Wetsuit Wear Test: Billabong Furnace Range
If only every focus group could feel like a good surf sesh…
Photo: Chris Burkard
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We can talk certified sourced rubbers, CICLO fibers and “improved foams,” all damn day. We could show you provocative images of pro surfers doing air reverses over icebergs with a glacier in the background to prove how toasty the latest hooded 5/4mm will keep ya…but we did that already. When it comes down to it, as far as the latest wetsuit tech goes, if you’re talking endgame: We just want to be surfing longer in one. And we want warmth and flexibility. And, without sacrificing a bit of our soul (we’ll get to that in a sec).
The Viking Voyage: Alaska
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When Chris Burkard calls you up, you answer.
But there’s a few things you should keep in mind before committing to whatever he’s cooking up: 1) Be prepared for cold water, 2) bring your thickest, warmest wetsuits, and 3) get ready to bust out of your comfort zone and into an unforgettable adventure.
Even amidst the pandemic, Burkard was able to pull off one of his classic, cold-water escapades, enlisting Griffin Colapinto, Eithan Osborne, Tyler Warren, and Becca Speak to board “The Viking” for a 10-day surf trip on Alaska’s Kodiak Island. What followed was empty beachbreaks, tidal bores, crumbling glaciers, lots of fishing, and frigid dips in boardshorts.