Lee ? Have you ridden one of these ?
anyone else ?
…how did / do they go as a BACK fin ?
[I wouldn’t mind making it as just a SINGLE fin.]
ben
I just got something like that in return for a ding repair. I was wondering the same thing. This one says “Concrete Wave West Germany”
Hi Ben…
Of course, first came out in the windsurf world in 1984, that was first gen, making the turns drawn and smooth, holding spinout to a minimum, but flexing and stress fracturing the narrow base.
Second gen was a football shaped bulb atop the narrow base. It too stressed the narrow base, but was sharper turning and allowed snappy turns.
Previous to that idea, fence fins were in, with little 1" wings situated 4" and 7" from the base. They worked too, but of course, increased drag, just like the football fins.
After this idea, slotted fins were the vogue, and just before slots, after football fins, were dual parallel full length fins.
Now it’s just a well foiled surfing single fin, similar to longboards.
Nice history lesson Lee. Quality foil did replace all these unique ideas on how to eliminate or reduce the effect of ventilation. Also brought speeds up through reduced drag.
thanks Lee and Greg !
…did you ever use them on surfboards ?
Very interesting seeing this fin, I had never seen this before.
I have a similar design that a lot of people on Kauai have been using it is more racked with the head more parallel to the bottom of the board. It is a derivative of a different design that I have which I use on all my boards, from short boards to big guns.
Attached is a picture of the Hammer Fin, which is what I call them.
All I can say about this style of fin is that they work unreal!
you can get away with a small fin and they have a lot of drive and due to the amount of rack they are very pivoty as you can push the base very far forward. As thruster sets they work unreal.
Of course you would not want to take these fins anywhere near any kelp!
–Robin
Oops the picture did not show up inline, so I have atached it instead, sorry about that!
–Robin
" …holy smoking anvil fins , Robin ! "
batman
[thanks for the feedback …I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T-I-N-G !!!]
Hammer fin is 2nd gen windsurf, the football atop the narrow base idea.
Didn’t try them on surfboards myself, but some buds did. I never rode logs or funboards in the old days, and most single fins need smaller fins.
Lee,
Did you ever use the Cheyne Horan Star Fin in a sailboard. I used to race slalom with it. I could out point everyone by about 15º. Just ate everyone up on tight reaches.
These are some friggin sweet fins guys
robin
do make those fins or where do you buy them and how do the work on sigle fins
Yes, you were the famous EC epoxy/styro maker after Gary Efferding (dates me).
All our slalom was 8 ball downwind, so only downwind sailing.
Naturally, winds hardly ever cooperated, so easily 6 out of 8 events were windless from year’s '85-89. Just too much hot air on the beach!
Generally we had downwinds for slalom as well but there are always shifts during the day which could make some legs tight. With that fin it was funny. We’d be half way to the mark and I’d be 30-40 yards above them. Second half of the leg I’d be in full broad reach while the rest of the pack were pinching as hard as they could to lay the mark. Amazing how much lift that thing could create. Ben Lexan was a genius. That was about the time everyone was using football fins. Later on I used Rick Caldwell’s Race Tech fins. First guy I saw to use JUST foil to eliminate spin out. To bad there was never a way to get all that hot air onto the course.
Hi Chano:
Yes! I do make them, well I have them made for me by Fibre Glas Fin Co. I have quite a few people that like riding them as single fins, although the vast majority use them in a 2+1 setup, which is how I personally use them. I couple them with side bites that are the design from which this one was derived.
I have attached a picture of the other design for your interest.
If you are interested in trying them let me know.
–Robin
Yeah, some good and some not so good memories…
You were a legend, too bad you decided windsurfing wasn’t the call for the EastCoast. Who knows what might have happenned with the evolution of windsurf boards if you stuck with it past '94.
But pro surfers being what they are, you really did have the decision to make all for and by yourself.
Glad you stuck with surfing, hate to see all the legends die young.
Pretty much gave up by 91. Enjoyed a great 10 years of new challenges and people. Learned a hell of a lot… a lot of what’s being discussed here today. But surfings like that first love you never quite get over … and for me windsurfing was an extension of surfing. Loved wave sailing too, just wasn’t enough of that in FL. In the end I just got tired of going back and forth in the river. So now onto the next extension of surfing… on mountains… well next winter. Right now it’s back to the beach. We may get older but it doesn’t get any less fun.
Yeah, it’s all good stuff.
I gets lots of flak because most peeps think I’m a know it all blowhard.
Naturally, I spent my 500 days skiiing, my 220 days snowboarding, and surfed pretty much 5 days a week for 10 years, including windsurfing for 22 years over 80 days per, and kitesurfing 60 days.
Lots of good things to do, including tennis (almost qualified for a pro tournament in '79), roadracing, waterski jumping, and the list goes on.
Life can be good, if you keep your options open.
Good luck in whatever you do, and have a fun time doing it.
I’ve had more than my fair share of fun, obviously you too. Used to get paid for touring skate parks in the 70’s, did the pro surfing thing, pro windsurfing (I won a couple but wasn’t competitive with the real good guys), slalom water skiing, semi pro baseball (lousy hitter, decent in the field but could run… hit 600 at one tournament… never got the ball out of the infield), now snowboarding… gee, what a blast. No one should be able to live like us… or everyone should.
Everyone should…
I can’t make the slalom course full line, but average about 110’ in my jumps off a 5’ ramp. Just never practiced slalom, and was the full time waterer and maintainance guy for the jump ramp.
Fun IS better than no fun, don’t forget to try hard boots and race boards while snowboarding.
I’ve heard about hard boots… next winter. Tomorrows the last day in AZ. 450 inches this year in Flag… not bad…