Stu Kenson, the Twinzer, and a New Collab with Firewire

The Legacy of San Diego Shapers

San Diego has a long history of producing legendary surfboard shapers, from Steve Lis and Skip Frye to Rusty Priesendorfer and Jason Bennet. Each brought their own insights and vision to the art of shaping, and in the process helped to shape the entire surf industry. 

Stu Kenson's Journey

Stu Kenson is another shaper from San Diego who has helped push the evolution of surfboard design. Stu started doing ding repair as a teenager (13 years old), and shaped his first board in 1971. He grew up near the Clark Foam factory and soon started shaping in the same surf shop as the legendary Terry Martin. In other words, he has been surrounded by the core of the Southern California surfboard industry since early in his career.

Photo credits from https://www.surfnvs.com/

Stu eventually branched out and started his own businesses, starting with a glassing outfit called Evening Glass. He shaped for JS for a while, then started his own board label as well—SK Surfboards.

Today, SK Surfboards is known for producing some of the best big wave guns and high performance shortboards in Southern California. But what has really put Stu on the map is his dedication to Twinzers.

The TJ Twinzer design is a modified twin-fin that has two additional small side bite fins (one on each side) installed in front of the twin fins and closer to the rail—(sort of like a reverse quad setup).

This concept was first created in 1988 by Wil Jobson (another legendary Southern California shaper). The next year, the design was tested and proven by Martin Potter, who won six events and the world title with a twinzer in his quiver. Other shapers took notice, and soon there were a number of surfboard designers tweaking and perfecting the twinzer concept. 

• Reducing fin cavitation
• Improving stability
• Maintaining speed
• Enhancing control

The twinzer’s popularity peaked in the 1990s, as surfers discovered and experimented with the additional purchase the forward side bites provided to the fast but often too loose twin fin design. The forward Canard fins direct water to the foiled side of the larger twin fins, reducing cavitation and that slidey feel that twin fins are notorious for (and that can sometimes be a bit unsettling).

Stu Kenson started shaping twinzers in 1989, shortly after Jobson first came up with the concept. He perfected his twinzer design while shaping under Rusty Preisendorfer, but watched the design fall out of fashion in the late 1990s. Recently, though, the twinzer has made a major comeback, largely on the back of dedicated twinzer fanatics like Kenson. Close to 80 percent of all of boards he sells today are twinzers, and the design works on everything from grovelers to big wave guns. As Stu tells it, the magic is in the fin placement. “The design is super important. If you don’t put the fins in the right place, they’re a dog with fleas.”

Stu has recently released his TJ Twinzer model with Firewire, and is now available at our store Hawaiian South Shore. The full-outline, round-pin board is a drivey, fast, front-footed speed machine that maintains its control and performance thanks to Stu’s signature twinzer fin set and the magic placement he uses for the boxes. The TJ Twinzer will be available here in Helium construction, in sizes ranging from 6'8" to 7'4", with Futures fin boxes. 

The Twinzer's groundbreaking design features:

• Modified twin-fin setup
• Strategic side bite placement
• Enhanced water flow dynamics
• Superior control and speed
• Helium construction
• Sizes: 6'8" to 7'4"
• Futures fin boxes
• Full-outline, round-pin design
• Front-footed speed capabilities

We are super excited to get our hands on the new TJ Twinzer from Stu x Firewire. The board's blend of speed and performance is sure to turn heads in all types of waves.

RESERVE TJ TWINZER SURFBOARDS NOW 

Read More 👈

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Twin Fin Revolution: Unleash Hidden Speed and Flow on Your Thruster Board