Any lighter freestylers out there? What board do you love?

amarie · Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Posts: 233 Location: Corpus Christi, TX

I started as a freestyler, but I've been mostly wave sailing for the past decade and have gotten really out of the loop (pun intended). I would like to add a dedicated freestyle board back to my quiver, but I'm not sure where to start. There's nothing locally available to try, although our local dealer can get the Starboard Ignite (and probably some other brands like JP) on closeout. I'd have to buy without trying. It's pretty windy here, so a size in the 90-95L range would be the biggest I'd want. I can still do all the same things I learned years ago on my 80L wave board, but my goal would be to learn new things, so a board geared supporting that. Anyone have a not-huge freestyle board they love and would recommend?

rigitrite · Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 520 Location: Kansas City

Not sure how your local dealer will be able to get a Starboard Ignite, since they're not gonna be available until Feb. 2020. They've been getting great reviews, and Steven Van Brockhoven won the last PWA freestyle event on one. Considering where you are, you could get a crazy good deal on a used 90 litre Fanatic Skate from World Winds. I just bought a Severne Psycho based on reviews from Mike Burns, and that comes in a 90 litre version. You won't find one of those cheap though, since they just came out a year ago. My 90 litre freestyle board is a Tabou Twister, which I like, but others have had mixed reviews on. Anthony Runes has no trouble doing freestyle on one though! I think you can't go wrong with 90 litre versions of the following: Fanatic Skate, Starboard Flare, Severne Psycho.

manuel · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 1158

I tried 2012 jp models in 88 & 106 versions.
The 88 felt really small, the 106 felt big but surprisingly manageable.

Detailed tests here: http://windsurfing.lepicture.com/board-tests/#2012-JP-FS

boardsurfr · Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266

Nina loves her Fanatic Skate 86. It has replaced her older Skate 90 (now her foil board), and she says it feels as big and has better pop. We'll be at BIB and Grassy Point for a couple of months next winter.

amarie · Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Posts: 233 Location: Corpus Christi, TX

I tried to reply a while ago and I don’t know why it’s not letting me, but rigitrite is correct that i had the model name wrong on the starboard, i was back and forth on web pages and mistakenly wrote the 2020 model name. The 2019 model is of course the one on closeout.

Boardsurfr, I have always been impressed with Fanatic's pure freestyle boards but have not physically tried one in many years. It's good to hear a recent positive review.

rigitrite · Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 520 Location: Kansas City

Just go over to WorldWinds and rent a Skate for a couple hours; see how you like it. I bought my first Skate from them (a used 2015) three years ago: great board!

U2U2U2 · Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 10:20 am Post subject:

Fanatic Skate, any year or size has been a winner. Mine is great. Also have a 93 older JP that I like. These 2 brands are both excellent.

amarie · Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Posts: 233 Location: Corpus Christi, TX

ss59 · Joined: 10 Nov 2016 Posts: 104

Just be a little cautious with the year board you go for as the shape concept has changed a fair bit over time.

I think older freestyle boards (c2010) were very good for fast carving moves as well as new school freestyle. The 2010-2011 Starboard Flare 98 was an all-time classic shape for that type of sailing.

As the freestyle discipline developed, in around 2012, some of the shapes were much more dedicated and focused explicitly on pop and spinning aerial moves. As a result, I think, the shapes lost some of their more general appeal. Interestingly, Fanatic did two different ranges of Freestyle boards 2013 to 2017, a Team Edition (short, wide, domed decked dedicated FS) and a standard (longer, narrower allrounder)

By 2016, the SB Flare was a lot more like the older designs in allround appeal, and the 2020 SB Ignite looks like a complete return back to the broader, less dedicated freestyle appeal of the older boards while maintaining the ability to be a world-class FS board.

All depends on what you want to do on a freestyle board.

also worth checking on the fin boxes, one year one of the brands used a slot box which some people didn't like

philodog · Joined: 28 Apr 2000 Posts: 209

I have used an 86 Skate for 3 years now as my only board in the Gorge and La Ventana and absolutely love it for both freestyle and swell. 3.2-4.7