Table of contents for 2018 annual in Tracks

Each year the Tracks Ride Guide sets out to deliver honest and informed insights into a range of crafts that reflect the current state of surfboard evolution. The key elements in this quest are good surfers who can also articulate clearly on board performance, cutting edge boards (including modernised retro shapes) and a setting that offers quality waves and diverse testing conditions. This year, the Tracks team opted for a return to Indonesia. Three natural footers – Jackson Baker, Sheldon Simkus, and Chris Friend – tested 17 of the finest crafts from some of the best board builders across the country. This year’s assembly of boards reflected the diversity of the modern quiver and included classic Indo tube shooters, performance all-rounders and a handful of twinnies. If you were planning…

Shaper’s Comments The Squirter has 4 concaves running nose to tail all built into one big concave with a small release vee out the pod. There is a lot of bight going on, which could prove in time to be an alternative to tail channels… perhaps. One other point of difference is that this is a PU blank glassed with epoxy resin and a 4x4x4 Diagonal glass, both adding extra flex and lateral strength. Surprisingly light for a PU core as well. First Impressions This board wins “most intriguing award of the trip”. I’ve been a fan of Murray Bourton’s boards for well over a decade, having ordered a handful over the years, so was excited to pick up his latest experiment, the Squirter. The standard elements of the board…

Surf guiding is a unique line of work. You live in paradise, you enjoy a copious amount of waves and you become a weathered soul who understands winds and swell directions better than anyone. And it attracts a unique breed of person. The RLZ guide we were paired up with was touted the ‘All Australian Pyscho’. Leigh Bailey, a surfer from Coffs Harbour, ended up at Resort Latitude Zero after life as a global drifter, floating from the snow, to Mexico, US, Canada, and Bali. He sports a blonde bowl cut, 1950s style white shades, and a frame covered in random tattoos. Each tattoo speaks a tale of a different part of the world, a job he’s taken up for cash, and a series of anecdotes that had the surfers…

Shaper’s Comments Designed for 4ft plus waves and good all-round performance in the right conditions. It will light up in good quality, punchy waves. Features late nose and tail flip with mid-range paddle. Should have loads of drive and hold in tough going situations, maintain a good line in the barrel yet be responsive on the open face. Should have a good strength to weight ratio. First Impressions When the Gravelle emerged from the board bag, I had visions of stroking in deep and gliding over foamballs in cavernous 6-8 foot Indo waves. It’s a meat-and-vegies step-up, a touch heavier-glass job than my standard step up, which makes it feel like the strong, ultimate tube pig. I’d felt excited to ride this board in some of the more solid/ steep…

Shaper’s Comments Our Balinese team rider Lempog Jackson and MH have been fine-tuning this model for 3 years. Lempog surfs good waves (home-break Keramas) he’s super powerful and wanted a board to surf hard and tight in the pocket plus hold in for big carving turns. The board features a single concave starting forward going extreme through the centre and tail. The extra tail lift helps jamming in the pocket, the extra concave compensates with the tail rocker to help hold the board on rail with speed. The medium boxy rail enables the surfer to push as hard as possible without catching. The foiled out tail helps maintain speed through turns without skipping out. First Impressions The board feels great under the arm: knifey low-boxy rails, a nice performance outline…

Shaper’s Comments The #77 was designed by Marcio Zouvi at the request of Filipe Toledo to attempt to create the fastest board he had ever ridden. With a deep single concave and clean outline, the results have spoken for themselves with Filipe riding the #77 in back-to-back J-Bay victories. The #77 is designed for surfers looking to push their performance to the limit; ideal for steep, drivey waves and long winding points. A must have in any surfer’s Indo quiver. First Impressions I was immediately taken when I first picked up the Sharp Eye. It’s your dream high performance board for good waves: great outline, mid rails, nice and curvy, as well as feeling nice and light. You can’t help but visualise Filipe Toledo riding a board like this at…

Shaper’s Comments The streamline twin has been a work in progress over the last few years, it’s a pretty good blend of a traditional twin fin with some progressive and modern touches. I wanted a twin fin that was versatile enough so that anyone from guys/girls on shortboards to people on traditional fishes and alternative boards could jump on it and have as much fun as possible, but still surf how they want. First Impressions At a glance, the STNDRD looks like a traditional twin-fin: short, flat rocker, thick, hard-edge rails, open bat-swallow: however it’s got the feeling of a brand-spanking high performance board: light and sparky. It looks like you can take it easy, cruise down the line and enjoy the flow of the twin, yet the lightness gives…

Shaper’s Comments The WINGTWIN is based on Xanadu’s late 70s twin fin template. The mixture of a 70s outline combined with a post modern rocker design make this board magic. The board has a vee bottom flowing into double concave vee out the back. It works well for classic 70s twin fin style surfing and goes super fast down the line. After riding the WINGTWIN, your tri fin will feel like it drags seaweed! First Impressions I’d describe this board as a present I’d want from my girlfriend right before summer. It feels like the ultimate bundle of fun. Super flat, short, thick, rolled rails, and twin fin boxes close to a bat wing tail. It feels exactly like a twin fin should. With the extra volume, you get the…

“The board is a 9’5” single-fin noserider shaped by Kevin Connelly for Gordon and Smith USA. It’s based off the G&S Hoverkraft model, and we made some tweaks to suit my style. It’s a perfect all rounder, and I’ve been able to ride it in a wide variety of conditions all around the world!” “In late 2012, I was ordering a new board from Kevin, and we were joking around with some funny ideas. I suggested a watermelon, and we both laughed for a second, before realising it could actually turn into something cool. The first one was finished in 2013, and instantly it got a lot of attention wherever I surfed. We ended up making another one in 2014. Then, right before I left for my travels to Australia,…

“Hydro-foiling really is my new love in surfing. It’s got all the hallmarks of good romance. Desire, forbidden lust, rejection, complexity, simplicity, and of course the thrill of the hunt. To continue this lewd extended analogy; my surfing libido when foiling goes through the roof, to the point of unreasonable greed. I’m so adrenalised, stimulated, and excited I don’t know when enough’s, enough. In this elevated, adrenalised state, it’s hard to be conscious of my limits and stay aware of how my body is feeling. I regularly overdo it to the point of exhaustion.” “Foiling is physically and cognitively the most demanding sport that I personally know. My right hand thigh – back foot leg – is 7.5cm in diameter thicker then my left. A direct result of pumping my…

“Hands down the most technical barrel of my life!!!” So says Hawaii’s Jamie O’Brien, a man who has ridden more barrels – technical and otherwise – than just about anyone. He’s describing a remarkable wave from earlier this year in which he negotiates a crazy-deep Tahitian barrel while perched cat-like on the nose of a nine-foot Catch Surf Foamie. He somehow makes the barrel in a high line which he manages to handle with a beautiful controlled tail slide. Whatever your feelings are for longboards or softboards – it’s hard to deny this is brazen and skilful surfing of the highest order. The feat went viral and elicited over 1,600 astonished comments when it dropped on Instagram. The board in question is a 9-foot Odysealog model by Catch Surf. O’Brien…

“The beauty of hydro-foiling and what I love most about it is that it opens up an entire new realm of places to go surfing. You don’t need to go to a crowded break – in fact you don’t even need a good wave to go hydro-foiling. It’s about finding new waves that have never been ridden and making the most of the conditions you have,” says Hawaiian waterman, Kai Lenny. In our increasingly crowded line-ups that’s a big advantage. Hydro-foils work in everything from tiddly beach breaks to big Jaws to unbroken open ocean swells. Skilled riders – and none are better than Kai Lenny – can ride continuously, flicking off a wave and pumping furiously out the back and onto the next swell. Lenny’s record is 11 waves…

1. Sheldon Simkus Age: 21 Resides: Snapper Rocks Sheldon’s approach to surfing (and life) is best likened to his second favourite pastime: golf. He takes his time in teeing up sections, he’s considered in his manoeuvre selection, and he draws clean, fast, and exciting lines. Sheldon’s been taking off behind the rock at Snapper for years; evidenced through his comfort in sitting far behind the peak at the famous Telo’s right barrel, Ranga’s. More recently, he’s emerged as a modern half-WQS up-and-comer, half-surf trip gypsy, who is more than comfortable with lengthy stints in Indo. At the conclusion of our trip, as Jackson and Chris were ready to retreat to the comforts of Australia, Sheldon made a last-minute decision to head north-west to Nias, to continue a pursuit of the…

Shaper’s Comments This board is designed for good waves – 2 to 6 feet – it has a fuller rocker to allow tighter performance surfing and a single concave for the drive speed. It loves powerful rail surfing and has hold when you need it and can be surfed loose and tight. First Impressions This board was spot-on for my normal performance board volume, dimensions, and weight. It was a sparky-feeling 5’10, performance outline with a swallow tail, feeling like the sort of board I’d takewith me on the WQS, or ride on an average afternoon at Merewether. It had a slightly flatter curve, meaning I’d get enough speed in fatter, smaller conditions, yet a touch of tail lift indicated it’d work in up to 4-5 foot. With a name…

Shaper’s Comments The SuperCell is a performance based shortboard. We have refined the rail a touch this year to give a more sensitive ride, this combined with the concave moved forward a touch to increase drive and down the line speed. Ideally suited to fast, winding barrels and groomed reefs, the SuperCell is a high performance modern shortboard designed for in the pocket surfing. DMS BIOWRAP construction has very similar performance characteristics as the current patented CARBON WRAP technology. The construction method is the same, however the BIOWRAP variation uses materials that perform in a similar manner with a substantial reduction in environmental impact. First Impressions When I first picked up this board; it gave me a feeling that I wanted to ride it instantly. It was in my exact…

Shaper’s Comments The Swing model was designed working alongside our team surfer, Danny Wills. He wanted to surf his regular performance model, The Inferno, an inch or so shorter without sacrificing any speed or drive. With this brief in mind, I widened the nose so the board would feel longer and I increased the volume through the centre. With more curve between your feet, combined with a medium single concave this is a fast, responsive board that loves fun, small-to-medium surf. It is also available in a rounded square or swallow tail First Impressions I really liked the feel of the Swing. It was a touch shorter, with added width and a touch more volume, nice forgiving flatter curve, with a touch of tail lift and a thumb tail. It…

Shaper’s Comments All my boards are hand shapes... meaning from scratch. So, when the discussion of litreage comes up I can estimate fairly well but it strikes me as a strange way to look at a board. The main thing I like to do with those litres is spread them as evenly as I can so that boards have as large a sweet spot as possible. So they enter early, and with ease, and the options are as varied as possible, and the rider rides how their body mechanics dictate. I love watching surfing when it’s not forced and it just happens. Boards which have their own natural glide-speed too, that’s an important ingredient in anyone’s day, the feeling of effortless speed. They are all PU and made with care,…

Shaper’s Comments The Cymatic is a forward-thinking approach to high performance design, capturing the essence of traditional speed and flow with new school above the lip attack capability. The Cymatic features an ultra-short, parallel plan shape, a cut off thumb nose, plus double bat tail, comboed up with Tomo’s trademark (QISC) quad inside single concave. Expect effortless speed off the mark and instantaneous top to bottom response with remarkable control. It has an amazing lift and hold sensation created by the unique hull design which contributes to a ‘skate like’ feel of pop out of the lip. First Impressions The Slater Designs board is a sensory overload. Having never ridden one, and it being so different from my standard shortboard, I was struggling to comprehend how the various elements come…

Shaper’s Comments This model is ideal for intermediate to advance surfers due to the surfboard being designed for bigger waves, tube riding, and driving / carving moves. It has a slightly fuller nose to give you better paddle power and the ability to carve, while still retaining a High Perf’ outline. The rounded-pin-tail gives you superior holding power in the tube and grip through high speed bottom turns and driving cut backs. First Impressions My first impression is that this is designed for more solid conditions, or for a surfer who likes a bit more volume and width than a normal step-up. It has a nice outline, but with added width to make it a bit more forgiving: easier to stroke into the wave, and less ‘pinny’ and stiff when…

Of all the things you could quite correctly accuse the modern incarnation of Byron Bay of being, boring is certainly not one of them. Originally a no-nonsense blue collar town full of abattoir workers, farmers and whalers, Byron forever changed in the late 60s and early 70s after it was forcibly injected with a radically charged rainbow soup of diversity. Surfers discovered the waves, hippies and artists discovered the hills, and money discovered the rest of Australia’s desire for the area’s natural beauty. And there it sits today, a bubbling cauldron of contrary souls, simmering away for the last 40 plus years on the Queensland / NSW border. A metropolis worth of different lifestyles and beliefs crammed together in one tiny NSW coastal town. The local Arakwal people had it…

“I first started shaping about seven years ago, learning from friends. Although it can be quite solitary I fell in love with the conversations and interactions I had in the shaping bay, both with myself and others.” “This one is pretty heavily influenced by a late 60s/70s design I saw in ‘Fantastic Plastic Machine’. Wide point back, rolled and a ton of Vee. A mid-length transition out of a long board. I think there is definitely a lost era in board design when surfboards went from long to short. There is definitely function in a mid-length.” “The first boards you make you’re just happy to be sitting out the back on something you have made, and then it builds from there.” “You’ve got to be a sponge in regards to…

Nothing drastic happened to the surfboard in twenty eighteen. There wasn’t a design breakthrough. The masses didn’t adopt a new material. Kelly didn’t turn up to events with a seven-finner or some other left-field experiment. Retro enthusiasts continued their 70s fetish but seemed out of old designs to upcycle. Derek Hynd and his finless followers kept sliding and spinning but again nothing new to report. Big wave boards stayed big, heavy and spear-like. The green board remained elusive. The average surfer still gamely strode out of a surf shop clutching a hifi thruster expertly designed for someone else. And yet there was still a stack of boards that rocked our socks as well as subtle shifts in the surfboard’s continuous evolution. Shifts which may prove more substantial in time. Let’s…

There were some heroic ocean swells ridden in 2018 but it will also be remembered for the WSL’s much hyped debut in manmade waves. While the Surf Ranch event had its fair share of passionate detractors it was still an intriguing glimpse into the not-too-distant future. There are a bunch of wave pools under construction currently and they all claim to be better than Kelly’s tub. What this brave new world will mean for surfboards is not yet clear but if you’re looking for clues – Kelly Slater seems a good place to start. No elite surfer has put in more time surfing mechanical waves than the Surf Ranch proprietor. According to Firewire’s Global Marketing Manager Travis Lee, Slats has tried loads of different boards at the Ranch and thus…

Josh Kerr has had a spring in his step and a glint in his eye all year. Liberated from the restrictive discipline of World Tour competition he’s enjoying the freedom to ride whatever he wants however he wants. Kerrzy has never slotted neatly into the WSL production line. He made his name (and won a world title) as a skate-influenced air specialist, then shocked us all by winning a big wave event at Todos Santos while still on tour. Lately he’s been riding twin fins and quads with modern touches so that he can draw classic lines while remaining high performance. It’s working. He took out the twin fin division of the Four Seasons Resorts Maldives Champions at pumping Sultans this year, with a fine display of neo-retro blazing. Then…

Shaper’s Comments Overall a high performance surfboard. Derived from my original high performance CB1 model and tuned to Leo Fioravanti’s surfing style. Suits powerful rail surfing and tricks in most types of waves, but excels in good surf. Ample drive and hold. For good surfers with average to very high ability. First Impressions The name of this board says everything; “The One”. I immediately loved this board, and could have adopted it as a single board quiver. When you put it under your arm, you get the sense that it’s the only board you’d ever need: would be the ultimate small wave board, mid-size board, and something you’d be happy to ride in barrelling 4-6 foot Hossegor, where Christiaan Bradley shapes. It’s a bread-and-butter all rounder shorty, as good as…

Shaper’s Comments A free flowing and smooth surfing twin fin option for quality waves. The rocker is low for down the line speed and the single flyer provides a release point for off the top. The rounded pin tail engages more rail to give a smooth transition from rail to rail and hold through turns. This board can be ridden in a variety of conditions from small fun days right through to critical hollow surf in the six feet range. First Impressions It’s a very interesting board: a short stumpy nose, rounded pin with some small hips near the tail, and twin fin boxes placed close to the tail. It’s more refined for a twinny: lower rails and slightly thinner, meaning it doesn’t feel like it’d float high above the…

Shaper’s Comments I made this board with the wide point forward and a drawn in tail to give it drive and get it up into the lip faster. I used a channel system I helped develop in the early 80s and have re-energised it into a concave system to get it on rail and to give it zip in clean, textured waves. First Impressions With a late 90s themed flames-spray, classic channels, and an 80s style logo set up on the nose, this board demanded attention. And rightly so, it was an intriguing high performance board, blended with some elements from years past. I was immediately drawn to this board; it just looked like a lot of fun. The outline looked forgiving and rippable, with chunkier-boxy rails, four channels, and…

When you’re a kid, your perfect wave probably looks something like this: crystal clear water, soft sand, and 4 foot peaks, breaking right on the shore. At the southern tip of the Telos chain lies one of the most stunning beach breaks on the planet. It’s almost like it’s fake, it’s that perfect. We paddled out and were screaming with joy before we’d even caught a wave. For the next two hours we traded wave after wave on the long stretch of barrelling A-frame peaks. The session had echoes of Sth Straddie on a classic day and we were still hooting with euphoria as we rode our last waves. It’s truly one of those experiences you’ll hold on to for life, the perfection of Indonesia can extend to not only…

Shaper’s Comments (Alex Cruise) The Monster is a fun small wave hybrid that goes in just about everything but mainly designed towards everyday beach break conditions. It’s a board that the average punter can paddle out on, catch 100 waves and have a ball! Or the more advanced surfer can use as their stubby / wider fun board. The Surfer can expect a fun & sparky board that has a great amount of speed and carry. Designer’s Comment Thinking ethically doesn’t mean we don’t care about technology and performance. It’s the other way around. Manufactured natural fibres bring more flexibility as well a strong dynamic. Flax fibre is 100% natural and renewable. NOTOX flax compiles of two textile labels: Oeko-Tex standard 100 and GOTS. Plant based epoxy resin is strong…

On the first day in the Telos we passed by one of the largest vessels I’d ever seen. It was so significant that the Indies Trader 5 parked next to it looked like a petite tug boat. A chopper rested on its roof. I enquired as to who its guest was, and was stunned to learn it was Google co-founder and billionaire, Larry Page. Yes, “THE” Larry Page, a darling of Silicon Valley, who goes kite surfing with Richard Branson, and can demand a one-on-one with Trump to discuss data privacy, and his wife, computer science PHD Lucinda Southworth. Each day, you’d see a raging speed boat burning from break to break, with the wife wanting to get in the water and surf with her harem of young strapping surf…

Shaper’s Comments Clay Marzo is probably the maddest cat we know. His signature model – dubbed the Mad Cat – features all the elements that allow him to go Ham on just about everything from waist high slop to double overhead perfection, from deep pits to mind-bending rotations. With extra width in the nose for paddling power and nose pick recoveries, full, boxy rails to match his power, and a pulled in, rounded square tail to keep things quick and tight, the Mad Cat is Clay’s ideal sled and will most likely be yours. All the features that make this board perfect for Clay’s mad, raw style also make it forgiving, easy to paddle, and ultra smooth in rail-to-rail transitions. First Impressions I loved the feeling of this board. My…

“It’s 11’3” x 23 1/2” x 3 5/8” fully hand shaped by Bob McTavish. I’ve been working with Bob on trimmers over the past few years, this one is the latest creation. He made a huge boat for a friend, which I rode and loved but it was just too big. I literally put my back out carrying it and couldn’t surf for a month. Bob got the template from that board, shrunk it down, pinched the rails a little and created the craft you see here.” “I love the outline and foil, so nice and clean for such a big board. Also I was lucky enough to be there when Bob shaped it. I watched him make a crude template from the original, just like they did back in…

“This is a Matty Yeates Zephyr finless model. He had made me a few single fins prior to this board, which are amazing, but we thought it was time I got on a Zephyr to explore new realms and possibilities! The Zephyr is surreal to ride at times feeling as though you lift and hover above the water with free friction acceleration. Something that I have never experienced on a finned board.” “It looked like the closest thing to a magic carpet ride and broke all the rules of conventional lines on a wave. The quest for zero point (((^)))” “I think people in the area are more open to experimenting on all these different boards than most places because there are more weedians and void seekers!” “Matty and I…

Elsewhere in this issue Josh Kerr will question the logic behind buying a pro model board if you’re not a pro preparing for elite competition. He’s right of course - the two are not always compatible. That said there’s an undeniable aura of success emanating from great surfers and the boards they ride. It lights a fire in the imagination. You want to pick them up (the boards, not the surfers), weigh them in your hands and dream of the places they might take you. And right now, the most magical surfer of them all is Ubatuba hot rat, Felipe Toldeo. Sure, he still has room to improve in big waves but in small to medium surf he is an absolute monster. Super-fast, explosive on rail, dynamite in the barrel…

Before he used it to ride one of the biggest barrels of all time, Ramon’s tow board was gathering dust, sitting at home like a museum piece, unused for five or six years. Tow surfing itself has been in a low ebb after it peaked in a cloud of fumes and testosterone in the naughties. Arm-chair critics claimed it was too easy. Big wave purists like Shane Dorian showed us that impossible-to-paddle waves like Jaws and Nazare could in fact be paddled. Then came the Cape Fear 2016 and vivid proof that no amount of arm power will get you into a twelve-foot slab at Solander. Even if your name’s Russell Bierke. When Chilean Ramon Navarro flew to Fiji in May to intercept the swell of the decade he expected…

One reason surfboards from the 70s and 80s are so collectable is that many had mad spray jobs that made them individual art pieces. The top pros of the day had signature designs that helped define their style: Curren and his rail stripes, Pottz and his fluoro patterns, Gerry Lopez’s Lighting Bolts and who can forget all the wonderful creations Marty Worthington did for the likes of Mark Richards and Terry Fitzgerald. Today on-trend youngsters are sporting jet black boards – a craze started by American Warren Smith but made popular by Dion Agius. “I usually spray the whole thing black so there’s really no artistic skill involved. A four-year-old could do it and it would look exactly the same,” Dion told ‘Stab’ recently. Finding modern boards with finely detailed…