We're lucky to be able to work with such a talented local, John Simon. Hear his thoughts on Varial Foam construction and Ryan Burch's feedback on John's shaping.
We offer custom orders and stock Simon Shapes boards for now, but we predict 1-2 year wait times for John in the very near future. Get some while you can!
]]>When surfers ask why Varial is a better foam core for your surfboards; there's so many reasons that it's difficult to know where to start!
There's a lot of value that you get out of Varial Foam that can't be summed up in a couple sentences. So we've created a quick top 10 video to make life easier.
Be sure to watch and share with everyone interested in Varial Foam Technology!
]]>Over the past year+, William Aliotti went on a tear across the globe riding almost exclusively his Varial Foam Love Machine 5'6" Will's Fish designed by Ryan Lovelace. Will has pushed the fish design and Varial Foam technology in locations such as Kandui, J-Bay, and... Nazaré!?
Will gathered a barrage of clips that you shouldn't miss out on so be sure to watch it here. Special guest appearances also include Ozzy Wright & Mikey February.
You can purchase this exact 5'6" Love Machine Will's Fish at varialsurf.com and be ready for anything your future sessions or surf trips could bring!
SHOP: IN STOCK, COMING SOON, or CUSTOM Will's Fish surfboards.
]]>It's important to choose the right glassing schedule for the type of surfing you want to do, surfboard type, and waves you intend to surf. In this article, we will break down each Infused Glass schedule and the specialty materials we offer to help make your decision process easy.
FIBERGLASS CLOTH
"E-glass" is industry standard fiberglass and is considered a strong balance between cost & performance.
"oz" The cloth weight per square yard which will help determine the final weight of the board.
GLASSING SCHEDULE
S-Glass
"S-glass" is a high performance glass fiber offering more durability against pressures, bumps, & impacts and will be about 10% stiffer than its E-glass counterpart. We do not recommend stacking more than one layer on the top deck as this will stiffen up your board significantly. You can request for "S Cloth" in the final box of your custom order where it says "Want something special not in the options? Let us know we'll do our best to make it happen." S Cloth is an additional charge of $4.00 per foot.
If you have any questions, you can always email us at sales@varialsurf.com or contact us at (805) 288-3577 during business hours 9:00am to 5:00pm M-F (PT).
]]>Never miss out on a board or a deal again! Sign up for
Varial's Newsletter and score on your next session!
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Varial Foam is very easy to repair and requires no special treatment. Varial is closed cell, so if any water enters the ding during your session, you can quickly evaporate it by placing the board out in the sun for 30 to 60 minutes. From there, you can repair it the same exact way that you would any other surfboard with polyester or epoxy resin.
Polyurethane Foam or even worse, EPS Foam will take hours to even days to fully evaporate any water that was absorbed like a sponge. Heat from the sun can promote delaminations. If you repair your surfboard with any water remaining in the ding, it will gas out, form an air bubble/delaminate and potentially ruin your board.
This is a video on how to quickly and effectively repair any kind of surfboard: Varial, Polyurethane, or EPS/Epoxy:
]]>Varial is hosting its first Summer Sale!
Join in on the savings Thursday June 16, through Sunday June 19!
10% off most stock boards, up 25% off select models, discounts on custom orders, and deep discounts on our blem boards!
Note: Secret blem collection will be available during the sale only. One chance to get high quality boards with small aesthetic blemishes at a steep discount.
Check out what we'll have available at varialsurf.com!
Have questions? Feel free to email us at info@varialsurf.com!
Filmed by: Keale Lemos
Editing by: Paul Malixi
Additional surf photography provided by: Pedro Gomes, Connor Trimble, and Rory Pringle
]]>We love adding color to our boards through this specialized process, but since the resin and fiberglass are vacuumed sealed, there is a slight possibility for color marbling that may occur from our specialized materials. This happens particularly on the deck of the board, an area generally waxed over covering any of these discolorations.
Color marbling example:
Color marbling is purely aesthetic and will not affect the structural integrity or performance of your board. If you are at all concerned about the potential of having any color marbling on your board, we would recommend requesting an "opaque tint" which is a non-translucent color pigment, and is less prone to exposing these types of discolorations.
Opaque tint examples:
We enjoy speaking with our customers to ensure the best performance and aesthetics when it comes to ordering a custom Varial Foam surfboard. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions and we'll be glad to help!
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What would you prefer under your feet? Varial Foam will support you during those critical moments, yet provide all that performance, liveliness, & flex indefinitely. Learn more about our technology here!
]]>Ryan Lovelace joins The Shaping Bay Podcast to discuss surfboard design & the durability of the Varial Foam twin fish he shaped for William Aliotti. He's put this board through its paces: heavy barrels, airs, and hacks for over 2+ years and it's still going + looking good! "Will's Fish" is now a model available here!
Learn more about Varial Foam Technology here!
]]>Watch the video above to see why you need a Channel Islands CI MID with Varial Foam in your quiver. Shop what we have in stock or custom order here! If you'd like to learn more about Varial Foam Technology, click here.
]]>TRIMCRAFT - WILL'S FISH
William Aliotti has been on a rampage with his twin fin Fish developed in collaboration with Ryan Lovelace. From 2ft slop to solid overhead Teahupo'o, this little 5'3" fish has held its ground. Compact, proven in all conditions, and definitely fun! Barrels, hacks, carves, airs, this board has you covered. We have this model specially handshaped by the talented crew at Trimcraft. Will's Fish are available for custom order or in stock when available. This is a great little board to take on any journey big or small.
SURF PRESCRIPTIONS - DEADLY FLYING TURTLE
The Surf Prescriptions - Deadly Flying turtle has been a favorite amongst the Varial crew. With its flatter rocker and generous surface area, this thing will get you into and flying down any ripple... but wait, how does it turn? With a double barrel concave nose to tail helps this board go rail to rail easy and rip! We currently have some in stock and always available for custom order.
...LOST - HYDRA
The Hydra is a compilation of ...lost's greatest groveler hits. Don't be fooled by its traditional fish outline, there's a lot packed into this board allows for 3D performance surfing, rather than a skating fast over the surface that is common with these types of outlines. This board features a flatter deck, transitioning into fuller forgiving rails, and exiting out with a performance chine. A modern single to double with a refined mellow rocker ensures that you have all the tools necessary to destroy some small surf. The Hydra is available for custom order here.
ALBUM - TWINSMAN
The Album Twinsman is Asher Pacey and Josh Kerr's swiss army knife of surfboards. This is a great board to have as a groveler thanks to its flatter/concave deck carrying a lot of foam towards the rails, but foiled down on the exit for performance. The Twinsman features a winged swallow for added maneuverability/bite, along with some fancy concaves that really bring this board all together. But hey, if the waves get a little bigger and meaner, this board has you still covered. A great one to always have on you. Available in stock soon or for custom order.
AIPA - DARK HORSE
The Aipa Dark Horse is a rad board to have in the quiver as it carries deep roots in Hawaiian surfboard design. Starting with Ben Aipa's Wing Twin and Swing Twin squash templates, it's been refined into a modern day performer. This board features a moderate rocker, dropped rail apex, and a polished single to double to ensure fun in smaller surf, yet will hold it's own if the surf gets bigger. Another great companion to always keep in your car and know it will perform in everyday conditions. We'll have the Aipa Dark Horse available in stock or for custom order.
CHANNEL ISLANDS - MID
Our Varial CI MIDs have proven to be a great all-around performer. Check out Devon Howard above, demonstrating how it's done. With a classic egg outline, center point pushed slightly forward, and a modern double barrel concave, it's a combo that wont disappoint. The CI Mid is a more forgiving mid-length but can get as complex as you want to take it with it's drive, speed, and arching turns. CI Mid is available in stock or for custom order.
Order these models with Varial Foam and you'll have a lively flex pattern like no other, lasting performance, and strong durability. Varial Foam will ensure you enjoy these designs for a very long time. Learn more about our technology here and happy surfing!
]]>With the considerable price increase, it's a big commitment for not knowing what you're getting into. Therefore, we're here to dispel any rumors and get down to the facts behind carbon so you can make an educated decision behind your purchase.
What are the benefits of Varial Infused Carbon?
Carbon is both stiffer- and stronger – than fiberglass. The fiber itself is about 5X the stiffness of E Glass fiberglass. Furthermore, a 6oz carbon weave has about 65% more fiber in it than a 6oz fiberglass weave due to the fact that carbon fiber is lighter than fiberglass. A stiffer lamination means a board that responds faster. It is also even more chatter resistant than Varial Foam/ fiberglass boards. It won’t bend into the curve of the wave as easily, but it sure will fly down the line and boost into the stratosphere.
Should I get Varial Infused Carbon?
If you have a favorite model and you want it to last a long time, protect it against pressures, buckling, and/or cracks that can happen with travel, rubbing shoulders with crowded lineups, or landing heavy in the flats; in this scenario, we say go for it. If your favorite board looks like the surface of the moon, pressures, craters, cracks due to the aforementioned abuse, carbon is a great way to add more impact resistance, and extend its life. In the end, you'll have a board that will always be there for you as a daily driver or trusty travel companion.
If you're trying out a new model and you're not sure how long you're going to keep it for, this is a scenario that would not be ideal for upgrading to carbon.
Why should I choose Varial Foam over others for Carbon lamination?
We have experience surfing carbon wrapped EPS boards and they do perform well, with limitations. When the surf starts getting larger, they start to chatter at higher speeds. EPS also has a tendency to feel "corky", so people will order them smaller than their preferred sizes to compensate for that. Lastly, they're a little too light and can turn into an airplane wing lifting off in stronger winds. Varial Foam has a increased structural rigidity that is known for increasing control while reducing chop and chatter. Its optimized density also does not feel corky in the water and will help prevent feeling too light under heavier wind or wave conditions.
Learn more about Varial Foam Technology here.
Another thing to factor are repairs. Dings/punctures happen to the best of us, and while carbon boards have a higher resistance against blunt impact, it is not resistant against sharp objects such as rocks or reef. In fact, sharp objects can penetrate through carbon quite easily just like fiberglass. The last thing you'll want in this scenario is exposed EPS foam absorbing water while you're out in the lineup. You would have to get out of the water as soon as possible in order to save your board. If there's any remaining water in your EPS foam which could take days in the heat/sun to fully evaporate (which is also not good for your board), that will cause your board to gas out, delaminate, and absolutely ruin it. Unlike EPS, Varial Foam is closed cell so water will not seep into the foam quickly. Also, long exposure to heat and sun does not cause Varial Foam to delaminate. In the event of a ding, put your board in sunlight for a bit and it will be ready for a professional repair in no time.
We surfed a Varial Foam blank without lamination and the board was bone dry in less than a couple hours. Click here to watch.
How is it made and how much is it?
Due to rigidity of carbon fabric, laminating it requires a technical vacuum bag technique that only a few shops can offer. Since our propriety Infused Carbon process utilizes a one-shot epoxy system, we're able to offer full carbon with Epoxy at a reasonable cost of +$280.
How can I order it?
Choose your desired model and dims on our custom board builder, and select
All Carbon: 3k carbon deck and bottom, Epoxy resin only [+$280]
VARIAL CARBON WRAP PROS + / CONS - (tl:dr)
PROS
+Looks damn good
+Stronger/Lighter
+Blunt Impact/Pressure Resistance
+Buckle/Break Resistance
+Longer lifespan
+Epoxy glassing click here to read about the benefits.
+No corky EPS feel
+Minimal chatter with larger waves/higher speeds
+No delaminations
+Easier ding repairs
+Heat/Sun resistant
CONS
-More expensive
-Does not increase protection against sharp objects
-Stiffer flex rides differently
Film/Edit by Manuel Claudeville Morell
You can custom order this exact board at Varial and enjoy it in most conditions for years to come too! To order, click here.
]]>CHANNEL ISLANDS - HAPPY
The CI Happy model has been popular for getting you through those critical moments offering plenty of performance features to make vertical turns and late drops into heavier surf more forgiving.
LOST - DRIVER 2.0
A tried and true performer. Matt Biolos has refined the Lost Driver 2.0 to perfection. A wider nose outline, foiled yet forgiving rails, and refined rocker / concave system are all blended together to ensure you're surfing at your peak.
CI TACO GRINDER
If you're looking to get serious this winter, we have a 6'4" x 19" x 2 7/16" | 30.3L CI - Taco Grinder in stock or your can custom order yours in specific dims. The Taco Grinder was originally developed for getting into heavier barrels in Mexico all while maintaining shortboard performance. If these types of waves are on your hit list for this winter, this is the ride that will get you there.
CHANNEL ISLANDS - MID
Our Varial CI MID stock boards flew off our shelves faster than we could make them. We're gearing up for another set but you can always order a custom one our website here. The staff at Varial had an opportunity to try this board out in Southern California's popular point breaks and had a blast. This board glides effortlessly and offers predictable, user-friendly performance that style master Devon Howard helped lock down.
Varial is lighter, stronger, more durable and has long-term pop/liveliness to make sure you'll get the most out of these special designs. Read more about Varial Foam Technology section here, custom order through our website, or contact us directly.
]]>Judging by the footage and feedback, we think it went pretty damn well. We have Album's Disasym in stock on our website or contact us if you're interested in ordering a custom.
Featured Image / Content : Alan Van Gysen | Stab Magazine
]]>So which is the better resin to use? Bottom line is that you can’t go wrong with either, but there are some key differences between the two resin systems. Especially in terms of flex and durability.
Cost - Epoxy resin costs more than polyester resin and therefore requires an upcharge. If you buy your custom through our website the upcharge is $70. Most other surfboard manufacturers charge $100-$150 for epoxy.
Flex - Polyester resin is a stiff resin system and epoxy is more flexible. This means that a polyester resin board will have a little more stiffness and drive while an epoxy resin board will have slightly more flex and pop. How much more flex? We performed controlled 4-point benchtop tests to answer that question.
4 point bend test on sample panels with different glassing layups, each in polyester and epoxy resin.
This fact dispels a common myth that epoxy boards are stiffer than polyester boards. That myth most likely came about because so many epoxy resin boards are built around soft EPS cores. Those cores require more glass, carbon fiber and often high-density sandwiched foam sheets to be strong enough to surf. All of that added reinforcement makes the boards stiff. This is not the case with Varial Foam, which makes boards 40% stronger than traditional surfboards and does not require a stringer or other stiff reinforcements.
So what flex is best? Epoxy or Polyester? It's really a matter of personal preference and depends on your riding style. All of the professional surfers who ride our tech get their boards glassed with polyester resin; they’re accustomed to the flex of polyester resin and appreciate the added drive. However, you might not be charging powerful North Shore waves and instead looking to get the most zing out of your turns in average conditions. In that case, epoxy probably has the flex you’re after.
Chatter- A lot of people worry that their board will chatter if they get it glassed with epoxy. That’s not the case. The rigidity of the Varial Foam core will cut through chop much better than any other type of surfboard foam. Don’t worry about chatter when designing your board. Either resin system on Varial Foam will handle chop better than anything else you’ve ridden.
Board Buckling Strength - We’ve done extensive lab testing and found no meaningful difference between the buckling strength of boards glassed with epoxy versus polyester resin. The more fiberglass you get on your board the stronger and stiffer it will be. Keep strength in mind when selecting the amount of fiberglass, but don’t worry about it for resin selection.
Durability - Here’s a category where epoxy is the clear winner. The high bonding strength of epoxy combined with its increased flexibly makes it much more resistant to everyday wear-and-tear dings. Nothing is more frustrating that dreaded secondary click you hear when you accidentally smack your board into something. If you’re like me and clumsy with your surfboards the added ding resistance of epoxy will pay off. I get all my boards glassed with epoxy for this reason.
Whiteness - Here’s another category where epoxy wins out. The natural color of Varial Foam is eggshell white. While Varial Foam is 100% yellow proof from sunlight exposure, some people want their new board to be as white as possible. If that’s the case for you, you’ll want to pick epoxy resin. To make it blindingly-white put in a special request to upgrade your fiberglass to S Glass. The cost will be based on the exact dimensions and layup schedule of your board. S Glass fiberglass is 42% stronger than E Glass and also 24% stiffer, so changing the cloth will definitely have performance and strength implications for your board.
Sustainability - We use Entropy BRT Super Sap resin as our epoxy resin for all the boards we glass with our Infused Glass vacuum bag process. This resin contains 21% biobased carbon content which makes it that much more sustainable than other resins. However, the main reason we use Entropy resin is because it’s an excellent resin system designed specifically for performance surfboard applications. It’s rare to find a sustainable material that also has best-in-class performance, but Entropy has accomplished just that. Desi and the crew provide us with excellent customer service and technical support. We’ve worked closely with them over the past few years to dial in this resin system for our Infused Glass process.
]]>We know how important it is to hold a board and feel the connection. When you order a stock surfboard it's shipped out the next day and you can have it under your arm in no time. Feel it, check the curves, pretend to surf it and if it isn't the right fit send it back for a full refund. Zero risk to get your dream board.
Here are the details:
To be eligible for a full refund the board has to be received in new condition (unridden) and any damages occurred in your possession or during the return shipping may be deducted from the refunded amount. You can find our complete policy here.
Happy riding!
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Not many people think of a Twin Fin Fish as their go-to board for Indo. But for William, getting shacked and riding big surf on this board was a challenge that he accepted and clearly excelled at.
Catch Fish featuring William Aliotti. Filmed by Manuel Claudeville Morell and Carlo Coral. Music and edit by Manuel Claudeville.
]]>Volume is the total size of the board represented three-dimensionally and is most commonly represented in liters (L). Volume is used in addition to looking at the overall shape, length, width, and thickness of a surfboard to help create some comparison between different boards and shapes. For example, if you are looking at a small flat rockered fish for small waves but aren’t really sure what length you should get, you can use volume as a guide to compare it to your every-day board and understand which size might be right for you.
When looking at volume it is more simply telling us how much buoyancy the board will have and the right amount is subjective. Heavier surfers need more volume as do beginners. Advanced surfers tend to prefer less volume for higher performance and maneuverability. With more volume does come more weight. Luckily, Varial’s technologies keep boards lighter without sacrificing durability or performance. A common question we get is "should I adjust my volume for Varial?" Our light weight technologies do help the board feel a little more buoyant when paddling, but we do not recommend adjusting your volume for this. When on a wave, the board will still have a great flex and drive and not surf "on top of the water" like EPS constructions.
Finding the right volume to your level of surfing and the types of waves you ride will increase your wave count and happiness. Use our chart as a guide to help understand what your correct volume might be. You can click on any volume number that we carry to see what boards are available in that range.
Weight (lbs.) | Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced | Advanced |
80 | 32 | 24 | 19 | 16 |
90 | 35 | 26 | 20 | 17 |
100 | 38 | 28 | 22 | 19 |
110 | 39 | 30 | 23 | 20 |
120 | 41 | 31 | 24 | 21 |
130 | 43 | 32 | 25 | 22 |
140 | 45 | 34 | 26 | 23 |
150 | 48 | 36 | 28 | 24 |
160 | 51 | 38 | 30 | 26 |
170 | 54 | 40 | 32 | 27 |
180 | 57 | 42 | 34 | 29 |
190 | 60 | 44 | 36 | 30 |
200 | 64 | 47 | 38 | 31 |
210 | 67 | 50 | 40 | 32 |
220 | 72 | 54 | 42 | 36 |
230 | 77 | 58 | 45 | 39 |
240 | 83 | 62 | 48 | 41 |
It’s important to keep in mind the type of waves that will be surfed, the dimensions of the person, the style of surfing they would like to achieve. A longer board doesn’t necessarily mean a higher volume board. Keep in mind that the dimensions (L x W x H) and shape of the board all dictate how much volume there will be. So next time you are ready to purchase a new board, think about what types of waves you'll be riding and where you want to go with your surfing. Good technique on a more buoyant surfboard always wins over a lower volume board and aggressive surfing. Having a board that is right for you is essential, and for your wave count.
We have some higher volume mid-length boards being built right now, so if you're looking for something more than 36 liters check back or sign up for our email to get updates on new boards. If you are interested in a custom board from us you can browse them here. Please drop us a line if you have questions info@varialsurf.com - we are always happy to help.
Coffin scored a 10.56 against John John Florence's 11.00, and had a last minute wave with a mind blowing power turn, arguably the best turn of the day. Despite the close heat Conner looked sharp and ready to take control this season.
The 25-year-old has been practicing on his 5'10" Fred Rubble 2 at the points of Santa Barbara, recently winning the Rincon Classic, Pro Division on March 24th. He then headed off to the Gold Coast for training where he met up with Mick Fanning and chatted about his new Varial surfboard on his weekly Young Wise Tales video series.
Shaped by Mike Walter, Coffin's Channel Islands Fred Rubble 2 board is constructed with a Varial Foam core and Varial Infused Glass. A Futures thruster, the board has a 4e + 4s deck, 4 e bottom, is infused with polyester resin and sanded with some extra love from the Varial crew.
Interested in ordering a custom Channel Islands Surfboard? Click here to build your custom Channel Islands.
John Carper "JC" and team rider Shane Dorian were featured as part of the Pushing The Limits series on Hawaii News Now for their work on big wave boards.
Shane Dorian has been pushing the limits of big wave paddle surfing and now has focused on improving his equipment to take it to another next level entirely. JC and Shane's goal was to work together to build boards that were easier to paddle out on big breaks like Jaws, together they did just that.
Based on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, JC has been shaping for over 50 years and working with Varial foam since 2014. He's built numerous boards with Varial Foam - a few you can spot in the clip. Shane, a team rider for JC joined also joined the Varial team in 2014. These clips from 2016 show Shane on his custom engineered 9'6" stringerless Varial Foam gun shaped by JC.
The stronger, faster and more responsive material may have helped Shane make critical drops, barrels and surf heads above the rest of the pack. Or maybe he's just a beast getting toying with the heaviest waves on the planet.
The big wave project took some R&D but the two figured out just the right formula, and now they're working on shorter lighter boards. We're stoked to see what else is to come from the collaboration.
]]>The Santa Barbara local took out the 5'10" Channel Islands Fred Rubble 2 for some pre-season fun at Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch last week. The R&D and training trip for @wsl Snapper Rocks let him get a feel for the board before the Rincon Classic.
Conner Coffin, Rincon Pro from Varial Surf Technology on Vimeo.
Coffin scored in the final heat giving him the Pro Division title, a good warm-up for the Quick Silver Pro, Gold Coast next month. All his earnings were passed on to Brownies daughter.
Shaped by Mike Walter, Coffin's Channel Islands Fred Rubble 2 board is constructed with a Varial Foam core and Varial Infused Glass. A Futures thruster, the board has a 4e + 4s deck, 4 e bottom, is infused with polyester resin and sanded with some extra love from the Varial crew.
Although still in the prototyping phase, Coffin said he plans to ride the Fred Rubble 2 on tour.
Interested in ordering a custom Channel Islands Surfboard? Click here to build your custom Channel Islands.
]]>Snowboarding’s roots are deeply tied to surfing.
Jake Carpenter, founder of Burton Snowboards, whittled early snowboard prototypes out of surfboard blanks at a friend’s California factory. Bindings didn’t exist in the early days, and with the shapes and construction methods leaving a lot to be desired, bindings were an obvious choice for improving control.
Then, as the sport matured other technologies were adapted from the most abundant and dreaded source – the ski industry.
Bindings, steel edges, wood cores, press molding – all those elements of ski manufacturing are packaged into every snowboard sold today.
While many snowboard equipment designers never looked back, some in the sport never gave up on their early dream of truly surfing snow. From that diehard crew emerged the sport of powsurfing, also called Noboarding. The definition of powsurfing is pretty basic – snowboarding fresh snow without bindings. While this may sound super niche, in recent years it has become a significant backcountry movement and is quickly gaining momentum – most pro snowboarders now have at least one powsurfer in their quiver.
Burton’s longtime design guru, John Gerndt or “JG,” is a powsurfer. Having grown up surfing in New Jersey, he’s thought of several ways to incorporate elements of surfing into Burton’ snowboards – like fish tails and setback stances on shorter boards. But in the background he’s always been tinkering on ways to improve the bindingless powsurf experience. “I started without bindings from the beginning with the Snurfer back in the 70’s and I was hooked from there. I always had something bindingless that I was riding, but in 2001 when The Fish came out I really started to do it more and more. I have to hike for all my lines and turns and it’s not at a resort, so in many ways, this reminds me of surfing. It’s like paddling out at some remote spot where you don’t see another person.”
The problem with powsurfers, according to JG, is that they’re pressed like snowboards or skateboards and “when you ride them, that’s what they feel like.” In JG’s mind, the holy grail was a surfboard made for snow that could flex. When JG says a board can flex, he’s not talking about the subtle difference between a performance thruster glassed with single 4oz cloth versus 6 + 4oz. He’s talking about real snowboard flex—the kind where it looks like the thing is about to taco in half. The problem with using traditional surfboard materials is obvious—any surfer can imagine the damage and destruction that would ensue riding their board over rocks and tree roots.
JG with a "board that can flex.” Photo: Tommy DeLitto // RL Photo
Enter Varial Surf Technology. “I had been keeping an eye on what Varial was doing within surf and with their technology and contacted them years ago. Then I saw a video of Edison standing on a foam blank that was not glassed and it was supported on the ends and it flexed like crazy but did not break. That was when I contacted them about using it in a snowboard or maybe a snow surfer. It’s one of those things that until you try it, you’ll never know if you can do it. I kind of had it going as a side project, but it quickly gained interest within Burton.”
Varial has made a name for itself in the surf world by adapting Varial Foam and Infused Glass technologies from the aerospace industry to surfboards. Their tech has been validated in everything from Barron Mamiya’s air boards to Shane Dorian’s jaws guns.
But making snowboards like surfboards introduces an entirely new set of challenges. The board would have to flex and meet the durability standards of the snowboard industry. They also needed to capture all the surfboard design elements JG was after, working closely with the engineering team at Burton to make sure the end result would be the board JG had been dreaming about.
The Resonator, as Burton dubbed it, landed at a mere 2.7 lbs – certifiably the lightest board (of any kind) the team had ridden.
After JG’s first day taking laps on it in the backwoods of Vermont, he was sold. “We were really going for the feeling of surfing on snow, which I think we accomplished. The board is fast, agile, and responsive – it’s like riding a high-performance shortboard. The main reason is that the Resonator is made like a surfboard at Varial’s factory. I’ve had lots of people on the Resonator who’ve ridden plenty of powsurfers and everyone says the same thing – they’ve never felt anything like it. It’s not just the materials, the shape has a lot of surfboard elements in it. It has full round rails up front transitioning to a hard edge through stance and out the tail. The board has deep belly channels that funnel snow for extra drive and control. You stand all the way back on the tail. It’s different than anything on the market.”
The Burton team riders are frothing. Watch the edit that the Varial crew put together and you’ll see why. It looks fun and rippable, not to mention if you’ve got it in proper conditions you’re already having a great day. A lot of the riders on Burton’s team surf, and in JG’s words, “they get it.” Brock Crouch rode for the US Surf Team. Mark McMorris dates Coco Ho. The list goes on.
Red Gerard was hot off a 2018 Olympic gold medal victory in Slopestyle when he flew to Baldface and was one of the chosen few to test the first Resonator proto. Baldface is Tavarua for snowboarding—if you can imagine 32,000 acres of untouched British Columbian powder in place of throaty tropical barrels. After landing a bindingless Indy Tweaker going about 50 mph, Red asked JG “In these conditions what’s the point of strapping in? Why don’t we all just ride these things?”
So what does the future hold for this cross-sport collaboration? Will bindings go the way of straps in big wave surfing? Something that was once considered a necessity giving way to improved equipment and skill even in the gnarliest conditions. Or will surfing snow take on its own life as a liberating, style-focused alternative to the high-flying rotational antics of those who choose to clamp their feet to their boards? Rip a few turns and find out for yourself.
This article was originally posted on Stab Magazine, March 14, 2019.
]]>First off, Varial foam is for use with either Epoxy or Polyester resin systems, so use whichever resin you deem fit. Normal glassing schedules are recommended, but for ultra-lightweight boards, the single 4oz cloth can be used and still retain increased breaking strength.
The good thing about Varial foam is because it's rigid, it creates an extra strong hold for fin boxes. Route boxes as usual.
When adding lams, and centering designs, we recommend setting up a laser light on your station to find the center of your board. The light acts as a place holder for a stringer and ensures that everything stays aligned.
Because of the foams small cell size, any excess resin weight can be easily be squeegeed out. There's no out-gassing of the foam after shaping and because of the strong bond between core and fiberglass skins and there are little to no delamination issues.
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