Does anyone have any info on Bonzers? I saw an Eaton yesterday for the first time and it is sparking a lot of interest. What do you think and how do they respond?
Here’s the site for Cambell Brothers: http://www.bonzer5.com/ Mine rides very loose with zeroe slide in steeper faced waves. Red X is currently making a removable setup and Malcomb has provided us with a Fin Position Diagram for anyone using Red X and interested in making a Bonzer.
My bonzer egg by Rich Pavel is the fastest thing i have ever ridden. works best in fast lined up waves, but will pretty much handle all conditions. and, like tom said, they are very loose but with zero slide on steep waves… just amazing boards. PS: tom… i saw a few red-x bonzers at Moonlight the other day…lookin GOOD!!! -steve
I have two of Mike Eaton’s Bonzers, both longboards. They are very fast in fact I think they are the fastest board on the market. This is there down fall also. Most of the waves do not need a board that fast, but when you need the speed there is nothing like a Bonzer. They are also loose, for their size. Mike is one of the nicest guys out there also. I don’t think he is doing any surfboard shaping any more, but I think he still has a guy, name Joe, doing the surfboard shaping. Go to Mike web page for more information. He is in San Diego area.
I shaped a 7’0" Bonzer hybrid about 10 yrs. ago, that turned out to be one of the best boards I ever had. Instead of the the two keels with larger rear fin, or the 5 fin set up, I used a regular thruster fin configuration. I rode that board in all kinds of conditions from small mushy stuff, to juicy 6 ft. waves in Hawaii. I used the 70’s type deep concaves, with a bit more vee, with a square tail.
I have a 10’ Eaton Zinger (twin-fin bonzer) and a 6’8" Patagonia Rocket Sled 5 fin bonzer. I love the Zinger and I can’t seem to part with it even though it looks really beat up. The 5 fin is too small for me. I’d like to sell it - .
Hey, Kokua, there is a guy on your Island, his name is Ambrose Curry, he is working on the Bonzer type bottom. He only uses one fin on his and his concaves are realy deep. He was telling me that they work real good, and don’t have the tracking problem that some of the other bonzers have. I’m sure you know him great guy.
Bonzers Rule! i’ve been riding them for about 11 years now----and no matter what i try i always come back to the bonzer—i have a 8’5" point blank and a 7’8" campbell bros. both done in EPS and Epoxy-- they are bulletproof and super-fast —don’t like sloppy much, but then neither do i 
all in all, they are a real gem of the design world that most of the world missed out on…grow fins! support the revolution!
I must state my concurrence with the above opinions. I have used the bonzer concept in numerous design variations through the years. Definitely one of the premier breakthroughs of all time.
Please forgive my ignorance. I thought a bonzer was a five-finned board. But here I’m reading about twin-fin bonzers, single-fin bonzers, and bonzers with thruster set-ups. If 5 fins don’t make it a bonzer, what does? I apologize once again, I know this forum is for the educated, but I’ve learned a lot reading your guys’ posts. Some day I won’t have to ask so many stupid questions. Thanks.
Thank you everyone for posting, I have seen all types of tails, but mostly rounded pin, do you think a winged swallow would would take a tri fin double concave or would the winged side bites fight the whole bonzer flow idea? I would run two smaller fins on the side and a larger 7.5 centerfin.
wombat, the three fin thruster bonzers were very popular during the 80’s as they morhphed into the ‘modern’ single concave into two…my son rode one for about two years and really had a lot of fun in all conditions with it…I’m pretty sold on the rounded square tail 5-fin setup with medium depth double concave and small concaves between the two short keel fins on the sides-----I rode a 9 ft bonzer 5-fin once and was amazed with it’s speed and carve, nover owned one, at least not yet ;-)---------gota try the many ways of bonzer…if you can think of it , try it