Performer: 2+1 Combo
The Performer 2+1 Combo — John Perry’s Performer centre fin and a pair of True Ames side bites, FCS compatible, sold as a matched set.The Performer was drawn for exactly this.
The Fin
The Performer 2+1 Combo — John Perry’s Performer centre fin and a pair of True Ames side bites, FCS compatible, sold as a matched set.
The Performer was drawn for exactly this. John Perry and Dave Lamberston are credited with dreaming up the 2+1 configuration (they called it the “Threedom”), and the Performer is the centre fin that came out of that work: full base, minimal flex, balanced area — a powerful fin with an extremely smooth ride.
Why buy it as a set
Pick the centre size for the board — 6.25" for shorter boards and mid-lengths, 7.25" for most longboard 2+1s, 8" for bigger boards or more hold — and the side bites to taste: 3.25" adds bite without taking a log’s looseness away, 3.7" is the size most people end up on. The pieces were drawn to work together, so the sides support the centre fin’s arc instead of fighting it.
Who it suits
High-performance longboards and mid-lengths with a centre box and two side plugs. Want a more pivoty centre for a noserider? Run the Cutaway with the same side bites. Want more drive off the bottom? The Wayne Rich Power Tilt combo.
Specifications
Fine-tuned with input from John Perry into a powerful, full-base fin with an extremely smooth ride — the 2+1 retains the smooth feel of a single fin while the side bites add extra drive and hold.
Buy this when your longboard or mid-length has center and side boxes and you want a matched, balanced 2+1 without guessing at sizing — it rides like a single with more rail hold for steep, bumpy days. If you want pure noseriding flow and clean trim, run a clean single instead and add side bites only if the tail washes out.
The Performer 2+1 Combo is a complete kit from True Ames pairing the Performer center fin with matching TA side bites, sold as a ready-to-go set. The center is a full-base template fine-tuned with input from Santa Barbara shaper John Perry, sized to balance with the side bites. The set is solid fiberglass throughout, FCS-compatible, and intended for longboards and mid-lengths with center and side boxes.
Mentioned in the review — Greenough 4A — not something we carry.