The Greenough 4-C is one of the most classic, fundamental single fin designs for a longboard…ever!
The man behind this revolutionary fin is George Greenough, whom the surf world is forever indebted to for his wave-riding performance innovations beginning in the 60’s. Greenough paved the way from traditional logging to more progressive surfing in the pocket through the development of his Velo-Spoon kneeboard designs. To complement his kneeboards, Greenough found inspiration from mother nature for his fin templates through studying the tail fins of tuna–one of the fastest and most maneuverable fish in the ocean. The subsequent high-aspect ratio design he created allowed surfers to place themselves in more critical parts of the wave and execute more radical turns; and it ultimately ushered in a new era of high performance capability.
The 4-C is a direct descendant of Greenough’s “Stage 4” tuna fin-inspired designs from the early ‘70s; this iteration was conceived earlier on in the evolution of the Greenough and True Ames collaboration that ultimately led to the 4-A. The 4-C template represents the first step taken in the move away from a traditional pivot fin. Greenough kept the upright nature and minimal rake of a pivot fin, but shaved off a considerable amount of surface area in pursuit of a more high-aspect ratio design. This translates to a higher performance fin that is even more maneuverable, and faster down the line with less drag.