STARBOARD FUTURA 121L CARBON 2013 TEST REVIEW
STARBOARD FUTURA 121L CARBON 2013 TEST REVIEW
THE LOW-DOWN
The Futura is Starboard’s long-standing, fast all-round freerace board designed to offer the speed of a slalom board but with the easy handling of a freeride hull. For 2013 the Futura line has a new low-drag tail cutout and is available in six sizes and two different constructions, full carbon (as tested here) or wood.
AT-A-GLANCE
Double concave with vee hull
Drake Venom 44cm Tuttle box fin
Pintail with winger and rounded nose
Tail cut-outs
Recessed deck around mast track
Raised stance area
Drake footpads
Lightest on test
PERFORMANCE
With a wide outline, the Futura is very quick to accelerate and lift onto the plane, requiring very little effort, or indeed wind, to get going. The comfy deck doming and raised stance area lifts you into a comfortable but aggressive riding position. The ride really is exciting and sensational – you can feel the similarities to the top-of-the-line iSonic – and this is a seriously fast board on all points of sail. Thanks to the thin rails soaking up chop this 121 flies in any water state. Through manoeuvres the Futura definitely feels ‘automatic’ with a versatile, smooth carving style that’s easy to power out of turns.
THE VERDICT
This Starboard delivers an exhilarating and easy-to-access level of performance. The 121 is seriously quick and also very easy to sail fast regardless of the conditions – we found it a genuine challenge for some full on slalom boards at top speed. But it’s the super-versatile gybing character that can’t be beaten. Riders of all levels will find this board highly rewarding and exciting – a high performance freeride board that covers everything from basic freeriding to hardcore freeracing. Highly recommended.
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