Blog

The Early Days and the Birth of an Icon    Jason Stevenson, the man behind JS Industries, has built the company from the  ground up, gaining global recognition and forming strong relationships with a world-class team of loyal surfer. Jason, also known as "JS," shaped his first surfboard at the age of 25 and has been a driving force in the world of performance surfboards ever since. Innovation and Evolution  JS Industries has been at the forefront of surfboard innovation, with Jason Stevenson being one of the first to introduce EPS boards nearly 20 years ago, featuring no stringer and carbon...

Vapor Core Fin Review  Kevin Allen gives a thumbs-up on the Vapor Core Fins. He says they are super light and work well in good-sized surf. He also likes the texture and the fact that they are made with carbon on the outside and hollow inside.He says that the fins are super light and that he was even surprised at how light they were when he first picked them up. He also noticed the packaging says that the fins are "pretty something life," which he finds to be a good description.It was a 5'9 kind of rounded pin that he...

Although 20 million people saw Matahi Drollet’s previous post, and hundreds of thousands of people shared and interacted with it, the Paris 2024 Olympic Committee is still pushing to replace the existing judging scaffolding at Teahupoo with a new, larger, fancier facility that will require the drilling of dozens of new concrete footers in the coral reef.  @matahidrollet Matahi and the people of Teahupoo have been protesting this expansion for the past month, peaceably arguing that the existing WSL facility is adequate for the Olympics, and that any additional development will create irreparable damage to the Teahupoo ecosystem. Despite the...

Cherry Picker Surfboard Review Ryan surfed the Skin Dog by Ben Skinner and found the Cherry Picker to be nice and light, maneuverable, and cut back really easily. Everyone was complimenting this tail that’s supposed to help nose riding. Ryan is still working on his nose riding but found it fun to get up there. The Cherry Picker held the rail really nicely and Ryan could feel it lift up well. He surfed at Queens, Chuns and tried to take it out to Castles but it wasn’t good at all. Ryan usually surfs a board from a local shaper but...

Messiah Surfboard Review  June shares his thoughts on the Tudor Messiah surfboard, a 10-foot single-fin board designed by Joel Tudor. June describes the board as “a little bit heavy but so so smooth” and praises its easy nose riding and speed. He also mentions that he’s been riding Joel Tudor boards for over 20 years, including the Papa Joe model. June notes that he rides the Messiah at Bows, where it performs well in easy nose riding conditions. He also mentions that he’s experimenting with different fins to slow the board down, including a hybrid pivot fin with a rake. Shop...

The Thanksgiving swell has come and gone, and now that the spray has settled, we have some time to sit back and see how things went. First of all, this was an historic swell, on multiple levels. It was the biggest swell to arrive in November in recorded history. It was also the third biggest buoy reading on the Waimea buoy with greater than a 20-second period in at least 20 years, and possibly as far back as 1996. At the peak of the swell, Waimea buoy read 20.7 feet at 20 seconds, with Buoy 1 hitting an apocalyptic 26.2...

TJ Pro V Surfboard Review Ken rented the board and took it out to Rock Piles at Ala Moana, where he caught some fun waves. Ken describes the board as “super light” and “super smooth,” making it easy to ride the waves with minimal effort. Ken notes that he had been riding a heavy, waterlogged longboard before trying out the Pro V. He appreciated how light and maneuverable the Pro V was in comparison. The board’s 2+1 configuration also provided extra fins for added stability. Ken is 5’8" and weighs about 156 pounds. He found that the Pro V was...

Written by Matt Rode For the majority of us who ride modern performance designs, most of our time is spent on grovelers, standard shortboards, and maybe the occasional step-up. But every now and then, the waves get a bit too big for a 6’2—and that’s when the hellmen and women among us start breaking out the serious foam.   Boards for big waves have a long and storied history—one that was predominantly written right here on Oahu. From the guns of Pat Curren and Dick Brewer to the modern semi-guns of Wade Tokoro, the North Shore has long been the...

Sweet Potato Surfboard Review Camp shares his experience when he rented the Sweet Potato surfboard. He had about an hour and a half to take it out and had never ridden it before. He caught everything he wanted and found it to be a ton of fun. He enjoyed it so much that he’s going to have to get himself one of these little things. Camp was using the Al Merrick quad set on the board. He’s 5’11" and weighs 185 pounds. The board is 41 L and it floated well. It paddled like a breeze and was super fun for...

Live Footage of Waimea Bay from Surfline.com    Waimea Bay broke today. It wasn’t huge, and it wasn’t pretty—marred by stormy rain, short-period swell, and northeast wind—but it had its moments, enough to remind us that winter season is here, even if it’s been flat for the past two weeks. But today was only the warmup—it barely registered on the radar. The main event is coming later this week. And, as seems to happen more often than not, it’s hitting on Thanksgiving. Most of Thursday is going to be in that fun, four- to eight-foot range, but at around 3:00...

 Hatchet Fin Review Our surfer friend shares her experience with the HSS Hatchet fin. She's been using it for a year and would not change it. She describes the fin as coming through the water like butter and rates it 10 out of 10. She's currently riding it on a board that her husband shaped. It’s a 9’9" single-nose rider. She said she can nose ride on this fin and finds that this fin is better than other fins she's tried so far. The HSS Hatchet fin turns good and is easy to slow down too. It fits perfectly for...

Legendary Hawaiian shaper Randy Rarick recently revealed the story behind his innovative black tip fin design that has taken the surf world by storm. After two years in development with Futures Fins, Randy has perfected a technique that allows for maximum flex in the fin tip while maintaining strength through strategic use of carbon fiber. In this exclusive interview, Randy traces his inspiration back to the 60s kneeboarder George Greenough and discusses how this fin improves performance, drive, and snap off turns for everything from high-performance shortboards to classic logs. Read on to learn the unique benefits of his black...

Introducing the Great White Twin in Volcanic Technology: Where Shark Meets Surfboard 🌊 Surf’s up, fellow wave enthusiasts! 🌊🏄‍♂️ Firewire Surfboards is thrilled to unveil its latest creation: the Great White Twin. Designed in collaboration with the legendary Kelly Slater, this board promises an thrilling ride that’ll leave you grinning from ear to ear. The Great White Twin: A Fusion of Power and Precision Are you ready to ride the waves like a predator? Look no further than the Great White Twin, the latest sensation from Firewire Surfboards. Inspired by the sleek outline of the mighty Great White Shark, this surfboard is a game-changer....

Sunday Surfboard Review Alyssa shares her experience with the Firewire Sunday surfboard. She got the 6'8 Sunday and has been using it as a step down for her longboard. She finds it to be perfect for her because it has a lot of volume and is still easy to paddle. She also mentions that learning on this board has been good for her.Alyssa stepped down from a 9'2 Single Fin Nose Rider longboard and found that turning on the Firewire Sunday has been a learning curve. She’s still able to turn it, but it’s much easier to turn on a...

Board Bag Review The 2mm board bag is designed to fit a 6'4" board, and it features a stretchy material that allows it to accommodate a variety of board shapes and sizes. The bag is also well-padded, providing excellent protection for your board. Shop Board Bags Here

H4 Surfboard Fin Review He describes them as a "thruster with a quad feel." He says that he tried them on a few different boards, including the Sci-Fi 2, and that they worked really well on all of them. He especially liked them on small days, as they made his board feel more lively and gave it more drive. Shop H4 Fins here

Sunday Surfboard Review David takes the Sunday surfboard out for the third time and gives his honest review. He wasn't happy with the board at first, but after using the side fins from the Quad of the Machados, he really started to enjoy it. He says the board is fun and gets into the waves well. If you're looking for a new surfboard to ride, be sure to check out the Sunday! Shop Sunday Surfboard here

 Dominator 2.0 Surfboard Review Daniel dives into the details of the Dominator 2.0 and shares his firsthand experience with this sleek and stylish surfboard. From its eye-catching colors to its smooth ride on the waves, Daniel can't get enough of it. Join him as he takes you on a surf journey from Eva Beach to Waikiki, with a quick stop at Northshore. Learn why Dominator 2.0 makes every surf session a blast, especially with those Dan Mann fins he recommends. While Daniel wished for bigger waves during his review, he's absolutely stoked about this surfboard, and you will be too! ...

Tip 6: The Down Carve While down carves have technically been around for decades, they have only begun to score high in recent years, largely due to guys like John John Florence, who have taken this foundational maneuver and pushed it to the limit. The down carve is sort of like a combination between a top turn and a roundhouse. While it involves taking the board to the crest of the wave and utilizing the entire face, it is a fully committed rail turn rather than a snap. And because it is done so radically and with so much speed...