Surfboard Review #7

Name: Fourth Shank

Construction: Polyester/Foam

Conditions: Waist to Well Overhead

Fin Setup: FCS2 Five fin (fins not included)

What We Think: Every time I see this board I want it! To me, this is performance shortboard design done right! It holds good width and thickness through the chest making it very easy to paddle and also maintain stability, however the curve going into the tail, combined with the sharp rails and a good amount of rocker means you can throw this board straight into the lip and have a good chance of coming out. I wouldn't be surprised if it became your go to barrel board too. Swallow tails offer good hold in the tube and whack in a quad and you'll be flying! The channels on the belly, which are new for this years model, allow you to push harder through turns as they hold more, and go much much faster.

If you're in the market for a shortboard that will catch waist high mush all the way to solid overhead cones, will be a treat to paddle, will fly in anything hollow, and that will probably make you a much better surfer, then look no further. 

Technical Description: So the Shank in terms of design is fairly simple, it has a single concave running straight through from nose to tail, medium rocker and a tear drop outline which offers slightly more curve through the lower half than standard shortboard templates on offer today. This curve in the back half gives the board plenty of pivot off of the tail which makes it super responsive.

The nose is pretty wide which balances out the stability/sensitivity ratios, meaning the board will keep its mobility at lower speeds and its freedom on rail without bogging or sliding out at higher speeds. The balance between the nose width and tail width is key to the effortless carves and rail surfing you can achieve on the Shank.

The rails are that of a standard shortboard in shape and thickness with harder edges slightly higher up to offer a nice platform through bottom turns and plenty of release through top turns. The rail and hard edge compliment the wider swallow tail beautifully.

The Shank offers you a high performance all-rounder that transcends styles, wave conditions, and ability levels, and it has been well tested and refined after listening to the feedback we have had from our diverse roster of team riders.