Kelly Slater : photo ASP Kirstin/Covered Images 

Team News

Kelly puts a cherry on top at the Pipe Masters riding FCS

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 23 December, 2008 : - - It’s no secret that Kelly Slater has dominated the ASP World Tour in 2008. Some would even argue that this was the most successful and dominant year in competitive surfing history, winning 6 events and securing an unprecedented 9th World Title.

Winning the World Title was obviously not satisfying enough. Kelly’s performance at the 2008 Pipeline Masters was nothing short of extraordinary. So, how did he do it?

In a move that had his fellow competitors scratching their heads, Kelly showed up to surf the Pipe event on a 5’11” Channel Islands surfboard that was effectively half fish, half gun. The board was designed especially for riding barrels, and combined with a set of FCS prototype fins Kelly weaved through pit after pit to take the win, putting the cherry on top of an amazing year.

From his first heat in the event Kelly looked comfortable inside the barrel and always in perfect control of the smaller board. To complete the winning equation Kelly opted for a fin with a slightly larger template, with more rake to give him the extra bite needed in the steeper waves and to also compensate for his shorter board. 

Throughout 2008 Kelly has continually changed his fins to suit the different conditions and wave locations on tour. He has also proven that by understanding his equipment and knowing how fins perform he can customise his equipment just by switching between different fin templates. The fact is, this gives him a winning edge.

In 2009 Kelly will no doubt continue to push the boundaries of surfboard design. FCS will be right there with him to make sure he has the right fins for the job.

www.surffcs.com

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Richie Lovett

Team - Surfersvillage