Firewire Twice Baked: The Ultimate Grovler

Baked Potato fans get hyped!

The all new Twice Baked from Dan (the) Mann and Firewire is here and ready for summer time wave sliding. For all of you that fell in love with the O.G. Firewire Baked Potato - we think you will be stoked on this new and improved version.

A highly maneuverable + chubby small wave shortboard.

But before we get into the nitty gritty, here's what shop manager Nick has to say about his Twice Baked...

I've never been big into longboarding...

Sounds a little crazy being a surfer in New England, but long boarding just doesn't do it for me. When summer time hits and everyone hops on their logs, I grab the widest (short) board I can get my hands on... I'm talking a true bottom feeder.

When the original Firewire Baked Potato came out back in 2014 (+/-), it was the first of it's kind. Super short and fat, promising to get you into super small waves early and cruise through slow sections like a longboard. When I first jumped on that board my mind was blown. Super easy to surf, caught everything, and was highly maneuverable. That was my summertime go-to for a few years before I finally parted ways with it.

When I found out that Dan Mann and Firewire had a new version coming out this year, I knew it would be sick so I ordered one without question. I went with the same size as my previous Baked: 5'3 x 21 1/4" x 2 3/8" @ 31.6L

Since getting the board, I've ridden it in everything from knee high and mushy to chest high with a bit of punch. It really is the one board you can keep in your car in Rhode Island during the summer and surf it almost every day (aside from a log). Having ridden both the Baked and the Twice Baked, I feel like the TB can handle a wider variety of waves. The thinner tail really makes the difference. Perfect for when the waves are 1 - 2 feet, and then a 4 foot set comes thru and you're still confident that it will hold and feel comfy under your feet.

The Baked was a little chunky in the tail, so on a steeper wave it felt a little squirly. Dan Mann fixed that with the Twice Baked while still keeping it super small wave oriented, and I am STOKED on it! Give me a shout if you want to try it!!

Outline

Short and Stumpy

The shape of the Twice Baked screams small wave weapon.

The first thing that you can't help but notice is how wide the board is. It's definitely not your standard, run of the mill shortboard. All of this width gives the board a ton of extra volume throughout, making it easy to surf and perform when the waves are less than stellar.

The extra width in the nose and mid-section of the board make it feel like you're paddling a board that’s 2 feet longer. This gets you into waves easier and much earlier than with a traditional shortboard. You'll finally be able to compete with those longboards!!

Plus the width through the back half keeps the board stable and cruising through slower sections of the wave.

The tail is a chop squash tail, which gives the board added maneuverability and some release through your turns. It's still wide enough to keep that speed through slow sections and the skatey feel that we all love in a groveler.

Bottom / Fins

Added Maneuverability

The Twice Baked has that same "double-barrel concave inside of a single concave" that we loved in the Baked Potato. Dan added a little bit of split vee through the tail of the Twice Baked.

Overall, these bottom contours translate to added maneuverability, which is key for such a wide board.

Though the Twice Baked comes stock as a 5-fin setup, we highly recommend that your give it a go as a quad. In fact, Dan Mann designed the bottom contours to enhance quad fin surfing - keeping the center of the board free from any drag. Built for speed!

We recommend that you use a bigger set of fins than you would typically use on your shortboard. I've been running mine with the Controller Quads from the Futures, and can't say enough good things about them. I you are more of a FCS guys, check out the Split Keel Quad set for the Twice Baked.

Construction

A Note about Timbertek...

Dan Mann decide to release the Twice Baked in Firewire's Timbertek construction to add to the boards hold, drive, and stability under your feet.

Built with the environment in mind: sustainably grown paulownia wood and plant based bio-epoxy resins. At Warm Winds we value sustainably built surfing equipment - and Timbertek construction surfboards are pretty much the gold standard.

Not only does it feel great under your feet, you can also count on it to feel new and lively for much longer than a typical poly/pu surfboard. The lifetime of these boards is incredible. Win Win!

Waves

Small Wave Machine

The Twice Baked is designed to excel in junk waves. Unfortunately these are the conditions that we see on the regular up here in Rhode Island, but that doesn't mean you can't get waves!

The Twice Baked is designed to be ridden in anything from 1 foot on-shore slop to chest high + and clean surf. A true daily driver for New England summer time surf.

Don't believe us? Watch Timmy Reyes rip the Twice Baked in junk waves in the clip above.

The Bottom Line

This Board is Fun!!

You might be wondering what the difference is between the Twice Baked and the Baked Potato. In a nutshell, the Twice Baked is:

  • Overall less chunky and clunky than the baked
  • More pulled in nose and tail
  • Thinned out significantly in the tail for more versatility
  • Same small wave ability, but works better when the surf starts pushing

If you liked the speed and trajectory of the baked potato, than your going to be stoked on the twice baked.

We recommend the Twice Baked for someone who is looking to up their days in the water this summer without the use of a longboard.

Knee to waist high dribble be damned! The Twice Baked will keep you stoked on a shortboard through those summer doldrums.

Dimensions

Dan Mann recommends riding the Twice Baked with a volume about 2-3 liters more than your typical short board. For example, if your go to short board is around 29 liters, go for the 5’3 Twice Baked at 31.6.

LENGTHWIDTHTHICKNESSVOLUME
5'1"20.75"2.25"28.3 L
5'3"21.25"2.38"21.6 L
5'5"21.75"2.5"35.2 L
5'7"22.13"2.63"38.6 L
5'9"22.38"2.75"42.0 L
5'11"22.63"2.88"45.7 L
6'1"22.75"3"49.3 L
6'3"23"3"51.3 L

Firewire's Description

The Twice Baked is very obviously a squash-tailed little brother to the Baked Potato.

As far as dimensions go, if you ride a Baked Potato you’re likely to ride the same size Twice Baked. There are rather significant changes to the design overall; most obvious being the tail outline, and then the bottom contour. Like the BP, the TB has a double-barrel concave set within a single concave under the front foot, but it is slightly less aggressive and this time I split a concave into V just ahead of the center fin, or about 6-7” up from the tail. I also smoothed out the deck contours to add to an overall cleaner look.

This board is going to want to be surfed with performance in mind- with your foot all the way back, a low center of gravity, and to be pushed hard through turns, as well as when you are generating speed down the line and through soft sections.


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