I was recently contacted by FCS, the fin and surf accessories company to see if i would be interested in doing a Question an Answer. As im a loyal customer of theirs pretty much from when i started surfing around 10 years ago i thought why not.
I been in Fiji for the last few weeks and had alot of time to really get to know my equipment. Heres how the Q & A went down and a few photos from the trip.
heres a link to FCS website www.surffcs.com.au
photos by Mark Thompson (Stork) storkphotos.com.au
I been in Fiji for the last few weeks and had alot of time to really get to know my equipment. Heres how the Q & A went down and a few photos from the trip.
heres a link to FCS website www.surffcs.com.au
1. What are some of the less well known surf breaks in Fiji that you recommend checking out? (call out the swell/wind that makes’em pump)
Pretty much all the surf breaks in Fiji are quite well known with some of the best waves in the world being in a short boat ride from each other. We are talking Cloudbreak a perfect lefthander that is known as one of the big wave spots that can hold up to however big the ocean can throw at it. Another world class wave is Restaurants, situated off the island of Tavarua this wave is a mechanical tube which barrels flawlessly from start to finish.
Whilst being on the Island of Namotu i have been spoilt for choice for both these waves however i have done research into a wave called "Fiji Pipe" which has a resemblance to Chopes in Tahiti. More popular with the booges as it is quite heavy and shallow, this could be the next spot to get a great shot!
2. What is your favorite surf break? (details on left/right, sand/reef, what swells/wind conditions make it really pump, where it got its name)
So Far this trip in Fiji I have had my best session at Restraunts.A playful lefthander that reels down a coral reef. I love this wave as it has every section you can think of to try whatever you want on it. You can get barreled from start to finish for over 100m or when its onshore you can snap, carve, boost and spin on it. It breaks on a large SW swell, Usually when Cloudbreak is 6 foot, Restaurants starts breaking. It got its name as straight infront of it on Tavarua island there is a restaurant that you can view the wave from.
3. What board are you riding at the moment? (feel free to call out the shaper & dimensions)
At the moment i am riding boards for Annesley Surfboards. Shaped by Nigel Annesley on the Northern beaches of Sydney. I currently have as a small wave board named the Ku model, inspired by Daniel Thompson shapes. It goes unreal in small sloppy waves when you want to boost and spin, its 5'6 and has a resemblance to a wakeboard. I also use a stock standard 5'11 for waves up to 6 foot. this has a flat rocker and alot of volume. Then theres my singlefin i love trimming along on pointbreaks. Its 5'9 and called the "el capitan". Lastly For waves up to 10 foot ive been using a step up which is 6'4. this worked unreal at big cloudbreak and i was very happy with it!
4. What FCS Fins or gear are you currently using on the board & how do you feel they impact your surfing? (feel free to talk about improvements in drive, speed, hold …what conditions you feel the difference?)
I use the Julian Wilson fins in my small wave boards. I find these fins great for airs and spins. They feel great when you are just hammering down the line trying to set up an end section for an air. I feel they do not hold in your bottom turn when its over 4 foot and you dont get great drive from them when you are trying big open face carves.
My Favourite fin from FCS that i use in my stock standard boards, Step ups and tow boards are the PC 5 graphic. I feel this fin is great for drive off a big bottom turn. It also holds for carves, releases for top turns and all round great for all type of surfing.
The only product id say for FCS to look into and improve would be the actual plug. I prefer when they are just the two single circle plugs. As these are easy to repair when they snap out (which is quite common with me). Also the actual grub screw needs to be tougher and not round out as easy.
5. What surfers do you admire & what about their style excites you?
Im quite the opposites when it comes to favourite surfers. Firstly i love the style gurus like Rob Machado, Craig Ando, Lopez and Knost. Style is everything to me if you don't look good doing it then your a kook. But then i like the punk rock surfers like Chippa and Ozzie who's style are a little left of center. So pretty much a unique style is what excites me.
