parks 140 or 144

Need help cant choice between a 140 or a 144, i'm 6'2" 220 and i talk to hyperlite and they said i should go with the 144, talk to a guy at a shop and he told me the 140 will work... i'm coming off a 04 Byerly 142, and the guy at the shop said the parks 140 had more surface area and that the parks 140 will work fine...but i've been leading towards the 144 because of my weight i'm ordering my board soon just need to know the 140 will work

I would go with the 144. I am about the same size of you and I rode a 140 premier and thought it was too small one year. I use to ride the Byerly 142 and recently switched to the 06 142 murray.

thanks...how do you like the Murray, i was also looking at that one too. but i believe i rather go with the parks because i like my board to have a tighter feel and i want a lot of pop. not to much in to inverted tricks right now just spins.

buy any board but the parks, i mean look, who rides it but him that is pro?

Massive: I believe its "who rides it but him who thinks he's pro" ....... I kid, I kid.

Tim: go with the 144, thats what I'd go with and I'm smaller than you.



(Message edited by kristian on March 25, 2006)

Go with the 144. i'm 6'2" and 195 and love my 143 DNA.

144

I havn't gotten the chance to ride the murray yet, but hopefully in the next two weeks with warm weather

Neither.

O'Brien Player 143.

You won't regret it

Whats so good About the O'Brien Player...I am seriously looking at a LF 143 Watson with Shane bindings.....but i know i can get a 2005 Parks 144 for 235 plus shipping or a 2006 Parks at cost so i'm stuck trying to figure out what the hell i want. My main goal is to get my spins down this year and learn a couple of inverts...

I've been riding the Player since the first year, this will be my 4th, though I might try the Natural this year. The player is just amazing... I can't list what is good about it, because everything about it just feels like it was meant to be. What makes me so sure about it however, is that I have rode every board made by LF, Hype and O'Brien in the past 3 years. I can name one thing I hate about every board, and I absolutely love the Player. As soon as I hear one of my friends say ANYTHING bad about their board, I let them ride mine and most of them have switched.

I will tell you this, Tim... There are only about 30 people advanced enough in the WORLD to be riding the Parks. The Parks was designed for Parks, not for people trying to learn new tricks. It is not forgiving. It is slow. If you land 5 degrees off a spin you will absolutely EAT it every time.

The Player rides fast, and it is VERY forgiving. I can pull off tricks where on any other board, especially the TFD/whatever the new one is and the parks, I would flyswat. Any person who REALLY knows anything about wakeboards who isn't in it for the money or the sale or anything would tell you not to buy a Parks.

Honestly Tim, this is a tip from a VERY experienced rider to fellow rider. I will not tell you this to get you to go buy an O'Brien, because I am sponsored by them or anything. I will just tell you this. Get OFF the Hyperlite if you want to learn some tricks this year. The Parks may impress your friends, but so will that sweet new trick you learnt because you DIDN'T buy the Parks.

Go ahead and try the LF boards, try to O'Brien boards, I'm not saying buy an O'Brien. I say O'Brien because I know from the most experience. I don't post on these boards to promote my company. Don't be afraid to be different. Way too many people are buying wakeboards they think are cool, and they go from what the shops who are TRYING TO SELL THEM the wakeboard say. Whatever the shops say is wrong. Find tips from REAL riders who have an unbias opinions.

Last thing. If you DO decide to buy a Hyperlite, God forbid, get a Premier. The Premier rides a LOT like the player, just with a bit less control. But if you fold under peer pressure and insist on buying a Hyperlite to be cool, please get the Premier.

Hyperlite builds what people like you, Tim, and many many other mainstream gullible people will buy. They have great publicity and a great team. I give them credit for that, but they build stuff that will SELL, not what is good for their riders. I always laugh when I see a 12 year old kid learning how to jump the wake on his brand new Parks or Byerly board.

You guys want to learn tricks? Here is the key: Stick with a board thats made for you. I learnt over 40 tricks last summer and I credit my board majorly, because I know if I had been riding ANY other board it wouldn't have happened.

Research your stuff from unbias opinions, do NOT get your facts from the local Hyperlite boardshop and the Hyperlite website.

"they build stuff that will SELL, not what is good for their riders.
Thats generalising a bit much or you're just ignorant. Boards like the State, Drive, Murray, 3ds are built for what is good for the rider very much in mind. There is much testing that goes on for hypes products. Yes the Parks and Byerly are a little extreme and agree they are not for most people but its not like hype doesn't give you options. Dont blame the company. The same can be said for most companies.

(Message edited by kristian on March 27, 2006)

Aden, I'm not disagreing with you. You should ride whats best fot you not the next person or your fav pro, but dont discount a company just because they have a couple crazy shapes.

thats why i was seriously looking at a Watson 142, but if i did get an obrian i would get the natural, granted i know the parks is to much board for me.. i've do enough research on stuff to figure out what i want. I like a board to have a tight feel and a good amount of pop...

I'm not, Kristian, and thats why I mentioned the Premier. The Premier is a legit, awesome board. If I was going to ride any Hyperlite, it would DEFINATELY be the Premier.

I'm just saying way too many people fold under publicity pressure and peer pressure and buy a Hyperlite, because they are cool, not because of how they ride.

Tim, I have heard nothing but amazing things about the Natural and the O'Brien guys are really pushing me to switch from the Player to it this year.

I can't tell you personally how it rides, but here is what my rep told me. This is the word from somebody who definately knows what they are talking about, and it isn't bias (within O'Brien)... what will he gain? He is actully losing money giving me the Natural, instead of the player

"The Natural has slightly less rocker than the Player, but with a faster bottom (due to the chevrons on the tip and tail) the board will have offer more of a transfer across the wake with similar pop. The moled in fins are more defined and don’t transfer along the board as long as the Player. You will notice a more forgiving feel with less drag on the boards. The Natural also has the double v bottom which will help in breaking the water for a softer landing; it also allows for water to transfer back and forth while riding the board allowing for more consistent edging against the molded in fins."

Consider that, and I havn't rode the Watson but I like the new boards LF is coming out with so there is no doubt in my mind that will be a nice board for you.

I am considering this setup more that the Parks

well i'm set on the shane bindings. so now its between a watson or a Natural. the only reason i would go with the Natural is it Says it has a tighter feel than the Player

Looks like a good setup, but with your size I would say you want as big of a board as possible. A bigger board will be less forgiving, and just help you stay up better. And I'm not too sure about the closed-toe bindings, I havn't tried them yet and don't plan on it. All it is is another excuse to sell more product.

I talked to the central Canada Hyperlite rep, Neil, and asked him about the closed toe bindings... trying to understand the concept a bit more. He said "It is just made so riders toes dont slide out of their bindings when you land on your heels"... and I said "But if you ride a good pair of bindings, such as the O'Brien Argons, your toes will NEVER slip out. Thus, no toecaps."

Tim I can't give you a reason not to buy the Watson, as I have not rode it. All I can tell you is that if you do buy the Natural/Player, you will have NO regrets.
From what my rep described, the Natural has the ONLY few things that the Player was lacking. And I have sold my past 5 Players to friends, and they ALL absolutely love them. I have got many friends off Hyperlite and they will never go back.

Still, the Watson might be a good board. If you can't decide, find the board to ride it. That is the only way you will know, once you ride both of them.
Trust me - it is a REALLY crappy feeling spending 600 bucks and then saying "Oh.... crap.... I should've bought the other one."

thats were i am at right now...knowing i can get a hyperlite at cost vs. spending full price on one.. i found a 2005 player 143 for 230..or the 2006 for 369, the a 144 natural is 369 also so what is better for spins in your opinion the natural or player

I'd go with the 2005 Player.
1) Player has looser edges, and if you are learning spins you want loose edges.
2) It's cheaper.
3) You don't need a 2006 board at your stage... unless you are competing, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a board 1 year old.
4) I think the 2005 Player has the sweetest graphics ever

just found a 05 player 143 200.00 plus free shipping hell its only 200 bucks so if i dont really like it i'll get another board later on in the summer...Thanks for the advice and well see how i like it come next month

Wow thats a good deal! Sweet!

Please get back to me, I want to know what you think of it. And good luck.

yeah it will be awhile...and my future wife wont kill me if i spend 200 dollars on a board over 400 to 500 dollars...damn still need bindings will the LF Shane fit on them

Yes Tim, you really CAN'T go wrong with 200 dollars. Even I am almost jealous of you!

And yes, I am pretty sure the LF's will fit them. You might want to call the local wakeboard shop to ask them, just in case.!