The Real McCoy?

Maybe it is my journalism background that caused me to do some detective work, but I couldn't help but wonder if it was my McCoy that let me down, or my skills that were at fault. On a whim, I went straight to the source for info.

I emailed this longwinded query to Geoff McCoy in Australia:

----- Original Message -----
From: [Chum]
To: mccoy@nor.com.au
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 10:10 AM
Subject: My McCoy


Hi Geoff,

I just bought a second-hand McCoy shaped by Pautsch and tested it out last weekend in some pretty big surf here in Oregon. I believe that his shape was based on your Nugget (it has a similar plan shape) but I don't know if he used the loaded dome. Anyway, the size is 6'2" X 20" X 2.75". I have wanted a Nugget for years now and couldn't afford to get one from you directly, so I went with this one.

These waves were probably 8-10 ft. faces and pretty steep. I barely made it outside to the lineup (I had a hard time duckdiving the board through the beachbreak). When I finally did make it, I had a really difficult time getting into the waves. I would paddle really hard, but the board seemed to bog a little making it tough to get in early. Water would splash up into my face and the wave was almost inverted by the time I actually had the speed to drop in. Needless to say, I went over the falls a few times. One time I actually dinged the rail with my shin - which I now have to repair (both rail and shin).

My question is twofold: Is the board too short for larger waves? I'm a pretty small guy, so I don't think the board is too small for me. My other question: Is Pautsch even making real McCoy Nuggets?

This whole fiasco could also be a user error: that I wasn't charging hard enough.

Anyway, I have a lot of respect for you, the history of your company, and your idea that surfing should be FUN more than anything else. I hope to be riding a board shaped by you someday...

Thanks,
[Chum]


A few days later, Geoff emailed me back:

From: McCoy Surfboards [mailto:mccoy@nor.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 4:16 PM
To: Rick Albano
Subject: Re: My McCoy

It is hard for me to comment on your experience I did not realise that G.P. made nuggets and I have never seen one, but I can tell you straight up that you do not have a real nugget. I never told Greg about that design in any detail so he would not really know what he was doing. Sounds to me like there is too much rocker for starters, who knows what else is wrong. To get the best out of the nugget you would need to weigh less than 170 lbs. If you had a real nuggget you would be writing to tell me what a great time you had in these conditions. I suggest, sell the board you have before you quit surfing, and save up for the real thing. Hope this helps. Keep Surfin

To which I responded...

----- Original Message -----
From: Chum
To: McCoy Surfboards
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 11:21 AM
Subject: RE: My McCoy


Geoff - thanks for getting back to me! I do weigh 150, so maybe it's a rocker thing. Regardless, I will save up for one of yours. Sounds like US boards will be going up in price anyway with Clark Foam closing. I hope that doesn't effect you, or that it does effect you in a positive way.

Much respect,
Chum

PS - I'll never quit surfin!

To which he replied...

As I said before, it is strange that your board did not work, at 150 lbs you should have had no problems. Do not know what effect clark will have on Australis. Probably positive as the blank suppliers in Australia have been getting requests from the US for foam. It will make a big difference to the american surfboard industry, that is for sure. Take care and stay stoked. KEEP SURFIN' GEOFF



The Fire Theft - "Oceans Apart"