Exit Interview

Blog 20: Exit Interview

Content:

(1) What is your essential question and answers?  What is your best answer and why?

My essential question is, "How to shape a surfboard that best compliments the riders style?." The three answers that I have produced from my essential question include: Answer 1: the most significant factors that go into shaping a surfboard that best compliments the riders style is the connection between both the rail and rocker of the surfboard. Answer 2: It is important to understand the oceanography when crafting a surfboard. Answer 3: A surfboard can best be shaped to compliment the riders style by keeping the board's fin setup in mind. My best answer is, "The most significant factors that go into shaping a board that best compliments the riders style is the connection between both the rail and rocker of the surfboard." The amount of play between the rail and rocker of a board is what defines one surfboard from the next. Both the rocker and rail shape play a significant role in a boards overall attitude affecting the boards abilities to turn, hold into the face of a wave, and or ability to build speed.

 2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

The process that I took to arrive at this conclusion involves my first hand experience of surfing different types of boards during my mentorship with my mentor Ryan Lopez.  

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

I had a lot of trouble matching my mentors and mines schedule together for mentorship. I have to skip soccer practice and games during the weekend and weekdays to make it work. I also had problems finding reputable sources for my research. To solve that I tried to use major surf brands as a guide to help me find legitimate sources.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

The two most important sources that I used to answer my EQ includes my mentorship and the book, "Surfing the Manuel: Advanced by Jim Kempton". My mentor Ryan Lopez provided me with an explanation of how shape affects the characteristics in which a board will surf. He also furnished me with the first hand experience of just how impactful rocker and rail shape is to a surfboard by suppling me with a variety of different boards to surf on allowing me to compare the characteristics of each. Jim Kempton's book was another source that helped me to answer my projects essential question. It provided me with detailed explanation of the hydrodynamics behind the surfboard which was especial insightful towards my answer that involved the rail and rocker shape of a surfboard.