So good today to have such an abundance of fins, absolute smorgasboard, fantastic to have so much variety. Like different tyres on your car they make a super difference to performance and sometimes without the correct balance of fins u can suffer the beatings of a big wave if she didn’t hold in that critical turn or section…

So are they important? they certainly are. When we used to make our own fin panels and cut out our fins and foil them we had to get correct layers of glass, viscosity of resin for flex combo correct – a lot of thought and time went into it. Today u can google a a mega different fin companies to see what’s available. From the hand made by the legend guru or the China copy cat. Depending on your budget or what works for you, fins can be a life time pursuit of ‘the grass is always greener’ attitude or u can put a set in your KB and forget they’re there and just make them work. Or, if you are like me who got paid $1 a fin for foiling in the early 70s u would know it was an itchy job!!

Still the finished product was always worth it love those multi colored layered fins and when twinnys came along yes you only foiled one side! Don’t u just admire the classic old cats who have been doing it all their lives and come up with a new spacey configuration to blow our minds with. And I must give a huge plug to hanalei _ gearbox fin systems = as wow have they captured the imagination! I am totally impressed by their craftsmanship and dedication in the face of huge obstacles by the multi nationals.

And as my only form of income is kbs , TSHIRTS and car decals I fully admire guys who love with a passion what you do and won’t give up not matter what (nor will I). It’s like a song I know ‘I love you, even though I don’t know you.’ I am waiting for my set of hanaleis with baited breath. But I know from all my hardcore pilots that it’s all thumbs up, I can’t wait. It reminds so much when I started shaping the freak and the fresh fish freak, they were not the same but very different , one thing is I put them thru the gauntlet in many different types of waves and I couldn’t believe it.

I remember driving home after making it out of not one but every tube at a heavy remote island ledge break, I hadn’t done that for years, I rang Parkesy I was frothing and told him about it. I think he thought I was tripping but he respectfully listened and said ‘you are onto something’, he was genuinely stoked for me, we have always shared ideas and many times I have gotten quizzed about why it took me so long just to to talk to Parkesy about fins! Well bros if u have a flat spot but don’t know why , then I suggest get to the smorgasboard of fins available sit down under a tree and watch the waves and talk about fins, fins , fins.

Some like them way back stiff, others fwd and flexy the inside con caved. Personally I recommend at least some tip flex . But you will know by what feels good or correct for you don’t under estimate that feeling you will know what suits you . Keep searching , keep ur mind open fins can enhance ur favorite board 100%. FANTASTIC FINS GOTTA LOVE EM.