Asymmetrical Handplane Discussions: Number 2

We are back again with Donnie Brink discussing his creation for Slyde handboards: the “go left or go home” asymmetrical wedge. Donnie is an incredible shaper, and if he's not tucked away, ferociously shaping the next big thing, he is shredding San Clemente to pieces. Below is a transcript from an interview with Donnie on the theories he used for the new shape.

"Right. Here we have somewhat of an asymmetricmodel, and, yeah, you know, the thoughts behind this is to just have fun with it, go left, go right, but yeah, try and understand perhaps the differences in the lumber rail line versus the shorter rail line, switching out hands, maybe, different types of waves, and you know, there's no wrong way to do it. There just might be a better or preferred way to do it. So this outline lends itself to the longer outline on the left side rail, short and curved outline on the right side rail, and traditionally speaking it probably looked to ride bigger or perhaps even hollower waves on the left side. So, yeah, pick or choose or go left.

Bottom contours, it's got a deep concave through the last two thirds of the board maybe even longer. And this is my favorite part, adding a little bit of a detail up in the nose section. Helping you to decipher, you know, just to initiate one rail or the other. So a leading V going into the trail onto the right side rail, once again, creating hold as the water goes into that contour and in and out of the concave, just like we discussed in some of previous models. And yeah, you know, that V is actually acting as a normal hold as the water wraps around that. And if you can see, this is basically up to down rail, very, Simmons-esque or displacement-hold esque [sounds like] if you could say, created a rounded entry foil. Falling off the V, into a down rail type pinch in the tail.

So, you know, basic water principals just being applied in a smaller version and the asymmetry just creating a little more fun, with a drawn out outline for some longer, faster moves, and, you know, a tight carve, constantly turning outline perhaps on your right-hand wave and, yeah, maybe get some more radical turns and quick transitions".