Christenson Outlaw
The Christenson Outlaw is a shorter traditional style longboard inspired by the wide point back hot doggers of the mid to late 60’s.
Dimensions
From the Shaper
“If the Bonneville, Dead Sled and Bandito represent the jazz of traditional longboarding, then the Outlaw is the heavy metal.”
Chris Christenson
The REAL Deal
REAL Review The Outlaw is designed to be ridden 3-6” shorter than your traditional longboard and to heat up your sessions with a more compact build and improved maneuverability - all while maintaining a traditional longboard feel, trim and glide.
Tech Specs
•Compact, high power traditional longboard
•Narrower, slightly pointed, beaked nose
•Down rail forward
•Wide point back (-17” of center)
•50/50 rail out the back
•Wide, shallow swallow tail
•Single fin
What We Like
The Christenson Outlaw makes you appreciate the ride and glide characteristics of traditional longboards, without having to suffer any of the shortcomings. Longer traditional longboards (9’6 or more) can be technical to surf for less experienced longboarders. The 9’0 Outlaw we surfed was very accessible, and could be ridden by a wider audience than most traditional longboards. It also was able to be pushed and ridden more aggressively. Not “ugly aggressive”, just more english in the turns with a traditional flavor.
This board paddles insanely well. You don’t give up ANYTHING going short. It also launches you into the wave with noticeable speed. On the wave, the wide point back/wide tail make for super fun fades and flow off the bottom. The narrower nose with noticeable down rail up front, is the perfect platform for cheater 5s. It’s so fun and fast up there.
We rode the Outlaw in everything ankle high to about head high. It’s surprisingly powerful and nimble in small surf - you normally think 9’6 or larger for waves like that, but the Outlaw has some serious ponies. It holds its confidence in larger surf up to about chin high. Above that it still grips and stays in control, you just start to notice the lack of 6th gear and ability to out speed waves of that size.
It’s funny how you’d never think of riding a 9’0 traditional longboard, until you ride one, and then it’s all you want to ride in endless summer 1-3ft surf.
Insider Info
This board has a wide tail and likes a larger fin. We used the True Ames Greenough 4-A 9.75. We had it dead center and spun the board out a few times pushing hard in turns. We slid it back a touch and it solved the problem. The Outlaw definitely needs some fin to offset the wide tail, glad we didn’t go smaller.
You might have a few traditional longboards and want the Outlaw to loosen up your ride. You might also not have any, and just see the Outlaw as a very functional small wave weapon.
Why you want a Christenson Outlaw:
You want the ride and glide of a traditional longboard, in a board that’s easier to surf and push in maneuvers. The Outlaw is unique and a really fun way to really enjoy small waves.
Gallery
All photos:
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