Does anyone else remember the “football” fins some guys in Hawaii used to make? The base was pretty standard, narrowing at the neck with a fat (kind of football shaped) tip. Apparently designed for more area at the tip for better holding power. I think a larger version may have been used on windsurfers too.
I recently saw a pair of “football” sidebites. Made by Bobby Owens I think?
Like this? Not listed on Rainbow’s website. Looks interesting. Rob Olliges 
Thanks guys… that’s the idea. The “football” fin is very similar to the boomerang with a little more tip area. Any ideas on how it might work with a little concave on the flat side in the tip area? Rich, are you reading this?
Hi John, Oh Yeah, I’m reading it. I see where the football name comes from. It’s a pretty wild template – I have to say. The steep reverse leading edge looks like it’d slow things down a lot. The fin actually looks to me like it would be working agains itself – if that’s possible. Bird do a simlar thing with their wings when they want to stall and hover in for a soft landing in just the right spot. It would be anything but a speed fin IMHO. Mahalo, Rich
The forward sweep at the base was to eliminate ventilation down the lee (power) side of the fin. The theory was that ventilation couldn’t go forward against water flow. They were quite effective. There was also a fin called the fence fin which had “fences” that would stop ventilation. There were three forward swept fins as I remember, the football fin, the S fin and the boomerang which is pictured above. All three had the forward sweep at the base. The boomerang fin was designed originally by Harold Iggy. The football was the first. Can’t remember who designed that one.
Bird do a simlar thing with their wings when they want to stall and hover in > for a soft landing in just the right spot. It would be anything but a speed > fin IMHO. McCoy makes a similar fin called wing fins. www.mccoysurfboards.com Look under accessories and fins. regards, Håvard
i recall booby owens as being one of the proponents of the football fin-even in big sunset it supposedly worked great…
But Bobby Owens only used boomerang fins, not football fins.
I think I saw a center fin like that on Mark Foo’s board in the video that shows his last wave.
I guess that not a real good testament to the design, huh.
boomerang, football, i just remember it as being diiferent from the standard fin-odd looking and didn’t pay much attention to it.thanks for the correction…
that’s probably why he didn’t make that wave. the forward rake doesn’t allow the fin to shed the leash if it ends up in front of the fin (and it will, occasionally, slowing the board down ALOT). i quit using boomerangs, winged keels, anything with forward rake while using a leash on my board. got tired of eating s#*t on the wave of the day because my leash is wrapped around my fin. jim dunlop
Gee Jim, you may have something there. I never thought of that!
I really don’t know what happend to Mark Foo out there but the center fin was the odd looking one in the video. I would think that a leash or kelp would slide over the conventional side fins and the center fin as well(?) I have also seen “football” outlines (or something like it) used on fins with a slight rake without any forward curves that would catch stuff.
There were a number of factors going against Mark on that sad day in 94. It was his first session EVER at Mavs. He had just come in from a redeye flight from Hawaii. He was probably exhausted and unprepared for the cold norcal water. Prior to his death, he had repeatedly said that the best way to go would be to die riding a huge wave.
The Eaton Bonzers come with a forward rake fin. They also have side fins. I can tell you first hand that forward rake catches on everything. I call it a kelp catcher. I have 2 of the Eaton Bonzers great boards not a good fin for Santa Cruz though.