Willow riding Gato Herói Playboy — Indo
Gato Playboy is an absolute rocket under Willow's feet in this new clip. He's riding a 9'4. Filmed by @bk.sheriffs
"My experience with the Playboy has been quite a contrast to what I was used to having under my feet previously. I say that in a very positive way. Going from weighty logs with soft, thick rails and concave to something more bladed and refined with less surface area can be jarring at first, purely because it’s foreign to other craft I’ve ridden, but there’s something flowy and exciting that I couldn’t deny I found refreshing. I feel it’s helping me connect the whole wave, and funnily enough, I feel everything happens/reacts fast while at the same time I’m finding myself slowing everything down. In my approach, I mean. I can still be spontaneous and snappy, yet connect parts of the wave I used to not find obtainable.
Although it can be less forgiving at times compared to fuller logs, especially in slop conditions, the excitement and reward of pulling off foreign manoeuvres is definitely addictive. It’s opened up new lines and approaches and, in turn (in my opinion), opened up my surfing to more critical riding, allowing me to feel how the board interacts with the wave more and, in turn, feel how body weight and placement can be tuned in better.
It’s definitely pulling me towards chasing more springy and lively wave riding, trying to be fast and snappy, all the while making me try to calculate what I want to do, if that makes sense. As far as logs go, this model in particular feels like the race car, per se — that is to say, if a piggy D-fin is the road train comparison. For my experience, at least. A Mushrooms vs Acid kinda metaphor. Now, of course, both boards have a time and place for the best function, especially depending on conditions. But when one feels right, you can’t ignore it. This bowl of porridge is just right. A board can work great and do what it was built/intended for. That being said, I think as surfers and slaves to our senses, we constantly chase new feelings and want to make small but continuous tweaks to our crafts of choice (whatever that medium is), but I keep finding myself learning from this model and enjoying it all simultaneously.
There are times where I haven’t got the satisfaction or high I was hoping for, but as time and sessions go on, I’ve realised I’m dialling in when it goes best and lets me feel what I’m hoping to get out of it. Another reason why I keep picking it off the rack over other options when the waves are on. Very eager and curious to see what else it opens up, and where it’s going to direct my next flavour. So far, I can confidently say it’s been my spice melange." —Josh Williams (Willow)
Gato Herói Playboy
The playboy was directly inspired by the boards Australian’s surfed in 66/67 (think Nat Young hot generation) with the wide-point set back, pinched rails and strong vee through the tail, it's super fast, very versatile off the tail and maneuverable from the nose. RK has actually lifted the entry rocker ever so slightly in recent years, for a little more control when you're noseriding. Playboy is pure gato— fast, exciting and dynamic. An absolute must try for fans of Robin's approach to surfing and shaping...