Hayden Shapes Darknoiz
In-store pickup only. This board is available for pickup at our South Florida stores.
Pickup currently unavailable at BSS
This is the model Ethan Ewing chose to win the 2026 Stab in the Dark, and he chose it without knowing who shaped it. Twelve boards went to Sumbawa with their rails painted and a serial number stamped on the deck. Ewing rides for DHD. He picked #020202, which turned out to be Hayden Cox's.
His words on why: "What I really liked about this board is it wasn't too tracky with the round pin, you could make split second decisions and change your mind. And it wasn't like you were locked into that line you have, which I really loved about it."
That is the opposite of the usual complaint about the shape. A rounded pin holds, and the price you normally pay is that it commits you to the line you set off the bottom. This one gave him the hold without the commitment.
The DarkNoiz is Haydenshapes' most refined rounded tail, built for faces from 3ft to 12ft. Fast rocker with its lowest point slightly behind centre, low apex rails set just below neutral, and a bottom that runs a rolled vee entry into a single concave under the front foot, a double through the fins, and a vee double out the tail. Three Futures boxes. Cox shaped the winning board at Mona Vale on Sydney's northern beaches.
Ours are the SITD Navy Edition, finished with the navy painted rails the contest boards wore so nobody could pick a shaper by looking.
Straight word about Florida: this is a board for waves with power behind them. Right call for hurricane swell, a solid winter nor'easter, or a trip. For an average waist high Tuesday, our Nova is the better board and we'll tell you so in the shop.
Surfboards at Island Water Sports are in store pickup only. Fins sold separately.
Free Shipping, No Minimum for IWS Beach Club Members.
Returns are eligible within 30 days of receiving your order. Return shipping labels are FREE for IWS Beach Club Members. See more
Specifications
- Model
- DarkNoiz, SITD Navy Edition
- Shaper
- Hayden Cox, Haydenshapes, Mona Vale Australia
- Type
- Performance shortboard
- Tail
- Rounded pin
- Wave range
- 3ft to 12ft
- Rocker
- Fast, lowest point slightly behind centre
- Rails
- Low apex, just below neutral
- Bottom contour
- Rolled vee entry, single concave, double through the fins, vee double out the tail
- Construction
- PU Polytech
- Fin system
- Futures, three box thruster
- Fins included
- No, sold separately
- Sizing
- Ride around your standard shortboard dimensions
- Accolade
- Winner, Stab in the Dark 2026. Board #020202, selected blind by Ethan Ewing
- Winning dimensions
- 6'1" x 19.12" x 2.60", 31.4L
- Availability
- In store pickup only, Deerfield Beach
Size & Dimensions
| Length | Width | Thickness | Volume | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5'9" | 18 5/8" | 2 3/8" | 26.5L | |
| 5'9" | 19" | 2 7/16" | 27.75L | |
| 5'10" | 18 3/4" | 2 7/16" | 27.5L | |
| 5'10" | 19 1/8" | 2 1/2" | 28.75L | |
| 5'10" | 19 1/2" | 2 9/16" | 30L | |
| 5'11" | 18 7/8" | 2 7/16" | 28.5L | |
| 5'11" | 19 1/4" | 2 1/2" | 29.75L | |
| 6'0" | 19 1/8" | 2 1/2" | 29.5L | |
| 6'0" | 19 3/8" | 2 9/16" | 30.75L | |
| 6'0" | 19 7/8" | 2 11/16" | 32.5L | |
| 6'1" | 19 1/4" | 2 9/16" | 31L | |
| 6'1" | 19 1/8" | 2 5/8" | 31.4L | Ethan Ewing's winning board |
| 6'1" | 19 5/8" | 2 5/8" | 32.25L | |
| 6'2" | 19 1/2" | 2 9/16" | 32L | |
| 6'2" | 19 7/8" | 2 5/8" | 33.25L | |
| 6'2" | 20 1/4" | 2 3/4" | 35L |
Full manufacturer size chart. Sizes available to order are shown in the selector above.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this the board that won Stab in the Dark?
- Yes. Ethan Ewing selected the Haydenshapes DarkNoiz as the winner of the 2026 Stab in the Dark, filmed in Sumbawa. His board was #020202, a 6'1" x 19.12" x 2.60" rounded pin at 31.4 litres, shaped by Hayden Cox at Mona Vale. Twelve boards were entered, five made the final, and Dan Mann of Slater Designs finished second.
- What is the SITD Navy Edition?
- The production version of the winning board, finished with navy painted rails. In the contest every board has its rails painted and a number stamped on the deck so the rider cannot identify the shaper. Haydenshapes kept that look on the Navy Edition. The shape, construction and size run are the same as the standard DarkNoiz.
- What did Ethan Ewing say about the DarkNoiz?
- "What I really liked about this board is it wasn't too tracky with the round pin, you could make split second decisions and change your mind. And it wasn't like you were locked into that line you have, which I really loved about it."
- What size DarkNoiz should I ride?
- Stay close to your normal shortboard length and volume. This model is designed to be ridden around your standard high performance dimensions rather than shrunk down. If your everyday board is 6'0" and 30 litres, that is roughly where you belong on this one.
- Is the DarkNoiz good for South Florida waves?
- In powerful surf, yes. It is built for wave faces from 3ft to 12ft, which here means hurricane swell, a solid winter nor'easter, or a trip. For an average small day at home the Haydenshapes Nova is the better board.
- What fins does it take?
- Futures, in a thruster setup. Fins are sold separately.
- What construction is it?
- PU Polytech: a traditional PU core with a high spec E-glass layup and premium polyester resin. It is the most planted and predictable of the Haydenshapes constructions, which is what you want in waves with push behind them.
- Can I have it shipped?
- No. Every surfboard at Island Water Sports is in store pickup only. You can see price and available sizes here and collect the board at our Deerfield Beach store.