The Hopper

Spotted an interesting board out at Millers last week. It's called the Hopper, and is made by Dennis Ellis at The Boardroom. Had been hearing plenty about the board from fellow Millers local Brett Hoppe, who'd convinced Deno to have a bash at his own take on the Firewire Vanguard. And thus the Hopper was born....

So Deno, take us through the basics:

This board is my take on the work Thomo has done incorporating the  straight or parallel rail concept. There is a lot going on with this board,most obviously the squared off nose which straightens the rail line for maximum contact providing loads of drive from a shorter board.

What's the theory behind the chopped off nose?

The nose area starts with 2 channels to direct water flow into the spoon concave which flows into a single concave throughout the board and leading into the tail channels.

And the big-ass tail?

The tail is also a lot wider than usual,creating a bigger surface planing area and features 4 deep channels running out the tail for control. There is an extremely tucked edge in the tail area without the usual sharp edges, to allow for easy rail to rail transition.

Other bits & pieces?

The board also features a totally flat deck to maximise volume from a thinner board and the rails are thin running up to an edge on the deck to keep the response sharp and allow the board to stay on a rail during turns. This boards construction is XPS foam with epoxy resin, and a carbon strip down the bottom eliminating the need for a stringer as well as enhancing flex in the tail where the carbon ends between the fins.

Thanks to Brett Hoppe for letting me use my discretion on this baby and tweak it to my interpretation of the original design!

So there you have it. If you want a Local is Lekker version of the Vanguard then pop down to The Boardroom and order yaself a Hopper. It might have a blunt nose and a wide butt, but plenty of performance outta this puppy, and a whole lotta fun.

Want one? Tune Deno on 041 586 2276.
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