The change due...

Derek Hynd from aramis17 on Vimeo.
From Andrew Kidman's Litmus. Derek Hynd=an original.

We've reached the plateau, now the pinnacle awaits. Broken are the molds that mandated clear, three-finned, rocker-wafers. Matriculated memories are the leftovers of the counter culture rumblings and psychedelia of the down rail Hynson missions. Simmons' machines and the wooden wonders of ancient Hawai'i have come into focus. Greenough, Duke, Blake, Downing, Alter, Quigg, Kivlin, Anderson- there is now a timeline to trace, a story to be told that is divergent in its interpretations. Some would say progress is in the air, spinning and grinning with youthful exuberance. Others would place progress under the feet of those who pay homage to the past in their careful, poised surfing. I say yes. The wannabeards and be-stickered both have a stake in the now. The technicrati and the stylized dramatists play a role. The giggling wompers and the scowling swell wranglers all eat at the same table. Be self-aware but not self-conscious. Be joyful and respectful. Be a watcher and an emulator but also an original.
We are in the age of surf sincerity. Nobody who matters cares what you look like. How does it feel? Are you ecstatic? Are you freed? How does it make you feel?

Inspecting inspiration...

Hynd, Litmus, 5'8" Frye keel fish, Visual interpretation from Litmus screenshot via Jack Brull at Saltstainedeyes.

The Litmus Fish really liked the spear takeoff, no paddle takeoff, fast paddle takeoff...it was all about controlled speed entries. That 5'8" liked the wave the bigger it got. I learnt another side of surfing on that old friend ala glide etc. That's not to say there hadn't been other revelations on other boards. Particularly - the key of Campbell Brothers rail fins in accelerating layback snaps at JBay in the late 80's...not unlike the feeling of Al Merrick's 6'4" bump tail of around 1987. Put the right board in the right wave and any surfer feels touches of magic.

-Derek Hynd, 2/2010

Two nice sessions on a 5'8" Frye Fish brought me a lot of pleasure this weekend. I looked back over some recent correspondence and came across the above quote. I think Derek hit the nail on the head- a traditional fish will teach you about "glide". The single-minded purity of a true keel is so enjoyable. The original recipe: short, flat, wide, double foiled big-base keels. I think I'll take the '76 5'6 Lis Keel out for a bit of crucial keeling.

Mr. Hynd, thanks for your inspiration.

Ofishially...

A little clarification was shared via Sin Diego surf matriarch and artist divine, Cher Pendarvis. Educate the educator...

Hey Andrew, hope that you are enjoying a nice weekend! I enjoyed your post about the Larmo stories and the fish on Born to Lose.

Actually RK first rode Mikko's fish in 2003, and got stoked and inspired by the fun little board! The fish resurgence started earlier (as confirmed by Hanky Warner) when his friend Derek Hynd came to San Diego (1995-1996) and visited with Skip and Hanky when they had Harry's Surf Shop in PB. As Hanky remembers, Derek was looking through Skip's quiver and discovered a small old keel fin fish that Skip had in a bag, and asked what it was. Derek was stoked to have a fish, so Skip shaped him one. The next year, Derek came back and asked for Skip to shape him another one, with a slightly narrower tail. Derek ended up taking it to J-Bay and rode it there. Tom Curren rode Derek's fishes as well, at J-Bay, and inspired folks with his amazing surfing. Some of their rides were filmed by Andrew Kidman and can be seen in his movie, Litmus.

Aside from this story, some of us never stopped riding fish, and have kept them in our quiver since the early fish days. FYI: the fish is my favorite design of all time! I'm stoked that Hanky helped clarify some of the dates as to when Derek first saw Skip's fish. We look forward to talking with you, soon!

Aloha, Cher
Is there a more consequential modern surf film than Litmus? Not to me.