Got to try the 26" Maliko today in a race on our Millers run - solid conditions 30-35knots and I think I came 4th. Thomas King smoked us by 4-5min over 11.4km and I was in a tussle with two guys for 2nd but got pipped in the last kms. Board felt amazing, especially off the start we were flying and another guy on Maliko 26" was leading out.
Board really catches alot of bumps, I was battling a bit to get my head around the sweet-spot as you seem able to step quite far back and still get onto bumps, once on a run the board feels really slippery and I managed to push over a few bumps in front, something I've never been able to do before on the Millers run which has much bigger bumps than our Milnerton run.
Footsteering really came alive in these bigger bumps and the nose just swallows any little cross bumps. I got blown into bumps by the wind only on several occasions and I even had the nearly fall off backward moment where board accelerates faster than you anticipated.....
The nose does bury every now and again and it does slow you down when it happens but you can ride out of it most times still on the bump other times not. Stability is excellent, more stable than 2014 Javelin x 26 and this means you don't miss too many opportunities, lots of guys came feeling it was rough and my legs were feeeling perfectly ok so way less strenuous than the old board.
I really liked it, not much to improve, perhaps lift the nose a fraction for the shortswell type downwinders, so it goes over more but that would be about it - stoked it handled these rough conditions so effortlessly and can't wait to really work out the finer details of the trim, its a flyer!