Great photo.

Interesting new board - thin and wide - creating a low centre of gravity but enough foam via the width to keep you afloat. I'd love to try that out.

The graphics look great too.

Where'd you get the info from DJ? I couldn't find anything on the SB website.

Is that built in deck grip? Is that a built in kick tail down the back?

Looks sweet! Would love to know more about this.......34" is definately a whopper.

The red thing certainly looks like a handle that is going through both the leash plugs.

Lots of great new stuff coming from Starboard in the next few months. Can't go into too much detail now as new Starboard SUP website will go live on the 15th of Jan.

The new brouchure will be out about a month later. From what they have told us it will be more a coffee table book than a brouchure it is that thick!! There has been lots of photoshoots in heaps of exotic places and big waves (Teahupoo, Pipeline Etc)

Stay Tuned.....its going to be good!!

I can't wait to see the 2009's. I'm going to be demoing Starboards out here in New England starting early next summer. I'm definitely going to change my quiver around a bit I think. 34" seems a bit wide but if the thin rails let it carve better it should be a good tradeoff.

Gorgo...they've already got a number of boards that fit what you're talking. The 12-6 I suspect performs very similar to the Naish Glide. They also have the 14-8 Point. The 9-8 and 9-0 both 30" wide would fit your car (at least the 9-0 for sure). The 9-8 is stable enough for me and I'm a big guy with balance issues.... A number of others as well obviously. I was told the focus for 2009 was to fill in what they perceived as some gaps in the lineup. Lots of R&D to come up with some killer shapes.

Funny how wardog always has the early info. I check his blog at least once a week.

Check out the vid..Another good one from Evan.

DJ

We still haven't seen the Whopper here in Oz yet...3-4 weeks to go. But here is what Scotty McKercher had to say about it...sound good!!!

Well I hope you can take it from me, but this board is was one of the most suprising things that I rode last year.
When I looked at it I just thought, yep, looks like a good board for someone to learn on not fall off and get into SUP.
But then svein took me down to indo to try it out and we hooked up with Jake PAtterson.(Ex pipe master/asp surfer)
He took it out and was pretty much killing it and I just put it down to him just being a ripper being able to make anything turn.
But then I got to have a go.
Obviously the first thing is you almost can't fall off. Granted, due to it's width.
But then I got to go rail to rail. The response was remarkable. Smooth tight driven turns, abilty whip it vert, late take offs in hollow waves.
It almost defies logic.
Basiaclly I was blown away by it.
Not scared to talk this one up too much as everyone that has tried has a similar opinion.
scotty mc

DavidJohn said...

Are those handles on the tails?

No they are not handles on the tails.
If you look closer its the rope you attach the leggie to. Its been threaded through the two leggie plugs. My guess is so it doesnt have so much stress on just the one plug. Its what I do with my boards

Brooko,
I don't think Scotty McKERCHER reads the forum.

Scotty McKercher is an ex pro windsurfer who I believe has done alot of work for starboard testing SUP boards. He rode SUP at the mambo, pretty proficient and a regular around the south coast Margrets etc so I would say he a pretty keen SUP rider.

SCOTT MCKERCHER
National Results: 3 times australian wavesailing champion
Wave Results:4th overall 96. 3rd Gran Canaria 99
2nd place Sylt 02
Production board world champ 99
2008 ranked 24th overall wave after 2 PWA events.

September 25th, 2008:-
Iconic Aussie wave sailor, Scott McKercher has announced his retirement from PWA competition. Famed for his super-smooth surf-style wave riding, McKercher leaves the tour having etched his name in the history books, as one of the highly regarded elite that have been crowned the World Wave Champion.

Scotty: "After much deliberation it is time for me to take a side step away from PWA competition.

For the last couple of years I've been struggling with an injury which was a bit of a mystery, but was getting progressively worse. Walking has been pretty painful, and some of the more intense moves usually ended up as a groin strain, or intense pain around the buttock.

Over the summer in WA it was diagnosed as advanced osteoarthritis of the hip with bone spur growth, meaning basically there is no cartilage left and am pretty much in need of a replacement (I have the hip of a 70 year old as a result of having way too much fun in one lifetime!). I suppose the nick name "gramps" has come to fruition.

That along with time restraints due to new boards being tested, has me missing Sylt for the 1st time in 16 years.
I competed in Cabo Verde after a steroid injection which worked out ok with no jumping, but the shot just before the canaries provided little relief for the stresses of Pozo.

And the level the boys are taking jumping to these days was making it impossible to keep up with what they're doing in the air.

Although I'm happy to be in the desert northwest of Australia currently testing wave boards,(See attached photo's of last weekend) there's a big part of me that still wishes to be in Sylt, as a lot of the competitors are like my extended family and will be missing the good times that we have there every year.

I'm still hoping to be allowed entry into the contests like Cabo Verde or if a quality wave venue pops onto the tour,(Maybe I can do something towards that) but as for full time PWA competitor, the writing is on the wall, and it's pretty much time to hang up my contest vest.

But it's far from retirement as I love windsurfing way to much for that and am going to be devoting more time now towards developing wave boards, stand up paddle boards, as well as traveling to the waves I've yet to make it to around the place.

It's been a fortunate life and I have a great deal to thank the PWA for in providing me the opportunity to live this life.

And a photo

heres a pic of jake riding a beast near margaret river jeez thats ugly , makes my knees weak.

photo by jamie scott

Very Impressive list of acheivments.... He must be a bloody good bloke, he has the exact same birhday as mine