Core Badger Pro Surfboard

The Badger Pro is the carbon version of CORE's popular fish board. The brief is narrow and clear: maximum fun in small waves, onshore conditions and strapless freestyle.

One limitation first. This board has no inserts for foot straps — none at all. There is physically nowhere to mount them. That is a deliberate decision by the maker, so if you plan to ride in straps, buy the Badger II.

Two kilograms. That is what the board weighs in this construction — over 25% less than the standard Badger. For strapless freestyle, weight decides: the board releases more easily, rotates faster and pulls less in the air.

How they got there. The ultra-dense EPS core was made considerably thinner and then wrapped in Cartan carbon with layers crossed at 90°. That cross-reinforcement produces a laminate resistant to point pressure: the maker claims denting it is practically impossible. So the lightness here is not bought at the cost of fragility — rather the opposite.

Fish outline. The signature fish tail lengthens the working rail while reducing tail area — hence tight, snappy turns and fast rail-to-rail changes with plenty of grip. The tail is slightly narrower than the Badger 2's for even more explosive turns. The generous nose area helps in freestyle.

Hybrid bottom. A spine through the nose settles the board in chop and provides lift for easy planing. It runs into a double concave for extra support under the back foot. Right at the tail, a vee adds control and speeds up rail changes.

Flat rocker through entry, middle and exit. Early planing and very controllable edging before take-off.

Made on Fehmarn. Not in Portugal like the Ripper and 720, but next to CORE's headquarters by experienced shapers. The laminate is pressed onto the core under vacuum in a silicone mould: identical pressure across every square millimetre, and the moulds are reused for the whole production run — less waste than conventional vacuum bagging.

Who it is not for. Big-wave riders — that is the Ripper 6. And anyone who wants straps.

For Mui Ne, with its onshore wind and modest waves, this is the specialist board. Official CORE dealer, worldwide shipping.