30 May, 2018 30 May, 2018

Ricky & “The Pugs Ass”

If you’ve been following Ricky Basnett’s Instagram account you might have noticed his pretty unorthodox creations coming from his shaping bay. Some of his designs had our curiosity but when his bodyboard surfboard hybrid emerged from his imagination and into reality he had our full attention. Then, when we saw Ricky dish out a Freddy Kruger special, slicing and dicing the face of supers on his one of a kind Basnett special we couldn’t help but fire a couple questions his way. 

(ZAG) What is the official name of this hybrid and what is the inspiration behind it?

(Ricky) Ja this thing doesn’t really have a name, I got a reject blank from fishstix and thought I’d try to chop it up and make a version of the stand up bodyboard I have, I was actually trying to sell the thing and so stoked I didn’t , pretty much my favourite board right now! If I had to name it, I’d probably call it “The Pugs Ass”.

 
Judging by the clips it seems like it would require an experienced campaigner to be able to manoeuvre it along the face, what is it like to surf?
 
It took a session or two to get used to but once it clicked I realized how well it actually held the face, you gotta be fully on the rail though otherwise, you can slip out pretty easy.
 
Any plans to improve on the design or would you rather fight it out and see where it takes you?
 
Ah, I think every one I try shape will have its own unique flavour and see where it leads.
 
 
What was the reaction from those in the lineup when you paddled out, anyone out there keen to take a stab at it? 
 
Well, I’m not the most popular oue out in the lineup at supers so I thought if I went undercover as a bodyboarder the guys wouldn’t recognize me, got a few odd looks and definitely no takers on board swops.
 
Would this rank up there as one of the more bizarre boards to come out your shaping bay?
 
Ja it’s a pretty radical one haha but this kinda shot is by far the funniest to surf and shape, definitely going to be doing more of this pretty soon.
 
Would you like to see other shapers experiment with board designs in such a manner and why do you think it’s important to push the boundaries, breaking away from tradition in a sense? 
 
I think there’s a lot of guys doing some crazy shit these days it’s pretty cool to check, Donald Brink is another South African who is really pushing the boundaries lately and has a massive following internationally. Think we in a really exciting time for surfboards.
 
A lot of people might view your designs as completely ridiculous, what your response to that be? 
 
Ummm, I guess they are (laughs). But Fuck it, makes me have fun – so why not.
 
 
I’m sure a lot of people are thinking the same thing, whats next?
 
Eish, I picked up a wakeboard from a second-hand shop here in Humansdorp, gonna try to shape something off that thing I reckon.
 
So your inspiration for the shapes you put out at the moment, could we boil it down to a childlike sense of what if? Or is it a little more calculated than that?
 
Ja, I get bored pretty easy I think so these little things are a result of that I reckon.
 
 
 

Images supplied by Kody McGregor and gumboot.camera

 

 

 

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