Tex-a-lily-what?!? Check out what makes these guys so special:

Want to see more? Visit our friends at REAL watersports and check out more Stretch SUP features here:

Oh yeah, of course they have that one board you can’t find anywhere else. Keep tabs on what’s in stock at REAL here:

“…I just think that if you don’t have one in your quiver you’re pretty much blowing it.” — Josh Mulcoy

Stretch and Josh share their candid review on Josh’s new daily driver from 1ft slop to churning overhead dream barrels.

With the Jay Moriarity paddleboard race just around the corner Stretch has decidedly gone back into the shaping room to design the next generation of downwind dominators. A big chunk of 1lb. Marko Foam EPS and 17 hours later is the inception of the latest Stretch Boards creation; The 12′ Stock Class 2010 “Santa Cruz Special”

stay tuned!

The latest model known as the “THING” is the newest addition to the Stretch line up and is a tough little guy to categorize. Is it a quad? Is it a fishy little tri? Is it a novelty for surfers who can’t decide what to get for their next board? Well, I’d say neither of the above.

Having suffered a season ending injury with a broken femur, Nathan Fletcher never got a chance to test out his new 5′4″ THING last year. After spending time out of the water and contemplating designs and ways to progress his surfing antics even more, he eventually bounced back and pursued to push the limits on something many of us would consider inconceivable. A 5′4″ shortboard?!?! It’s not a fish. It’s not a grovel board. It’s not something we’ve come to conventionally accept but it does amazing things under your feet! A smaller and wider outline with a narrower tail than normally seen on anything of this length allows the ability to run a reconfigured fin cluster so that either a tri or a quad configuration can be accepted. That’s right, 5 fin boxes! Whether it’s 2 fins on rail or a trailer fin anchoring your centerline reference under the back foot, the choice for your next session can be handled with one board and a fin key.

Meant to be surfed hard and fast, the “THING” isn’t just a small wave wonder board. It’s a tightly packaged performance shortboard that just happens to be small. Designed to be ridden about 1/4″ to 3/4″ wider, 1/8″ thicker and 4-6″ shorter, the “THING” allows surfers to turn quicker and tighter with speed. It fits into bowly pockets with ease and stays glued to your feet through quick directional changes, skateboard-like rotations and snappy turns. No “flat as a board” deck profile, fat rails or pancake rocker. You’re not going to stand and go straight on a “THING”, you’re going to destroy on it!

So, are you a surfer who’s been riding thrusters only since the first time out? Dedicated to quads for the last 4 or so years? Not to worry. The “THING” can be custom ordered as either/or. The 5-fin set up works so darn well with the new tail outline that it just makes sense to offer it to those who want it. It’s one extra fin and multiple options. Aren’t you smiling already! Questions? Of course you have them! Look for Nathan, Rat, Charlie Ramirez and a handful of east coast, west coast and Hawaiian surfers flying around on “THING” models this year. In the meantime, feel free to call us at the factory and we’ll help you out with anything you need.

Why is this any different you ask? Now, performance shortboard shapes can utilize an all unidirectional, tri-band wood stringer construction in place of a heavier weight or thicker paraband stringer. Basswood is preferred for it’s strength-to-weight ratio, ease of shaping and appearance. Some other multi-ply wood stringers will have a perpendicular grain respective to the length of the board. With a triple laminate construction, your centerline stringer can be narrower while retaining excellent flex properties without compromising strength. This makes for a lighter, “poppier” board without the stress of buckling that you would normally get from a single ply 1/8″ stringer. Combined with Stretch Boards EPS TECH construction: deck channels, bias weave direct size S-cloth and Marko Foam, the result is a durable board you can feel has a pulse! To make your custom board even more unique, Appelcore stringers are available in a variety of color combinations. Be sure to specify Appelcore in your next board in lieu of the paraband 3/16″. Available in shortboards or doubled up into 6-ply 1/4″ stringers for boards over 7′.

For more info on Appelcore stringers visit:

www.appelcore.com

Other than small dogs with curly little tails that make funny snorting sounds, (yeah they have funny looking faces too. ha! i said it!) “pugs” like their canine counterparts are cobby with well-developed muscle. The resurgence of the “small board trend” recently has brought on the reintroduction of our “pug” model to the line by way of expanding the nose template of our ever popular Ratskate and Fletcher Four-Fin models.

Gone but not forgotten from the Stretch model line in the late 90’s, the reintroduction of the “pug” combines refined technology with our EPS TECH construction, newest fin offerings and better materials. The shorter and stubbier look may be misleading in the sense that it’s not just a small wave only board. The “pug” can handle all the variables of  gutless windswell waves on up to hurricane-born, thick-lipped dumpers. What better way to show their stuff than with the family of test pilots on the Outer Banks. Real Watersports in North Carolina just received the first shipment of “pugskates” and they can now be viewed at their flagship store or online at:

http://www.realwatersports.com/surfing/index.cfm?page=newsitem&id=1486

In the meantime, feel free to peruse these small collection of photos and if you have any questions, you know where to find us

Crossing boundaries and seeking adventure for the ultimate wave riding experience is the paramount of life and design at stretch boards. We’re no strangers to alternative constructions, wave types and riding styles. Our family, friends and team riders delve into the kite, tow, big wave, surf, wakesurf, longboard and psycho surf venues. Throw into the mix progressive watermen like Peter Trow, Garrett Mcnamara and a host of ocean aficionados, it should come as no surprise that Stretch would ultimately get his mind wrapped around more than just your average SUP.

New for 2009, Stretch Boards is offering individually, custom shaped, hand crafted wave ripping SUP’s built in Santa Cruz, CA. Blending a multitude of eps/epoxy construction and design skill, over 30 years of board building experience, craftsmanship and hydrodynamic principles, Stretch’s SUP’s are more than just a recreational water vessel.

Stretch SUP’s are offered in two constructions:

Hand laminated fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin: $1400

Hand laminated Texalium bottom and deck with carbon fiber rail reinforcements: $1650

Both constructions include:

• 1.5 pcf density, 100% recyclable Marko EPS Foam

• 1/8” stringer

• direct size Hexcel fiberglass cloth

• Resin Research Epoxy Resin

• Future, FCS or LokBox fin system

• Custom built in Santa Cruz, CA USA

Utilizing Stretch’s design mechanisms for efficiency, performance and durability, each individual SUP is balanced with the ultimate ride in mind. Smooth entry over a continuous rocker supports up front stability and paddling ease while the complimentary tail rocker and thinner foil provides unmatched response and forgiveness when cranking turns on waves knee high or overhead.

In a world where sku #’s, catalog sizes and stamped out duplicates are the norm, shouldn’t you take in a breathe of fresh air and enjoy something unique? We all should!

Check out the ultra warm and plush Stretch Boards fleece garments available now! It’s cold outside and whether you’re getting out of the water after a frosty morning surf or grabbing a couple of drinks with your friends, you’ll be amping on the super cozy zip-up hoodie you just scored. Embroidered Stretch logo and heavy duty construction garment provide quality that will last.

Available in two styles for both men, women and juniors.

$60.00

Quilted Nylon Interior

• 10oz 80% cotton 20% polyester blend fleece on the exterior
  
• 6.5% 100% polyester lined body and hood
• 100% cotton 32 singles anti pill face yarn
  
• Hood and body panels have light polyester fill with quilting stitch
• Heavy gauge ribbing at cuffs and waistband
• Split stitch double needle sewing on all seams
• Embroidered “Stretch” logo
  

Sherpa Lined with Waffle Exterior

• 10 oz 80% cotton 20% poly blend fleece on the exterior
• NON BONDED 5.75 oz polyester sherpa liner on the
  interior
• 100% cotton 32 singles anti pill face yarn
• #5 exposed zipper, antique nickel
• Heavy gauge flat drawcord with antique nickel eyelets
• Heavy weight 1×1 ribbing at cuffs and waistband
• Split stitch double needle sewing on all seams
• Twill neck tape
• Embroidered “Stretch” logo