Just two weeks before Surf Expo 2014 opened its doors to the public, it was purchased by Emerald Expositions – the same company that puts on Outdoor Retailer and Interbike. 2014 started off with big changes in the surf biz but for many brands, it was a time to go back to the roots. Forward technologies were complemented with classic looks while wood and cork replaced the extreme graphics that gave surf its reputation of revelry. Legends of surf, Bruce Brown, Robert August, Mike Hynson and Wingnut graced us with their presence while some brands just seemed to grow up.
If there’s one story to be told in the business of surf, it’s SUPs. At times, it seemed that there were more SUPs than there were surfboards. Surfboard manufacturers spoke of stubborn inventories while SUP brands couldn’t seem keep up with demand. Then there were the hybrids, fish boards, motor powered boards, rockered flatwater SUPs just in case of waves and other variations of traditional boards.
SURFBOARDS
…Lost
Today’s …Lost is much different from that of a decade ago – less debauchery, less crazy graphics, and less naked girls. What remains is the exemplary design work by Mayhem. Of particular mention this year is the new line of cork boards featuring a cork veneer over a carbon fiber deck, EPS core, and carbon fiber rails. These cork sticks provide good flex and a spongy feel while remaining ultra lightweight and strong. As for their recent domestication, managing director Steve Avery said “all brands need to mature and change.” So far, we like it.
Firewire TimberTek
It’s great to see veteran shapers jumping on with various new-ish technologies. Firewire teamed up with Tomo for many of their new boards while also debuting the “TimberTek” line – the strongest of their 2013/4 lineup that integrates unbreakable strength with their signature lightweight designs. The Paulownia wood frame provides a strong and aesthetically pleasing coating over the EPS core. If they ride as smooth as they look, we may have some new converts to the non-PU camp.
FINS
3D Fins
3D fins, a newer fin company out of Australia, creates dimple-textured sharkskin fins with technology based on Speedo’s Fastskin swimsuit concept. The short version goes like this: dimples mean less surface area meaning less drag. It’s the same reason why golfballs have all those chunks sliced off of them – less surface area means less air to drag on. It’s a great concept with some seemingly good results, yet with price points slightly above existing premium fins, it will be the serious experimenters who will appreciate any performance gains.
This feature was made possible with the help of Ryan, a freelance writer based in Long Beach, New York. He enjoys traveling, cold barrels and warm yerba mate. When he’s not shredding copious amounts of gnar, Ryan is likely hunched over a dying laptop in a poorly ventilated room grinding out obscure fiction and internet minutiae.
