Retractable Fin System

Perusing board designs, I came across this article from back in '03. It describes the basic design of the OLD Placebo Sleigh Model and the New Wave Outlaw, but 4 years ago.

What I found interesting was the patent on a retractable fin system:

http://surfermag.com/magazine/designforum/dfarticles/magiccarpets/

One of the issues, like on the Walzer, was when the board is revert the fins would grab the wake. Anyone have any idea how this might be achieved?

Walzer knows the guy who owns the patent on those but I believe the board needs to be at least 1 1/2-2" thick in order to use them.

Boy, you're all over it Jeff. I responded to this over on Tigeowners. I can see one possible way to make it work and don't know if it would be the same as what is patented, but I'm still stuck with the question of "Is this really the answer?". I'd love to see some feedback from someone who has actually ridden it.

Damn Sean, 6:21 am. Don't live within view of the ocean so you're up every morning at 6:00 am checking the surf report?

Thanks Nick,

Sean, do you have any idea if they had working prototypes of the fins?

Jeff, if you wanted to play with the idea could you use a retractable fin system from an old hydroslide?

Hey Ken, is that an old kneeboard? I've heard a number of folks talk about it, but I'm not familiar with the hyrdoslide.

Here is a 6fin that Josh rode 2 years ago with retractable fins

Hey JL, that has to be what the article is talking about...how do they work? Also - are those pictures of Josh without hair?! He looks so different!

The deck of the board has a thin membrane that the fin Sticks through when the fin retracts It doesn't work that good. board technology has moved to a new direction to fin technology the Quad fins are now the rage there is also the 4way fin system from Island Style that has a 4 way adjustment The air boys just worked on making their boards smaller to help on the tricks

Yeah, it doesn't sound like that methodology would work that great. I'm still interested in a fin that will retract or at least get out of the way, when ridden revert and I'd like it to be "smart" where it retracts automatically when revert and un-retracts (what is the opposite of retract?! ) when the board is ridden it it's normal configuration.

It works but retactable fins cant do what fixed fins do thats why most of your air tricks use some sort of grab to to help on the critical part of the trick Josh Kerr,Josh Sleigh, Christian &Nathan Fletcher,Josh Buran ,Gavin Sutherland ,James Lovett ,Ryan Carlson,all incorperate some grab to help to pull the air, speed on the launch helps its more footwork than you think skateboarding helps you work on the footwork there are many parts to pulling a trick

huh? I didn't even refer to the aerials as performed by all the names you dropped. Just when the board is ridden revert, that's all I'm interested in, in this thread.

Thanks for the input, though.

Jeff, I believe they still make them, I have one in the garage somewhere I will look and see who made it for sure, yeah knee board.

The Hydroslide Magna and the O'brien Magic both had retratable fins. I still have one of each. The first design was all in the fin box, you had to deploy (the opposite of retract) each fin individually. The later design on the Magic, although the 2nd gen. Magna had it as well (I can't remember which one came out with it first), was a single switch in the front of the kneepad connected to a pushrod that deployed or retracted both fins in unison.

FWIW, I still use the kneeboards. They are fantastic for sledding in powder.