Finterview: The Phi-n and The Flowthru

Many months ago, while visiting my infamous friend Mike - math teach, father, friend and fellow swine slider - I asked him about a board I'd seen on his blog, something he called Blackstoke II. It was a pig shaped by Marc Andreini with a traditional style skeg affixed to the far end. Only this skeg was hollow in the center - a "flothru" fin Mike informed me. Obviously interested, Mike explained its origins, described how it surfed to the best of his abilities, etc. The next time I was in town, Mike laid a blue folder on his kitchen counter - inside was roughly 1,500 words regarding 'The Science of Surfing.' I won't divulge too many details, as I believe this story will find its way into a surf publication sometime soon, but what I can tell you is that tucked into the back of the folder was a sketch of a skeg, affectionately named 'The Phi-n.'

Math equations danced around the drawing. Mike had even cut one out of graph paper, and placed it atop a tracing of another skeg, so that he could describe the differences more effectively. And so that I could see. His 'Phi-n' was shaped using science, er, math - whichever. The conversation took a turn, and then Mike disappeared into another room to nap with his daughter and three of his five dogs. I was intrigued. A few weeks later Mike sent me a message: "Matt is making me another Feral Pig! It'll be white, with a big yellow cigar stripe and a fin-box." Wait... "A fin-box? What the fuck for?" I asked. To which Mike replied, "You'll see." And then came an image on Instagram. A snap shot of David and Mike's collaboration - two fins, each extraordinarily unique. I've asked Mike to give us a bit more info about both. Follow the link to learn more.

Finterview: Christian Wach Canvas Fin

It's a big bastard. Ten and a quarter inches tall and seven inches across. A fin that allows for a lot of upright rotation. Designed by Christian Wach from Canvas Surfboards, this True Ames fin is sorta like a late seventies mullet - all business up front and a party in the back. I put it on my 9'6" Becker UFO, a board that I really haven't been riding, but has been the basis for most, if not all, of our Finterviews. So I stuck it on the stern and paddled out to find a few peelers.

Finterview: Mikey DeTemple MD3

The MD3 Longboard Fin was designed by our favorite Long Island logger, Mikey DeTemple, and is supposed to "bring your longboard to life." I opted for the full meal deal. Ten inches. Top to bottom. It's big, I know. But I was having trouble with the Blue Banana and thought a fin with less area would allow for some clean, drawn out turns. And I'll be damned if it didn't! On head high waves the MD3 digs deep. Like a big keel on the underside of a sailboat, the fins broad, flat surface creates sideways force by displacing water in the opposite direction that the board is trying to tip. Some serious surf science.

You'll know when it won't go, though. Put pressure on it's pivot point on knee high peelers and nothing happens. Straight as an arrow. Sometimes there's just not enough underneath. But on the biguns, when your flying down the face ready to make things right, er, left, the MD3 gets the job done. Oh, and did I mention it's fast, with tons of trim speed for controlled noserides - assuming you wander that far forward. So what more do you wanna know? It's not spectacular on the small stuff. Probably need a pivot fin for that. But when it gets big, or at least up to your ass, the MD3 is an excellent bit of equipment. Case closed.

This Finterview originally appeared on Stoke Harvester's blog

Finterview: Greenough 4C

According to True Ames, George Greenough took cues from the pattern of human evolution when designing the 4C and "found it adaptive to become less wild and more upright." The 4C, a 9.5" fiberglass fin, shares the Greenough 4A's flex, but has less rake and a much smaller base. It's upright posture allows "midlength eggs and logs to make lower-radius, looser turns." I attached it to my 9'6" Harbour Banana Model, a board that came equipped with an upright-ish, 9.5" fin made by the Fibre Glas Fin Co. But for some reason, I found the 4C to feel a bit short. On an eight foot egg, or perhaps a board with a bit less tail rocker, the 4C would work well. But the Banana needed something stronger. Whiskey not wine.

Down the face the 4C felt fine, but the bottom turns were sloppy. Loose. Once I pulled into the pocket the 4C required me to stay toward the back of the board, trimming from the tail. It just seemed too short. Take a few steps forward and the Banana lost it's balance. All over the place up front. I became frustrated. Certain it was the fins fault. But alas, it was just the wrong tool attached to a long stick. I'd recommend the 4C to someone with a shorter board. Someone looking to make fast, loose turns, but maintain some stability down the line. I would not, however, suggest you affix the 4C to something you're accustom to making big, slow, calculated bottom turns on. Just wasn't what I wanted.

This Finterview originally appeared on Stoke Harvester's blog.

"He likes it! Hey, Mikey!"

What can I say, I like Mikey. Maybe it's the beard. Or maybe it's because he makes movies that don't suck. Whichever. So when I started looking for a new fin, something for The Blue Banana, Mikey's name was mentioned. The board needed a new fin cause Karissa crushed the one that was on there. And because the Greenough 4C that I recently Finterviewed wasn't what I was looking for. So I spoke with Shawn from Stoke Harvester and he hooked me up with this, a Mike DeTemple MD3 Longboard Fin made by the Rainbow Fin Company. It's a 10" fiberglass fin that looks a lot like the Greenough 4A. Wide base, narrow, flexible tip, a fin "designed to get the most out of your log." Should work well. Oh, and he also threw in a copy of Mikey's first film, Picturesque, which I'll watch and review sometime soon.

Finterview: Greenough 4A

Recently, in part because I have a short attention span, but also because I was asked to, I've had the pleasure of testing a few different fins on my 9'6" Becker UFO - a board with a lot of rocker and "just a tad of nose concave for a smooth rail to rail transition." It's my twin stick. A surfboard I don't care too much about, but seem to surf more often than not. I've tried pivot fins, performance fins, a 2+1 setup and even a small seven-inch single. But now, thanks to some extensive research (and a few recommendations), I think I've found a fin that'll do everything I desire.

Finterview: Future Fins 'Performance Longboard Fin'

Picked up a 9.0 Future Fins 'Performance Longboard Fin' at Wave Hounds a few weeks ago. According to their website the fin "allows for good release, but has just enough tip for those long nose rides." More maneuverable than my 9.25 Salty and certainly snappier than the 10" Dorsal that Beads let me borrow, the fin was fast down the line, allowed for big bottom turns on head high waves and would float to the top for quick trips to the nose. Attached to my 9'6" Becker UFO, which has a reasonable amount of rocker and hard rails, the fin was a lot of fun. Not that stable when cross-stepping, though. I'd say it's a fin for those looking to make the most of a wave, not for someone interested in finding their way to the front.