Kitesoul Magazine #12 English Edition

138
TECH
Sky Solbach - Waveboard Shapes
Smallow Tail
Square Tail
AR_Sky, what types of outlines and tails.
Sky Solbach_There are lots of different outlines
and tail shapes you can use to create a desired
performance characteristic. Generally speaking,
the straighter and longer the outline, the more
locked in and control-oriented the board will be.
And vide-versa, the more curve there is in the
outline, the looser and quicker to turn the board
will be. Of course you must also find the balance
between outline, rocker, rail shape and fin positions
to fine-tune the type of feeling you want to
achieve. A pintail for example lends itself well to a
board with a very long, straight outline where you
don’t want a lot of surface area in the tail, which
is ideal for controlling speed rather than creating
speed and this is why you see pintails on a lot of
big wave boards. A squash tail on the other hand
allows you to carry a lot of width into the tail which
helps the rider create speed in smaller, weaker
waves. These are just two examples of virtually
endless combinations. Please see the shots with
examples!
Rounded Tail
Squash Tail