THE (SHORT) STORY OF THE FEROX

The very first single-fin surfboard I spent time on was a 7’10” ‘V-Bowls’ inspired board shaped by Chomper Surfcraft. I surfed a few different fin templates in the board, but one stood out from the rest. It was a 9” Flex Fin that formed a part of Hugh’s (Keeper Surfboards) collection of well-used single fins. This fin was a gift to Hugh from John Bramwell who made surfboards under the label Evenflow Surfboards. Bramwell is a great craftsman, a walking encyclopedia on the history of surfboards and is driven to build authentic designs. Bramwell’s gift to Hugh turned out to be the fin that stayed in this 7’10” ‘V-bowls’ and shaped my relationship with single-fin surfing. I had scratched a line on the fin box to keep the fin positioned where it felt good, just at the right balance of control at speed and sensitivity through turns. The fin got tested in all types of conditions, from the powerful waves of the West Coast to the groomed lines of the Eastern Cape.

The 7’10” V-bowls remake, West Coast, 2019

So it came to be that the first fin I made was a replica of this 9” single fin. I used off-cut cloth from the laminating room’s bin and a bucket of colour incorrect resin that was deemed futile. I fiddled with the colour and ended up with a solid lime green panel made from mix-matched off-cuts of cloth. The final product was crude and the mix of uniquely sized 6oz and 4oz cloth made for an interesting appearance when it was finished. 

The first fin

The first few months of GFYFC was a period of experimentation with process and designs. Realising the freedom of creating unique templates and feeling them out was liberating. It did not take very long before I scaled the template to create a 10” version to go with my 10’ V-Bottom log from Chomper Surfcraft. I used that 10” fin exclusively for a few months. What is so enjoyable about this template is the fluidity it has through turns. The narrow base, rake and taper are the attributes that define this fin. Speeding through drawn out lines, constantly loading up and releasing energy through turns. Utilising the flex like a spring, to project the board out of the pocket and onto the open face. 

An east coast trip with a lot learned

The Ferox 9” has been a staple in my single fin quiver ever since the first one I made. It can be seen in the edit “Gone Left” by Daydream Productions. I’m surfing a Dower Surfboards 8’7” Half Loaf and local surf enthusiast Jason “J-dog” Cameron is on a Rasmussen Surfboards log with a 10” Ferox steering the ship. 

Find the Ferox in it’s variety of sizes via the online store. The Ferox is now available in various sizes ranging from 7.5”, 8.25”, 9”, 10.5”. Click the image below to check it out in the online store or follow this link: https://www.goodforyoufinco.com/product-page/ferox

Photo: Daydream Productions