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Fins Forward

Text by Mikey DeTemple
Photography by Will Adler

Ever since Tom Blake first strapped a fin to the tail of a surfboard, surfers have been experimenting and innovating with fin performance in the water. Fin placement, shape, height, rake, foil and flexibility can all drastically affect the way a board operates. But most of the time, the history of fins is overlooked (or at least less obsessed over). Advancements through-out the last half century have led to a variety of shapes beyond the thruster setup we so often see. The following fins have been plucked out for focus by Mikey DeTemple because of the way they revolutionized surfing yet still remain relevant — and widely used — today.

Bob Simmons Twin Fin c. 1949 Solid balsa, 10’8”, 40lbs

“If anybody was to get the credit of being the ‘Father of the Modern Surfboard,’ I would say it would have to be Simmons. He changed board design in a shorter period of time than anybody has before or since…”
— Reynolds “Rennie” Yater *

Described as both a mad scientist and an eccentric human, Simmons’s contributions to surfing are as relevant today as they were in the 1940s. By as early as 1947, Simmons thought that the deep surfboard fin wasn’t working. As a result, he developed the first shallow dual fins to work with his hydrodynamic planing hulls, which he had adapted from a study by US Naval architect Lindsey Lord.

Simmons’ engineering background highly influenced his desire to make better surfboards — ones that were lighter, easier to turn, and more user friendly. Simmons paved the path for everyone after him and his concepts went on to live in all aspects of surfboard and fin design. In the early 2000s Richard Kenvin was lent a replica of the Bob Simmons spoon which in turn led to a film project titled Hydrodynamica. Richard’s interest in Simmons’s boards began a movement or sorts, leading people all over the world to make and ride dual keel finned mini-Simmons boards.

Yater Spoon Fin c. 1965 Reynolds “Rennie” Yater

This fin is the reason surfboards started to turn. Pre-1964, a surfer was limited to a “point-and-go” technique. The resulting maneuverability of this design changed that and ushered in the era of hot dogging.

Looking for a looser feeling from his boards, Yater — one of the first commercial surfboard builders — cut the back area out of a D-Fin, which he then incorporated into his Yater Spoon design. Developed for and tested at Rincon, the Yater spoon was one of the most innovative surfboards of the time. The transition from a passenger-riding fin to the modern controllable models is owed to Rennie’s removal of the D-Fin’s rear portion. This innovation opened the door for many other developments, including the cutaway fin, dorsal fin, and other modern skeg templates.

The Yater Spoon template is one of the most versatile and classic fins you can put on your board. Its ability to remain functional as a solid holding fin, yet still allow pivot back to the pocket makes it a choice of many.

George Greenough 4A Flex Fin c. 1965 Velo kneeboard spoon, fiberglass & foam, 5’3”, 8lbs

Perhaps the most important fin in surfing’s history, George Greenough first introduced this high aspect ratio fin to his first Velo kneeboards. This groundbreaking flex fin was based on the tail of a bluefin tuna. 

Initially meant for a kneeboard, the fin soon made its way to stand up surfing. By the 1966 World Surfing Championships, the template, which was the catalyst for the surfboard revolution, could be seen on Nat Young’s “Sam” board as he carved his way to victory. Extraordinarily versatile — it works as well on six-something eggs, eight-foot transitionals and everyday logs — the Greenough is one of the greatest fin templates ever created.

Steve Lis Keel c. 1970 Fish kneeboard model, Foam, 5’6”, 6lbs

This fin came out of the underground backyard shaping subculture that emerged in early-1970s San Diego. During this era, progressions in design were developing faster than the news about these innovations
could travel. The Steve Lis-designed keels were another fin set originally designed for kneeboarding, but later adapted for stand up surfing, when they made their way onto fish boards. Due to their loose, yet controlled feeling, the fish exploded in popularity during this time and ushered in the era of the Lis keels. Two world titles — 1971 and 1972 — were won on these fins. In 1978 Mark Richards refined the template and won four world titles using the design.

 This was also an era dominated by mid-length single fins — boards that shined in pumping Hawaiian surf, but were crude dogs in average conditions. The twin fin showed speed and agility in minimal conditions and created an entirely new era of its own. 

The twin keel fins have shined through history with a range of examples demonstrating the strength of their design. Tom Curren sparked a renewed interest in the twin keel when he appeared in Andrew Kidman’s 1992 film Litmus, blazing down long walls on a borrowed Skip Frye. Since then, the twin fin and its many variations, have been a staple in the modern surfboard quiver and is essential for speed runs in less-than-stellar conditions.

Simon Anderson c. 1981 Thruster, Foam, 5’9.5”, 6lbs

For more than thirty-two years, the thruster has been the dominating fin setup in surfing. Simon Anderson developed this setup just as the twin-fins were being accepted into the mainstream surfing society. The thruster combined elements of both the single fin and twin fin set ups by adding a stabilizing fin to the center of the twin fin. Anderson took the single fin’s stability and married it to the twin fin’s speed, bridging the gap between the two designs. The result was so successful that both the single fin and twin fin went into near extinction by 1983 and there hasn’t been another fin evolution since.

Anderson’s amalgamation opened up the world of performance surfing. The thruster templates allowed people to put their board’s places they had never been before, changing the approach of modern surfing. It still dominates the surf industry today, from the World Tour to everyday surfboards.

ALL FINS in this story, with the exception of the Yater Spoon, were generously provided by the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center.  Based in San Clemente, California, SH&CC is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, presenting and promoting surfing’s heritage for the appreciation and education of current and future generations; and to achieving our goal of surfing being more accurately understood, represented and enjoyed. 

This story originally appeared inWAX Issue 4.