Libtech RNF 96

The surf industry was stuck in a performance design rut for twenty years, until Matt Biolos experimented with different variations of the fish for himself, Chris Ward, and Cory Lopez in '94 and '95. These designs formed the building blocks for a revolution in performance hybrids. “I had never had so many surfers and shapers ask: what are you surfing?” The RNF '96 surfboard designs that brought teenagers Chris and Cory to the North Shore, leaving an indelible mark on the surf world, were immortalized in the influential 1997 surf film 5’5” X 19 ¼. 

The key feature of Matt’s fish designs is that they are performance-oriented and inspired by MR’s competitive twin fins from the 70s and 80s, with relatively narrow tails designed for shredding – not just in small waves but in all shapes and sizes. Most fish boards are largely based on wide-tailed kneeboards from the 70s, which generate speed but never reach the performance level of modern shortboards. In the name of better surfing and better surfboards, Matt has dedicated the last 25 years to board building to create a better board that stays true to, but is not exactly identical to, the RNF ’96 versions. “With extensive testing by Kolohe, Coco, Ian Crane, Crosby Cola, and other ‘guests’, including myself, in the final months of 2020, we are very convinced that the RNF '96 will perform beyond expectations as an all-around, rip-able funboard for surfers of all levels.” – Matt Biolos