graham \\ from victoria, australia says:

I purchased a Mc tavish fireball evolution after doing extensive research on the internet and reading the reviews on the earlier fireball models. Ive been riding long boards for about three years part time and was surfing on a 8'2" fixed fin thruster with a long board outline. At that stage I mostly surfed on short boards and hybrids up to 7' with the long board just for the flacid days. I was contenplating joining a longboard club to improve my long board act and needed a 9'1" to surf. One friday nite after a couple of beers and reading the reviews again I thought stuff it, Im buying one tomorrow and joined Maladiction the following week! I bought the board at mornington and was surfing an hour and a half later in average lefts at left point on phillip Island. First thing I noticed ws how easy I caught the waves and how fast the thing went. The other thing I noticed was it didnt nose dive like my other long board on quick steep takeofffs. It was also easier to duckdive. At that stage I thought it was a little stiff though. The board came with side bites and a seven inch centre fin in a box. After knocking the side bites out by running over a guy in the first heat and on the first wave in a long board contest Id ever surfed in!!, I discovered it went better as a single fin for me. I couldnt believe how much the board was freed up with just the centre fin only. Ive been riding the fire ball almost exclusively now in all types of waves for the last six months. Every surf I have on it, it just seems to get better and better. I cant believe how much my long board surfing has improved and the more I push it the more it responds. I does every thing from big long cutties to floaters and Ive even started to do some back hand close out reo's on it, which I think is one of the harder turns to do on a long board. Bob's right the rails just dont catch. I surprise myself almost every surf. Ive been riding it lately with a winged keel "wavegrinder" fin and it even goes faster, looser and driver than before. I still dont know a lot about how the board works but I think you just have to trust the master shapers who have been doing it for decades. I had a Mc tavish blue bird in 1975 and loved that too. The only way up from this board is the slx epoxy model. Thanks Mr Mc tavish your a legend!!!