So I’ve talked before about how I’ve gotten a lot of use out of the Wavestorm Taquito as a river surfing board. It has enough volume to keep you on a weaker wave, the nose has enough rocker to avoid pearling, and since it’s a soft-top board it’s also durable (and, for that matter, cheap). It’s my go-to board for the likes of Dave’s Wave and other low-flow waves. But it’s a little long for some waves, and the single longboard fin isn’t quite as zippy as I’d like.

So, on a lark, I figured I’d write to Wavestorm to see if they’d be interested in sending me a board or two to modify, along with a few fins. I turned up the charm to their social media guru (Hi Mark!) and lo and behold, Christmas came early: two new Taquitos, along with spare fins. Here is my well-worn version – I have 50 days on it or so – along with the new examples.

The Boards

Some people don’t have much love for the soft top – too corporate, not enough soul, not enough performance – but so far I’ve found them tough to beat on low volume waves that chew up traditional fiberglass boards. But river surfing is such a small sport that as far as I know, nobody is making soft-tops exclusively designed for river waves. I’m hopeful that with a few tweaks, I can make myself both a zippy low-volume board and a sportier version for River Run Park.

Thanks again Wavestorm, and I’ll keep everyone updated on the progress of this new project.