- WSL / Damien Poullenot

World Number Three Lakey Peterson is about to kick off her World Title campaign at Honolua Bay, but before she jets off to Hawaii she spent some quality downtime at home in California.

Lakey's Vlog has been giving fans a candid look at what it's like to be a Championship Tour surfer, and in the latest episode she's dropped some knowledge on how to pick out a magic board.

This is something that occupies the thoughts of professional surfers. To an untrained eye, a quiver of shortboards can look almost identical, but there are subtle differences that can mean one board from a batch of good boards is somehow on another level.

That elusive magic means this rare finds are likely squirreled away, to be ridden in those must-win heats. So, how does Lakey go about finding them?

"When I pick up a board for the first time and I'm feeling it out, the way I kinda know if it feels good or it's a magic board, the main thing I'm feeling is the rails of the surfboard. And for me, I like kind of thicker, rounder, softer [and] more forgiving rails.

"Some people like more pinched rails, it just depends on your personality of surfing," Lakey says.

Check the whole episode out for more insights from Lakey, who will be looking to finally bag that World Title this year after a few seasons in which she came extremely close.

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