Mini Simmons Zinger by Joe Bauguess
The Mini-Simmons *Zinger is the latest addition to the Joe B. Surf Shapes lineup. As some of you may know, the “Zinger” is a 4 fin “Bonzer” that was developed by Mike Eaton in the 1970’s. I shaped many Zingers in several different surfboard designs while shaping for him over a 10 year period. All of the customers who rode them had only positive reviews and said they worked better than any other board they had owned. I was so impressed by this that I shaped one for myself. It was a 9’0″ Noserider. It worked so well that I still have it after 9 years!
The tail of the board is where the Zinger’s ‘magic’ lies. The configuration is two, deep, funnel-shaped concaves with long -based, shallow-depth side fins and two short, 6″ fin boxes with 5 3/8″ narrow-based fins, offset to the inside of the side fins, on the outside edges of the concaves. Hard to explain but easy to ride. The photos make it easier to understand.
Since this tail shape works for so many different surfboard designs, I decided to try it on one of my Mini-Simmons boards. I shaped the first one at Eaton’s shop in 2007 at Mike’s suggestion. He let an unscrupulous person take it out to try it who said “it went really well’, then never returned it. So I still wondered if it really had any validity. By good luck, I ‘inherited’ Mike Eaton’s Team Rider, Quint Macklin, and finally got around to shaping one for him last year (2013). He is a great ‘test pilot’ and he fell in love with it! He said it felt very crisp and responsive and adds a new dimension to the overall Mini-Simmons experience!
Joe Curren riding the First Mini-Simmons at Rincon.
Photo Credit: The Surfer’s Journal
Joe Curren riding the Mini Simmons at Rincon
Jason Weatherly riding the “Sim Fish” at South Mission Jetty. This board was made for him in 2007.
Mini Simmons "Sim Fish"
Mini Simmons "Sim Fish"
Joe also makes, from scratch, Balsa wood and redwood big wave guns. A shapers shaper, Joe’s been shaping for almost 50 years now. The gallery below will take you from balsa wood planks and redwood fence planks to a full on hand shaped Balsa and Redwood Gun.
Balsa and Redwood Gun by Joe Bauguess
This is pretty much the finished shape, minus the glass and fin, the rest of the gallery is the start to finish of the balsa and redwood gun. Joe hand made this gun from start to finish, starting with the laminating of the planks of balsa and redwood, to cutting the outline, planing, sanding and then finish sanding. A shapers shaper, a man from the old school.
Cutting The Planks and Strips of Redwood
Cutting The Planks and Strips of Redwood
Cut Planks and Strips of Redwood
Assembling the Planks and Strips
Laminating the Planks and Strips
Laminating the Planks and Strips
Laminating the Planks and Strips
Finish Sanding the Gun
Finish Sanding the Gun
Finished except for glassing and fin
Finished except for glassing and fin
Finished except for glassing and fin
Finished except for glassing and fin
Joe Bauguess Inventor of the very FIRST Mini Simmons had a few moments to tell us the history behind the shape and its natural progression into surfboard design.
