Everybody wants a copy of the magic board that led Slater to his ninth World Title, or a copy of the board from Mick Fanning’s 2007 World Title campaign, or one of Taj Burrow or Joel Parkinson’s boards that seem to allow for such consistent performances. Most importantly, we want to know how these guys stack up with us size-wise and what size boards they are riding. While I’m not going to get into the width and thickness, the length should give you a good idea of what these guys are riding. Let’s take a look at some of this year’s top 10 finishers.
1) Kelly Slater – 5’9″ – 160lbs – his go-to shortboard is a 5’10″ Al Merrick, but he’s recently been winning events with boards that were wider and shorter.
2) Bede Durbidge – 6’1″ – 179lbs – his go-to shortboard is a 6’2″ Mt. Woodgee shaped by Wayne McKewan.
3) Taj Burrow – 5’8″ – 150lbs – his go-to shortboard is a 5’11″ Firewire shaped by Nev Hyman.
4) Joel Parkinson – 6’0″ – 185lbs – his go-to shortboard is a 6’2″ JS.
5) CJ Hobgood – 5’8″ -150lbs – his go-to shortboard is a 5’11″ Bill Johnson.
6) Ace Buchan – 5’7″ – 165lbs – his go-to shortboard is a 5’11″ JS.
7) Adriano De Souza – 5’6″ – 140lbs – his go-to shortboard is 5’10″, using a variety of shapers.
Mick Fanning – 5’10″ – 160lbs – his go-to shortboard is a 6’1″ Wade Tokoro or DHD.
9) Bobby Martinez – 5’7″ – 165lbs – his go-to shortboard is a 5’10″ DHD; a switch made earlier this year from the Al Merricks he rode since his teens.
10) Jeremy Flores – 5’8″ – 145lbs – his go-to shortboard is a 5’11″ Quiksilver surfboard, shaped by Mark Phipps.
I know I’m right there with Ace Buchan and Bobby Martinez (minus the talent, of course). How do you stack up?
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