Torq ACT BigBoy 23 This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. You think you’re looking at a funboard? Think again. This is a shortboard on steroids. On paper it’s a funboard and if you’re looking to catch green waves and do some turns, the width, volume and length means this board will do it all day long – it’s perfect for you. But in the hands of a seasoned surfer it’ll come alive. Think of it as a shortboard with a little extra width in the nose but all the performance features to surf hard and fast. For any big guy rippers out there, longboarders wanting a shorter board or intermediates, look no further. ACT Construction Torq ACT surfboards are the world’s first EPS/Epoxy pre-preg surfboards. Pre-preg is the most high performing composite process, best strength to weight ratio and reflex (spring) characteristics in any fibreglass lay-up. Pre-preg is short for pre-impregnated. The resin and catalyst are applied by machine to the fiberglass cloth to create a fiber resin matrix. The matrix has perfect resin hardener mix and perfect resin content and distribution. The matrix is cut by machine (we have cutting files for each of our models and sizes so the exact correct fiber and resin weight is used on every board) then laid up on the surfboard form and cured under high heat and pressure in an oven. Hand laminates, even when vacuum bagged, end up with a significant amount of excess resin. This adds weight, increases brittleness and limits the fibers properties as it’s bound in a thick shell. Pre-pregs are machine impregnated with the perfect resin density. Regardless of what fiber is used – glass, carbon, basalt - the pre-preg process allow fiber to perform without the limitation of excess resin. In surfboards this translates to a springy responsive feeling. Any flex that is pushed into the board through a turn is directly returned in reflex, not deadened by the resin. They give back all the energy loaded into them. Because the board is allowed to flex naturally, they absorb a lot more of the chatter than can be associated with lightweight epoxy boards. The other advantage of no extra unnecessary weight of excess resin is the extra amount of fiber we can use, for the same overall board weight. ACT’s have a heavy duty fiber lay-up making them significantly stronger than a similar weight surfboard in any other construction. We have 2-3 times the fiber in these boards for the same weight of a lightweight PU. They’re not our strongest boards, but have much greater strength to weight ratio.
