The 2023 Key

The Key by Sean Silveira is a new age skim for the next generation of riders who are looking to get as technical as possible behind the boat. Sean Silveira has been in the scene for quite some time and with his well-known hard charging style, we knew he needed a board that could keep up with him and could handle anything he threw at it. So where do you begin for a board like that? Well, you start on the inside. The core of the Key is thin and continuous which keeps the board light and snappy for the most pop and also allows the board to rotate quickly for shuv tricks and carries plenty of speed so you can string more of your tricks together.

Similar to the Matrix, we shaped the Key with a squared-off nub style shape to cut down on length and weight. Constructed with our Gatorskin™ glass designed to take a beating, the Key will hold up no matter the situation. Its Propel™ bottom sheet keeps the speed up so you don’t use all your energy pumping to stay in the wave. At the risk of sounding cheesy, the Key might just be the “key” to step up your riding…but don’t take our word for it. Check out what Sean had to say about his 2023 board below!

Phase 5: The Key has been a team favorite skim board since its creation in 2020. How stoked are you to be on the 2023 model?
Sean: I’m extremely stoked that the Key was created with the best skim company in the game! P5 is family and hopefully the Key will stay a favorite for many years to come!

Phase 5: What helped inspire you when you were designing the Key?
Sean: It’s a funny story actually. I was in the shop when I got the call from Max Smetts. He said, “Sean, you only have two months to design a pro model!” At this point, I was under the impression that I wasn’t receiving a pro model. At least not at that time. As I was on the phone with him, I found myself looking at some boards in the shop. He was asking me what I thought would be cool. I didn’t want to leave the Matrix shape because I was really loving it, and that’s when I laid my eyes on the Hypsta! I was like, “Max, I got it! Let’s do the Matrix shape/thickness and cut the nose and tail to the same length.” Max seemed on board to try it out and just like that, the Key was born!

Phase 5: What are some of your favorite features?
Sean: Some of the features I love are the Gator Skin technology. Lightweight and the matte finish makes for good grip and easy to spin tricks!

Phase 5: Were there any significant changes to the board for this year?
Sean: There has been no significant changes for this year besides the graphics and colors! As they say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

Phase 5: We’ve seen you land plenty of hammers on the Key over the years. What move got you the most hyped?
Sean: I would say the most hype was my first backside 540 shuv!

Phase 5: What are some of your trick goals to put down on the Key for this season?
Sean: I don’t really have any goals in mind yet this season, been taking some time off relaxing and coaching! Jett is the trickster these days! I’m sure he’ll be landing some crazy stuff on it this year.

Phase 5: What are some differences between the regular version and LTD version of the board? Which do you prefer?
Sean: The main difference between the two is weight! The LTD version is lighter than the regular Key! But honestly, I prefer the regular because I love a little bit of weight!

Phase 5: We’re stoked to see what you put down on the Key for 2023. What are some of your plans for this season?
Sean: My plan this season is to prove I can keep up with the young gun and still make some podiums. Age is just a number!