I managed to get a couple of waves today on the new 74 evil twin. I am known to be a bit sceptical of new marketing hype and usual BS and am known to be a wave sailor of average ability and very little talent(not having sailed for 3 months I was a total gumby for most of the day). I just look for something that allows me to turn without requiring heaps of effort, talent or style.
So is the twin thing all hype? - NO it is not.
Are twins going to take over for good? - probably not.
Did it make me into kauli? - no but someone with talent can gain extra "squirt".
Are they worth a go / or worth buying? - My first thoughts were "fad" but now I suggest serious consideration.
I have just read the comments on the JP twin that Lindstoms posted and found similar conclusions with the starboard evil twin.
The 74 feels different to the evo's I ride as it is thicker through the deck while the evos' feel flat and wide. The evil twin does not feel as wide, more like a trad shape but with a full tail. I love my evos for the easy turning ability in the weak waves I get to sail in and I find most boards (trads) a little stiff in the top turn and not quite as loose in the bottom turn. (the evo 70 2007 is a hard board to beat for riding ease and comfort - the new 09 70 is just the same having ridden it also today)
The evil twin gives the evo bottom turn with a much tighter, snappier, sharper more pivoting feeling off the top. Best of all it did not want to slide out of control of the top turn when you really push into it.
I tend to go too far out in the flats in the bottom but this board allowed this as well as the turn on the face that is the new style.
I did not notice any less ability to plane than my other boards and it did go upwind well. Speed was on par to what i'm used to so getting comfortable on this board took no time at all. If I can feel comfortable on the wave on a new board straight out of the box then I'm happy. A main point I noticed was that in the strong gusts when I would normally ride my 70, the 74 which feels quite a bit bigger, did not get unruly at all. It remided me of the old green surf 72 which was super comfortable in strong winds, often better than smaller boards at the time.
Other riders who had a go and have talent, really gave it a good go and they all had very positive views of the board. Unlike some of the other new twins the evil twin has a fairly wide tail and I think this really helped in the slightly onshore conditions and then felt great when the wind was more cross shore. Comments from guys on the beach about the others riding the twin were that they appeared to be turning with more snap and flow.
I think the evo is slightly better in onshore conditions but the twins are fine and and will absolutely fire when in proper cross, cross off condtions with good solid waves. I would need a bit more time to make full judgements but so far I am impressed. The Evil twin did everything I wanted and expected with no visible dis-advantages. I am seriously considering the replacement of my single fins for a twinny now.
If you like fast tail jumping boards you might not like these. If you ride thrusters you might be tempted and if you have a good turning single fin you might be tempted to swap. Definately try one if you can before you make a call one way or the other.
cheers
Paul
I tested the 74L Evil Twin at Dutchies on Saturday in cross shore winds and waist to shoulder high waves.
I have ridden a few twin fin customs before so I had some expectations of what a twinny should do; have excellent upwind ability, handle being overpowered, provide drive in the bottom turn without going out into the flats and a snappy top turn. So I was interested in how well the Evil Twin did in these areas.
On the beach
Outline
The outline of the Evil Twin was a surpise to me. The wide nose reminded me of the Evo but the widest point is well behind the mast track. "She's got wide hips" is how Marco described it. The swallow tail allows some width to be carried through the tail without adding length to the board.
Fittings
The footstraps were stiff and uncomfortable but don't hold as much water as Starboard straps used to. It is very difficult to adjust the size of the footstraps with a buckle sysem that I haven't seen before.
The footpads were really comfortable with the standard Starboard heel bumpers inset to the board and the one-way non-slip surface (foot slides in easy but doesn't slide out accidentally). The fins were short and stumpy with a wide cord.
On the water
The board feels compact and maneuverable under foot but gives a very controlled ride.
Upwind ability
The ET74 went upwind with ease and stayed on the plane when pointing very high (I would have been spinning out on my single fin). However I wasn't the highest-pointing sailor on the water.
Planing
The conditions on Saturday provided a very good range test for the ET since the wind was inconsistent but not gusty. I rigged 5.2 (weigh 80kg) and had 18-25knots. The ET is a tad slower to plane than the Evo75 (2009) but getting onto the plane is a cinch and once planing, the board carries speed through the lulls to stay on the plane.
Overpowered conditions
This is where twin fins reap it over single twins. Take out a bigger board than you usually would and you still remain in control. I understand this to be because the shorter twin fins don't give as deep a drive as a longer single fin would do, allowing the board to sit lower in the water and in control. The ET proved this point and although I was never truly overpowered during my test, the board was very fast and very controlled in the strongest gusts.
Wave riding
It's not the liveliest board but it was so easy to dial into. I felt like I had ridden it before. Classic drawn-out bottom turns feel natural on the ET - same as riding a single twin, but the real enjoyment comes from staying close to the pocket and really surfing the wave. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get vertical. Like really vertical! Without too much effort I could point the board straight back up the wave and ready to snap that max-G top turn.
The top turn is where twin fins have it, and the ET was no exception. It's easy to crank super pivotal cut backs without any hint of spin-out or loss of control. Then the board guides you back into the perfect position to set up your next bottom turn.
Summary
The Starboard Evil Twin 74 is a very accessible board that feels comfortable to ride and allows you to concentrate on your ride, not what the board's doing. It should definitely not be viewed as an "expert only" board and could be considered by any sailor who is confident with sailing in the waves. If you have a surfer's style you will probably adapt to the ET so quickly it will become your favourite board.
For sailors who want to sail with the classic drawn-out bottom turn / top turn combination, the ET may not have the full appeal. But if you want the ability to sail like that, and mix it up with some new-school wave style then the ET could be for you.
Compared to a single fin board, the Evil Twin didn't feel particularly different and I came away feeling like I'd had a good session, rather than being totally WOWed by a "new board concept".
I also reckon it would be fine for cross-onshore wave sailing, due to the wide tail and how it carries its speed through the turns.
Interesting posts - pls keep 'em coming!
So - twinnys lose out at the btm range slighltly but have a higher top end than single fins...is it fair to extrapoloate in terms of sail range theyd equate to one board smaller in the evo range then (ie ET 74 = Evo 70 and ET 80 = Evo 75), or is this too simplistic?
PS
Any one ridden the ET 80 yet?
Thanks,
Northy1
I reckon Starboard's gone for a safe option with their first twinny. No one's going to hate it (I wouldn't think) so it should be able to establish a decent reputation and reasonable sales.
But for me it just didn't have the WOW factor that I want my next board to have.
