Rider: Weight 70kg
Style: Strapless surf
Weather: 16-20 knots
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Disclosure: Team Rider (Ozone, AKS)
My Comments:
North Whip
This board is fun!
Imagine instant planing, rollercoaster turns and controlled slides that go schraaaaaalp. Funny as it sounds, this is the best way I can find to describe this board. It feels alive and fun.
I used it on the City Beach to Scarborough down wind run on a small day that didn't seem to have a great deal to offer. The board rode smooth like the Wam but had a very lively feel.
It has a bit of extra width that gets it up and planing from a very low speed. The extra rocker brings it to life in small waves or chop. The funny looking tail and quad fin setup seems to be the reason for the super responsive turns giving the confidence to commit to super quick in the pocket turns. In some turns, it feels like it generates even faster speed on exit than you had coming into the turn. Push a little harder and the quad breaks free sending you into a slide that makes you think the board would be just as happy and controlled going sideways or backwards.
It would be interesting to try it in bigger waves. You would think that the outline, quad fins and rocker would make it too slow and twitchy to feel confident and committed in high speed turns. Although it is designed specifically for small surf I have a feeling it could handle the occasional bigger day as long as you were able to relax and use light heel or toe pressure to maintain smooth drawn out bottom turns.
I think for the kiting we do around Perth, it could be the ideal board. I had to give the demo 5'7" back to AKS so Darren could take it to Kitestock but I reckon I'll try to coincidentally drop in next week to see if I can 'test' it again 
