History repeated itself today when 10 X World Champion Kelly Slater claimed victory for the second consecutive year at the Hurley Pro at Trestles riding his signature FCS fins.
In the early rounds of competition when the waves were small and mushy Kelly rode his FCS K2.1 quad set-up with a small stabilizer keel in the centre. This was the same five-fin configuration Kelly rode just a few weeks ago at the Quiksilver Pro in New York.
In the later rounds of the Hurley event when the conditions improved Kelly changed boards and opted to ride a modified version of his FCS K-3 set. Riding an Al Merrick Fred Rubble model with a narrow rounded pintail, Kelly traded his standard K-3 centre fin for a smaller PC-2.
Post victory Kelly offered an explanation behind his theory. “I wanted to push really hard through my turns but still release the tail and get some rotation out of the lip. With the narrow tail on my board, the K-3 side fins gave me the drive and speed I needed, and the PC-2 centre fin allowed me to keep the tail loose and free. The combo worked perfectly”.
Kelly has two signature FCS fins; the FCS K-3, which is ideal for open face waves and long arc turns, and the FCS K2.1 which offers fast acceleration and tighter arc turns is hollow waves. The FCS K2.1 is available as a thruster, quad, or tri-quad.
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