Four Years In The Making, Kelly Slater Releases New High-Performance Surfboard

Originally posted on SURFER | By Jake Howard | Last updated 2/5/24

In the water or in the shaping bay, Kelly Slater’s a relentless innovator. And now, coming on the heals of his Great White Twin release (inspired by a great white shark), Slater has just released his newest creation, the S Boss. Four years of research and development with shaper Dan Mann, and the two have created what Mann calls, “the most user-friendly pure performance shortboard I’ve ever worked on.”

The user-friendly aspect is a radical departure from some of Slater’s earliest signature models in the 1990s that were so thin and had so much rocker they were affectionately dubbed the “glass slipper,” and for the most part, the genius that is Slater was the only one that could get them to work. The Great White Twin is a versatile, small-wave machine that works well for a range of skill levels, and the S Boss follows that trend, just with more traditional, high-performance characteristics.

“The S BOSS is an intersection of Kelly Slater’s pursuit of high- performance progression and Dan Mann’s mission to make performance surfing accessible to all by design,” explains Slater Designs in their press announcement.

Without getting too in the surfboard design weeds, Slater explains that him and Mann have been focusing on a board that features an aggressive vee throughout the bottom.

“We took our time getting it right,” Slater shares.

Joining the research and development team was San Clemente high-flyer Kevin Schulz, who helped puttee board through its paces (ensuring that mere mortals can have fun on the board).

“While riding the S BOSS, I’ve done the best airs I’m capable of,” Schulz says. “But I can also recommend the S BOSS to my friends. I have a lot of friends who I can finally share my everyday shortboard with. Everyone has fun on it. It’s not like a hyper, rockered-out shortboard. The S BOSS is for everyone. But it’s also what’s advancing my surfing.”

Built with Firewire’s durable I-Bolic Technology, the board features an I-Beam down center for unrivaled break strength, along with high-density foam in both rails from nose to tail. Look for a demo coming to a beach near you, or check out Firewire Fleets and reserve yourself.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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