3 X 365
by Sam George
posted 5/19/03
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The first quiver? Tommy Zahn stands proud.
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We've all seen the photos: the sport's top pros looking very glamorous, traveling around the world, their enormous coffin bags stuffed to the gills with eight-board quivers, or posed with a veritable surf shop-ful of beautiful boards fanned out behind them, displayed like a peacock's tail. It's enough to make your average surfer feel downright inadequate--or at least stuck with a major case of quiver envy. Truth is, however, unless you plan on riding really big waves--20 feet and up--you can get by on way fewer boards than the pros (most of whom pad their quivers in case of breakage anyway). To get you started we've designed a functional three-board quiver, one for surfers under 25, one for surfers over 25. Three boards that should keep you out in the surf and having fun, 365 days a year.
NOTE: As explained, serious guns, including tow-in boards have been omitted, and although a longboard is recommended for older surfers, everyone really should have at least one.
UNDER 25 For both active grom and post-grom surfers, the 365 Quiver should be based on this simple formula: a hybrid (or modern fish or whatever you want to call any board that's shorter, wider, flatter and faster than a conventional board) for smaller days, a conventional shape for good days and a semi-gun for those really good days and the occasional surf trip. Consider the following boards and their applications:
A quiver of Hawaiians: Tory, TJ, Jason.
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Hybrid 5' 7" - 6' 0" Generally ridden shorter and wider, these fuller-area, skatey, speedy models can really breathe life into mushy, small-wave sessions where your regular board might sink. Why let longboarders have all the fun? This high-velocity board will keep you moving quickly when the waves are slow. Teach you how to use a rail, too.
Conventional Board 6' 1"- 6' 4" The high-performance standard, made for those days when the ocean offers at least a pocket to swoop in and out of. Generally narrow and thin, they may not paddle very well, but can hold their own in much bigger surf than their counterparts a decade ago.
Semi Gun 6' 6"- 6' 10" For those special, three-or-four-times-a-year big days. Maybe a touch more volume in the center, and a nod to the guns of old with its pintail. But don't let the short length fool you--big, long guns are sooo 1980s.
OVER 25 This age group includes those surfers who have stopped merely emulating and have begun to develop a realistic assessment of their surfing skills and needs. With increased experience should come increased open-mindedness, hence the development of this three-board quiver based entirely on function, not fashion.
Hybrid 6' 2" - 6' 8" In this case we're not talking about stubby little "fishes" or tubby "fun" boards, but simply full-figured shortboards, with a touch wider nose outline and center width at least 19.5 inches. Fast, versatile and accommodating, it'll help you have fun and look good on a daily basis.
Semi-Gun 6' 8" - 7' 2" Not because you're older, but because you're smarter. A few more inches of length and a tad more center thickness translates into a noticeable increase in authority on those epic days, when how you look in the barrel is a lot more important than how you look on the beach.
High Performance Longboard 9' 0" - 9' 6" Tiny days, lazy days, surfing with your gal, surfing with your kids; the desire to slow down for a few seconds to enjoy the simple act of gliding toward shore. Keeps you in shape and in touch with the inner Phil Edwards in us all, firm in the belief that style does count.
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