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FIREWIRE-SURFBOARD-[AZ]
One of the best parts of our jobs here at WIRED is that we get to test all the new things as soon as they come out. But we often only get a few days to play with something before having to write about it. That's difficult -- getting a clear assessment about an object's worth when you have to crank out a written review in less than a week. There are some products that don't show their true colors until we've had several weeks, months, or years to experience them, live with them, play with them, and wear them. That's what we've rounded up here -- things we've been testing and love, or the stuff from our lives that we own and never want to let go. This is the gear we want to take everywhere. This is the stuff we want to cook breakfast for. These are the things we love.
Above:
Going from a longboard to anything smaller can be challenging -- especially when you're shaving off a good 10 inches. The 6'10" Firewire ADDvance splits the difference between a longboard and short board and makes the transition a lot easier. I wasn't really even ready to try anything smaller. In fact, I was thinking about going for more length than my 7'9" Craigslist-purchased board, but I always like a challenge. I also really liked the idea of sliding my board into the car rather than strapping the thing onto the roof and hoping it wouldn't fly off. So I decided to just go for it and try the ADDvance.
The board is much wider than I'm used to (22 5/8"), and it was a little tough to carry because my arm length just gets my fingers around the edge. It's also a lot lighter and more buoyant, which was immediately apparent the first day I slid the board into the choppy water. I found I needed to be super centered to make the board move straight in the direction I wanted.
My second day out was far more successful. I dropped in on a small wave and the board moved fast and smooth. I rode it all the way in. I've been surfing at Linda Mar for a year now, and riding that wave on the Firewire ADDvance was by far the best surfing experience I've had here in California. The board gives me the confidence to keep pushing to surf better. And it doesn't hurt that it's absolutely gorgeous, with bamboo wood grain in the center, outlined with a thin black line and a white underside.
--Kristen Fortier Photos: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
Firewire ADDvance Surfboard
Going from a longboard to anything smaller can be challenging -- especially when you're shaving off a good 10 inches. The 6'10" Firewire ADDvance splits the difference between a longboard and short board and makes the transition a lot easier. I wasn't really even ready to try anything smaller. In fact, I was thinking about going for more length than my 7'9" Craigslist-purchased board, but I always like a challenge. I also really liked the idea of sliding my board into the car rather than strapping the thing onto the roof and hoping it wouldn't fly off. So I decided to just go for it and try the ADDvance.
The board is much wider than I'm used to (22 5/8"), and it was a little tough to carry because my arm length just gets my fingers around the edge. It's also a lot lighter and more buoyant, which was immediately apparent the first day I slid the board into the choppy water. I found I needed to be super centered to make the board move straight in the direction I wanted.
My second day out was far more successful. I dropped in on a small wave and the board moved fast and smooth. I rode it all the way in. I've been surfing at Linda Mar for a year now, and riding that wave on the Firewire ADDvance was by far the best surfing experience I've had here in California. The board gives me the confidence to keep pushing to surf better. And it doesn't hurt that it's absolutely gorgeous, with bamboo wood grain in the center, outlined with a thin black line and a white underside.--Kristen Fortier Photos: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED
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