Best crowd killer performance board

urchined

Nep status
Jul 20, 2019
763
1,384
93
NCSD, CA
I'm the outlier when it comes to the Christenson flat tracker. Always lot of love for it on here but maybe it suits California waves far better than the points of Noosa where I rode mine. Prefer the concave bottom mids for the accelerator pedal under the foot feel compared to the boards with old school feel.
I rarely ride mine any more. when I do, it’s for nostalgia. Me and the tracker went thru a serious health event together. But that board started the journey from thinking anyone not on a HPSB, stap, or gun is a kook. Made me look in the mirror. Now I ride bigger twins and sh!t like a lot of us. But when it’s good, I still go short. I just ride it all now which I wasn’t mentally able to do until the flat tracker.
 

JDJ

Miki Dora status
Mar 1, 2014
4,827
5,075
113
The OC
Something about how C Christenson took the Skip Frye style boards and made them easier to use. Like Greg Griffin, the rails are a thing of beauty. Rode my friend’s Flat Tracker last week and was reminded about how fun it is.
 

estreet

Miki Dora status
Feb 19, 2021
4,827
4,199
113
Southern Cali
I got a 6’0 Rob Machado Sunday. First surf it felt, I want to say corky, as you might expect with 38L packed into a 6’0. Conditions were oddly ideal to test wave catching ability, slow rolling waist high surf with strong off-shore winds. And of the other people out, one was a longboarder and the other a shortboarder. I could catch whatever the longboard could, and I must have gotten well over twice the amount of waves the shortboarder got. Technically the 6’0 Sunday is a shortboard, but by comparison, sitting in the water the shortboarder guy was sunken down almost to his shoulders and I was about down to my navel.

It was loose and fun even with its size and small waves, and it does catch waves super easy. You don’t even need to paddle if you’re in the right spot.

sunday.jpg
 
Last edited:
Mar 2, 2019
27
51
13
I'm the outlier when it comes to the Christenson flat tracker. Always lot of love for it on here but maybe it suits California waves far better than the points of Noosa where I rode mine. I just prefer the concave bottom mids for the accelerator pedal under the foot feel compared to the boards with old school rolled bottom feel.
I had a 7' FT for a month. First board I ever put under my arm thinking it was a thing of beauty, but then let down. Paddled slow, needed a fair bit of push, so with that given, I'd rather be on a higher performing board. Think you really need to size up for them to work properly.
Sometimes changing things up completely will be the answer to having fun. My do it all fun board that is incredibly easy to paddle and super versitile is a 7'2" Lifter with a center plug:

http://instagr.am/p/CO50SsznFa-/
TA keel fins for longboard waves, TA Twin + nubbster for juice up to where my step ups start working.
 

j_mac

Legend (inyourownmind)
Aug 16, 2020
418
1,567
93
I had a 7' FT for a month. First board I ever put under my arm thinking it was a thing of beauty, but then let down. Paddled slow, needed a fair bit of push, so with that given, I'd rather be on a higher performing board. Think you really need to size up for them to work properly.
Sometimes changing things up completely will be the answer to having fun. My do it all fun board that is incredibly easy to paddle and super versitile is a 7'2" Lifter with a center plug:

http://instagr.am/p/CO50SsznFa-/
TA keel fins for longboard waves, TA Twin + nubbster for juice up to where my step ups start working.
Good to know. I have always wondered about the FT since I got a 6' 10" CC Huntsman. For CC Huntsman's length and width, it also paddles slow, and it catches waves okay. It was big let down at first. Being optimistic, it has its place for surfing something different. As you stated, it needs a bit of push, and it is fun in these conditions, but there are other more performance boards that I prefer to be on.

With that said, the CC Lane Splitter is much better than expected. I have a 5' 10" and it gets into waves easy, nice glide, and with performance on the wave that's fun. I refer to it as midlength shortboard based on its glide and response. CC has made longer "true" midlength Lane Splitters that has piqued my interest. I have always worried the magic wouldn't be the same at the longer length. There are zero reports on the longer Lane Splitter.
 

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
6,931
17,272
113
San Diego, CA
I’ve only ridden CCs shorter (5’6-6’1) fish & hybrid boars (which are great), so it’s Interesting to hear this feedback on the CCs. I had the impression they were like a cult- universally loved by the midlength guys who can afford them.
Makes sense as a more accessible Skip option too. I’ve also heard more than a couple guys say they were surprised Skips boars are not necessarily easy as they expected at first.
 

sdsurfrat

Michael Peterson status
Jun 2, 2008
2,583
765
113
I got a 6’0 Rob Machado Sunday. First surf it felt, I want to say corky, as you might expect with 38L packed into a 6’0. Conditions were oddly ideal to test wave catching ability, slow rolling waist high surf with strong off-shore winds. And of the other people out, one was a longboarder and the other a shortboarder. I could catch whatever the longboard could, and I must have gotten well over twice the amount of waves the shortboarder got. Technically the 6’0 Sunday is a shortboard, but by comparison, sitting in the water the shortboarder guy was sunken down almost to his shoulders and I was about down to my navel.

It was loose and fun even with its size and small waves, and it does catch waves super easy. You don’t even need to paddle if you’re in the right spot.

View attachment 119644
 

Retropete

Phil Edwards status
Jan 20, 2006
5,960
4,397
113
Sunny Coast Qld Australia
I got a 6’0 Rob Machado Sunday. First surf it felt, I want to say corky, as you might expect with 38L packed into a 6’0. Conditions were oddly ideal to test wave catching ability, slow rolling waist high surf with strong off-shore winds. And of the other people out, one was a longboarder and the other a shortboarder. I could catch whatever the longboard could, and I must have gotten well over twice the amount of waves the shortboarder got. Technically the 6’0 Sunday is a shortboard, but by comparison, sitting in the water the shortboarder guy was sunken down almost to his shoulders and I was about down to my navel.

It was loose and fun even with its size and small waves, and it does catch waves super easy. You don’t even need to paddle if you’re in the right spot.

View attachment 119644
How's that Sunday working out for its intended duties as a crowd killer? Rant: there's an adult learner, recent blow in at my local beach break who's got a new Sunday that would be 7' or more that is a complete and utter pest on the thing. One of those annoying guys that paddles around constantly from peak to peak and then also paddles for every single bump (and catches a lot of them due to its crutch-iness) in the ocean and is completely and utterly oblivious to how irritating they are.
He's like a fuggin blow fly and I find as soon as I see him paddling around near me my mood sours. Currently thinking of how to discourage him from coming anywhere near me without resorting to confrontation.
 

estreet

Miki Dora status
Feb 19, 2021
4,827
4,199
113
Southern Cali
How's that Sunday working out for its intended duties as a crowd killer? Rant: there's an adult learner, recent blow in at my local beach break who's got a new Sunday that would be 7' or more that is a complete and utter pest on the thing. One of those annoying guys that paddles around constantly from peak to peak and then also paddles for every single bump (and catches a lot of them due to its crutch-iness) in the ocean and is completely and utterly oblivious to how irritating they are.
He's like a fuggin blow fly and I find as soon as I see him paddling around near me my mood sours. Currently thinking of how to discourage him from coming anywhere near me without resorting to confrontation.
Haven’t yet had the opportunity to try it as a crowd killer. The first time I took it out, and was getting way more waves than the shortboarder guy, he simply couldn’t catch all the ones that I was getting, so I doubt there was any sense of competition.

I’m actually not a greedy surfer, meaning that if I’m getting waves I’ll intentionally not always angle for the best position in the lineup and let others get a turn.
 

kool-aid

Michael Peterson status
Aug 28, 2003
3,026
2,614
113
San Francisco
I love my CI Mid and find it to be a great crowd killer.

The board paddles and catches waves well enough to sit outside the crowd or move through the lineup faster than most.

The board trims and glides when it’s soft. I can get barreled on it when it’s hucking. It can work when it’s well overhead of 2-foot drainers on the sand.

Loved my Christenson flat tracker in certain waves but don’t try going backside. The CI Mid is way more versatile.
 

hugh shackman

OTF status
Mar 3, 2017
304
240
43
So true. That was the board that introduced me to the world beyond hpsb.
The world beyond the hpsb is a slippery slope... I used to only surf shortboards practically 100% of the time. Then about 2 years ago I got a fish that clicked with me. Fast forward 2 years and I have a few different shapes I surf 90% of the time ranging from 5'6-8'0, none of them are hpsb's. I basically only surf a hpsb if it's barreling beach break or really punchy. \ I may have gone too far down the alt board rabbit hole, but on the other hand i've never caught more waves and had more fun surfing than the past few years
 

hugh shackman

OTF status
Mar 3, 2017
304
240
43
How's that Sunday working out for its intended duties as a crowd killer? Rant: there's an adult learner, recent blow in at my local beach break who's got a new Sunday that would be 7' or more that is a complete and utter pest on the thing. One of those annoying guys that paddles around constantly from peak to peak and then also paddles for every single bump (and catches a lot of them due to its crutch-iness) in the ocean and is completely and utterly oblivious to how irritating they are.
He's like a fuggin blow fly and I find as soon as I see him paddling around near me my mood sours. Currently thinking of how to discourage him from coming anywhere near me without resorting to confrontation.
An old fashioned aqua dump would do the trick
 
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estreet

Miki Dora status
Feb 19, 2021
4,827
4,199
113
Southern Cali
Yeah the Sunday is easy like Sunday morn’n. It makes you feel like Rob Machado on weed, cruising along without a care in the world. I’m afraid it might be addicting.

 
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