Length (cm) 246
Width (cm) 73
Vol (L) 135
Weight (Kg) 10.35
Fin Tiga Freerdie 42cm (Deep Tuttle)
Sail Range 6.0-8.5m
Price £769.00
LARGE FREERIDE BOARD TEST
The from Tiga was designed primarily to
‘put the fun back into boarding’ offering a range of
three boards, the 135 being the middle sibling. More
conventional than the Hyper-X designs, they are
larger volume wise, with more length and rocker
scoop, intended for improved ease and glide over the
water’s surface whilst making the ride exciting and
rewarding. The 135 has a very rounded plan shape,
its maximum width located around the board’s
midpoint before tapering smoothly down to the tail. It
is a very interesting design with a lot of detail on both
its hull and deck, whilst its profile is quite chunky
throughout, possessing a lot of rocker flat before
ending in sudden nose kick. The underside displays a
great deal of shape including pronounced double
concave along much of the board’s length, especially
in the shoulders, before finishing with well-defined vee
in the tail. Not to be outdone, the deck boasts a
concaved deck around the mast track to become flat
between the straps with pronounced dome on the
tail’s edges, and including a couple of scoops behind
the back straps. Constructed in carbon sandwich
technology, the Free-X is relatively heavy at 10.35kg
and comes supplied with a 42cm fin and very
adjustable yet firm straps.
Ride and Handling
Due to its weight, the Tiga’s progression onto the
plane is steady rather than spontaneous, ideally being
partnered with a powerful bottom-end oriented sail.
Once going it has a very easy smooth manner through
the water, picking up speed as it releases steadily.
Comfortable being sailed at half-speed, the tail retains
good contact with the water, making the board very
controllable and responsive to alterations in foot
pressure. As such the 135 is accommodating and
dependable for the intermediate, the training strap
positions ideal for a rider new to a planing
environment. Place the straps in their outboard
settings and the board has a new lease of life when
fully powered, the fin supplying extra lift to raise the
board further out of the water. In comfortably powered
conditions, the Tiga proved to have an excellent turn
of speed especially off the wind. The shoulders of the
board sit quite low to the water, whilst the nose kick at
the end makes the board seem to hunt around slightly,
giving it quite a lively, energetic nature. The deckpads
are firm underfoot as are the footstraps, giving the
board quite a direct and involving ride, which may well
unnerve the inexperienced, making it rather tiring to
sail. The more proficient sailor will relish this feedback
however, allowing them to lock out their stance and
drive the board off its fin, and explore its range. In
heavy chop, the 135 does require more concentration
to trim correctly, the shoulders catching and creating
quite a bit of spray if care is not taken.
Manoeuvres
It is in the gybe that the Free-X really shows its
worth, cutting a supremely smooth and confident
turn, whilst showing a great deal of versatility to the
carving angle it can adopt. With momentum behind
it, the weight of the 135 didn’t seem to affect it in the
slightest, holding its speed through the corner well,
its concave deck providing the stability upon exit.
Likewise in the tack, the Tiga carves up to the eye of
the wind easily and gives the rider plenty of time to
complete the manoeuvre.
For: Gybing versatility and performance with an
exciting nature.
Against: Not the earliest to plane, and sensitive to
trim in choppy conditions.
board Ride and Handling etiketine sahip kayıtlar gösteriliyor. Tüm kayıtları göster
board Ride and Handling etiketine sahip kayıtlar gösteriliyor. Tüm kayıtları göster
1 Mayıs 2009 Cuma
30 Nisan 2009 Perşembe
Naish Icon 130
Length (cm) 249
Width (cm) 71
Vol (L) 130
Weight (Kg) 9.65
Fin Naish 40cm (Power)
Sail Range 5.8-8.0m
Price 799.00
The Icon is new to the Naish line-up for this season,
replacing the Titan after its range had only just been
modified for 2005. Designed for maximum
performance from minimum effort, the four boards in
the series have a wide target audience, from “the
sailor taking their first steps onto a short-board, to
the ambitious slalom sailor looking for a light air
freeride/slalom solution.” Short and wide, the 130
has a thick boxy profile throughout, with plenty of
volume concentrated around the mast track. The
deck is very flat in the nose, which combined with
the subtle nose rocker makes the board seem very
flat overall indeed. On the underside it has a
progressive increase in vee towards the tail,
complimented with bevels in the nose and
shoulders. The rails on the other hand have a sharp
edge and only experience a slight tuck from the
mast track onwards. Produced in a new glass
sandwich construction, it has an inbuilt railband for
additional durability and comes complete with a
40cm freerace fin, heel cushioned deckpads and
Naish’s characteristic firm footstraps, giving it a very
well finished appearance.
Ride and Handling
On the water the Naish has a very distinct character,
unique from anything else in the group. Feeling
quite small and compact underfoot compared to
others here, it takes a little more energy to release,
rising steadily from the water once its planing
threshold is exceeded. There are a couple of
inboard strap positions available, making the board
viable for the ambitious intermediate. Used in
comfortably powered conditions with outboard
straps, it has a good turn of speed, providing plenty
of feedback from the fin as it skims over the water.
With its flat nose sitting low to the water’s surface, it
just asks to be driven through the back foot, the
rider’s feet locked comfortably out on the board’s
deckpads that wrap round its boxy rails. The hull
does feel quite stiff and sharp when sailing it, and
despite the cushioned pads absorbing some of the
impact as you sail over chop, the ride is rather
involving, the pilot continually informed of every
bump and chop that they sail over. This is
particularly noticeable when taking the Icon out in
overpowered conditions, where it does become
technical to trim efficiently, the board tipping from
side to side and requiring a firm hand to regain
command over it. This is partly due to the hard
footstraps that provide little support or comfort to
help to rider trim the board ideally. More interesting
to sail for the experienced rider than many here, the
Icon is a wearing board to sail for long periods if you
are not use to its direct style.
Manoeuvres
Entering the gybe with speed, the Icon has only one
true turning arc that it likes to prescribe, feeling
rather twitchy and insecure if you force it into a
tighter carve. Get the angle right and it bites well, the
flat deck helping to stabilise the board upon exit. In
chop the board’s boxy shoulders demand
concentration from the rider to engage, bouncing
out of the turn if constant even pressure is not
applied.
For: Suited for those that like a harder more direct
ride.
Against: Twitchy and unforgiving in the gybe. Lack
of comfort in chop.
Width (cm) 71
Vol (L) 130
Weight (Kg) 9.65
Fin Naish 40cm (Power)
Sail Range 5.8-8.0m
Price 799.00
The Icon is new to the Naish line-up for this season,
replacing the Titan after its range had only just been
modified for 2005. Designed for maximum
performance from minimum effort, the four boards in
the series have a wide target audience, from “the
sailor taking their first steps onto a short-board, to
the ambitious slalom sailor looking for a light air
freeride/slalom solution.” Short and wide, the 130
has a thick boxy profile throughout, with plenty of
volume concentrated around the mast track. The
deck is very flat in the nose, which combined with
the subtle nose rocker makes the board seem very
flat overall indeed. On the underside it has a
progressive increase in vee towards the tail,
complimented with bevels in the nose and
shoulders. The rails on the other hand have a sharp
edge and only experience a slight tuck from the
mast track onwards. Produced in a new glass
sandwich construction, it has an inbuilt railband for
additional durability and comes complete with a
40cm freerace fin, heel cushioned deckpads and
Naish’s characteristic firm footstraps, giving it a very
well finished appearance.
Ride and Handling
On the water the Naish has a very distinct character,
unique from anything else in the group. Feeling
quite small and compact underfoot compared to
others here, it takes a little more energy to release,
rising steadily from the water once its planing
threshold is exceeded. There are a couple of
inboard strap positions available, making the board
viable for the ambitious intermediate. Used in
comfortably powered conditions with outboard
straps, it has a good turn of speed, providing plenty
of feedback from the fin as it skims over the water.
With its flat nose sitting low to the water’s surface, it
just asks to be driven through the back foot, the
rider’s feet locked comfortably out on the board’s
deckpads that wrap round its boxy rails. The hull
does feel quite stiff and sharp when sailing it, and
despite the cushioned pads absorbing some of the
impact as you sail over chop, the ride is rather
involving, the pilot continually informed of every
bump and chop that they sail over. This is
particularly noticeable when taking the Icon out in
overpowered conditions, where it does become
technical to trim efficiently, the board tipping from
side to side and requiring a firm hand to regain
command over it. This is partly due to the hard
footstraps that provide little support or comfort to
help to rider trim the board ideally. More interesting
to sail for the experienced rider than many here, the
Icon is a wearing board to sail for long periods if you
are not use to its direct style.
Manoeuvres
Entering the gybe with speed, the Icon has only one
true turning arc that it likes to prescribe, feeling
rather twitchy and insecure if you force it into a
tighter carve. Get the angle right and it bites well, the
flat deck helping to stabilise the board upon exit. In
chop the board’s boxy shoulders demand
concentration from the rider to engage, bouncing
out of the turn if constant even pressure is not
applied.
For: Suited for those that like a harder more direct
ride.
Against: Twitchy and unforgiving in the gybe. Lack
of comfort in chop.
F2 Hornet 134
The Hornet is F2’s freeride/freerace board,
available in either standard construction with a high
resistance skin finish (as the one tested here), or in
a ‘Limited’ version using carbon wood sandwich
technology (the 134 and 144 only). The smallest in
a three-board line-up, the 134 is relatively long and
narrow when compared to the rest in this test
group, with a square tail shape and even volume
distribution throughout. Described as a ‘raceoriented
bottom shape’, the hull sees a
combination of vee and double concaves in the
nose and shoulders progressing to pronounced
vee in the tail. What is more eye-catching are the
bevels that extend from between the straps to right
up beyond the shoulders, being very prominent in
the board’s mid-section. On the topside, the deck
shape is subtly domed throughout, and hosts the
board’s excellent extended deckpad, providing
good adhesion to the board. Supplied with the
supportive straps and a 46cm fin, the Hornet looks
rather conservative in its blue and silver livery this
year, not really matching its name!
Ride and Handling
With a good number of blasting and training strap
options, the Hornet can cater for the low
intermediate progressing into planing conditions for
the first time, right up to the advanced sailor.
Trimming itself level at idle, it cruises up onto the top
of the water as power is provided, requiring little
input from the rider. The deckpad offers a great deal
of support as you advance down the board, the
footstraps being very easy to locate and placing the
rider’s feet in a versatile position, allowing them to
adjust their stance according to their riding style.
Steady and dependable underfoot, the Hornet gains
speed gradually and can be used to cruise around
for long periods, pointing upwind easily and altering
its course smoothly. The tail of the board retains
good contact with the water at all times to assist
control whilst the fin compliments the board’s nature
exceptionally well, providing a secure surface to
push against and never losing its composure or
providing too much lift, even in severe conditions.
When we tried loading the Hornet to further its
speed, it didn’t really respond positively so is not
really suited for expert sailors looking for a lively
platform to make the most of light or variable winds.
Instead the 134 is a safe and practical board for the
intermediate sailor, capable of tutoring them
smoothly into planing conditions, being
straightforward and easy to sail well.
Manoeuvres
With a good degree of tuck in its rails, the Hornet is
not surprisingly very easy to engage into the gybe,
holding its edge in well through a smooth
predictable arc. As such it is ideal for intermediates
learning to get round the gybe, entering in a
controlled fashion and carving instinctively, not
doing anything untoward. For those that can already
gybe however, the Hornet doesn’t have the versatility
to further you’re progression. If you enter
aggressively, ploughing the board into the turn, its
shoulders seem to sink and stall a little in the water,
scrubbing off much of its speed.
For: Practical tutor for the progressing sailor.
Against: Ride doesn’t have the life to captivate the
expert rider.
available in either standard construction with a high
resistance skin finish (as the one tested here), or in
a ‘Limited’ version using carbon wood sandwich
technology (the 134 and 144 only). The smallest in
a three-board line-up, the 134 is relatively long and
narrow when compared to the rest in this test
group, with a square tail shape and even volume
distribution throughout. Described as a ‘raceoriented
bottom shape’, the hull sees a
combination of vee and double concaves in the
nose and shoulders progressing to pronounced
vee in the tail. What is more eye-catching are the
bevels that extend from between the straps to right
up beyond the shoulders, being very prominent in
the board’s mid-section. On the topside, the deck
shape is subtly domed throughout, and hosts the
board’s excellent extended deckpad, providing
good adhesion to the board. Supplied with the
supportive straps and a 46cm fin, the Hornet looks
rather conservative in its blue and silver livery this
year, not really matching its name!
Ride and Handling
With a good number of blasting and training strap
options, the Hornet can cater for the low
intermediate progressing into planing conditions for
the first time, right up to the advanced sailor.
Trimming itself level at idle, it cruises up onto the top
of the water as power is provided, requiring little
input from the rider. The deckpad offers a great deal
of support as you advance down the board, the
footstraps being very easy to locate and placing the
rider’s feet in a versatile position, allowing them to
adjust their stance according to their riding style.
Steady and dependable underfoot, the Hornet gains
speed gradually and can be used to cruise around
for long periods, pointing upwind easily and altering
its course smoothly. The tail of the board retains
good contact with the water at all times to assist
control whilst the fin compliments the board’s nature
exceptionally well, providing a secure surface to
push against and never losing its composure or
providing too much lift, even in severe conditions.
When we tried loading the Hornet to further its
speed, it didn’t really respond positively so is not
really suited for expert sailors looking for a lively
platform to make the most of light or variable winds.
Instead the 134 is a safe and practical board for the
intermediate sailor, capable of tutoring them
smoothly into planing conditions, being
straightforward and easy to sail well.
Manoeuvres
With a good degree of tuck in its rails, the Hornet is
not surprisingly very easy to engage into the gybe,
holding its edge in well through a smooth
predictable arc. As such it is ideal for intermediates
learning to get round the gybe, entering in a
controlled fashion and carving instinctively, not
doing anything untoward. For those that can already
gybe however, the Hornet doesn’t have the versatility
to further you’re progression. If you enter
aggressively, ploughing the board into the turn, its
shoulders seem to sink and stall a little in the water,
scrubbing off much of its speed.
For: Practical tutor for the progressing sailor.
Against: Ride doesn’t have the life to captivate the
expert rider.
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