Matt made this one for me to ride at Bondi over the Summer (Its available for demo too) Matt is a true craftsman. He completes the process from start to finish, so you know you're getting some magic.
Dimensions are 9'2 x 22 1/2 x 2 3/4 - with a single fin box.
The Le mans is described as a speed shape design, the perfect board for faster beach break conditions or larger surf. It features a racy outline, refined rails, balanced rocker, rolled vee bottom split by a single nose concave.
For reference im 68kgs and 5'7"
Its been a while since i've had a board this long, i've had 3 sessions on it over the last week and so far, am very impressed! As the name implies - its FAST!!
After keeping my eye on a super fun little bank starting to form, i figured it was about time i got this board into the water. Conditions varied between knee to waist to shoulder high A frame peaks at Bondi. Great waves to test a board like this.
The fin I used was a 9" Christenson tracker template with the fin placed right at the front of the box, making it drivey but still plenty loose.
Firstly, i liked the narrower nose outline, great for quick takeoffs and less chance of catching the nose on those steeper sections. The rounded pin tail feels really smooth and the flip in back 3rd keeps the board very manoeuvrable when stomping your weight on the tail for quick direction changes.
The rolled vee in the back end lets you roll it over smoothly for slower direction changes in trim and for less aggressive style of surfing if you so wish.
This design planes great over flat sections and will up your micro wave game with ease, definitely a great addition to the SBM quiver and something I think I will be riding a lot of the summer months.
Get in touch with us via email if you'd like to test this board
If you don't know much about Matt, heres a little catch up on his shaping pedigree and history.
"Hand shaping and designing surfboards is an artistic process for me, I’ve never been interested in the mass production of boards. No surfer is the same, so why would they want their surfboards to be? Sure surfers can like the same style of boards but everyone wants to ride the wave their own way.
History and Influences
"I starting learning the process as a young guy with Rusty, founder of Rusty surboards in San Diego in the late Eighties. It was there I met some of the most incredible people and shapers. One those guys was Pat Rawson, his surfboards always had a unique look to them and his theory of board and blank design was something I aspired to.
Like any young surfer kid my dream was to live and surf in Hawaii, so I moved. I soon started working with Donald Takayama and was strongly influenced by his beautiful boards and craftsmanship. I started up my own label and lived on the North Shore where I made both long boards and short boards. Locals and legends rode my boards, regardless just to see them bought to life on the water and the happiness it gave to those riding them is still indescribable for me. Watching a gun I shaped surfed at The Eddie was a huge moment for me, still is. I moved West to Makaha and being embraced by true Hawaiian culture and community gave my life a whole new meaning which still flows through to the boards I shape today."
Today
"I met my wife there (an Aussie) and moved to Sydney, Australia where I shaped and worked with companies like Bennett Surfboards and Channel Islands while still designing and shaping under my own label. After traveling north we fell in love with the Sunshine Coast. So the Sunny Coast is now home, I love the waves and it’s sense of community and creative energy."
You can check out the rest of Matt's range HERE
]]>This particular board is running stock dimensions - 5'5 x 19 1/2 x 2 3/8 and im using the captain fin co. Christenson especial twin fin set with futures plugs.
Disclaimer - I've really only surfed this board on my backhand so far but had a few memorable surfs on it.
1st surf - Small, long period, clean right handers at Bondi. Even thought the waves were in the 1-2ft range, the board felt lively off straight off the bat. I felt i could come off the bottom and attack the lip much more vertically than what the fish allows me to do. Which, in smaller waves is refreshing as its nice to tap the lip a few times. Even though its not as wide as my fish, I found it still planes over flat sections and generates speed on weaker waves thanks to the flatter rocker.
Every other surf I had on this board was on right handers of varying quality. Even on steeper more solid waves - up to 3-4ft - it holds off the bottom well and allows you to surf a lot more aggressively in the pocket and up into the lip. The vee in the back 3rd of the board makes rail to rail transitions easy and the slight single concave under your front foot offers glide when surfing off the middle of the board.
If you're after a twin with plenty of performance but don't want to lose the glide you love in a fish, the lane splitter is a nice alternative. I loved it so much, ive ordered a 5'10 step up with a pin tail to ride when its bigger - stay tuned on how this turns out.
Custom orders always available.
Check out our range of Lane splitters in store now HERE.
]]>Im 5'7 and 67kgs, The board is 7'6 - other dimensions are undisclosed, set up using an old Captain Fin Co. 9.5'' Cycle zombies fin, this works a treat but the guys at Gato recommend a 9.5 T or C fin.
From Gato Heroi : Board for all conditions, the acid loves surfing with rails engaged, driving you to take different lines than your normal board. The acid will surprise you with its original approach in all situations, in trim as well as through turns and tubing sections. Its ideal size is between 7 and 8 feet, The acid fits well among a quiver of longboards and is a versatile board, great to travel with.
I Surfed this board a fair bit over the Summer months in a good range of conditions. From 1-2ft fatter faced rip bowls to slightly more solid 3ft + low tide banks at Bondi with a good amount of curl. Back hand and front side, it felt really smooth and can be either surfed hard off the tail or from further forward if you want to trim FAST down the line. Speed is the main element of this board, it didn't really matter what kind of wave i was surfing. It trims and glides down the line like a beast.
I really enjoyed the Acid's ability to catch small waves due to the flattened rocker, which was a real bonus. Yet even on suckier waves, I was in early enough that the nose wouldn't pearl. I could see this board eliminating the need for a bigger longboard if you lived and surfed at crowded city beach breaks but still want a wave catching machine. The pinched rails mean that it knifes through walls with ease, yet surprisingly doesn't catch on bumpier faces. I could really feel the roll in the bottom as the board moves up and down the face effortlessly, kind of like surfing on ball bearings, the Vee just behind the fin gives you enough control off the tail. For me, surfing it off the tail meant a more pivot style of surfing yet step a little more forward and you're surfing using the rail.
I highly recommend this board if you're after a FAST longer style single fin mid length.
You can check out our range of Gato Heroi online HERE.
Custom orders are always available - get in touch with us for more info - Pat@sunburntmess.com
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''Pahi is the Hawaiian word for knife. There is no better tool to have when challenging nature than a good knife. So in coming up with a utilitarian design for waves like Sunset beach, Chris could think of no better name than the Pahi. In its design, it is very much a step up/ semi-gun that blends the old and new contours to make a board that will handle some serious surf when need be.''
I decided on a 7'4 x 19 3/4 x 2 5/8 (For reference im 5'7 and 65kgs). I can really appreciate what was happening in the 70's on those longer single fins. The glide, control and paddle power is un-matched!
Ive had 5 surfs on the board so far this winter, in various conditions. Im using the Alkali Kidman / Parameter widow maker single fin, and this felt great.
After a pretty average start to Winter and a few surfs in less than quality conditions, finally a solid East swell was forecast on the maps - 6ft with the occasional 8fter - west winds lining up for the first 2 days, which were predicted to be the biggest of the swell. Thankfully that coincided with my days off, so i was able to spend plenty of time in the water.
Chris has really nailed this design and Im surprised at how much thickness the board carries up front then foils right out in the tail into a blade. The bottom features vee in the last 1/3 of the board for maximum control off the tail and a little bit of double concave in front of the fin box to flat vee behind the fin. It has an accentuated nose rocker, compared to other single fins I have surfed.
Im glad I jumped on the board prior to this swell arriving, even if the waves weren't pumping its nice to feel it out before riding anything a little more serious or good quality. You don't want to be wasting or blowing waves when its pumping because you don't know your equipment.
Firstly, catching waves felt like cheating. The paddle power this board offers is amazing. If you're down to sit and wait for the bombs, It could easily handle another few feet of swell on top of what was coming through, no problem. Because of this, paddling around in the foam on the inside suddenly becomes a lot easier too, as you're sitting above it rather than sinking into it.
The knifed out tail offers excellent control when coming off the bottom and the extra nose flip definitely helps with late take offs and eliminates the nose pearling if you're swinging at the last minute. High performance is out the window here so you're basically just enjoying the feeling of the drop and bottom turn/high line on the waves, if you're looking to do top to bottom turns in solid waves, this board is not for you. However, if you want to catch as many waves as possible with maximum paddle power, come off the bottom with control and a few high lines here and there, you're on the money with the Pahi.
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The board is 7'0 x 20 1/2 x 2 7/8, setup using the stock fin from Mctavish which is a 9'' hull fin.
First time riding this board and conditions were pretty dreamy. My rip bowl had vanished due to the dropping tide. However, a 2-3ft longer running left out the back that was almost closing out but in the stiff offshore it would hold up and run down the bank.
This board is very flat, meaning it paddles like a dream, even though the waves were 3ft it was Peaky and had a nice curve to the wave. The flatter rocker really helped getting into the waves early to set a line. The pinched 50/50 rails gave the board plenty of bite into the running walls. It felt nice and smooth off the bottom with the big 9'' hull fin, I did find it a little harder to control and squirrelly when cutting back into the wash or onto my outside rail, however i think its more of a foot placement issue than fin placement. The slight single concave into flat Vee, generates the right amount of speed and control on the high line. It had me racing and making sections with ease, I really enjoyed the way it sits in high the pocket and generates speed without having to do a whole lot. 10 waves in and I'm hooked!
This 7'0 is available to demo over the next few weeks, so if you would like to test it out or have any questions, drop me a line: Info@sunburntmess.com
]]>Some info for you...Im 5'7 and 67kgs, The board is 7'2 x 21 3/4 x 2 3/4, set up using Futures K2 Keel fins and a tapered cedar stringer - Thicker in the nose, narrower in the tail.
Ive always found single fin style mid lengths to be awesome in point breaks. However, in the shitty beach breaks we endure at Bondi and surrounds they seem slow and clunky. The only benefit being added paddle power to get waves off all the back packers and beginners.
Honestly, this design has been another revelation in boards for me. In December last year I managed to hurt my hip and back so riding shorter boards has been a little troublesome. Enter the VOUCH Mid Vish. It has the Speed and manoeuvrability of a regular fish but the added paddle power and rail line of a board over 7ft. I have ridden this in waves ranging from fat 1ft rip bowls at Bondi to over head and a half steep peaks at Tama and haven't found a situation where i didn't want to be riding it.
In the smaller stuff it glides incredibly well from the centre of the board like you would expect your regular mid length to, allowing me to trim without moving much on the board at all. Step back on the tail and you get a turbo boost thanks to the twin keel setup and double concave Vee through the fins. You can actually push hard off the bottom and once you hit the highline, the thing rockets off down the line, leaving bewildered back packers in your wake wondering how you went so far/fast on such a small shitty wave.
Manoeuvrability wise, It never feels long. The Mid fish was designed as a bigger board so the rails are foiled perfectly and the foam is in all the right spots. Kinda just like my regular fish with an longer rail. You obviously can't turn as tight and sharp, but the curve in the outline allows for nice round house cutbacks and hacks off the tail when coming off the bottom into a tight transition.
In bigger waves - overhead +, Being 7'2 allows you to sit a little further out than the rest of the pack, then you're up and riding before anyone has even thought about catching the wave. The board knifes into faces with ease, soft rails means no catching edges from any chop or bump. It still has that same glide you get in smaller waves but seems to handle and control the speed you get from a bigger wave with more power without projecting you too far out onto the open face. In super steep waves your ability to turn on the face is a little bit limited due to the length, but this opens up other parts of the wave for you to explore. The narrower tail pod compared to other longer fish I've seen really holds well. Im really excited to see whats possible with this design.
We've been doing a few shorter customs - 6'6 and 6'8 - for guys and gals coming through the shop and from all reports these are also on the money. So, if you're looking for something to spice up your surfing and don't know what to do next, drop in for a chat and test out one of our demos. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
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Im 5'7 and 65kgs, Dimensions are - 6'3 x 20 1/4 x 2 1/2 around 34L. The board has moderate entry rocker and a bit of extra flip in the tail.
Ive had several surfs on it now in a range of different waves and it seems to really perform when the waves are steep and hollow with a bit of push.
Originally designed to use the Futures T1 twin / Captain fin Christenson twin set, I found that unless the waves were steep there was too much area in the tail behind the fins and the board wanted to spin out coming off the bottom into a turn. So I've tested a few other templates including the Futures K2 keel, which had plenty of hold but was a little too stiff and over the last few sessions, the Futures EN twin set - So far these have worked well. A good combination of hold and release when you need it.
1st session was at North Bondi on a big stormy swell, it was probably 8-10ft out the back, but the corner had a nice hollow left wedge in the rip up to about 3-4ft. The board felt really comfortable after a few waves, late drops were no problem thanks to the extra nose and tail rocker however it still paddles like a dream in the rip and made catching waves super easy. I didn't really notice the extra area in the tail behind the fins during this session as the waves had plenty of curve to them. The Vee in the tail made rail to rail transitioning easy, in summary I was stoked with how it went.
2nd session was at solid Manu Bay in Raglan, NZ. Waves were in the stormy 4-6ft category and although the board paddled and caught waves well, it wanted to spin out coming off the bottom at high speed. I put this down to it being a flatter faced wave and also there was a fair bit of chop down the line. I was still using the Christenson twin set, which in hindsight i should have swapped out for the K2 keel.
Since returning from NZ I've used it in over head waves at Bondi and Mckenzies and its performed well. On my back hand Ive found its a little difficult to come off the bottom and straight into a turn, it needs to be surfed a bit more horizontally which i guess is standard for Twin fins. It definitely prefers punchy waves with some curve. My latest surf was at North corner Bondi in 3-4ft wedges and it came into its own once again..
Overall I love how this board paddles and takes steep drops and allows me to push much harder than my fish in hollower waves. As its still a prototype, I think there are one or 2 tweaks that need to be made to fin placement (maybe a small trailer or Asymmetric twin/quad setup). Keep an eye out for a final version of this board to drop into our in store range, once its dialled! Clips coming soon.
If you have any questions or want to know more about this board you can contact us at info@sunburntmess.com
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I finally got my hands on a Christenson Fish to test out. Ive heard so many good things about this board that i needed to see what all the hype is about. Chris doesn't just make big wave boards, he has a wealth of knowledge in all different board designs and the Fish really shows that.
Conditions: The waves have been pretty perfect for board testing the last few weeks. Mostly 2-4ft with offshores and clean faces. So far I've had 5-6 surfs on it. Mainly in left rip bowls at Bondi on my forehand and one surf at Tamarama on my backhand.
Fish Dimensions: 5'4 x 20 1/2 x 2 3/8 - I opted for Fin boxes instead of the standard set keel fins for easy travelling. Im using the Futures K2 Keels.
Im going to go out on a limb and say this is definitely one of the fastest boards I have ridden in terms of it generating its own speed, first surf I was hooked!! Its got plenty of flow and that instant speed gets you to sections you never thought you could make.
The deep single concave running right through the fins gives plenty of speed if the waves don't have much power, which is typical of Bondi. The board turns on a dime and I didn't feel as though I was ever nursing it through turns, which i have found on other fish I've ridden. On the days where there was bit more juice (4ft) the board didn't feel too clunky and I could still maintain a decent line without spinning out of control. I found I could push the Fish a touch harder compared to Chris' Ocean racer which has a rounder nose and much more tail area.
On my backhand It never felt skatey, obviously theres less to pivot off when riding a keel on your backhand but the board had plenty of flow and I could still come off the bottom harder than i expected.
The Fish paddles great, theres plenty of foam distributed throughout and a generous serve up front under your chest. Its really flat too so come summer this is crucial to maximise wave count when everyone else is battling on their shortboard.
A great addition to any quiver if you're after something fun and want to mix it up a little. This board comes with a warning though: Its hard to get back onto anything else. If i was travelling, I wouldn't be leaving home without it!!
Check out our range of Christenson Shapes HERE.
If you're after something specific for Summer, custom orders are available and we suggest getting in sooner rather than later as the Christmas rush certainly slows down order wait times.
For more information contact Info@sunburntmess.com
#ChristensonFish #ChristensenFishBondi #SurfboardsBondi #FishsurfboardsBondi #ChristensonSurfboardsBondi
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