Ernest’s Cardboard Wakesurf Rides the Wave of Success
September 26, 2019
The motor’s revving and the waves are looking gnarly. Get ready for a big splash — it’s Cardboard Chaos!
At Ernest, we’re testing the limits we can take paper—again! With the help of our partners Dave Lee and Marc Wierenga at Signal Snowboards, we’re stoked to unleash a cardboard wakesurf board that rivals the innovations of our Cardboard Chaos surfboard. Surf’s up! Speed’s up!
In wakesurfing, rather than catch waves on the beach, the surfer carves through the wake behind a motorboat. Wakesurfs are lightweight but sturdy enough to keep the surfer upright. It’s a miracle of physics… so, of course, we had to make one out of cardboard!
Photo: Marc Wierenga
Our team knew that our special Ernest-ize 3D printing process was in order to build our wakesurf. With a triaxial digital model of the board, we machine-cut dozens of cardboard components as the pieces of our perfect puzzle. Next, this finely contoured creation got water-ready with its “glassing”—keeping lightweight and watertight.
With the finishing touches applied by our long-time friends at Future Fins, it was finally go time!
So whose feet were fit to take this test to the water?! Rockstar Energy-sponsored and Hyperlite Wake Co. wakesurf master, Noah Flegel, took the challenge to conquer the waves on our cardboard creation! We also roped in Crystal Hale, a local wakesurf guru and watersports instructor who never turns down a challenge. With stars in their eyes and salt in their hair, Crystal and Noah set out to shred some waves behind the award-winning Super Air Nautique.
Photo: Marc Wierenga
“It felt sick!” Noah raved after taking the first ride. “The construction’s really good. It rides well, I was definitely very impressed.”
Check out our video to see Noah and Crystal catch a wave on the Cardboard Chaos Wakesurf!
Photo: Marc Wierenga
This was one of our more sophisticated attempts and as such we could not have done it without the collaborative efforts of “board” of directors: Lithe Skateboards and Chelu Surfboards—thank you!
At Ernest we push the limits of cardboard every day. Cardboard Chaos is born of our love and passion for our craft, proving that there’s truly nothing packaging can’t do. You’ve seen the impossible feats we can accomplish with cardboard — now, what can we do for you?
