It was with overwhelming excitement that I got to unpack the NEW Jimmy Lewis 14' Sidewinder last week & to finally get to run my hands over such a beautifully finished board :)
Here's what Jimmy's blurb said on his website-
The newest addition and by far the most versatile race board in the Jimmy Lewis Line is designed to be the fastest board on the water in any and ALL conditions.The Sidewinder starts with a zero drag outline and a very low,smooth rocker line, making it very easy to get the board moving and once on the move will retain it’s speed and momentum with very little effort. The increased volume in the front keeps the nose “floating” over the chop while the “V” deck shape in the front separates the water when it pierces effortlessly through waves or large chop. The “wing” shaped rails up front prevent the nose from being affected by cross wind and allows the rider easy tracking in the desired direction during windy conditions. The bottom shape is a no-gimmick, simple flow, from the soft rounded edges in the front going into the single, stability concave in the standing area and blending to a flat release in the back. The rails in the back have an edge to them to aid with gliding and surfing ability.From flat water to down-winding this board excels in all aspects of SUP and will simplify your quiver....
We couldn't get the new 9" Sidewinder fins into the 23" & 25" wide Carbon models fast enough & we were straight over to the lake & ocean to give them a run...
I jumped straight onto the 23" model & headed up the lake into the strong westerly headwind & had no problem punching straight into the wind & keeping my momentum up....This is probably the most stable 23" wide board i've ever paddled! I had no problem stepping back onto the tail & turning on a dime to head back down the lake...
I then jumped on the 25" & couldn't believe how ridiculously stable it was! The board has a nice soft comfortable deck pad that runs all the way to the tail & I felt like I could paddle from any position & stance I wanted to with ease...
After a couple of laps of the lake & being impressed with how the Sidewinder handled the headwind we decided to give them a quick run in the ocean as there was a small wave running....We headed down the beach with the offshore buffeting us but again I was impressed with how stable the 23" was without coming close to falling off once... We cruised up the beach for 500m & the board picked up the slightest bump that came past & took off gliding easily... Can't wait to get it into a good downwinder :)
When we got back I jagged a small right hander & surfed straight into the beach stepping off onto the sand...
Next day I took the 2 boards down to meet up with the ESS Paddle crew for an ocean paddle & I paddled the 23" up the coast while one of the boys paddled the 25"...The conditions were beautiful with only a little bounce in the ocean because of the high tide...We cruised up the coast & the Sidewinder felt unreal catching any bumps with ease...
We went around the island & swapped boards & caught a few waves & then headed back...It was an effortless paddle back with only one fall as I went too close to the rocks & got side-swiped by a rebound... I ended up doing 11km in the ocean on the 23" wide Sidewinder...Not too bad for an old bloke :)
That afternoon I ducked up to the Lake Mac Sup Club for their 5km time trial so I could say hi & give the 23" Sidewinder a run in the flatwater against some of their crew...I was pleasantly surprised when we took off at the start as the board glided over the wake from the other racers....We turned the first bouy & I was surprised to be in 2nd position behind Harry Maskel (sorry Mickey B I know I said we'd cruise but Harry made me do it )
The Lake Mac Sup club have a great setup & venue & their Sup5.0 course is excellent with a good amount of turns to make things interesting...
The Sidewinder felt great going up river into the light headwind & I was looking forward to turning at the bridges to hopefully get a good run back with Harry just ahead of me (bloody young kids)
I did the 5km time trial in just over 32 minutes coming in behind young Harry so overall a great day on the new Sidewinder...
As Jimmy's blurb says, this board excels in all conditions & will simplify your quiver....
It'll be great to see how it goes this weekend at the 3 Rivers Race in Port over 25km
Happy paddling....Rob
(thanks for the photo Rich of some of the ESS crew)

I finally picked up my new 25" carbon Sidewinder through Jimmy Lewis Australia, with great communication through Rob who kept me well informed as to delivery dates. Disclaimer: I paid for my board and am not a team rider.
I'd ordered it on the strength of other reports overseas wanting a different board to those models on sale here, having owned or tried a lot of them. I like the concept of the "boof nosed " board with good volume, wider tail and loosely based on the clubbie style boards.
I was blown away by the quality, even the wrapping was superb with the board arriving foam wrapped within the box, but also encased within a cotton fabric sock too. The finish is simply the best I've ever seen, great graphics too. Weighing in at 10kg with the weed shedding fin, the handle allows fingers full access and even better is in the right spot being balanced. The deck pad is very soft under foot, running all the way to the tail. It comes with four handle attachment points, with a FCS mount on the nose. A handle wasn't supplied but I understand they're on the way.
On the water, the board rides high given its volume and glides well. It has less side to side roll than another similar red board, and is very very stable. The nose rides over bumps without slowing, or pierces through bigger ones easily! the nose coming through without rolling abruptly to one side. The light weight allows one to catch small bumps easily. i did notice that if bunny hopping back or forward there is a small flex, but it stops immediately and is no different to some others for sale now. Certainly paddling into or across chop, there is no flex then with the board feeling alive on the water - sounds funny but some boards just bog down unlike this. Surfing it is fun too. The board tracks very well, rail steering easily and predictably too. I'll report further after I get s chance to try a downwind on it. In the flat the board is certainly quick, am looking forward to doing a timed lap at Lake Kawana, though now I already want a 23" Sidewinder for that.
Certainly look at this board for the quality and stability it offers.

Hey JT,
Thank you for the review & I'm really stoked you love your board :)
I paddled the 23" in the 25km 3 Rivers Race at Port Macquarie today & the board performed amazingly with me coming in 2nd (alongside Matty from Lake Mac on a Starboard Sprint) behind a 17' Starboard Flatwater in 2 hours 22 minutes with an average 10.5km an hour...
Happy to sort you out on a 23" Sidewinder when you're ready...Enjoy & happy paddling

Any demos available in Perth yet?

Asthetics aside, I don't understand why manufacturers continue using heat absorbing colors like gray. I guarantee that thing is going to get stupidly hot in the sun.

The underside of the board is a lighter colour, will post a picture soon. But the board comes a gore tex vent and I believe that will be all it needs despite the darker colour. I've never had a problem with my SIC Bullet which has the gore tex vent and the SIC is black.

ok
Now I want one... but before I jump does anyone have a side by side or comparison with the rail & the M14?
& how to get one in/to Melbourne?
I've been on to the Jimmy Lewis Australia website & before you know it you are setting up a profile & hitting the AU$2399 button - is this for real? for me-in-the-street or for dealers only?

HI Baddog,
The bottom is almost white...I had mine on the car all weekend & out as the race yesterday & it was very warm in Port & no problems...As JT says the vent also works a treat...

HI Keto,
Sorry not yet but hopefully I'll be over for the KOTC

HI Komsup,
The Rail is a more refined version of the M-14 & better for our downwind conditions as opposed to living on Maui & doing downwinders there.
This is the ultimate race board for moderate to extreme down wind conditions. The lower over all rocker gives this board very low drag paddling with quick acceleration for getting into glides. This tested bottom curve does not ever “stick” or “catch” up front while on a glide or getting into a glide. This unique bottom shape starts with a “V” in the nose that separates the water entry for zero drag and flows into a double concave which gives the board lift and direction then flows into a “V” in the back for effortless rail to rail responsiveness.
I can send one to Melbourne no problem...
I have a NON-Carbon Rail that's just arrived & it's $2995 and the Carbon $3495(or I have a demo Blue Carbon you can have for $2500 that's mint)

bring down to melbourne so we can test drive this board 14' x 25"?

Looks nice. The Sidewinder has been a the top of my list for boards I've been wanting to test for awhile now. I'm thinking the 14 X 27 as an all conditions distance board.

HI Robon,
Yes the 27" would be the perfect all-weather all-terrain board...I have 1 left for now if you're interested....Cheers Rob

HI Keto,
A 14x25" Sidewinder just went over to Gordon McKercher at Stand Up Paddle that I'm sure you can demo if you contact him..

C e n t r a lU4 / 18 Peel Road O’Connor WA 6163 Ph 08 9314-6789 Fax 08 9314-6728 Mob 0417-911311 www.supcentralwa.com.au this week.

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Jimmy Lewis Boards said..
HI Keto,
A 14x25" Sidewinder just went over to Gordon McKercher at Stand Up Paddle that I'm sure you can demo if you contact him..

C e n t r a lU4 / 18 Peel Road O’Connor WA 6163 Ph 08 9314-6789 Fax 08 9314-6728 Mob 0417-911311 www.supcentralwa.com.au this week.

Thanks!

I only asked him about it last week, so I shall investigate!!

So I managed a test paddle of the 14' x 25" JL Sidewinder here in Perth yesterday thanks to Gordon from SUP Central.

Notes on the test paddler!!
42 years young
Intermediate paddler - 12months on SUP
Lives for Downwind
Balance on skinny boards is an issue!
95kg (not fat - top heavy )
Pretty fit

Conditions:
Sunny light winds - Swan River
Heaps of boat wash
Type of paddle; structured training session:
10min warm up
10min drills
7 x 1min efforts all out
4min rest inbetween
Cool down

Remarks:

What a beautiful board!
Suprisingly stable for a 25" board - well for me anyway!
Graphics & construction best I've seen
Light! At around 9kg this is the lightest board I've paddled.
The nose is well designed - pushed away (deflected) boat chop with ease, instead of the nose getting buried or swamped.
So nice on the feet - deck grip similar to my SIC boards - doesn't feel rough like some other grips.
Pretty quick! Average speed during my 7 1min efforts was a total of 10.8km/hr & tops of 12.2 & 12.4 in most efforts - that's with hitting numerous boat wash wakes too...

So overall I was really really impressed with the Sidewinder, but would I go with the 27" version is the real question?!!

Final note:
Recently Ive paddled the 2017 Allstar 14 x 24.5" alongside the 2016 SIC FXpro 14 x 25 - the sidewinder was more stable than both of these boards.

Still awaiting to get on the 27" Allstar to make any final decision though.

Thanks again to SUP Central

thanks for the test review KetoFireFighter and nice board, I would go wider if you want one board and anything above 25" is good.

Nice looking board and great review.

I agree with your review, Keto.

It's a great board IMO. Surprisingly fast in flat water, even though its not a flat water board. Nice paddling sensation. Plenty stable for its width. Superb construction. Good price.

Thanks KetoFirefighter for the awesome review and really glad you enjoyed the Sidewinder....They really are the perfect 1 raceboard quiver...
I do think you'd get use to & be comfortable on the 25" after a couple more paddle sessions on it as I'm now using the 23" in the ocean on calm days (I'm 80kg & 6'1) & using the 25" for downwinders and rough days (even though I did do a 13km lake downwinder on the 23" without falling last week) ... I find the 23" incredibly quick in the flatwater but in a downwind situation the glide of the 25" made it just as quick & even easier to catch the runs on... I'm looking forward to paddling the 14x25" Sidewinder in the KOTC... Thanks again for taking the time to write your review... Rob

Has anybody tested this board and the latest Allstar 14?

I'm sure someone has. But the chances of getting an unbiased review is close to zero.

I don't see the two boards as competitors much though. The Sidewinder is much more an ocean board, whereas the All Star is probably used more by inland paddlers than coastal ones. The sidewinder has a lovely comfortable flat deck too, whereas the AS doesn't. If you love flat decks (or at least, decks with only minimal standing area depression, like the Bark Vapor or Naish Maliko), then more complex decks like the AS might be a deal breaker right off the bat. I have one dugout, and I'd never buy another. But some people love them, of course. It's just another way in which the AS and Sidewinder probably appeal to different people.

I see the Sidewinder as competing with the Bark Vapor, Naish Maliko, Bullet V2 etc, whereas the AS's natural competitor is eg. the SIC FX.

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Area10 said..
I'm sure someone has. But the chances of getting an unbiased review is close to zero.

I don't see the two boards as competitors much though. The Sidewinder is much more an ocean board, whereas the All Star is probably used more by inland paddlers than coastal ones. The sidewinder has a lovely comfortable flat deck too, whereas the AS doesn't. If you love flat decks (or at least, decks with only minimal standing area depression, like the Bark Vapor or Naish Maliko), then more complex decks like the AS might be a deal breaker right off the bat. I have one dugout, and I'd never buy another. But some people love them, of course. It's just another way in which the AS and Sidewinder probably appeal to different people.

I see the Sidewinder as competing with the Bark Vapor, Naish Maliko, Bullet V2 etc, whereas the AS's natural competitor is eg. the SIC FX.

The Allstar is probably used more by inland paddlers than coastal ones? Generalization and I doubt it. The Allstar is being used big time in coastal North America. I saw MANY allstars at the pacific paddle games from casuals to the pros. Whether the Sidewinder is "much" more of an ocean board or not is besides the point. The Allstar is getting used a lot in the ocean by many paddlers.

Ok this is a category logic problem. So maybe I haven't expressed it well. What I meant was "the majority of the Sidewinders sold will be used mainly in the ocean, whereas this is probably not the case for the All Star ". Probably more All Stars are sold to inland paddlers throughout the world since throughout the world there are more inland paddlers than coastal ones. So if the All Star appeals to both then there will be more inland than at the coast. This is not the same as saying "All Stars aren't used by coastal paddlers". This might not be true of Australia, where most population centres are near the coast, but across the world as a whole the inland market is larger. The All Star will likely appeal to those people more than the Sidewinder.

Haha. I get it. Being inland, I think I would still go with the Sidewinder over the Allstar. Lots of wind and chop where I'm at, and I like a flatter deck. Stability seems similar from the reviews so far and the Allstar might do a bit better upwind, but probably catches more sidewind. Sidewinder probably does better in quartering swell and dw. Very few reviews on the sidewinder so far. Looking at prices in the States, the Sidewinder is priced quite well In either construction. Comparatively speaking anyways. The classic construction is lighter than the hybrid construction of the 2016 Allstar. 101 surf sports weighed the 14 x 27 sidewinder in classic construction and the shop scale had it at 26 pounds without the fin. So, 27ish pounds is pretty damn good. Not sure what the 2017 all stars weigh but the price to weight ratio for JL is a much better deal here. The 2016 Allstars are just starting to come down in price but Sidewinder is still the better deal. At least in the states and Canada.

I would like to try the Sidewinder but it is impossible in Mallorca, Spain. For some reason Jimmy Lewis SUP boards are not distributed here. There is a distributor in Italy which supposed to deliver to whole Europe but it does not work. That's why there are only Italian riders with Jimmy Lewis :-(

I also find the quality price ratio very good with Jimmy Lewis. I had a Stun Gun and the quality was superb.

Well, if your principal criteria for purchasing is build quality, or value-for-money, then you'd certainly buy the Sidewinder IMO. In my experience, Starboards tend to look and feel a bit cheap, and do not last well. JL boards however typically have excellent fit and finish, and last extremely well. JL pretty much have any of the Cobra- built brands (i.e. nearly all of them) beaten in terms of the price/quality ratio.

I totally agree
I purchased a 14x27 sidewinder a couple of weeks ago and was blown away by the quality and finish of the board, absolutely flawless second to none and I personally think that they look so much better in real life.
Other outstanding features are the stability of the board, I weigh 100kg and usually ride 28+ boards but find the board super stable, it is so comfortable to use starting from the soft deck pad and flat deck make moving around so easy not to mention the super light weight and ledge handle.
No downwinders yet but have paddle in flat water and found it surprisingly fast, it cuts through chop like butter and doesn't seem to be affected by the wind as much as other boards I've ridden,picks up bumps easy and surfs great for a 14 footer.
Overall I find it stable, predictable and very easy to use and if your in the market for a new board the sidewinder is definitely one to consider.

I agree that Jimmy Lewis boards have great quality. But I would like to try the board to see which width is right for me. But it is impossible in Spain :-( I tried the narrowest one when an Italian rider came to a competition in Mallorca. Not for me. I weigh 80kg and I guess 25" would be the right choice.

I asked Jimmy Lewis in Facebook which width he would recommend. My favourite shop will bring an Allstar 14x24.5 for test soon. If I am OK with its stability then based on what KetoFireFighter says a Sidewinder 25 should be OK for my 80kg. Since we rarely have pure flat waters but mostly typical small-medium size chops of the Mediterranean, I would like to have some stability. I am not a fan of recessed deck therefore little reluctant to buy another Allstar.

Yep, the 14x25 would be good for Med chop as long as it's not a beginner paddling it. It's very stable for 25" wide - a million times more stable than my 14x25 Ace.