ok, so are I-Sup's becoming stiffer what with the allstar airline and the new maliko??? due out soon all saying they are and that they're just as good as a hardboard. Really

If they are even close there is no reason to buy a hard board anymore, unless you are full on racing.
Looking at the Naish site the inflatable 14 maliko is 3 kgs lighter than a hard board and less than half the price. That's a big difference.