Firewire Great White Twin Surfboard

The outline comes from the great white shark, hence the name. Slater drew it with Mike Woo, a shaper working out of Bali — conditions a long way from California.

The brief was hard: a groveller that paddles and catches like a hybrid but performs on rail like a shortboard. Hence the solutions. Volume is hidden at the centre while the rails stay fine, so the board responds immediately. Elevated tail rocker lets you draw tight arcs.

The maker describes the range this way: it creates speed in weak waves, controls speed in powerful ones, and excels at tight arcs in punchy pockets and quick wraps on shoulder sections. Twin-fin speed with thruster response.

Volcanic Lamination is basalt in place of carbon — more durable and more responsive, with a more sustainable raw material.

Who it isn't for. Fine rails demand precise footwork, so it's no learning board. And a twin behaves differently from a thruster: the tail releases sooner.