And where pushy Rob introduces Chas to his new four-fin only surfboard, the Seaside…
A couple of weeks before Christmas, the former tennis player turned world title contender and one-time foil to Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, visited the Seaside Supermarket in Cardiff, California.
Mr Machado was in urgent need of corn chips, salsa and beer. By coincidence, Chas sought a replenishment of his bar cart.
In the carpark conversation that ensues between the two old pals, Rob introduces Chas to his new surfboard model for Firewire (within his subset of Machado Surfboards), called The Seaside.
The surfboard, which is an update of last year’s Go Fish twin-fin model, was built around it being a quad. Rob had never ridden four-finners and was thrilled by the idea of designing a sled, and all its curves, around a board that could only be set-up as a quad.
(Rob also designed a set of small-wave quad fins to complement the board. They are Futures, of course, the official fin of BeachGrit and the fin system used by John John Florence, Jordy Smith etc.)
Rob tested the boards tuberiding capabilities at smallish (four-to-six-foot) Teahupoo, and in the weak but reasonably good quality waves at his homebreak, Seaside.
“Sexy outline, sleek curves. It’s fast, catches more waves…turns on a dime!” Rob tells Chas.
Does Chas buy Rob’s spiel?
Watch!