Mid-lengths are enjoying a bit of a moment in the spotlight right now. Maybe not just a moment, either — a lot of people are waking up to the fact that surfing is about fun, and whatever board floats your boat is the best one for you. So you’re not a pro surfer who can ride a board with the same volume as a piece of tissue paper? Maybe a mid is the way to go?
Hell, even a lot of professionals are espousing the benefits of a mid-length. Board makers are pumping them out. More and more surfers are adding a mid to the quiver. Like most boards, if you surf it long enough, you’ll figure out the intricacies of what you need to do to have the maximum amount of fun. And Firewire just dropped their latest mid-length, the Thunderbolt Mid6.
“Thunderbolt RED construction is light, durable, easy to push on rail,” says Kevin Schulz, a guy who generally surfs standard shortboards. “I think that as a shortboarder, Thunderbolt RED makes it easier to like longer boards.”
The Mid6 was designed by Harley Ingleby, a world longboard champion and connoisseur of boards of all shapes and sizes. He too is a fan of the Mid6, although as the designer, he might be a little biased.
“I freaking love it!” he exclaims. “Seeing Kevin blow up on the Mid6 is so rad and I’m so jealous he got to ride it at the Surf Ranch. I often get remarks that I turn the Mid6 so easily because I’ve thrown nine-foot-plus boards around my whole life. I’m a good 30 pounds heavier than Kevin and to see him jump on the Mid6 so easily is awesome. It just shows how well balanced and easy to ride this board is no matter your regular board dimensions or your size.”
