Behind the Surf Series with Clinton Filen
Talk us through the different riding styles the Cypher, AMP, and Comp surfboards are designed for?
Essentially, the Airush Surf Series is a three-board quiver. The collection takes you from flatwater / strapless with the Cypher, into smaller wave surf / onshore with the AMP, through to down-the-line surf with the Comp.
The Cypher is designed as a high-speed strapless blasting and boosting machine and features a parallel outline for stability. Great in onshore conditions, or on flatwater, it’s the go-to board for Kiko Roig Torres in Strapless freestyle shred sessions.
“The Cypher is one of the most versatile boards in the range. It’s the perfect board for strapless freestyle, and with it’s tail setup, it’s perfect for small to medium sized waves too. The lightweight construction makes all my tricks easier to do!” – Kiko Roig Torres.
For a good mix of wave riding and an all-around surf shape, the AMP has a fast rocker with a manoeuvre-oriented outline. Setting the standard in smaller wave and strapless riding performance in a single package, this board was developed with Reider Decker and is the most versatile board in our range.
“The AMP holds that carving skatey and fun in flat water, but still has enough teeth to hold its own in hollow and punchy shoulder high waves. The best one board quiver!” – Reider Decker.
The Comp has a sweet spot for down-the-line wave riding, but still covers any wave conditions, where you are looking for maximum manoeuvrability. Featuring a high rocker with narrow nose & tail, this is Oswald Smith’s weapon of choice.
“I love this blade because it does it all! Imagine a board that’s durable for strapless jumps, and snappy off the lip. Well, that’s the Comp in a nutshell for you. The squash tail makes it loose off the tail, while the construction is as solid as a cement wall. I’m a fan!” – Oswald Smith
They are available in the Reflex Carbon construction as well as a Reflex Glass option. What is the advantage of the Reflex Carbon construction?
The objective of the Team Series carbon surfboards was to create a lightweight and durable construction that maintains a much higher level of flex than traditional carbon boards, while ensuring maximum responsiveness.
Tell us about the manufacturing of the Reflex Carbon construction.
These boards feature a high-density PET sandwich, which creates a durable top and bottom skin that is resistant to impact and buckling, while remaining lightweight and enhancing responsiveness.
One of our most innovative developments was the creation of the 45 degree Biaxial Carbon Fiber laminates. These laminates were the first truly flexible carbon fiber constructions blending responsiveness, lightweight, and durability. Through ongoing refinement, these products deliver intuitive handling and reflex synonymous with our Team Series.
The lightweight fused EPS core works in conjunction with the durable sandwich outer skin to optimize weight, creating that lighter than air feel that our boards are renowned for.
All boards are also certified Sustainable Surf EcoBoards, which we’ve done to minimize the environmental impact, by optimizing the materials and measuring our carbon footprint. For each board sold, we offset one ton of CO2 through the Thor Heyerdahl Climate Park project.
How have the boards changed compared to previous models?
The Cypher v4 is half the thickness of the Cypher v3, and has been optimized to be stable at speed with its flatter rocker, compact outline, and parallel rails. This makes it ideal for dedicated strapless freestyle, riding new school strapped, or ripping small surf. The single to double concave maintains its surf heritage while softening the ride in chop. The new high-density core enhances the durability and lifespan of your board while maintaining flex.
The AMP has a medium to flat rocker with a fair amount of curve in the nose and tail, giving it a classic “Summer Board” performance feel, for speed in small waves, while still being able to throw tighter turns. The key changes over the previous generation are the thinner overall thickness leading to a finer rail, and we have also reduced the overall width slightly for greater stability at speed.
On the Comp, we increased the tail rocker, which helps the overall turning abilities – Specifically off the top. Reduced rail thickness allows the rail to sit deeper in the water when turning, making the board more suitable for high speed bottom turns. The reduced overall thickness keeps the rider closer to the water and increases the boards ability to handle speed.