Channel Islands Midlength - Devon Howard

[Planktom]

Have to say, both 6'8" and 7'2" looked great. Nice, balanced shape and foil.

Gonna keep my out for one as they inevitably pop up for sale, along with the shattered dreams of those who mistakenly threw down 4 easy PayPal installments to achieve instant flow and the ability to hold a rail properly to complete a turn

Mwahaha

 

[Patrick Riley]

Seems to be a common theme with the shortboard holdout crowd to try to substitute a CI mid for waves better suited for a longboard or maybe a mini-simmons. Come to think of it, I'm surprised there isn't a CI mini-simmons yet, wouldn't even have to convert the "I don't want a board over 6' crowd."

 

[Bighouse]

g

Seems to be a common theme with the shortboard holdout crowd to try to substitute a CI mid for waves better suited for a longboard or maybe a mini-simmons. Come to think of it, I'm surprised there isn't a CI mini-simmons yet, wouldn't even have to convert the "I don't want a board over 6' crowd."

Dont forget the sperm whale !

 

[flyer17]

There are soooooo many better midlength offerings out there. The big box shaper/designers should stick to what they know. And that's making boards for their pro riders (WSL) style. NOT lifestyle pro's.

 

[jory]

I think given that mid lengths are “so hot right now” (kudos to CI/ Devon & Torrens marketing chops) it’s inevitable that the big box brands are gonna jump on the band wagon - see the Hayden thread a few posts down. CI even calling it the “mid” when it’s clearly a pretty performancey egg is evidence of that.

CI are employing DH for other reasons anyway and no doubt saw an opening in the market - you can’t blame them for trying to exploit it.

That said, I think you have to give some credit to CI for getting Devon involved - he was pushing surfing eggs in the surf media at least 15 plus years ago and he does know what makes those boards work. He also comes from the San Diego lineage/ area that spawned the egg (& never forgot it) in the first place. The CI board obviously works great in the waves it was designed for.

Most of us on here that surf shorter boards are well aware of plenty of shapers who make midlengths at least as good and capable of tweaking them to give good feelings in every type of wave and genre of board feel.

The big box brands aren’t selling to us - we’re only really having this conversation because we consider Devon one of our own people. CI have obviously tried to tune their offering so that it feels familiar to the shortboard crowd going longer not the long boarder going shorter.

The issue is that the people who are their loyal market don’t understand the subtleties of so called “alternative” boards and think anything over 6’8 is such a “big board” it must be for small crap waves.

Sorry, big ramble, hope it makes sense!

Devon is supposedly prototyping another model for them at the moment. Any guesses what it will be? Channel bottom twin? Mature gentleman’s shortboard?

 

[Surfnfish]

Any competent shaper can whip out highly functional mid lengths.
Fug the big box's, give your biz to craftsman working to feed the family.

 

[Planktom]

I think given that mid lengths are “so hot right now” (kudos to CI/ Devon & Torrens marketing chops) it’s inevitable that the big box brands are gonna jump on the band wagon - see the Hayden thread a few posts down. CI even calling it the “mid” when it’s clearly a pretty performancey egg is evidence of that.

CI are employing DH for other reasons anyway and no doubt saw an opening in the market - you can’t blame them for trying to exploit it.

That said, I think you have to give some credit to CI for getting Devon involved - he was pushing surfing eggs in the surf media at least 15 plus years ago and he does know what makes those boards work. He also comes from the San Diego lineage/ area that spawned the egg (& never forgot it) in the first place. The CI board obviously works great in the waves it was designed for.

Most of us on here that surf shorter boards are well aware of plenty of shapers who make midlengths at least as good and capable of tweaking them to give good feelings in every type of wave and genre of board feel.

The big box brands aren’t selling to us - we’re only really having this conversation because we consider Devon one of our own people. CI have obviously tried to tune their offering so that it feels familiar to the shortboard crowd going longer not the long boarder going shorter.

The issue is that the people who are their loyal market don’t understand the subtleties of so called “alternative” boards and think anything over 6’8 is such a “big board” it must be for small crap waves.

Sorry, big ramble, hope it makes sense!

Devon is supposedly prototyping another model for them at the moment. Any guesses what it will be? Channel bottom twin? Mature gentleman’s shortboard?

Agree

The truth is, most average surfers who prefer shortboards and that style of surfing - as many turns as poss, throwing spray etc (sweeping generalisation) would be better off shunning the egg and going for a standard, well shaped Minimal/Funboard (depending on where you live) with three equal sized fins and a bit of rocker - it will feel familiar and it will feel like they are surfing well... Hell, they may even actually be surfing better than they would normally...

Parmenter was onto something with that Stubb Vector design I think... Unless you are repeatedly going upside down in the bowl on every turn like Archy or Andy Irons, then why persist with a small, pointy, fussy board? It's like having a F1 car, but only using the first couple of gears.

I think many will find the transition to what is really a different way of surfing too much of a leap and there will be plenty who will bag on the CI for not working, when it's more a case that their expectations are misaligned

But yes, nod to Devon and Torren for making people take notice of something different. Gotta be a good thing eh?

 

[SMUKES]

The CI mids are great and if the boards were shit I assure you Devon wouldn't be on board (see what I did there). Old diehard shorty shredders will be disappointed beyond belief tho when they spring for one and can't make it work, furiously pumping like monkeys fuckin footballs.

 

[Nilus]

I've continued to ride my mid on a lot of stellar days and it works very, very well (overhead days at Rincon and the Lane pictured). Dare I say it's better than many "boutique" mids I've ridden. As I think I've said before, it is a higher performance, better wave board and it excels on faster, lined up waves. And while CI sells more boards than most, actual people from my area are making those boards and feeding their families from doing so.

 

[Planktom]

Fair point Nilus, even the Euro ones spring from a well-established factory that is run by surfers. Even if the perception is that of relative mass production, they are still not running a show like Firewire.

Like myself, I suppose many are a bit irritated by the Emperors New Clothes marketing and the encroachment into 'our' world, but like Flavors said, and Jory above, exposure to a different way of surfing is a positive thing really.

Nice photos!