A few weeks back we ran a video called The Ugly Duckling, made by Kelly Foote about a board Simon Jones shaped for Torren Martyn.

Turns out that video was the first in a series where Kelly focusses on the relationship between surfers and shapers, and the ideas they make material.

He's just released another video from the series, this one featuring Twiggy Baker and Axel Lorentz dropping edge design into Twig's big wave boards. Edge design, for those unfamiliar with the term, is a bevel on the underside of the board that reduces wetted surface area and planing area, theoretically making the boards faster and looser.

The idea was first deployed by George Greenough in the 70s, swiftly followed up by Greenough's Santa Barbara friends such as Marc Andreini, but has been revived by a new bunch of shapers, including Andrew Kidman and Ellis Ericson, Matt Percy in WA, and Mike Wallace in California.

It was through Wallace that Twig was introduced to edge design. Though it's experimental, especially when applied to big waves, Wallace made Twig a few Mavericks guns. Those boards were enough to convince Twig there was something in it and to continue down the rabbit hole.

Heading to Nazare, Twig ordered a bunch of edge design guns from Axel Lorentz, the first time the French shaper had worked on them. Kelly Foote films the manufacturing and testing of the boards. Twig's findings - the boards, even his 10'0" gun, are loose - is in keeping with edge theory.

While the video celebrates the collaborative process, the technical detail is a bit light. If you want to know more then get hold of Kidman and Ericson's film 'Edge Of A Dream', or read this.