Review: Peterson Tomahawk 4’10”
Summary: The Peterson Tomahawk is a high performance shortboard that pushes my abilities as a river surfer. Continue reading for the full review…
At just 4’10” long, 18.25″ wide, and probably 1.5-1.75″ thick, the Tomahawk doesn’t have a lot of volume. The result is a board that feels very responsive under foot. Out of all my boards, it feels like it has the quickest and snappiest turns. It also does some of the fastest spins, almost to the point where they feel uncontrollable.
This board is not for the lazy or faith of heart. It takes skill and concentration to control. Everything from focusing on putting enough weight on my rails during a pump, to putting just the right amount of rotation into my spins, is important on this board. On other boards I find myself not having to focus on some of the small details of my technique… no so with the Tomahawk. This board delivers some of the best performance, but only if you have the skills. It’s one of the few boards that I own that forces me to become a better surfer just by surfing it.
The Tomahawk is best suited for shortboard specific river waves. Waves that allow you to acid drop or sit start without having to paddle or popup are ideal. RRP, Scout, Citywave and Pueblo’s Spillway wave are great examples of these types of waves. Any waves that require paddling to catch, or popping up is going to be tricky on this board with its minimal volume.
The construction is surprisingly good. It’s handled some decent hits without dings. It’s not as durable as a Lib Tech, but it’s some of the best of the rest when it comes to glass boards. The one time I did damage it was at the Washington Citywave where I sunk a fin box, but that wave is hard to surf without destroying boards or losing fins.
This board is definitely not a beginner board. To a beginner I would recommend something more durable, and depending the surfer’s size, a bit bigger. If you are looking for a small board for a beginner, take a look at the Catch Surf 54 Special. I think this board is best suited for advanced to expert level river surfers looking for a board that’s smaller and more responsive than a lot of the other boards out there.
If you’re looking at the Tomahawk, there are a few other boards you might consider as well. The Badfish Wave Farmer 4’10” is not as fast or snappy, but it is more user friendly and maybe a better choice if you’re more of an intermediate level river surfer. The Corridor Craw 4’6″ is slower to turn than the Tomahawk, but it can generate more speed and would be a great choice if you’re surfing a flatter wave or are more into carves than spins. The Lib Tech Hydro Snapper 4’4″ can’t surf big and steep waves, but it will do better than the Tomahawk on smaller/flatter waves, and the Lib Tech construction will handle shallow and rocky features no problem. But if you’re looking for the highest performance, I think the Tomahawk is the best choice.
I’ve been surfing the Peterson Tomahawk for the past 3 years. With the construction of shortboard waves like RRP, Scout 2.0 and Pueblo’s Spillway Wave, this board has become essential in my Colorado river surf quiver.