Best board of all-time?

[wsurfn1426]

I am always envious of the number of production board choices for the average size windsurfer....makes total sense of course.

For me at 6'6"/#228, recent years have been the best.

The '05 Exocet Cross 117 is an amazing board. I could almost get away with just this one board. I have never sailed its newer squared tail cousin the 118. I can't get myself to sell mine.

Right now, I am head over heels with the '09 RRD Wave Twin 99. I demoed it recently in PSC. I want one soooo bad I could cry, but I am choking on the price. Or is it a delayed reaction to the tequila? Someone please help me find a good deal on one...

I know that the ride of each of these boards is not that great for a normal sized guy, but they just plain open doors for me. They are both very short, piggy, thin tailed, and just beg me to try anything.

Back in the day board... was the AHD 9'4". First true epoxy lightwind planing machine. I bought it and a 6.0m2 Gaastra Slalomfoil Pro (first production twist off leech) new with my first credit card in 1990 (and probably paid for it 3 times over). I will never forget the crisp feel, the sound of the wavelets underneath the board, and acceleration it had as it came on a plane in winds I previously always slogged in.

[artnvicky]

Let us not forget the thintail glass boards of the mid-late 80's. I have owned several examples of Bruce Jones' classic shapes that have delivered much fun over the years. The Pritchards both sailed these boards back then. Just one of these heavy (25 lbs), thin-tailed boards did it all. But they had a propensity to turn to weather when not planing unless you put a monster fin on. Especially the smaller sinkers. Anything will if it's submerged.

After having sailed a lot of the newer stuff when on vacations involving an airline flight, I have come back to stuff from the late '90s that does it best for me. Sure, the newer, wider stuff blows by me when the lulls hit, but when the wind is up to par, I much prefer the feel of a narrower board. Despite the heavier, low-tech, low-cost coremat construction, and despite my being fundamentally an economic nationalist, I've got to say that my all-time favorite board is a Thommen-designed, 88 ltr 1999 F2 Axxis 258.

So far, this durable little board has handled gracefully everything I've thrown at it. The rails in the tail are rounded enough to keep my heels from getting spashed too much (aka drag), and there's enough tail volume and a soft enough nose for cant-steering even off the plane. Yet it doesn't bounce out in high-speed jibes. It has enough lateral rail curvature to keep the fin from blowing out in aggressive jibes. And the mast track is where it belongs. I can close the gap with my slalom sail, and the harness lines present squarely in front of me with the boom in the middle of the cutout. Can't do that with the newer stuff. In my opinion short and wide has been served. We're not all of us interested in doing freestyle. Or being fed baby food. I've got a stash of late-90's boards, but the Axxis is my favorite.
Art

[isobars]

Just in the last two days I sailed an '08 Starboard Evo, an '08 Naish Pro 1111 Wave, '01 Maui Project Wave 8'2" and 8'6", an '05 Fanatic Newwave, and an '02/3/4 Gorge Animal Bonzer. Each one truly shines in its element, every one has disadvantages. Their common thread is turning; any board that won't turn like a banshee in a pinball machine doesn't stay in my possession for long.

The two '08s are carving marvels when powered normally, with the Evo planing yesterday in a breeze and the Naish waiting for manana and three pumps even in strong wind; both got progressively harsher as power and chop increased beyond their regime. I then switched to increasingly older boards with thinner tails to smooth out the ride and enhance control and carving.

Overall width doesn't seem to matter as much as tail width and tail rail thickness; when ripping and carving overpowered in harsh terrain, thin (tails) is in. When powered only modestly, that Evo is a planing, carving machine.

I gotta say, though, that I swear that Naish all but sniffed its own butt, doggie style, at speed, a few times. I looked closely at its deck for a hinge when I got back to shore. Anybody who thinks a board like this can't go "down the line" in the Gorge is sniffing glue. At any facet of any swell's anatomy, the rider just thinks, "TurnHERENOW", and the board already did. If your back foot itches, you will get disoriented and dizzy riding this saucer, and NOBODY will tailgate you. Anybody can look like Kauli Seedy on this board (a Rastafarian hermit who lives under the Hood River toll bridge, not to be confused with Kauli Seadi the WSer). It was loaned to me for a few weeks to ride and share with anyone, but you ain't gettin' it. You can have my Smith & Wesson, but you'll have to pry this Naish from my cold, dead hands ... or wait 'til the wind and/or chop pick up and bring out its harsh side.

Mike \m/

[wsurfn1426]

Mike:

Thanks for the review of the '08 Naish ProWave. I picked up the biggie (95) cheap, and am waiting for high wind to try it. Slow to plane, but turns on a dime? I think that is what I got from your description.

[isobars]

In a nutshell, yes. My smaller wave boards (this one's 80 liters) plane earlier (i.e., with less pull on my arms), and when powered to the max they ride more smoothly and probably slash more securely in chopswell. But at normal power levels this board's wider tail tolerates and assists skating-style movements skinnier tails don't at my weight, and it has more pop for jumping. I can't wait to put some more hours on it when I'm not overpowered on a 3.x; it was a dream powered nicely on 4.2 to 5.2, and I have no doubts it will perform beautifully with a 5.7 or a less hammered 3.7. It is very rewarding to buy new boards like this for 33 cents on the dollar.

Mike \m/

[WMP]

uhhh Mike....

Wow dude, so much hyperbole on that last post that it wreaks of commercial advertising (scratching head)..... how much food do they put on your plate for this stuff? I mean, gesh.... it's like you're into snake oil sales .... "hey, don't need to spend time and effort learning how to jibe... naw.... this BOARD will do it all for you !!!"

HA-HA-HAAAAAAAA !!! You're a riot Mike... always great entertainment.

[isobars]

[WMP]

[keycocker]

Mike has a lot of experience in board testing. His opinion carries a good bit of heft with me. It is worth noting that he is in the Gorge. Conditions there are all about turning because the site is the most narrow top site in the world.
In Belize we go as much as a 7 miles on a tack before turning. Some boards I have used there like a bonzer were a little tiring and slow in those conditions. Boards with a lot of rocker are a drag on long tacks, like my old JP, but they turn better on the face when I finally get there. They often don't go to wind well,which is critical at our site.
My Thommen custom works very well for me in Maui, perhaps in part because it is designed and made right there at Kanaha.

[csr7]

Custom 7'4", 11 pounds, Pistol River built, twang tail, as it controls all the speed thru a bottom turn for popping those really fun aerial wave 360's.