Friday, January 13, 2006

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"

11 comments:

Chum said...

Yeah, I can get pretty obsessive about stuff. Hey Candi, what was the website you found that tracks when other people's blogs are updated?

Anonymous said...

Good stuff hearing from the master himself. It would interesting to find out if Geoff is going to take any action on this "nuggetless, nugget" shaper.


Music — Sly & Robbie & Nambo Robinson — Mambo Taxi

Diane said...

Big time surfer dude and you having a little "tete d' tete". Impressive!

Anonymous said...

I gotta say that sounds like a bummer of an experience.
Geoff's a mate of mine and made me single fin that he cals a blu ben, something a bit wider than the nugget to allow for my front foot surfing. I weigh in at 105kg and stand 6'10" tall. not an easy bloke to shape for. But what he made me was so good that i eventually sold every board I have except for my logger for small days as the mccoy works in everything. if ya ever get a chance to get hold of one of his originals do it. i used to be sceptic. Now i'm a zealot :-)
happy surfing
big ben in Byron

Chum said...

Hey Ben,

Thanks for your comment. I'm definitely interested in getting a "real McCoy" and working with Geoff on the right dimensions for my size/style. I am also a front foot surfer (although I'm trying to surf more off my back)and a rebel when it comes to any sort of "established" conventions in surfboard shapes. Whatever shape that is the most FUN is the best for that person.

You are a big guy... If you ever get out to Oregon, look me up and we can go out to the Point together!

-Chum

Anonymous said...

Cheers chum
ben

Chum said...

Hey Chris,

Great to hear from you. I don't feel gyped at all about the Pautsch "Nugget" you sold me. Actually, I've had some really good sessions on it (minus the one where I broke my nose on its nose). And I know you did too, because I saw some video of you riding it on the surfer.com message boards.

As much as I am mystified by McCoy and his unusual/revolutionary shapes, I may be even more fascinated by Greg Pautsch, who is really an enigmatic character. Virtually zero info at all about him on the web, yet he's the only licensed shaper of "McCoy" boards in the US. Does he have that license in perpetuity? Can't Geoff bust him for biting the loaded dome shape? Are those guys even on speaking terms any more?

I actually considered selling it after a few bad experiences, but took it out on a head high day and it really opened up. I guess it may be better on biggish days in surf that isn't pounding beach break. Now I want to try and keep it in my quiver, not only for the novelty of having a piece Cheyene Horan-inspired Clark Foam, but also because it works. We've been through a lot together.

I still want to try a real Nugget though - did you see the 5'6" one on craigslist?

Thanks for your long comment. I know you loved that board because it was in good condition when I got it. I hope you enjoy reading more of my blog where I take your baby out and describe the ups and downs of riding it in the Pacific Northwest.

-Chum

Anonymous said...

Hey,

Did you manage to get your hands on the real Mccoy yet?

I just had a Typhoon surf with Chenye in Japan,2-3 times overhead and he was riding his 6'0" while I was half terrified on my 7'0". The real Mccoy Nuggets are capable of incredible things.
I don`t think I`ll ever buy another style, I now have 5 nuggets and they all surf amazingly well in anything I will go out in.

Drop an email to Geoff and get him to send his Jedi apprentice shaper from OZ to you for awhile........He shapes just as good if not better than the master himself!!!

Anonymous said...

hey mate get rid of the the shit box and get the real thing i've been surfing on geoffs boards for the last 30 or so years i have 4 nuggets from 6'6" UP to 8 0' including a epoxy 7 0' my favourate board but i still surf on any one of them depending on conditions i'm 93 kilos and a solid bloke for my height 5' 10" and all these boards rip im 45 years old and will never surf anything other than mcoy's i know it sounds narrow minded but when your on a good thing stick to it whitey

Anonymous said...

I have surfed my 6'6" in everything from 2 foot wash to overhead at Hookipa and it does it's thing perfectly in all waves.
I'm 6'0 210lbs and the 6'6" paddles better than my crappy 7'10 NSP board...no joke.

I have been catching waves in front of longboarder before on the nugget.

The board is at it's best in 6-10 foot waves though...it has more speed than anything I've ever ridden...you ahve to remember to cut lots of turns or you'll outrun the wave :)

Anonymous said...

SURFING RULES!
CANDI...I HAVE SOME COOL OLD MODELING PICS OF YOU...
THEY WOULD MAKE GREAT SCRAPBOOK ENTRIES FOR YOURSELF.

WITH THAT SAID, YOU SHOULD KNOW WHO THIS IS, IN HAWAII.

-C.L.
csurf77@hotmail.com