Kolohe Andino Is Very Particular When It Comes To Tail Pads

There are millions of variables in surfing. There are however, some attributes that we have control over, particularly in the equipment department. 

As we gather experience, our senses heighten. We tap into the intricacies of our craft, what feels good and what feels like shit. We become more aware of the details; the subtleties of the rail, outline and flex of the fins, vibrancy of the foam, the flow of water through any concave and out through the tail.

This iteration process leads us to make better decisions on the boards we buy, the fins we screw in, even the wax we spread across our decks. Naturally, we move away from the bleh and towards the good.

Do you wrap your foot across the kick? Perhaps that’s why your turns don’t look like this.

Think of the professional surfer as having an expanded equipment consciousness. Kolohe Andino, for example, likes to shift his back foot around a lot, tightening his arc, driving, releasing and generally getting more jazz outta his Mayhems. He found that tail pads with arch bars choke up his ability to make these adjustments on the fly, so he vetoed the feature on his new signature FCS grip. 

Interestingly if you study Mr Andino’s changes in direction, you’ll also notice occasionally he likes to stand on the kick. So for the pad they increased the chamfer on the ridge to better shape to the bottom of his foot, complimenting this idiosyncrasy.

“When we set out to design my pad I had a pretty high benchmark,” Brother recounts. “Of course, the surface of the pad needed to have a super grippy feel, but I also wanted to make the kick functional because I use that feature on the pad when I’m doing a turn”.

So, while sharing similarities with other signature pads hanging on the walls of your local surf shop, Kolohe’s grip does have it’s own flavour, with a functional reason behind it.

Here are the specs:

-3 piece pad, spreadable, and designed to suit a variety of different tail shapes. 
-Channels on the chamfer to assist with toe and heal grip.
-No arch bar, flat pad.
-Sanded surfaces for enhanced grip, and strategically placed perforations for extra resistance.
-Cut-out for leash plug. 
-3 colour ways with visual references that tie back to his signature fin. 

You can buy it here, or learn more, here.