Kauli Talks Boards

KS design: evolution of shape and style from 99international

99NoveNove recently caught up with 3-time PWA Wave World Champion, Kauli Seadi (99NoveNove / Hot Sails Maui / MFC), to speak about his new line of boards, the new 99NoveNove KS Model and his influence on the boards made in Italy and shaped by Gianni Valdambrini. New shapes, new style and fresh motivation… You can read the interesting chat below to gain a more of an insight into Kauli's signature line. 

Hi Kauli, you were the first rider in 2005-2006 who re-introduced the Twinzer into wave boards and then, after several years, the Quad. Can you summarise the evolution of your shapes for wave boards during the last ten years?

Kauli: "I always enjoy working on the shape development of my boards as I believed in finding new ways of riding and feeling different sensations riding a wave. The Twinser at first really made the board turn in the tighter places of the wave, and after that we made the quad concept like a twinser but with 2 extra stabiliser fins on the rails. This made the quad a much better board in terms of controlling the speed and grip while turning, so it was a big step up in performance. I also tried the tri-fin concept while I was testing twins, but that did not work for my way of riding!"

Your wave boards you are using are completely different from the average boards of other riders and a lot of people are watching your new shapes, why did you make certain changes?

Kauli: "This was a interesting story, because at first we made some shapes with quite a similar concept from what I have been using for some time in down-the-line wave riding, but we made a rocker modification that made the boards faster and more drive. However, I felt a loss of turning in the critical section, then I started playing with protos and discovered that the shortened tails compensate for the flat rocker and gave me back the sharp turning ability I always liked. The best thing is that the board became really short, like a 6’9”, and it makes a lot of sense on medium to small waves where the boards fit under the pockets on the steep part of the wave."

Do you think this kind of evolution for wave boards could help to improve the level of the average wave rider?

Kauli: "For sure, if it helps a good rider to rider to ride better then I magine someone that is not as good, the board will do things for him that he never imagined. There are no magicians! However, there is a trick, and the trick is the equipment when we talk about windsurfing."

And what about the sizes of the boards, can you use the same sizes or do you need a bigger or smaller board than usual?

Kauli: "I love my 79 litre board! For most conditions it works very well. It is a big board for me and I weight 72kg. So one can ride bigger boards that will allow you a much bigger range on conditions from light to strong wind."

You can also view a video featuring Kauli's new line @ vimeo.com/160855401

Video Credit: Drone footage Ricardo Campello (Patrik / Point-7 / MFC) /Kaila – water filming Jace Panebianco

A MacG Production & In To Fire & Water Film