Of course, fin testing is also quite important. Already last year, also in Cape Town, I got to try out some fins with a new material that makes the fins a bit softer and flex better, this made me feel way better and more confortable while top turning. Since the moment I tried them I did not want to use the old G10 fins any more.
In the last two years all of us had 5 fin boxes in our customs and we found out that they where working good even on a different fin system than the board was made for. For example a shape that was made for quads also worked good on a tri fin setup and vice versa. We have also tried out a lot of R&D prototypes together with our custom boards and compared all the differences between them. Dani and Craig are also an important part of the team here as they can feel or imagine a bit better what normal customers are looking for and how the boards should feel for them. So all in all, after a lot of testing, I am happy to say that the new boards will be again better than before with some special and different shapes.
Cape Town is also about improving my technique as well as my equipment. I definitely learn a lot every year down there while wave riding. I learn to read the waves better and to get better timing on them. Also to get more vertical and powerful on my top turns. This year I found out after lots and lots of waves that head and sail movement is really influential. It’s important to look down to the section again during the top turn to make it more powerful. Same for the sail, push it a bit into the wind while finishing the turn to make it look better and have more control while sliding down the wave.
In jumping I feel that I have to be more controlled because of the frequent side-offshore winds in most of the beaches. To achieve that, I learnt it’s more important to keep more compact and small all the time as you feel every mistake you make quite a lot more than when jumping at onshore spots.