Entries tagged as ‘2008’
Steph Gilmore selects a board during the Hawai'ian leg of the 2008 World Championship Tour. Photo: Sparkes
Surfboard shapes and materials are proven by professionals on the World Championship Tour (WCT). But how much of this upper-end insight trickles down to the rest of the surfing population? SURF Buyer’s Guide caught up with two-time ASP Champion, Stephanie Gilmore, to find out.
Steph grew up surfing Australia’s Gold Coast and, at just twenty years old, she’s known as a powerful and versatile surfer. Steph’s exact board specs may not work for more average surfers (or women of different builds), but as she talks us through her travel/contest quiver, it’s clear (more…)
Categories: SURFBOARDS · WOMEN'S SURF
Tagged: 2008, Base, Darren Handley, DHD, Stephanie Gilmore, Surfboards For Women, Tokoro, World Champion
O’Neill’s 2008 line of women’s wetsuits is topped by the PsychoFreak and its all-new XDS-Air neoprene construction. Because of XDS-Air, a three-layer neoprene laminate, the PsychoFreak is measurably warmer than traditional suits—so much so, that a 3.5mm suit of XDS-Air is equivalent in warmth to the 4/3mm neoprene of a conventional layup (that is, a single-layer of sponge with an interior and exterior facing material). (more…)
Categories: WETSUITS 2008–’09
Tagged: 09, 2008, Hailo, Neoprene, O'Neill, Psycho 2, PsychoFreak, Wetsuits, Womens, XDS, ZEN
Serious surfer girls have three Hotline models to choose from in 2008: the new Phoenix-X, the super-stretchy Freebird, and the reliably warm Ultra Hot Combo.
Founded by Brenda Scott, a former professional surfer who was named women’s Rookie of the Year in 1978 by the ISP (International Surfing Professionals), Hotline’s roots in women’s surfing run deep. (more…)
Categories: WETSUITS 2008–’09
Tagged: 2008, Hotline, PhoenixX, Surfing, Wetsuits, Womens
Santa Cruz, California-based Hotline came out swinging in 2008, with the introduction of its Phoenix-X wetsuit. An upgrade from last year’s Phoenix, the Phoenix-X is Hotline’s most comfortable suit to date. It combines SuperStretch neoprene (comparable in stretch to the neoprene of major brands) and Hotline’s front zip in a reconfigured pattern that has fewer seams than the previous model. (more…)
Categories: WETSUITS 2008–’09
Tagged: 2008, Hotline, Mens, PhoenixX, Surfing, Wetsuits
Patagonia’s women’s wetsuit lineup features two suits for 2008: the three-millimeter R3, and the two-millimeter R2. Made of top-end limestone-based neoprene and lined with an insulating layer of merino wool, a Patagonia wetsuit is the perfect choice for surfers who are “always cold.”
In keeping with its “tread lightly” philosophy, Patagonia is pioneering alternatives to traditional wetsuit materials, namely petroleum-derived neoprene (from China)—the surfing-industry standard. (more…)
Categories: WETSUITS 2008–’09
Tagged: 2008, Limestone, Patagonia, R2, R3, Surfing, Wetsuits, Womens
Ready to rethink your wetsuit? Patagonia offers six men’s suits (the Regulator, or “R” series) made of premium-quality limestone neoprene. Lined with chlorine-free merino wool, these suits are warmer than conventional wetsuits while using less neoprene. That’s why the familiar labels of “3/2mm” and “4/3mm” don’t apply to the Patagonia line. (more…)
Categories: WETSUITS 2008–’09
Tagged: 2008, Limestone, Patagonia, R2, R3, R4, Surfing, Wetsuits
