Board-revolution in 2020

[SandInMyPants]

I am 100 percent a longboarder by nature, but on days where the waves are not clean, or if there is a small shorebreak I tend to go for my mid-lenght board: a 7,2 round nose with pintail and a thruster fin setup.
It catches waves very easy with the wide nose, and the pintail and thruster fin setup makes it easy to turn and move like a shortboard.

It seems to me, that surfers around the world, including myself until recently, and with the setup on this forum with longboard chat or shortboard chat, have some sort of pre-block, that boards either have to be short as 5-6 foot or 9 and above. Yet the board sizes around 7 foot can a times be the best board to bring for the conditions in some places.

In historical context surfers used longboards up until the late 1960s, and mid-lengths around the 1970s, where modern shortboard took over from somewhere around the 1990s.

Yet I see more and more surfers where I live with different mid-length shapes these days, Is there a board-revolution on its way?

[waikikikichan]

Joel Tudor is probably considered the best "100% longboarder", but he is well versed in Mid-Lengths too.
This video is back from 2010

Yet I see more and more surfers where I live with different mid-length shapes these days, Is there a board-revolution on its way?

Yes you are correct, after the Fish revolution awhile back, then Mini-Simmons trend, there has been a resurgence of Mid-Lengths from board manufacturers. ( but Twins are waiting quietly in the wings )

Brett Merrick explains the Mid trend quite nicely.

[oldmansurfer]

I am not a longboarder or a shortboarder I am a midlengthboarder Though if I was younger and in better shape I would be a shortboarder and as I age I may become a longboarder. Right now I love my mid range boards. I have a 7' and a 7'6" and an 8' which is what I am riding mostly because it's an awesome board for a wide variety of conditions

[ConcreteVitamin]

Midlengthers in 2020 gotta learn that shoulder snap.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7KeMGwnMb5/

[oldmansurfer]

That's a funny bit but midlength is not about being John John Florence but rather realizing you aren't going to be John John Florence and having an easier board to ride

[SandInMyPants]

Midlengthers in 2020 gotta learn that shoulder snap.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7KeMGwnMb5/

Yep Funny Clip

I think however, the idea with mid-length boards is riding waves on your own, rather than trying to look wicked and radical in the eyes of others.

It is simply to enjoy the ocean in best way possible on the day, and not be locked in some pre-defined role, as either a radical shortboarder, or an old school longboarder.

But perhaps in time there will be a new category called a mid-length soul surfer