Firewire Chum Lee (Helium/FCS II)

Dan Mann States: I’ve been riding the CHUMLEE for a while now. In 2009, when I first stepped beyond The Fish design for a groveler, I started with the Sweet Potato and then the Baked Potato as I explored shorter and shorter grovelers. As fun as super short boards are with the right fins and volume, I found the CHUMLEE filled a key slot in my quiver.

The CHUMLEE should be ridden a bit longer so I ride a CHUMLEE that’s 2”-3” longer than my Baked Potato. The added rocker and round tail combined with less width make it super versatile and allow for a seamless transition back to a performance shortboard when the waves are going off.

Firewire has always pushed the envelope in surfboard design AND materials – 2017 is no different. Future Shapes Technology (FST) has been an integral part of our success to date. It is the only alternative surfboard technology that has won multiple WSL Tour events, and has also been enjoyed by thousands of surfers around the world for years.HELIUM builds on the FST technology platform and takes it to the next level. After years of scouring the composites world (and countless dead-ends along the way) we’ve finally managed to develop an alternative sandwich skin material to the existing FST build. HELIUM combines this new composite with a redesigned parabolic wood rail that includes both Balsa and Paulownia woods. The end result is that HELIUM has a +15% weight reduction over FST, a slightly faster flex and rebound characteristic, as well as a higher breakpoint. This represents an almost impossible combination of improvements over FST, as in most cases, a significant weight reduction over an already light technology (FST) leads to a lower break point. In addition, the new deck skin material creates shallow foot-wells which enhance your connection to your board. We have also decided to buck the current aesthetic trend of new technologies. We believe that HELIUM will remain at the pinnacle of surfboard technology for many years to come, and therefore, we decided to go with a minimalist aesthetic that is both immediately recognizable and that will stand the test of time