What is generally the difference between Skate and Magic ride for freeride?

I tend to think folks avoid freestyle boards because they don't sail properly. So I lean more toward Skate, get the skill, eat the chop.... =)

What age? Early freestyle boards were more usable but then became very specialised. In general they are not great freeride boards

i have a 102l freestyle board....it sucks for freeride.
trim is too far forward to sail comfortably with bigger sails and fins. also the flat deck and inward strap position overstretches your foot a lot.If you want to freeride AND freestyle, get a larger freestylewave board with enough width and outboard strap options...like the Kode 105 or 3s classic

2010 Skate 110 has outside footstrap holes and hi rise nose rocker.
Magics are wider and much thinner in the standing area, giving better control and feel.

Any Skate post ~2011 will be a reasonable freeride board, just don't expect it to be a really comfortable blaster or exceptionally fun to try and turn on chop (my experience).
Most companies are going more freeride in their freestyle boards now. The time of excessive specialization seems to have peaked after 2010 and before 2015 from the research I did before buying the Skate. Ultimately I ended up selling that board because it overlapped with foiling for wind range and was less fun in the chop which we have here. If you have access to flat water you'd likely feel differently.

Magic Rides are a great board, definitely worth a go.

10 years ago a guy with 100l skate told me if you trim freestyle board right it would feel like enduro motorcycle driving over small rocks so actually comftarble on the knees.

Otherwise I'm 88kg looking only for flat water/chop blasting.
Freewave boards feel like harder to trim side to side and back to forward than freestyle.

Would try the difference in fuerte windsurf center for sure before buying and most probably I'd buy 2021.

The sails are 4.2 and 5.0 any of the lightest.

If I were looking for a chop/flat water blasting board, I would certainly not consider a freestyle board. There is such a wide range of boards exactly made for your purpose, why look for anything else?
A few boards I can personally speak of:
Tabou: 3s Classic, Rocket, they're all great and eat the chop, so you don't have to do it (Haven't sailed the new 3s).
RRD: FSW, more lively than a 3s Classic, eats chop, too, though maybe not as much as the 3s Classic
JP Freestyle Wave: a lively, well-balanced fast and manouverable board. I have had a very old one for years now (2004), tried a more current one and found it pierced the waves when gybing in very steep chop, apart from that I found it great.
There are countless others I haven't tried, but which I would blindely trust to be better for carved turns, handling in chop and doing old school carving transitions than a freestyle board. Plus, any of these can go over 30 knots, which I assume would be difficult on a freestyle board.
Nothing wrong with a freestyle board, but if you look for something that can easily be trimmed I don't think they will make you happy. It might help to adjust board size, though.

I am 90kg and have a 2012 Fanatic 110L Skate TE, and a 2012 Fanatic 95L FSW TE. Owned both since new, so have 9 years under my belt with them both. They are a great combo for Bump and Jump sailing which is what I do most. I am just an average sailor and am not into the flicky spinning freestyle tricks (hats off to those guys who are that good and can do that stuff)......I bought the Skate to get me planning early and on the water more, and it does exactly that. It is my most used board and I find it so easy to sail.

I use the Skate with a 6.2 and 5.7 power wave sails (previousl NP Atlas, and now, KA Kults).........it is pretty quick to plane and is fast too (top 2sec a tad over 33.7kn in the river at SWR which surprised me). I also use the Skate in the surf when in onshore conditions and small-med waves as it is quick to plane to get me out through the inner and outer shorebreaks on sandbanks. Quick and easy turns on waves on back hand too but this is due to the speed and shortness, it is certainly no waveboard.

Once it gets to 20kn+ for Bump and Jump I switch to the FSW (245cm length....she is a good old school FSW) as at that point things are getting very choppy at our home spot and the short length (228cm or there abouts) of the Skate has me on the edge of disaster when whipping through the confused chop on a broad or beam reach. I love my Skate and can't see me ever getting rid of her. If I broke it, would I buy another? FOR SURE, it suits my intended purpose and is bloody fun to sail!

I can't give you a comparison to the Magic Ride, I just wanted to add my 2c on the Skate to balance out some of the comments on freestyle boards. Compared to a freestyle board, I would expect a freeride board to be better through chop with the extra length and nose kick, easier to control in higher wind with outboard straps for blasting, and over all faster too.

Freestyle boards feel awesome on flat water.

I second all people who said freestyle. Also realized that I never really sailed freeride boards in my life. Actually, no when I was intermediate about 12 years ago I had JP Excite ride for a few months. It was the most boring board I sailed in my life.

So likely I'm a bad guide on freeride boards but if you never gonna touch freeride/freerace sails or sails larger than 6.0 THEN get a freestyle board. You will love it. In terms of speed when/if you are good you can match many people on freerace stuff over short distances. But it's not the goal. Freestyle boards are short, very efficient, jumpy; have less swing weight and are very fun on flat water. I also use mine in big bump jump conditions and it's so much fun especially in dead onshore winds.

It's all about your style... if you are speed junky or prefer messing around and jumping... but be warned, once you get a freestyle board and get used to ~220 lengths there is no turning back and any 240+ cm board will look like a tanker.

I assume 108l works at 30kn with 4.2 as i saw many freestylers use 4.2 on 100l.

I tend to believe that if you sail it properly - pushing it with front foot it's more fun than ANY board except slalom which requires heavy sails and lots of skill.

However I'll try it first in wsurfcenter to make sure I really want it.

I sometimes sail my 105 Freestyle with 4.8 and 4.3 (Chopper L, M) and 21/22cm fin and the board works amazing. Take some newer freestyle board for a spin. I think that you may like it. I would say that the ride is pretty aggressive. Most freestyle boards have sharp rails tail to mast base and you can also push with your back foot hard given you have enough fin length.
The only problem is when you have average size disorganized close shop and lots of wind. Then the board starts slapping because it generates speed fast and has a flat bottom. Not sure what board will be comfortable in these conditions though... maybe older narrow Naish Waves.

"Then the board starts slapping because it generates speed fast and has a flat bottom."

Don't know how heavy chop you have in mind but I expect the board to eat chop if I sail it right.

As far as technique goes I won't bother here on forum but I do know I didn't get it right as my 98L slalom board didn't eat chop.

My 109 Skate became increasingly uncomfortable with sails under 5m. I'd say unless you have exceptionally flat water it's not going to be an effective option.

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Loreni said..
I assume 108l works at 30kn with 4.2 as i saw many freestylers use 4.2 on 100l.

The freestylers rig their sails with a super tight leach, use crazy small sails, and pump very efficiently to get going, so 4.2 is probably 18-20 knots.

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philn said..

Loreni said..
I assume 108l works at 30kn with 4.2 as i saw many freestylers use 4.2 on 100l.

The freestylers rig their sails with a super tight leach, use crazy small sails, and pump very efficiently to get going, so 4.2 is probably 18-20 knots.

so freestyle sails are the easiest to use? i was more thinking like NP zone for flat water to be the softest sail.

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Grantmac said..
My 109 Skate became increasingly uncomfortable with sails under 5m. I'd say unless you have exceptionally flat water it's not going to be an effective option.

at what weight?

At 75 kg., my 110 Skate is fine down to 4.2 if I'm NOT trying to go fast.
That might be 15-22 knots.
My plethora of 85iter boards extend up to 33, and down to 17.

I own a JP freestyle but rented several Magic Rides aswell. These boards tbh are hard to compare. My FS I surf in bumpy and gusty conditions at my homespot, the magic ride at much more relax greek windsurf centres.

The FS is my go to board since 2017. Technical at first to say the least, but bloody fast and a wonderfull toy under your feet once you get it right. You've got to learn where to stand exactly to get the balance of the board right and you need to know how to surf chop because the board will start to bounce around.

The magic ride is a crazy fun yet easy board. It get's on the plane easy, surfs very smooth and gibes itselves. The top end is okay. Had a blast 2 summers ago on a 112l with a 5.3, smaller size boards are even better in that respect. I seriously concidered adding one to my quiver but didn't because although I love the board, everything becomes to 'standard' for my likes. Once at a certain level, there will be no more challenges or things to learn so I went for a patrik frace istead, no regrets. If I was to buy a first board or if I could only have one, much likely I'd pick a magic ride.

If you are looking to make a comprimise, go for a freestyle wave board. They are exciting but a bit more userfriendly. The JP is okay, the Fanatic I didn't enjoy that much, tabou is a very good option. Somethimes I wished I had a fsw for when I'm a bit lazy, just want better carving performance or have extra fun in the waves.

Imo almost all recent boards are great, it's just about finding the one that works for you

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Loreni said..
I'm 88kg looking only for flat water/chop blasting.

For blasting on the flat, go for a freeride, freecarve, freerace board. It will be faster and more exciting! Jp super ride or super sport if you don't like the magic ride.

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Freewave boards feel like harder to trim side to side and back to forward than freestyle.

They do have more setting option and less volume in the tail, but they are easyer to sail than pure fs, because they are longer. They are softer in the chop. They can be sail faster than fs thanks to the outboard straps.

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Would try the difference in fuerte windsurf center for sure before buying and most probably I'd buy 2021.

Good idea. Even though sotavento is quite a special spot. Very choppy and gusty.

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The sails are 4.2 and 5.0 any of the lightest.

That means strong wind only since you are 88kg. So maybe go for the smallest freeride or a fsw (with a freeride bias) around 95l

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Loreni said..

Grantmac said..
My 109 Skate became increasingly uncomfortable with sails under 5m. I'd say unless you have exceptionally flat water it's not going to be an effective option.

at what weight?

85-90kg depending on the season. If I was getting another FS board it would be 95L max.

I dont have much experience and i am very lightweight but i used them both on choppy/flat water, skate was lightest version and magic ride was heaviest version.

Skate was extremely light on hand and under feet, its nose bounced a lot over chop but tail stayed relaxed, very exciting ride, stance was set very upright and felt great, not a hint of spinout with a 19cm fin, i dont think it would feel so good with a freeride stance and a bigger fin. It was the fastest planing board i ever used, and with very good top speed, very maneuverable while speeding. It wants to and does pop from every small chop, i personally didn't like that for freeride, but keep on mind i am 62kg and board was 93lt with 4.0 sail. Its jibing was surprisingly smooth and fast, even on chop.

Magic ride is completely opposite in terms of feel, very dull in my opinion, like a flying carpet, you dont feel anything over small chop, but gets out of control over any kind of wave. Its pretty fast and easy to hoover it olmost only fin touching, you can lean flat and use all power, but again even so not so exciting over flat water, it planes early but not as good as many other freeride boards, keeps the plane for very long time at luls. Jibes and tacks are very forgiving, but i found it difficult to jibe without losing too much speed because i was not used to wide boards.

If you do some freestyle skate may be great with your weight. If you want blasting i think there are better options. If you want easy cruising magic ride is great.

Way back when a magazine test picked out a freestyle board as a lighter wind freeride winner I was like "hmm, interesting..."

To me it makes sense when wanting to blast around in light winds with a small sail. With 13-18 knots, 5.0 and a big 106 freestyle I was planing nearly the whole time, full test here: windsurfing.lepicture.com/board-tests/

Especially for riders wanting a lighter sail I think a freestyle board makes complete sense for light winds.

Another thought!

Since I was very impressed with my old naish 78L (at 78kg) wave board I'm thinking what if I would buy a big wave (pure wave) board instead of freestyle?

so now at 88kg I'd pick 102L as all in one board. JP I guess...

I know it's easyer to try in windsurf center and see but it will take time before I go to fuerte again.....

Thiness and wider Magic, more comfort and better feel.
Skate is REALLY thick in the standing area.
Hi volume wave board would be slow to plane and sluggish once up in flatwater.
Good for light wind wave riding, of course.

A pure wave board in the absence of actual breaking waves is not an interesting ride.

FSW would be the better choice.

I see FSW boards and something in between....nothing special....

while freestyle board with huge float and small fin is some advantage.

and wave board with the least volume in tail among all boards is also an advantage.

can't comment much on bigger wave boards because all I remember was nice speedy ride with 78L naish (pure wave) board and 5.5 vapor at 78kg crusing between 1m waves. the fin was 27cm.

What about starboard Ignite vs skate for freeride?

My plan probably would look like - first Ignite 103L with 66.5 width and then JP radical wave 103L with 62cm width.

As all in one board for flat/choppy conditions.

Almost 100% decided yet. It's gonna be 108L skate.

Wondering though how is it gonna hold me up I'm 94kg now.

Searched this forum and found 36 freeride fin would be enough for my 6.7 sail. Do I really have to have that much bigger freeride fin for 6.7?

My other sails are 4.2 ad 5.0 which I'd use with 22cm stock fin.

36cm fin seems quite large for a 6.7...especially with the thick tail of a freestyle board.
I'd say go 30cm +- 2. That should fit nicely