German Surfing Culture?

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Porsche technology said today that current big-wave world record holder Sebastian Steudtner has spent the past two years scientifically analyzing and optimizing his surfboard. Now the board, dubbed the Caçador RS* has been publicly revealed in Cascais, Portugal. Sebastian Steudtner is the current world record holder in big-wave surfing with a wave height of 26.21 meters. The subsidiary of Porsche Engineering claims the surfboard has been hydro-dynamically and aerodynamically optimized.

“To reduce drag and stabilize the board, patented attachments known as aero edges were added to the front and back of the board,” said Marcus Schmelz, Project Manager at Porsche Engineering. “We know this principle from automobiles: here, too, tear-off edges are defined, for example through the use of spoilers. They reduce air turbulence, making the car more stable and aerodynamic at high speeds.”

The goal of the collaboration was to translate experience from automotive development to surfing. Using the newest simulation methods and wind tunnel validation, the team improved the surfboard’s handling in the water (hydrodynamics) as well as the aerodynamics of both the board and the surfer – always with the goal in mind of reducing drag in both the water and the air. In theory this will  allow Steudtner to reach higher speeds on the board – 70 to 80 km/h is currently possible. The higher speed is necessary to ride bigger waves – because the higher a wave is, the faster the surfer has to be to keep it from crashing over him. Aerodynamic testing in the Porsche wind tunnel also found other potential gains, such as adapting Sebastian’s body position while surfing to the new board also produce what is said to be significantly lower drag.

Using a measuring drone, in the future it will be possible to quickly and accurately measure the height of waves. At present, measurements are made using videos and still photographs. The current board prototype from Porsche Engineering is equipped with cameras, control and storage units, and sensors of the type used in vehicle development for modern driver assistance systems. The device measures all areas of the wave and the surfer in a 100-metre radius. The first reliable data is expected to be collected this autumn of this year, when the next big-wave season begins in Nazaré, Portugal. With his new surfboard, Steudtner can chase the next world record.

*Caçador RS is a combination of the Portuguese word “Caçador” (hunter) and the classic Porsche designation “RS” (rally sport).