The Covin is a great setup, definitely liked mine before I broke it. Both the Viva and the Covin share a continuous rocker line, which your already used to, however, the Viva has a more kink in the rocker, and a more aggressive boot to it, which definitely could contribute to some bigger and more vertically arcing airs. The variable rail, rounded in the belly and sharpening off to the tail gives a bit more playfulness when riding around that the Covin was missing with it's sharp edges all the way through, but it will still dig in and give you that same, if not more, aggressive cut on edge than the Covin. The board is also lighter than the Covin. All in all, picture a more forgiving, lighter, more aggressive Covin with bigger boot and you've got the Viva. Not to mention that they didn't change the shape at all for 2010, so you can find 09's, which I ride, for a killer deal on clearance. Hope this helped, if you have any questions, feel free to PM me! All the changes they made were all great improvements.