NAME: Miky Picon
AGE: 29
HEIGHT: 1M72
WEIGHT: 73KG
HOMEBREAK: LA PISTE, CAPBRETON, FRANCE
YEARS SURFING: 23
GLASSING: LIGHT (4OZ & 4OZ) WITH TAIL PATCH.
ACCESSORIES: QUIK TECHNICAL DIVISION. ‘I’VE GOT MY OWN MIKY
TAILPAD, REALLY THIN FOR EXTRA FEEL.’

“I like all my boards to have a deep single concave – I’m a pretty front-footed surfer, and the single seems to suit me best, faster and more responsive. I get around fifty new boards per year, half shaped by Al Merrick in California, half by Christian at Euroglass in Hossegor. It takes me a couple of surfs to tell what I think of a board normally, particularly when surfing in a wetsuit. But in perfect waves, you can normally tell what a board’s like on your first wave. Whenever I get a magic one, like the 6’0” here, I just surf it to death. People tell me to save them for contests, but I can’t help it, I just love the feeling of a magic board…”

From left to right:

Tow Board: 5’9” x
161/4” x 115/16”
Mark Phipps.
‘This is my favourite tow-board. It’s not too heavy, not as many weights in it as some guys use at spots where there’re heaps of chop. It’s perfect for La Nord (Hossegor), for France. I always use this one, I’ve had it a while and it feels super reliable.’

5’10” x 181/2” x 21/4” squashtail.
The Flyer model.
‘This is my small wave board that I only really use in Hossegor, it goes well in small but powerful beachbreak waves.’

5’11” x 181/2” x 21/4” swallowtail Flyer 2 model.
‘Another small wave design but I’ll use this in reefbreak surf, like in Portugal for example, or the Canaries. It has a bit more length and is a bit thinner.’

6’1” 181/4” x 25/16” roundpin MBM Bobby Martinez Pro model.
‘I’ll surf this board when there’s a bit more juice, bit more power. It’s got lower rails and a roundpin so I can surf it in up to 6ft waves. This is my step-up board, perfect for like solid 6ft Mundaka. I don’t like to surf a big board
out there.’

6’0” x 181/4” x 25/16” squashtail AME model.
‘This is my pro model shaped by Christian at Euroglass. This is the magic board, my absolute favourite. I’ll surf this board in 2ft-6ft surf pretty much anywhere, but it goes particularly well in beachbreaks, it’s perfect for the WQS. It’s got a really deep single concave.’

(Kelly’s board)
6’0” x 181/4” 23/16” baby rounded swallow K-Board
‘This 6’0” was a present from Kelly. He gave it to me at J-Bay last year before the contest; he’d had a few waves on it and reckoned it was too thick for him. I surfed it, loved it, and so I surfed it in the event. It goes really good.’

6’5” 181/4” x 25/16” roundpin MBM Bobby model.
‘I surf this board in bigger waves, like 8ft plus surf. It goes well in Indonesia, big Mentawais for example.’