Album Surfboards’ Twinzman: A Refined Twin Fin Experience
The evolution of the twin fin continues with Album Surfboards’ Twinzman, a board designed to bridge the gap between the speed and feel of a traditional twin and the performance capabilities of a shortboard. While building on the legacy of the original Twinsman, the Twinzman introduces a four-fin “twinzer” setup and a refined bottom contour, aiming to deliver a looser, more maneuverable ride without sacrificing drive.
Victor Bernardo was among the first to experience the new design, testing it in a variety of conditions at Rocky Point and Lower Trestles. The footage, as described by Album head shaper Matt Parker, demonstrates the board’s versatility. “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.”
The key innovation lies in the twinzer fin configuration, a concept originally developed by Will Jobson in the 1980s. The setup utilizes smaller “Canard” fins positioned forward of the main twin fins. Parker explains the hydrodynamic benefit: “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 appears to validate Parker’s assessment. The board’s responsiveness is evident in the footage, allowing for quick transitions and powerful turns. Here’s further enhanced by a channel running through the back end of the board. According to Parker, this channel is crucial for generating and maintaining speed. “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 Twinsman is available in a range of sizes, from 5’0” x 18.75” x 2” (23 liters) up to 6’4” x 21.5” x 2.75” (43.9 liters), catering to a wide spectrum of surfers and wave conditions. Specific models, such as the 5’10” Twinsman AP, are priced at $900 USD, while others, like the 6’0” Twinsman, are available for $1,450 USD. The board’s design aims to offer the effortless speed of a twin fin combined with the performance characteristics of a shortboard, making it approachable for all surfing styles.
Album Surfboards has established a reputation for both style and performance, particularly after Asher Pacey joined the team and began showcasing their designs. The brand’s meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail are evident in the Twinsman, which represents a significant step forward in twin fin technology. The Twinsman isn’t simply a throwback to a past era of surfing. it’s a reimagining of the twin fin concept for the modern surfer.
The board’s design addresses some of the traditional limitations of twin fins, offering more pivot and drive off the bottom of the wave while still allowing for tight maneuvers in critical sections. This is achieved through the combination of the twinzer fin setup, the carefully crafted rocker profile (a relaxed entry rocker for paddle speed and extra exit rocker for steeper sections), and the spiral vee bottom contour, which generates speed and facilitates rail-to-rail transitions.
Beyond the standard Twinsman model, Album Surfboards offers variations, including the Twinsman Pin and the Twinbender, allowing surfers to tailor the board’s characteristics to their specific preferences and wave conditions. This commitment to customization and innovation underscores Album’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of surfboard design.
The Twinsman effectively positions itself between a shortboard and a fish, offering increased wave-catching ability without compromising performance. The addition of extra foam, carefully distributed throughout the board, enhances paddle efficiency and allows surfers to get into waves earlier, while the refined bottom contour and fin configuration ensure that the board remains responsive and maneuverable.
