Patrik Slalom 100.

Hi

I rode a Patrik Slalom 10011 the other day and will give some impressions and thoughts about this board.



Erik Beale recently spent some time here, testing fins. He stayed with Joos to be close to the water and to have access to a workshop. He also borrowed a few Patrik boards for his assignment.

Well, Erik has returned to Maui leaving the borrowed boards with Joos – an opportunity for some testing I think. I have been thinking about Patrik’s slalom boards recently and have wanted to ride one or two to get an idea of their characteristics.

On this particular day, I was already rigged on the beach with my own stuff and the wind was building rapidly. Joos arrived at the beach and I asked him for a quick ride on the Patrik 100 slalom in his care. He kindly agreed so I screwed in one of my old slalom fins, ran down to the beach, clicked my E-Type 6.6 on and set off ahead of the approaching storm.

Despite the strap positions being totally wrong for me (speed guys have their own way of setting up!) and my fin not being good enough, the board performed fantastically. It is so settled over rough water, fast, comfortable and controllable.

I was only able to hang on for three runs, going from totally over-powered to “I think I am going to die now”. This is unfortunate because I would have liked the time to re-position the straps and find a better fin. A board of this class warrants proper ancillary equipment and a balanced set-up.

After my short ride I got to wondering about whether it would be possible to use the 100 as a fast freeride/B&J machine. It is:

• easy

• forgiving

• confidence inspiring, allowing you to really push on in heavy conditions

• perfect with free-ride sails

• etc

In short, everything we look for in a fast, blasting board.

If I ever acquired one, I would be tempted to have a slightly inboard set of foot-strap holes professionally inserted, one or two high end carbon fins (Zulu Umbani for example) and I would also add a fast free-ride fin (Tribal Powermax 34) into the mix.
This equipment selection would allow for:

• hectic B&J sailing

• fast free-ride blasting

• pure slalom racing

Simply vary fin/sail combos and foot-strap positions.

All of the above options from one board!

Bargain!


Good winds