With the recent arrival of the new FCS II keyless fin system, it will be interesting to see how Fin-S responds and how they will manage to stay relevant in the increasingly crowding surfboard fin market. The problem facing the Fin-S brand, based in Delray Beach, FL, has been the strangle hold that FCS and Futures Fins currently have over the fin market. Aside from a few other players, who coincidentally utilize the same boxes and tab systems of the major two manufactures, there has yet to be a serious challenger to either FCS or Futures.
When the Posner brothers officially launched Fin-S in 2011, however, things looked like they might be poised to change. The idea for a keyless fin system had been long-overdue, and Fin-S came with some sound technology, including their patented SpringLock™ Engineering, which it made it seem like perhaps a viable third option would now be available to surfers and shapers wanting something a bit different. Fin-S continued to test and refine their product and even managed to team up with some big-name pro surfers, including Sunny Garcia, Jesse Merle-Jones, and Kekoa Bacalso. But for whatever reason, the keyless Fin-S system has failed to emerge as a legitimate threat to either Futures or FCS.
This summer, FCS dropped a bombshell by releasing a keyless fin box system of their own: the FCS II. Coupled with their new Essential Series fins, the FCS II system appears to borrow heavily from the technology pioneed by Fin-S, with a few key differences. Most notably, the FCS II system features a titanium rod and rotating barrel, which apply pressure to the fin laterally in order to hold it in place. Fin-S, on the other hand, is a spring-locking system which utilizes the combination of a stainless steel spring and locking pin to hold the fin securely in the box. One critical blow to Fin-S is that the new FCS II system is backwards compatible and allows grub screws to be inserted should surfers want to use their old FCS fins.
While it certainly appears that the FCS II system might deal Fin-S a serious blow in the keyless surfboard fin category, the Florida outfit is still making progress. In the last year, partnerships with SUPERbrand and Hydroflex surfboards have increased visibility. This past June, Fin-S also joined forces with The Surfboard Warehouse, becoming part of their Finatic Fin Testing program. This positions Fin-S right up there against FCS, Futures Fins, and a whole host of other fin manufactures in a way that allows surfers to test different styles and set-ups to see what works best for them. However, since they no longer have a unique selling point in regard to their keyless fin system, the fate of Fin-S appears to be up in the air.