KITEBOARDER COMING BACK TO WAKEBOARDING . BOARD HELP PLS

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

Hi guys …. Im sure u see this request a lot but im hoping a few of me might be able to offer some help or give suggestions on where to find help.
I'm looking for a wakeboard . Im 31, 6'3 , 200 - 210 lbs , been wakeboarding on and off for 15 yrs. I never really had the opportunity to progress much further than wake to wake jumps but I'm very comfortable behind the boat. I have also been kitesurfing for 4 yrs and ride at an advanced level . Like kiting i will be looking for a board that has good pop and will be great for powered moves. I don't want a board that is too slippery so pls steer me away from that or 2 heavy.(for those of you who kite u will know that there isn’t that much rocker in kiteboards) Am happy to buy something high end if thats what i need but have heard that some of the pro rider boards are probably going to be too aggressive for me. I also need bindings . Close toe or open toe ? Don't really want something too stiff because I'm used to open footstraps from kiting. Lastly this will prely be for boat riding as no cable parks in HK
THANKS A LOT for your help

So far i have had Ronix Relick bindings and either a Ronix bill or One 142 board recommended

I am fortunately enough to not really have a budget but am looking for something that will last me a few years So pls fire away !

Enygma · Soul Rider Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 356

Ronix boards are great if you're not looking for something slippery. I've ridden Liquid Force, Hyperlite and CWB as well and found all 3 were a LOT more slippy then my Ronix. Ronix just seems to be known for their boards having a really locked down feel to them.

I should mention that my Ronix is a slight 3-stage rocker and I'm 90% sure the others I had ridden were all continuous rocker lines. Which would contribute heavily to how fast or slippery the board would feel.

Ronix or Liquid Force bindings are nice. Do NOT get those CWB hinge back POS's My buddies aren't even a year old and the hinge just pops itself out everyone once in a while.

As for open toe or closed toe that's up to you. Some people say they feel more control with a closed toe but I personally like the feeling of the water rushing through my toes and the whole open toe experience.

3MileBayWaker · Posted: Aug 07, 2011 10:45 pm Post subject:

I'm the same height and weight, I ride a LF Trip and despite the negative CWB hinge comment above i've never had a single problem with my CWB Answers in 3 years. My bindings are the 08's, maybe the quality went down or he got a defective boot.

The board has decent pop, a little bit of flex and tracks well. Easy enough to break loose when wanted.

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

Great guys thanks for the feedback .... i think i am going to go with a Ronix . Now just trying to work out what is going to suit me best.

TAMELESSTGR · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2011 Posts: 41

Ronix has a nice matrix of the boards they make, and what ride you are looking for. I bought a Vault and enjoy it a lot, I might suggest the Ronix Mana board, it is supposed to be a little edgier. I feel my Ronix Divide boots could have a little more cushion, but they are the entry level boot.

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

Yeah , i am looking at the ONE and Bill because those are the ones that have been suggested to me. I am v open to looking at other stuff > is there anything out there that describes all the boards and what mkt they are aimed at ?

Wakeboarder3780 · Posted: Aug 09, 2011 5:17 am Post subject:

wait a second so now we're saying an entire brand of boards is more grippy than another brand? I'm kind of surprised this advice actually steered someone towards a board. We all know that if you want more grip you simply put on bigger fins right?

I will definitely say that i havent ridden a ronix, but buying a brand because they're more grippy than another brand has to be some of the worst advice i've ever heard of.

I will be of no help to you because I particularly like sloppy and loose boards. Did anyone even feel it necessary to mention that you can take a completely featureless bottom like a slingshot and as long as you still have proper edging technique you can cut just as hard as any other board?

I think we're leading the OP a little astray here. Just my $.02

Edit: If you want good tracking look for boards that have channels grooved in the bottoms, cupped fins, and bigger fins (or just the ability to add the center fin). If you want tracking, thats what you look for. You will have to decide what rocker line is right for you, and then you're set. Then you can pick any brand board that has those features and it will probably work just fine for you.

TAMELESSTGR · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2011 Posts: 41

This is what I was referring to:

http://www.ronixwake.com/_media/tags//BOARD-101_F9SCHR2.pdf

I agree that you can make a board handle better with more fin, my Vault is a lot looser without the center fins. The 1.7's it came with were too much. I have the 1.0" ramp fin and it offers more carving but still slides around when I want.

FlyZone CR · Posted: Aug 09, 2011 3:15 pm Post subject:

Try a LF Witness. Pretty loose when not on edge, but once you put it on edge it tracks like nothing else.

TheHebrewHammer · Addict Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 526

If you want to get a good idea of what kinds of riders the various Ronix models are aimed at, just go on their website and spend 5 minutes reading their descriptions/watching their videos. They do a pretty good job of explaining themselves.

Here's what I gathered from research, hearsay, and limited personal experience. Ronix people, correct me if I'm wrong.

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Ibex: Parks' board. Very wide. Lots of surface area: helps with pop. Big 3-stage rocker. Awesome pop! Not the fastest board out there but it's supposedly gotten faster in recent years. Great for wake-to-wake riding. Supposedly a good board for heavier people. Makes sense, as Parks is a beefy guy.

One: Danny's board. Hugely popular. Everyone and their dog's got it. Pretty sticky on the surface with the standard 1-inch fins. Sucks for surface spins. Might be better finless or with smaller fins. Faster than the Ibex. Faster than almost any other 3-stage board, in fact. Awesome 3-stage pop. Great for aggressive edging, but not very forgiving if you get it wrong on a slide or a sketchy landing. Can go wake-to-wake or into the flats with equal ease.

Bill: Adam Errington's board. Supposedly looser than the One. Hybrid rocker. Sick graphics if you like flashy stuff. Good for wake-to-wake stuff and going into the flats. I'm not sure how loose it is on the surface.

Viva: Chad Sharpe's board. A real knife-edge charger. Built for speed. Relatively mellow hybrid rocker, but I'm told it still has good pop. Awesome for blasting glides and raleys into the flats. Very consistent. Sticky. Carves and tracks like nothing else!

Mana: Dean Smith's board. Ridiculous 3-stage rocker line! The ends are kicked up at 11 degrees. It's nuts to see in person. It looks like a freakin' skateboard! As a result, HUGE vertical pop! I'm told it's surprisingly fast and pretty tracky with the standard fin setup. Landings on it look pretty harsh from what I've seen in videos, but I haven't had a chance to try it. If I could demo any Ronix board, it would be this one! Cheaper than some of the other Ronix pro models because it doesn't have the Carbon R3 or ATR construction.

Phoenix Project: Erik Ruck's board. Ronix's entry into the flex market. I'm told it's more on the hybrid flex side, i.e. stiffer than a true flex board. I'm told this really helps it pop behind the boat. Still has plenty of flex to press out on rails. Not sure what its rocker line is.

Vault: I think Brad Smeele had a hand in designing this. Not sure. It's a directional board that helps your toeside edge. Good for beginners, but could be pretty weird when you're riding switch.

I don't know anything about Oli Derome's board, the District.

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Hope that helps! Feel free to add your knowledge/experience or correct me.

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

Wow thats awesome ! Thanks v much for making such an effort! This i am now leaning towards the Ibex and One. Gonna try a 2010 Ibex this weekend.

Enygma · Soul Rider Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 356

Enygma · Soul Rider Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 356

TheHebrewHammer · Addict Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 526

TAMELESSTGR · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2011 Posts: 41

I have the Vault. If you look at pictures, the toeside has a carved cut leading into your toe. Here is a good video explaining it.
http://youtu.be/DMdD4npwNQk

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

I see that the 2012 boards are starting to hit the mkt ... should i be waiting for the new ones or is there usually not much of a difference year 2 year ?

TheHebrewHammer · Addict Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 526

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

Went out for a few hrs on the 2010 Ronix Ibex . Awesome board think it fitted what i am looking for perfectly . Now i have a feeling for what i am looking for can someone tell me how the Ibex and One differ as i wont have the chance to check out the One.
Also does anyone know anything about the 2012 Ibex and how it will differ from the 2011 ?

Thanks

TheHebrewHammer · Addict Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 526

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

Ahhhh ok . I did find that the Ibex tended to shoot me up rather than up and over the wake. Actually struggled to get wake to wake...... will the One help sort that issue out ? Im sure most of it is my rubbish technique

TheHebrewHammer · Addict Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 526

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

Cool thanks ! Given my weight should i be going for the 142 or 146 ?

TheHebrewHammer · Addict Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 526

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

Right , last 2 questions ...... Should i be waiting for the 2012 line ones or should i pick up a 2011 on sale. ANDDDDDDDDD Should i be going for the standard or the atr ? I wont be doing any sliders etc but i heard the atrs have a little more pop.

Thanks again to everyone for all their help !!!

TheHebrewHammer · Addict Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 526

Dragonpig · Newbie Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 15

Thanks so much bro ! Any fins u suggest i go with instead while I'm ordering ?

TheHebrewHammer · Addict Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 526

Sorry, but I really don't know much about mixing and matching fins because I never have to do that as a Liquid Force guy Laughing

Ask Ronix or someone knowledgeable if Hyperlite fins would be compatible and check out some of their metal fins. I forget what size they are, but they're nice and thin and more durable than the plastic Ronix fins.