Smorgasboarder_23_winter_2014

A LITTLE BIT OF
FIN-NOVATION
M O D E R N A L T E R N A T I V E S
LIGHT AND STRONG...
Hidden - if you want it to be - under a
foam insert, the unique "Load Beam Collar"
sports trussed openings designed to retain
maximum strength while being super-light
GEAR: COOL STUFF
Innovations under the surface are every
bit as interesting as the design ideas on
the surfboard itself. Forward thinking
fi n ideas - such as the organic, natural
and fl owing shapes of Hanalei fi ns, or
the super-refined performance ideas of
Mitchell Rae's Switchblades (watch this
space for more on those!) to mention but
two - are only half of the story... Fin boxes
and fi n plugs are the other, and the latest
chapter is that of the brand new Gearbox.
We fi nd out more...
ROBIN MAIR - the man behind Hawaii's
Hanalei Fins - gets very excited when he
starts to talk about the new Gearbox fi n
plug. As a surfboard shaper with many
years of experience under his belt, and
amazing board designs to show for it, he's
well and truly been looking at fi n boxes
from many different angles for a long time
now. The reason he's excited is because
the new Gearbox is the culmination of all
these years of work, thought and constant
design refinement, and it's sure to get a
few shapers very excited too.
"It's not just about the final product,"
Robin explains as we chat on Skype, "It's
all the design thinking behind it that's
important." The Gearbox is most certainly
no throwaway idea. Every aspect of the
design has been carefully considered and
tweaked relentlessly to ensure a light,
strong, easy-to-install and aesthetically
pleasing fin plug, which accommodates
standard tabbed fins.
THE STRENGTH IS IN THE STRUCTURE
One of the main design features of this
Gearbox is the "load beam collar" which
is the structural beam under the surface,
which extends around the perimeter. With
a wide surface area and trussed openings
to reduce weight without sacrifi cing
strength, the beam help prevents bowing
and rolling of the plug under strain. Not
only that, because it is recessed, there is
space for a foam insert, which not only
helps retain the aesthetic integrity of
the original board design, but also can
enhance the strength due to the extra
bonding surface area for lamination.
Yes, being installed under the glass, this
is one solid, strong system.
As to the slot, it fi ts your standard dual
tab fi ns, so no need to throw out your
favourite, tried and tested sets - simply
pop them in here and you're good to
go. And with around 5mm to play with
positioning in the slot itself you can
tweak your fi ns to be in the exact spot for
optimum performance.
Keep your eyes peeled - these are hitting
the streets now, so you'll be seeing a few
of these appearing in boards very soon...
FOR MORE INFORMATION, see the
website www.gearbox-surf.com, email
info@gearbox-surf.com or call Lance
Pearson on 0417 243 592
AUTUMN/WINTER 2014 | SMORGASBOARDER 91