Cardboard Chaos Wakesurf — Pro Athlete Insights

November 04, 2019

Noah Flegel — cardboard master

A pro board deserves a pro rider. When we made our Cardboard Chaos wakesurf, we knew our partners in chaos could hook us up! Signal Snowboards pulled in Noah Flegel — a Rockstar Energy-sponsored athlete — to take our baby for a ride, and the rest is history.

Noah’s been on the waves since he was barely old enough to walk. He started competing in watersports when he was six, and now competes in wakesurf and wakeboard world championships all over the globe! Here’s what Noah had to say about our masterful cardboard creation: 

 

Noah's ready to hit the waves

PHOTO: MIKE WIERENGA

“I didn’t know what to expect when I got on the board, but I was blown away by the quality!” That means a lot to us, since Noah’s competed on pretty much every pro wakesurf board on the market. He was quick to note the special nature of our board: the cardboard core and custom glassing job made it less dense and firmer than he anticipated. Noah explains, “It rode pretty similar to a traditional board, but it felt unique on the water.” 

It’s no surprise that our board felt unique, since we took a one-of-a-kind approach to engineering it! The build process was completely different from the last time we took to the waves. Our Cardboard Chaos surfboard started with a larger piece of cardboard that we shaped down to size. This time we worked from the ground up.

Creating Cardboard Chaos

PHOTO: MIKE WIERENGA

Ernest design specialists Mike Martinez and Jerry Hernandez created a digital model of our wakesurf to kickstart the build. With their model, we used a unique 3D printing process to cut out precise pieces from sheets of cardboard. Those pieces fit together like a puzzle to make the core of our wakesurf. 

It was a completely custom job — just like we do for our clients every day. Noah says, “I’m sure this was a super challenging board to build, but you guys did an incredible job.” When pro athletes and packaging pros come together, there’s no wave we can’t conquer!

Noah boards the Super Air Nautique

PHOTO: MIKE WIERENGA

“Anytime I can try something new, I take the opportunity,” says Noah. That’s the same approach we take at Ernest Packaging Solutions. With Cardboard Chaos we push the limits of what packaging materials can do. We engineer custom solutions that nobody else has thought of, and take our industry to the next level. Whether it’s for a pro athlete or for your business, Ernest keeps moving packaging forward.

Catch our full video here to see Noah catch some waves, and keep your eyes right here for more Cardboard Chaos!