Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Korey Nolan, and I live in Hampton Falls, NH with my wife, son, and daughter. I’m a surfcrafter, surfer, snowboarder, and music enthusiast.
As a fellow coldwater surfer, what is it about the Northeast you appreciate most? Any spots outside of the Northeast you've been eyeing?
I love that, although infrequently, sometimes winter days lineup where I can snowboard and surf in the same day. I love cold water surfing, it’s mostly all I know, but I’m fine with people not wanting to experience it. The solitude of a winter ocean is like nothing else.
What got you into shaping fins?
I have made snowboards in the past, and aim to again in the future, and my first fin was born from scrap bamboo and basalt fiber from snowboard production.
What are the major differences between fin shapes? And what is it that makes a truly great fin?
Fin performance is effected by many attributes of its geometry. The template, or profile of a fin is possibly the most important initial consideration, but if the shaping of the fin itself and the materials it is made of are not right, the performance of the fin will suffer.
Where did the name Hydrophile come from? And what can we expect next from the brand?
My love and history of music and surfing combined brought me to the name Hydrophile. To be hydrophilic, is to be attracted to water, and someone who is proficient in audio fidelity is an audiophile. Therefore, a hydrophile is someone attracted to water.
What's been your kookiest experience surfing?
My aspirations for Hydrophile dwarf what I’ve created up to now. I really would love for the brand to evolve to celebrate craftspeople who refuse to cut corners, and insist on doing it all for the joy and experience of it.
Before or after I surfed with webbed gloves?
If you had to pick between Kelly Slater and Master Yoda, both legends in their own right, who would you rather surf with and why?
Yoda. He’d never associate with anyone who’d try to pass rice paper lams off as carbon fiber inlays.
Learn more about Korey and Hydrophile fins @ www.hydrophilesurfcraft.com
Photographer: Jason A. Frank (@jasonafrankphoto)