2016 Alliance Board Test Intro

2016 Alliance Board Test

Behold the latest Alliance Board Test. In what has become one of our most popular projects over the last six years, we bring to you the biggest and best version ever. Not only do the following pages contain 25 of the latest, greatest boards, but they have been tested by a group of riders that is more experienced and equipped to give advice and reviews than ever before.

Trends in board shapes and designs are always interesting to follow, and that is no different for 2016. What is interesting to note is the amount of park specific vs boat specific boards being produced by each manufacturer. Whereas a few years ago the goal seemed to be creating the ultimate “all-in-one” board, companies are now focused on dialing in specific boards for specific activities. Of course, there are still great jack-of-all-trades boards out there for those of you riding boat and cable regularly on a one-board budget, but this year’s test really highlights boards for distinct areas of riding. Ultimately buying a new wakeboard is no easy decision, and while the Board Test just scratches the surface of all the options available, this is the best place for you to start.

TESTERS

Tony Carroll
Originally hailing from Fresno, CA, Tony has been a constant in the pro Orlando scene for years. He has continually progressed his riding and become one of the most consistent riders on the water, currently in the Top 10 of the WWA overall rankings. Tony’s style is unique and unmatched, and he was a great all-around addition to the testing crew.

Age: 26 (for boat testing) / 27 (for cable testing)
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 190 lbs
Favorite Boat Boards Favorite Cable Boards

1. O’Brien Revo 1. Byerly Felix
2. Liquid Force Next 2. Liquid Force Dose Shane
3. Byerly Felix 3. Humanoid O’Shea Park

Trevor Hansen
One of the most decorated veterans of the sport, Trevor has been a pro wakeboarder for longer than we can count. Trevor has been helping design and shape boards for years, giving him unique insight and knowledge into how a board should ride and why. Plus, his sense of humor goes a long way in making sure everybody around him is having a good time. As he likes to say, if it weren’t for Parks Bonifay, he might have might have been the first ski baby.

Age: 30
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 165 lbs
Favorite Boat Boards Favorite Cable Boards

1. Byerly BP 1. Humanoid O’Shea Park
2. Hyperlite Murray 2. Humanoid Mitch Pro
3. Liquid Force Next 3. Liquid Force Dose Shane

Robby Holihan
A young Orlando grom who continues to come into his own, Robby has progressed into an awesome all-around rider comfortable behind the boat and in the park. Currently a freshman at UCF in Orlando, Robby squeezed in time between midterms to test all the boards with us (we promise he didn’t play hooky, Mrs. Holihan!) His only problem was being paired with Trevor during most of the boat testing, which made it hard for him to concentrate because of all the laughing.

Age: 19
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 175 lbs (thanks, Jenny Craig!)
Favorite Boat Boards Favorite Cable Boards

1. Liquid Force Next 1. O’Brien Breddas
2. O’Brien CTP 2. Humanoid O’Shea Park
3. Hyperlite Murray 3. Liquid Force Dose Shan

Gus Shuler
The younger of the Shuler brothers, Gus has a style behind the boat that is really fun to watch. Despite his relative youth, Gus knows a lot when it comes to board shapes and designs. He’s ridden a lot of different ones over the years as he’s been on the water his whole life. His versatility off the wake and in the park, as well as in other boardsports (he left for Colorado the day after testing was over to start the snowboard competition season), made him a valuable asset to the Board Test.

Age: 20
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 120 lbs
Favorite Boat Boards Favorite Cable Boards

1. Liquid Force Next 1. Byerly Felix
2. Byerly BP 2. Liquid Force Dose Shane
3. Hyperlite Murray 3. CWB Honey Badger

THE RATING SYSTEM
Our rating system was set up on a scale of 1-5, but pay attention because in some cases a score of 1 does not necessarily mean “bad.”

Boat:

On the water:
Speed (1=Pig, 5=Rocket)
Turning (1=Won’t turn, 5=Slaysher)
Edging (1=Slippery, 5=Locked in)
Tracking (1=Loose, 5=Locked in)
Landing (1=Brick, 5=Feather)

Off the wake:
Pop (1=Stuck to water, 5=Superpop)
Release (1=Slides off, 5=Releases late)

In the air:
Swing weight (1=Heavy, 5=Feather weight)

Cable:

On the water:
Speed (1=Pig, 5=Rocket)
Turning (1=Won’t turn, 5=Slaysher)
Edging (1=Slippery, 5=Locked in)
Tracking (1=Loose, 5=Locked in)
Ollie (1=Stuck to water, 5=Pogostick)
Landing (1=Brick, 5=Feather)

On obstacles:
Sliding speed (1=Sticky, 5=Dragster)
Maneuverability (1=Catchy, 5=Free)
Pressability (1=Rock solid, 5=Full court press)

Alliance Approved
See this logo next to a board in the following pages? That’s a good thing. It means, from a purely editorial standpoint, the board has earned the Alliance stamp of approval. Just know it is not something we hand out to anything with fins and a graphic; it requires very positive ratings and dialogue from everybody involved with the board test (but some sweet artwork doesn’t hurt, either).

THE BOARDS

Key:
0 Buff base (built for rails/obstacles)
1 Wood core
2 Foam core
3 Rods/stringers
4 Molded fins       
5 Removable fins
6 Other core material
7 Flex (rides with flex)