Jason Stevenson has been a global leader in surfboard design for 20 years, ever since he left DH Surfboards and started his own label. At the beginning, a lot of people said that he might not make it as an independent surfboard shaper, but he had confident in his shapes and abilities, and was friends with a lot of top surfers, and knew that if he stayed true to his designs and talents he could make a go at it. When he started JS surfboards, Stevenson didn’t want to use his name on the brand. A lot of other big shapers used their names, but Stevenson was a pretty private guy, so he wanted to do something different, that deflected the focus away from him. His father had worked with heavy machinery and Jason had grown up around industry, and as he was looking for a logo, he and his wife bought a bunch of Caterpillar tractor toys from a toy store and took a bunch of photos, and ended up really liking one. That “Traktor” became the logo for his brand. Early on, Stevenson knew that he would need some big-name athletes to give his brand credibility. At the time, Luke...

The Black Baron JS's First Twin Fin   When JS works on a board for six years, you know it’s going to eventually become a classic. The Black Baron is JS Surfboards first dedicated twin fin, and delivers exactly what you’d hope from a classic design with a modern twist. Released in conjunction with Joel Parkinson’s retirement from tour, the Black Baron is the perfect board for a high-performance surfer looking to expand their quiver and perspective, and fall in love with surfing all over again. The Black Baron is built for fun—and there’s nothing more fun than going fast. It has foam for days, providing ample volume to float through fat sections and rip lined-up walls. The twin fin configuration turns this board into a rocket ship, providing acceleration no matter the section. And the flat rocker up front to veer through the tail adds to the board’s speed without compromising maneuverability.The Black Baron is my personal favorite board for summertime waves at the moment, and everyone I have let try my board loves it as well. Stock dimensions range from 5'2" x 19 ¼" x 2 1/8" to 6'4" x 22" x 3", so just about anyone can...