looks like jeff alexander's gemeni concept.

This is what I love about this guy. He might not win number 10 but he will continue to push the sport forward. He has nothing to loose and lots to gain from doing things like this one. looking forward to all these great innovations hit the water. Perhaps they won't be for most of us but sure it makes it feel like Formula 1 but this time, in the lineup.

You know...I'm liking it. What else does he have to prove? Might as well keep pushing the boundaries with new board designs. He should try one of those Elkton asymmetrical designs...

Looks more like a design for a tail to me. lots of V and a deep swallow but the hardness of a squash. no?

It looks like a decent shape if you make the nose the tail and the tail the nose!

asymmetrical designs work. why isn't anyone exploring this more. I don't believe this design is dead!

Oh waaw, keen to see him ride one of these boards at J-Bay. Love how he keeps thinking out of the box. If it works for a manta ray, it will probably work for him too,or maybe he's just trying to freak out the top 44 and the rest of the surfing world ...

I am very interested in asemtrical design. The line you take when surfing on your backhand and forehand are obviously different. Change the rail design for each side of the board has been experimented with and I believe with good results although no pro has gone there for a long time. How about also experimenting with different bottom curve on each side of the board!? How many times is the surfboard actually lying dead flat in the water?

That board looks like a anticonception tool!

Not KS's innovation it's the Alexander Gemini concept alright - rail line in front of the foot is a bit straighter for drive but the rail will flex a bit if you really crank hard so you get the curve up front when you need it.

Kelly's creativity shows a lot of class.

fo' sure,RLS. knew jeff back in the early 90's and the Gemini rode unreal but was a hard sell because of folks prejudices - pointed nose, squash tail...but what goes around, comes around...will see!

If the stringer is the line of symmetry, this does not appear to be an asymmetrical design. (though I think asymmetrical designs could be a great idea for a one-way wave like J-Bay or the superbank)

It looks Stupid and I am a hard core Slater fan. The forks can;t be functional espacially if they are going to plane or be out of the water and if so, make something more eye appealing. All he is doing is taking the non-planing part of the nose out of the water. Here's the thing, I think It;s insane that Slater, the best in History, past present, and way into the future, is experimenting all over the place. I just think during heats, unless it's not too extreme, he should stick with the board that won 5 of his 6 wins last year.

How gnarls is that board? Kelly goes through a twelve pack of boards faster than I can go through a twelve pack beers man. SICK

Is it me or do manta rays swim underwater not harnessing wave energy on top of the water. Principles of underwater propulsion are very different that the principles of surface energy harnessing. The nose design is a useless gimmick designed for nothing more that hype like the rest of these kook shapers making weird tails and shit. Don't be fooled. Kelly won 9 titles on normal boards and somebody else is gonna out surf him this year on a normal board. The principles of gravity and inertia and there effects on harnessing of wave energy yeild fairly simple fluid smooth designs. They aren't boats with engines or sails, they aren't fish with fins, they aren't airplanes, and aren't wake boards being pulled by boats. Any freshman physics student could understand this. Wake up. Other than Kelly and Rob every other CI rider, and every other professional for that matter, rides a pointed nosed modern rockered, single or single to double concave, squash swallow or roundpin tails. Innovation from here

…if this board has been inspired by mantaray cephalic lobes(the paddle-like organs at each corner of a Manta’s mouth,function like scoops to funnel plankton-bearing water into their mouths).its actually swims by flapping its pectoral fins up and down. ….. Its hard for me to see the hydrodynamic significance of this design ….

How gnarls is that board? Kelly goes through a twelve pack of boards faster than I can go through a twelve pack beers man. SICK

Ridiculous - another gimmick aimed for the teen KS wannabees. Look at any surf movie - the only part of an in motion short board is the tail. Improve on the tail section and you might have something.

that looks like the pickle fork alexander i ride! I was voted sexiest man in san diego! slater is totally crampin my style

We know Kelly is the best ever. I hope he does win 10 and quiksilver should give him that $10 Million he earned. ...This board is unique and has already been invented. Many have done these designs in the past. It will take someone like Kelly to make it popular. I for one am kind of over the whole AL MERRICK thing. He was a brilliant designer and still is, but everything is done of the computer now. So, sad but true, shapers are a going to be a thing of the past. I know, I know, "they will never go away", but the surfboard industry is not becoming just like the MUSIC INDUSTRY, everything is digital now and even a 6 year old knows how to design a surfboard on the computer. The days of Merrick and Rusty's are almost over. The time is coming when one can walk into a local surf shop and design your own stick. Those day's will be here more sooner than later. So lets all enjoy the label driven (made in China) boards for as long as we can. Kelly, I hope you win 10!

Hmmmmm........ I wonder what Jeff ALexander is thinking right now....... If Kelly wins on that thing AL (or Burton) better pull out the checkbook. Looks like copyright infringement remains the best entertainment value.

As I recall, " vaudevillian nightmare" and "purists shuddered as pro's reeled in horror" were the words put forth by Surfer Mag's design forum interview with Jeff Alexander about his Gemini surf craft. After one session I switched to riding Gem's only. Many times I've explained the multiple advanced design concepts to curious surfers. Manta ray my ass, it's based on racing catamaran/ picklefork speedboat technology. In one article, Kelly said he didn't have time to experiment while on tour and I wanted to write about these incredible boards I've been on for ten years now! Unfortunate that pros get stuck in a rut while us open minded commoners can experiment and be riding new designs that may blow doors on our old squash tails! Everyone I've shared them with has been very impressed if not blown away! They allow for smaller boards in bigger waves. Hoptong Smith blew minds on a 5ft gem in Makaha, they've placed high in Oahu tow contests. Jeff's an inc

Jeff's an incredible designer/artist/craftsman/innovator. I'd like to see him get the credit he deserves. Maybe Kelly and Merrick should consult with him on these designs. After all, he has been working on them for over 15 years now and he's generously tried to share his discoveries with the world. These boards would be a natural for J-bay.They're not called Gemini Speed Freak for nothing! How long was it before Simon Anderson wasn't being laughed off the beach? I've heard 10 years!

I like the design. Its proven with Jeff's Gemini boards. I have gotten so many laughs and eye rolls over the years when other surfers check out these boards. No one has asked to try it though,Hmm. Maybe a few of you will start thinking outside of the box and try something new. Thanks you KS for being willing to try something new. They are really fast for down the line, giddy up wave like J bay. Just give Jeff a little credit. He deserves it.

it may work. seems he is inspired by that little manta that jumped out of the water next to him at the pipe masters...

I like the design. Its proven with Jeff's Gemini boards. I have gotten so many laughs and eye rolls over the years when other surfers check out these boards. No one has asked to try it though,Hmm. Maybe a few of you will start thinking outside of the box and try something new. Thanks you KS for being willing to try something new. They are really fast for down the line, giddy up wave like J bay. Just give Jeff a little credit. He deserves it.

looks like Kelly got some interest in Skimboards last year at Pipe, now he's going Wake board...you think this stuff is new...c'mon what do you live inland or something..KOOKS!

I shaped a board like that back in '83 and rode it to beat Vince Klyn and Kingsley Looker at the Stubbies Pro. I was ripping super hard and people were tripping on how rad I was. I have enormous genitals.

hey, this nose is like an airport toilet seat! i don't like it!

Kelly is pushing board innovation forward, but just because it's new doesn't mean it works. He should continue to create seemingly insane board designs, because who knows, someday he might create something that will take surfing the next leap into the future.

its true , its a weird shape but dont read too much into it. guys like him have the ability to ride a freakin door with the handles still on! same with machado, i think old al and the boys have done a major dis-service to the comunity bring out all these retro crap things... some have merit. others are just plain ugly... didnt work then and dont work now... nothing more then planks. these guys putting them out are sell outs, in it for the bucks. you only have to read the hype. we heard the same stuff in 67-68, shapers who until then had only ever put out plugs start preaching how cool and groovy their new ultimate shape is. it was b.s. then and it is now. experimentation is cool but its really a head trip, look at cheyne horan, probably the best surfer of his time not to win a world title. and that was because he was riding the wrong equipment. but hey al and the rest of you..... go for the bucks!!

kelly aint pushing no doors open this board design is from 1996 by jeff alexander a true innovator jeff created this shape to go faster be stable and turn on a dime.jeff shape my first gem in 2001 8.0.transition from riding jeffs longboards.i remember the first 4 waves i paddle for i fell flat on my back the board pick up some much on the take off just was not ready.on my fifth wave it all came together oh my god.what a dummy i was for not taking jeffs advice 3yrs earlier to which to the gem.current i have 9 gems from 7.6./11.6 the design works really well on bigger boards.i am on a 9.4. gem stand up paddle the board works well comes alive in med waves.looking for a 8.10.sup what can i say i love the gem it is the best board in the world.and my friend created it not kelly slater. jeff gets no credit just like few years back strecht surboards ripped off jeffs 4 fin bat tail.shaper of the year.no sour grapes.oh the gem has a u.s. patent d 410,515 steve king gem team rider.jeff please come back from bali shape m

Wow. Been waiting for someone like Slater to try a Gemini or something similar and it appears it's happening. I've been riding Jeff Alexander's Gemini design for six years and have never had more fun surfing, they work great in small slop and they work even better in real surf. The previous posts about Jeff are accurate, he is a real craftsman and innovator, his boards work insane. I read a quote in Surfer from Al Merrick himself recently where he said that most of the boards being made today, his included, don't match the ability of the top surfers in the world. It's great to see shapers and surfers push the boundaries.

calling all gemini team riders lets plan a trip to AL MERRICKS SURF SHOP WITH ARE GEMS IN TOW AND SHOW THE DATES WHEN THE GEM WAS MADE.THIS AINT NEW AL JEFF ALEXANDER IS THE TRUE CREATOR.LETS MAKE A U TUBE VID AND POST IT.

Kelly Slater did not invent this look, he copies off of Jeff Alexander, my dad has been riding gemini's for over 10 years. Jeff Alexander > Kelly Slater

Zach, Just read your article about Kelly Slater’s Manta Ray. You act as if this is some new innovative board design, but your magazine failed to mention that you’ve already featured this in The Design Forum a couple of years back called Project Gemini. Carl Friedman referred to it as “A Vaudevillian Nightmare”. Like so many, he totally discounted the design. Did he try it? Well no. Most people, even experienced shapers have initially laughed at the Gemini because they just don’t understand all that’s going on with this board design. This is Jeff Alexander’s patented Gemini design. Jeff is an incredible shaper / designer who spent 19 year building boards on the North Shore. Remember John Keppler’s 1995 Surfer’s Journal article on the Gemini? Kelly Slater is a great champion and I applaud him for being open-minded and looking outside the box of board design, but he should contact Jeff the designer to discuss the Gemini. Jeff has made more than 500 hundred Gemini’s. Lonnie Broth

Lonnie Brothers, Hoptong Smith, Cully Kamisugi and Malia Kamisugi have all won contests on the Gemini. Those who have them just love the way these boards ride. Why? Could it be because they work? People who never tried the Gemini were quick to call this a kook board, but now that Kelly is interested in new innovation, now it’s revolutionary. I would say that Kelly should contact Jeff and get a custom Gemini as a ‘baseline’ board, from which Kelly, Al – and Jeff, can then modify, create, and advance this ALREADY well-proven design. Jeff is currently building boards in Bali and can be reached at: Jeff_alexander1958@yahoo.com. I would encourage Kelly and Channel Island’s to contact Jeff as soon as possible. Rico Alexander

ATTENTION EVERY ONE!!!!!! THIS BOARD HAS BEEN MADE BEFORE AND IT"S PATENED AND IT WORKS ~!!!!!!!!KELLY IS NOT THAT CREATIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GOD!!!!!AND HE IS MAKING IT WRONG!!!!!THE BOARD IS CALLED THE GEMINI NOT THE manta!!!! DO YOU hear ME!!!!!

i actually shaped a picklefork, i was inspired by kelly, and already had a nose to repair, so i shaped one

Design patents last 14 years, so there's no won't be any infringing soon. That may be why they haven't mass produced the board yet, simple copying and riding it isn't a problem until they start selling it. So my guess, once the patent is null this year this model will hit. Kelly's been riding this thing, there's a shot of him in this month's surfer in this tutorial interview, so I have a feeling we'll be seeing more shots of this board and him on it soon.

I thought Jeff's design patent on the Gemini still has a few years left- in any case it would be great to see Jeff get the credit he's due and then Kelly and everyone else who's interested take the design as far as it can go-