San Clemente, California – Victor Bernardo’s choice of surfboard from Album—the Twinsman—is a familiar sight to many surfers, but his recent ride on the closely related Twinzman reveals a subtle yet significant evolution in board design.
Twinzman: A Refined Approach to Speed and Maneuverability
The Twinzman surfboard, featuring a twinzer fin setup, offers a unique blend of looseness and control for surfers seeking performance across varied wave conditions.
- The Twinzman utilizes a four-fin “twinzer” setup, differing from the Twinsman’s twin-fin configuration.
- This design, pioneered by Will Jobson in the 1980s, aims to reduce turbulence and enhance rail-to-rail transitions.
- A channel through the board’s tail further improves speed and momentum.
- Bernardo tested the Twinzman at Rocky Point and Lower Trestles, demonstrating its versatility.
While the Twinsman is known for its user-friendly, high-performance twin-fin design, the Twinzman introduces a four-fin “twinzer” setup. Credited to Will Jobson, who first developed the design in the 1980s, the twinzer configuration employs smaller “Canard” fins in front of the larger twin fins. According to Album head shaper Matt Parker, “That clears a bit of space for the big fin to do work on rail and driving and moving water without some of that turbulence. A lot of people feel like, even though there are technically four fins there, that twinzers actually feel looser but a little bit easier to maneuver and manipulate because there’s less delay or lag.”
Bernardo’s performance on the Twinzman at challenging Rocky Point and the more playful Lower Trestles provided a practical demonstration of these design principles. “You can take it in different waves, because it has a bit more curve,” Parker explained. “You can ride it as your shortboard, but it has a good low end, kind of like the Twinsman, where you can surf it in very average waves.”
Beyond the fin setup, another key distinction between the Twinzman and its predecessor lies in the channel integrated into the board’s tail. Parker elaborated on its function: “You can really feel it move water,” he said. “One pump in, and you’re up to speed. And it maintains the speed really well. It doesn’t drop off. You don’t have to keep wiggling or it will stop. You get this feeling of building momentum. And the speed layers on top of each other as you get down the line. Even through turns.”
The video footage showcases Parker detailing the theory behind the Twinzman’s design, while Bernardo puts it to the test on the waves.
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