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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Steve Boehne Infinity Stand Up Paddle Surfboards (Part 2 of 2) |
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By: Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine
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Monday, 14 January 2008 |
 This is the final Part 2 of 2 of an Exclusive Interview with stand up paddle surfboard shaper Steve Boehne of Infinity Surfboards. In this sections Steve offers tips for both beginner and advanced stand up paddlers, and gives us his opinion about the future to the sport. Thanks again to Steve for fueling the stand up paddle stoke!
SUPSURFMAG: What tips could you offer to someone just starting out?
STEVE: The most important thing is to look at the size chart in my web site www.infinitysurf.com. You must identify your ability profile and weight then choose the right length, width and thickness for your first board. You don’t want a board that is bigger than necessary, but you will be miserable on one that is too small.
SUPSURFMAG: Could you tell us one advanced technique that might boost an intermediate surfer to the next level?
STEVE: I always teach new paddlers the “bow draw” stroke so they can paddle in a straight line with out switching the paddle from side to side. With this paddle stroke, you put the paddle in the water about 15” away from the rail in the front of your board the pull it towards the rail before you transition into a rearward thrust. This will pull the nose a few degrees toward the side you are paddling on to counteract the natural tendency of the paddle to turn the nose the other way. I also encourage people to stand in their natural surfing stance when paddling out through waves or taking off. A foot forward and back stance lets you shift your weight forward and back when punching through waves and allows you instant response on your take offs
SUPSURFMAG: In your opinion, what is the future of the sport?
STEVE: Obviously, surfers are quickly adding SUP to their wave-riding repertoire. Sooner or later every surfer will try it. I have also seen many inland athletes buy a racing or touring board to do distance paddling on inland waterways. Anyone can compare the SUP work out to sitting in lawn chair position while paddling a kayak and you know the difference.
SUPSURFMAG: If there was one message that you could send out to SUP surfers worldwide, what would that be?
STEVE: Like everything else discovered, developed and made in America, our innovation and jobs are being shipped to China. Do you want to ride a board made by a shaper and glassers who have dedicated their lives to surfing and building quality surfboards or do you want to ride a board made by people who never surf and have no idea how their product works? Think before you choose.
SUPSURFMAG: Where can your boards be found and do you ship internationally?
STEVE: We recently bought a 6,000 sq ft. building to move our shaping and glassing facilities into. By mid summer we will be able to double our production. The problem now is that I can only produce 15 Kuku Hoe boards a week. We have turned down hundreds of orders from potential dealers, so except for only a few dealers we only sell from our own shop. In Hawaii, it’s the Hawaiian South Shore shop in Honolulu. We do ship internationally.
SUPSURFMAG: Will you keep us up to day on the latest from Infinity Surfboards?
STEVE: Sure, every time I think I’ve got it all figured out, I discover some new innovation or trend in the sport, so for sure there will always be something new. We try to lead when we have innovated something better and follow when someone else has done it first. I respect everyone who hand builds surfboards, I just hope it will not become an extinct occupation.
For more information visit www.infinitysurf.com
END PART 2 OF 2
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