Out of curiosity, we asked them, not just what boards they’re currently riding, but also to disclose the one object they can’t live without.
Our latest series, titled ‘2 + 1’ (two surfboards, plus one daily essential), debuts with one of our youngest team members, Greyson Messier and his colorful quiver.
]]>]]>
Whilst we didn't find any waves that raised our pulse, we managed to have a hell of a lot of fun and work on our tans at the same time.
]]>
Sometimes, life provides last-minute opportunities you just can’t pass up.
Like recently, an opening to jam over to Australia and link up with old friend (and filmmaker) Nathan Oldfield presented itself. After hurriedly scanning the forecast, I was booking my tickets and flying out the following day.
After packing my 6’9 Mid and trusty log, knowing I’d probably wear the same stuff days in a row, I went light, and just threw in a few tees, a pair of shorts, and my favorite trunks, the Watermans, sandals and wetsuit top. Done!
While we didn’t get “best ever” Australian surf, it was still pretty damn fun, and Nathan captured it all through his beautiful lens work. Enjoy below.
]]>The team traveled to Virginia Beach over Memorial Day Weekend for the 20th Annual Coastal Edge Steel Pier Classic, presented by Katin. Even though the conditions included howling onshore wind, rain, and fog, nothing seemed to stop the good times.
Video & Edit by @jamessarandis
]]>In a bid to escape Southern California's cold weather and relentless rain, the Katin team grabbed their passports and trunks and jetted south to Costa Rica.
With offshore winds from sunrise to sunset, and temperatures that stayed north of 90 degrees all week long, it was just what the doctor ordered.
Video & Edit by @jamessarandis / Super 8 by @nicholaschalmers / Music by @bleedingkneesclub
]]>I’m often asked about what my typical East Coast surfing road trip entails. Well, the thing is, there’s no one typical trip, each one always ends up being completely different.
At the start of each trip, you never really know where you are going to end up, or the type of weather and waves you’ll find.
With a wealth of weather forecasting apps literally in your hand at any given time, you can of course have a bit of an idea, but as we all know, not even the world’s best can predict Mother Nature’s erraticness. You just have to hope for the best and expect the least, all while making memories along the way.
That’s certainly what we did when myself and a couple of friends chased the swell from Hurricane Ian on our recent trip up the East Coast. Here’s a few words from this trips on-the-road diary:
I woke up expecting offshore winds and 2-4ft of swell, but once I reached the beach I discovered quite the opposite. The waves were flat and the winds were blowing.
I instantly started scouring the East Coast surf and weather forecast, desperately trying to find a surfable wave nearby.
Within minutes, the stars seemed to align when I noticed a swell was on its way to a zone 14-hours drive north of where I currently stood.
Before filling the gas tank of my van and hitting the road, I hedged my bets and called fellow Katin team surfer and friend, Nick Copenhaver, who was familiar with the region where the swell was headed. After a few clicks and scrolls, Nick gave me the green light - the forecast was looking promising.
Realizing we had a trip that might be worth documenting, I called photographer and friend, Luke Kothera, to see if he wanted to ride along. Two hours later, we were on the road headed north.
Several caffeinated beverages and road snacks later, we arrived on Nick’s doorstep just past 1am. We tried resting our eyes, but found ourselves laying restlessly thinking about what boards to ride and imagining visions of the type of waves we were hoping to score. One thing we knew for certain was, no matter what Mother Nature offered up, we had the right boards at arm’s reach; two longboards, two mid lengths, three fish, and a couple high performance shortboards.
After a couple of hours of sleep, we were up at sunrise with another day of driving ahead of us. After a big breakfast and coffee at Nick’s local diner, we were back on the road again heading north.
We arrived at our final destination just before nightfall and came across a hole-in-the-wall bar plugging live music. Inside, to our surprise, were a bunch of familiar faces and some friends we’d spoken to via social media, but never met in person. We enjoyed a few cold beers and plenty of laughs, listening to incredible local band Liminal Space. Our new friends offered us a place at a local farm to park my van for the night and a warm fire to enjoy a few more beers.
As the sun rose the next day, we packed up camp as the crisp offshore winds started to blow. As long as the swell had filled in overnight, we were sure the waves were going to be on.
We hurried to the beach and as we pulled up we were greeted with long, peeling rights.
While it was smaller than we had hoped, the conditions were perfect for our longboards and the local surfers welcomed us as if we had grown up there.
We surfed all day, occasionally coming in to rehydrate and refuel. After countless hours of back-to-back waves to the shore, the daylight disappeared and we made our way to the local pub for dinner and a few beers.
We woke the following morning to a stronger offshore breeze and a bit more swell, so we decided to take our chances and look for a different wave to surf. Cruising the coastline, searching every nook and cranny, we stumbled upon a wave we never thought we’d come across on this trip - a 2-3 ft left point break, offshore and peeling. It was a far paddle to get to the waves, but we decided to try our luck. And luck was in our favor. For hours, we shared nothing but laughs, waves and perfect visions of each other, surfing alongside the beautiful cliffside by the wave. As the day wore on and the swell began to fade, we knew our surfing safari was coming to an end.
The next morning we hit the road and made our way back south.
We might not have scored the exact waves we had gone looking for, but we had a blast and made new friends in the process, while managing to surf some novelty waves that rarely break.
As we made our trek home, we talked about where our next road trip would take us and the waves we would score. Until then, it was back to scrolling the multiple weather apps on our phones, looking for the next swell to pop up.
See you out there. Saxon W.
]]>With the Holidays fast approaching, we thought we’d put together a
gift guide featuring some of our favorite styles this season.
A few months ago, the Katin team decided to flee the frigid waters of California, in search of the waves and warm waters of the Caribbean.
In the midst of one of the worst surf seasons in years, the waves didn't meet our expectations, but we didn't let that get in the way of some fun and the team managed to score the odd tube.
Video & Edit by @jamessarandis
]]>With a lifetime of knowledge and personal experience in fin experimentation and development, we thought who better to ask about fins and their performance, than Katin surfer Devon Howard.
Words By Devon Howard
...
Some say your fins contribute to 50% of the performance of your board. For me, it’s a lot more than that. How much exactly, I don’t know—but I can’t imagine riding any of my boards right now without a fin! I’ll leave that to Derek Hynd—my knees just aren’t that flexible.
Fin knowledge is critical to understanding your equipment and vice versa. In the shortboard realm, there are countless options of templates, materials, and surface contours. By and large, you'll generally do well grabbing most fin sets off your local surf shop’s wall. The biggest factor perhaps being size S, M, or L, and making that call is relatively intuitive.
Longboarders and midlengthers, on the other hand, arguably have a broader range of considerations when it comes to matching the perfect fin/s with their board. And for this reason, I’m not surprised that most DMs I get are questions about what fins I like to ride.
Like all things in surfing, fins are quite personal and thus subjective, but over the years I have found some universal performance characteristics that work for most surfers.
The following list features a selection of fins that works for me and that I’ve previously shared via my DMs. Whilst I don’t have a fin sponsor, these are the fins I prefer for the boards I ride. Some of the designs I have helped develop and others are by my friends that I have enjoyed using over the years. There’s no doubt there will be other designs you prefer that would suit your surfing better, but hopefully this helps you narrow down the countless options next time you’re on the search for a new fin.
- LONGBOARD FINS -
Wayne Rich Harmonic 67 - For straight-up noseriding, you may need more hold and lift than what the Greenough 4A can provide. In that case, I turn to the master, Wayne Rich. His Harmonic 67 is the perfect blend of both pivot and drive for the classic style noserider. With its raked back profile, it provides additional drive when setting up off the bottom and has superior hold while walking to the tip and hanging out on the front end. If you can’t locate one of these beauties, the Bing Noserider Fin would be a close second.
10.5” & 11” Thomas Bowl Cut - A few years back, I was thinking maybe the Greenough 4A was too swept back, and perhaps something more upright would help me turn quicker in smaller, shorter, punchier waves. I also felt a fin with a more upright outline would increase my nose riding hang time, as the Greenough 4A sometimes felt like it was lacking a bit in that category. Thomas Bexon of Thomas surfboards has made a lot of my favorite logs to date (click here to watch Devon on his Thomas log), so I backed his vision for a better longboard fin. I think this fin is a great compromise between a full-on upright noserider and a swept-back Greenough.
D Fin - When I want to go pre Involvement era vibes, I love the feeling of a D Fin. It’s like going on a Sunday cruise in an old early 60s Chevy. The larger area on these styles of fins allows for harder turning and easier nose riding. These work best on pig-style logs; wide hip outlines with super narrow noses. I would not recommend for a noserider.
- Midlength Fins -
CI Mid 2 + 1 (4”) - I’ve ridden a lot of different templates and set-ups and this is the culmination of all that I’ve learned. In the past, I had to mix and match center fins templates with whatever sides I could get my hands on. This set has matching outlines. The outline features a full base and moderate rake that was hand foiled for medium flex, making for a very responsive ride with just the right amount of hold and lift that helps you accelerate through turns. The 6.5” center box fin is available with either 4” FCS two-tab side bites for medium to bigger-sized surfers, or 3.6” for lighter weight riders around 160lbs and under.
Wayne Rich Power Fin (2 + 1) - Before making the CI Mid-set, my go-to center fin was the Wayne Rich Power fin, that is designed to come hard off the bottom, build speed, and harness it for increased projection out of turns. My favorite was 6.5” center with 3.7” sides, or for a looser feel I’d go with a 7” center and 3.25” sides. Keep in mind I am 190 lbs, so you may need to scale down accordingly depending on your weight.
BMT - Britt Merrick Twin - For a long time, I was all about 2 + 1 set-ups for mid-lengths, but in recent years I am spending more time on twins and singles. For twins, I prefer a fuller fin, closer to a keel design. When I don’t want a full feel, I go with Britt Merrick’s Twin template that is somewhere between a traditional upright and keel fin. While conceived to maximize the performance and flow of his new Channel Islands Twin Pin, the setup works great in any twin fin board if you’re looking for the perfect combination of drive, hold and release.
AMK - Al Merrick Twin - Make no mistake, this fin ain't retro. Although inspired by classic keel outlines, the all-new AMK template boasts a modern rake shape, graduated tip flex, and flat inside foils finely tuned for fast, high-performance surfing. This keel-fin set is built to rip but is also ideal for those that just want to groove. I find myself grabbing this more than any other twin fin option. Being a heavy back foot surfer, I love the feel of this fin on the mids I’ve been riding of late.
CI Single - A classic upright style single fin that has been tuned for a performance style setup for a single-fin egg or most any midlength design. I developed this fin with Channel Islands to perform with a loose and pivotal style for a springy feeling due to the flex in the tip, without compromising hold through a solid turn. I find that single midlength/egg type fins that have a lot of rake, don’t allow for the “performance” feel I am seeking. In short, I find the rakey, swept-back fins feel sluggish in comparison. Having spent a lot of time using the Greenough 4A and the Liddle L Flex, this fin combines some of my favorite design attributes of both. If you can’t find this fin over at True Ames, then I would say the Liddle L Flex is my second choice, or Joel Tudor’s Wave Skate by DRD4. The Greenough 4A would be my last choice, mostly because it has extra base and rake, which I find gets in the way of the type of surfing I’m trying to do on eggs or most single-fin mids.
Liddle L Flex - Designed by Greg Liddle, the L Flex was originally designed and intended to be paired with his modified displacement hull surfboards that he became well known for pioneering. Precise foils and a fine-tuned amount of flex were, and still are, integral components of the functionality in the fin’s design. I found them to work really well on the planning hulls that I ride and this fin definitely influenced where I landed on the CI Single, making it a bit more upright with a fuller tip. If I was on the road and lost my CI Single, the next best option for me would be this fin or DRD4’s Water Skate they made with Joel Tudor.
Greenough 4A - Minus the noseride piece of what I said earlier about Greenough 4A for longboarding, I do really like the all-around nature of this fin for a single egg/midlength design at around 8.5 or even 8” — and also for two plus one option due to its wide base (drive) with around 7” size. This was what I ran for a while, but in more recent times I’m preferring the spicy feeling I get from the CI Single.
To keep up with Devon's happenings, follow him on Instagram @devon_howard
]]>Positioned on the Caribbean Coast, the region is best known for its beaches, rainforests and nightlife.
After spending 8-days hunting waves (sadly the swell didn’t arrive), we thought we’d share some tips and tricks for those considering planning a surf trip to the area.
At the time of our trip, the only feasible option was flying from LA to Panama City (PTY) with Copa Airlines. If you can afford that extra legroom, you may want to opt for it, as it was quite the squeeze. You might also want to download the airline app before take off, or download some movies on your phone, as they don’t have screens in coach. Boardbags are $150USD each way, so have your credit card ready.
The team await their next modes of transport: a taxi on land and then a taxi on the water. Photos by @nicholaschalmers & @edinm
After arriving in Panama you’ll need to make your way to Paitilla Airport (PAC), which is about 30-45 minutes away. We opted for a shuttle as we had all our surfboards, but if you're rolling solo you could always try your luck with a taxi and strapping your boards to the roof, just don’t forget to pack tie downs.
Depending on your itinerary you may have a decent wait for your flight once you’re at Paitilla Airport. As for choosing an airline for this leg, this was an easy choice, as it’s either Air Panama or Air Panama. If you’re in need of food and coffee while you wait, the only food option conveniently has great coffee and some delicious savory pastries. As Air Panama planes are on the small side (approximately 60 passenger planes), they don’t have much room for luggage (especially in the overhead compartments - they made us check in our carry on which is $20USD an item), so you’re limited to 7ft boardbags, although some of us were a few inches over and they didn’t pull out the measuring tape. Boardbags are $20USD each, and they enforce 2 surfboards per bag. From memory every additional board is $20USD a piece.
Once you arrive in Bocas, if your accommodation hasn’t arranged transport for you, you should be able to get a taxi, and most of the island's taxis are pickups so you’ll be able to put your boards in the bed of the truck.
When it comes to getting around on land you have a few options. You can opt for a quad bike or an e-bike with a company called Flying Pirates, hailing a taxi or finding a local driver with a shuttle style bus. Depending on what you’re up for and what your budget is, taxis are a pretty affordable option and are always driving around the island. As for getting to waves on other islands your only option is a boat. There’s a few docks in town and you’re looking at around $2-3USD per person to get you to most waves on Carenero Island. Getting to the further islands the price will increase.
Have boat, will travel. Photo by @sean.drews
For the most part the food is pretty great at most places. Due to the abundance of fresh fish in the area, we tended to order that for most of our meals. The following are three of our favorite places we dined.
The team sampling the local cuisine. Photos by @edinm
Amaranto (breakfast) - great coffee and breakfast. It’s a tiny cafe that can accommodate up to 14 people maximum at a time. We didn’t have anything on the menu we wouldn’t recommend, and did we mention the coffee?!
Big Fish/Leaf Eaters (lunch) - casual dining with a view, their food and smoothies are awesome and can accommodate several dietary options.
Coquitos (dinner) - we literally ate here the last 3 nights, partly because it was so close and convenient to our accommodation on Carenero Island, but also because the cocktails and food were great. The pizza and calzones were a highlight for sure.
Options are relatively abundant when it comes to accommodation, it really just depends on your group size, desire and budget. You can stay in the north of the region by Bluff Beach (more about this further down), although you are a little isolated from town where most restaurants and the boat docks are, which you may want to be closer to should you want to get to other waves in the region fast.
South of Bluff (towards town), Paunch has multiple accommodation options that are all walking distance to Pauch the wave and a shorter drive into town.
Beebs and Matthew prepping for their next surf in the shade of our accommodation. Photo by @edinm
As for town, there’s multiple affordable options to choose from and you’d be amongst the party scene and a boat ride or taxi from the waves.
The neighboring island Carenero is at most a 5 minute boat ride from town and this is where we chose to stay. We opted for a house via VRBO as it made the most sense for our group, but like everywhere else there’s other options and some unique place you can stay on the water.
Should you wish to be more isolated from town, but with the best surf guide in the region, you could opt to stay with Scott at Red Frog Bungalows on Bastimentos Island. They will have you on the best waves available and having top of the line boats perfect for getting around and fishing should there be no swell around.
Unfortunately we didn’t score the waves we came for, but that’s not to say the region doesn’t produce world class waves. We were told by several people that it had been the worst start to the season in years and there hadn't been one proper day of waves yet. Nevertheless we kept our eyes on the forecast (we recommend surf-forecasts.com over Surfline or Magic Seaweed, as it’s more accurate in the region) and found the odd day of chest high waves.
Bluff Beach is the biggest swell magnet in Bocas, so this is where we found ourselves most days. Known for its punchy shorebreak waves, we’d recommend steering clear of surfing there unless you’re of an advanced ability.
Further south is Paunch, which when it is on, does its best impression of Greenbush in the Mentawais. Towards the end of the trip this was the only surfable option, as it was protected by the wind but unfortunately it’s one of the most popular and accessible waves in Bocas, which means the crowds were in full force.
Katin surfers Zack Flores & Josh Perez in the playful Bluff Beach conditions. Photos by @spaceagelovesong_ & @edinm
Walking distance from our accommodation on Careneros, and in desperation with the lack of swell, we had a couple of sessions at Black Rock (best known in the region as a learners wave) and one afternoon at Carenero Point. As we didn’t see a wave over 3ft, we can’t vouch for how good it can get, but the island backdrop is easy on the eyes and we could definitely see potential.
Whilst we would have loved to have been able to provide you with more information on the surf in the region, we hope the information we shared above will come in handy should you ever be planning a surf trip to Bocas Del Toro!
]]>Since the 1950s, we've been in the business of making surf trunks, but when those cold currents arrive, sometimes you need a little extra warmth.
Others are essentially doing the same with yoga, jogging, cycling, skiing, etc., but at the risk of sounding biased, we still think surfing can’t be beat. We struggle to think of any other endeavor where you can be more connected to our natural environment than being submerged in the ocean and stroking into a wave that has travelled thousands of miles.
Ball sports such as baseball, football, soccer, and basketball can of course offer an escape from life’s chaos as well. From a distance they may appear to be less spiritual than surfing, but these types of traditional sports can still allow you to enter a state of flow, just maybe not as often or easily. Being in a state of flow provides the highest sense of escape. Meaning, you're so engrossed in what you're doing that you detach from (and lose) all sense of time—you are just completely living in that moment and for that brief time in your day have no worries at all. The result of entering a state of flow for seconds, minutes or hours is what creates that buzz or the high that we all get from a great day of surfing—or any activity for that matter that allows you to enter that frame of mind and being.
Ian Gottron aka Gato Son mid trim. Photo by @jasonwrodriguez
So we’ve established that for many, surfing offers a tremendous reset physically and mentally. In addition to this, some surfers, like those on the Katin team gravitated to surfing over other athletic endeavors because it also offers a profound sense of self-expression.
Surfing has often been labelled as a sport. We even have the World Surfing League, the official organization for professional competitive surfing, and when watching one of their live events it feels like you are watching a classic ball sport by the way it’s presented. However, one of surfing’s most outspoken voices of the '60s, '70s and 80s, Nat Young, has always contended that surfing is not a sport, it's a performance art. And we couldn’t agree more.
Whilst Katin has supported competitive surfers since the 1960s and famously put on the Katin Team Challenge for many years, we are passionate in supporting surfers that express themselves through the art of surfing. And when you get right down to it, each surfer has his or her own way of expressing themselves. That expression and how we view it in its physical form is what surfers understand and describe as someone's “style." Style is a distinctive form or characteristic mode of execution in any art or body of work. And style is what creates a significant point of difference from the ball sports and other pursuits mentioned previously.
Saxon Wilson perched on the nose in trim. Photo by @seanstermonsterr
A surfer’s style can be traced all the way back to The Beach Boys of Waikiki and the surfers at Malibu. Surfers like Rabbit Kekai (Hawaii) and Matt Kivlin (California) set the standards. Miki Dora (California) himself points to Kivlin as “The Godfather of California surf style”, and credits his own approach to how smooth and effortless Kivlin made his surfing appear. While Paul Strauch (Hawaii) will point to surfers like Rabbit who set the bar for good style in Hawaii.
The idea of style can be interpreted in many ways, but most of the time it is understood that a surfer with “good style” adds beauty to the ride, and thus is very pleasing to watch. As pleasing as listening to good music or sitting down and appreciating really good art. Style is what you feel when you are surfing yourself, but it’s also something we all feel when we see it in the water. You just know it when you see it.
Style is what excites us at Katin, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate the individuals who we believe exude it. Since our very first pair of trunks, Katin has always believed that style matters, we’ve just referred to it as “Good Looks”.
Zack Flores executing a stylish bottom turn. Oh and that's Zack going switch foot! Photo by @laserwolf.laserwolf
]]>Photo by Fred Pompermayer
I was packing for a six-day strike mission to Mainland Mexico when I realized something: I bring way too much shit with me. My travel duffle is always overstuffed and my board bag is insanely heavy. Too many options. To break the pattern, I challenged myself to pare down for this trip and vowed to simplify my on-the-road experiences going forward.
Reducing my average duffle to just a small-sized backpack wasn’t all that difficult. You just double or triple down on consecutive days in the same threads—and make damn sure you bring some reliable deodorant. The proposition of scaling back my travel quiver, however, felt sacrilegious. I mean, how could I possibly be prepared for the unknown without a large, padded bag full of abundant choices? Then again, how many times had I hauled a bunch of boards across the globe only to ride the same one all week? Staring at the pile of bags in my side yard, I decided to reach past the three-high coffin and grab the single bag wedged right behind it.
Now, what to fill it with? A traditional longboard? Nah. Too unwieldy in overhead surf—and a nightmare to drag around. A shortboard? Also a no. It lacks paddling power in small, soft waves—and has the same hindrance for anything well overhead or coming out of deep water. Knowing the average waves for this trip were going to be shoulder high to double overhead, at a mix of playful points and thumping beach breaks, I deduced that an “egg” would be the best strategy when rolling with a single-board quiver. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that most of the places I enjoyed traveling to would be ideal with just my trusty 7'1" egg.
I think it’s worth noting that an “egg” is not the same design that many refer to as a “funboard.” While eggs are indeed very fun to ride, the term funboard is specifically associated with what I consider the poorly executed, overly rockered, bastardized version of the original egg. Boom-times era surf retailers are the architects of the design and many unabashedly used these cheaply-made funboards as bait in the 80s and 90s to lure newbies into the “lifestyle,” resulting in a certain kook stigma attached to that design. Some would even say the term “midlength” falls into a similar line of thinking, but the term itself is really just a broad catch all for everything in between a shortboard and long.
In its purest form, the egg is anything but a kook ride. It’s a simple, beautiful, efficient wave-craft that is well suited for a majority of the world’s breaks. More succinctly, it’s a wide, oval-shaped design that features low nose and tail rocker, and typically has a shallow vee panel in front of the fins that blends into an ever so slightly rolled bottom-curve. Most tend to be framed with finely foiled rails that are hard edged in the tail but transform to soft all the way up, making for a buttery ride while still having enough bite and control to handle critical moments. Less twitchy than a standard shortboard, the egg is ideal for a confident intermediate to expert level rider, and offers more maneuverability than a longboard—without sacrificing effortless trim.
The origins of the design run deep, all the way back to Skip Frye’s late 60s shaping bay in Pacific Beach, California. “After seeing imagery of round-tail boards that Australians like Wayne Lynch were riding in early ’68,” recalls Frye, “I immediately reshaped and glassed my wide, squared-tailed vee-bottom into a round-tail.” The new board’s curvy outline was a better fit for his flowy style, and became an all-time favorite that he credits for helping him win a few major contests in the weeks and months that followed. By summer’s end, the board was hammered. Despite its extremely delaminated deck, Skip still took it with him that November to Puerto Rico for the World Contest, earning “standout performer” accolades from his peers atop that beat up round-tail.
Early the following year, while trying to replicate the board’s magic, Frye experimented with its outline by using the tail template on the nose, albeit a bit narrower. The result: a unique 7'6" x 22.5-inch shape that resembled an oblong chicken egg. Its narrower, oval nose was a notable departure from the popular wide-eared templates of the time.
Friend and fellow Gordon & Smith Surfboards shaper Steve Seebold loved Skip’s new creation so much that he immediately shaped a 7'3" replica. “Man, that board looked so good I had to borrow it just after he was done glassing it,” Skip recalls. “Then I literally couldn’t stop riding it because the board seemed to be getting better with every session.” After a month’s worth of daily surfs, Skip had caved in Seebold’s feather-light deck so badly that a super-thin rail was created along its back third. In addition, the extreme wear and tear he put on the board had inexplicably created a concave feature on its bottom-surface, running from the fin area to the tip of the tail.
Seebold’s crushed deck creation was a stroke of luck that inspired Skip to refine and foil down the rails of his original design, as well as add concaves under the tail area of some of the boards—which years later became a standard feature on all of his eggs. Predictably he dubbed the updated shape, “The Egg,” and history credits him for the design. But Skip always credits Seebold’s “Egg Bold” board as paving the way for the following decade’s worth of surfing and design work on that new genre.
My first experience with one was in 1997 when Donald Takayama insisted I try his 7'6" “Tri-Fin Egg” model—one of the best interpretations I’ve seen of Skip’s design to this day. That particular D.T. board was mind-blowing, and the first few sessions to follow became my own sort of “Egg Bold” moment. Discovering the design—its unique lines and trim-speed—was the best thing that’s ever happened to me in surfing. The second best was when I realized how much taking one board can simplify your surf travel experience. Thankfully, the characteristics of the egg allowed me to do so without hesitation, an impulse that paid dividends in Mexico. And elsewhere.
— These words first appeared in The Surfers Journal, issue 25.6
]]>Here in Southern California, just about a year after the first COVID-19 lockdowns kicked in, I broke a self-imposed no-fly rule and booked a flight mid-March to spend close to a month somewhere far warmer and bluer than home. My wife and I got the NAAP tests for travel clearance, wore the masks, and then six hours later walked outside of the Honolulu airport and smelled the beginnings of what a post “pandemic” life can offer.
I was anticipating a whole lot of stress surrounding air travel protocols one must follow to get on a plane these days. It ended up being pretty chill, though. Other passengers appeared to be ok with doing what was asked of us, most of which included sucking on the same HEPA filtered air through our masks.
That said, this recent trip over to Hawaii was not entirely devoid of stress. There was some deep thought over which boards to take. A first world problem? Yes. But a real problem to solve nonetheless.
As a general rule I ride traditional single-fin longboards when it’s shoulder high and under, and switch to eggs (aka midlengths) for shoulder high and above. Among those I have a lot of variety in shapes, bottom contours and fin set ups. All of which are meant for different lines and vibes. It’s rare that I ride a true shortboard. Not against them at all, but just not something that typically interests me, save the odd ride on a fish.
Because my wife also surfs, she brings her own boards as well. This adds to the logistics of bringing a big bag of boards but the upside is, I can ride them when the opportunity arises too. While I’ll admit a total of six boards is excessive, each one had its purpose to address the ever-changing conditions of Oahu.
The boards were brought included:
6’11’ Channel Islands, custom twin midlength 21 1/8” x 2 ¾”
7’0 Channel Islands, CI Mid – 21 1/8” x 2 ¾”
7’1 Channel Islands, custom tri plane hull single – 21 3/8 x 2 13/16”
7’6 Channel Islands, CI Mid – 21 ¾” x 2 7/8”
9’9 Wayne Rich, Model D – 23 1/8” x 3 1/8”
10’1 Skip Frye, Eagle 23.5” x 3”
After a month, happy to say all the boards have been thoroughly ridden. Amazingly the 7’6” is still in one piece after a really big day that included me getting rag dolled across the reef most of the time. From North Shore to South we were able to adjust for the knee high to double overhead plus conditions, depending on where we were. In all honesty, you can pull off a trip like this with one board. But it was pretty sweet to be able adapt as we went along, allowing us to optimize how we rode waves each day there.
Written by Devon Howard
]]>We could talk all day about Devon Howard, but for now we’d like to officially welcome him to the Katin team and let him say a few words -
Among the reasons I love surfing most is the personal freedom of expression it offers me and the fact that you don’t need much gear to do it.
In ancient times, it was even simpler than today. Early Polynesians and Peruvians rode open ocean swells and cresting waves on both wooden and reed built boats. An even more stripped down version were people riding waves in the shore pound with just their naked outstretched bodies.
In the past few hundred years those boats became planks of wood we stood on and the bodies were later covered up by moderate clothing built for wading in the surf.
The overall style of what we now call beachwear evolved into standard issue bottoms that are a must for today’s surfer: board shorts.
When I think of OG board short manufacturers, Southern California’s Katin crew is at the top of that list, and it’s an honor for me to have recently become part of their family. Since 1954 they’ve been building the best trunks for some of the world's best surfers and I’m looking forward to sharing my surf journey musing and inspirations with them and with you all right here in the blogosphere!
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Orders must be placed by 12:00 PM PST Tuesday December 22nd.
To receive this offer you must select the shipping method titled ‘Free UPS 2nd Day Air Over $75’ when checking out.
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Suffering through an extended flat spell of surf on the East Coast, Saxon Wilson and friends noticed a little bump on the horizon and in desperation to find waves they hit the road north. Driving over 10 hours throughout the night they arrived at 5:45am to wind blown waves and chilly 28 F (-2.2 C) weather. With their spirits low they decided to hang around town in chance the winds switched directions. Luck was on their side and the winds switched just in time for an afternoon surf. The following morning they woke to fun A-frames without a soul in sight. Filmed & Edited by @luke_kothera Music - Charm by Free Weed
]]>Sun Diego, Cardiff, California team.
Hansens, Ecinitas, California team.
Surf Side, Newport Beach, California team.
Jack's Surfboards, Huntington Beach California team.
Hobie, Laguna Beach California Team.
Jack's Surfboards, Newport California team.
]]>Simply add $100, or more, worth of goods to your cart, then add the mask of your choice to your cart and it's free.
In an effort to help curb the spread of covid-19, we have introduced non-medical grade face masks to our Spring '20 Collection.
Made in the USA, these masks utilize the cotton twill we use in some of our classic Katin trunk styles.
Please note these masks are not FDA approved and are not a replacement for medical grade personal protective equipment.
The masks are available here for purchase, and all orders over $100 receive a mask for free.
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Futures has teamed up with Katin team rider and switchfoot aficionado, Zack Flores.
Together they developed their latest set of twin fins in the Future's Custom Series line.
Working from a hand-drawn template (literally on a piece of scrap paper) and a bunch of requests from Zack, the team at Futures worked their mastery and manufactured the set of fins all from under the roof of their Huntington Beach facility.
Once the final fin outline and construction had been rigorously perfected, Katin's art department worked closely alongside Zack to create the artwork that adorns the fins. The artwork combines some of Zack's favorite things; waves, flowers and cacti, all atop a cosmic purple base.
The fins are now available at select US retailers.
A few weeks back, Surfer examined the quivers Katin team riders Ian Gottron and Zack Flores chose for a quick strike to mainland Mexico. While those features focused on the two surfers’ unique styles (Flores surfed switch stance for an entire week) and equipment, Surfer's latest “Amp Sessions” is a look at their trip as a whole.
From soft 200-yard peelers to intense tubes and everything in-between, Mexico’s sand-point-covered coastline offers something for every surfer, and often on the same trip and swell. In the week Gottron and Flores spent in Mex, they rode a ton of different equipment, including logs, asymmetrical twin fins, and spent a session or two getting completely drained on a standard shorty. Basically it’s the surf trip we could all use right now.
]]>Timeless style meets durable versatility with the Theo Trunk. Whether you are posting up beachside or spending the day cruising around town, these hybrid trunks offer a versatile look for day or night, on and off the sand.
60% cotton / 35% nylon / 3% spandex double twill
Front pockets with mesh drain channels
Speckled drawcord
Hidden snap fly
Inner stash pocket
Reinforced stress points
Clean finished interior seams
1.5 " Waistband
17" - 18" Outseam