Wow inexpensive boards finally here?
 

I've been making my own boards to get around the cost of these $900 boards... but then Best just came out with a new board... it's $369 COMPLETE.

That's super cheap!

Looking at the construction (poplar and foam core, biax, triax) it looks to be similar to most of the other modern step decks these days, and the size (129x40) is perfect for someone in the 170-200lb range. This is basically a cheap copy of the flexi, nobile, etc. Thin tips, stepped rails, and poplar for extra pop, and even airex foam core!

I am wondering if Best is now getting boards from the same factory as Nobile and Flexi. If they can sell this board for just over $300 how much were those other boards marked up? 200%? 300%? Crazy! The days of inexpensive kite gear are on the horizon!!

http://www.stpetekites.com/catalog/p...products_id=45


http://www.stpetekites.com/catalog/i...spark_pic1.jpg

Okay, I will bite.
Whose site is that? Bayflite's?
If so, 'bout friggin' time, since he's had a shop forever and most don't even know since he is so low key about sales.
Kind of the opposite of the "in your face, buy a kite" experience most receive at the SW.
Also, Bayflite's had Best and supported them from way back in the Hellfish days, before they were simply a "meal ticket" for some to latch on to as an easy sell.

Good luck if that's you, Bayflite.

Yeah, that's bayflite's shop... he's been selling best since like 2004 but no web store until recently. I noticed this new board when I was helping him get the inventory uploaded to the store.

I was like !!!?# is this price right?? $369 complete? That can't be right!?

I'm surprised they are selling boards that cheap. I guess it's to be expected since Best has always been the first to drop prices like that.

That's a hell of a deal even at full retail.

I agree, some of the boards at 800 or 900+ seem off the charts to me in terms of price.

The Spark has been out since last spring. Where have you guys been???

Obviously this board has been shown to many at the SW and I have seen it at EK.
It may well be new to Tom though, he rarely looks at boards since he build his own that are better than most production boards for far less.

Guess it slipped under my Radar... that's a killer deal. Half the price of the float and the drive and it's a much better board.

There's still deals to be had. Today, I bought a 126 Skywalker Skyfaker (brand new, complete) from KittyHawk for a whopping $325. ;) :) My quiver of boards is now complete....

That's an awesome deal too... nice score. But this isn't a discounted price. That's Best's retail price for a complete board!

I hope more companies follow... liquid force sold cheap boards but they sucked. They were practically wake boards with straps (heavy with a lot of rocker). Best's boards have typically been just average, but this latest one looks really good. I don't understand why they didn't mark it up instead of down but hey who's complaining... I think boards SHOULD be in the $200-$300 range complete. That's still a 100%-200% markup over cost, probably even more than that.

You're not kidding either. I've got an old Liquid Force Truth 160 that fits your description to the "T". I'm thinking about making into a bench for the backyard. At least I know it will hold the weight and fit a couple people at once! lol

I agree with your thoughts regarding the retail tags of boards. There is nothing about any board on the market that, to me, is worth demanding a $600-900 price tag. Way overpriced....kites too. The problem is too many people are willing to buy them at those prices and thus, the market flourishes at the expense of a few of us.

Since you are talking about boards here, Scott, thanks a million for the SuperPhatty. I had been riding Harry's with my 10M Era on those 9kt days when it is supposed to pick up to 20kts, only to be stuck with light wind. Nice to finally have that board for myself!!

Sure. Glad you like it. I have no need for a board that size now (I have a Glide for sub-12). That's a great light wind board for a lighter rider.

believe it or not, I think the regular Phatty is a truly awesome board as well. Goes upwind even better and maybe planes up almost as quick.

we have both boards but lilL's is more fun

Tom,
I'm pretty sure they are 139cm / 40cm.
I bet shinn/nobile iz not az stoked az the rest of us.
l8r

anytime something new hits the market whether it be a sport, a fad, a tool or even a drug, the quality and price are usually very high. almost to the point of being unreachable by the majority. What this does is bring out the loyal die hard fans who don't mind spending big bucks in pursuit of their passion and creates a solid base of customers for the manufacturers to work off of. after a few years the price and quality comes down to a more reasonable level when enough mainstream people have expressed an interest in it and when all the onlookers who said it was too expensive to join in can start buying stuff and get involved. than after a while the road forks with there being a big difference between good quality / high price and low price and poor quality. for me , I'm glad the price has started to drop and i love my Spark.

i agree with the jimmy lewis boards, they are really nice, ive ridden allens blue/white one many times and the only reason i turned it down when he said he'd sell it to me is because i ride flat water 95% of the time and i think his board is one of the best all around boards, not flat water specific though...
to each his own...

i think we are coming to the days when you'll no longer be able to say that a specific kite stinks, they are all good, but suit different riding styles......

While the Jimmy Lewis is not my thing (I don't care for old school wrapped rails and square tips), I thought it had a pretty good reputation but one google search sort of surprised me:

At least with the $360 spark (or any best gear) you get a no questions asked 30 day refund for the board broken or not plus a one year warranty.

Can't really go wrong there.

Gawd I hope we get to ride tomorrow. I'm spending too much time on this stupid forum again!! ARGH

I posted while you did Tom. hey, I read the whole PHP book today (finished an hour ago) and understand maybe 20% of it.... I think that's pretty good, actually :)

Pull one back line and wait 5-10 seconds. That's how you relaunch a waroo :D But if it's not enough to relaunch the kite it's not enough to do a lesson in my opinion because they aren't going to get up riding... ever...

See you guys at EB!!

Sorry to hijack this log but.....IT JUST HIT 17!!!!! I'm gone!

Talked to someone today (Paul Fox?) who told me the Spark is heavy. Haven't seen it myself so I can't confirm.

bummer :(

Today was definitely epic. Solid 20 plus for 3 hours.
Donna and myself had a great time, at a spot all our own.
Felt like the good old days.

Today was the 2nd time I've ridden my 2008 waroo. The first time was in 25-30 knots. Today was like 15-18.

I wouldn't normally choose a 9m 08 waroo for 15 knots but I had too because a bird broke the bridle on my 12m waroo.

I was riding a 129x40 and I weigh 196lbs.

The new waroo is more sensitive to back stalling if you try to flare it for more grunt (more so than the 06 waroo) so you have to trim it just right. But once it's set you don't have to mess with it.

For a frame of reference I used to wait until 28knots to get on my 9m C kite.

Diving the kite hard today would yank me 2 feet out of the water (in 15-18 knots!) ... but unhooking was still easy and unhooked kiteloops were seriously a lot of fun.

Probably one of the best kites I've ever ridden (and I am expecting similar from other brands btw... this is my only 2008 kite). 3 years ago I would have thought it was impossible.

In 3 more years we may all be riding small kites all the time!

Yes, the Spark is a bit on the heavy side because of it's construction. It's a Carafino board with laminates on the top and bottom. Still rides really nice and for the price you can't beat it.
Just my .02 cents ;)

I'm a gonna pimp my new custom made kite surfboard!

Oh yeah , it costs a little more than alot of those factory made boards but I really don't mind spending extra money on this one:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...hpacific_S.jpg

Because it is such a great board! Slashes waves like no other board I've ever ridden, goes upwind like mad, goes downwind effortlessly and accelerates down the line instantly or slows for setting up on a wave at will. You can either gybe it or go toeside, I personally gybe it. The quad fin setup is definitely very slashy but holds its drive extremely well at the same time.
It is a 5 ' 9 " long by 18" wide and 2.125" thick
Can you believe it is hand-custom shaped specifically for my size weight and conditions I ride? unreal.
I think this is the future of all kitboarding, these boards are trully superior and improve your boardriding hugely.

(disclosure: I do not work for this shop nor do I get any rider discounts. I pay full pop. I am just pimping for the pure joy I get out of riding this board)

http://www.northpacificsurfboards.com
http://www.northpacificsurfboards.com/surfb_kite.shtml

Hell that picture doesn't do it any justice. I looked at that board in person and it's a work of art... it looks like a beautiful custom 6ft short board but tiny, and the paint job us much nicer than that photo (naked white with a nice airbrush rail fade).

Perfect outline and rocker, that board HAS to be awesome. It was far to beautiful for me to consider asking to ride it.

That says a lot from someone who never had an interest in directionals.

here is a non biased review :)
(i cant believe im actually contributing to this thread, but those who know me know im not biased to any brand, i ride what i like and what i can afford)

08 flexi (134x40) vs nobile555 (135x40)
both boards truely rock !!!!!

i rode them back to back in solid 16-18 on a 15m 08 roo...

the 555 is smoother in the chop, felt more like last years flexi,
they both got up and planed about the same but the flexi felt like it locked its edge a little better and pointed up wind a little bit more, this is due to the flex character of the boards differing a little... the 55 has flex throughout most of the board, this allows it to take the chop a little better, the flexi is stiffer in the moddle 80% but has more flex in the tips, this helps it to lock its edge better and give it a touch more pop......

basically both board rock, it just depends on what you are looking for... i would say the flexi takes a bit more skill to ride, it took me a while for getting the feel of the stiffer edge, but once you do you can feel the difference when you load it and release.....


also i rode the 11m Rev, back to back with the 08 waroo and nemi hp...
nice kite seems like a cross between the 08 and 06 waroo, very fast, nice power...
if the price was the same for the rev and waroo, it would be a tough choice....


peace

(keep the love guys)

all kiterz rock.
xcept ricky day
peace

Please people, lets try to keep the threads ON topic

Lets keep it about kiting and having fun.

Thanks Raul. :)

Thanks Tom!

I might add that it comes with future fin system so replacing fins from your surf shop is a breeze. Pads are great full deck and the symetrical footstraps are easily adjustable with a rachet engage/ release mechanism.

I'll be out there tomm. giving it a third spin around the block


Thanks soooooo much for the board Lori, you are the most awesome wife fo' shur !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


:p

The REAL question is WHERE are you going to ride that beauty wednesday BigR? The waves were awesome down here the last cold front, used my 5'5" amundson w/straps for the perfect 3-4' surf!

Are you riding tomorrow Philthy? Do you have a good wave spot?
I have heard you guys do.

Let me know Phil, I'm looking for waves......ideas tomm.?

going to the east coast jupitor this weekend

is your amundsun a quad or tri? I could tell you soo many reasons why a quad is better than a tri

BigR im Pmailing you the wave spot i like down here. Scott i pmailed you. My Amunson is a tri, I started wave ridin' on a custom twinzer so i know what you are sayin' bout quads (quads+twin fins ride similar IMO) i enjoy my tri alot, it really comes alive on bottom turns but top turns suck like all tri's do. Id love to try out your new quad, tho im 130lbs and would prolly be waay overpowered on my 7m. Down here its better on NW, since its forcast to be N/NE i might be going north to try out TI maybe?