We went inside the XTR factory in Oceanside, California.
Approximately 90% of the boards currently being produced in the factory are XTR Parabolic Stringers.
XTR appears to be in the final stages of transitioning from center stringers to parabolic stringers.
Found the SD3 XTR5.C Dual Density Parabolic Stringer board being laminated!
Once completed, the board will be shipped to Japan.
There were also many XTR5.Cs with simple and cool white rails!
This is XTR foam with holes pre-punched to fit the FTU box.
This is the section where parabolic stringers are made.
Andy, the factory manager, showed us the newly built shaping machine.
The previous machine required four setups to complete the blank cutting, but the new machine only requires two setups for the deck and bottom, and the stronger shaping head means cutting can be done faster.
When I went to Lost's warehouse, I found the completed Conquest board with the fin cups attached, which I mentioned in my blog a few days ago. The Conquest is much thicker than other boards, so it's easy to find even when lined up in the rack.
Today I tried riding the Conquest with five fins. I thought it would probably not work well, but lo and behold, it worked! What's more, the takeoff was stable and fast. This was a new discovery for me, but when the board is big, it drives a lot and the board moves heavier, but if you think of this as an advantage and want a stable board that takes off quickly, then you should definitely give it a try. By the way, I tried it on a waist-sized beach break, and although it felt heavy, I was able to ride it normally. I've discovered a five-fin setup for the Conquest!
Approximately 90% of the boards currently being produced in the factory are XTR Parabolic Stringers.
XTR appears to be in the final stages of transitioning from center stringers to parabolic stringers.
Found the SD3 XTR5.C Dual Density Parabolic Stringer board being laminated!
Once completed, the board will be shipped to Japan.
There were also many XTR5.Cs with simple and cool white rails!
This is XTR foam with holes pre-punched to fit the FTU box.
This is the section where parabolic stringers are made.
Andy, the factory manager, showed us the newly built shaping machine.
The previous machine required four setups to complete the blank cutting, but the new machine only requires two setups for the deck and bottom, and the stronger shaping head means cutting can be done faster.
When I went to Lost's warehouse, I found the completed Conquest board with the fin cups attached, which I mentioned in my blog a few days ago. The Conquest is much thicker than other boards, so it's easy to find even when lined up in the rack.
Today I tried riding the Conquest with five fins. I thought it would probably not work well, but lo and behold, it worked! What's more, the takeoff was stable and fast. This was a new discovery for me, but when the board is big, it drives a lot and the board moves heavier, but if you think of this as an advantage and want a stable board that takes off quickly, then you should definitely give it a try. By the way, I tried it on a waist-sized beach break, and although it felt heavy, I was able to ride it normally. I've discovered a five-fin setup for the Conquest!
