Aloha Friday Weekly Update June 12: Harley Ingleby's HIHP Speed Lands.
There is a certain kind of morning on the south shore when the water goes glassy and the longboard crowd shows up early, before the wind. Somebody is always up at the front of the board, riding the very tip like they have nowhere to be. That slow, deliberate kind of ease is exactly what Harley Ingleby has spent years chasing in his board shapes. This week, his newest one landed at the shop.
We have a full table of boards and gear that came in for this Aloha Friday, so let me walk you through it. We will start where it matters most, with the boards, and work our way down to the small things that make a day in the water easier.
The HIHP Speed: Harley's newest longboard
Best for: noseriding and quick turns in real waves
The HIHP series has been a staple in longboarding for over a decade, and the Speed is the newest model in that line. Harley kept the heart of the board the same and changed the small things that matter. The tips are a little pointier, closer to his Diamond Drive, and the widest part of the board moved back a few inches.
That one change does a lot. It gives the board a tighter turn in the steep part of the wave and more control when the surf has some power. The low rails and the rocker that made the HIHP what it is are still there. The surprise, even to Harley, was the noseriding. For a narrow performance board, it holds the tip better than the models that came before it. You can ride it as a single fin, a two-plus-one, or a thruster.
It comes in two constructions. Thunderbolt Red in Maroon and Candy White, and Thunderbolt Black in Full Carbon and Grey Carbon, all in the 9'1 size. See the full HIHP Speed lineup →
The HI4: the easiest board in the series to walk
Best for: walking the board and everyday surf
If the HIHP Speed is the sharp one, the HI4 is the friendly one. Harley calls it the easiest board in the HI Series to walk and noseride, and you can feel why. It is built around a wider outline, an even rocker, and a four-plus-one fin setup that lets you ride it the way you like.
What you get is the drive of Harley's competition boards with more room to trim, glide, and spend time on the nose. In my opinion, this is the one most longboarders are actually looking for in their everyday surf. It is in stock in two sizes, the 9'1 in Orange and the 9'3 in Candy White. See the HI4 →
The Diamond Drive 2.0: the all-around workhorse
Best for: one board that handles small days and big days
The Diamond Drive 2.0 was shaped by Billy Tolhurst with Harley, and it is the board they reach for when they want one longboard that does everything. It pairs a three-stage rocker with a balanced plan shape and a teardrop nose concave.
That mix gives you long noserides, turns that actually feel progressive, and a board you can trust from waist-high lines all the way up to surf that is well overhead. It is the workhorse of the HI Series for a reason. We have it in the 9'2 and the 9'6, both in Candy White. See the Diamond Drive 2.0 →
FCS travel bags: getting your boards there in one piece
Best for: flights, road trips, and protecting boards in transit
Anyone who has traveled with a board knows the quiet fear of handing it to the airline. The new FCS Travel covers are built for exactly that. They came in this week in the Alpine colorway, part of the updated 25-26 GO-Lite range, with tougher materials and an all-new nose impact protection plate that runs through the line.
They also share the ModuLink System, which lets you stack and connect a lighter GO-Light cover to your travel cover. The simple version: you can check two covers as one and save on extra luggage fees, and the same trick locks a roof-rack stack together for the drive.
Four came in this round. The Travel 2 Longboard Wheelie Cover (9'2) for the long boards, the Travel 2 Mid-Length Cover (7'0 to 8'0), the Travel 3 Shortboard and Fish Wheelie Cover (6'7 to 7'6), and the Travel 4 Shortboard and Fish Cover (6'3). The wheelie versions add built-in wheels so you are rolling through the terminal instead of carrying. Shop all FCS travel bags →
FCS day covers: everyday protection for one board
Best for: the daily drive to the beach and back
Not every trip is a flight. For the daily run to the water, the FCS Day Covers are the simpler answer. They are light and built for single-board transit, with 3D Fit padding that holds the board snug and keeps rail drag and heat off it.
They run from the classic Day Runner up to the premium Day-X, so there is a fit for a shortboard, a fish, or a longboard. See the FCS day covers →
The EZ-NUT: swap a single fin without tools
Best for: single-fin riders who hate digging for the right screwdriver
This one is a small thing that solves a real annoyance. If you ride a single fin, you know the old plate-and-screw setup means hunting for a tool every time you want to take the fin out. The EZ-NUT is a tools-free version. You twist it on or off in seconds, which makes storing or transporting the board a lot easier.
It is made from 316 stainless steel, the marine-grade kind that resists rust and salt corrosion, so it is built to last. It is made in the USA and assembled right here in Honolulu. See the EZ-NUT →
Sharkbanz: quiet peace of mind in the water
Best for: anyone who wants a little extra calm in the lineup
Sharkbanz uses a magnetic technology that has been studied for almost two decades, including independent government testing. The short version is that the magnetic field bothers the sensing organs sharks and rays use to find prey, which makes them turn away. Research from the University of Western Australia and the University of Miami found it can reduce the likelihood of a shark encounter by a meaningful amount.
The Sharkbanz 2 bracelet is the wearable version, and we have it in the Bethany Hamilton Signature Edition colors, Slate/Azure and Slate/Black. It is always on, with no batteries and no charging. For surfers, the Sharkbanz x FCS Pod mounts to your leash and tucks the same protection right onto your setup. See the Sharkbanz lineup →
RSC sunscreen: reef safe and made here
Best for: long days in the water without the greasy feel
RSC, short for Real Sun Cover, is an all-natural sunscreen that is exclusive to Hawaiian South Shore. It uses 25% non-nano zinc oxide for 97% UVA and UVB protection, and the rest of it is simple: certified organic coconut oil and beeswax. It is reef safe, baby safe, non-greasy, and holds up for 80 minutes of water resistance.
It comes restocked in two scents that are a little different under the hood. The Vanilla stick keeps the clean coconut-and-beeswax base, and the Cocoa stick adds certified organic cocoa powder for a warmer tint and scent. Both are safe for face and body and work for adults and kids. See both RSC sticks →
Moskova boxers: the small upgrade nobody mentions
Best for: all-day comfort under boardshorts or jeans
This is the kind of thing you do not think about until you find a good one. Moskova builds their boxers with a soft stretch fabric, a five-panel construction for a real fit, and flat seams so there is nothing to feel. The waistband is elasticated and comfortable, and there is a polyamide band on the back for a bit of give when you move.
Two landed this week. The M2 Cotton in Pale Pink is the soft cotton-blend everyday pair, and the M2S Polyamide in Palm Pink leans more athletic for active days. See the Moskova boxers →
That is the table for this week. A lot of it is built around one idea Harley keeps coming back to in his boards, which is that the right small change makes the whole thing easier to ride. The same is true of the gear around it. A good cover, a fin you can swap without a tool, sunscreen that does not fight you. None of it is loud. It just makes the day better.
If you have a question about any of it, or you want help matching a board to where and how you surf, give us a call at 808-597-9055 or come by the shop. We would rather talk it through than have you guess.