Took one of these out for a blast today in gusty 10/20knt winds and choppy conditions. Really struggled,dont have problems with a freeride or a fsw of this size,are ss used for flat wAter only . felt like I was riding a bucking bronco,all the guys using fanatics left me in their wake! I was using a6.7 hellcat which for the most part felt like plenty although everyone else was using 7.0 rs sails
From memory the SS is quite slalomy in nature and the Hellcat isn't overly powerful. You need to play with mast position and boom to maintain good mast foot pressure and ride the board off the fin to fly over the bumps.
Dialed in on the SS, you'll be sailing alongside (if not passing) your mates on slalom boards.
Just Purchase a new (09) model, have only ridden it once so a bit hard to comment yet, its different to what i was coming off (86ltr Isconic) I wanted more volume for lulls,(thats QLD for wind!) must say it did rail up which was weird, Gybes super well almost waveboard well!
Ive set my back straps inboard 1 notch and will see next time (I was searching for back strap a bit).
I purchased off the back of testing a really nice 2011 118 JPSS (see the JP Australia trailer did work!) and **** loads of research...
So far seems super fast, not super quick to pop onto plane, but flew off the wind at a scary pace!
I'm thinking its just a little technique adjustment and retuning what and where things go...feels very compfy and build quality seems great.
Will follow up when I have had some decent sail time..
I rode the NP/JP SuperSports 119 on the demo day at Shearwater on the Gold Coast with a 7.2 NP H2 sail.
Thought it was pretty good, gybed really well compared to the JP Slalom I usually ride. Did not blow one gybe. Also was quite quick and handled the chop much better than the slalom would have but it felt just a tad down on outright speed.
For flat water or a little chop you usually can't beat a slalom, but when it gets a bit choppy or lumpy and you want a fair degree of board control, the SS is a great board IMO. 
I have had my 109 L SS for over a year now (replaced an X-cite ride 120L). I mainly use 7.5m - 5.9m sails in the bay with 42cm - 30cm fins. Its an awesome board, really quick to get planing and so easy to gybe. One thing I noticed is that when the wind picks up you have to keep fully committed to your harness. If you lift off for a second then the bucking will start.
Its great at Sandy Point, sailed with a 5.2m sail with the 30cm fin and its was great fun ( see mike100gorman on youtube for a vid).
My advice, get at least 3 fins and you will fly.
Your right about committing to the harness, i had to really sink into it to keep the board trimmed over the chop etc, The board felt really fast once i had more time to dial it in and adjust foot straps etc, torn between jp, fanatic or a tabou, jumped on the tabou mantra and it just went like **** of a slippery shovel, control was awesome over chop, and turned on a dime.
Need to think about replacing my 120 excite ride as its getting on abit now, its been a great relationship but i feel that i need to move on with things. Need a big board (120) and a big sail, thinking RS 7.2 or something like that, thats a point does anyone know if it will rig on a 460 80% powerex mast ok????
Been using the 2011 109L and 118L this season, both feel to be a big improvement to previous years.
The 2011's come with double concaves which soften up the ride and the race deck under the footstraps makes life easier as well.
The 109 is comparable in speed to my 65cm Slalom VI.
Sail both with either 7.0, 7.8 RSS's or 5.8, 6.7(RIP) RSR's
