In the early 1990’s a man by the name of Brian Whitty approached three local surfers from the Northern Beaches of Sydney with a brainwave; removable surfboard fins.
Removable fins would make traveling easier, allow surfers to change their fin setup to suit varying conditions, and more importantly, give them the opportunity to change the performance of their surfboard simply by using a different fin template.
In order for this brainwave to become a reality there would have to be a way to secure the fins to the board. Over the preceding months the idea was transformed into a reality and FCS was born. This would eventually become a pinnacle moment in surfing history. FCS stands for Fin Control System, and this six plug configuration would change the face of surfing.
FCS fins were introduced to the Australian market in 1992 and released globally in 1994. The first FCS fin plug was patented shortly after the global release and it quickly became the world standard for removable fins. To this day FCS is the strongest, most successful, and also the most widely used surfboard fin system in the world.
Since its global release in 1994, 30 ASP World Titles and countless events have been won riding the FCS fin system. No other system can lay claim to a single ASP World Title in either the men’s, women’s, junior's, or longboard divisions. The success of FCS is a testament to its advantages over other fin systems, this includes traditional fixed fins as well.