News Surfboards Sneak Peeks Buyers Guide

Slater Designs surfboards the inside track

Slater Designs surfboards are the new range of boards from Kelly Slater and Firewire surfboards.

Kelly bought into Firewire back in February 2015, and Slater Designs will use of some of the already existing Firewire technology, namely LFT (Linear Flex Technology) and FST (Future Shapes Technology) in the production of Slater Designs surfboards. Firewire began using entropy bio-resins in its boards a couple of years ago, which for Slater has been one of the key aspects in his decision to get involved with the business. Slater Designs will incorporate these sustainable practices and all boards will be certified by SustainableSurf.org as “EcoBoards.”

Firewire LFT and FST tech

Kelly also bought in Travis Lee, the driving force at Channel Islands surfboards and his long time right-hand man during his time there to develop his new shapes under the new label.

The first 3 Slater Designs boards will be Sci-Phi, Omni and the Banana

First up is The Sci-Phi (or Sci-Fi) shaped by Daniel Thomson, Kelly’s original dimensions were 5'10''x 18 3/8''x 2 1/4'' (25.8 litres), then The Omni surfboard shaped by Daniel Thomson original dimensions were 5'3''x 18 3/4''x 2 5/16'' (24.8 litres) and last and quite possibly least The Banana board shaped by Greg Webber,  original dimensions  5'10''x 18 3/8''x 2 1/4'' (25.8 litres). All these models will be available in a comprehensive size range:

Lets have a look at each board in turn and see what they’re all about: 

Firewire Slater Design boards

*KS quotes and images courtesy of Surfer mag. 

First up the Sci-Phi (Far left), Kelly says:

“The Sci-Phi is a board that has an inverted round tail curve. If you take those lines, cut and invert them, they form this bat tail of sorts. It's a throwback to a board I had as a kid in that way. This tail has tons of area and a relatively flat rocker that helps with lift and planing. The tail and bottom curves give a nice lift and bite but also allow a very maneuverable board with good control. I like the quad version for such a large area but the Thruster has a great feel here also. Maybe I'll try it as a twin fin. Any other reasons you picked this board? When Tomo and I started surfing his boards together, this one really stuck out to me and so we tuned it in for what seemed unique and performed well. It looks like a novelty idea but once you ride a wave it's clear it's anything but that”.

This is a board designed for small to medium waves, it has a flat low entry rocker and wide bat tail so it’s going to carry speed through the flatter/fatter sections of the wave and you won’t find it getting bogged down. It will paddle well and help with catching weaker waves through the flatter rocker. As always some of you will only ride it in smaller conditions but as with the Firewire Evo you will see people pushing the limits and surfing it in exotic locations where you wouldn’t necessarily make it you board of choice. That’s the great thing about these new shaped boards, you can draw your own conclusions and find out what works for you and surf it accordingly.

 Next we have the Omni (Middle), which is going to be the best seller for sure, here’s KS’s viewpoint:

“Where do you surf this board? The Omni. As the name implies, it's an all-rounder for every kind of wave. I'll ride this in basically any surf that's not too big, but even then, I'll try it if I can catch the wave. My personal favorite wave for this is a punchy, head-high (or slightly bigger) wave with a face to carve. What makes this board work well? This board is a collaboration of ideas with Tomo. It's his basic dimensions with my more drawn-in tail and scaled more for my eye. This board looks like it would like a small wave but it's surprisingly good in overhead waves, also. The drawn-in tail can handle a bit more speed and allows you to push the turns on the face. I'm a junkie for all fin setups, but for typical surfing on the face I go Tri Fin and for barrels I like the quads. This board plays into the less-is-more concept and allows you enough planing surface to do what you want without anything getting in the way”. 

At first glance you immediately think groveler, wide nose etc and although KS says not in reality it’s probably going to be used in this way by 90% of people, think of it as a groveler plus! The most Evo like of the 3 designs there is no doubt that it’s a real wave catching machine, but don’t be deceived, the pulled in back half with that rocker line will add an element of bigger wave hold and control that you might not see at first. As a one board quiver for what you’re going to come across in the UK this is the best option. A combination of wave catching but better wave performance brackets this board as the one most likely to be the most relevant for our shores.  

Finally the Banana (Far right)... Kelly says:

“I've ridden these boards in Fiji and Tahiti and hollow beach-breaks, but I've even been surprised by its feel in small and mushy beach-breaks, as well. This board is inspired by Shane Herring's surfing, and the designs he and Greg Webber were doing in the early 1990's. Those guys were doing some of the best carving and pocket turns ever done and it never really saw its potential. This is a modern version of a 25-year-old design that somehow got lost in time. I feel like I did some of my best surfing ever on a version of it that had more foam than I thought I could handle. Its constant curve rocker is super smooth and effortless in transitions and can handle more critical places on the wave. Overall, this board needs a nice pocket to maximize its design benefits”. *KS quotes and images courtesy of Surfer mag.

 A little limited in appeal for the average surfer, but an interesting concept nonetheless. A member of the Boardshop team got lucky with a young lady after pretending to be Shane Herring down in France one summer a good few years ago so we have a special affinity with seeing his name in print again! Those special pumping south west French days would be a good example of when you’d reach for the Banana (when everyone else is reaching for a cold beer), other than that it’s the typical Indo or Pacific style set ups where The Banana will come into its own. If you’re brave enough it could just be a revelation!

Although we’re not allowed to officially offer the boards for sale yet we are taking deposits because the initial delivery of boards will be very limited, and being honest a good chunk of the boards will be going to the boys here at Boardshop! If you’re interested get in touch at info@boardshop.co.uk or call us up on 0044 (0)1243 674250

First drop should be late April/early May.

Slater Designs

 

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably seen Slater's man made wave... If not, here it is for your viewing pleasure...