hiya wa howa aswat

6’0.5” X 18.63” X 2.32” X 26.97L F1-Stub
…Lost by Matt Biolos

A board can be aesthetically pleasing. A board can ride like magic. A board can endure beat-downs from baggage handlers and the ocean. And a board can even — every once in a while — help fund cancer research. But a board that is all of those things? That board deserves some attention. May we present to you a collaboration between Mr. Biolos and Mrs. Wilson. Read. Enjoy. Then go check ya tits. —Taylor Paul

It’s had some pretty cool moments. On the Gold Coast, when I beat Joel in Round 4, it just felt like the board was doing whatever I wanted it to do, which is the ultimate feeling when you’re competing. The tail pad is pretty much worn away but the board’s still fine. I just need a new pad and it’ll be good as new.

JULIAN: “Check ya tits” has been the slogan we’ve used for the last few years. My mum came up with it. It’s pretty Australian and seems fitting.
When I was young my mum battled and beat breast cancer. So once I got old enough to figure out what she went through and how gnarly it is, I felt like I was in a position to help out by raising awareness and money for the [National Breast Cancer Foundation]. So for the last five years I’ve been wearing pink boardshorts, riding pink boards and doing the pink thing on the Gold Coast. This year Mum drew Mickey on there before the Quik Pro, and it’s such a good board that I’ve had it in my board bag ever since.
I’ve been working with Matt [Biolos] since the year I qualified for the World Tour, in 2010. A friend, Shea Perkins, introduced us, and one of the first boards Matt made for me stayed in my board bag for that entire year and helped me qualify for the World Tour. I enjoy working with Matt because there’s no beating around the bush. No sugar coating. It’s about what works and what doesn’t and it’s nice not having to make something that doesn’t work seem like it’s all right.
This board is an F1-Stub. It was shaped specifically for Snapper but really it’s just an all-around board. I rode it at Snapper and Bells, and it works well in beach breaks and for fast, punchy, down-the-line waves.

With the granting of planning permission to Surf Snowdonia the race for the first commercial Wavegarden is now on. We caught up with Steve Davies MBE, Managing Director Conwy Adventure Leisure Ltd, the guys making this project happen. Steve kindly let us have a couple of exclusive CGI pics, and his visions and rationale behind the Welsh project.

“The recent granting of planning permission for the construction of an outdoor water sports centre on the site of the former aluminium factory at Dolgarrog in the Conwy Valley has set the scene for what is likely to be the world’s first commercially operational Wavegarden® surfing lake. In a comparatively short period of time we have developed a very comprehensive set of facilities, with surfing at its very heart.
“It is our intention, over time, to create an exciting, fun and spectacular surfing-themed adventure attraction, appealing to the broadest possible audience. With a purpose-built surfing lake as its signature attraction, this and other facilities will provide an enjoyable and compelling experience for day trippers, over-nighters, families, beginners and experts alike

“The combination of high quality facilities, spectacular scenery and easy access from major conurbations across the United Kingdom will make Surf Snowdonia a must-visit attraction. Getting up close to the outdoor action from the warmth of the indoor facilities will be one of the key attractions in enticing a broad, age-ranged audience.

“It may seem to some counterintuitive to build a surfing centre in the foothills of Snowdon, 8 miles from the North Wales Coast. But in many respects it makes sense. For starters we own the land – lots of it – which is a major pre-requisite for a Wavegarden lagoon.

“Second, we enjoy huge local and regional support and have been warmly welcomed to the area. People want this to succeed, and it is noteworthy that Wales has just been admitted as a member of the International Surfing Association in its own right so the timing of our project could not be better.
Surfing is a significantly popular sport – and growing – and participants already travel very long distances in anticipation of decent waves, so often to be disappointed. Wavegarden will provide guaranteed 6’ high waves, thus completely eliminating the risk of poor conditions. Therefore we believe people will travel for such guarantees. However, we have tested this theory considerably, and to assist us in our research we employed the UK’s foremost leisure and destination consultants, Colliers International. Their findings completely underpinned our own instincts.

“Key to our optimism is accessibility. Dolgarrog is only 7 miles from the main A55 North Wales arterial route, with the final run-in to our site only a 15 minute drive. This results in the driving times from Liverpool and Manchester city centres being only 1½ hours – a sufficiently short journey time to make an evening surfing session after work viable in the summer months.


“Our visitor audience analysis shows a catchment of circa 7 million potential clients out as far as Birmingham, but we actually anticipate visitors from much further afield. Moreover, we also believe that Wavegarden will be such an incredible visual experience in its own right that it will attract a significant audience who have no intention of getting wet but who simply want to watch the action close-up whilst enjoying a coffee, or even a meal. This must be good for bringing the sport to a very wide audience. Surfing is currently virtually inaccessible to members of the general public. They either see black dots on the horizon from the top of a beach, or see it on TV. For the first time, people will be able to watch a surfer actually travel past them from left to right and vice versa. Think of all the competitive opportunities too. We believe that Wavegarden will finally create an opportunity to make surfing a truly visual competitive sport in an Olympic context. Levelling the wave playing field for all competitors will create the right conditions to ensure judging consistency. And Surf Snowdonia stands ready to play its part as both a venue for such competition and to act as a training facility for national squads.”

They say it's one of the most dangerous waves in the world. Thierry Vernaudon, a Tahitian surfer, was the pioneer of Teahupoo, back in 1985.

Since then Teahupoo has claimed five lives. When fired up, Chopes is deadly. So, it's important to remember how not to surf the Tahitian gem. Rule number one: don't be where the wave breaks.
"Don't be in the lip. Get down before the lip", adds Joel Parkinson. "Don't go right and don't go on close-outs", says John John Florence.

Rule number two: don't hesitate. Then, if you take off too deep, you're peanut butter. Matt Wilkinson throws a good one. "Don't not paddle hard".
In the end, you want to survive Teahupoo. Forget the medieval idea of conquering that particular wave. If you ride the beast, feel blessed.


Now, if you're ready to lose appetite for dinner, take look at what happened to Keala Kennelly after an horrific wipeout at Chopes.

Although tail shapes are an important part of surfboard design, many surfers remain oblivious to the effects that tail shape has on how a board rides. Were you riding a round pin at 1-foot Creek? A swallow at 6-foot Haleiwa, perhaps? Repent! To give us the 101 on how your tail works, we rang up the esteemed Wade Tokoro: a man with more than 25 years of experience behind the planer for some insight.

Because pin tails have less surface area than other types of tails, they’re going to be fitting into the wave tighter and giving you more control over your board. True pin tails are typically used in really hollow, barreling surf—think Pipeline or Teahupoo—because at the end of the day, you really don’t want to be sliding around too much out there, you want to be in the tube. As a basic rule of thumb: the wider the tail, the looser the board.

Most of the rounded pins that I make are shaped for step-up boards. It makes a lot of sense if you look at the design of the tail. You’re taking the same approach that you have for a pin tail—you want something that will grip the wave a bit—but you’re adding a touch more surface area, which loosens up the feel of the board a little. A good example of a place you’d ride a round pin would be Sunset on a pretty solid, but not totally maxed-out day. You still want to be able to hold yourself into the wave, but you also want to have the option of drawing some lines and doing some turns.

Squash tails are usually a safe choice and they make up the bulk of the boards that I shape. Because of their outline, they’re really user friendly and versatile in a lot of conditions. It’s a design that suits the type of waves that most of us spend our time surfing. Because of the way the tail sits in the water—being stubby and wide—you’re able to get a lot more out of your turns and the board feels a lot looser because it’s not gripping the wave as much. It’ll also carry you through the flats pretty well and should be your go-to choice for small to medium-sized surf.


I mostly cut swallow tails when I’m shaping a fish and other playful types of boards I’m making. Because the design is so wide and there’s so much surface area, you can really sink it when you’re riding it. The design’s mostly conducive to small, playful types of conditions when you want to slide the tail around a lot.

Five things to know when tracking hurricanes

Hurricane season began in a fury, with four named storms already and a predicted above-average season ahead according to the NOAA. Now that we’re in August, the storm season will swing into gear with the Atlantic Ocean primed for tropical storm development. East Coast surfers are salivating at the prospect of real swell. As a self-proclaimed amateur meteorologist (a title that many East Coast surfers take on), I’ve enjoyed tracking and chasing these tropical systems for years now. In the process of getting skunked or scoring, and everywhere in between, I’ve learned some useful tips for seeking out the best surf. Here’s a quick list of five tips to consider when chasing East Coast hurricanes.

Find a spot that can handle long-period energy.
Unlike the typical short-period wind swells to which east coasters are accustomed, hurricanes produce longer-period swells (with periods longer than 13 seconds) that travel greater distances, producing longer wavelengths and increased power. While long-period swells bring in more energy, most beachbreaks along the East Coast will be plagued with mile-long closeouts. So instead of wasting time racing through dumping walls without escape, find a jetty, a pier, a unique sandbar, or any structure to organize the swell. Your boards will thank you. (Surfers in the Northeast typically avoid this problem because of their rugged coastline.)

Come prepared with some rubber.
Slow moving hurricanes are known to churn up the water and dramatically lower sea-surface temperatures. This phenomenon, known as vertical mixing, occurs when strong surface winds create turbulent seas and mix different levels of the ocean. Since vertical mixing can occur over a few hours, the storm sometime loses the warm-water fuel it needs for maintenance and strengthening.

Understand your bathymetry.
The long-period nature of hurricane swells means underwater bathymetry plays a much more important role. Long-period swells possess extensive downward energy that can reach an ocean floor down to 1000ft deep. When these groundswells drag along the East Coast’s extensive continental shelf, the friction causes immediate wave depletion. Therefore, when seeking out the best waves, try finding a spot with a shortened shelf (Cape Hatteras, NC) or an underwater canyon (Long Beach, NY).
Note the storm’s movement.
As Surfline forecaster Adam Wright explains, “A stationary hurricane sends out swell equally in all directions. A moving system will always send the most energy along its movement path. So a storm heading at 270 degrees will send most of its swell energy straight west. The other areas will send out some energy, particularly if the system is moving slowly, but it will be a lesser amount than along the main track. If the storm is moving away from you at a good speed there is little chance of getting waves.” So, before you become too anxious for that next round of hurricane surf, be sure the swell is actually headed your way.

Act quick.
Due to the unique nature of each tropical storm, swell windows are super unpredictable. Winds will be howling onshore all day and then clean up for a few hours of surfable conditions before dusk. Be prepared. Repair broken boards to fortify your quiver; summertime flatness has given you ample time to fill in those dings and that flapping deck pad. Having a few backup boards is never a bad idea. Change the oil, put air in the tires, and gas the tank. Keep an eye on the flags, buoys, tides, and cams. Some spots will be better than others, and then some spots will be way better than others. If you want the best surf, have a plan of action for when the stars align.

There’s your crash course in amateur meteorology. That doesn’t mean every coming hurricane will bring you waves, but these tips should at least give you a fighting chance to score. Track each storm, educate yourself on the right spots, be patient, and when the time comes, save the claims for after the storm.