Hellfire Board Review

[surferireland]

Chito, Hows your spitfire going?

[prjwebb]

So good that he's selling the HF!

[surferireland]

The age old problem of which board is best - I had debated selling my 5'10 Dom as I have the 5'4 SP and buying a 6'2 HF for better days, and my 6'6 for double over head + but I may just hold onto the Dom, such a good board.

[Chris]

can the best board be a reflection of 'state of mind' as well?

haaaaa....no seriously.

[Chito]

Last week I got rid of my Hellfire, It was really hard to do but It had to be done. My Spitfire has been going amazing, from waist high burgers to overhead drainers the board can fly through flat sections on the smaller ones but also due to it being so small, on a bigger wave I can really push the thing hard and do nice critical turns on it. My Hellfire was collecting dust, I would only ride it when the waves got big or really hollow and when they would jump up, sometimes I found myself wishing I had a board that was a bit thinner, this is not any bad criticism toward the hellfire or its shape the fact of the matter was that I was trying to surf the board in waves that it was not made for. It is a performance HYBRID. So I sold my 5'8 HF, and my 6'2 old beater Flexfire and now I have my eyes on a 5'11 Hellrazor. I am so beyond excited about this board, the increased rocker with thinned out rails and a more foiled outline while still keeping the width and the concaves sounds like a recipe to success in my book. The fact that felipe toledo was ripping on his HR doesnt make me want to buy one either, did you see what that kid was doing on those bad waves with it? just makes me wonder what good waves will make this board be able to do.

I would have to agree with you chris, the state of mind you are in reflects how and what you want to surf, when I got the HF I wanted to to progress out of the place I was in where I couldn't complete a cutback and was bogging and rail digging all over the place. The board did it for me, the board got me so stoked on life and surfing that I wanted to surf everything, from the smallest, sloppiest day of the year to the biggest hollowest day I can handle. So in order for me to be able to ride that I got a spitfire which soon after I realized was starting to take over the Hellfire In my Quiver and now with that gone and a sweet potato soon to be purchased second hand as well as a brand new hellrazor whenever and however I can get my hands on one I will be set to rip any wave that comes my way be it a 1 foot dribbling blown out backwash infested mush burger or a double overhead square sand sucking mutant death barrel.

[Slowman]

... or a double overhead square sand sucking mutant death barrel.

Like this one?
22122010926.jpg

[mrees]

Surfed my hellfire the other day in a PUMPING cold groundswell at one of my local spots, Llangennith (for anyone that knows it?) and it went like a dream!!! Normally its lame and breaks pretty fat and messy but it was coming in, stacked up (you know that sight that really gets your blood pumping!?!), sunny with a light offshore, hitting a low tide bank and breaking top to bottom practically on the sand! Trust me when i say that this is a very rare sight. Not many guys out (middle of the week in winter tends to kill the crowds) and i got some belters. A couple of quick in and out barrels on the rights and some nice wally lefts to smack the lip and play with. Had a great time!!! The HF really came alive and was super responsive. It felt really nice underfoot like a natural extension to my body. Haven't had that feeling for a long time (parenting and full time employment really ruins quality water time). Super super stoked!!!! The Dominator is blew my mind on how much fun small waves could be, now it looks like the Hellfire is doing the same in better surf. Great great board!!

[hwork50]

That is so good to hear! Totally hear you on the parenting and job stuff that cuts into the surf time.
I am such a fan of the Dominator as well, but will be surfing my Hellfire in 4-6 foot surf tomorrow.
Don't know whether to go quad or thruster? How did you ride it?

[mrees]

3 Fins!!!! Personally i put my trust in a thruster practically all of the time but thats probally because thats all i've ever really surfed. I've tried a quad setup a few times and like it when you get that train track drivey feel but i really don't like the skatey loose feeling which seems to be more the case with me. Saying that i haven't ridden the HF as a quad yet but I much prefer the control you get from a center fin. I recently got one of those little nubster fins to see if i can give the quad setup the little bit of control i like. Looking forward to trying it out some time.

[Chris]

slowman, the lip on that is like 8 times the height of the barrel. Imagined scaling that wave up by 10? I would watch someone surf that!!!