Firewire Mid 6 Thunderbolt Red
The Mid6 range has been designed to give maximum mid-length performance in all wave types. The fine, round pin tail, curvy plan shape, smooth rocker, with a bit of nose flip is equally comfortable turning deep in the pocket or long open-face arcs. High nose rails through to mid tucked and low hard in the tail, foiled from the centre for a nice balance of drive through sections while maintaining hold through tight turning arcs. While the Mid 6 fires in everyday surf, it is tuned enough to handle some pretty serious surf comfortably.
The Mid6 is currently available in 3 sizes. Smallest being a 7’0 x 20 1/2 x 2 5/8 at 40.3L and the largest is a 7’10 x 21 1/4 x 2 3/4 at 50.6L. The 7’6 in between at 21 x 2 3/4 and 47.9L I wouldn’t say is a direct scale between the 7’0 and 7’10. It shares all the same performance attributes but has a much larger rail size for someone who wants more volume out wide.
I feel Billy has blended the 6 channels perfectly. They are not so aggressive that they track in turns at all. It’s very easy to break a line or adjust your arc length anywhere on the wave’s face. With the channels balanced between your feet, when you push hard through a turn the response is immediate and the acceleration throughout is like no other board I have ever owned. It definitely breaks the channel bottom stereotype that they’re only good in clean waves. I’m loving it in everything!
Either a thruster or quad fin setup works with six channels for a positive feel. My first recommendations for thrusters would be the FCS2 large Reactors or large H4 – though far and away, I have been enjoying the Mid6 as a quad. My go to sets have been the large Reactor sides with Reactor medium rears or large Accelerator fronts with Performer medium rears. I do really like my XL quad set in the Mid6 particularly on weaker days when I prefer to have more fin to push off. For longboarders stepping down to the Mid6, I’d also lean towards my XL quad set as it will already feel particularly fast and loose. Other fin combinations may work really well but I’d suggest sticking with medium to large quad rears that have an 80/20 foil combined with any flat foiled large to XL front fins.