Village of Stoke: Glide Board Reviews

Coli & Ryan Mullen at Northwest Paddlefest

Board Review: by Jhacoli Yang
Board: Glide Keiki – Gen 1 – 8’4” x 28” 120L (approx.)
Type: Race
Days paddled: 1 - NWPF
Conditions: Glassy

Coli demos the Glide Keiki as fellow paddler and friend Spencer Slaven demos the Lochsa

First Impression:

· Fun looking

· Cute Turtle

· I think I’ll like it

The Ride:

· The tail sunk, but as I moved forward, the nose sunk – the volume would not be right for a 9+yr old

· There was not much glide when the board was mostly sunken in the water

o I was pushing the board past the optimal water line

Thoughts:

· I would like to see a larger version so that it can handle a larger range of kids aka 9+yrs

· Loved the turtle on the deckpad & couchy deck pad feel

· I liked the durability – you can ride up on the beach, and not have the perfect paddle stroke and you won’t hurt the board

Conclusion:

· 9+yr olds would like the Keiki board if there was a larger version with more volume – it is not a bad board but I’d like to see it be more versatile with more volume for a family purchase so that the board would not become obsolete too soon!

· This board would be perfect for resort rentals

· This board would be perfect for large families as you could keep passing it down!

Coli's friend Gianna Veetutu demoing the Glide Keiki

Board Review: by Jhacoli Yang
Board: Glide Lochsa 9’ x 35” 260L
Type: Race
Days paddled: 2
Conditions: Glassy & somewhat moderate choppy conditions

Coli and fellow paddler and friend Sean Thomas at Northwest Paddlefest

First Impression:

· Funny lookin board - Unique design & shape – makes you go “huh – what is this about?”

· It’s weird looking and not what I’m used to – the shape is chunky and heavy looking

The Ride:

· Very stable and encourages you to work on maneuvers and tricks

· Though the board is wide – it is very easy to paddle and maneuver even for a 9yr old

· It is versatile and I can see myself paddling this on flatwater with a different fin and not just rivers

Coli demos the new Glide Lochsa at Outdoor Retailer 2014

Thoughts:

· I would like to see carry handles and deck rigging options

· Additional deck plugs that could allow one to customize additional handle options to help get back on in moving water

· Couchy deck pad feel is awesome

· Aftermarket Stick-ons look like they would not stay on the GSS board texture

· I liked the durability – you can ride up on the beach, and not have the perfect paddle stroke and you won’t hurt the board

· If you wanted to bring anything with you – you’d have to carry it on your back

Coli and friend Tracie Smith having fun at Northwest Paddlefest

Conclusion:

· Unique design that allows an adult or a kid to very easily jump in and have silly fun on

· A Lochsa mini would be awesome for smaller adults and kids since this shape is so unique to Glide

· This was the most fun shape I’ve been on in a long time – I didn’t want to get off the board

· I wanted to keep progressing on this board as I felt very confident on it

Board Review: by Jhacoli Yang
Board: Glide Rockit 14’ x 27” 290L
Type: Race
Days paddled: 2 (1 session tandem)
Conditions: Glassy
*Note: The Glide Rockit name has been updated to the "Godspeed" for 2015

If you look closely you will see that Coli has an extra set of arms in this pic

First Impression:

· Does not look like a Glide board (*due to not having the GSS coating)

· Looks fast – but does not stand out like other race boards do

· Looks light but easy to dent (the board does not feel as tough to the touch)

The Ride:

· The board was a little big for me but super glidey fast to paddle

· The board was swift, fast, and consistent when accelerating

· The Couchy deck pad was amazing

· This board has a custom feel to it

Thoughts:

· I would like to see carry handles and deck rigging options

· Couchy deck pad feel is awesome

· Aftermarket Stick-ons would look terrible on this board

· The nose would not stay in place for me (but it’s because the board was not the right size for me)

· If you wanted to bring anything with you – you’d have to carry it on your back

Conclusion:

· My first impressions were wrong – whoah – this board was fast and fun...believe it or not, my dad and I tandem paddled this board

· A 10’6 x 27” Rockit for kids would be awesome!

o Updated – at Outdoor Retailer – I had the chance to demo the Godspeed 12’6 – and this board felt totally awesome! 10’6 X 27” would be amazing based off your new shape as a kids race board!!!

Hope you enjoyed the read and see you out on the water - Stoke-O-Nut (aka.Coli)