Mason Ho Makes A Cogent Argument For Big Boards In Small Waves

Love it or loathe it, surfing has found itself in a ride-anything culture, where boards ranging from 4′ to 10′ are equally permissable in waves every shade, shape, and size. 

Recently, we watched Dakoda Walters sample boards ranging from a 4-foot glassed bodyboard to a 7-foot step-up in the Waco and Lemoore pools. Asher Pacey, who is not a short man by any stretch of the femur, has also been known to dabble with sub-five-foot crafts. Even the great Tom Curren, who had one of his most historic surfing moments on a 7’10 Maurice Cole, has transitioned almost exclusively to a modified skimboard. 

Meanwhile, some folks are going in the opposite direction. Creed McTaggart recently added a few extra inches to his fiberglass scythe, and career-defining performances have followed. Now we have Mason Ho, who with a 6’9 …Lost in head-high surf, has taken the trend to an entirely different level. 

And what is it that’s so enticing about this juxtaposition?

Is it the novelty factor? The perceived ode to a bygone, but perhaps returning, era? Or is it just damn impressive how Mason whips the thing around?