The premise was simple; jump on a plane crammed to bursting point with 19 brand new boards by the best shapers on the planet, along with four surfers to test them, and make a beeline to one of the last true remote areas of Indonesia with an epic swell inbound.
The following 10 days offered an abundance of waves, ranging from triple overhead freight trains to playful beachies and everything in-between. The perfect environment for our testers to put our range of finely tuned blades through their paces.
Speaking of the testers, let’s meet them:
Clay Marzo – Clay performs on emotion and sense. He’s a man of few words, but his thoughts can be read through his reactions. He doesn’t have to say much, he just surfs and the board does the talking. Pre-planned interviews are not his thing; he prefers to talk about a board directly after a move or a sick combo. When he’s smiling, laughing and analyzing his surfing, it generally means he loves a board, which is a scary scenario. His demeanour in the water is something to behold. Everything he does is unorthodox – limb placement, subtle movement, taking off under the lip, but it couldn’t be more right. Clay’s entertaining performances on the trip made the trip in a way. It lifted the surf stoke and morale of the team on a daily basis.
Montgomery Cederic Tait – The grommet of the trip. At just 19 years of age, he brought a youthful energy to the test. A WQS campaigner hailing from Maroubra, Monty has a head on his shoulders well beyond his years. He spends more time in the water than most and it’s certainly paying dividends. Monty’s approach combines the foundations of traditional surfing with new school flair. He has an uncanny ability to be on the best waves of every session and his advanced understanding of board design was a vital contribution to the test.
Cahill Bell Warren – One-take Warren. If you were to clone a surfer who fits the mould for a board test, look no further than the DNA of CBW. A proud, born and bred Victorian, Cahill now works full time for Surfing Victoria, coaching a hoard of the nations up and coming talents. An in-depth thinker, it’s evident that Cahill’s experience and time spent around the professional side of the sport has rubbed off on him. His board reviews were articulate, creative and relatable and he has the ability to communicate his perspectives with purpose.
Brett Burcher – Residing on the south coast of NSW, Brett juggles advanced barrel hunting with a degree in education. Brett has been involved with several Tracks boards tests over the years; he is well-versed in the nuances of design and his sophisticated interpersonal skills mean he is able to extract articulate and accurate feedback from the testers. Of course when duty calls, Brett is also more than capable of saddling up a shooter and putting it through its paces.
Well what are you waiting for? Dive in here … your magic board awaits.
A big thankyou goes out to the hosts with the most at Aura Surf Resort – Andy, Jimmy, Pierce and Charlie. The lads were consistently on the pulse with the locations, swell and keeping the vibes at an all time high. Also to Braven Speakers.
