What an amazing trip up the East Coast for the Noosa Festival of Surfing (one of the best events in Australia) having scored good waves at the Pass, D-Bah, Burleigh, First Point, Tea Tree, Snapper/Greenmount, Angourie & then Crescent to finish it off....All thanks to a nice East Coast low that had the whole coast pumping...Lucky I had a van full of boards & got to ride them all....(even woke up to pumping waves out front at my local this morning too)
Yesterday's surf at Crescent on the way home was one of the highlight's on the JL 8'5" Striker....The crowd was solid but the waves were non-stop so it meant plenty of waves for everyone....
The Striker is the perfect all-round board for Crescent because I have it set up as a normal thruster so it turns off the tail like my shortboard but then when you get those long lines in front of you you can nose ride it down the point...It's super stable so you can get amongst the pack without falling off & making a pest of yourself & looking like a goose...
It's all about having the right board for the conditions....
Anyway just thought I'd share....
Select to expand quoteJimmy Lewis Boards said..
What an amazing trip up the East Coast for the Noosa Festival of Surfing (one of the best events in Australia) having scored good waves at the Pass, D-Bah, Burleigh, First Point, Tea Tree, Snapper/Greenmount, Angourie & then Crescent to finish it off....All thanks to a nice East Coast low that had the whole coast pumping...Lucky I had a van full of boards & got to ride them all....(even woke up to pumping waves out front at my local this morning too)
Yesterday's surf at Crescent on the way home was one of the highlight's on the JL 8'5" Striker....The crowd was solid but the waves were non-stop so it meant plenty of waves for everyone....
The Striker is the perfect all-round board for Crescent because I have it set up as a normal thruster so it turns off the tail like my shortboard but then when you get those long lines in front of you you can nose ride it down the point...It's super stable so you can get amongst the pack without falling off & making a pest of yourself & looking like a goose...
It's all about having the right board for the conditions....
Anyway just thought I'd share....
Very nice surfing. Great looking boards, those Strikers. I like the white option too (the website usually says 'sold out' of everything except green or yellow).
What fins do you use for the thruster set up? Cheers. 
Hi McGuane,
I use futures ceramic Vector fins in the sides (I've had them for years & I don't think they even make them anymore but they have a kink in them & they work really well in sup's) & a 4.5" Futures fin in the centre box...
Thanks everyone for the nice comments....I'm lucky i have a partner who is into her photography...
great shots robbie ...have mine set up as a kwad ...goes nice as well..its a great 1 quiver board..
As a person with only 200+ hours supping or surfing, most on a Striker 8'11" since 2010. 76kg weight.
Beautifully made, durable, great full deck pad, looks great after 6-7 years.
Very stable, turns radically off the tail when going fast on a late face.
Can walk to the nose almost anytime, so wide up there.
Not that great for me in cross off winds and slow mushy waves.
Fairly slow board in these conditions.
Have much more success catching waves when feet are behind center.
Would much prefer a faster board unless noseriding were the focus.
Have learned to put much more oomph in my acceleration to catch waves, to compensate for slow waves, cross off wind and slower design.
Maybe, in better waves and with more skill positioning for speed.
Have had my perceptions confirmed by at least three other sources with surfing expertise.
Hi billekrub,
Thanks for your feedback & that's great going after 6-7 years....Try changing your fins for a completely different ride....Bigger side fins will give you more drive & speed out of your turns & smaller back fin will give it the looseness & less longboard feel...At 76kg you shouldn't have any trouble with stability as I'm 80kg & find the 8'5 & 8'11 Striker very stable...I do appreciate your feedback though....Happy sup'ing...
Thanks for the advice. Will change the fins as you suggest. Bigger side fins and smaller center.
Does my older striker have 4 inch side and 7 inch center, as spec'd for the present model? FYI it is on the beach and I have to bring the fins to the board without actually having the fins in hand. IIRC side fins are larger than 4 inches? The Center might be 7? Would you suggest 6 in front and 4 in the rear/center, or some variation on this? 2 x 6?" side futures and 1 x 4?" A box? Which of the fin sources would you recommend? Will also check with retail store in S Diego. Thanks for any suggestions in advance.
Anyone else got one with comments.
It's high on my list.
Hope to demo at upcoming sup event??
Select to expand quotewarwickl said..
Anyone else got one with comments.
It's high on my list.
Hope to demo at upcoming sup event??
Hi warwickl, i bought myself an 8'5" striker for Christmas and love it. I did have a 8'11" striker a few years ago which would have to be the "funnest" board I have ever surfed, but the 8'5" is better, if you are after a board that will cover all bases then this is the closest you will find to it, surfs great off the tail, but easy to get on the nose as well, I have a JL 9'6" black and blue, which is a full on old style log, that is a better noserider and an JL 8'3" supertech that is more high performance, but the striker gets surfed the most, make sure you you get to a demo soon
Select to expand quotewarwickl said..
Anyone else got one with comments.
It's high on my list.
Hope to demo at upcoming sup event??
warwickl how's your ECS noserider?
