Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Boardworks 9'6" Walden Magic Model


Size: 9'6" X 23 X 3 1/4.


This board is an Epoxy PVC sandwich, like the Surftech brand. Unlike the Surftechs Boardworks does not wrap the PVC around the rails, thus improving flexibility. For a big board with such a wide nose it was really light.


The underneath of this board was pretty unusual with a deep concave in the nose, big single to double concaves and a deep rail bevel all around. The fin setup is 2+1 with future fin sidebites.


This board really paddled so well, with all that volume. It could catch any ripple. It surfed very well off the tail, and you can really throw it about as if it was a board half it's size. I rode it with a 9" cutaway fin and/or side bites. It never managed to get a full ten over on this board, but cheater 5 and 5's were reasonably easy. Hang 10's were difficult. Very much a performance longboard. With the wide nose and light weight it was sometines a struggle to get into a wave in strong offshores.


I rode this board in everything up to double overhead plus. It always felt exceptionally stable no matter the size. It has a solid construction, one knarly day at a point break I got caught inside heading for the rocks.. I held the board in front of me, hit the rocks and only got a few scrapes on the bottom, a standard board would have been torn to shreads. The rails however were prone to flaking paint and cracks, for many people this would be a major problem.


Overall, I really enjoyed this board it was one of the main boards in my quiver for a few years.

If noseriding is your thing then this is not the board for you. However if you want to throw a board around off the tail, then this is the one. I will always retain a fondness for this board.


Rating: 4/5

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Your assesment of the Surftech Walden Magic is right on! I've been surfing 9' Magic for four years in all conditions; it's the most versital board I have owned. Light, quick and indestructable, through several collisions, and some hard shore break, I have yet to damage the board.From two to twelve foot surf, this board is versital. I recommend it to every surfer I know.

Anonymous said...

I've surfed a 9'6" Magic for several years. It surfs off the tail well, paddles great, and rips in small to double overhead surf. I've not been able to nose ride it worth a darn, but I'm about 200lbs.

Dave R said...

There is a trick to noseriding this board. You can't expect to sink the tail so you need to pane the nose. Noseride at speed take small steps and it will work.
Cheers.

Unknown said...

Snapped one a few years back. I've had (and still have) PU versions of this board, almost a different animal altogether. Easily my favorite HPLB shape!