Taj Pro Model

[Chris]

The TAJ Pro Model is built to Taj's exact specs taken from his favorite 5'11" and 6'0" Firewire surfboards, incorporating the identical rail volumes, bottom contours, SPRINGER and increased rocker that are a trademark of his equipment. TAJ Pro Model boards are lightning fast boards with an incredibly tight turning radius.

Taj Quiver Page (http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/quiver_boards.php?boardid=taj)

[iggy]

361

[Chris]

well the Taj doesn't quite look like that one anymore....

the springer isn't outlined and the logo placement has been tweaked a bit per his request...

[prjwebb]

Any idea which, if any, of the changes to the Taj, ie. logo placements, fuller rails, jet pack, will be present on my board? The fuller rails are the main bit I'm interested in, but the jet pack would help my air game also.

[Chris]

i don't know off hand PRJ....guessing the logos will be current with the pro model...and obviously on the jet pack!

[prjwebb]

haha stoked on the jet pack. if it's possible to find out regarding the rails that'd be cool, but I'm guessing I'll be able to notice when I get it and if I can't it's probably so minor that only Taj knows anyway or it has the older rails.

[Fazza]

Chris,

The Taj Pro has been removed off the Firewire site......does this mean that it is no longer available?

Regards
Fazza

[Wandi]

Looks like it Fazza
Could be the end of an era
Have to be stoked on what he's done to help FireWire boards though regardless of what he chooses to ride in the future
And vice versa

[Fazza]

Yes for sure Wandi........just thought Firewire said that his boards would still be available even though he was not exclusively riding for FW.

looks like we have a collectors item........

[prjwebb]

Shame. Maybe it will be reintroduced but with a different model name, or available as a special order?

[Chris]

Hey all, since Taj is no longer under contract we can't be building boards with his name on it.

We'll have something else down the road but for now it's not going to be sold anymore.

Cheers!

[prjwebb]

Got mine in the nick of time then. Phew. I'll be holding onto this sucker.

[Sarge]

But you could keep building them and not put the Taj sticker on. They'd be even lighter!

I guess Al Merrick had the right idea by making particular models for each of his pro surfers, but not naming the model after them. That way, if the surfer leaves the stable, he doesn't have to stop selling popular boards that he designed.

[saxman1]

You guys at firewire can pull a Prince and call it "The board formerly known as Taj." Then when it becomes even bigger in reputation you can just name it some weird symbol. Then when Taj is back on board you can call it the Taj again.

[stylar]

Agree with sarge, seeing as the CBD taj is adjusted from the stock. It actually is no longer the original board therefore it can have a different name or logo placed on it. The Taj came from his favourite webber shape anyway. The shape can't be patented just the construction technology.
If FW are smart, when they add the Michel to the CDB program they should call the board "the Spartan" they could use the same helment logo, as i believe they designed it, and just replace his name with the spartan. Again if the board is altered in the CDB then it is no longer the same signature model, and therefore would have contractual obligations attached to it. It could even be offered with fcs setup too
This way if by any chance Michel is no longer contracted by FW, then the board can be continued to be made with no hitches.
Maybee FW should run a comp to rename the Taj model, and re-release it as the new renamed model.

[Chris]

HA stoked on the ideas.

Folks, the physical design of the board and the name are different. We guarantee that you will be able to get a World Tour ready board in our tech as long as we are around. It may not be the "Taj" model, but we are ready to move past it.

keep in mind, Taj and Firewire grew together out of the ashes. We had a Taj model because he was an integral part of our ascension. There are inherent complexities in such a growth pattern and if the athlete doesn't want his/her name used, we have to oblige. Seriously though don't worry. We have stuff in the pipeline that will make everyone happy.

Cheers!!!

[iggy]

Filipe's (el nino Toledo) model coming soon... maybe???.That kid is flying!!!
The Bourez iis out there already!!!.
Spencer's
Erickson's

[core personal training]

the holy toledo model has wings..!!

[iggy]

and nanotuned for life!!

[buzzy]

The Mick Fanning DHD firewire.

Woo!

The JS Parko Firewire.

Woo Woo!

Or for me, the bulkier, longer, detuned shortboard where the pros say "meh" but buzzy says "YEAH"!

[Goanna]

HA stoked on the ideas.

Folks, the physical design of the board and the name are different. We guarantee that you will be able to get a World Tour ready board in our tech as long as we are around. It may not be the "Taj" model, but we are ready to move past it.

keep in mind, Taj and Firewire grew together out of the ashes. We had a Taj model because he was an integral part of our ascension. There are inherent complexities in such a growth pattern and if the athlete doesn't want his/her name used, we have to oblige. Seriously though don't worry. We have stuff in the pipeline that will make everyone happy.

Cheers!!!

MORE......IN THE PIPELINE....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I can't this anymore

OK - bring it on.

[iggy]

The Mick Fanning DHD firewire.

Woo!

The JS Parko Firewire.

Woo Woo!

Or for me, the bulkier, longer, detuned shortboard where the pros say "meh" but buzzy says "YEAH"!

Well boys don't get over excited!!!...we want to avoid an overdose!! ;)

[iggy]

Enjoy

http://www.zapiks.com/summer-solstice.html

[buzzy]

Taj was surfing a FireWire Taj at Margs today. Got through his heat.

[prjwebb]

What will the other forums say now...

[Chris]

they will say how shaky he looked...because he did look shaky. BUT Taj will continue experimenting with all kinds of boards this year.

Anyone hear Occy say that he and the judges like that he's off of Firewire? That's really good when announcers are saying the ASP judges are influenced by board choice.

[prjwebb]

I guess when the ASP is controlled by the industry that's what you're up against.

[Chris]

yeah there will never be a perfect solution.

[iggy]

they will say how shaky he looked...because he did look shaky. BUT Taj will continue experimenting with all kinds of boards this year.

Anyone hear Occy say that he and the judges like that he's off of Firewire? That's really good when announcers are saying the ASP judges are influenced by board choice.
Are you serious???

[buzzy]

We all love Occy, but he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. To counterbalance those comments (which I didn't hear) I've heard Occy in particular on many occasions rave about how good Firewires are. Most recently he couldn't shut up about the great Firewire "Philipino" Toledo was riding. I was wondering whether Occy himself was switching to Firewire he seemed so excited. I'm sure I've heard him rave about Taj's Firewire boards before. I wouldn't read too much into what Occy says.

Anyway, if there was a grand judging conspiracy against Firewire the judges aren't doing that great a job. 2 of the top 10 ranked surfers from last year were on Firewire. Taj reached two or three finals last year on Firewires. Filipino just reached the final of the MR Pro in Newcastle and the judges scores would have seen him win but for a pretty stupid drop in/intereference on his part. I did see one wave from that Margs heat and Taj did seem to be having issues with his board....just couldn't get his feet in the right spot, presumably because he hasn't been surfing it as much lately.

[stylar]

Found this on lost's website, pretty much explains it all, mayhem is awesome shaper, and you can ask him anything on his blog and he give you great feed back. It no wonder the FW crew have a great relationship with him.
Bring on more mayhem shapes in FST I say.

"So how long have you been working with Taj on boards? There’s a clip of him riding Mayhems at San Clemente from a couple of years ago, right?

I had made him boards off and on in the past – back when he rode for Webber and I worked with Webber a lot. This new run started in September 2010 before the Lowers event. Taj came over early and was hanging round with Kolohe, he tried one of his boards and ordered some up. We made a couple of batches back then, and with my relationship with Firewire we tried to do a Firewire version of my design. But I wasn’t as good at translating the files as Nev is, and mine didn’t come out as good as the ones he was getting from Nev.

But last summer we did some for fun during the US Open and started getting them more dialled. And in September for Lowers we made a couple more batches. So it’s been a while. He called me before the Australian Open and said he was going to ride one at Manly and sent me the details on the three or four best ones and asked for a new batch. He said if I nailed it he’d surf them at Snapper.

Do you feel any “morning-after remorse” now that he’s been seen back on Firewires and Chilli’s post-Snapper?

Haha – not at all. He has won contests and had a lot of great results on the Firewire boards. He’s got a relationship with Nev and I don’t think he takes that lightly. I think it’s just the exclusivity that he wanted to break free from. Chilli is my man."

Whole article's a good read, and shows you how much he knows of what current board shapes are working right now for pros and the average Joe.

[Chris]

yeah that was a good article for sure. agreed!

[stylar]

563

Those taj FW mayhem shapes you posted on the home page look damm sexy. I love the FW logo placement on the other side. Could we get that done on CDB boards?
Any news if your going release that mutated whiplash... Especially in the CDB? Cause if so I saving up right now.

[iggy]

Found this on lost's website, pretty much explains it all, mayhem is awesome shaper, and you can ask him anything on his blog and he give you great feed back. It no wonder the FW crew have a great relationship with him.
Bring on more mayhem shapes in FST I say.

"So how long have you been working with Taj on boards? There’s a clip of him riding Mayhems at San Clemente from a couple of years ago, right?

I had made him boards off and on in the past – back when he rode for Webber and I worked with Webber a lot. This new run started in September 2010 before the Lowers event. Taj came over early and was hanging round with Kolohe, he tried one of his boards and ordered some up. We made a couple of batches back then, and with my relationship with Firewire we tried to do a Firewire version of my design. But I wasn’t as good at translating the files as Nev is, and mine didn’t come out as good as the ones he was getting from Nev.

But last summer we did some for fun during the US Open and started getting them more dialled. And in September for Lowers we made a couple more batches. So it’s been a while. He called me before the Australian Open and said he was going to ride one at Manly and sent me the details on the three or four best ones and asked for a new batch. He said if I nailed it he’d surf them at Snapper.

Do you feel any “morning-after remorse” now that he’s been seen back on Firewires and Chilli’s post-Snapper?

Haha – not at all. He has won contests and had a lot of great results on the Firewire boards. He’s got a relationship with Nev and I don’t think he takes that lightly. I think it’s just the exclusivity that he wanted to break free from. Chilli is my man."

Whole article's a good read, and shows you how much he knows of what current board shapes are working right now for pros and the average Joe.
Cool read indeed!!. I knew it was gonna come to Taj "importing" some models into FW tech

[Chris]

yeah stylar that was a great article.

No plan on the whiplash being added to CBD though at this time...

Cheers