Robin Kegel has a style unlike anyone else’s. That’s the way it should be, although it’s getting harder and harder to define your own. In Kegel’s case, it involves a bit of strangeness, but it works for him. He’s also a shaper, and just like Kegel, his boards are a bit strange–but, also like his surfing, they work. He’s got an interesting view on surfing, as well.
“Personally, I think classic longboarding has no future,” he said in an interview with Drift Surfing. “Just as shortboarding has no future. I’ll explain. When a surfer is ready to take off and moves to walk (and pose) there’s no wave function or setup dynamic. Just as shortboarding experienced decades ago, when the approach was to engage only in the end zone of the wave, to boost tricks. Modern surfing incorporates the full use of waves and functional direction change, harnessing power and poise. Pivot fin logs and concave noseriders don’t allow themselves to be set on the rail properly. They rely on drag. There’s no future in that, the best one can do on those is get a controlled noseride or dropknee cutback. It comes down to design = function = style.”
