The New Firewire Surfboards Dominator Pro is in New Zealand
If you’ve been watching the Firewire lineup closely, one of the most recent releases, the Dominator Pro in Helium construction, is one of those rare boards that blends modern performance with the looseness and speed you want when waves get punchy. It sits between a forgiving, fuller shortboard and a high-performance all-rounder — ideal for surfers who want something more refined than the Dominator 2.0 but still forgiving enough on travel days or weaker swells.
Quick summary (for scanners)
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Type: Performance shortboard / high-performance all-rounder.
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Shaper: Dan Mann (Mannkine).
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Construction: Firewire Helium — stringerless EPS core + parabolic Paulownia/Balsa rails + aerospace composite deck skin.
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Fin options: Thruster or Quad (Dan Mann prefers quads). Best paired with Firewire Velox fins.
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Sweet spot: Chest-high → well overhead; works in smaller waves if you add a little length/volume. Comers into its own in medium to good quality waves
The shape — what makes the Dominator Pro surf like it does
The Dominator Pro is a refined, pulled-in evolution of the Dominator family. Key shape features you’ll notice:
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Outline: Slightly narrower and more performance-oriented than the Dominator 2.0 — the outline’s pulled in for quicker rail-to-rail transitions while still keeping a usable planing area.
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Rocker: Moderate to performance rocker — a touch more curve through the nose and tail compared to the 2.0 so the board sits tighter in the pocket and handles steeper sections.
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Bottom: Single concave under the front foot that deepens into a double-barrel concave through the fins, then eases into a subtle vee out the tail. That concave run gives drive through turns and fast rail exits.
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Tail: Squash / slightly rounded squash — more release and pivot points than a round tail, which livens up the board in faster, punchier surf.
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Volume distribution: Refined, sitting a little further back than a conventional shortboard so you can get into steep sections easily while keeping nose control on critical turns.
How that translates in the water: expect fast acceleration out of turns, lively pop off the tail, and a board that wants to sit in the pocket — but still offers usable paddling and planing if you pick sensible dimensions.
Helium construction — light, lively and engineered flex
Firewire’s Helium tech is a modern fusion of materials and layups intended to deliver low weight with a lively, responsive flex pattern:
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Core: Stringerless 1.0 lb EPS foam (very light).
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Parabolic rails: Paulownia + Balsa wood rails run full length to control flex and add a snappy, torsional response (that “pop” off the rail).
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Deck skin: A proprietary thin aerospace composite deck skin (adds strength without deadening the feel).
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Lamination compatibility: Helium can be paired with different laminates (fiberglass, Volcanic, Timbertek variants) to tune strength and flex.
In short: Helium gives you a surfboard that’s very light underfoot with a lively torsional snap — great for generating speed on weaker faces, yet still responsive enough when things get critical. Some riders compare the torsional snap to the way a snowboard loads and unloads, which is exactly what the Paulownia/Balsa parabolic rails are engineered to deliver. Expect the durability to be much higher than a PU board i.e it will have that new lively feeling for much longer
Heritage — from the original Dominator through the Dominator 2.0 to the Dominator Pro
The Dominator family is built around a core idea: a versatile, pocket-focused shortboard that covers a wide wave range.
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Original Dominator: Introduced years earlier as a dependable “do-everything” shortboard with a slightly fuller outline and a forgiving nature that made it a quiver staple for many surfers.
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Dominator 2.0: Shaped as a clean update — Dan Mann refined the outline, moved to a squash tail, improved bottom contours and widened the wave range. The Dominator 2.0 became known as a very versatile model that works for intermediate to advanced surfers across varied conditions. We still have a couple left on sale here
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Dominator Pro: The performance-leaning next step — more pulled-in outline, refined rocker and concaves, and tuned specifically for surfers pushing their turns in punchier waves while keeping the Dominator DNA intact. It’s essentially the Dominator family dialed up for more precision.
The shaper — Dan Mann (Mannkine)
The Dominator Pro is a Mannkine design by Dan Mann. Dan has been instrumental in evolving the Dominator platform, taking what worked in the original outline and fine-tuning it for modern performance demands. His designs on the Dominator line aim to keep the board accessible and fun, while adding enough performance refinement for advanced surfers and competitive use.
Fins — the recommended setup
Firewire and their team recommend pairing the Dominator Pro with the Firewire Velox Fin Set. Available in either thruster sets, or tri-quad sets (5 fins).
Key notes:
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Thruster or Quad: The Dominator Pro rides well as a thruster for tighter, more controlled surfing, or as a quad for added speed and drive out of turns — Dan Mann himself prefers quad setups.
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Velox fins: Engineered to complement modern Firewire outlines, Velox fins deliver a tidy balance of drive, release and hold — an excellent match for the Dominator Pro’s concaves and tail shape.
If you like looser, drawy lines and speed off the bottom, go quad + Velox. If you want tighter, pivoty snaps in the pocket, run a thruster with medium Velox templates.
Who should ride one (size & quiver advice)
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Advanced surfers who want a performance shortboard that still planes early and has forgiveness.
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Intermediate surfers stepping up from a hybrid/all-rounder into a more performance oriented shape — add a little length or volume than your “flat” shortboard size.
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Travel surfers who want a single shortboard that can handle most conditions but still perform on punchier days.
Ask for sizing help based on your weight, local break conditions, and current quiver — the Dominator Pro shines when you match its volume and length to the conditions you surf most.
Get one at Blitz Surf Shop (Gisborne, NZ)
We’ve got Firewire surfboards and Slater Designs surfboards models rolling through Blitz Surf Shop — including Dominator Pro Helium shapes in a range of sizes. If you’re in Gisborne or shopping online from New Zealand, pop into Blitz Surf Shop or visit www.blitzsurf.co.nz to check current stock and sale gear. Our team can help you pick the right size, recommend a Velox fin set, and get you kitted for upcoming pulses at Wainui and beyond. (Yes — we’ll also point you to our surf cameras and local spot advice.)
Final thoughts
The Dominator Pro (Helium) is that neat middle ground — a performance shortboard that still remembers its all-round roots. Helium construction gives it a sprightly, lightweight feel while Dan Mann’s shaping keeps it precise in the pocket. Pair it with Firewire’s Velox fins, tune your size for the waves you surf most, and you’ll have a board that excels in chest-high to overhead surf while remaining playful on smaller days.
