some non newbie catagory questions

erikneufeld · Criminal Joined: 27 Aug 2010 Posts: 72

Okay so i went to the houston boat expo and checked out a lot of newer wakeboard gear whie i was there as well.
some of which sparked some questions.

Ive always heard a stiffer board snaps more off the wake, but now they're pushing "flex boards" which have a great deal of flex at certain points?
on the same note i saw a variety of woodcore boards, whats the aim or purpose of these? is it a similar flex issue? b/c once again it seems counter intuitive given the trend of increasingly lighter build materials..
after the high tech boards going back to a plank of wood coated in polyurethane seems like backward motion.
but if flex is good then i suppose it's just following woodcore snowboard innovation but i have no idea thats just me guessing.

another thing i saw was a change in board shape, ive been riding a liquid force fish wakeboard for a while and its a slightly older board but i love the shorter wider board and agressive 3stage that pops like nobodys bussiness, but after a short run of the "fish" boards they stopped producing them and i was thinking its because the idea was out dated so i was looking for another board and the guy suggested a ronix ibex and said it was designed wider and with an agressive 3 stage, also the middle edge is rounded (just like my fish) with a sharp edge for cutting at the tips (just like my fish) so im beginning to wonder if my equipment (2007 i believe) is really outdated? (has new 2010 shane bindings)

GnarShredd · Posted: Jan 18, 2011 10:21 am Post subject:

Most of it is marketing hype (lighter! stronger! something-er!), but a lot of it is figuring out what people are looking for in their boards. A big, big market over the last few years have been cable parks and winches and with that, is the want for a board that is flexible for rails. The flex shape also offers a unique pop off of a wake that some people really seem to love (I've only ridden a flex board once behind a boat so I can't really judge myself yet). Weight isn't as big of a restriction now with bindings and other gear being so light, adding a couple pounds to the board isn't going to be a huge deal (people always make more out of setup weight than I think is necessary, it's mostly about technique IMO). Also, if your riding style requires a light-weight board, there are plenty out there. These wood-core and potentially heavier boards are using new tech for a different riding style than the light weight boards offer right now.

As far as the fish goes, that shape was built to be a more fun, freeride sort of shape. Pops tall, makes things a little more lofty, decreases swing weight so you can spin like nobody's business, but it's just not a good board for all types of riding.

In the end, boards are personal preference. If you like the fish, I'm sure you could find a crazy good deal on one that's sitting in clearance somewehre. They're built to be fun and if they fit your riding style, then I wouldn't worry about all of the hype surrounding the new gear unless you see something that looks interesting to you (for example, I couldn't stay away from the flex boards since 90% of my riding is cable and I picked up a Watson Hybrid last year).

shaggyboarder · Posted: Jan 18, 2011 11:39 am Post subject:

Alot of it comes down to personal preference. If it is a top name brand board then it prlly comes with the latest technology out. These companies put alot of thought and innovation into each board which makes them respond differently. Finding what works best for you and suites your style of riding is what it all comes down to.

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Jan 19, 2011 11:16 am Post subject:

ERIK, I also have always loved fat boards. i just bought a 2010 ibex (same shape as 2011 ibex) and im anxious to try it. my previous fat boards were slingshot recoil, LF shane, and LF watson.

as a general rule:
standard boards are for boat
flex boards are for cable/winch/rails.

im a boat only rider. i didnt care for the flex board personally. most people say it takes a couple weeks to get used to riding flex (you have to change your style a hair) so i gave it a couple month. and i felt like i was giving up pop at the wake. it did land soft of course though.

erikneufeld · Criminal Joined: 27 Aug 2010 Posts: 72

GNAR --> appreciate it, i was begining to think nobody else knew what they board companies were up to either haha

STANG KILLA SS--> Cool, itll be interesting to see what you think of the Ibex then when you take it out, i was looking at the 2010 as well b/c you can get them for 270-ish rather than 440.
my concern is exactly what you said about the flex b/c i would hate to sacrifice any of that snap off the wake just to land a bit smoother (although my board really does and like a pillow with the vhull they put on it)
(BTW, what do you drive? had to ask B/c of the name)