I have a 9-5 JL Striker which I really like. I'm looking to add another board to the quiver - something more "pure longboard", big single fin, stand back, pivot turn, get on the nose.

Options are a Stylemaster 10 or the new Gong 10'0 NFA 140 WOODCKFUSION Any info on these boards please, like are they too similar to the Striker? With me being 90kg will the Stylemaster be tippy with those thin rails? The Gong is very well priced in Europe.

Are either true longboard/noseriders?

Thanks.

The regular Gong built weighs more than competitors. The shape is good and the quality got better over the years.
I heard good reviews about Stylemaster but find its price high.
If you want longboard SUP then I would definitely recommend that you check Sunova Style. Fantastic board. The boards are shipped from Germany to anywhere in Europe.

For Gong, you can trust the weight average on the web page. They are for the board without a pad (add +500g for the pad) and board weights can vary by 5%. The WOODCKFUSION is the entry-level construction, with more emphasis on ding resistance (kevlar rails) than weight, that explains the 10.5 kg without pad nor fins.

The NFA is the more "all around" longboard shape in the Gong line, with forgiving rails and more rocker than the other shapes to tolerate mistakes, and make the board nose come up "automatically" in turns. It is an hybrid between a modern and retro longboard shape.

What you describe as "something more "pure longboard", big single fin, stand back, pivot turn, get on the nose." would be more satisfied with the "retro" shapes in the Gong line:
- "Never stick", for slow and weak waves
- "Soul" and now the "Pampa" that replaces it are for faster and hollower waves. I had a total blast with the Soul SP 105l of a friend in fast head-high waves in Hossegor a month ago, even with my 100kg and a single fin setup.

The Zero is geared for high performance modern longboarding, and can handle powerful waves, with max projection out of turns, Freak is an hybrid (a lighter NFA), Moblog is for weak waves and handles like a shortboard.

The "SP" are variants with less volume and width, very close to ride to a prone longboard. They are being added to the line, more shapes are coming.

Since you want a more radical shape than the Striker, I suggest you look only at the "Pro" shapes. The WOODCKFUSION is more "tamed" to be more accessible, it may be too close to your Striker to justify the change.

Although weight is a pain in the ass when carrying....it helps a bit for old style logging.

Thanks guys. Colas - the NeverStick looks very interesting!

HI Dingfix,
There's a NEW 10' Jimmy Lewis Striker that was released earlier this year....It's more refined than the 9'5 yet still super stable, loose & comes with the 5 fin option..
Dimensions are 10'0"x 31"x 4.2" (151.9L)

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Slab said..
Although weight is a pain in the ass when carrying....it helps a bit for old style logging.

Yes, and also - in a less measure - the weight distribution. You get a difference in riding between two boards with the same shape but with the weight more in the core (denser foam blank with a traditional glass job, typical of PU boards), and a board with the weight more in the skin (lighter blank with a harder PVC sandwich shell). The "heavier core" will feel more smooth to the ride, the "lighter core" more energetic.

And also with the flex patterns. Gong "vectornet" boards (a carbon "fishnet" over a glass job) have a very sensual water touch, with some flex but no softness.

In the Gong line, you can have the 3 kind of constructions, if you are light enough to be able to use their prone PU longboards for SUPing (but it will be much less durable for SUP use). That adds also to the huge range of the line.

I would advise you to not get a high volume board for your weight and abilities (normally no more than 125 liters for your 90kg). There is no secret, they will feel cumbersome. Width is different, a narrow board will be nimbler, especially in powerful waves, but a wider board will have less thickness for the same volume, hence thinner rails, and will be much easier to perform cross-steps, drop knee turns, ...

I've got a 160 litre 10 ft x 31 heavyish longboard shape and I love it.....rides so smooth and is just a fun stable ride. Not a performance board but totally relaxed fun machine that turns well. It is good to have shorter turn on a dime boards as well as a laid back beast....it is a great board for winter

The styles are pretty sick to tho .. not super light tho I reckon the 10x29 is so stable .. I've also just been surfing the 9.6x29 Xl now to and that was 2 stable so now gotta try and find a 9.6x27.5 if any one knows of some one selling .. but yer there super stable so u can go thinner and less litres .. in 93kegs ATM

I have the 9'0 stylemaster and it has become my favorite board. That being said, she is not the lightest weight wise and the gel coat chips like crazy. No damage past that but she gets ugly fast.

Take a look at the New Deal by infinity. If i had the spare coin thats what i would pick up now.

I have a 10 stylemaster.

No experince of other long boards in same class.

I have a 8'6 hypernut as well .

Im 80kg, intermediate.

Can second the paint chips so easy. Left with little white spots, I did put a hole in bottom on unseen rock, pretty durable though.

I do do find it tippy in bumpy conditions. Narrow feet work best. It has a lovely long board feel to it. Can walk the nose, has great carving abilities, lovely to ride.

This is the thing though, I always take out the hypernut, stability is excellent, can pivot turn it to set up for wave so easy compared to stylemaster. Plus I like the way I can chuck the HN around.

That said, I paddle around on flat days on SM, love it on offshore glass days for that longbboard style.

I would imagine all the good longboards are good, and any would be a great choice.

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rgmacca said..
can pivot turn it to set up for wave so easy compared to stylemaster. Plus I like the way I can chuck the HN around.

I would suggest you try it with a thruster set up, or even better, as a twin fin + a trailer. The ride will be different but also quite fun.

Or, for single or 2+1 setups, use a main fin with a narrower chord. This way the fin can break loose at slow paddling speeds for U-turns, but still hold when surfing the wave.

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rgmacca said..
I would imagine all the good longboards are good, and any would be a great choice.

Yes, but brands having only one style of longboard SUP in their line must make a lot of design compromises relevant to their customer base (that may be different from brand to brand), as so many different styles of longboards exist. It is only logical that companies truly investing in longboard SUPs have many different models.

For instance Gong do-everything model is the NFA, and it is impressive to see all the design changes it went through (especially on rails & rocker) during the more than 10 years it have been available, to adjust the compromise to the constantly evolving expectations, needs, and technical level of the Gong customers based on the feedback on the forum, emails, phone, beach discussions... and personal tastes of the shaper. I guess it is the same for most brands, with not exactly the same end results.