HISTORY |
I had an idea after paddling a surf ski for about a year and experimenting and re- working the rudder blades on my ski. I had a few ideas and each one worked better than the last. It dawned on me that maybe I had some design potential. Maybe this wasn’t the exact beginning. I was in Australia and while at Alice's beach in North Queensland I saw my first surf ski, I was amazed at how fast it moved through the water, I didn’t get a chance to talk with the paddler, and so I didn’t even know what it was called. Later when I was back home in Hawaii, I met an Australian who had two skis, and I got a chance to at least see it up close., Later I heard of the Molokai Kayak race and heard that a 16 year old had beat the kayakers crossing the channel by two hours faster than the fastest kayaker. Well that started it in Hawaii. I think I was the 7th or 8th person to acquire, a surf ski in Hawaii, so after a year I decided, to move to California and start a business as a designer and builder of surf skis.
The first ski I designed was the Valhalla, which, was designed to meet US Life guard speciations. This ski turned out better than I ever dreamed. Testing it against the top of the line Hayden Mark 3 it was faster and turned quicker, and would continue moving through the water after you stopped paddling by three times farther than the Hayden. About the same time I came up with the Valhalla Surf Ski there was another ski coming on the market and we had some good battles, Plus or minus 5 years later I came up with the Viking model, this ski had a longer water line and a sharper bow and lower seat and footwalls were lower and closer together, all these things were meant, to make it faster and it was. In a twenty mile race, it was 18 to 20 min. faster and in a thirty six nautical mile race I was 35 plus min. faster. When someone brought in a ski that was equal to that, I came up with the Victory surf ski, extending the hull 5” making it 19’ 5” long, making the ski 18” wide at its widest behind the seat, and making it much narrower forward, then lowering and narrowing hump between foot wells, this became the fastest ski on the market, for several years.
I had some other ideas I wanted to pursue and started designing the Victory Special, while working on this people were requesting a more stable ski so I put the Victory Special aside and came up with the Viking International, It was a lot more stable and meets the US L/G specks, for competition. I also incorporated the single foot well with a venture drain system. This was a first for any surf ski. My thoughts on the venture drain, was, why build a light boat and have to carry water weight during a race. The single foot well idea another original for Valhalla Surf Ski, was why not make it more comfortable. Lowering the foot well to +- 3” lower than butt well took care of the back ache problem. The design ideas I put into the Victory Special are the single foot well with lower foot well, totally adjustable from a 26” leg to a 44” leg. (Same as in Viking International.) Keith Keillor born Oct.5th, 1939 Adams ,North Dakota, Ancestry : Norwegian , Boating Experience Crewed on Colombia 43’ for two seasons, Introduced to Outrigger canoes in 1968, First race season 1969 with Marina del Rey, two years, Helped form Lanakila Outrigger Canoe club, in Redondo Beach, ca. Involved in building the Papio 40” outrigger canoe which we had for our first canoe . I moved to Hawaii, worked and paddled canoes. Paddled 5years Healani, and Waikiki Beach Boys, and Hawaiian Canoe Club of Maui. Had this idea about surf skis in 1982 my surf skis have won so many races I have no idea how many. Personally I have won Bay to Bay 4 or 5 times, 20 miles. Catalina to Marina Del Rey 3 or 4 times, 36 knot miles. Texas Marathon 1 time 45 miles, now I don’t win over all, but some times in 50 plus age group. Valhalla is a winner in most races entered. It is the most comfortable, easiest to balance, has cutaway gunnels for better reach, the 19’5” long V.S. has 19” 0” water line. Another ski I designed is the Viking International, which meets the Lifeguard specs for competition. It is 19” 0” long and 19.24” at widest just behind the seat. It has a built on Bow Foil, has the same adjustable cockpit as the Victory Special. I had some success in L/G races but gave up 25 to 35 years with most of my competition. It is required to be 40 # but I can build it at + - 28 to 33#s. Built to perform in and out of surf, and is really stable.
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