Sinning Is More Fun In Summer

Taj Burrow, Craig Anderson and Chippa Wilson test (and rate) seven off-the-rack small wave surfboards for Surfstitch.

By: Photography by John Respondek

Is riding a small wave surfboard sinful? All that extra foam, that shortened length, that user-friendliness... it can certainly make your edges a little softer, kill off a little of your need to push harder. But goddamn it, if surfboards designed for summer-centric waves aren't the most pleasurable little objects. They're a quiver requirement for most everyday surfers now, especially those who live in metropolitans and need something that'll inject some vibrance into a very dull city beach rip bowl.

A99Q0918 Craig

But, which one is most suited to you? Every shaper worth their dust has a step-down, fish or twin in the range, and the choice can be overwhelming. So, because Stab and Surfstitch live to give, we took Taj Burrow, Craig Anderson and Chippa Wilson to a north coast NSW location, gave them seven anonymous surfboards and had them test and review the crafts.

A99Q8866 Chippa

Now, Stab In The Dark, this ain't. But, the premise is similar: We painted the boards black, and randomly assigned each a deadly sin by which to recognise it. This way, we (attempt to) eliminate pre-conceived brand notions.

However, where this differs most from SITD, is that these surfboards were plucked straight from the rack. They weren't necessarily handshaped by each brand's marquee shaper, though, some may have been – we don't know. And that's the beauty of this. We wanted to make this as relevant to the everyday surfboard consumer as possible. We used what the majority of you are buying. And our hope is that we can help you make more informed choices.