Mid-lengths are very fun. A bit of knowledge about what makes them fun can go a long way in having more of it. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
Devon Howard is a man who knows his way around a mid-length surfboard. Any kind of surfboard, really, especially of the longer variety, but in recent years his skill on a mid-length has come to the fore. Take this clip from five years ago as an example, of how fluid and powerful he is on a 6’10”.
He’s one of those people who everyone agrees is a style master. It’s not an award or a title given after a certain amount of somethings. But Devon Howard is a surfer who rides a surfboard with a style that everyone can agree is up there with the best of them.
“It’s not just about looking good – it’s about making the difficult look easy,” he told writer Sam George in a piece called Devon Howard on the Invaluable Link Between Style and Performance. “A lot of people think that smooth isn’t radical, but it can be. Take riding a mid-length, for example. Turning a board with that much rail takes knowledge and commitment. You try doing a full-rail bottom turn with no loss of speed – it’s not easy. So like I said, there’s more to it than just looking good. Smooth, powerful surfing is technically difficult.”
With all that talent comes a whole lot of knowledge about what makes a good surfboard good. Mid-lengths, although wonderful for the everyday surfer, can feel a little similar under the feet. The little differences, however, make a lot of difference, so Katin enlisted Howard to explain what he thinks makes a good mid-length surfboard.
