An alternative San Francisco-based surf craft company has developed a new kind of board. The "Bodypo" is shaped like a bodyboard but thin like a paipo.
The world is changing, and the surf industry is adapting to new times. California Surfcraft, a sustainable surfing project led by Dave Hahn, designed a hybrid bodyboard/paipo board.
In other words, the beautiful "Bodypo" combines the performance and response of a bodyboard with the speed of a paipo.
"The 'Bodypo' design and construction is a big step forward in sustainable surf design while maintaining, and in some ways improving, on performance," Hahn tells SurferToday.com.
"The board has more float than a traditional paipo, but less than a foam bodyboard. It's enough to sit on in the line-up, but it's easier to duck dive on the paddle out."
"Bodypo" is constructed of cork and fiberglass. It's faster than a traditional bodyboard, more sustainably built, and comparably priced.
"The thin rails are really the secret here. Compared to a traditional bodyboard, the 'Bodypo' has less surface area dragging through the water. You can really feel the difference. Guys come out of the water and say, 'Wow man, that's so fast,'" underlines Hahn.
The brand new "Bodypo" hits the market by 2015 and will retail at around the same price as a bodyboard.
The cork model will be one of the first sustainable bodyboards ever in the history of the sport.