New This Week: A Firewire Restock, a Big Rig Review, and a Swell on the Way
The forecast came in on a Tuesday and half the shop leaned over one phone to look at it. Waves next week. Not the knee-high stuff we usually get this time of year, but a real run of surf that has everyone quietly checking their board rack at home and wondering if it is time for something new. So the timing on this week's arrivals is good. We just got a Firewire restock, a mid-length that has been hard to keep on the wall, and a shortboard that a customer filmed himself raving about. Here is what landed.
The Firewire TJ Pro Mid is back on the wall
This is the board people keep asking for. The Firewire TJ Pro Mid is a mid-length, which just means it sits between a longboard and a shortboard in size. It was designed by Taylor Jensen, a three-time world longboard champion, together with shaper Dan Mann. The idea was to take the easy glide and paddle power of a longboard and shrink it into something you can actually turn.
Best for: stepping down from a longboard, or catching more on smaller days
It paddles into waves early and holds its speed when the surf is soft, which is most days here. But it still drives when you put it on its edge, so it does not feel like a barge. Sizes run from 7'2" to 8'0". If you have been riding a longboard and want something easier to carry and quicker to turn, this is the one I point people toward first. It is also a good pick if you are tired of missing waves on a shortboard and want something that catches more without feeling like a boat.
Two more Firewire boards back in stock
Firewire XTRA CADO
Best for: an all-around board you ride most of the year
The XTRA CADO comes from Rob Machado, and it is built in Firewire's Helium 2 construction, which is light and lively underfoot. It is a friendly, do-everything shape that works in average waves without asking much of you. Sizes run 6'6" to 7'6".
Firewire Spaceship Proflex
Best for: small, weak waves when you still want to have fun
The Spaceship is the small-wave board. It is wide, it floats well, and it comes set up for five fins, so you can ride it as a thruster or a quad depending on the day. Built in Proflex, it is the board you grab when the surf is not great but you still want to go out. Sizes run 5'8" to 6'8".
A rider's take on the LOST Big Rig Driver
We do not have to tell you this board is good. One of our customers, Jesse, did it for us. He filmed a full review of the LOST Big Rig Driver after riding it, and it is worth a few minutes if you are on the fence about a new shortboard before the swell hits.
Best for: everyday waves and paddling into a bigger swell with confidence
The Big Rig Driver has a bit more width and foam than a standard shortboard, which means it paddles easier and keeps its speed through flat spots. This one is built in LOST's Lightspeed II construction with a round tail, and it is in stock now in 6'2" to 7'0". A round tail holds its line in the pocket of the wave and gives you a smooth, drawn-out turn, which is exactly what you want when the surf has some size to it. With more surf on the way next week, it is a good time to have a board under your arm that you trust.
Watch Jesse's review of the Big Rig Driver, or see the full playlist of customer reviews.
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Sign up for our newsletterFresh FCS fins, and how to pick one
Fins change how a board feels more than most people expect. We just restocked a wall of FCS fins, including two new quad rear sets from Hayden Shapes and Channel Islands, plus a Hayden Shapes thruster set and a Yago Dora thruster set back in stock.
If you are not sure which fin is right, FCS sorts them into families, and each one has a job:
- Reactor — built for speed and quick, snappy turns.
- Performer — the balanced, do-everything choice most people should start with.
- Accelerator — more control and drive when you are pushing hard.
- Carver — maximum hold and power for bigger, stronger waves.
Leashes, board bags, and sun caps
The small stuff matters, and a lot of it came back in this week too.
FCS leashes
Best for: less drag and less tangle in the water
We restocked the Freedom Helix leashes, which use a design that keeps the cord from twisting up around your leg, along with the simpler All Round Essential leashes in 7' and 8' lengths. If your current leash is stiff, cracked, or three summers old, this is your reminder.
FCS Day X board bags
Best for: protecting a new board from sun and dings
A board bag is the cheapest insurance you can buy for a board that costs a lot more. The Day X covers are back in both a mid-length size and a full longboard size, so whatever you picked up this week, there is a cover that fits it.
FCS Essential surf caps
Best for: keeping the Hawaii sun off your face in the water
New this week: FCS Essential surf caps that stay on while you paddle, in four colors. If you spend hours out there, your face will thank you.
Free shipping and how fast you get it
Spend $150 or more on clothing and surf accessories and shipping is free (bulky items are the exception). And we do something most shops do not: we drop orders at the main post office at night, so they start moving right away.
Here is what customers tell us they see:
- Oahu — usually the next day
- Neighbor Islands — 2 to 3 days
- West Coast — 3 to 5 days
- East Coast — 4 to 6 days
So if the forecast holds and the waves show up next week, there is still time to have something new under your arm when they do. That is the whole point of a week like this. The surf is coming either way. The only question is what you paddle out on.
320 Ward Ave #111, Honolulu, HI 96814
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