Holy Grail Quick Facts
Haydenshapes Holy Grail quick facts
| Brand / shaper | Haydenshapes, designed by Australian shaper Hayden Cox; US headquarters in Oceanside, California |
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| Board type | Everyday performance board that sits a step above the Hypto Krypto for tight, critical surfing in the pocket |
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| Best waves | Clean, everyday waist- to head-high surf; it works in most conditions, even onshore slop, as long as there is some punch to engage the tail |
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| Skill level | Surfers who can pop up on every wave, travel down the line and are working on their turns, up to experienced surfers who push it hard; not a beginner board |
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| Tail | Pulled-in squash with side cuts through the back half, so it turns tight in the pocket |
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| Design | Volume under the chest for strong paddle power and a high wave count, with a pulled-in tail that lets it perform tight, critical moves in the pocket |
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| Fins | FutureFlex: 5-fin (Futures or FCS II), ridden as a thruster or quad; PU: thruster. Best template: Haydenshapes’ own fins, the FCS II Haydenshapes (HS) Tri or Tri-Quad set, or the Futures HS1 (Large) / HS2 (Medium). |
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| Stock sizes | 5’5 to 6’4 (24.49 L to 38.80 L) |
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| Sizing | Your regular shortboard volume; about 3" shorter than a standard performance shortboard at the same volume |
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| Constructions we stock | FutureFlex (Haydenshapes’ patented parabolic carbon-fibre frame, EPS/epoxy construction) and PU (poly); each in-stock board on this page lists its construction |
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Holy Grail Q&A
What size Holy Grail should I get?
Ride the Holy Grail at your regular shortboard volume: the volume sits under your chest, so it paddles like a bigger board while surfing short. Comparing stock dims, it runs about 3" shorter than a standard performance shortboard of the same volume. For example, if you ride a 5’11 shortboard at about 28.5 L, look at the 5’8 (19 7/8" x 2 7/16", 28.20 L) or the 5’9 (20" x 2 1/2", 29.50 L). Stock sizes run from 5’5 (19 1/2" x 2 1/4", 24.49 L) to 6’4 (20 7/8" x 2 7/8", 38.80 L). Our shop staff can help you pick a size.
What fins does the Holy Grail use?
The FutureFlex version comes with 5 fin boxes (Futures or FCS II) so you can ride it as a thruster or a quad; the PU version is a thruster. Hayden Cox designed his own fins for exactly these boards. On FCS II, the FCS II Haydenshapes HS set (Tri, or the Tri-Quad set for 5-fin boards) is an all-round template with a longer base for exceptional speed when driving off the bottom, made for the Hypto Krypto and other higher-volume, lower-rocker models. On Futures, Haydenshapes recommends its HS1 (Large) and HS2 (Medium) Generation Series fins. Ride the thruster set for control and the quad for extra speed and drive in softer surf.
How is the Holy Grail different from the Hypto Krypto?
Haydenshapes says the Holy Grail sits a little above the Hypto Krypto in its ability to perform tight, critical moves in the pocket. It keeps the volume under the chest, so the average surfer can still catch a lot of waves on it, but the pulled-in squash tail with side cuts through the back half lets experienced surfers push it into very high-performance waves and maneuvers. It loves to be surfed in the pocket.
What waves is the Holy Grail for?
Clean, everyday waist- to head-high surf at beach breaks, reefs and points. It will shine in most conditions, even onshore slop, so long as there is a bit of punch in the wave to activate the side cuts through the tail.
Who is the Holy Grail for?
Surfers who can comfortably pop up on every wave, travel down the line and are working on progressing their turns, through to experienced surfers who want to push a board hard. Haydenshapes is clear that this is not a beginner model.
What construction does the Holy Grail come in?
Haydenshapes builds the Holy Grail in FutureFlex, its patented construction with a parabolic carbon-fibre frame around an EPS core and epoxy glassing, which is light, strong and lively underfoot, and in traditional PU (poly). Each in-stock board on this page lists its construction and fin boxes.
