Valaric Quad Fiberglass

Jordan Brazie's Valaric Quad — oversized fronts, unusually small rears — a quad set built so the front foot drives and the tail stays free.

A four-fin set in solid fiberglass, Futures compatible. The fronts are big for a quad: 5.00" tall on a 5.02" base, 17.31 square inches, flat inside foil, with 6° of angle. The rears are small — 3.24" on a 3.12" base, 7.34 square inches, 50/50 foil at 3°. That split is the whole concept, and Brazie drew it for speed, control and fluidity through turns rather than for outright hold.

How that reads

Front fins that size behave almost like a twin: they take the load when the front foot goes down and hold a long, fast line off the bottom. Because the rears are so much smaller, they steady the tail without piling on the traction that makes a conventional quad feel locked at the end of a turn. Drive without the stiffness that usually comes with it, and effortless speed once the board is up and running.

Who it suits

Quad boards where the complaint is that they hold too well and will not let go — fish and quad shortboards — and riders who surf off the front foot. If what you want is maximum grip in bigger surf, a quad with more area in the rear fins is the other direction.