S Boss Quick Facts
Slater Designs S Boss quick facts
| Brand / shaper | Slater Designs – Kelly Slater’s label, built by Firewire Surfboards in Carlsbad, California; designed by Dan Mann with Kelly Slater (and Kevin Schulz) |
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| Board type | Firewire’s most user-friendly pure performance shape – a universal shortboard with a full outline and hidden volume, built to unlock progression across all conditions and skill levels |
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| Best waves | An easy choice once it hits chest high, from punchy beach breaks to reeling points; Firewire recommends 2–6 ft in average to good conditions. Kelly’s most excited sessions on it were in poor Florida beach breaks |
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| Skill level | All levels, beginner through pro |
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| Tail | Round tail |
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| Design | Uniquely full outline with volume hidden throughout, a relaxed rocker and a forgiving fin cluster; a double concave runs through the back half of the board, funneling water off the round tail |
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| Fins | Five boxes. Firewire recommends riding it as a quad with Kelly’s Endorfins KS1 upright pivot template (small, medium or large; Futures single-tab or FCS II dual-tab). Kelly’s raked KSR set is the alternative for more drive. Futures boxes on every board. |
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| Stock sizes | 5’4 to 6’4 (24.9 L to 37.7 L) |
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| Sizing | Dan Mann suggests riding the S Boss on the higher side of your volume range. Kevin Schulz (168 lbs) rides the 5’6 (27.6 L) in smaller waves and the 5’7 (28.1 L) in bigger waves |
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| Constructions we stock | Firewire builds the S Boss in I-Bolic and in I-Bolic with Volcanic basalt lamination. We have stocked both |
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S Boss Q&A
What size S Boss should I get?
Dan Mann suggests riding the S Boss on the higher side of your volume range – it is short and full, so the volume is there even though the length is not. Kevin Schulz is 168 lbs and rides either the 5’6 (19 3/16” x 2 7/16”, 27.6 L) in smaller waves or the 5’7 (28.1 L) in bigger waves. A surfer on a 6’0 shortboard around 30 liters would look at the 5’9 (30.13 L) or 5’10 (31.39 L). The chart runs 5’4 (24.9 L), 5’5 (26.19 L), 5’8 (29.2 L), 5’11 (32.98 L), 6’0 (34.53 L), 6’2 (36.5 L) and 6’4 (37.7 L).
What fins does the S Boss use?
Five Futures boxes, and Firewire recommends it with the KS1 template ridden as a quad. Kelly Slater’s Endorfins KS1 is an upright fin set with incredible pivot, built with carbon inlays and a core that is 90% air; it comes in small, medium and large, as a 3- or 5-fin set, in Futures-compatible single-tab and FCS II-compatible dual-tab versions. If you want more hold and drawn-out turns, Kelly’s raked KSR set is the complementary opposite.
What waves is the S Boss for?
Firewire says that when it hits chest high the S Boss is an easy choice, from punchy beach breaks to reeling point breaks – recommended in 2–6 ft surf in average to good conditions. Kelly has ridden it at Lowers, the Surf Ranch, a good day in Ventura, a point in Hawaii and backhand at Uluwatu, but says he was most excited riding it in poor-quality Florida beach breaks. Kevin Schulz rates it best in chest-to-head-high beach breaks; Dan Mann says the peakier the better.
How is the S Boss different from the FRK and the Boss Up?
The S Boss combines Kelly Slater’s pursuit of high-performance progression with Dan Mann’s mission to make performance surfing accessible by design. Compared with the FRK or DRK it is shorter and fuller with a relaxed rocker and a forgiving fin cluster, so it pivots and holds speed in a wider range of waves and surfers. The Boss Up is its bigger brother – the same idea stretched into a 6’6 to 7’6 mid-length.
Who is the S Boss for?
All skill levels – Firewire calls it a true universal surfboard built to unlock progression across all conditions. It is the pick for surfers who want a performance board that is still forgiving, and it is the shape Kevin Schulz does his best airs on.
What construction does the S Boss come in?
Firewire builds the S Boss in I-Bolic – an I-beam core with flex controlled at the rails by high-density foam – and in I-Bolic with Volcanic basalt lamination, Firewire’s most durable finish with elevated response. We have stocked both. Each board on this page lists its construction and fin boxes.
Can I custom order an S Boss?
Firewire builds the S Boss in set stock sizes rather than true one-off customs, so there is no custom board builder for it. If the size or construction you want is not on this page, we can usually special order it for you from Firewire’s current range – contact the shop and we will check availability and lead time.
