That’s more than a million dollars right there.
Roy Stuart makes surfboards. Incredibly beautiful surfboards, made from wood he carefully selects for a number of different reasons. They’re also incredibly expensive – like a cool mil kind of expensive. The Rampant, Stuart’s newest creation, tops the charts as the world’s most expensive surfboard. How much is the world’s most expensive surfboard? 1.3 million dollars. Yup. Better get a good leash.
The Rampant weighs 31-pounds and is made from paulownia wood, which is pretty much the most incredible wood on the planet. Originally from Asia, paulownia is cultivated in Europe, and resists saltwater better than any other kind of wood out there. There’s no need for varnish or glass, just a few layers of linseed oil or beeswax. It’s also incredibly light and flexible, which, of course, are something to look for in a surfboard. The Rampant is laminated, however – but only because the gold leaf needs something to stick to. Yes, the gold leaf. That’s what the painted lion is made of. Again, you better have a good leash. Either that or a ding repair guy that specializes in gold.
How’s your ding repair guy?
The million-dollar board has a hollow wooden hull and a crazy looking six-inch tunnel fin made from kahikatea wood, a type of wood native to New Zealand, where Stuart calls home. The board itself is 10’6, has a single concave from nose to tail, and just for good measure, has a poly fin as well.
That’s a fin. A fin!
Roy gave a reason for the price tag, though. “Rampant is so visually striking many people think it might be designed for artistic appeal alone,” he told the New York Daily News. “High price is a consequence of the ultimate design and performance of a lifetime.” For the price of a jet, the performance of a lifetime better be pretty damn good. And if you’re ok with dinging a million dollar surfboard just for shits and giggles, well, gimme a call. I could use some of that cash. But, like Roy says, “Life is short. Get the best if you can — price is just a number, but the experience is forever.”
This is Roy surfing on a different board called the Dragon. While it was never up for sale, the Dragon has many of the same qualities as the Rampant (gold, mostly.) Please, someone give him a leash. Please.
