Product Review: Ho! Stevie Surf Racks

Surfing is a fun active sport and yeah, it can be great to go at it alone—fantastic and magical, even! But those sunny days of summer creep up and a surfer in its natural habit wants to pile their best buds into the car to spend the entire day at the beach with some coolers, bocce ball, sick tunes and lest we forget…. boards of all shapes and sizes in tow to catch that sweet summertime surf.

But unless they’re driving a VW bus, that feat is near impossible and creeps into skills only Gen X and Gen Y can truly understand: car Tetris (Gen Z, do you know what this “Tetris” is?). I’ve seen some really creative solutions over the years that mostly involve a board or two hanging out of a car’s side windows as if they are preppin’ for a roadside liftoff.  Or maybe it’s a Jenga puzzle held together precariously by an old bungee cord your stoned buddy found in his trunk between his spare tire and his dog Yoda’s Scooby snacks.

Other car stuffers border on potential backseat decapitation while trying to pack in that one way-too-nice compadre who forgot to sign your waiver before they sat down. And then there are other tie-down jobs that look as careless as the hippies driving the car, but somehow border on pure magic—it’s that Palo Santo surf wax laced with sage, I knew it (see: Santa Cruz surf trip with Lauren).

But why is all that fuss and stress necessary?

It’s fun to be creative, but friends don’t let friends ride to the beach alone.

And besides, do you really want to end up on Kookoftheday’s IG?

I didn’t think so.

Ho! Stevie has several solutions to this problem that won’t break the bank.

Enter: Surf Racks

 

Check out:

Surfboard Car Roof Racks: $48.97

Surfboard Aero Rack Pads: $24.97

Surfboard Tie Down Straps: $24.97

 

What I Love:

Roof Racks:

Carry up to three surfboards on top of your car, which, if you do the math (for me please because that’s why I write), means… *Jeopardy music*… you get to include TWO more friends in your car instead of your boards! Bonus points for you because that also equals less CO2 emissions since you are carpooling.

Also, the buckles come with teeth, so they have a stronger grip on that strap making it sturdier (and less stress sweat) for you and fellow freeway drivers. I definitely like the added touch of the silicone-lined buckles so your car doesn’t get scratched and your board doesn’t have dings before you get in the water.

Speaking of cars, there are pads located at the bottom of the racks set so you don’t have to worry about the actual rack scratching the top of your car, but just as an added precaution, I put a towel down anyway. :-o

Rack Pads:

Ever notice how rack pads like to slide around your car racks? It gets frustrating and sketchy, so the highlight of these for me was the anti-slip coating on the pad’s interior to help the pads (and ultimately your boards) stay put. Do they make this anti-slippage stuff for bikinis? Just sayin’… These pads are great if you have flat/plank-style crossbars.

There are two sizes for the rack pads—17” and 28” –the longer, the better because you can carry more boards, and referring to our fun math equation earlier, more boards on top of your car equals more friends IN your car.

Yay math!

Tie Down Straps:

Fifteen inches of fantastical straps equate to freedom for your car’s interior! Look what I did! More math!! :D Your friend’s domes are safe, car seats are surf wax-free and freeway drivers can rest assured they won’t have to reenact Super Mario Bros “Mario Kart” because your board stays put. These ALSO come with a silicone-coated buckle, so your boards and car are safe and sound.

Why:

Life is more fun when you enjoy surfing with friends. I mean, please don’t bring the entire clan plus the kitchen sink, but who else is going to vouch for your 2-minute undisturbed rides at Trestles? Or your sick barrel that DIDN’T give your staph at River? Amiright??