Honest Opinion Needed,Please!

haha leo yah and too long waste of 15min

haha leo yah and too long waste of 15min

Leo, thats what makes this forum fun!

"Oh young Trevor...there is so much more to how a wakeboard will ride then just the rocker line!"

I get it, I'm fifteen and only been wakeboarding for two seasons, BUT I'm pretty sure I'm up to date on this stuff, kid. I'm sorry I insulted the company that takes care of you, and I'm sure they are cool people, etc. You asked for my honest opinion and thats what you got. I am not a highly skilled rider, at all, but I know the basics. Profile will give you information on the rocker, late kick= abrupt pop. how thick and sharp the profile is will tell you how fast the board can sink an edge, as for the vice etc with those dumb@ss byerly knock-off cheap imatation tin foil fins, I rode the byerly and by now Im pretty sure everyone knows the flow through design wasn't such a great Idea, if you go back to 2003, perhaps you'll find yourself ahead of the curve. as for the ribed for her pleasure design on the bottom of the natural, really, how much of a difference can that possibly make. If theres one thing I've ever realized in wakeboarding is that theres pretty much only one thing I personally notice when I'm riding, thats the rocker. 3-Stage or Continuous. everything else is just there to make the board look pretty. Now I can appreciate the fact that you're trying to pay that company back for all the opportunities they've given you, but when you condescend to me, I will retailiate. Seriously though, this is fun.

Kyle,

I'm not trying to be a jerk. However, you haven't really said anything substantial about how you think the boards will ride. Since some of them (the valhalla and coda especially) are excellent, versatile shapes, I was surprised by your comments.

Trevor,

The more the better, right?

84 POSTS AND COUNTING!!!! O'brien must be loving this since many of you, including myself, don't even subscribe to WBM. That is what you call great advertising!!!!!!!!!!!!

schooledrider: doesn't matter, i won't ever buy one of their shapes. there is such a thing as bad advertising and publicity.

yeah i hear you tyler, i just didn't feel like getting into a whole schpeel over the board. It's like the lidberg in your profile pic (which i also used to ride), if you just hold one you can tell exactly what the board is going to ride like, slow but super poppy and pretty grippy. I used to ride for double up and when they sent me that board, i fell in love although the delta (nelson) still goes down as my favorite shape ever...if only i didnt break one a month

Trevor,

If you go back and read my posts I directed to you, I never commented on the opinion you gave me about O'Brien Wakeboards! I asked for it(actually I asked for your opinion of the ad)and you gave it, thank you! I'm not insulted, trust me

My comment to you was about your post about knowing how a board will ride just by it's rocker line. Now correct me if I am wrong, but you weren't referring to any specific manufacturers rocker line, but any boards rocker line. So I didn't bag on you for anything you said about O'Brien, it was because you think you can tell how a board will ride just by looking at it!

I have been wakeboarding for a little longer then you, 17 years & still learning, and I still believe the only way to know how a board is going to ride is to ride it!

I guess we will have to agree to disagree

PS: I'm riding tonight after work, what about you?

People have said that it gets your attention. But since it is already in a wakeboard specific magazine, it doesn't really need to get attention. If you're looking at a WB magazine, chances are you already know about the sport. That might be a good add in sports illustrated or something, an audience that is interested in sports but might not know anything about wakeboarding, it can generate interest. Otherwise, it just looks tacky in an industry specific magazine.

kyle, to answer your question, i didn't ask how a slingshot rides. I asked how the new obriens RIDE. not look. I know you're awesome.

One thing you cannot see from the pics (or by holding the board) is how the rocker and rail will react at the wake. But, i'll have to find one and ride it myself.

Not a good ad. No brand recognition. And actually, it kind of makes fun of wakeboarding. I could see a hardcore skier wearing a shirt made out of that ad. Like the "If it was easy, they'd call it wakeboarding" shirt. I think Moomba is the only company I've seen in WB mag producing memorable ads (well, them and Reef ). Not the ones with the natives talking, but the Australian-themed ads.

O'Brien, for whatever reason, has not sold as well as they should (or nearly as well as they do in Australia). I know and see A LOT of wakeboarders living in a Texas college town with year-round riding and TSR a couple hours away, and I've NEVER seen a non-sponsored rider with high-end O'Brien gear. Ever. They have too many good riders (and presumably a few good boards) to be non-existent in the states.

And Kyle does have half a point...crazy fins, shapes, tips, boots, and designs certainly don't seem to be helping them gain a foothold here in the U.S. Few people are going to buy or even demo something that unique, so even if the board does ride amazingly, no one will know.

Jeff, Not trying to contradict you. but:

There's a guy that rides a 144 natural at TSR and BOOSTS HUGE off the corners. I think he had Obrien boots too. maybe watsons. I *think* he's on here as benjamin (bendow) but I've never asked the guy. I did see him there in person when I was there in August.

Somehow, theres a select few ppl that swear by Obrien gear.

I don't see where someone can say they know how a slingshot will ride, just from looking at it... or any other board (past or future) that "breaks the mold" and introduces something new and influential to the sport. So i partly agree with getting a GOOD IDEA of how a board rides by looking at it but i don't agree with the extreme of KNOWING how a board is gona ride.

nacho, I'm sure they exist. And I'm sure I've seen a handful on non-sponsored guys on them and just didn't think enough of it to make a mental note. But I can't even count the number of beginners I see at TSR who buy $800 LF set-ups almost blindly and proceed to wreck them on obstacles. That's marketing. I know O'Brien doesn't have quite the same caliber team (and frankly the Aussies don't really have the power to boost sales stateside) or marketing budget, but they have enough talent, $$$, and ideas to make a far bigger dent in the marketplace than they have now. At least 1 out of every 10 pro boards sold should be O'Brien, not 1 out of 100. I've seen way more Slingshots out there than O'Brien's, and they're a new company, not a company that was there from wakeboarding's beginning, like O'Brien. Off-hand, I can't even think of a board shop that deals O'brien gear.

(Message edited by jcv on April 17, 2008)

Kyle,

I used to ride for DU also--until Bob pulled the plug (insert angry comment here). RIP.

I went directly from the Lidberg to the valhalla, and haven't felt the desire to switch until this season. I'm going to be riding the coda, because I want something that's a little more responsive. They're both simple, solid shapes.

Jeff, you're exactly right, that is marketing at its best.

O'brien makes wakeboards???? Who knew....

JD, that's not my point. I don't own any O'brien products either. This "buzz" is just hilarious. O'brien is getting way more than their money's worth with people posting pictures of their shapes, etc. I'm no advertising expert, but it's all about getting people's attention and name recognition. How many ads these days go into detail about the product they're selling? Very little.

The ad says nothing for the brand. It may get someone's attention, but attention isn't always positive.

I don't think it's a great ad. Not worse than most I see in the mags but definitely not better. (And I ride an O'Brien Natural.)

As to Kyle's comments: (A) Despite all your talk of knowing how boards ride I think your comments are extremely naive. I love how you discount all the riders who have posted on here that think the Natural is a great shape compared to other high end boards. And how do you do it? By saying it looks like the GB Briscoe? Call me crazy but I'm pretty sure they have very different looking bottoms, even excluding the chevrons.

(B) I'm sure that even if you were to ride one of O'Brien's boards you'd still be a hater no matter how well it rode.

I have a cousin that absolutely hates Liquid Force. He's hated everything he's tried of theirs because he's already a hater.

I'm open to any board that I feel provides me the best ride. That's why I stumbled onto the O'Brien Natural and found (after riding it) that it had every characteristic I've ever wanted since I started riding in 98.

I think O'Brien's marketing should be more based on letting people demo their boards. Something like: "Just Demo It!" And then put sick shots up of riders. Keep the ads simple, show off the product, and show off someone doing something awesome on it.

See, Im just the opposite. I dont like seeing pro's push gear. They can make anything appear to perform well. its like the guy in guitar center selling guitars to parents buying them for their kids at Christmas. He can pick up a POS guitar, tune it, and play something beautiful.

If you wanna impress me, put pictures of riders who CHOOSE to ride it, in the ads. It tells me that the rider decided what board was right for him and spent his hard earned money on it.

Ive seen pros in both wakeboarding and kiteboarding ride their sig model when the cameras are out, then ride some other model of their brand when they are just riding. Or remember back in the day when pros would put their honeycomb graphics on a foam board to ride in contests? Why? Because they wanted people to think that the pros rode honeycomb and were worth the premium, when in actuality they sucked.

Jason, That's an awesome idea! Have a few stats about the rider that show they're not a pro or aren't getting the boards for free.

Trevor (hawk7)

Careful!

Trevor, its funny you mention the ribs on the bottom of the obrien boards. Is there any physics law that says if you put ribs on the bottom of the board it will make it ride faster?

If you look at all the new boards, a lot of them have almost nothing on the bottom of the board (slingshot, gator, LF, CWB). I wonder why.

I think the add kicked a$$, it was my favorite add in the mag.

Tyler,
Benjamin (Bendow) that you referred to is one of my friends. Actually, he recently switched from O'brien. He's now riding a hyperlite board. He liked the shape of the natural, but that board just didn't last long- kept snapping on him. I guess the o'brien natural couldn't handle "Big Air Ben" (). Let's see if his hyperlite lasts longer.

(Message edited by pvsawyer on April 17, 2008)

Oops! My bad, he switched to Liquid Force. He's riding Shane Bonifay's board.

J Jakober. My intention was not to insult you directly though I do have negative feelings towards the company you tie yourself closely to. by saying how many years I've been riding for I intended to state the fact that I haven't been riding for long, but this isn't rocket science. If you look at older movies, mayday, switch, spray, 12 honkeys, they pull a lot of the same tricks riders today do, yet they were riding a step above the skurfer, thus, I'm under the impression that theres not much skill in your board. Though I say this, I did buy a brand new Ronix Covin cause it looked cool. again, if I worked for a company I would be glad to have you aboard because you bring a lot of energy into the advertising, but not everyone's going to like your product, some people might not even know why they don't like your product! and no, I don't get to go ride today because I don't even have a drivers liscence, but you better believe that when I do I will be on the water more often than humanly possible, because I absolutely love this sport, I love everything about this sport, and that's why I like being on the discussion forum because it has a lot of different opinions, but other than those of you on here that get some sort of hook up from O'b, the general tone seems to be negative, you got what you wanted. I wrote a lot of extra stuff though because I like to talk .

Andy. I apaulogize for insulting the company.

leo I'm confused at the point you're trying to make as the second line contradicts the first.

Jason thats a good Idea when not active, but that would be terrible for people who are geting the hook up.

you have negative feelings towards Obrien?
What, did they kick your dog or something?

Trevor,

Now you sound like an intelligent 15 year old!

Ride what you like, ride hard, and have fun

jjakober

Yes Matt, that's exactly what happend. Maybe feelings was the wrong word, opinions.

J.J. I've been saying pretty much the same thing throughout the thread.

Louise, tail press in your profile? very nice! I can't imagine how those boards were breaking!

I'll be sure to speak to Ben if I see him again. Are you guys out there all the time? We're headed down there in June.

Thanks! Yeah, we're out there a lot.

Did anyone catch what that ad took a jab at? I did not read through this thread throughly...it's my first time looking at it. I thought it was a jab at Hyperlite with their new wake ski's. HMMM.. What do you think?

Scott good point. After being in business for my self I am not surprised at anything people do anymore, but I would think that O'Brien is a little above that.... I would hope anyway.

I thought the latest wake mag ad was much better
*showed some new, upcoming gear
*defined the name of the R5 "Rediculously, Rad,Rail, Riding, Ripstick (i don't have the mag in front of me... i might have got it wrong) I have really been wondering what was with the simple goofy name. now i know.
*stood out in its own ridiculous way like the last one, but did better at pointing to obrien

anyway... my 2cents

its too plain and no one calls it skiboarding, to me a skiboard is a trick ski. while we're on the topic of goofy, what is the go with the term goofy?