7/13/09 10:04 AMThomas Meyerhoffer Designs a Dramatically Different Board

Page 1 of 2http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/thomas_meyerhoffer_designs_a_dramatically_different_board/

Check out Meyerhoffer'swebsite for moreinformation.

Meyerhoffer's new board comes in 4 sizes: 7'6", 8'0", 9'2", and 9'6". Photo by Nick Allen

SURFBOARD REMIXThomas Meyerhoffer Designs a Dramatically Different BoardBy Taylor SoppeSurferMag.com Correspondent

Nobody reinvents the shapeof the surfboard. Sure,some widen, lengthen orthicken it, altering the bendof the curves or the shapeof the tail. But for decades,few shapesr have veeredfar from the traditionalelongated-almond shapethat characterizes surf-craft.Not until ThomasMeyerhoffer, that is.

His new board dramaticallychallenges the conventionalconception of what a boardlooks like, as it curvesinward in an hourglassfashion, almost as if it had a waist.

“The board was not designed to look this way; it camethis way. The only reason the side cut is there, is totake away material and to have a rounder curve at thetail and a shorter rail,” said Meyerhoffer. “I basicallytook away in order to add.”

Meyerhoffer was not always in the surfboard industry.He has created innovative designs in furniture,technology, and other sporting goods. However, he isa surfer and started thinking about how he could makea board perform differently.

“Surfing is an experience, and the original idea, atleast, was to give people a slightly different, a remixedexperience. It’s sort of like remixing music or a fusionof different foods which you aren’t really used to thetaste,” he said.

The new model, which comes in 4 different sizes, is a hybrid of a longboard and a shortboard. The board paddles reallyeasily, but at the same time allows you to take off really steep without catching the nose. “It opens up a broader spectrumof what you can do,” the designer explained. “It works like a traditional noserider when you’re on the front. But when youstep back, it turns very quick and it’s very loose. It has a lot of speed.”

Retired pro surfer Mike Tabeling has one in every size, and says he rides them all the time to experiment with how theyride different waves. He said he loves the hybrid feel of the design. “That’s what the Meyerhoffer does—it brings back thefun of your shortboard days, as you can make this longboard really turn,” he said. The first time he tried a Meyerhofferboard, he did a kickout when he went to turn because he was riding it like a longboard. “On my second wave, I stayedover the center of the tail. I pushed down like I would on a fish, and it just squirted out. It blew me away how fast andpositive it felt.”

Meyerhoffer’s process involved a lot of experimentation. “The first time I took it out, I laughed. It was so much fun. It hadso much speed and so many turns,” he said. He spent several years refining the shape, until he was finally satisfied withthe result.

The goal was to create something that wasn’t just redesigned from a marketing point of view; he wanted something trulyfresh and original. “I like products which are functional but also deliver a different experience to the user on an emotional

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7/13/09 10:04 AMThomas Meyerhoffer Designs a Dramatically Different Board

Page 2 of 2http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/thomas_meyerhoffer_designs_a_dramatically_different_board/

Ken WillFri Jul10, 2009, 9:53PM Thomas, you're and amazing inventor. Can I be a test pilot? See

you at Sea Crest. Ken

bill mcgowanSat Jul11, 2009, 12:56PM Hughey, a shaper for "42" surfboards in Durban South Africa was

surfing this shape 3 or 4 years ago. bill surf city N.C.

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fresh and original. “I like products which are functional but also deliver a different experience to the user on an emotionallevel. I’m trying to do something which gives people a different input in their experience,” he said.

Though many people are skeptical when they first see the shape, Meyerhoffer says he has received a lot of positivefeedback from people who do give it a try. “It’s really amazing to see how many people are liking it,” he said. “The mostamazing thing is to see people come back with stoke in their eyes.”

Tabeling is really excited about the innovative design. “This was the first really radical change in surfboards, and I think inone to two years from now anybody who’s used to performance in their surfing will want to be riding a board like this.”

Click here to find out more about the board and how to buy it.

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