THE UGLY TRUTH: 67% WASTE
Traction has been left in the dust. Nearly 50 years from its creation, traction has yet to take the giant revolutionary leap like surfboards, leashes, wetsuits, fins and boardshorts have.
Surf grip is still made using the same inefficient and limiting processes as it has for decades.
Currently, making one tail pad creates 67%* EVA foam waste. And with anywhere from 13 to 24 Million surfboards being sold each year, it’s an ugly truth that produces a mountain of EVA foam off-cuts and dust.
*analysis undertaken using Creatures of Leisure Icon III pad using industry standard manufacturing methods
WHY IS MOULDED TRACTION BUILT BETTER?
Instead of cutting from blank EVA foam blocks, every element is injection-shaped for ultimate precision.
PROTO™1.4’s moulded tech reduces waste to just 5%!
We mix in EcoPure® organic additive to the EVA formula ensuring the material biodegrades at its end of life.
The end result is an ultra-precise tail pad that creates radically less waste and ultimate performance.
More grip. Less waste.
That’s the difference.
WHAT ABOUT PERFORMANCE?
Because moulded technology offers unlimited potential, we no longer had the archaic constraints of routing, cutting and sanding.
We worked with World Champs Mick Fanning and Italo Ferreira to re-imagine traction as we know it. And when it comes to performance, they each have radically different approaches and preferences...
Mick Fanning: 5'11" natural foot with a fundamental approach that's calculated and precise.
Italo Ferreira: 5'7" goofy foot with explosive, unpredictable flair and a massive bag of tricks.
With 4X World Titles and an Olympic Gold medal between them, we had the confidence to raise the bar.
MULTI-LOC™: WORLD'S FIRST MULTI-DIRECTIONAL GRIP PATTERN13X World Titles have been won using our proven Square-Loc and Diamond-Loc traction patterns. This influenced the fundamental development of MULTI-LOC™.
Through the 3-year R&D process, we introduced foot mapping to analyse exactly what Mick and Italo required to push their level of connection and response.
Mick altered every detail down to a fraction of a millimeter, including the direction, angle and space of each traction element.
Italo increased the profile of the traction on the kick incline and in the "sweet spot".
Prototype Notes: Mick and Italo settled on a 55 duro for the perfect density. Not too hard, not too soft.
