Simon Anderson Energy "Thruster" top view

This is possibly the most significant surfboard of the last 100 years. At the 1981 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, Sydney's Simon Anderson unveiled this revolutionary board he had shaped - a three-finned "Thruster ". In five metre surf for the early rounds, and with his rivals all riding single or twin fin boards, Simon dominated, and ultimately won the contest in smaller 1.5 metre waves. That victory and two other major event wins by Simon on Thrusters later that year triggered a shift in board design that still sees the Thruster as the dominant design used by surfers worldwide almost four decades later. Every professional world championship since 1983 has been won on boards based on this design. Most pro surfers still choose to ride boards with Simon's 3 fin set up . . .

top view