Few things more exciting than a fresh bit of fiberglass, right?
Put it under your arm and then balance it on your toe so the nose is eye-level and you don’t dent the tail. Look at that wax-free sheen. Feel those sans pressure dent decks. Daydream of all those compliments from friends and all the future hacks and all the ones you’re going to be sneaking into behind the peak.
Ever notice that subsequent tingle in the back of your neck? That’s your amygdala being triggered and dopamine getting released. A chemical reaction you know as, “Anticipation.” But of course, every human action is met with nature’s reaction. Like clockwork: three-week flat spell.
There is the rare occasion where things work out, though. Proper surf and a fresh blade to break it in with? An aristocratic pleasure, no? Yes, but also, no. It can happen to anyone. Observe a Mr. Dion Agius, our subject here. Watch him as flies around on his new Haydenshapes x Wasted Talent board on a New Zealand strike trip.
“It’s been a weird time for me in Taz,” he says. “I’ve been going a little stir crazy. The winters are cold here and there are no waves. I’ve been here all winter. The Sliz needed to leave the terrarium for pastures warmer.
“So in-between lockdowns, we snuck over to a secret spot in New Zealand that rarely breaks. Well, an island off New Zealand. We’ll call it Pingu Island, on the lee side. There’s no one around and Nick (Green) and I rented a 4×4 that we then dismantled and put on various canoes negotiating a treacherous night crossing with the stars as our navigation. We then re-assembled it and drove it overnight through a swamp to get to this mythical wave, cold and notoriously snaky. But it was fully worth it.
“With Covid restrictions, I was only allowed to take one board, so I of course chose my Untitled V2 in Wasted Talent signature artwork in a 5’6”. That wave is built for a shorter fun board, tight little tubes and turns and airs, in and out under the radar. It’s kind of the ideal wave for shorter boards and that thing flies. I surfed until my little lizard wings couldn’t shuffle anymore. It was then time to head home and repeat the journey in reverse, but that my friends is a story for another time.”
Judging from the video, an Untitled V2 is ideal for these uncommon but extraordinary circumstances. The slightly fuller design gets you up to top-speed in any conditions. The FutureFlex materials aid performance vitality. The black-on-black paint-job is there because it looks good. No, it looks the business. Write that down.
Ah, and there goes the bell for the end of today’s video review and lecture. Make sure to purchase the Wasted Talent x Haydenshapes Untitled V2 for next week’s lab, available exclusively at Wasted Talent Boutique. Please, no running in the halls.
