Rails are soft up front along with a gentle hull-shaped bottom contour that allows for easy paddling and nose-riding, getting the board quickly up to speed. But the wider rear of the board has sharper rails and a deep double-concave, which along with the rudder-like tail creates a unique shortboard-like turning radius and feel.
Based in Manly Beach, Australia, Global Surf Industries is the largest surfboard distributor in the world with 11 distinct brands, aimed mostly at recreational surfers. GSI’s shapers have included Greg Webber, Steve Walden, Bob McTavish, and Al Merrick. With the Meyerhoffer longboard now in its quiver, however, it has for the first time added a unique and innovative design that could well prove to be a game-changer in longboarding.
So...Don’t be surprised if these boards appear like UFOs in a line-up or contest near you, ripping where others have plodded before them. Stand-up-paddle surfers beware: in the near future, that glowing and flowing longboard surfing circles around you and your awkward balancing act may just be a Modern Meyerhoffer.
Board sizes will range from 7’6”–9’6” and will come with 6” or 8” center fins along with FCS side fins, depending on the length of the board. Look for demos and boards to be made available in Northern California in the coming weeks at the following shops: Wise in San Francisco, Sonlight in Pacifica, and Freeline in Santa Cruz. WooHoo!!!!!
