Our Shapes
Nov 09, 2021
Here at Exile Skimboards, we offer multiple unique shapes that perform extremely well in the conditions they are designed for. At this point in Exile's history these shapes are tried and well tested to perform and take your riding in any direction you'd like.
Our shapes are proven in every type of condition from the biggest waves you could (literally) ever imagine riding on a skimboard to the smallest!
Picking the right shape for the conditions you will be riding on a regular basis, is to another critical decision that will result in your overall happiness.
So which shape should you choose?
Here's the simple answer...We don't know! You need to figure this out on your own. ..It really just depends on what you want out of your skimboard, and everyone's a little different.
We're happy to give a breakdown of what each of our Shapes are ideal for, and then we're turning it over to you:
- The Hybrid Shape: This shape is one of Exile's oldest and most popular shapes. This Shape features a slightly wider nose and shorter overall length. It's incredibly forgiving, and excels in just about any type of wave condition you can throw at it. The Hybrid is the basis for which many of our other shapes are based. This shape is a safe pick for just about anyone!
- The Hornet™ Shape: From nose to tail, the first 3/4 of this shape is essentially a Hybrid Shape. The last 1/4 of the board (from about right where the tail pad would be placed) features a pulled in and slightly narrower and more pointed tail. It's subtly different from the Hybrid shape, and in many instances they are so similar you might not even notice a real difference in performance. They do seem to perform slightly better in larger and steeper conditions with increased maneuverability and control.
- The Blairacuda™ Shape: The Blairacuda™ is the brain child of one of, if not arguably the best, skimboarders of all time, Blair Conklin, and Operations Manager Hank Snapp. It's our high performance 'fish shape' that's capable of handling just about any type of condition. The tail seems to act as somewhat of a 'fin' when turning, and the board excels in liner, siders, and any instance when you need to lock in down the line. They do require a little more skill level to ride easily in larger and steeper conditions.
- The Dude! Cruise Shape: This shape is our original fish shape. The nose is very blunted, and the overall width of this board makes it extremely buoyant and stable. They excel in smaller and weaker conditions, and have the ability to maintain the riders speed extremely well when sliding towards waves. Unfortunately the extra width of this board does make it harder to maneuver in larger wave, and therefore riders with this in mind should be more skilled. Otherwise this shape is ideal for riders of any skill level, and entry level riders might find some real benefit from the stability of this shape.
- The Pro Shape: Exile's Pro Shape is a long time favorite of some of our top Professional riders, and recommended mostly to more advanced riders. It's longer and narrower overall, especially in the larger sizes. This creates a board that's extremely fast down the line and on siders. The narrower nose does make it a little more difficult to ride in the barrel, but since you're an advanced rider you shouldn't have any problems!
- The Retro Fish: This shape was actually the first iteration of the Blairacuda™. It has a slightly wider overall in the nose than the Blairacuda, and has a slightly different shaped tail, which make it plain really well when sliding out to waves, and yet still fairly maneuverable.
- The Chub Scout: This shape was designed by some of our East Coast riders some years ago as a rival to the Dude! Cruise. Like the Dude! Cruise, the Chub Scout is very wide overall and is incredibly well at maintaining it's speed while sliding out to waves. The nose is more similar to the Pro Shape, and therefore makes it great for liners that are weaker and further off the beach.
