The early 70’s Bonzers - from when I was a Bing guy - where the fastest boards I’ve ridden for pure down-the-line speed. They had fairly flat rockers nose to tail, and those deep venturis. They went straight really fast, but they were a bear to turn.
I remember thinking Terry Fitzgerald was the fastest guy I’d ever seen on a wave (maybe next to BK). His boards were really flat out the tail. I tried boards like Terry’s, and hated them.
There are many variables to tapping into the waves power zone, so I don’t think there is ONE answer. You may be able to identify the world’s fastest surfer (Roy?), but that wouldn’t insure that their board design is fastest. It would be how they managed the assets of the board on a particular wave, on a particular day.
You really need to consider the shape and size of the wave when looking for the magic “speed rocker”. There is no part of any wave I’ve ridden that was flat, so a totally flat board will drag. Conversely, too much rocker will push water and drag too. The power zone on some waves is high up the face. On others it can be down a bit further. If the wave rolls for awhile before it breaks, you can get in early and quick turns aren’t that important. If the wave jacks and you freefall on takeoff, you need some control to set an edge and get into place quickly.
I’ve always… OK not always, but since I started thinking about this… liked boards with a low entry rocker and more tail rocker… a continuous, and increasing rocker from nose to tail. If I need to make quick turns, I do it off the tail. Speeding down the line is off the nose. Because the rocker changes from nose to tail, I can play with my body english to find the right “fit” to the part of the wave I’m riding.
Another thing that seems to keep coming up (sorry) is whether you can go faster by going straight or by linking turns. My opinion is that you can generate more speed by turning than you can by glide. You can use the wave’s power band to whip you into a frenzy. We’ve probably beaten this subject to death.
The best shapers I know don’t pay such close attention to the numbers. They just know it when they see it. It’s the relationship between the template, the rocker, the bottom contours, the rails, the fins, the surfer, and the waves they’ll be riding. Wil Jobson can look at a board and tell you exactly what the numbers are. His eyes are that accurate. He doesn’t need tools to tell him what his eyes do. Jim Phillips said in another thread that he doesn’t measure rocker. Brewer measures at the nose and tail, and everything else is by feel. The advent of shaping machines and numeric controls allow us to accurately map the numbers, but in the end it’s how all the elements work together.
After 43 years, i can look at a board and know pretty closely how it will work for me. I don’t think about the numbers… I think about how it will fit to the organic surface I subject it to.
