Last year it was The Bootlegger, a retro mahogany stand-up paddle board made by Minneapolis-based artisan Kevin Fitzke. While it was beautiful, it costs US$3299. This year it is the less-pricey but still-classy Speakeasy. Source: Timberbiz
Like The Bootlegger, The Speakeasy was inspired by wooden boats and airplanes from the 1920s and 1930s. Whereas the former has an almost boat-like prow and a recessed cubby hole on the deck, the latter has a more conventional look – that said, it is made in the “barrel back” style of classic Chris Craft motorboats.
The Speakeasy is constructed from stained Lloyds-registered marine-grade mahogany plywood, which is impregnated with epoxy resin and bonded together using a two-part epoxy. All of that wood is covered by a two-part yacht-grade urethane clear coat, along with a protective layer of fiberglass on the bottom.
Aluminum and PVC trim elements also help protect against dings from the included custom carbon fiber/kevlar composite paddle, or from car-top carriers.
Users stand on a 5-mm-thick foam traction pad, and are able to secure items such as coolers using deck-mounted tie-downs. A custom-made carbon fiber/honeycomb composite fin on the underside keeps the board tracking straight through the water.
The whole thing weighs around 16 kg, a figure that would be higher were it not for the board’s hollow-core construction. It measures 3150 mm, 813mm in width and is 127mm thick.
The Speakeasy is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign and a pledge of US$2500, which is also the planned retail price, will get you one – along with the paddle – assuming it reaches production.
