Jon Pyzel made a name for himself by making surfboards that work really, really well. That name was amplified by the fact that he’s been making John John Florence’s surfboards since John John was about six years old, but a surfboard shaper needs to make surfboards for people who aren’t John John Florence if they want to make a living. Enter the Score Lord, a new whip from the hands of Pyzel.
I am an average surfer, depending on who I’m comparing myself to. I think, though, that in the grand scheme of things, I likely fall squarely in the middle. I am very aware of this, and I like surfboards that help me instead of hinder me. For too long, I struggled on tiny little sleds, sitting way out the back with the water up to my chin as I sat on my tiny little surfboards. Now, in my old age, I’ve become a fan of a little more surfboard. Give me something thick under the chest with rails and a tail that lets me feel like I’m better than I am. Give me something that lets me catch waves with ease. Something I can ride when it’s small, and when it’s bigger.
I am not a believer in the so-called “one board quiver.” I don’t think it exists. One can, however, get pretty close, especially if they’re an average surfer. The Score Lord isn’t exactly new, but it’s new to the market.
“I have been building different versions of the Score Lord for myself, my friends and my team riders over the past three years, trying to pack volume into our boards without losing sensitivity and performance,” Pyzel explained. “I watched them ride tons of waves and used their feedback to dial in the design. Finally, after constantly having people paddle up to me and ask what I was riding, we decided it’s time to share it with everyone.”
It’s a surfboard that’s not meant to be pigeonholed. It’s designed to work in waves from two feet to 10.
“The outline is clean, wide-point forward (+2”), with a full nose that is just slightly wider than the tail,” Pyzel continued. “The back half is sleek, but not overly narrow and ends in a very round pin tail that keeps it smooth and loose. The thickness is pushed forward to keep lots of foam (Volume) under your chest area, keeping the sleek beaked nose free for fast paddle and easy wave catching, while the rails and tail area are thinned out to keep it sensitive and quick.”
Sizing a board like the Score Lord is a little more dependent on your skill level. If you’re a little better, go shorter. If you’re in the middle somewhere, maybe an a few inches in length. If you’re learning (if you don’t surf, don’t start), go long and use this thing to catch a million waves.
Like the rest of the board, the Score Lord’s fin set up is a five fin, so you can do whatever you want back there.
“This board has been fine tuned into a size range of 5’6″ to 8’6″ so that no matter what your surfing ability is, there’s a Score Lord for you,” Pyzel finished. “It is all about more waves, more flow, a perfectly tuned blend of paddle power and performance that keeps you scoring, session after session.”
