Hi, I recently picked up my first kite - a Flexifoil Rage 3.5m, have got the basics down and am looking for my first board.

I'm a keen snowboarder and ride a Z-Flex pool board, so am confident carving.

I am 5'9" and weigh 84kg/180lb

I'm looking for a board that will carve great and handle my weight. I'm all about carving and style rather than tricks. Will be riding on both grass and sand.

Two that have caught my eye are:

- Flexifoil Hunter
http://www.s2as.com/p-Flexifoil_Hunter_All_Terrain_Kite_Land...

- Trampa
http://www.atbshop.co.uk/mountainboards/kite-boards/trampa-k...

What's the difference in performance between these two and which would you recommend?

Also, if the Trampa, which ply? I like to carve so not too firm, but am aware my weight could affect this?

Check out the flexboard also.

carve is about trucks not board. "pop" and cushion is in the flex of the board. would greatly recommend 'channel' or 'spring' style trucks as skate ones aren't as customizable/adjustable.

180 is not "heavy" by most board standards, you should be fine with any choice.

if you are really want to just carve, the flexboardz are the best. I don't know of the UK distributor off the top of my head, sorry.

I can take care of the Flexboardz in the UK, it is not a problem at all.

The Hunter looks cool though the pics of it on that site are terrible (can't see the rims or the bindings). But I will tell you that I ride a 93cm and 90cm board and those are short. I like them and have become quite acustom to them but short decks mean narrow stances - something for you to consider as the Hunter is a 90cm board.

It is much easier to gain board skills on a larger board. I started on a 90cm board, and had difficulty. I tried a 103cm board and progressed much faster, and now I am back to the 90cm and loving it immensely.

I would really strongly recommend any TRAMPA or the FLEXBOARDz

Welcome, you will find a very friendly group here.

I would really recommend the Flexboardz for carving. I think you will find it more like a snowboard in the feel except it will slide less. Once you get the feel down you will be able to slide when you want to but you can also hold down more speed in my opinion.
You can change the wheel base to change the feel of it as well. The factory width will give you more of a quick and nimble feel to the steering while widening the width will give you that big board smooth and floaty feeling. If you like speed as well you should get very little speed wobble if you can get it to wobble at all.

Hi Guys. Thanks for the thoughts. And less attitude than snowboard forums!

I must admit the Flexboard looks a bit weird.. Certainly wouldn't be the sort of thing I'd normally go for.. But there seems to be a lot of love?

Have you guys ridden them? No-ones mentioned the Trampa (which was my first choice). How does that stack against the Flexboard?

Thanks

TRAMPA is the top evolution of "skateboard". They are fantastic, most likely the only one you would ever purchase(it will last!). Skateboards kind of steer like a car, where the wheels turn left and right while staying vertical. WELDINGOD is one of our trampa-fanatics, and could talk your ear off about how much he loves it.

Flexboardz is a new animal, new way of doing the same thing. Flexboards turn more like a motorcycle in a deep turn, where the wheel is very close to straight, but moves away from vertical to make the vehicle turn. We do have two team riders for Flexboardz here, so there is experience with it!

The flexboardz will track a straighter line while powered, have higher overall grip, and carve more like a surfboard in water. The Trampa will have a bit less weight, a bit more flex, and more 'pop' if you compress the board. As you've said you're interested in carving in style, the Flexboardz might be a better choice!

But honestly, you're choosing between a fine, fine machine, and a fine, fine machine. You really won't go wrong with either!

Quote:

Originally posted by erratic winds But honestly, you're choosing between a fine, fine machine, and a fine, fine machine. You really won't go wrong with either!

I really like how you ended that. I wish I had ridden on a Trampa board but I haven't so I can't compare. I have ridden on MBS boards and I like the Flexboardz better for carving.

You ought to check out these videos.
http://vimeo.com/user4948152

flexboardz haize !

after 10months on HAIZE multiple style kites, just did a session with the small 93GI flight , oh how mickey mouse it feels! fun but barely there, quick and light yes, but power generated, compared to HAIZE ? little board is weak.
you want power, ride at speed with grip? FLxBz haize will hook you up!

Agreed PHREE,
Just took my Flexboardz out after a month off....
Compared to my old MBS board....wait...there's no comparison..

Cadillac!!

If you're used to snowboard feel....this board delivers...

WATCH the board movement under my feet and you'll see the "snowboard" like effect the dynamic suspension and articulating wheels...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzEf8RrGJ_A

COOSHY and FAST....yet slides out when you want...and not before...

OH YA...I'm 6'3" and 215lbs so you'll have no issues

Despite a very weird appearance; and a terribly badly made website, the combination of overwhelming support for the Flexboardz and quite an impressive level of technical detail going into their development are starting to warm on me..

I was about to ask for some footage and crazyherb beat me to it!

Sounds like the Haize is the one to get; the biggest and fastest?

Get the impression this is fairly versatile and can be ridden on a variety of surfaces?

I cannot ride a normal skateboard particularly well, but can ride a pool board with big, loose trucks extremely well.

Is the trampa more like a conventional skateboard? If so, that's a no!

A flexboard might be it then! Just need to find out about getting one in the UK..

Also, can I get by using my Flexifoil Rage 3.5m on handles for a while, or is a bar mission-critical?

Also, their company is doing a very good impression of being dead - between their website and Facebook page. Thoughts?

Quote:

Originally posted by P-Ride Also, their company is doing a very good impression of being dead - between their website and Facebook page. Thoughts?

I can see why you would say this. The company is small but produces a great product. It has been in business for several years. The support is great and provided by BigKid. If you are interested, send him a message. There is not a lot of activity on Facebook which should be remedied. I don't think any of us are Facebook geniuses. There is much more activity here. I think part of the problem is that the market in general is pretty tough competition and more time could be spent on marketing but it is a balance.

Hmm. I just realised most of you guys are Flexboardz team riders.

Whilst I don't doubt you love these boards, I hope you can understand that - at quite significant cost - I'm keen to make sure it's the right purchase.

I'll check around for some more independent reviews; if any of you know of any - or especially good video clips - then that would be great.

I ride a Ground Industries Prodigy 90. I also own a GI AK103 and a MBS Core.

I am not paid by anyone in any way to share my opinion, if that helps.


flexboardz footages from PHREE on vimeo http://vimeo.com/36991390

CTB rides TRAMPA in all of his videos .... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYqLmJPJn34

Get a TRAMPA, you won't need another board. Pick out the parts you want ,colors,size.... That is what I did! The big question is skate trucks or channel trucks. Read the section on their decks it will explain about long/short and the different plys needed. http://www.trampaboards.com/index.php

I would be interested to hear from someone who has rode both the trampa and the flexboard besides me. Is there anyone who has both? or what other boards do the Flexboardz TR's have?

I got hand it to trampa, they got there act together as far as having a plethora of possible combinations and colors and bling for the boards. Which makes it nice to custom build your set up. At the end of the decision and fulfilling your custom wants, I spent more than the Haise cost, with shipping.

Quote:

Originally posted by P-Ride Hmm. I just realised most of you guys are Flexboardz team riders. Whilst I don't doubt you love these boards, I hope you can understand that - at quite significant cost - I'm keen to make sure it's the right purchase. I'll check around for some more independent reviews; if any of you know of any - or especially good video clips - then that would be great.

We do understand that you want to be sure. All of us would expect nothing less. You might notice that the first two people to recommend Flexboardz aren't riders for them though. As riders, we aren't paid, but supported. We chose Flexboardz because we like the board.

It would be great if you can test both. Like I said, I would love to try a Trampa board. You specificly mentioned carving and that is why I love the Flexboardz. I would say I haven't ridden anything I like better for that. You can do tricks with it but I wouldn't say it was specificly designed for tricks. I think Trampa is. The price is going to be nearly the same or more for a Trampa if you want to customize. I wish I knew of someone close to you that could let you try them.

I'm confident Flexboardz and Trampa are both great; and have narrowed it down to these two.

The question is, what is the difference in how they ride?

I am used to riding a Jay Adams Z-Flex on land, which is a pool board with loose trucks for carving.

http://www.surfculture.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/JAY...

My style for any board sports is I'm fast; and a very powerful carver - but not particularly agile.

So I am crap at riding 'normal', modern skateboards with the hard trucks and small wheels - but good at bombing down hills carving at high speed on my Jay Adams.

I understand the Flexboard carves.. How does the Trampa ride?

The TRAMPA rides like a Mountainboard.......The thing that put me off about the flexboardz was all the little mechanics of it. Looks like I could break somethin pretty easy. Don't buy anything,until you try! No amount of us telling you how this or that rides,is going to really let you feel it.If you don't know what a Mtn.board rides like ,you need to demo one.Before you spend $$$$

Quote:

Originally posted by WELDNGOD Don't buy anything,until you try! No amount of us telling you how this or that rides,is going to really let you feel it.If you don't know what a Mtn.board rides like ,you need to demo one.Before you spend $$$$

Why didn't you say this before I got the trampa. But then again I wouldn't have been able to understand the attraction to the board.

This is my own opinion, and if it doesn't sit well with anyone, well you can just......... tell me about it.:P
In a nut shell, the trampa is good for the short run beach or very tight down hill trail riding, the flexboard is for the high speed wideopen long runs at the beach or as my son says "Runnin the logging roads from the top to the bottom on a magic carpet".
You can adjust the suspension on both boards, tight, loose.
You can adjust the riding height of the flexboard, not the trampa.
The trampa will develop a wobble at some point, not the flexboard.
The trampa will turn in a shorter circle than the flexboard.
The flexboard has larger tires than the trampa.
The flexboard will run over stuff better than the trampa.
The trampa is lighter than the flexboard.
The flexboard is a bit longer than the trampa.
The flexboard deck is not as high as the trampa, unless you jack up the flexboard and then it resembles a monster truck rather than a street legal 4X4, the trampa's deck is not adjustable.
The trampa has a bazillion different parts to pick from to custom your ride, flexboardz has only tires/wheels, a wind sail bracket, different durometer bushings, and a mod that will make the stance wider for a more traditional board feel.

There are some more differences but not in a nut shell.
If I was into jumping, and doing tricks, on a small beach, and weight was an issue, than it would be the trampa.
If I want to make long runs and go as fast as the wind will take me, and do a 40mph jump and what ever else I have the balls to do, and the beach is not very clean, and I have the room in the truck, I will use the flexboard.
Enough for now, got to go to the beach for some long runs with the new PL Furys and the FLEXBOARDZ.

u just picked up your first kite...what u could use is any used board u could find locally for 75$.. i would be more worried about figuring out how to put the flying skills together w/the riding, than what board i was on... thats how Jay Adams would roll.... any board handed to him.

Thanks guys. From experience, firstly I've found buying cheap and moving up is a false economy.

As long as a board isn't hard to learn on (like buying a shortboard for surfing) then I'd rather buy the best first-time around.

I'm seriously into board-sports; they're important to me; and there is no question that I will make myself get good at this - so I'm not worried about spending a reasonable amount.

Of course you're all right that trying both a Trampa and Flexboard would be ideal. However, I live in Cambridge, UK, where these things are just not usual!

Hence, I've found researching my purchases in detail and really getting behind their science (and bugging people on forums) and drawing comparisons with boards I already own has led to some great purchases. So I'm doing it here too!

bigkid, those are some great contrasts for me to think about. It's clear that both boards are going to be great at different things and I need to think about what is more important; and what I am - realistically - more likely to be doing!

Weekly, I'll be riding in fields in Cambridgeshire.. But I definitely want to be taking it to the beach some time too! Hills are the one thing I won't get much of either way though!

Quote:

Originally posted by bigkid The trampa will develop a wobble at some point, not the flexboard.

I don't know if it is the channel trucks or not, but I have yet to get speed wobble with my TRAMPA. Now, my Scrub Quasar,that thing always got wobble at around 30-35 mph.

seriously into board sports ??

this brief vid is a mod for FlxBz haize track width , and has THE THREE types of trucks systems in the vid .

though the skate truck on the 103 is NOT featured it is present(with bazookas),

the GI flight 93 has the channel truck

and FLxBz haize radial arm. lotta detail close shots on the haize.

3 very different boards , it will give you a detailed look at the haize and see some unique elements.

i have riden some trampas from supa light down to like 5-kg and for freestyle defintely supreme !
there are some progressive choices like most things in life and the more you know about the choices and specific features respectively.

"powerful riding and carving " thats why you are getting the FlxBz blitz.


https://vimeo.com/35106680