About the theory, the science, the technology, the history, old examples, new experiences etc.
Some of you may know that I have experimented with the Firewire cornice shape.
“Yes it still needs sanding has been filler coated for near 6 weeks now with moving house and the joys of work, it will be a mission to sand I know”
I have recently been talking with the guys at trinity board sports who worked with firewire to design the cornice.
Their own shortboard designs take the side cut designs to another level. I am always curious and really want to try to emulate something like it in the future, I know the sidecut thing is not completely new to surfboard design. Meyerhoffer surfboards have been doing it for a while in a myriad of ways, Ryan burch, mackie designs and a few other guys have been doing it in the back 1/3 of some fish shapes but these are… well, super cool, weird, out there, inspirational, (insert your thoughts here)
one thing they definately need is some footage of better surfers using their products, but to be honest i find that lack of “PRO” footage a little refreshing as its not a “total” marketing program.
have a look at the pics and some of the info on the link
There’s some stuff like that in the quiver archives that’s been there for years. Also a ride report, very favorable, in the “borrowed boards” series surfer mag ran awhile back (Lewis Samuels was the author IIRC).
Lewis Samuels wasn’t stoked on the shape but he was on a surf trip riding borrowed boards, didn’t bring his own. They gave him one of these, he paddled out and was pleasantly surprised, gave it a good review and I think there was even a pic of him riding it on a sizeable wave. I would give it a try if I had the chance. Unlike the tank no one asking for any money lol, them guys can be brutal!
In theory its outline borrows from water skies and snow boards in respect to the outline.
Its outline becomes more relivent when turning on a flat surface of a snow slope or the flat water of a lake being towed behind a boat.
In retrospect the outline of a surfboard is curved like the spiraling surface of the wave face and the fin will keep it streight and controlled.
Myhofer, a Swedish industry designer used the same principle. He claimed it as a new concept.
If the concept really did work for surfboards you would still see the myhofer in board shops, they were a bit of a fad for a while and all that had one dont ride them anymore.
The original Hawaiian alaya had a simular shape to create drag in the tail to keep the board runing streight, remembering the old hawaiians didnt get the boards into trim on the wave face they just streight lined.
Tom blake made the first curved outlined boards that ran well egnough for the wave face he still found they slid out so he bent up a steel hoop to create more drag and atatched it on the back.
But then again this might all be wrong and an Australian probably thought of everything thats practical on this planet and they probably always will as usual.
Just like the Olympics the Australian’s win more medals in comparison to population of there country because they are fantastic at everything.
Popular with indo locals right now. They shred. After writing them off I saw this and changed my mind on them.
Trend transmitted to local connected visitors. Are more successful company than appears in the West.
I’d love to try… Skeptical the theory really works and that it’s better than the same profile inverted… Straight rails really doing the effect?
Look like a square wheel to me.
The videos look meh.
The comment above about Lewis Samuels is the only positive thing I have seen about the design. The guy can surf and he is nothing if not brutally honest… still, I wonder if he would have rather been on one of his own boards.
“Square wheel.” Good description. I always thought these type of boards were to be taken in good humor or humor in bad taste not seriously as a design progression. Personally, I think they are fugly, but I hope my opinion won’t prevent anyone from walking this path. Can anyone explain the theory on why breaking the rail line in front of the midpoint and then again behind center would be an improvement? Looks like a ‘rail digger’ to me. Talented surfers can make just about anything look ridable. Mike
Well yeah he would have rather been on one of his own boards, that was kinda the idea, a surf trip without bringing his own boards. Break out of the rut and force himself into unfamiliar situations.
the series was fresh and insightful, the best thing surfer mag had going at the time, although it got low billing, the pics were like postage stamp size IIRC.
maybe someone could dig it up, wasn’t that long ago, a couple years at the most.
i don’t think the “flat surface” thing is too accurate. snowboards and skis deal w/ all kinds of shaped terrain. additionally a bottom turn is often in “flat/level” water beneath the wave.
Picturs of the progression from first photo center board with hour glass or inwardly curved rail line of the hawaiians to helb drag to make the board travle streight and minimize pirouette factor. Then to the boards built to hold trim that had outward curved rail line to fit the spiraling shape of the wave so the surfer could easily ride th clean wave face. The photo of the metal hoop to stop the board sliding sideways, the fin was added to the design a good 10 years later.
Without spliting hairs.
Its well documented why the craft / snowboards /snow skies /water skies / the Hawaiian alaia all have that simular shape.
The point your making is a bit of a stretch
why is it a stretch? snow skis have side cut, water skis don’t, right? they’re fat up front and taper toward the rear but don’t flare out. i truly believe a high speed bottom turn is extremely similar to turning on a snowboard.
clearly the sidecut design must not be great or it would have its place in the sport. maybe rails dig too much or there’s TOO much response considering our boards are much much wider than a ski/snowboard. if you’ve skied or snowboarded, you know how much a good flex and side cut can RAIL a turn. why couldn’t it be possible on a wave too? dan mann’s (sp?) cornice board seems to use the best of both surf and snow worlds (but i have no idea if it surfs very well).
regardless of any of these arguments, the “looks like a penis” argument wins, hands down : )
The photo of the center board is a diferent example to the boards you originally put up an example to your line of query. the rail is more straightened out on the middle photo of the more traditional fish example with sole purpose to create speed, .it dose appear to be an inward curve like the first examples you posted.but its a bit of an optical illusion, the other two are closer to the oridginal examples but diferent in other ways.
The other two boards are hip tailed and thats somthing diferent again however as you mention "They’re using the same concept just in a smaller section of the board?.
The purpose of a hip tail is more rail penetration of the wave to inhance responce on turns, it dose also slow the board down when its runing streight. Hip tails work fantastic on a longer board 9’ pluss. In my opinion a hip tail on a short board is a bit unnecessary and overkill ( not that ive tried it , you do it and let me know how its diferant to that yellow board you made.( nice curve on that one).
