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Akila Aipa's/Slater Designs' Twin release
- Thread starter ChaseTMP
- Start date
If I didn't have 40 lbs on you, I'd say you get the twin and I'll get the quad and we can switch off!!
@tedshred5 - Duke rides the quad and swears by it. He and I debated the twin versus quad. He says it's the drivier of the two boards.
you guys realize Duke and Akila are two different people, right?
...and their boards are different. Yet for some reason, Duke's name and boards keep popping up in this thread. I'm not fighting it. I enjoy mine.
haha ya I know. but same lineage. both their boards look fun. Akila's contemporary fish looks super fun
I wonder how each other feels about them making similar boards.
I know they're brothers but is it cool? Agreed upon? Same files?
Either way, looks like they're both moving units so good for them.
Akila's IG stories look like he's always got 40+ boards in progress.
I know they're brothers but is it cool? Agreed upon? Same files?
Either way, looks like they're both moving units so good for them.
Akila's IG stories look like he's always got 40+ boards in progress.
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Yeah, they do seem to have completely separate businesses but are supportive of each other. Akila looks to have gone deep into twins the last few years and duke offers multiple sting variants. Obviously they both have this template with the wing. I think it’s confusing for people that they both use Ben’s AIPA lam too. I ordered my board with Akila’s tiki logo so people wouldn’t think it was a FW. LOL
I've always loved Akilas tiki logo. He drew it himself.
Man that board is FUN! Took mine for a spin finally. When it rotates during a turn it feels like it is rotating at a noticeably higher pivot point and not as much off the tail like my other boards. Its interesting, in a good way. Very fast & very loose with his pivot fins in for me. I didn't think it would pivot that easily to the point I over rotated on a number of turns unexpectedly. Pretty stoked 1 day in on it. Very different than the boards in the rest of my quiver. Need more time on it in more ranges of surf, but wow I haven't had a first impression like that on a board in a very long time.
Would riding a Firewire mess up your street cred in the water?
I have so little left, I need all the help I can get!Would riding a Firewire mess up your street cred in the water?
riding a Firewire negates all cred, street or otherwise
but same holds true for Tomo's
I wonder if a flat earth would be better in your ideal liter range or 4-5L above that. The general recommendation seems to be 1-2L above normal range. Maybe 4-5L above wouldn't be so bad in EPS?
I got one a week ago. I have been wanting to ride one of Akila's wing pins for almost a decade but living in Sydney don't have access. I went almost 3L up and bought it for 2-4ft surf as a change up from the HPSB - I needed a change but didn't want too much of a change of approach to the wave but wanted it to be different enough if you know what I mean. I have an amazing groveler already and a few standard HPSBs, a Step up, a single fin but I have never tried a twin.
I'll take this out in everything with and without a trailer (have Akila twin set and T1 trailer) just to suss it out. I had two surfs and had a swell jump so went back to a 6-0 without any adjustment so thats another tick for me.
Its a pretty sick board, mostly because its got me stoked to go out in anything to give it a go but also because its such a fun board to ride with and without trailer when larger.
This is my first Slater Designs board - been getting local custom for the last 10 years or so and I'm pretty impressed with the finish on them. The weight of the board is spot on - not too light which I can't stand. Kind've on par with JS Hyfy.
Wish I could get customs off Akila direct...will have to wait to travel to open up and do a buying trip to Hawaii. Until then it is the flat earth for me!
I'll take this out in everything with and without a trailer (have Akila twin set and T1 trailer) just to suss it out. I had two surfs and had a swell jump so went back to a 6-0 without any adjustment so thats another tick for me.
Its a pretty sick board, mostly because its got me stoked to go out in anything to give it a go but also because its such a fun board to ride with and without trailer when larger.
This is my first Slater Designs board - been getting local custom for the last 10 years or so and I'm pretty impressed with the finish on them. The weight of the board is spot on - not too light which I can't stand. Kind've on par with JS Hyfy.
Wish I could get customs off Akila direct...will have to wait to travel to open up and do a buying trip to Hawaii. Until then it is the flat earth for me!
@dunnc Nice that you're enjoying the board. I'd have to think you're exactly the kinda international surfer/customer that Akila was hoping to reach with the SD collab.
www.worldsurfleague.com
Not sure if this Q&A was already posted, but a couple interesting answers by Akila IMO. I like the loose skateboard trucks metaphor for a twin.
And I had to laugh when he uses the term "platform" for the board (before fins) like Chandler has described modern boards w/ fin systems ...
"This design is really fast, loose and fun. And in terms of performance sensibilities, we can control that through what fin package we choose, whether that's as a twin, twin plus trailer or thruster. My philosophy is that none of those fin packages will slow the board down because we have such a stable platform. Think of it like a skateboarder with loose trucks, it's that freedom and ability to control the sensation that we're trying to replicate. You can't make a slow board fast just by changing the fins, but you can take a fast board and add stability by altering the fin package. So that's how we're thinking about it."
Akila Aipa Breaks Down Kelly Slater's Twin-Fins And Their New 'Flat Earth' Model
Slater and Aipa just released their new Flat Earth model with Slater Designs, here's Akila's take on the sleek new twinnie.
www.worldsurfleague.com
And I had to laugh when he uses the term "platform" for the board (before fins) like Chandler has described modern boards w/ fin systems ...
"This design is really fast, loose and fun. And in terms of performance sensibilities, we can control that through what fin package we choose, whether that's as a twin, twin plus trailer or thruster. My philosophy is that none of those fin packages will slow the board down because we have such a stable platform. Think of it like a skateboarder with loose trucks, it's that freedom and ability to control the sensation that we're trying to replicate. You can't make a slow board fast just by changing the fins, but you can take a fast board and add stability by altering the fin package. So that's how we're thinking about it."
Looks like Akila is testing more prototypes for Slater Designs. On his IG stories. Looks like maybe a thruster shape and winged swallow twin. My buddy is helping him with operations, I'll see if he knows anything.