Dunsborough surfer Federico ‘Freddy’ Neri is an expat from Livorno a port city on the Tirreno Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. He has a skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing background and transplanted to the west coast of Australia in 2005.
Federico surfs regularly and is a member of the Yallingup Board Club.
He has put his nautical skills to use and designed the Blakkaboard, a surfboard with dual fins front and back that allows a surfer to reverse the direction of the board like a snowboard/skateboard.
Photo: 2018 Federico with the Blakkaboard reversable surfboard at Yallingup. Jim King pics
This is Federico’s story….
My name is Federico Neri, I was born in Livorno on October 26, 1975, I am part of the second generation of Livorno surfers. I started with bodyboarding and skateboarding in 1986, and in 1989 I focused on wave surfing and snowboarding (during the winter months). By 1992/93 I was part of the team of Marafrica Surf Shop and was sponsored by Costa Ovest (brand of Italian surfboard) where I represented them in the junior circuit of ASI (the first national contest association, led by Alessandro Dini). From 1994 to 1997 I was part of the Hoasy Surf Team and I used Dirty Surfboards in Rome.
Photo: 1989 Federico (second from right) with surfing mates in wintertime at Korea Fungo surf breaks in Livorno Italy. Screen grab from web.
Photo: 2000s Korea surf break in Livorno Italy. Federico pic
During these years where my dedication bounced from skateboarding to surfing and snowboarding, I began to feel the mix of maneuvers between the three different disciplines, so I managed to transfer the 360 maneuvers from snowboard and skateboard to surfboard. At that time I had a real adoration for Christian Fletcher (USA).
One day while in class at high school my mind was traveling far away, I made a simple stylized drawing in my diary, a wave and a little man who makes a floater snapped with fins in front and back.
Image: 2000s Federico’s diagram of proto type reversible surfboard with dual fins. Federico image.
During high school I stopped entering competitions and concentrated on my studies, besides the sponsors did not even pay enough petrol to travel to contests. Life goes on and in 2005 I decided to live to surf as much as possible. I left Italy and I went to live in Australia in Perth WA, where I sincerely expected a lot more in terms of waves, however, as always it was better than Livorno. I work, surf and create a family unit with Viviana, my wife and Augusto (Gus), my son.
One morning in February 2012, I was alone at home, the swell was small and while watching a You Tube surf video of Rob Machado testing a board that could be used both in water and on snow. Boom! I had a big flashback, I remembered that small drawing I drew on my diary at high school. And from that moment, I started to develop the technical design of BLAKKABOARD and FIF (Flick In Fin System).
The BLAKKABOARD, which takes its name from my translated surname and put into English slang form, is a surfboard in the form of a quad with two ends with a double set of four retractable fins, one for each end. As far as the fins (FIF) system is concerned, it is nothing more than a scassa (fin box) with a pin at the rear end, where the pinnetta (fin) is manually engaged without screws, it simply locks with a click. This system returns the fins in the scassa where it sits inside the board and gives the rider the possibility to perform reverse or switch maneuvers.
Initially I designed a Blakkaboard with a Flick In Fin system that retracted back into closed fin boxes within the board. But the board with closed fin boxes had too much volume and thick rails. This prototype was slow and not a success.
Photo: 2015 Blakkaboard prototype with closed retractable fin box in 3” thick surfboard. Federico pic.
Then I cut out the top of the fin box so the fins could work in a surfboard with less volume and thinner rails. The thinner double tail quad fin surfboard was much faster and the retractable fins in open fin boxes were a success.
After further testing the fins and boxes were made by a moulding company.
Images: 2018 Prototypes of Blakkaboard fins and fin boxes (handmade to moulded). Federico pics
I must clarify that at high school in Italy, I studied building of ships, wave movements and fluid threads. This knowledge helped me in the development of the project and the technical design that is the basis of the project itself. I did the design, testing and marketing myself.
In the practical realisation of the surfboard, I had the help of a WA shaper Colin Earle, a great competitor of the early eighties. Colin Earle shaped the surfboard following my instructions. The Blakkaboard has a rounded and square nose/tail shape to allow for different surfing preferences/maneuvers.
Photo: 2015 Blakkaboard shaped by Colin Earle. Photo shows dual fins protruding through deck when not in use. Federico pic
The fins under the nose go back into the deck when you are surfing. The rear fins are always in position below the surfboard by fluid friction and by gravity.
The fins are retractable and not sharp like the standard fin, so there are no safety concerns if you step or fall on the fins.
Image: 2015 Water shot of Blakkaboard showing front fins retracted while surfing. Federico image.
Photo: 2013 Federico landing a floater (skateboard ‘Shove it’ maneuver) on the Blakkaboard in the south west.
Photo: 2015 Federico surfing the Blakkaboard in South West waves. Federico pics.
Images: 2018 Blakkaboard promotional material.
Left: Blakkaboard promo sticker.
Right: Federico modelling Blakkaboard parka at Yalls. Loz Smith pic.
This project is creating a lot of interest. I showed Pro Surfers Kelly Slater (USA) and Gabriel Medina (Brazil) the Blakkaboard at the Margaret River Pro comp.
Kelly Slater thinks its time to learn to surf in ‘switch foot’ mode.
Photo: 2015 Federico discussing the Blakkaboard with Pro surfers at Margaret River Pro contest. Federico pic.
Left: Federico with Kelly Slater
Right: Federico with Gabriel Medina
My research shows this type of board is potentially saleable to 7 million surfers who have at least tried skateboarding or snowboarding and already have an approach to tricks in switches and reverses.
I have a provisional patent on the Blakkaboard and hope to find a financial backer to take the project further.
Dunsborough surfer Federico ‘Freddy’ Neri is an expat from Livorno a port city on the Tirreno Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. He has a skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing background and transplanted to the west coast of Australia in 2005.
Federico surfs regularly and is a member of the Yallingup Board Club.
He has put his nautical skills to use and designed the Blakkaboard, a surfboard with dual fins front and back that allows a surfer to reverse the direction of the board like a snowboard/skateboard.
Photo: 2018 Federico with the Blakkaboard reversable surfboard at Yallingup. Jim King pics
This is Federico’s story….
My name is Federico Neri, I was born in Livorno on October 26, 1975, I am part of the second generation of Livorno surfers. I started with bodyboarding and skateboarding in 1986, and in 1989 I focused on wave surfing and snowboarding (during the winter months). By 1992/93 I was part of the team of Marafrica Surf Shop and was sponsored by Costa Ovest (brand of Italian surfboard) where I represented them in the junior circuit of ASI (the first national contest association, led by Alessandro Dini). From 1994 to 1997 I was part of the Hoasy Surf Team and I used Dirty Surfboards in Rome.
Photo: 1989 Federico (second from right) with surfing mates in wintertime at Korea Fungo surf breaks in Livorno Italy. Screen grab from web.
Photo: 2000s Korea surf break in Livorno Italy. Federico pic
Photo: 2000s Fungo (means Mushroom) surf break in Livorno Italy. Federico pic.
During these years where my dedication bounced from skateboarding to surfing and snowboarding, I began to feel the mix of maneuvers between the three different disciplines, so I managed to transfer the 360 maneuvers from snowboard and skateboard to surfboard. At that time I had a real adoration for Christian Fletcher (USA).
One day while in class at high school my mind was traveling far away, I made a simple stylized drawing in my diary, a wave and a little man who makes a floater snapped with fins in front and back.
Image: 2000s Federico’s diagram of proto type reversible surfboard with dual fins. Federico image.
During high school I stopped entering competitions and concentrated on my studies, besides the sponsors did not even pay enough petrol to travel to contests. Life goes on and in 2005 I decided to live to surf as much as possible. I left Italy and I went to live in Australia in Perth WA, where I sincerely expected a lot more in terms of waves, however, as always it was better than Livorno. I work, surf and create a family unit with Viviana, my wife and Augusto (Gus), my son.
One morning in February 2012, I was alone at home, the swell was small and while watching a You Tube surf video of Rob Machado testing a board that could be used both in water and on snow. Boom! I had a big flashback, I remembered that small drawing I drew on my diary at high school. And from that moment, I started to develop the technical design of BLAKKABOARD and FIF (Flick In Fin System).
The BLAKKABOARD, which takes its name from my translated surname and put into English slang form, is a surfboard in the form of a quad with two ends with a double set of four retractable fins, one for each end. As far as the fins (FIF) system is concerned, it is nothing more than a scassa (fin box) with a pin at the rear end, where the pinnetta (fin) is manually engaged without screws, it simply locks with a click. This system returns the fins in the scassa where it sits inside the board and gives the rider the possibility to perform reverse or switch maneuvers.
Initially I designed a Blakkaboard with a Flick In Fin system that retracted back into closed fin boxes within the board. But the board with closed fin boxes had too much volume and thick rails. This prototype was slow and not a success.
Photo: 2015 Blakkaboard prototype with closed retractable fin box in 3” thick surfboard. Federico pic.
Then I cut out the top of the fin box so the fins could work in a surfboard with less volume and thinner rails. The thinner double tail quad fin surfboard was much faster and the retractable fins in open fin boxes were a success.
After further testing the fins and boxes were made by a moulding company.
Images: 2018 Prototypes of Blakkaboard fins and fin boxes (handmade to moulded). Federico pics
I must clarify that at high school in Italy, I studied building of ships, wave movements and fluid threads. This knowledge helped me in the development of the project and the technical design that is the basis of the project itself. I did the design, testing and marketing myself.
In the practical realisation of the surfboard, I had the help of a WA shaper Colin Earle, a great competitor of the early eighties. Colin Earle shaped the surfboard following my instructions. The Blakkaboard has a rounded and square nose/tail shape to allow for different surfing preferences/maneuvers.
Photo: 2015 Blakkaboard shaped by Colin Earle. Photo shows dual fins protruding through deck when not in use. Federico pic
The fins under the nose go back into the deck when you are surfing. The rear fins are always in position below the surfboard by fluid friction and by gravity.
The fins are retractable and not sharp like the standard fin, so there are no safety concerns if you step or fall on the fins.
Image: 2015 Water shot of Blakkaboard showing front fins retracted while surfing. Federico image.
Photo: 2013 Federico landing a floater (skateboard ‘Shove it’ maneuver) on the Blakkaboard in the south west.
Photo: 2015 Federico surfing the Blakkaboard in South West waves. Federico pics.
Images: 2018 Blakkaboard promotional material.
Left: Blakkaboard promo sticker.
Right: Federico modelling Blakkaboard parka at Yalls. Loz Smith pic.
This project is creating a lot of interest. I showed Pro Surfers Kelly Slater (USA) and Gabriel Medina (Brazil) the Blakkaboard at the Margaret River Pro comp.
Kelly Slater thinks its time to learn to surf in ‘switch foot’ mode.
Photo: 2015 Federico discussing the Blakkaboard with Pro surfers at Margaret River Pro contest. Federico pic.
Left: Federico with Kelly Slater
Right: Federico with Gabriel Medina
My research shows this type of board is potentially saleable to 7 million surfers who have at least tried skateboarding or snowboarding and already have an approach to tricks in switches and reverses.
I have a provisional patent on the Blakkaboard and hope to find a financial backer to take the project further.
Federico Neri’s contacts details.
Email: chiconeri@gmail.com
Facebook: Federico Neri
Instagram: MrBlakka
The Blakkaboard has been designed for kids to have fun on!
Click on Blakkaboard to view Federico’s YouTube footage of the board in action. The music is a bit heavy, but the footage shows the board flows well.
Good luck with the Blakkaboard Federico!
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