Nate Tyler, getting frisky.

Q: If I Lose The Middle Rudder Will I Also Lose The Frisk? A: No

Hayden Cox on the Hypto Krypto twin. Plus, the best twin fin team edit you will see this year.

features // Nov 2, 2021

Words by Ethan Davis

Reading Time: 4 minutes

When surfboard marketing clips come across the desk, standard protocol is to search for the best moments and say something gushy about how good the board looked. This one though was honestly just inspiring the whole way through. High-performance twin-fin surfing, tight cinematography, cut to a soundtrack (Drive Blind – Ride) that I’ve now added to my Spotify playlist.

HS has hit the nail on the head with this one.

Jake Kelley, Shama Beckford, Dylan Graves, Nate Tyler, Warren Smith, and Micky Clarke, give the HK Twin a flogging backside, frontside, in offshore tubes, side-shore mush, and the air. Twins are notoriously difficult to surf backside without the third stabiliser to push off, Micky and Dylan however, get it going top-to-bottom in steep pockets with its refined rails and V in the tail that gives it extra hold through shorter arcs.

Our Joyride of the HK twin was a flattering review. One commenter even remarked that they had never seen Mikey surf so well. Which was one of those great statements that both gladdens and stings. A bit like your crush telling you, “I’d totally kiss you if I was highly intoxicated.”

Anyway, here’s all the information you need to know about the HS HK twin from the master craftsman himself, Hayden Cox.

What conditions is it best suited for?

The Hypto Krypto Twin is suited to all conditions with faces from 2-8ft.

What’s the best construction tech to get it in?

It is offered in FutureFlex (EPS Core, Epoxy Resin with Parabolic Carbon Fiber Rail), and PU (Polyurethane Core, Polyester Resin). The FutureFlex construction is more lively and responsive with a very quick acceleration, whereas the PU is more dampened and gradual with acceleration.

What size should I order compared to my normal shortboard?

Ride it 2-4” shorter than your normal shortboard, and about 2-3L more in volume.

Fins? Which ones should I use? What is important with twin fins?

I personally suggest that a performance keel fin will work best with the board, drawing out your turns and allowing you to hold on at a higher speed. A more performance and upright twin template will free the board up, track a little less, and have more pivot in your turns.

I haven’t ridden many twins before. What should I expect?

The Hypto Krypto twin is more relatable to a thruster design and will allow you to feel comfortable quicker. Twins will generally be harder to ride backside, but I’ve kept the design tighter in the tail to allow for more hold coming off the bottom.

Mikey in our joyride said “it felt like the board was telling me when I stood too far forward” – how do you need to adjust your surfing from a conventional shortboard? Do all boards come with this feature?

The Hypto Krypto Twin does have a good amount of rolled vee in the entry, which helps keep the nose out of the water when taking off or putting too much weight forward on the board. Coming from a shortboard, you will want to relax a little at the start and just feel the lines and hold of the board throughout turns before pushing it too far.

One of our dear commenters on-site using the handle ‘a dude’, remarked and I quote ‘I came here to say you (Mikey) seem… happier?’ Will it make me happy?

It made me happy for a few years before we released it, and it has made some of our key customers and team very happy! A very versatile shape in a twin design.

This guy Nate rode it and he looks happy.

One for the board nerds: construction, rocker, channels, tail, outline?

FutureFlex construction for me brings the most out of this design. The uni-directional carbon along the rail line brings maximum acceleration and response. The rocker is flat throughout but curve is introduced through the rolled vee in the entry and vee out the tail. The outline has the wide point forward with more curve around the front foot, and a straighter outline in the tail bring more drive.

Size. Do you have a size breakdown we can share based on someone’s weight?

The calculator is on our website on each board model. Punch in your weight, height and ability and it’ll calculate the best fit for you.

Stock dimensions are below: