The Sunova Shooter 7'2" – Surfboard Review
7'2" x 19" x 2"1/2

Bert and Sunova were established in Western Australia and I had seen his boards for years before Firewire started, but I was never actually lucky enough to get one.  After moving to the US and getting a 6'2 Firewire and liking it very much, I figured I would get the original - an outstanding custom board from the man itself.

My idea was a board to handle 6~8+ft G-Land (or Redbluff, or Gnaraloo): A perfect, hollow, down-the-line powerful wave. More weight is desirable in this type of condition, and stiffer is probably better. Anyone familiar with Firewire boards knows the step-up models are light and springy (and maybe not so durable).

After a fairly long conversation with the Sunova crew, Bert came up with an outline roughly based on what I had: 7'2" 19" 2"1/2. I like a rounded pin and mid-soft rails, but I let everything else up to Bert.  This kind of construction is just too different from regular PU boards and I do not think the talk about concaves and rocker applies there.

With durability, weight, and stiffness in mind I settled for a heavy glass job with a double veneer on the deck and bottom. This was an extra special request, which Sunova gladly realized for my Gun. This meant a little more weight and extra stiffness. I cannot compare it to a balsa bottom, but I would not like the board to be lighter or springier. It was just right like that.

Delivery:

Running out of time to ship the board to the US, Greg managed to get one of his friends to meet me at Changi airport (Singapore) on my way to Indonesia. I was totally stoked by how much importance Sunova put on me and my board. The whole thing was a professional and pleasurable experience, and based on trust and a will to accommodate my trip. Big ups to the Sunova crew!

First Look:

The board was no lighter than a standard heavy glassed step-up board.  The construction and finish is outstanding and the board is truly beautiful. The bottom is flat (again, my understanding is the concave/
rocker business does not apply to Sunova). The rails are pretty thin and blends smoothly into the tail making a somewhat hard edge along the last foot of the board. I like it as it usually means the board hugs the face better. It came with an interesting fin set up: FG5 on the sides, and FG3 as center fin. Smaller fins on bigger boards makes sense, and the smaller center fin turned out to work great: Bert knows.

• First session:

  It was at 4-5ft (Hawaiian) Impossible in Bali. Impossible is a standard Indonesian hollow fast down the line type wave. To my surprise, the board was a little less buoyant than my other 7'2 of the same dimension. I am guessing it is due to the extra glass and the double veneer. I was ecstatic after my first wave: (1) the board had significantly less drift down the face than my other board allowing to stay high without effort, (2) pumping down the line, the board was significantly faster, and (3) I came out. You don't come out too often 
  at Impossible!

  I attribute the extra acceleration I felt to the parabolic stringer.  It indeed felt as if the board was springing back an forth using the energy of the wave instead of dissipating it.

  More surf:

  I spent one month surfing at G-Land, a wave that eats surf boards for breakfast when it turns on. I snapped my other 7'2 (twice). The Sunova has no ding or dent. It is uncanny. It did take a few surfs to get used to it though, but I felt in the end I was making more waves.

  Later in the trip I went to a left somewhere on Sumatra that resembles a cross between second reef Pipe and Chopes. We got it big and again no ding or dent after a couple a bad wipe out that should have snapped 
  it. I did snap all the fin when washed on the reef once though, but the fin boxes where mostly intact which never happens with PU boards! 
  I lent the board to Laurie Towner that day who paddled and towed with it promising me two of his boards if he snapped it. Laurie, being the freak that he is, took off on some bombs and again no snap or dings or 
  dents.

  Conclusion on the Sunova Shooter 7’2 Gun:

  I am a big fan of the composite sandwich construction. I hate seeing PU disintegrating after a few months of use and I like the way they ride. The question was: Is the construction good for step-up/semi gun? 
  My answer is: Absolutely -- However, I am not sure how good of a business strategy this can be since the board is seemingly unbreakable!

  PS: watch out for the upcoming Andrew Mooney profile video ONE MONTH ON THE MOON to see Laurie Towner catching some bombs on the Sunova. http://www.vimeo.com/7373493
  (the left is at 0.30)

  Stephane Verani