windsport.comRRD Fireride 125 V: 125 L: 246 W: 69 The ride: The Fireride is RRD’s new line of freeride boards. RRD maintains the responsive smooth ride of the line it’s replacing (the Z-ride), and adds some width making the Fireride plane up much quicker than before. The X-Tech construction is cheaper than the lighter LTD version, yet still provides a very crisp and efficient feel. The Fireride is not the most stable board while it accelerates, but the inboard footstrap setting is one of the easiest for progressional riders to get into once up and planing. The top speed is considerably faster in the outboard straps, but they aren’t placed out and back enough to match the fastest boards in the test. True recreational speedsters should look at the RRD Firerace models to meet their slalom needs. If you’re looking to cruise around then the straps’ position is great and keeps your feet well balanced. One other important part of the Fireride’s easygoing performance is the high-quality MFC Liquid Pro fin it arrives with. The jibe: To plane fully through a jibe the Fireride prefers to be carved with full speed in a modern hips-in style that commits your weight forward over the board. When turned off the nose in this manner it will plane through a tight jibe without hesitation. Conversely, if you lean your weight back during the entry then the board will bounce through a huge arc, causing you to fight it the entire way. The forte: The Fireride is a great freeride board for recreational riders who are aggressive in their desire to learn. It rewards hard work with style and is a board that they’ll be able to grow into for years to come. 2010 RRD Fireride 125 Isthmus Staff Review with Jon Massmann Wind conditions: 8-25mph winds Water conditions: lake chop and rolling swells. Sail size used: 7.5 RRD EVO 5 batten sail Quick to plane, great upwind ability and fast reaching speeds. While on a plane this board has a very responsive feel to directional foot steering and foot pressure. It jibes reasonably well with a pointer type of fin, a swept pointer may help it deliver a tighter radius turn with a less committed approach. Out set foot strap position maximizes the boards speed and upwind performance qualities, while the inset positions give it a less aggressive feel that may appeal to lower skill level riders. This board is very fast when you blast on a broad reach and let it hit it's 5th gear. Overall: Fast, responsive freeride performance that is quick to plane has a big wind range with good jibing qualities. Ideal for intermediate to expert level riders. 2010 RRD Fireride 125 Review Jason Voss US8 I just wrapped up a teaching a clinic on Maui's North Shore were I had the opportunity to ride some of the new RRD's for the 2010 season. RRD has really dialed in / nailed the shape of the new 2010 X-ride 125. With so much control built in, feel free to point the 125 at any thing mother nature throws at you! The 2010 X-ride 125 will take you from your first planing experience to comfortably blasting in the footstraps. The board is soo smooth it feels like you're riding on rails as you sail in flat or choppy conditions. The domed footstrap areas of the 125 are unique to RRD. In this area the dome is carried beyond the footstrap settings toward the centerline of the board. This makes for the most comfortable ride by insuring that regardless of the strap setting, (inboard or outboard) the rider will want to naturally "push with their toes" or weight the balls of their feet with out thinking allowing the rider to focus their attention to their sail trim / sheeting angle. Other boards in this class tend to have a flat deck at the inboard footstrap settings forcing the rider to hyper extend / over extend their ankles to maintain control of the board's trim while also worrying about the sail. Don't let the aggressive profile of the fin scare you! This aids in getting you the most "bang for your buck" with a great blend of control in the footstraps and ease of beach starting for the new comer by allowing the board to use a shorter, more powerful slalom/race profile. The board is so comfortable under your feet in transition (regardless of your ability) that it doesn't need the swept profile of a free ride fin to help add control in the turns (jibes). For the advanced rider looking to plane faster "out of the gate", add an extra inch of fin to the board and let the drag racing begin with the added lift / power. : check out the specs : |
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