Just look at it! This deck is beautiful. It has a pronounced rocker and a great shape that generates comments from salty-dog surfers on the coast. “Now that’s a longboard!” came from a particular surfer used to seeing one member of the Consortium on aggressive-looking “street” longboards. Was he reacting to the unmistakable “big gun”, surfboard contours of the Nuuhiwa, or the inlayed stringers visible through the clear-grip deck surface? Either way, the big Barfoot looks like a classic surfboard.

Our riders often commented how the deck’s clean lines and simple design gave a nostalgic feel, and the museum-piece looks drew comments like, “I found this deck to be well worth mounting on the wall and gazing at all day, but there is no way we could let that happen.” The inlayed stringers on the top, maple layer are mahoghany and purpleheart, clearly visible through the liquid clear-grip along with a tasteful band of hibiscus flower graphics, the Barfoot logo and replica of David Nuuhiwa’s signature. That’s not the only signature on there: Chuck Barfoot numbers and signs his hand-built boards. Ours is number #39, finished on March 5th, 2005. The bottom of the deck is smooth and finished with gloss-coat. It also bears the Barfoot/Nuuhiwa logo with the hibiscus, but is otherwise bare. Two of our riders commented that a small skeg wouldn’t look at all out of place under the elevated tail.

BARFOOT DESIGNS: DAVID NUUHIWA “NOSE RIDER”

The Barfoot’s rockered deck gives the rider a stable feel, cradling you between the trucks, combating the unstable nature of the super-turny Bakus and giving one the impression of being a little lower than the tall trucks would otherwise suggest. Up to the limits of the trucks, the Barfoot is an excellent board for light pumping: one of our riders got his first exposure to longboards on the Nuuhiwa and we had to pry him away from the big surf stick after he learned how to pump on it. The builder told us he values this characteristic and we agree that the light feel of the trucks, combined with the contour of the deck, make for a very surfy feel. The tight turning radius possible with Baku trucks can feel like slashing a wave, as the trucks will really turn-in. Just like a surfboard, if you dig too much rail you might just get wet… Our barefoot riders report the deck surface is easy on the feet. Once our riders pushed the Nuuhiwa to higher speeds, the reports began to vary. One rider (we bet you can guess who) described what happens when we cranked the big stick up to speed: “…the feel of Baku trucks is one of an undulating current. When left to their own at speed they seem to want to make the strangest of movements, almost like the undulating laps of water on a surfboard.” The rest of us call this “speed wobbles”! These wobs aren’t related to the deck, but to the low-speed-intended trucks. You can carve out of these wobs, up to a point, but the heavier or faster riders are tempting fate. After a certain point, the elastomeric bushings in the Bakus just become overwhelmed and things get whippy.

Whiskey in a wine glass. Okay, so we don’t really recommend this beach-cruiser as a speed-board, but how about as a sliding rig? We weren’t done pushing the envelope with this board, so the Ninja Bomb Squad took it to Ocean Beach for some desecration, sideways style. The shredders reported back, “The lowered deck gives you a firm saddle to drop a knee and just feel the back end whip around with hardly any effort. The Baku trucks were a little finicky when pulling the slides back to standing…” This isn’t a deck made for urban warfare and we felt bad about it, even if it was “all for science”. Don’t worry, the board survived okay, and we agreed this soul of this rig comes out on rides after a hard session, when carving down the block in sandals and shorts. We made our peace with the Nuuhiwa, and all is good.

Return to center. We like this board for exactly what Chuck Barfoot and David Nuuhiwa do: a surf style cruiser. It pumps easily at low speeds, turns on a dime if you’re willing to tip the tall Bakus over and the soft Kryptonics are perfect for the tasks they’re given. The rockered profile, genuine surfboard shape, inlayed stringers and signature endorsement will make the Nuuhiwa a soulful addition to any skater’s quiver. Leave the aggression behind, this one’s for carving mellow lines in the concrete wave on those days when the water’s glass and old friends are in town.