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torren martyn
The Byron Bay surfer Torren Martyn demonstrate the capability of blunt-nosed, wide-tail twin-fins in decent sorta waves.

Twin fins: Evil clowns that kill children!

Come watch Torren Martyn sneak off for furtive encounters.

Riding blunt-nosed, wide-tailed, twin-keeled surfboards is hardly a novelty, at least anymore.

What began as a kneeboard by San Diego shaper Steve Lis in 1967 was rebirthed in the nineties via Matt Biolos’ five-five round-nose-fish and Tommy Peterson’s Fireball Fish and refashioned over the last ten years into the pretty straight-railed, gloss-coated twins you see anywhere there’s a point or weak runners.

Now, the thing with these sorta boards is they give the beginner a palpable sense of ability where there is none. For the intermediate surfer they create a stance problem where the rider gradually moves forward to overcome the looseness of the wide tail and fin. Both levels are ruined on their backhand.

The good surfer, however, a performer like Torren Martyn from Byron Bay on Australia’s north coast, is able to manipulate the surfboard to perform even when it should, in theory, spin out.

In this four-minute short we see the six-foot-two Martyn riding a Simon Jones-shaped surfboard that is almost a full-foot shorter – and easily negotiating backside tubes.

“If you’ve got a big ol’ fin and a nice rail line on the side of the face, it’s going to work, right? You can push them pretty hard,” Torren told Surfer. 

 

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Choc

Stricko with an ultra violent bohemiam style

Choc

Agree! Nice lines, good style

Tomas' silky smooth arms

In other news, I’m advised (from a very reliable source) that Brazilians have taken over the Gold Coast.

longtom

Deano, you misunderstood.
I already said the guy is a lord, just that in his native habitat he doesn’t stand out.

Tomas' silky smooth arms

Performance short boards are sooo retro now.

wincy

Surely if you drop the bullshit you understand what he is saying but you want to complicate it away from the reality until you have some lynchpin for your argument to claim the upper hand and oh so smart does it make one look.

bitter guy

i bet he’d like the “riding a fish makes me put my arms over my head” article

Jen See

oh shit.

bitter guy

just fuckin with ya, 805

Jen See

I probably deserve it 👀

turts

Not sure why the internet had to blow a collective nut over this today. Like Albee Layer says, pros doing turns on obsolete gear is so passé

Wiggolly's Paddling Style

I do not get this bloke’s appeal at all. Not impressed.

beachgrit

Y’didn’t thrill to that squared-up tube stance on a boat not built for tubes?

Wiggolly's Paddling Style

I reckon he looks like he’s outrunning most tubes. In some weird way it’s nice to watch because I don’t think he is an amazing surfer. That is a little bit endearing. I just don’t know how a bloke thinks he’s good enough to follow around with a camera. Maybe that’s what gives me the shits.

Choc

He never gets vert unless you count the lazy 360! I don’t hate but this style gets boring to watch pretty quickly

Choc

I also regularly ride a twin fin, mainly in small sloppy stuff. I love it for the speed and looseness but don’t expect anyone would be interested in watching or filming

Abscessed Llama

Watching Neal P. jr slide through the pit in Liquid Glass was an awakening for me. Strictly road a 5’6″ my son and I shaped for a year. Got kegged off my dick on that board. I’m a below above average surfer these days. I guess that makes me average. Coming from behind hollow beach break pig dog is now my best move.

channelbottom

Ah shit, he ain’t no Josh Moniz, but he’s casually taking waves with adequate competence. Which is a lot more than could be said about my half-blind panicked flailing on the local close-outs.

And yeah it cuts closer to the bone when peeps aren’t top CT freaks.

Ami Lost

Spiceless surfing from bland Need Essentials, fits their core-porate ethos.

I’m seeing a dude that’s over foamed so only able to do nothing else but do the best average surfers see themselves capable of doing. Fast down the line making some tubes So they swoon with lollipop dreams of that could be me one day on the board that they’re riding right now. Board progression not required. This guy is probably pretty damn good on a shortboard but that would be too much reality for the mid 30s work from home noobs that surf where I live.

James Bickerton

Probably takes 1000 hours in a 2 to 3 year period to win a heat in a local boardriders club contest and 20hrs and a Hawaiian shirt/ Beaver tail to woo ones own ego on alternative equipment. Different strokes for different folks ?Had a guy tell me in France that he wanted to be a free surfer like Tom Curren. He was somewhat deflated when I informed him that Tom was one of the most feared competitive animals of all time and was even forced to train to overcome rival Occy .

Jen See

That is hilars 🙂

James Bickerton

I actually have ridden lots of boards from soft tops to body boards ,Hawaiian guns to a 5’0 twin fin last year in perfect knee high beachbreaks and had so much fun . The only problem is when a good wave comes through I kick myself because I could have ridden my normal board . No fool like an old fool .

Jen See

On the whole I think all the boards are pretty fun and I like having some different things around to play with. But I do feel like when it’s good, there’s nothing more lovely to ride than my favorite shortboard. It just feels so good.

Ami Lost
James Bickerton

Thanks mon Ami lost

Moreton Bay Porridge

One word: SurfStitch

janeausten

Personally, I think Needessentials should’ve stuck to their original ‘no branding is our brand’ bit, and not gone the sponno . As much chance of alienating the non-hipsters as attracting them with Torren Marten. But I’d really know shit about this.

janeausten

That’s the hardest part about surfing Deserts, not outrunning the tube.

Choc

Try the Michel Bourez back foot backside drag! https://uploads.disquscdn.c…

janeausten

That should have a name… “the Croc” (ugly but functional)?

Tomas' silky smooth arms

I’m rarely impressed with anything.

Eddie Haiku

I just realised I don’t have a thruster in my quiver at the moment. Plenty of 1s, 2s, 4s and a weird 5 fin piece of shit my friend made and gave to me. Mainly because it was a piece of shit. Where’s Glen Winton when you need him?

channelbottom

He’s cheating because he’s… uh…
good at surfing.

Bastard.

If I was 25 again I’d show him.
I’D SHOW ALL OF YOU!!!
(Collapses in a weeping heap on floor. Hair mussed up and makeup all smeared. Sobbing intensifies)

brye

I agree, when i was 25 that shit was easy. What I would like to knw is if he is 6’2″ how wide and thick is that twinnie? To ride it that much shorter I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s cause I’m only a mere human

bitter guy

when you can’t do novel turns, you ride novel equipment instead

Wardo's PO

I’m just about 6’2”, 185 and my fish is 5’5” x 21” x 2.5”. I might be able to go a bit shorter, but why fuck with something that works. My groveler in contrast is 5’8”. Hopefully that helps. They go really well in gutless surf, but I wouldn’t recommend riding one when it’s over 2 feet.

Tomas' silky smooth arms

Sobbing intensifies! Thanks for the reminder, I’m well overdue for a crying session.

janeausten

You’ve still got hair? Nice work.

Derek Rielly’s Doppelganger

Derek, do you have any history working for The Tattler Newspaper etc?

TWIN FINS: EVIL CLOWNS THAT KILL CHILDREN!

Subtlety is a beautiful but dying act

But then again this is Beachgrit

Bin_Chook

I wish I could do lefts…

GiGi

Took me, like, 5 years to go left. …

Wardo's PO

You’re in good company: https://uploads.disquscdn.c…

ricmatic

Jeez I like watching that guy surf

longtom

he’s a smooth operator

beachgrit

…wanna tell me more? Y’see him around?

longtom

yeah, though to be honest he doesn’t stand out amongst the other long haired stylemasters.
Sticko shreds all over him.

Otto

That was some breakdown in negotiations at the 2:15 mark.

Abscessed Llama

So glad I’m not watching him ride “the Ranch”

Tomas' silky smooth arms

The pool or the wave in Mexico?


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