Beneath the Surface: Kolohe Andino

I’m a mad creature of habit. I surf the same spot every day, I frequent the same restaurants around town (hard not to go to Ai Pono every chance I get), and I basically ride the same surfboard every day until it’s dead in the water — which is actually strange because I love getting new surfboards, it’s my vice. But as much as I love getting new boards I actually dread those first few sessions trying to get used to the feel of something new. It’s quite strange, and for that reason I’ve got three brand new boards in the rack in my garage that have been begging for attention for a year now. I’m committed to my Mayhem sub-driver that just seems to be the perfect match for anything HB throws my way right now. Once it’s on its last leg I’ll get my hands on the next one, which also happens to be another sub-driver by Biolos.

Until recently I’ve paired that up with the AM FCS 2 fin template and haven’t strayed from that in years. That is until I had the chance to hang around Kekoa Bacalso, the 2009 ASP Rookie of the Year and better known today as the FCS fin guru to the stars. Kekoa’s knowledge of fin templates and what they can do is so extensive that he’s broken me out of my habitual tendencies. I’ve got myself a new set or the Reactor’s locked and loaded right now.

I had the chance to catch up with Bam and Kolohe to chat about fins and surfboards. Some changes can feel very subtle, while others can make your equipment perform radically different. Learn about fins with Bam in the FCS series, Beneath the Surface. —Brandon Guilmette