First, I’ve never been a huge Surftech fan (I always thought the boards were too light), but i can honestly say that the Donald Takayama In the Pink longboard is the best Surftech longboard and maybe the best overall longboard that I’ve EVER ridden.
I promise that I’m not over hyping ;).
After reading countless reviews, I opted to buy the Surftech model. I figured that I could use a good quality, durable road trip longboard.
So, I bought the 9′6″ Surftech model and have been riding it with the 2+1 fin setup, using the fins that came with the board. It was good timing because hurricane season is in full swing on the East Coast (I’m in FL), and I’ve already had this board out in a variety of conditions. It’s performed great in all of them.
Wave Catching Ability
First, the board is very easy to paddle and catches waves like a machine. Surftech’s are known to float better than standard poly boards, this coupled with the small amount of nose rocker, does help the board easily paddle and catch waves. Now, if you’re not careful the board will pearl in choppier surf (because of the flatter nose rocker), but that’s an easy fix by sitting further down from the top of the nose while paddling into waves.
Surfing Performance
The In the Pink model is all about performance – noseriding performance and maneuverability. The nose on the board is 24inches wide offering plenty of stable room for noseriding. If you like riding the nose, you will love this board, its one of the best noseriders that I have ridden, and the best Surftech longboard lineup (IMO).
The harder edge rails and 2+1 fin setup really help the boards turning ability. It’s great for drawing long lines with cutbacks OR doing quicker, more vertical turns and hitting the lip.
Below is a pic of the fin setup that comes standard with the board:
In the Pink Surftech vs. Poly Model
For this particular longboard, I would not hesitate to buy the Surftech model. Through the years, most of the complaints about Surftech boards have been focused on the lack of flex or the boards being too light or the fact that they don’t ride well in choppy surf. Now, I do not find any of these as being a hinderance for the In the Pink model. Typically, I do prefer standard poly foam and resin longboards, but Surftech and Donald Takayama have done a great job with this model longboard and everything about it just seems to work…even in choppier surf conditions.
Now that i have ridden this board multiple times, I think the Surftech model is definitely the way to go. I think the performance and longterm durability of a Surftech board will help ease the pain of In the Pink’s $1000 price tag.
