Tell me about it: Airush Surf Series

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 range, taking you from flatwater/strapless with the Cypher, into smaller or onshore surf, through to down-the-line surf with the Comp. Each product is still as versatile as possible of course. The Cypher is designed as a high-speed strapless blasting and boosting machine, featuring 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. For a good mix of waveriding and all-around surf shape, the AMP has fast rocker with a maneuver-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 the range. The Comp has a sweet spot for down-the-line waveriding, but still covers any wave conditions where you are looking for maximum maneuverability. Featuring a high rocker with narrow nose and tail, it is Oswald Smith’s weapon of choice.

What constructions are the boards available in?

The boards are available in a Reflex Carbon construction as well as a Reflex Glass option. The objective of the Team Series Carbon Surfboards was to create a lightweight and durable constriction that maintained a much higher level of flex than traditional carbon boards and ensures maximum responsiveness.

Can you talk us through the manufacturing aspects of the Carbon construction.

This is a top and bottom deck sandwich of high-density foam covering the ultra-light fused EPS core; the sandwich layer does not wrap the rail which increases the flex. Both the top and bottom carbon layers are a 45 Degree Biaxial Carbon, which avoids any carbon running along the length of the board. This enhances the flex while creating a very stiff skin, without creating an overly stiff board. All boards are certified ECOBOARDS, to minimize their environmental impact by optimizing the materials and measuring our carbon footprint. For each board sell we offset one ton of CO2 through the Thor Heyerdahl Climate Park project.

How have the boards been updated since the previous models?

The Cypher v4 is half the thickness of the Cypher v3, and is 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 ‘Summerboard’ performance feel for speed in small waves, while still being able to throw tighter turns. The key change over the previous generation is the thinner overall thickness leading to a finer rail; 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. We reduced the rail thickness which 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 board’s ability to handle speed.

What do your team riders have to say about the new versions?

Reider loves how, “the AMP still holds that carving skatey feel, is fun in flat water but has enough teeth to hold its own in hollow and punchy shoulder high waves – the best one board quiver!” Kiko says “the Cypher is my gun to choose, it’s been one of the boards I was working on with Clinton to get the maximum from strapless freestyle tricks. One of the things that makes this board amazing is how light and strong it is. For me the 5’0 is the perfect size.” Ozzie said, “the Comp is my favorite surf directional, especially for performance waveriding. The 5’10 is my go-to for bigger surf and getting barreled. The thin and narrow outline with a squash tail helps draw out a smooth bottom turn line and nice responsive snappy off-the-top turns, whilst the thin rails help to generate and maintain speed. The thinner board makes it bounce less and handles the chop a bit better on the water, making it fast. The thruster set up helps it stick to the bottom of the wave so you can push it as hard as you want without sliding out.” ■