Had a chance to demo the new 2015 Starboard All Star 14' x 28" thanks to RPS.
As Lacey's Lane has pointed out in another thread, Starboard has gone to some lengths to custom design the various widths in the All Star line up this season, rather than simply create a skinny board for light weight elite racers, then upscale the same board for noobs and heavier paddlers. What they have done is provide more rocker and a more recessed standing area in the wider board. As a result, it is a far cruisier downwind board and is actually starting to get back to the style of downwind boards we all started out on a few years ago.
For that reason, I say this board is not just a board for big boys. It's also for people who love to downwind, and are not overly fussed by the race scene. It has impressive glide with minimal effort. I like it. A lot.
Here's a little vid I threw together:
I see these wider more rockered boards as being a treat that all paddlers would like.
I think the skinner boards are more geared for flat smoother conditions.
so knowing some more about the range now I would be looking at the more wider rockered boards for dw ing rather then just how wide it is
cheers
Nice Vid PT !!
it looks like it comes out cleanly not a real pop out of the water when it goes under
Select to expand quoteI bought one of the 14 x 28 All Stars in the glass construction as a friendly family board a month or two ago. Did my first downwinder on it yesterday in Waratah Bay near Wilsons Prom. Tends to be super messy sea and the wind and swell direction was about 15 degrees off so I was trying to paddle across the swell and pick up the the edge of the trough rather than just zooming straight down the wave.
What a fun board! I was amazed how well it went in these really crap conditions, so forgiving, and despite some recent posts about it not wanting to track anywhere but straight down the line I found it quite the opposite. Had the standard fin in and felt it was very responsive to steering with foot pressure, that is - put more weight on your left foot to make it head right.
My regular boards for this run are either my 14 x 25 Ace or my 12'6 x 25.5 All Star Turtle Bay, both reasonably tippy boards and I always struggle a bit but the 14 x 28 was way more fun, reminds me of the 14 x 28 Race from a couple of years ago but the rocker line feels faster. In a south westerly there is always some messy swell coming into Sandy Point, also nice to have some stability and surfability. I'd already racked up a few surf sessions on the big All Star so was quite comfortable with the way it surfs a beach break.
The only downside is that the glass version is pretty heavy to lug up the beach, but the extra weight felt like it calmed it down in the messy conditions.
The only other downside was that I did the run solo, had to pedal my 20yo mountain bike back to Walkerville to get my car, 24k hilly kilometres...hmmm my butt isn't thanking me this morning, need padded boardies!
Yes I wonder how long it will be before all the board brands come to realise that they had the ideal downwind shape, size and width dialled in about 4 years ago, and ever since, we've been in this uncontrolled spiralling spin of skinnier, tippier, faster race boards that are nowhere near as much fun to downwind.
That 14' x 28" along with the Ace GT (17'4" x 27.5") are far and away the best boards I've taken on a downwinder in a long time.
Why I will never sell the coast runner I have for down winding, I just love it down winding! Ill break it before ill get rid of it .
New allstar or ace would be nice though
Select to expand quoteAndyR said...
Why I will never sell the coast runner I have for down winding, I just love it down winding! Ill break it before ill get rid of it .
New allstar or ace would be nice though
The Coast Runner is an absolute classic, very similar stability to the 28 AllStar main difference is the way they pierce waves. I'd hang onto it for sure. An Ace is the perfect complementary downwinding board to the Coast Runner for lighter conditions IMO.
Select to expand quoteAndyR said..
Why I will never sell the coast runner I have for down winding, I just love it down winding! Ill break it before ill get rid of it .
Yep, don't let that one go. It's a ripper.
Select to expand quotePTWoody said...AndyR said..
Why I will never sell the coast runner I have for down winding, I just love it down winding! Ill break it before ill get rid of it .
Yep, don't let that one go. It's a ripper.
Certainly won't be! This one was actually yours PT. And LL your old one is also in Brissy getting much use on down winders.
Mines had a few repairs now though I swear they were testing the limits of how thin they could go with carbon on this model. So fragile but ill keep patching it up to keep it going!
Yeah I've down winded the new allstar 28 and it's very sim to the coastie good fun paddling.
A flat deck ace would be the bomb not sure how it could be done with that sort of tail though..
