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| Mele Saili wears the Swami's in Earth Waves, with her Bing longboard. Photo for Nick LaVecchia for Without Walls. |
There is no one size fits all. That being said, some of the Bing longboards come pretty darn close if you’re after a trimmy glide and nimble turns. What’s the magic longboard model that three of the Seeababes swear by?
We asked Mele Saili, Lola Mignot and Taylor Nelson (who are all Bing Surfboards team riders, too) which arrows they pull from the quiver for the smoothest noserides, and why.
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| Mele Saili wears the Capitola Top in Prarie, Rincon neoprene Jacket and Marina Pants. Photo by Nick LaVecchia for Without Walls. |
Mele Saili
Go-To Longboard: 9'2 Bing Elevator for faster beach breaks or something with a steeper pocket.
Why do you love the 9'2" Bing Elevator longboard for your style?
Mele Saili: It has a little bit of tail kick making it a good turning board and step deck feature that allows more flex in the nose for faster trim when nose riding, making for a really good all around technical noserider. I like to be a smooth operator, and this board seems to move well with how my body moves.
How do you decide which longboard to ride on which day?
Mele Saili: Riding something with flatter rocker and a wider nose help with getting into waves on smaller slower days and allow for good support for walking the board when the waves are soft. But when the waves are more technical and steep I'll use a board with a little more rocker and a narrow nose to fit into the pocket of the wave better.
Let’s talk fins. Do you have a go-to fin? What is it and why?
Mele Saili: I usually go with a 9.5" Larry Allison Flex Fin. They have a nice base that taper out to a slender tip for good drive and responsive turning. Once in a while I'll put a pivot fin in there. It's a little more stiff when turning but it offers more hold and anchors the board down for longer nose rides.
Do you have another longboard that you go to when you want to switch it up?
Mele Saili: The Bing Cali Square Tail when I want something with more glide and trim.
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| Mele wears the Hermosa in Earth Waves, riding her Bing longboard. Photo by Nick LaVecchia. |
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| Mele Saili holds the custom Seea x Bing Surfboard that we are raffling off now! Click for more info. Contest ends May 31, 2015. |
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| Close-up of the logos on the bottom of the surfboard. Photo by Stone Crandall. |
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| The Seea x Bing Surfboard! Photo by Stone Crandall. |
Lola Mignot
Go-To Longboard: 9’4” Bing Elevator
Taylor Nelson
How do you decide which longboard to ride on which day?
Taylor Nelson: Most of the waves I surf I know before going out or checking which board is going to work better for the spot. I know my pockety waves between my mushy waves pretty well! But if I am surfing a new spot I always try to watch it for a while before going out.
Let’s talk fins. Do you have a go-to fin? What is it and why?
Taylor Nelson: I prefer a fin with a lot of rake and a little bit of flex.
Do you have another longboard that you go to when you want to switch it up?
Taylor Nelson: My backup longboard is the Mr. Rodgers Model. This board is my go-to board when it’s very small and when the waves are mushy. This board has a lot more volume then my Elevator so I also like to ride it when it is windy.
Go-To Longboard: 9’4” Bing Elevator
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| Lola Mignot wears the Zuma in Rose Petal with her Bing longboard. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Why do you love the 9'4" Bing Elevator longboard for your style?
Lola Mignot: It’s very responsive to any kind of wave or condition you choose to ride in. It was in stock and somebody had told me that it was the perfect board for me. They were right. The rails are very smooth. I can’t really say anything negative about this certain board. Everyone should own one.
What conditions is this board good for?
Lola Mignot: It performs best in hip high-sized waves.
Do you have another longboard that you go to when you want to switch it up and when do you pull it out?
Lola Mignot: My 9' Bing Pintail. I find it turns sharp and quick and also rides really well in bigger waves. It’s completely different to my Elevator.
What conditions is this board good for?
Lola Mignot: It performs best in hip high-sized waves.
Do you have another longboard that you go to when you want to switch it up and when do you pull it out?
Lola Mignot: My 9' Bing Pintail. I find it turns sharp and quick and also rides really well in bigger waves. It’s completely different to my Elevator.
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| Lola Mignot in the Zuma Surf Suit in Rose Petal. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
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| Lola Mignot surfs her Bing longboard in the Zuma Surf Suit in Rose Petal. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Taylor Nelson
Go-To Longboard: The 9'2" Elevator is my favorite go-to log! It loves pockety conditions, beach breaks, and steep waves. It is perfect for The ‘Bu and Rincon.
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| Taylor Nelson wears the Zuma in Black Stripe. Photo by Alex Shea. |
Why do you love the 9'2" Bing Elevator longboard for your style?
Taylor Nelson: The Elevator is my favorite board because it suits my type of down-the-line kind of fast surfing. Growing up at First Point Malibu, and calling it my home/favorite wave in the world, you need a lot of speed to make sections, and it’s a lot of drive down the line. It noserides like no other log for me because of the step deck and slight kick in the tail! Because I am on the petite side, this board’s small nose and thin width makes it a manageable for me to log and get into the pocket.
Taylor Nelson: The Elevator is my favorite board because it suits my type of down-the-line kind of fast surfing. Growing up at First Point Malibu, and calling it my home/favorite wave in the world, you need a lot of speed to make sections, and it’s a lot of drive down the line. It noserides like no other log for me because of the step deck and slight kick in the tail! Because I am on the petite side, this board’s small nose and thin width makes it a manageable for me to log and get into the pocket.
How do you decide which longboard to ride on which day?
Taylor Nelson: Most of the waves I surf I know before going out or checking which board is going to work better for the spot. I know my pockety waves between my mushy waves pretty well! But if I am surfing a new spot I always try to watch it for a while before going out.
Let’s talk fins. Do you have a go-to fin? What is it and why?
Taylor Nelson: I prefer a fin with a lot of rake and a little bit of flex.
Do you have another longboard that you go to when you want to switch it up?
Taylor Nelson: My backup longboard is the Mr. Rodgers Model. This board is my go-to board when it’s very small and when the waves are mushy. This board has a lot more volume then my Elevator so I also like to ride it when it is windy.
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| Taylor Nelson takes a break on her Bing longboard wearing in the Leucadia in Luna. |
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| Taylor Nelson levitates on the nose wearing the Zuma Surf Suit in Burgundy. |
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