7’10″Ryan Lovelace Thick Lizzy Large Choice

Originally the ThickLizzy was an experimental mid-length for Trevor Gordon. We wanted to make something that made good speed on flat waves, and could be surfed tight in the pocket like the v.Bowls. What we didn’t expect was the incredible projection off such a big board, so after a year or so of playing with the first version I started exploring the design and eventually making smaller versions. The Lizzy has a long, low rockerline and has a bottom shape that I consider somewhat of a Santa Barbara specialty – the tri-plane bottom is used in a lot of my designs to allow a wider board to switch onto rail much cleaner and quicker than it’s actual size. What it gives the Lizzy is a much more active, positive response on rail; You can cruise to your heart’s content, or crank it off the bottom and crack the lip with a lot more aggression than any other mid-length of my design.

The ThickLizzy sizes in three loosely-defined ranges – little, middle, and big.

Big Lizzy’s I consider in the 8’4 – 12′ range. These are longboard alternatives that trim on anything, and are much livelier on the tail than other boards of comparable size.

Middle Lizzy’s are the center of the design – where they came from. 7’6 to 8’4 makes for a really lively, crisp board that trims out in tiny waves and can still come off the top well, these have a LOT of trim speed from the front 1/3 of the board, so if you like cranking and positioning off the tail and trimming up front, this is for you.

Little Lizzy’s are a slightly new phenomenon that have me and some friends really excited. Ranging from 7′ to 7’6, they are the best travel board I’ve owned in years. Able to surf small and variable slop, and also used as a reasonable-person’s step up or mini gun as well. We surf these from waist high local surf to pumping Rincon, west Oz and Hawaii – you can find some photos of Trevor Gordon and Leah Dawson riding them below (the boards with colored rails), and a few photos of me riding my favorite 7’4 in Morocco in the about page. If you’re an alternative board and single-fin aficionado and want a good one-board quiver, the 7’4 ThickLizzy is my vote.