“To surf free friction, or fin free, primarily forces the surfer back to the core. It is an act of homage to thousands of years of wave riding. It’s a return to an unpredictable wild side in a sea of conservatism. It is a test of composure in delivering the upper hand to nature. Most of all though it’s just a frontier feeling of being untethered and unguided that brings fun to the fore. And fun IS the key.”
Thanks for the quote and the pics! You done dropped a stoke bomb on us! Those pics are great. I’m bacheloring it this weekend…maybe I’m going to have to try to make me an alaia… I am inspired to try riding without fins.
Hey Dale, good to see you posting again! seems like I’ve seen one of those around at a Sways get-togther. Oh yeah, here it is. Lee V shaped this in '05, a bunch of crazy kids decorated it:
not trying to promote the site, but since i am unable to cut and paste some of the photos, check ijmcdesign.com go to galleries, the friends.first 5 or 6 photos are of alaia board surfing…i think you folks on this thread will appreciate them…
wow, that is one of the best photos i have seen in a long time. captures all the beauty and simplicity that, to me, is the best part of surfing. i guess “deceptive” simplicity is probably a better phrase, considering he’s doing that on a finless plank of wood, yet somehow making it look easy. no doubt, i’d be falling all over the place…but when the right surfer and the right wave meet up, man it’s a thing of beauty!
