Shoot for the nook, past the nipple

This is a photo of Dustin Smith (aka Trusty Dusty). He posted the following commentary on the Surfermag.com Design Forum:

The bottom turn shot is the 5´6´´ Vector C4 Tomo that Justin left me when they were down here. Tomo said that board would be a connector. The first wave, on a smaller day shortly after their visit, I felt what he meant. The board sails! This swell confirmed it is officialy a connector.

A real cool guy and local B.C.S. ripper, Hector(goofyfoot) from Bahìa de Tortugas, was here for the swell. The day that I took out my 6´8´´ Bonzer hoping to blaze through the pack from up past the takeoff at third, he took out the Vector. He connected third to second three times. He was konging out for the whole swell and I had visions of him eating me after doing a haka if I didn´t consent to give him the board. His posture changed once I completed my mission and he put his hand on my shoulder and said ¨¨ya entiendo¨¨. When he left He was super stoked and grateful for having his mind opened up to what is possible on a wave like this when you ride a vehicle seemingly designed to hover as much as it is designed to plane. We repeated the mantra many times this swell ¨¨Hector on the Vector Connector¨¨¨.

The next day I had some ding repair and the tide was high midday so I went for my surf late afternoon. The tide was lowest after dark so I wholly expected that day´s surf prospects to be improving until right before dark. I arrived at the bluff and the boys were going on about how great it was still. The Vector was there waiting for me. As I was walking to the go down a local said ¨¨Queremos otro conector en el Vector¨¨. Although the surf was smaller, there were still connector possibilities. Toward the end of my session one came my way that I decide to power for second on. Up top it was racy and the the wall kept pushing toward the nook just before second. That board on the inside rail can hold high and tight in the hook and work that upper third of the wall. Each jumping jack propels that board down the line dozens of meters. I was shooting for the nook and to get in front of the refractor. Once I felt the wave stand up on the bar just past the outside nook at second, I felt the speed of the planing hull hit synch with the push of the swell and the spin of the bowl. The top speed of the fastest most draining low tide 2nd point bowls I have ever seen was no match for the speed of the Vector. The perfect ever so slight taper of the shoulder beamed to me that I was going around. I jetted past the rock nipple at second and The Vector reconfirmed it´s connector status. Even on a mid sized wave that board has all the attributes to fly wherever you point it. Vector Connector!