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surfboards are usually constructed using polyurethane foam they are made stronger with one or more small pieces of wood called a stringer going down the middle of the board the foam is molded into a blank in the rough shape of a surfboard once the blanks have been made they are given to shapers shapers then cut plane and sand the board to its specifications finally the board is covered in one or more layers of fiberglass cloth and resin it is during this stage that the fins or boxes for removable fins are put on and the leash plug is installed another method of making boards is using epoxy resin and polystyrene foam instead of polyester resin and polyurethane foam in recent years surfboards made out of balsa and a polystyrene core are becoming more popular even solid balsa surfboards are available although foam boards are usually shaped by hand the use of machines to shape them has become more popular over the years modern technology has made its way into surfboard production as well vacuum forming and modern sandwich construction techniques borrowed from other industries have become more common in the industry many surfers have switched to riding sandwich-construction epoxy boards these boards have since the late 1960s when gordon clark found the optimum formulation of urethane foam many of the surfboards in common use have been of the shortboard variety between five five o and seven feet in length with a pointed nose and a rounded or squarish tail typically with three skegs fins but sometimes with two or as many as five surfers generally find a shortboard very quick to maneuver compared with other types of surfboards but because of a lack of flotation due to the smaller size harder to catch waves with often requiring steeper larger and more powerful waves and very late takeoffs where the surfer catches the wave at the critical moment before it breaks a bonzer is a variety of surfboard created by the campbell brothers with three or five fins with double concave channels the channels

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this year the big number ten hangs in the balance not that important this can be argued either way slater doesn t need number ten but of course it would be nice candied walnuts and sprinkles on an already bountiful career cake if he admits to really wanting number ten it takes away from his free-and-easy-take-it-as-it-comes mentality a psyche that has served him well perhaps the biggest factor in the slater equation is his equipment and i do mean his as in he shaped his boards the ocean deck at the rainbow bay surf lifesaving club will be all-abuzz probably is already all abuzz even the cleaning crew will be talking about slater s equipment slater will be riding a 5 3 at least according to one of my sources who spoke with slater at rincon last weekend it s a surfboard that as i mentioned slater himself crafted this is most significant because as evidenced by recent photos the board is fuller rounder and dare i say fishy looking granted the outline leans more toward a lost rnf than a classic lis fish still though these boards are not of the contemporary shortboard ilk ala jordy smith s new js design will the judges buy-in to slater s new equipment and the new lines he and it will draw will the public buyin will you fantasy team owner buy-in while all these questions are intriguing it shouldn t have any effect on your decision definitely put kelly slater on your fantasy surfer team oh one more thing throw jordy smith in the mix too nine time world champion kelly slater is on track for his third quiksilver pro crown after disposing of 2010 rookie pat gudauskas in their round 3 heat at snapper rocks today world no.6 slater who won the seasonopening gold coast event in 2006 and 2008 schooled his young opponent at the famed point break registering a 7.77 and 7.60 to finish with a heat winning 15.37 combination i will get that 10th world title no matter what it takes what makes kelly slater the greatest surfer of all time there s the trophies 41 asp wins 9 world titles 6 pipe masters eddie aikau victory then there s the stuff of myth the high five with rob machado at pipe the rivalry with andy irons the letting go tube at teahupo o the dolphin guiding him to a winning wave at j-bay there s also the neatly book ended story a poor kid with a single mom grows up at a beach in florida with almost no waves but natural talent and a burning competitive spirit take him to the top and he stays there he becomes the youngest and oldest world champ in history ambition and charisma make him the sport s first true celebrity.

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top 3 surf 1 supertubes jeffrey s bay south africa widely considered the finest right-hand pointbreak in the world j-bay is worthy of all the accolades it receives and definitely worth the trip there are several world-class sections here the most famous of which is supertubes the name itself should clue you in to the greatness of this lightning-fast wall that morphs into a large throaty barrel especially when southwest swells rope into the bay from june to august while supers as it s also known is the sole domain of advanced surfers longboarders and beginners will find fun waves at a spot called point which is consistently smaller and more user-friendly than any of the other waves at j-bay destinations 2 banzai pipeline north shore oahu ground zero of the surf action on the infamous north shore pipe is arguably the most famous wave in the world most years from october to march when the westerly swells are in season this spot grinds out massive waves that are so perfect and hollow they look almost cartoon-like but there s nothing funny about pipe with a sharp volcanic reef just inches below the surface and waves breaking with spine-snapping force unless you re an expert it s best just to sit on the sand and watch no binoculars necessary as the wave breaks very close to shore best of all you needn t be a pro surfer to appreciate its raw power and the cajones it takes to surf inside a watery barrel the size of an 18-wheeler truck 3 hanalei point hanalei bay kauai a near-perfect crescent of white sand on kauai s north shore hanalei bay is one of the most scenic surf spots anywhere on earth sure the two-mile-long beach is bordered by mistshrouded cliffs and verdant mountains spilling waterfalls but the surf at hanalei point is why you came strong winter swells pulse into the bay creating big glassy right-handers that challenge even the toughest surfers thankfully for us mortals when the waves at the point are say 12 feet high they might be only two feet high and mellow at hanalei pier there you ll also find rental boards and surf instructors to help you get your game tuned up so you can paddle out to the point.

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