to longboard and knee paddle, but am getting cramps in the bottom of my foot soon after kneeling on the board. The top of my foot is in contact with the board.

Any suggested remedy would be helpful, short of standard prone paddling, which I do also, but like to alternate with knee-paddling.

Thanks!
Rick

ANSWER:

Hey Rick,

Sounds to me like you may need to add a bit of stretching and/or hydrating into your regimen. Try doing a number of lower leg stretches for the calf, the achilles, and the foot to see if this may alleviate the cramping. Hydration with a watered down sports drink may also help to replenish lost electrolytes and fluid, which often lead to cramping.

Is this a new phenomena, or something that has been going on for a long time? Has anything changed in your diet or activities (i.e., you just started running or biking or anything that may have tightened your leg muscles)?

Get back to me on this so we can further investigate the oddities behind cramping!

Hasta,
Beth

The Modern Meyerhoffer Longboard Goes Global

mike — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:18:51 +0000

In a marriage of opposites, nimble designer-surfer Thomas Meyerhoffer of Montara has joined forces with distribution and manufacturing powerhouse Global Surf Industries (GSI) to unleash his latest design breakthrough on the surfing world:

The Meyerhoffer Quiver

Meyerhoffer has reinvented the wheel multiple times over during his storied career, but his latest project is one close to his own heart—reinventing the longboard.

Developed and tested over the past few years, this new equipment represents a radical departure from the incremental design evolution of the past and potential quantum leap forward in form and function.

The “Modern Meyerhoffer” was sculpted around the principle that longboarders turn off the tail and noseride up front, with the middle of the board an excessive transition zone in between that could be reduced. Accordingly, the board has a relatively traditional nose up front, leading to a tapered waist in the middle, a dynamic, wider rear end and elongated tail for stability and drive. This gives the Meyerhoffer its distinctive organic “parabolic” shape. Meyerhoffer is quick to point out that

“the negative curve is only there so that I could shape a more positive curve … as on a surfboard you turn around the positive curve.”

Meyerhoffer and the Modern Quiver

Rails are soft up front along with a gentle hull-shaped bottom contour that allows for easy paddling and nose-riding, getting the board quickly up to speed. But the wider rear of the board has sharper rails and a deep double-concave, which along with the rudder-like tail creates a unique shortboard-like turning radius and feel.
Based in Manly Beach, Australia, Global Surf Industries is the largest surfboard distributor in the world with 11 distinct brands, aimed mostly at recreational surfers. GSI’s shapers have included Greg Webber, Steve Walden, Bob McTavish, and Al Merrick. With the Meyerhoffer longboard now in its quiver, however, it has for the first time added a unique and innovative design that could well prove to be a game-changer in longboarding.

Noosa Bottom Turn

The breakout design had its debut at the GSI Noosa Festival of Surfing on March 15–22 and clearly won over even the crustiest Australian longboarding veterans, while the younger surfers adapted even more readily to the board in the perfect small peeling surf. Cross-stepping, switch-stance, floaters, nose-riding and cut-backs all a familiar look, but the whole exhibition seemed to draw fresh dynamism and energy from the experience.

The board appeared to levitate on the wave faces with the front section easily lifting out of the water for faster trim speed, while a step back on the tail yielded a snappy turn and redirection. Yet the board “locked in” tight against the curl when ridden from the nose. More than one dripping wet, ruddy, and stoked Aussie remarked that they couldn’t wait to try the board in larger surf. After exiting the water with knowing grins, it looked like they had just been let in on a well-kept secret—in truth they had.

But the secret’s out now. Prototypes have been produced in the firm’s proprietary SLX (Super Lightweight Epoxy) and are beautifully glassed and finished with white tinted epoxy resin and a gloss polish that gives them an art gallery-quality resonant finish. In no way does the new design resemble the “pop-outs” of the past; this is a light, superbly designed and well-engineered wave tool.

Meyerhoffer's Shaping Bay

Don’t be surprised if these boards appear like UFOs in a line-up or contest near you, ripping where others have plodded before them. Stand-up-paddle surfers beware: in the near future, that glowing and flowing longboard surfing circles around you and your awkward balancing act may just be a Modern Meyerhoffer.

Board sizes will range from 7’6”–9’6” and will come with 6” or 8” center fins along with FCS side fins, depending on the length of the board. Look for demos and boards to be made available in Northern California in the coming weeks at the following shops: Wise in San Francisco, NorCal and Sonlight in Pacifica, and Freeline in Santa Cruz.

Modern Meyerhoffer at Bells Beach

Mike Wallace has surfed for over two decades on the East and West coasts, Hawaii, Europe and NorCal. Currently a resident of Moss Beach with his family of four, he can often be found haunting the beaches south of Devil’s Slide in search of the perfect sandbar with his blind dog, Moose. Comments? Mike(at)surfpulse.com

BSSA Gathering of the Tribes Scrimmage and Holiday Party in Santa Cruz on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007

admin — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:22:17 +0000

The Big Stick Surfing Association of Santa Cruz is sponsoring the NorCal Gathering of the Tribes Scrimmage and Holiday Party on Sat., Dec. 1st. The longboard scrimmage will be held at 8:00 A.M. at the Capitola Jetty in Capitola. The holiday party is at 6:00 P.M. at the Aptos Village Park Hall. This is a great event to get a little competition experience without all the stress of a full blown contest, and everyone surfs two heats. It’s open to everyone, and the more the merrier. Beach entries are welcome! Entry fee for the scrimmage is $20, and the party is $15 (bring a side dish or a dessert. It’s also BYOB). There will be a RAFFLE!!

For more information, visit the BSSA website at www.bigsticksurfing.org.