7’7″Ryan Lovelace FM – Resin Panels Premium

From Ryan:

Development began in May of 2019 on the FM concept which centers around the desire to blend the three-dimensionality of the v.Bowls with the forgiveness and positivity of the ThickLizzy. What has come out is a higher performing midlength that has an extremely smooth on-rail transition, with an explosive burst of power through wrapping cutbacks, and a quicker release off the lip. What strikes most people visually is the channel, but from a design standpoint it is little more than a release point – the water that wraps across a deep-vee shape horizontally and creates that sticky feeling is instead released at the edge of the channel; this gives a lighter feeling underfoot, and more air under the board when on rail, as well as less stick off the top of the wave. The rocker is moderate and flowing with a good kick out the tail; essentially a slightly turned up Lizzy rocker in the front, with a v.Bowls centerline rocker in the back.

The rails are thin and down in the center, turned up in the nose, and hard down in the tail – well foiled all the way through. The overall volume is slightly less than the ThickLizzy, allowing you to bury the rail deeper, and surf it with a quicker tempo.

The FM fin setup would be classified as a twinzer, though it is more spread out than the typical twinzer setup from what I have seen. The fins are 2” in from the rail, well-in from standard twin placement, and an inch taller than the average keel so that it retains a sense of drive in a straight line, but still feel like a rail-fin board in the end. I find that I can draw ‘single fin’ style lines down the face of the wave or down the line, but can break those lines with heavy carves that previously I wasn’t completing. This board has taken my personal surfing into a new place after a number of good years on my Lizzy, and has me very excited! Best from 6’6 – 7’10, this is an average to good wave board that wants you to keep it actively on rail and pushing as hard as you can through your turns when the wave allows.