Theshapeshifter Roger Hall

Fish tend to swim in schools which is ironic really, given that in a surfboard context, it appears to take a more individual line of thought to ride one.

Having said that, some 52 years after Steve Lis shaped the first one in an isolated beachside community called Azure Vista in San Diego California you’re more likely to see surfers riding Fishes at beaches everywhere than at any other time in history. Riding a Fish is a no brainer really, after all, it has contained in its unique shape just about everything a surfer could ever want: Drive, drive and more drive, Speed and so much of it, there may be times when you’re looking to shed some. Yet Fishes also inherently have a short turning radius. Perhaps the one thing that Fishes have the most of is versatility: a Fish will power over the flats holding speed always ready to turn, yet a Fish likes to hold a steady line deep in the hollow part of the wave. The Fishes number one act as an all-rounder is hard to follow.

Perhaps it’s the combination of reliability and an equal measure of excitement that makes the Fish so desirable underfoot. The Fish has a feel like no other. Per foot and inch of board length, the Fish packs an impressive amount of paddle power. Volume is easily dispersed within its parameters giving it an abundance of float for both catching and riding waves.

As a surfboard design, the Fish has eluded the masses even though it has periodically been shaped by gurus of the highest order and ridden by surfers whose ability soars to the pinnacle of performance. Oddly, the sheep-like mentality that pervades surfing culture stops surfers from flocking to the place where Fishes school simply because . . . surfers are way too cool.