When I graduated high school I got to pick out my graduation present. After going to a local surf shop and looking at nearly every board they had, I decided on the Matt Kechele Pug Performer. The overall shape is a hybrid, with a rounded nose, moderately wide mid-section fading down into a swallow tail. At 7'2", the board is a great compromise between paddling, maneuverability and speed. Out of those three, the most noticeable is the way the board paddles. It can catch just about any wave that a longboard can, provided that when you're paddling you're far enough up on the board. It took a little while to get used to the paddling trim, especially when I was used to riding a 9' Robert August. Once the wave is caught and the rider is up, the board is fairly stable for its size. What's surprising is the speed you can develop by doing a few pumps down the line. Even at high speed, the board is still very responsive and is just a joy to ride. If you're looking for a great board that handles well in nearly any surf conditions you should consider looking at this one. Matt Kechele has a shop down in Cocoa Beach, FL so if you're interested in supporting an east coast shaper he would definitely be a good choice. Mr. Kechele's website is here: www.kechelesurfboards.com/home.html
BB1
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