Through the endless variations of surfboard design there's one element that's remained fairly true over the years – the planshape. Yeah, we've seen wide noses, swallow tails, triple flyers and other design deviations in the outline but the constant has been a nose curving out to a wide point before bending back toward the stringer and meeting again at the tail.

A shape that, when viewed in silhouette, approximates a spear with the same sleek aesthetic appeal and assumed performance characteristics.

Recently I rode a board that did away with this norm. The Camel Toe was shaped by Cory Russell of Cory Surfboards in Ocean Grove, Victoria, and it features a sidecut between the front and back foot. The unorthodox outline challenges what we know – at least what we assume we know – about surfboard design.

Initial sideline comments were the board would catch on the hips where the sidecut bent back out, or it would interrupt water flow slowing the board. The Camel Toe did neither.

Cory wasn't the first person to incorporate a sidecut (or inverted outline as he calls it) into surfboard design. The first shaper I'm aware of is Ulladulla's Michael Mackie, although as is often the case in the design process he adopted it from elsewhere.

"I got the idea from snowsurfing." Mick told me when I spoke to him. "Being a shaper and snowsurfer I remembered an old SW issue from 1979 that had an article about The Winterstick snowboard designed by Wayne Stoveken and Dimitrije Milovich. The design interested me when it first came out but I wasn't snowsurfing back then. When I did start snowsurfing it made sense to re-check out the article and design of the 'Stick again."

Contrary to Cory Russell's sidecut scoop between the front and back foot, Mick's sidecut is much more subtle beginning in the back third of the board and running out through the tail (see image 1). He uses them exclusively on his fish designs. As for why it works, "The sidecut gives you an arc to drive and run through your turn." Calling upon its snowboard roots Mick says it's "the same as doing a carve turn on a snowboard. It really just gives you more rail in the water as you go through your turn which adds up to more bite and control."

Mick notes that snowboard sidecut works well in tandem with flex so that's something else he's been working on with his boards. His Rocket Fish design all feature a flex tail. He speaks reverently about Mitchell Rae of Outer Island Surfboards and his work with flex though that's another topic for another article.

Hayden Cox of Haydenshapes is another shaper experimenting with sidecut. He currently has two boards in his range featuring the design – the Merlot and the Psychedelic Germ. Hayden is quick to cite Mick Mackie as the inspiration for the design, though following the design tradition of 'adopting and evolving' he's put his own spin on it.

The most obvious difference is that Hayden's sidecuts are shorter, deeper, and don't end at the tail (image 2). The sidecut curves back out meeting the traditional planshape around a foot up from the tail. The best description is that they look like a reverse flyer. The shorter sidecut, Hayden says, makes "for a tight radius arc to allow the board to carve in tight pockets in the wave."

According to Hayden, "The sidecut changes the water flow along the rail line of your board. The result is that when on rail the board takes a path of its own following this curve." The shorter, more compact radius of the sidecut reflects the turns Hayden expects the boards to be doing. "I have gone for a tight radius arc to allow the board to carve in tight pockets in the wave. The feeling is that the board wants to turn on these tighter arcs."

Matching the arc of the sidecut to the curve of a wave face makes sense, till you realise waves have curves of various sizes. This is something Hayden is acutely aware of. "The main disadvantage [of sidecuts] is that it can limit the size range of waves that the board will perform best in. For example, if you are on a 12 foot wave you will find the board drawing lines that are a little tight for that open face wave. Or if you design the side cut to surf big open face waves it won't want to turn tight in the pocket on a 3 foot face wave." As it is, Hayden's believes his models will go well in waves up to 8 feet.

Hayden thinks we'll start seeing more of the design as shapers learn how to utilise these curves into their shapes. His sidecuts work because they complement the other design aspects of the shape. It's a sentiment shared by Cory Russell who combined the sidecut of the Camel Toe to work in harmony with its other radical features.

Like Hayden, Cory's sidecut is a shorter radius arc between the front and back foot (image 3). His design rationale is similar too. "The change in the outline creates extra manoeuvrability and increased response. This occurs due to the change in water flow around the perimeter of the board." The sidecut also needs to be between the feet for it to work the way he intends. Cory observes that this is also the case for modern snowboards where the sidecut is centred to cater for switchfoot riding. In another nod to flex he mentions how snowboard sidecut utilises flex and surfboard sidecut could be a way to introduce it in an accurate, controlled manner. Keep an eye out for that coming article...

When it comes to disadvantages of the sidecut, Cory sees the only hinderance being a surfer's learned behaviour. As he says, "All the doubts and fears people may have are quickly laid to rest when they get the opportunity to surf the board and experience its nuances."

I asked Cory if people would ever get beyond the unorthodox design and accept it as normal. "It is completely up to the market place," said Cory, before citing Geoff McCoy and his Lazor Zaps as an example of changing design whims. "Geoff is probably making ten times more Lazor Zap's now than he was back in the Eighties. The design is the same but the market place's perception has changed."

It might be argued that Lazor Zap's are popular due to the nostalgic kick yet Cory is adamant that the properties of sidecuts should be fully explored to further surfboard performance, "I would love to see this design and many other unconventional designs explored in an attempt to push surfboard design to the next level."

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Sidecuts are a relatively new area of board design and each shaper gave lengthy explanations. Space restrictions prevent me from repeating them in full but if you wish to find out more contact: Mackie Surfboards Haydenshapes Cory Surfboards