Duotone Magazin No.01 2019

BOTTOM The bottom shape is responsible for the turning and planing ability and is deeply connected to the rocker. Generally speaking: as you move from flat to concave to channel you get more stabilization. People think about bottom shapes in very different ways. I like to think of it as creating different rockers within one rocker, which means you have a center line rocker and a rail rocker. By adding concave, which is basically pulling the rails down, you create a different curve on the rail than you have in the center. When you engage the turn you are sitting on the more curvy part of the bottom shape. The more concave you put, the more reactive the board will be on the rail. I design my center line rocker first and then start playing with concave to increase or decrease the rail rocker to the desired feel. FIN CONFIGURATION The two most popular fin configurations are Thruster (3 fin) and Quad (4 fin). Both offer benefits in certain conditions and I often test our prototype boards with both configurations in various positions. FIN SPREAD Positioning of the fins on the board and in relation to each other plays a huge role in how a board reacts and behaves. On a thruster setup, moving the center fin back and the front fins forward allows you to tune the board to a desired feel. FIN SIZE The last point, but the most important part of the board – because without it, it doesn’t work. LESS VOLUME + + Big waves + + More control at speed + + High speed carves + + Better top end VOLUME Volume is a good indicator of size when choosing a board to match your weight for different conditions. A rider might ride a Whip with 26 liters in small waves and a Session with 24 liters in big waves because he wants more volume for smaller waves. RAILS Rails have a huge influence on how a board will handle. Full, boxy rails are common on small wave boards because they give you maximum volume and make the board feel buoyant and lively in small mushy waves and allow you to generate speed. Boards for bigger surf typically have lower rails with less volume that are less sensitive and better for controlling speed. TUCK The amount of rail tuck at various positions along the rail will determine how grippy, lively, sensitive or controlled a board feels. NOSE The nose shape is related to the outline and dictates how a board will fit into the curve of a wave when engaged in a turn, which also has a direct relationship to the rocker. All of these design elements need to work in unison. MORE VOLUME + + Small surf + + Early planing + + Good deflection for speed generation + + Good light wind performance STRAIGHTER NOSE + + A wide, square nose is powerful and maximizes the effective rail line + + Great for flat faced waves + + Good stability ADDING CHANNELS + + Often allows you to incorporate more curve into the outline without losing directional stability + + Can increase or decrease grip depending on the depth, shape and angle of the channels NARROWER + + More lively + + More pivoty feeling, good for small waves + + Tight turns QUADS + + Fast + + Drawn out carves + + Direct feel when engaged on the rail but less feedback through rail to rail transition TS-M PRO 1 + + Flexier + + Wide base for power and generating speed + + Allround fin + + With more release on smaller boards WIDER + + More drive + + Wider arcing turns + + More locked in THRUSTERS + + Direct, connected feel throughout transition + + Predictable + + Easy to find the release point TS-M PRO 2 + + Powerful, wider, more rake + + Powerful tip, more grip, drive and control + + For carving and staying connected to the face in bigger waves SINGLE CONCAVE + + Gives the board more rocker along the rail, which makes the board turn tighter when the rail is engaged POINTED NOSE + + Fits in the pocket of a steep wave + + Creates longer rail line for drawn out carves + + Less surface area catches less in critical sections DECK I’ve been developing the deck shape for some years now, removing volume from under the heel, making this a dug out area. It gives you a better sense of control over the board than a traditional domed deck with a lot of volume in the center and low volume near the rails. A domed deck tends to feel tippy and overly sensitive and you don’t have a lot of leverage over the board. The flatter the deck, the more leverage you have. So with digging out the heel-area, you get better control while still keeping the volume in the center of the board. This deck shape has the added benefits of creating a slight grab rail and increasing the overall strength of the board. FULL RAILS + + Small waves + + Speed generation + + Lively + + Buoyant MORE TUCK + + More control + + More grip LOW RAILS + + Control at speed + + Less sensitive to rider input + + More grip LESS TUCK + + More crisp and precise release + + More lively T R U E 55 T R U E 54 S U R F B O A R D S