The surf world is forever indebted to the design and performance innovations of George Greenough, a Santa Barbara native and avid kneeboarder, who is the reason why people today use high-aspect ratio fins and perform radical turns on waves that surfers in the 50s and 60s only dreamed of. A backyard craftsman and inventor, Greenough became known for his hugely influential board and fin designs dating back to his high school days in the early 60s where he would shape his first boards in wood shop out of balsa. Fast forward a few years and the Velo-spoon (short for velocity) was created. A short, red kneeboard with the deck scooped and a wide flex-tail. This board rocketed Greenough into the next dimension of wave-riding as it showcased a combination of design ideas to allow the types of maneuvers that inspired generations of surfers to this day. His kneeboards weren’t the only thing catching the attention of the surf world. The high-aspect ratio fins Greenough created to compliment his kneeboards, a direct influence of sea creatures, took the world by storm. The likes of Nat Young and Bob McTavish took notice and soon the best of the best surfers were ditching their D-fins for Greenough’s design and in 1966, was a direct influence to Nat’s winning of the world surfing championships and the ushering in of the shortboard revolution. The most popular single fin of all time, the 4-A, is the bread and butter of our catalog. It’s full base and tapering flexible tip make it one of the most versatile and performance oriented single fins ever designed. The 4-C, a precursor to the 4-A, is a truly important template as it’s the closest to the original high-aspect fin Greenough invented as you can get. The Stage 6, with its roots in windsurfing, create a highly maneuverable yet solid feel by placing more surface area deeper into the water. And finally the Power Blade, a new fin created to compliment the Greenough-style edge boards that have become popular as of recent. These fins are made with a uni-directional fiberglass cloth that allows for the fin to be made very thin, with a flex pattern that twists instead of bends. A work-in-progress fin that we are super excited to be collaborating with Greenough on and testing at our factory in Goleta! The fins we produce with Greenough were designed with performance in mind and have been a staple of our collection since the beginning. The fact that Greenough was devising these fins in the 60s goes to show how much we have to thank for his contributions to surfing.

Norm Flex

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