Mick Fanning has added the Billabong Pro Tahiti to his ever growing resume of events victories. This latest achievement not only marks his first win at the famed left hand reef pass, but also his first victory riding a quad fin set up.
During the early rounds of competition when the waves at Teahupoo were relatively tame Mick opted for his signature FCS MF-1 template, but when the swell finally arrived it was time to add another fin to the equation.
“The quad set up definitely came into play on the final day when the swell kicked. I jumped from my 5’11” to my 6’0”, but I needed it to be a little more stable. Quads just give you so much more control and speed in the barrel, especially when you’re riding the foam ball”.
So what quad setup was Mick riding? The unique set up combined two Performance Glass (PG) templates; orange prototypes of the new MF-2 template in the front paired with clear G-1000 centres in the back.
Although this was Mick’s first win on this particular fin configuration, it was certainly not the first time he’d jumped on a quad.
“I’ve actually been experimenting with quads for a while now. We had a ton of solid swell on the Goldie a few months back and it was perfect for testing different quad combinations and how they performed in the pit. I’m still experimenting in smaller waves, but for solid hollow waves I’m definitely converted”.
Most of the FCS team riders on the ASP tour are choosing to get their boards made with a tri-quad fin configuration. This essentially gives the surfer the opportunity to ride their board as a thruster or a quad.
FCS Brand Ambassador Richie Lovett remarked, “I had a number of requests from WCT surfers for quad fins prior to the Tahiti event. In fact there’s been a general uptake on quad fins throughout this year. There’s advantages to riding a quad and now more and more of the tour surfers are catching on”.
Mick’s victory at the Billabong Pro Tahiti gives him a commanding lead as the tour heads to Southern California for the Hurley Pro at Lower Trestles.
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