Carissa Moore (HAW) and Matt "Mayhem" Biolos of Lost Surfboards have a winning combination of talent in the water and in the boardroom. Biolos' boards have already provided magic rides for Moore on the Gold Coast and Bells Beach this year. Her latest quiver from him helped her win the Swatch Women's Pro and regain the Jeep Leader's yellow jersey along with it.
Can't get enough shaper talk? Read more Magic Board interviews on the pros' winning whips.
Once again, Mayhem offers some insight into the designs that have been a huge asset to current World No. 1.
The Hawaiian charger tore apart a perfect righthander at the Swatch Women's Pro to earn a 9.43 in Round 1.
DIMENSIONS
Shaper: Lost Surfboards by Matt Biolos
Model: Driver
Dimensions: 5'9.5" x 18.50" x 2.25"
Tail: Squash
Volume: 25.5 L
FINAL
Model: Sub-Driver
Dimensions: 5'8" x 18.63" x 2.25"
Tail: Squash
Volume: Slightly under 26 L
World Surf League: What were the models and dimensions of the boards that Carissa rode at the start of Swatch Pro, and on finals day?
Matt Biolos: Before she showed up, I had in mind that I wanted to bring her back off the short stubby boards she had been using so much in smaller surf the last year. I made her a set of five 5'9"-5'9.5" sleek and racy boards for good Lowers. We did each of them around 18.50" x 2.25" and the mid 25 L range, but the one that stood out was a Driver, with a little extra vee coming off the tail.
Moore goes above the lip on finals day. - WSL / Sean Rowland
Having some vee in her tails allows us to stick to a relatively low tail rocker (for drive), but still allows her to turn hard without sliding or releasing when not expecting to. It let's her hold on hard turns. So in the early heats, she rode a 5'9.5" x 18.50" x 2.25" and 25.5 liter Driver, regular PU/PE construction.
On finals day, the surf had dropped dramatically. I let her know that I had not made her any new 5'8"s, and to bring any good ones she had already. She brought the board she had won Snapper Rocks on. A 5'8" x 18.63" x 2.25" Sub-Driver, which I made on the Gold Coast, during the 10 days of lay days. She started riding it again the day before the Final at Lowers, and decided to use it. Her freesurfing the day before the last day was really, really strong and we felt good going in.
WSL: Can you talk about the difference between the two? She said the board she rode on the last day had a much wider tail.
MB: Sort of...it has a much wider tail block, but actually, at 12" up, the tails are about the same width. On the Sub-Driver, the tail keeps its width farther back, so at about 6" from the tail, the Driver outline pulls in, and the Sub doesn't.
This creates two things: First, the normal width of the Sub, at 12" up, allows the surfer to keep control, and not feel too skatey, from too much surface area under foot. Secondly, the wider tail block creates a straighter outline in the last 6-8" and thus adds more drive, and lift though turns at low speeds. The Sub has more nose area and lower tail rocker as well. But both have vee out the last few inches of the tail.
Carissa Moore took a little while to get started before locking in three excellent range rides including a 9.00 in Round 4.
WSL: Looking at the European leg, what will Carissa be taking over to Portugal (at the Cascais Women's Pro) and the Roxy Pro France?
MB: I updated a new couple "Grovel" boards actually based off the 5'9" Driver. I took that board and squished it down to the Sub-Driver Dims. Then made a more of those Drivers like she rode the first days, and then some boards for solid powerful, heavy waves of France. We used what we learned when she tried all the varied rockers at Lowers and narrowed down the selection a bit. The boards for EU are all pretty similar to each other. She was giving me the vibe that she wanted to simplify, and without me there, like I was during most her freesurfs at Lowers, we wanted to keep it easy.
WSL: Back at the Swatch Women's Pro Carissa and Tyler Wright had one of the most epic heats of the event. As a shaper for both women, how difficult are those heats for you?
MB: The hard part is staying impartial and focusing on each of them individually. I love them both. They are very different girls, and both fantastic surfers. I seriously only want them both to each surf the best they can and my hope [is that] they both get two 10's. At this point in the season, I do lean towards hoping for a World Title. That would be the only way I would ever lean toward one or the other.
When we were waiting for the scores, after the heat, Tyler came and stood next to me. I later saw it on the rewind of the webcast, and was wondering if it came across as I was taking sides. But really, I can't. I just want them both to feel like they are not getting held back by their equipment.
Tyler Wright and Carissa Moore go blow for blow in the Quarterfinal condensed heat cutdown.
WSL: Can you tell us about the difference in the boards Tyler rides versus Carissa's standard setup?
MB: They are actually pretty similar. Tyler tends to like round tail in anything but the smallest of surf. Her stance is pretty darn close and she stomps as hard as any one in the world on her tail, so we are not afraid of a bit more nose rocker and a little less tail rocker. With the round tails, you don't really need the vee back there, the reduced surface area seems to take care of the same issues. They ride similar dims and volume, but Ty's are a touch shorter and wider.
Moore's magical Mayhem. - WSL / Sean Rowland
WSL: Are you planning on attending any of the remaining events?
MB: I am heading over the the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro France, where Tyler nailed four 9's in the Final last year. I was there with my family and it was awesome. Hoping for more magic and possibly a clinched World Title this time around...Vive la France!
Don't miss Moore and the rest of the Top 17 go to battle in Portugal for the Cascais Women's Pro live here and on the WSL App through September 28.
Magic Board: Moore's Mayhem Momentum
WSL
Carissa Moore (HAW) and Matt "Mayhem" Biolos of Lost Surfboards have a winning combination of talent in the water and in the boardroom. Biolos' boards have already provided magic rides for Moore on the Gold Coast and Bells Beach this year. Her latest quiver from him helped her win the Swatch Women's Pro and regain the Jeep Leader's yellow jersey along with it.
Can't get enough shaper talk? Read more Magic Board interviews on the pros' winning whips.
Once again, Mayhem offers some insight into the designs that have been a huge asset to current World No. 1.
DIMENSIONS
Shaper: Lost Surfboards by Matt Biolos
Model: Driver
Dimensions: 5'9.5" x 18.50" x 2.25"
Tail: Squash
Volume: 25.5 L
FINAL
Model: Sub-Driver
Dimensions: 5'8" x 18.63" x 2.25"
Tail: Squash
Volume: Slightly under 26 L
World Surf League: What were the models and dimensions of the boards that Carissa rode at the start of Swatch Pro, and on finals day?
Matt Biolos: Before she showed up, I had in mind that I wanted to bring her back off the short stubby boards she had been using so much in smaller surf the last year. I made her a set of five 5'9"-5'9.5" sleek and racy boards for good Lowers. We did each of them around 18.50" x 2.25" and the mid 25 L range, but the one that stood out was a Driver, with a little extra vee coming off the tail.
Having some vee in her tails allows us to stick to a relatively low tail rocker (for drive), but still allows her to turn hard without sliding or releasing when not expecting to. It let's her hold on hard turns. So in the early heats, she rode a 5'9.5" x 18.50" x 2.25" and 25.5 liter Driver, regular PU/PE construction.
On finals day, the surf had dropped dramatically. I let her know that I had not made her any new 5'8"s, and to bring any good ones she had already. She brought the board she had won Snapper Rocks on. A 5'8" x 18.63" x 2.25" Sub-Driver, which I made on the Gold Coast, during the 10 days of lay days. She started riding it again the day before the Final at Lowers, and decided to use it. Her freesurfing the day before the last day was really, really strong and we felt good going in.
WSL: Can you talk about the difference between the two? She said the board she rode on the last day had a much wider tail.
MB: Sort of...it has a much wider tail block, but actually, at 12" up, the tails are about the same width. On the Sub-Driver, the tail keeps its width farther back, so at about 6" from the tail, the Driver outline pulls in, and the Sub doesn't.
This creates two things: First, the normal width of the Sub, at 12" up, allows the surfer to keep control, and not feel too skatey, from too much surface area under foot. Secondly, the wider tail block creates a straighter outline in the last 6-8" and thus adds more drive, and lift though turns at low speeds. The Sub has more nose area and lower tail rocker as well. But both have vee out the last few inches of the tail.
WSL: Looking at the European leg, what will Carissa be taking over to Portugal (at the Cascais Women's Pro) and the Roxy Pro France?
MB: I updated a new couple "Grovel" boards actually based off the 5'9" Driver. I took that board and squished it down to the Sub-Driver Dims. Then made a more of those Drivers like she rode the first days, and then some boards for solid powerful, heavy waves of France. We used what we learned when she tried all the varied rockers at Lowers and narrowed down the selection a bit. The boards for EU are all pretty similar to each other. She was giving me the vibe that she wanted to simplify, and without me there, like I was during most her freesurfs at Lowers, we wanted to keep it easy.
WSL: Back at the Swatch Women's Pro Carissa and Tyler Wright had one of the most epic heats of the event. As a shaper for both women, how difficult are those heats for you?
MB: The hard part is staying impartial and focusing on each of them individually. I love them both. They are very different girls, and both fantastic surfers. I seriously only want them both to each surf the best they can and my hope [is that] they both get two 10's. At this point in the season, I do lean towards hoping for a World Title. That would be the only way I would ever lean toward one or the other.
When we were waiting for the scores, after the heat, Tyler came and stood next to me. I later saw it on the rewind of the webcast, and was wondering if it came across as I was taking sides. But really, I can't. I just want them both to feel like they are not getting held back by their equipment.
WSL: Can you tell us about the difference in the boards Tyler rides versus Carissa's standard setup?
MB: They are actually pretty similar. Tyler tends to like round tail in anything but the smallest of surf. Her stance is pretty darn close and she stomps as hard as any one in the world on her tail, so we are not afraid of a bit more nose rocker and a little less tail rocker. With the round tails, you don't really need the vee back there, the reduced surface area seems to take care of the same issues. They ride similar dims and volume, but Ty's are a touch shorter and wider.
WSL: Are you planning on attending any of the remaining events?
MB: I am heading over the the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro France, where Tyler nailed four 9's in the Final last year. I was there with my family and it was awesome. Hoping for more magic and possibly a clinched World Title this time around...Vive la France!
Don't miss Moore and the rest of the Top 17 go to battle in Portugal for the Cascais Women's Pro live here and on the WSL App through September 28.
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