Sam Lamiroy (UK Pro Tour Champ 07) is one of the household names in British surfing, with a top career stretching from a time when Kelly Slater had hair. Five months ago the surf ambassador approached Firewire Surfboards eager for a burn on their demo boards – instantly hooked, the Jordie wave master became the companies first European rider.
JM: What are the advantages of riding sandwich construction Firewires over traditional boards with a central stringer?
SL: Fundamentally it’s like adding extra zest. Unlike other epoxy boards, these perform similarly to traditional boards. They don’t feel too different, but you get better life, spring and acceleration.
JM: Do you feel the parabolic rails give you an edge in competition?
SL: In contests it’s about consistency not experimenting, and I felt really confident on the boards. I actually used my Firewire at the end of the BPSA tour (2007), waves like Thurso, Ireland and Cornwall.
JM: What are your thoughts on the current state of surfboards manufacture?
SL: The surfboard industry is not environmentally friendly. But seeing the Firewire factory was impressive. Epoxy gives of far less fumes, the boards are carbon neutral, with 1% of profits going to protect the planet. This is definitely a step in the right direction.
JM: In the long run do you think technology will replace custom shaped bespoke surfboards?
SL: It depends how far in the future you look. In 20 years I imagine everything will be online and computer shaped, possibly with some hand finishing. You’ll probably surf stock boards at a demo centre, then the shop assistant will type in your specifications, the next week your new board arrives.
JM: What are the advantages of riding sandwich construction Firewires over traditional boards with a central stringer?
SL: Fundamentally it’s like adding extra zest. Unlike other epoxy boards, these perform similarly to traditional boards. They don’t feel too different, but you get better life, spring and acceleration.
JM: Do you feel the parabolic rails give you an edge in competition?
SL: In contests it’s about consistency not experimenting, and I felt really confident on the boards. I actually used my Firewire at the end of the BPSA tour (2007), waves like Thurso, Ireland and Cornwall.
JM: What are your thoughts on the current state of surfboards manufacture?
SL: The surfboard industry is not environmentally friendly. But seeing the Firewire factory was impressive. Epoxy gives of far less fumes, the boards are carbon neutral, with 1% of profits going to protect the planet. This is definitely a step in the right direction.
JM: In the long run do you think technology will replace custom shaped bespoke surfboards?
SL: It depends how far in the future you look. In 20 years I imagine everything will be online and computer shaped, possibly with some hand finishing. You’ll probably surf stock boards at a demo centre, then the shop assistant will type in your specifications, the next week your new board arrives.
Photo credit: Sharpy
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