The new “Fashion Victim” next generation has only slightly been changed from the original due to its popularity, but I just could not help myself to rev it up just a little more. Perhaps the most versatile actual 5 finner in my range, in that although compromised it is my best bet each way for both fin modes to be compatible. Quads love a wall and a barrel and thrusters yearn for vertical opportunities and a lotta air. The tail width moderation is the key i.e. not too wide for a thruster and not too narrower for a quad albeit you can squeeze the tail widths in on a quad without dramas.
PLAN SHAPE
Trying to be everything to everybody as stated above the plan shape particularly, is the critical component. On the new Victim I have pulled the tail in ever so slightly to enable the thruster mode a little more versatility in slightly bigger waves since many customers still see this primarily as a tri and ignore the quad option. In recent times I have noticed tail widths in many thruster have widened without complaint so the Next Gen I have taken this into consideration where prior to this I have always seen this model as quad centric. Maybe younger kids have bigger feet than their parents these days..? The wider nose width has remained since many guys are surfing much shorter and the wider nose does not feel inhibitive if your nose is closer to you in thruster mode. The round tail is a must in quads and even now has in thrusters surpassed the squash as the go to tail.
ROCKER AND RAIL
The rocker in this model again is a compromise and is more to the advantage of thruster mode I have added a tad more tail rocker. Quads are so free from rail to rail this extra lift will make them a tad looser without the loss of speed since they are speed machines anyway. This extra tail lift in tri mode will increase vert which the original model lacked since it was straighter out the tail. The rails have not been changed as to say, they are not super low or super thick. Too lower rail on a quad creates too much cling and too thicker rail on a thruster inhibits commitment through turns, so I got the perfect balance I reckon.
BOTTOM SHAPE
A slight change here as well favouring again the thruster mode. The original Victim was a true con-vee in that the vee ran up through north of the fins and toward the centre and then fell into the valley of the concave continuing almost up to 12” from the nose which the next gen also does, however the tail vee in the next gen is shorter allowing the concave to colonise more of the back half. The shorter tail vee has a double concave either side to give it a little more squirt as well to compensate for the extra tail lift that may dull the squirt feel.
FINS
Nothing new here to report only to say do not over fin the quad tailors. The GX size is the best size by far. In thruster mode stick with what you like.
DIMS
5.8 X 20 X 2 7/16 =29 LTS
5.10 X 20 ¼ X 2 7/16 = 31.08 LTS
6.0 X 20 ½ X 2 ½ = 33.18 LTS
6.2 X 20 3/4 X 2 9/16 = 35.37 LTS
6.4 X 21 X 2 5/8 = 37.75 LTS
6.6 X 21 1/4 X 2 11/16 = 40 LTS
6.8 X 21 ½ X 2 ¾ = 42.5 LTS