4GF Going Off-Line For 2 Weeks ...

Hey Everybody,

I have to go up to Oregon this coming week on family business, and will be gone for 2 weeks. I'll try to get to my emails as time allows, but I won't be able to answer you promptly, and any orders for mats will be delayed.

Thanks,

Paul

Bretto Goes Left ... Again

We began to get bored after a few days of surfing rights so we headed to fickle point break that runs into a bay. Here you could take off set up your fall line and get slotted the whole way down the point.

Bretto

Bretto, Uninterrupted

 

 

 

 

Hi Paul,

The next day the right was bigger. Opening up better down the inside. Big drops out the back.

Bretto

The Right ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Paul,

We pulled up at this right and it looked good so we hit it. It was only small at first and fun. As the tide pushed it got better and better.

Bretto

The Left ...

 

 

The left was also fun on the mat.

Bretto

From Roberto ...

Hey Paul,

Just wanted to let you know that I had an absolute blast on my Fatty in Nicaragua. I was at Solid Surf in El Transito.  I still have a lot to learn about riding the mat, but I do know it is a ton of fun.

 

Bobby Hopp

From Eden ... Literally as Well As Figuratively

Hey Paul here's a little clean afternoon from Noosa.

Lotus is wild.

Eden Saul
Dead Kooks Surfboards

Bretto's Home ...

Hi Paul,

Arrived home on the weekend safe and sound. The surf was pumping yesterday so what a great homecoming.

When we were in the islands our main focus was searching and surfing, not so much on the photography side of things. We were lucky however that our boat captain would snap a few if our anchorage was in view of the waves, of which often it was not. Old mate did a pretty good job considering how difficult it is.

Here is a sample of a right hander we found that the anchorage provided a good look at the wave.

Bretto

From Eric ...

Hi Paul

 

Attached is a shot 3 sequence of Justin Spittle on his 4GF Standard taking his biggest wave of the day down south last week.

 

Note the set up just down the beach from us which was nearly as good as where we were...hahaha

 

Our SCUMM friends sharing their waves.

 

On Tuesday I sneaked down the far south coast NSW and surfed Yabba dabba doo all on my own so much fun.

 

Hope you are scoring as well.

 

Regards Eric Da Bolt (matman)

It All Started ...

...the other day when Steiny sent an email to me with this Ebay link...

It depicts a low-end Converse/Hodgman Beach Flote surf mat. The dimensions are very short and wide, by modern standards...

 

I commented to Mr. Steinberg that it would be cool to find one of the old "Stripes Down" Hodgmans on Ebay...like the one pictured below, which belonged to Greenough, and is most likely the mat he rode in Crystal Voyager.

Steiny bounced back with this ebay link... which features a pair of Converse/Hodgmans that look similar to the mats we loved so much back in the 60's and early 70's...

 

Upon inspection of the Ebay posting for the above mats, I found that they are quite a bit longer than the ones we rode back in the day...so long, in fact, I'm not even sure what you could use them for other than a camping airbed!

Anyway, I sent the Ebay listing over to Jonathan Jarrett, since he's a collector of classic mats. (This is his breezeway!)

His response...


Hello Paul,

Wow!...those are amazingly clean for their age...

 

Funny, I do check for vintage mats on ebay occasionally, but not too much out there.

I found a vintage Hodgman inflatable at the swap meet once, same configuration...more of a camp mat for under your sleeping bag. (see below)

 

I purchased it anyways, and took it into surgery later to shorten it's length down to the preferred length. I dubbed it the "Frankenmat", and it served me well during the "lean years" prior to 4GF, or my own mats. Here's some pics, including a matching repair kit for the Ebay Hodgmans!

 

Take care,

JJ