Shred Show - Rusty Surfboards Blackbird Step-Up (AKA It's El Nino, Bitches) 

MY fav for 8-12' is the black beauty, so much flow and speed with that board.

Thank you Chris! Happy holidays! Thank you for sharing the stoke! For more Shred Show in 2016!

Ah yess.. Shred Show.. The show about surfboards and surfsience. Awesome mix. Makes sense. Ideal for people like me who only get to look at dudes doing some awesome surfing.

Hi Chris, great video and info as always. My step up is a custom Coil "Comfort Gun" by shaper Mike Daniel 6'6 x 19.5 x 2.4375 31 liters...me 5'6 x 140 lbs x 49 yrs old...way more board for my limited ability. Your comments about the no-nonsense longer rail line giving more confidence in the bigger stuff is spot on. Surprisingly, too, i find that this type of size and outline is loose enough in the "normal" wave range as long as the tail isn't too pinny.

Great show. As usual. I have a round tail 6'4 Fred Rubble that's great up to doh in longer period not hollow surf, super solid board that you can trust. 6'3 mini driver for the east coast and a 6'6 Roberts G Step up which is amazing. All around 36 liters. Finally , I surfed a 7'10 Griffith thruster in Tavarua and needed all of it.

Had a Rusty Slayer until it broke in one of the hurricane swells last year (Newport Beach). Loved that board. Currently riding an NK Raz that I picked up off CL and loving it. Have had my eye on the Blackbird as well, so this is a great review. Also, thanks for giving some guidelines to amount of volume to look into for a step up - that really helps.

Great job, as usual.

My favorite board in bigger waves is a 5'11" self shape I made myself. The heel side is the same outline as the Blackbird, but the toe side outline is a swallow tail. It has a good amount of foam in the upper half of the board to help me paddle into bigger surf.

I have a 6'2" blackbird, with 31.5l of volume. My skills and my balls allow me to surf waves until 6ft with this board. I'm 5'8" tall and 180lbs, maybe would be better bought this board a little bit bigger, but I'm feeling comfortable with it. I use to ride it with AM2 fins. Great episode brow!

Hi I've got a 6'2" blackbird. I'm 6'0" and 190 lbs. This board craves power and only really turns on when the waves get to double overhead. It needs a hollow bowling wave to carve properly. The flatter entry rocker can bog the nose on takeoff... i wish it had a fuller nose lift but this is only an issue on poorly planned drops into square slabs, if you knife or fade the entry its all cool. This board inspires confidence, the rail it totally reliable, surfing it seems to slow down time. It's so easy to react to sections. Riding it with large superbrand fins.

Off topic. I got some lacrosse balls as your email discussed and as a 43 year old who surfs everyday, I cannot believe the extra mobility and energy i've received from using these. I have totally solved an ongoing back problem that stems 20 years or more. These things can change your life. Thanks for some invaluable advice.

Your reviews are always the best! I was wondering if you could ever get around to doing a proctor performance longboard or fish, or any performance longboard or fish in general. I wanted to get one and wanted to hear your thoughts. Thanks and looking forward to your next vid!

I've never used a step-up board. The first time I ever really surfed large waves was years ago in Rincon. I used a 5'6" x 18 1/2" Dan Taylor Burger Beater on 10-15 ft faces. I did this because it was the only board I had with me. It was really fun. I enjoyed the ability to duck dive easily with a small board. I also liked the fact that the board didn't seem to yank me that hard when I wiped out. Ever since beginning my journey with larger waves, I usually use smaller boards when it gets big (around 26-27 liters), and larger boards on smaller days (30-32 liters) for maintaining speed. This is exactly what I'm doing in Hawaii this year. The only downside to using a smaller shortboard on big days is the following: when there is a brief lull, and I want to paddle out fast before the next set waves come in, I could definitely use the extra volume to paddle faster out past the break in the precious few seconds remaining. The upside is that duck diving is easier. Anyway, I'm pretty sure this board preference is due to being surrounded by beach breaks my whole life. If I had a nice cove I'd probably have a step-up... or maybe I'd still view not being able to duck-dive as an energy wasting liability. Who knows?

Awesome review as always. Would love to see your thoughts on the ...lost tube pig. It's summer here in West oz at the moment but will be looking at one of these as the swell starts to fill in. Cheers!

Great to see you step into freedom Chris. YYYEEEEEWWWWW BITCHES!

+Shredshow Please do the Lost Rock Up! Really interested in how it compares... Cheers

Shred Show....... what kind of fins do you like riding in this board? What fins did you try before those and how did you end up with your last choice?

Love it!! I think I'd get one in a 6'8"?? I'm 6'1" x 185lbs. So pitted.

Hey Chris, great video, thanks been watching for years. Question. On that 6'10" Rusty Blackbird. What are the nose & tail width and rocker measurements?

Spot on. Being undergunned in large surf is just tormenting.

When the waves get big I use my dads old custom board it's a del idk it's like a smaller version of a gun type thing

so i got a 6'9 step up, but i haven't ridden anything bigger than 6'3. do you think i should take it out to the local reef on a 4 to 5 foot day just to get used to it, or should i just take it out on a 6 foot plus day and see how it goes? and i'm thinking a big leash so i can just throw it when caught as the 4 extra litres might be harder to duck dive in the 6 to 8 foot surf?

Please do a review of the 7S Slipstream!

can u please make a guide to help viewers to order different riding custom boards and what to ask for as I am about to order a new board. thanks

the shred show is 10/10 i love every epidsode you do, do you plan on getting the new rob machado firewires coming out early 2016? im in love with my baked potato, gromflex for bigger waves

Hey Chris, I'm 5'10 @ 165-170lbs and need some input regarding a 5'10 Mini Driver (28L) . Would you consider this board a step up even though it lacks length, and would it compliment or overlap with my 6'0 DFR in my quiver? If you can get back to me, Ill be super stoked. love your videos man!

in 2015, i saw soft tops gaining popularity (maybe due job?), and i don't mean beginners, but advanced surfers! some of those boards were really small (not bigger then 5.5ft), so can you do a video about soft top grovellers? im kinda curious what's so special about these boards :S

+Shred Show, Is there a playlist or chronological listing of Shred Show? Love the content and it would be cool to work through the list. Thanks!

Don't know.. That's why I'm watching this channel. To learn more. So I can buy one.. my first board

Yo Chris, Have you heard of Dale Walker of Ectic Concepts? He's been shaping some GOOD looking stuff..Keep up the SHRED SHOW!!!

how can u surf step up on 5 ft waves?? what kind of measurement u guys use there?? U should try some north shore step up tho, they work super well in solid surf. i weight 150, 6'0 x 18 1/2 x 2 5/16 26.6 litter, and it can get me into triple overhead north shore waves (anywhere other than pipe) easily

hey, i was wondering what your go to board is?

Is the new Lost Tube Pig pretty similar to this board?

Favorite step up would have to be FCD F-Rocket.

I have a rusty gun that I just got to ride in big surf...lots of fun

Great review man. Board looks sick. Do you ride it as a quad? Or switch between that and thruster depending on conditions?

i have this board and anxious tp surf it... does it work in smaller waves ? thank you for sharing Finikin will try them :)

Chris - Would this board still work if you scaled it up to say 8'0" to 8'6"? Would it be more high performance (turn better) than an actual gun like the Padillac or MG11?

Do the firewire evo! Compare it to the vanguard and vader plzzzzz

I need a step-up for an upcoming trip to Indo, what to you recommend? I'm used to surfing beach breaks on my 5'10 x 18 7/8 x 2 1/4 fred rubble, I weight 75kgs. I won't be surfing anything that makes me uncomfortable but will be confident enough to get out in 6-8ft max. I'm not used to surfing reefs and have been told length and volume is your friend although I do like to surf boards shorter with less volume. What can I get away with without going over 6'2? Any help will be appreciated.

Do the CI Sampler by dane reynolds

do mad cat by super boards clay is my favorite surfer

Can you review a bonzer or some retro single fin hybrids

Do the Chris Christenson Kevin Bacon!

Is this board Epoxy or fiberglass? and which is better for barrels?

Great review. I've been thinking of getting a Lost Round Up for the winter here on the east coast. I've been going back and forth between a 6'6 38.8cl and a 6'8 40.6cl (I'm 6'2 190lbs w/o a winter suit) It's great to hear that others are happy with 40cl is very validating. Chris, what your fin set up on this? I'm generally riding AM2's but considering trying something a bit smaller.

Fin choice?

How tall are you?

i can't afford any type of step up so i still have to suffer with a 5'8" stoke-a-pop it bigger stuff I'm 5'9" :')

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