Mar 26, 2021
Ezra Rodriguez on Thunderbolt Technology Surfboards
Tell Us About The Thunderbolt Surfboards You’ve Ridden...
Thunderbolt. Well Thunderbolt came into my life about five years ago when Mr. Sumitomo, Yu Sumitomo gave me a phone call that began my journey with the Thunderbolt team.
A good friend of mine that I’ve surfed professional longboards with for years, Kapono Nahina, gave me the original call that told me I needed to try this construction.
I went to Hawaiian South Shore and that’s when I started my relationship with Dave. His awesome staff down there set me up and I tried my first Thunderbolt Harley Ingleby HIHP model designed by Billy Tolhurst. It changed my life and opened my eyes to the details within board construction. That was a serious turning point that really got me back into surfing again. I was enjoying everything about it like when I was full throttle professionally. The support got me motivated again and back to feeling excited about doing things in the surf industry!
So right now the models I ride, they’re all good haha I don’t know where do I start. I basically ride the Harley Ingleby series and it’s become my absolute favorite. Harley’s 9’1 HIHP model in full carbon is the one, that you know, really sparked my interest.
Then his HI4 model the brother the of that model, that’s another favorite of mine. Why, because they’re probably the best longboard shapes I’ve ever ridden. I’ve been through a lot of shapers in this industry with the polyurethane. You know what really sucks, it’s when you pull your leash and 3 feet of your tail comes back to you broken!
Being a professional longboarder from the 90s into the early 2000s, surfboards were just breaking and we’d spend a lot on fixing them. If you didn’t get a good surfboard sponsor back in the day, I mean you know you’re paying out of your pocket to try and mend your longboards together for competition.
In Hawaii a lot of guys that I was raised around: Bonga, Dino Miranda, Duane Desoto and Rusty Keaulana, those guys, and when you hear a guy say oh you know it’s a longboard kind of day- I mean, you can throw that shit out the window because these guys are and were the modern progression of Hawaiian modern longboards.
They love surfing waves of consequence and that’s what they’ve taught all of us in my generation. You can ride a longboard on anything and make it work, but what Yusan and his team at Thunderbolt have been doing with surfboards is absolutely amazing. The equipment is next level.
The eight stage construction has never been done before and the feeling I get when I ride these boards is one of confidence. I enjoy the speed, flex the strength or durability and once you’re hooked, it’s just... you know there’s nothing that compares to these boards. I’m very excited and grateful. I’ve been sharing this with friends and family, clients.
I mean this board family has opened up my world even locally because I get to talk to everybody in the water and even internationally with feedback. For me that’s what it’s all about now. Promoting with the Thunderbolt family and Dave store which is exclusively selling these boards. It’s been an amazing adventure and still super thankful to live the lifestyle.
Thunderbolt Technology Line Up:
Ben Skinner Skindog Surfboards, CJ Nelson Surfboards, Harley Ingleby Surfboards, Kai Sallas Surfboards and Taylor Jensen Surfboards.
Customers has nothing but good to say about their Thunderbolts. They love surfing with their Longboards and enjoy it everyday! Watch Customers Feedback On Thunderbolt Surfboards Here.