MORE ON THE GROOVE SHAPE
This shape still has the hybrid DNA Rob's known for, but it's the closest thing to a high-performance shortboard Rob's ever created. The Groove's rocker and tail template bring this shape back into the world of being able to come square off the bottom and go square off the lip, what everyone calls 'high-performance surfing.' Rob added in more rocker than his typical shapes, with a tail rocker that puts you tight in the pocket and elevated nose rocker to help you come down tight off the lip without catching your nose. As Rob explains, "all surfboards have a balance of speed and control, and the Groove is all about controlling the speed a good wave gives you. It's the most responsive, high-performance board I've ever designed."
For Wave Type, this shape excels in just about everything. It'll work if you take it on a boat trip. "I build versatility into every design he shapes," says Rob Machado. "I build speed and ease-of-use in every surfboard I make."
For Board Features, Rob says, "thinned out the foil, narrowed the tail block. Added a cute little squash tail. And much more rocker than I've been riding the last several years. I tapped into all my performance DNA that was in my shapes in the 90s, and added sprinkles of my recent design work, making surfboards that are fast, floaty and fun in all conditions."
