CWB Transcend 142 Review

In mid-season 2004 came a board from the up and coming rider Andrew Adkison called the Transcend. Coming in a variety of colors and lengths the boards all have at least one thing in common- huge rocker. Aesthetically its pretty eye pleasing with some skully winged thing in the center, the CWB logo in a gothic blue glow, and the model scribed in the tail. The bottom of the board is a lighter shade of blue-gray with the same graphic as the top enlarged and stamped off to the left. Overall I'd say the graphics are pretty standard for the CWB lineup this year- which definitely links their line and makes it pleasing to the eye in a shop.

Rocker
Pretty much the first question I get about any board that I ride is the notorious "how much pop does it have?" I always find myself hesitating a bit because it is somewhat of a loaded question. Obviously different rocker shapes have different popping properties, but these features lead to different take off and landing patterns. So instead of addressing "how much pop does it have", I'll explain the different factors and features the board uses to achieve a very smooth yet vertical pop.

CWB sent me a copy of the 142 which comes with a blended three-stage or also sometimes known as a subtle three-stage stocked with a generous 3.1" rocker. The general rule of thumb is that when you have a continuous rocker board the vertical lift generated is more consistent but not as vertical, yet an abrupt thee stage board will generate immense vertical pop, but will be less consistent for the same rider. Obviously the better rider you are the consistency percentage will change, but for the average weekend warrior, this is a pretty good rule of thumb.

So what happens when you match this blended three-stage board with a large rocker? Two things, first the board will seem to perform a bit slower in the water when you are both riding and carving, and second is big time poppy air. While the board is not as fast say the Liquid Force Balance, it is certainly faster than the new Hyperlite Bylery. Taking these three boards you'll find that the Balance will be very fast and not have the vertical pop that the slower Byerly will have. The Transcend by CWB has done an excellent job of matching rocker, rail type, and length with this model. It pops consistently, vertically, and tracks super hard into the wake.

The Ride
Next up on the agenda are the fins and general ride of the deck. The bottom of the board has some molded ridges that make way for some .66" aluminum fins to provide excellent tracking while on edge, and enough play to make lip tricks or general slider play fun. While not on edge and in the flats the board is definitely loose, but when you lean on that edge and generate speed, you are completely locked in. Since I prefer this style of a loose board the ride matched my style considerably.

Comments
CWB did a bang up job on this one. While it rides much differently than say the Prodigy [2002,2004] or Absolute [2003], the pop is very similar, yet I believe it to be more consistent. The board also seemed as fast as the previously listed models, which made a good match with the large rocker. While I am usually a fan of hard-core abrupt three-stage boards after a couple rides on this new deck, I have to say I was a fan. It still had the abrupt three-stage byerlyesque pop that I've come to like, yet it was a little more mellow vertical, and nice and loose in the flats. I would definitely recommend this board to the intermediate to advanced rider who is looking for serious vertical pop but is still willing to sacrifice a little speed into the wake to do so. So if you find that you are looking for a new board this season, make sure you give the new CWB Transcend board an honest look, you won't be disappointed.

Vital Stats
Length: 142.00 cm/55.91 in.
Mid width: 42.72 cm/16.82 in.
Tip width: 24.28 cm/9.56 in.
Weight: 3.49 kg/7.70 lbs
Rocker: 8.12 cm/3.20 in.
Rocker type: Subtle three-stage
MSRP: $465.00 USD, $390 Street