Riding the Wood – The Ultracore Trip 33

How new are these Liquid Force boards? To start it off, this board was so new we had to drill the holes for fins ourselves! Not too tough, just measure it out, and drill, oh- and pray you did it right.

The first thing you notice is the reduced weight. Wait, reduced is an understatement. We’re talking about Liquid Force sucking up to 2 lbs. out of the “Trip” series boards. This equates to a lighter, more maneuverable ride on the water, and an effortless, stomach-dropping flight off the wake and into the air. Also, once in the air, the reduced swing weight of this board makes it a cinch to kick, tweak, grab, and poke. Similarly, inverts are that much easier when you don’t have to drag that extra weight over your head and then back down to the water. It’s almost as if you’re doing a flip off the diving board with nothing strapped to your feet. Spins are the same…Now you’ve just gotta worry about body position. The board will follow much more easily.

As for the landings—forgiving, forgiving, forgiving and soft as hell. That pretty much sums up the landings when taking this board huge. The increased flex of this board over conventional foam and honeycomb boards tends to dampen out the energy of your landing and transfer it more effectively to the water. Your knees and heels will thank you.

So, who can benefit from this balsa breakthrough? Well, if you’re a beginner, I would not recommend throwing down the extra cash for this…you might not be able to tell the difference between this and a conventional foam board. However, if you’re even close to landing wake-to-wake jumps, or are working on throwing in a grab to that off-axis 540, then you will definitely love this. As for the Trip 33 (133.5 cm long, 42.5 cm wide), give it a go if you are between 5’4 and 5’10 tall and about 120 to 170 lbs. You won’t be disappointed.

The new “Ultracore” from Liquid Force threatens not to compete with honeycomb, it threatens to replace it all together. It’s arguable whether or not wakeboarding needs a swift kick in the ass, but either way these new “Ultracore” boards are going deliver that kick that takes wakeboarding to the next level. Wakepics.com predicts that the impact this technology will have on the sport is this: bigger airs, faster spins, and softer landings. Sound’s fun, doesn’t it?

Enjoy and ride safely…always wear a vest.

Visit Liquid Force on the web at www.liquidforce.com.