One of our customers’ favorite fins has historically been the FCS Performer center fin, but since that fin is no longer available, we decided to make our own version. The Hawaiian South Shore High-Performance (HSS HP) center fin has a similar template to the FCS Performer center, and is great for surfers who like to shred high-performance longboards or who are transitioning from shortboarding to longboarding. The fin is made with G10 fiberglass, which is premium, industrial-grade fiberglass with a high cloth-to-resin ratio, which makes it stronger and more impervious to nicks and dings from the reef. Legendary shaper Dan Mann loves the G10 material for his fins, especially when he is traveling and a damaged fin could ruin his trip.

The HSS HP is available in both large and extra-large sizes, and is perfect to pair with your favorite medium or large side fins (or XL side fins, if you are a very powerful or stout surfer). Moving the fin forward (toward the nose) will loosen your board up a bit, while bringing it back to the rear of the box (toward the tail) will provide more stability and facilitate longer, more drawn out turns.

If you are looking for a center fin to take your high-performance longboarding to the next level, keep it local and start shredding the HSS HP!

FCS FREEDOM HELIX – Lighter, Faster, Greener

No one likes wearing leashes—they are create drag, slow us down, and get in the way. But for the majority of surfers, a leash is an essential piece of equipment that helps keep them, their boards, and the other surfers in the lineup safe. Since most of us need leashes, we might as well use the lightest, most comfortable technology possible—and that’s the FCS Freedom Helix.

The Freedom Helix  combines lightweight construction, increased strength, and engineered sustainability to create the best leash on the market. Made with 50 percent corn-based bio-resin, the Freedom Helix is more environmentally friendly and stronger by diameter than FCS’s traditional construction.

What makes the Freedom Helix so impressive is that FCS has been able to drop a ton of weight without sacrificing strength. A streamlined cuff, thinner cord diameter (facilitated by the stronger bio-resin), hollow skeletal horn structure, and strong, lightweight titanium swivels produce an ultra-light, super comfortable leash that stands up to powerful waves with far more strength than the average leash. The Freedom Helix is 10 percent lighter than the FCS Freedom leash and 20 percent lighter than the FCS Essentials Comp.

To add yet another layer of high-tech progress, the Freedom Helix also reduces drag through the use of a thinner, lighter cord that features a slight texture on the surface that improves the leash’s hydrodynamics. Less drag means more speed, which is the key ingredient to good surfing.

The FCS Freedom Helix comes in the ultralight Comp model, the more robust All Round model, and a Longboard model. Grab one of each to complete your quiver for the coming winter season!