How Simon Anderson’s Thruster Surfboard Changed Surfing

Seth Koppes established Bancorp Services, LLC, in 1993 and continues to drive operations at the financial services company as chief executive officer. When he is not leading financial services at Bancorp, Seth Koppes is passionate about the ocean, which he engages through activities such as sailing and surf-ski canoeing. He also works with a charitable organization that sponsors amateur surf competitions, which predominantly feature competitors on thruster surfboards influenced by surfing legend Simon Anderson.

Simon Anderson is an accomplished surfer and writer from Australia. However, Anderson is best known as the surfboard shaper who, in 1980, conceived of a specific type of three-fin surfboard design known as the “thruster.” While surfing was already a popular activity in the United States by 1980, the invention of the thruster played a key role in the sport becoming a mainstream watersport.

Anderson was inspired by Frank Williams, a fellow surfer who had installed a half-moon fin on his board for added stability. After finalizing the placement and size of his three fins, which were smaller than comparable skegs used on twin-fin boards, Anderson had a board that could generate the same speed as a twin-fin but retained the stability and maneuverability of a single-fin. Today, the thruster is the most commonly used fin configuration in the surf industry.

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