Photo from this years Rip Curl Cup (Sunset Beach). More interested in the system rather than the fins. I don’t see round plugs or a gap under the fin. -Rob Olliges 
Looks to my eyes to be perhaps the slim crescent of an FCS plug barely visible above the lower (right) fin? The fins themselves look like maybe they are fiberglass. Then again my eyes aren’t as young as they once were.
Hard to tell, doesnt look like regular FCS plugs but the fins are almost certainly fiberglass.
Rob, That’s our old Excel logo. You know what the boxes look like. Laminated side fins and an injection molded trailer.
Looks like the OAM fin boxes
Slater surfing with a big red letter X on the deck of his board and Excel fins on the bottom. Coincidence? On the other hand, a lot of pro surfers have other shapers make them custom boards for specific breaks and events. I’d be curious to know if Merrick’s signature was on the stringer of that particular stick. There’s also the chance that he was just borrowing someone else’s board. Whodathunk that grown men would be so concerned with the type of fins popping out of some dude’s surfboard?
Well it does look like the old Excel fins which now are Red X. I believe that it is the Lock Box system. If you study the back fin box there is a side screw. Lock box has that and they have great fiberglass fins as well. I think their website is lokbox.com or somthing. Check it out I hear its a great system I just have never used them. -Mookie
Nope, I think I’d recognize my own design when I see it. I’m not sure if it’s an old favorite board from 01’ when were working on a deal or something newer. But, those are definitely our boxes and those are X-4 laminated fins with an X-1 trailer fin.
…It’s the early Excel label/Red-X fin systems as Tom stated,there is no other box that even comes close to looking like that,as well, I confirmed it by phone,Nuff Said.Herb
what do u mean herb…did u call slater on the phone?
Sling…you got the line and I dig it…
Board looks new. 
No wonder he didnt win this round.
Mr Fins, ill tell you right now it didnt have anything to do with his fins