Firewire Surfboards is excited to announce the latest signature surfboard model launch with the 11X World Champion, Kelly Slater, under his namesake Slater Designs brand. Introducing the Great White Twin in I-Bolic Technology with Volcanic Lamination, which is available at authorized surf shops and online stores globally as of today.

“It’s called the Great White Twin,” says Slater, “because the board is literally a template of an outline of a Great White Shark.”

Designed in collaboration by Slater and Bali-based surfboard designer Mike Woo over an extended period of 3+ years, the Great White Twin is something Kelly embraces with enthusiasm for its shark-inspired design elements, but also as a continuation of the performance legacy of twin fin designs in general.

“The Great White is a performance Twin,” elaborated Slater. “It’s not like a cruiser twin. The thing works. Go push it.”

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  Kelly Slater and The Great White Twin in I Bolic Technology with Volcanic Lamination

Slater cites Mark Richards as an influence for his dedication to Twin Fins while many others have abandoned them, stating “I think where part of the lack of evolution happened in twins is as thrusters became more rockered and radical, twins kind of stayed more flat and traditional. With [the Great White Twin] what I’ve noticed is backhand especially, it’s much more versatile in the pocket than a standard twin fin would be. You can actually go up and throw the tail out right up in the pocket, in the lip, backhand. Which is pretty hard. I’ve never liked going backhand on Twin Fins [until now].”

Constructed in Firewire’s proprietary I-Bolic Technology with Volcanic Lamination, Slater’s enthusiasm for this model extends well beyond its design merits:

“I [used to] beat my boards up pretty good,” detailed Slater. “But then I just noticed when I would get a board just literally off the rack, it has our deck skin on it, and I wouldn’t dent them, and it would just last me forever, and I’d surf for like, months on a board and it would hardly look like I rode it. And for whatever reason, they seem to be more consistent than customs.”

Designed as a performance fish recommended to be ridden at or slightly higher than a surfer’s typical performance shortboard volume, this model’s design is optimized best for pairing with Kelly’s signature Slater Designs ‘Twin + 2’ fin set; an innovation in the fin space both for the materials used to construct it as well as the options packaged within it. Built using innovative carbon inlays for strength and flex, the ‘Twin + 2’ template has a core comprised of 90% pure air.

As the only Twin fin set on the market today packaged with two separate trailers, the Twin + 2 enables three separate configurations for any single surfboard – pure twin, twin with small trailer, or twin with large trailer.

The Great White Twin is available worldwide at authorized, quality surf shops and online stores today, including firewiresurfboards.com.

About I-Bolic Technology:

Firm, drivey and reassuring underfoot, I-Bolic excels at enabling drive, hold and precision. Ideal for powerful surfing in quality waves, I-Bolic Technology is the preferred choice of Kelly Slater and the Slater Designs team. I-Bolic engineering creates a core with three separate points of flex control including an I-Beam down center for unrivaled break strength, and high-density foam in both rails from nose to tail.

About Volcanic Lamination:     

A sustainable lamination alternative to carbon in performance shapes, Volcanic Lamination adds enhanced response and deck durability to both I-Bolic and Helium Cores. ‘Volcanic’ references basalt; a naturally occurring rock that occurs from hot lava cooling after it breaks through the earth’s surface, converted into cloth by extruding fibers from these basalt rocks and then crushing and melting them into woven fabric that is vacuum bagged and laminated with bio resin.

About Firewire Surfboards:

Established in Australia in 2006, Firewire Surfboards is the only global surfboard manufacture to build 100% of its production for retail within Sustainable Surf’s ECOBOARD standard, ensuring an approximate 30% reduction in carbon footprint when compared to traditional surfboard materials and manufacturing methods. By improving the surfing experience with innovative and quality products made with the conscious minimization of impact on the planet, Firewire Surfboards believes in its ability to benefit the people and communities it touches through surfing.