Just when you thought you’d seen every new sports gizmo and athletic gadget imaginable, along comes the surf-skate chic of NorgeBoards land paddle boards.
Combining the zen-like appeal of stand-up paddling with a healthy measure of skateboard cool, these dryland boards are a true work of art, almost so nice you want to just stare at it instead of ride it. Lovingly made from selected three-ply, cross lamination bamboo and outfitted with high-end trucks and urethane wheels, each board is paired with a natural bamboo paddle pole to help balance and propel daring riders.
Owner and designer, Steve Bangsund of
“We moved to Bend two and a half years ago from outside Wilsonville,” he said. “We came up with the idea last year while at the U.S. Surf Open Championships at
Bangsund started selling his NorgeBoards last September and doing demos around
“People are surprised how easy they are to use and those who have skated before are amazed at the sensitivity and response despite the size. We tend to use a softer wheel that allows you to go over small bumps and rocks and keep on cruising. That, mixed with the strength-to-weight ratio of the bamboo gives it a really sweet, soft ride.”
He designs the boards in three main shapes: The Nalu, a four-foot long by 15-inch wide model with a fat deck, used as a beginner or intermediate board, The Kalai, a five-foot by 12-inch board for intermediate to advanced riders with torsion trucks installed that give a lot of control and snap in the turns. The third is The Kalawina, a four-foot by 11-inch model that has the same torsion trucks as The Kalai but still lets you whip through the turns in some killer high performance riding.
“We go out and have a blast on them,” he said. “My son is eleven and he loves it. They’re made with two horizontal panels laminated over vertical strips. I get the sheets directly imported and make all the shapes and sand them and give each one three coats of exterior-grade water born finish. On the surface where you stand we use a product out of California called Monster Paint, a spray-on adhesive with aggregate in it but has a clear finish so you can still see the grain of the wood and still provides a good grip.”
Land paddling is a unique and amazing workout and utilizes the same core muscles worked in outdoor sports like skiing, snowboarding, land paddling and skateboarding. They are simple to use and learn on for all ages and levels of fitness. NorgeBoards goes through a rigorous testing process to discover that perfect balance of paddling, carving and gentle cruising. From layout patterns to mounting the trucks and signing them, each prized model takes several hours to complete.
“We’ve had the same demo boards at all our events this year and they hold up amazingly. These aren’t mass produced and a lot of pride and care goes into each one. At my price point, you’d be hard-pressed to find another board like mine out of full bamboo with this quality of trucks and wheels. The best part is I’ve been doing woodworking for nearly thirty years and this is something that taps into my creative side. And to see people get on the boards and smile and start having fun in a very short time is awesome.”
NorgeBoards start at $199 and go up to $249.
503-481-5263.
