Slater Designs Spaceship

"It is a quest to create something different in a slightly different way that appeals to where I want to go on a wave. Discovering a new feeling under my feet, drawing a new line, or taking a completely different track on a wave is something I never stop dreaming about. Now being able to share and grow that idea with others is what keeps surfing fun for me." Kelly Slater

The Slater Designs Spaceship: A Step Up Built for Serious Surf

The Slater Designs Spaceship is Kelly Slater's dedicated step-up shortboard, shaped for the moments when the ocean delivers and a standard shortboard simply is not enough. This is the board Kelly reaches for when surf climbs overhead and beyond, when power replaces playfulness and the priority shifts from generating speed to managing it. It is designed around a philosophy of drawing new lines on waves that most boards were never intended to handle.

The Spaceship occupies a clear lane in the Slater Designs lineup: more length and volume than an everyday shortboard, but packaged in a refined, performance-oriented outline that does not sacrifice responsiveness. It is not a gun, and it is not a fish. It is a high-performance step up built to the exacting standards of the world's most decorated competitive surfer.

Shape, Rocker, and Bottom Contours

The Spaceship's outline is built around a rounded pintail. That choice is deliberate: a rounded pin generates hold in steep, powerful faces while still allowing pivot and release off the tail when the surfer demands it. You get the drive of a pintail combined with the forgiveness of a rounded corner, making the board tractable in situations where a sharper pin might feel locked in.

The rocker profile is calibrated for overhead and larger surf. There is enough nose flip to keep the tip clear on late drops and steep takeoffs, and the tail rocker sits at a point where the board can be driven hard through bottom turns without releasing unpredictably. The profile is controlled rather than extreme, which gives the Spaceship its versatility across different wave types in the step-up range.

Bottom contours run single to double concave through the body of the board. The single entry accelerates water flow and generates lift under your front foot, while the double concave splitting toward the tail channels water through the fins and creates directional drive. The result is a board that feels lively and responsive under your feet even in the kind of hollow, fast surf where lesser step-ups feel sluggish or unpredictable.

Rail Design and Construction

The rails on the Spaceship are performance-focused throughout. They tuck and thin toward the tail to maximize sensitivity and release, while maintaining enough volume through the midsection to support speed and paddling in larger surf. The rail carry is matched to the rounded pintail outline: the board does not abruptly thin out, it transitions progressively, which keeps the ride smooth and connected from entry to exit on any given wave section.

IWS stocks the Spaceship in the Ibolic construction. Ibolic is Slater Designs' response to the longstanding tradeoff between strength and feel in surfboard building. The build prioritizes a lively, responsive flex that complements the Spaceship's high-performance intent, delivering a board that feels alive underfoot rather than rigid or dead. The finish is clean and the construction is built to hold up to the kind of heavy surf this board is designed for.

Fin Configuration

The Spaceship runs a five-fin box setup, giving you the ability to ride it as either a thruster or a quad depending on conditions and personal preference. As a thruster, the board delivers a centered, pivotal feel with a clear drive-off-the-tail character that suits powerful, hollow waves. As a quad, it unlocks additional down-the-line speed and a looser, more drivey sensation through carves, which can be advantageous in fast, open-faced surf or when you want the board to flow rather than snap. The five-fin setup is one of the Spaceship's most practical attributes: a single board that adapts to a wider range of step-up conditions.

Wave Range and Who This Board Suits

The Spaceship comes alive from chest-high and up, with its ideal range sitting in the overhead-to-double-overhead zone. It performs exceptionally well at reef passes, point breaks, and powerful beach breaks where wave quality and size demand a board with more plan shape and hold than a day-to-day shortboard provides. The rounded pintail makes it at home in tight, critical sections; the volume distribution makes it paddle into larger sets without the frantic scramble that undersized boards require.

This board is best suited to intermediate-advanced and advanced surfers who already have a solid shortboard foundation and are stepping up for bigger days. If you regularly find yourself on your everyday shortboard in surf that is pushing its limits, the Spaceship is the natural next board in your quiver. It is not designed as a learner's board or a daily driver for waist-to-chest surf; it is purpose-built for the moments that call for something more.

At Island Water Sports, our team surfs South Florida and travels for surf regularly. If you want to talk through whether the Spaceship fits your surfing and your local conditions, call us at 954-427-4929 or stop by the store.

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