In the past, boat boards and park boards were at opposite ends of the spectrum. Finding a perfect balance between the two was much like finding a high-performance race car that you could also drive off-road. So to avoid buying two different boards, you had to compromise somewhere in the mediocre middle. Nowadays, board technology has improved to the point where your favorite board might ride great both behind the boat and at the park. To point you in the right direction, we rounded up some of our favorite hybrid boards for you to browse. Happy shopping!
Ronix One – ATR Carbon
Danny Harf’s pro-model board usually stands out among the rest — and with good reason. It’s lightweight, fast, and loaded with features. To top it all off, it even comes in three different core options. From the stiffer, boat-oriented core to the softer, park-oriented core, you can choose the flex that’s right for you. We like to call the ATR Carbon option the “Goldilocks” core for the hybrid rider: not too soft, not too stiff, but juuust right.
Sizes: 134 cm, 138 cm, 142 cm, 146 cm
MSRP: $530
CWB Groove
Kaesen Suyderhoud’s pro-model board, the Groove, is a true hybrid, and has been since its inception. Take one look at Kaesen’s riding, and that becomes self-evident. The Groove features a strategic flex pattern, a durable park-friendly base material, four 1-inch bolt-on fins, a continuous rocker and a catch-free featureless base. Take one for a spin, and you’ll see what all the buzz is about.
Sizes: 129 cm, 134 cm, 139 cm, 145 cm
MSRP: $380
Jobe Conflict
The Conflict is one of Jobe’s most versatile shapes in the 2016 line. It features a three-stage rocker, ABS sidewalls, a blended wood and PU core with strategic flex in the tip and tail, a durable high-impact base material, a triaxial fiberglass layup, subtle catch-free base channels, and a tri-tech belly shape to reduce wear and tear on obstacles. It even comes in a black or brown colorway to suit your preference.
Sizes: 127 cm, 134 cm, 138 cm, 142 cm, 145 cm
MSRP: $500
Liquid Force Shane Dose
All-new for 2016, the Dose comes in two different hybrid versions. Shane Bonifay’s pro-model version features a thinned-out tip and tail for reduced swing weight and increased flex, an all-wood core, a single concave belly that transitions into a triple concave tip and tail, a vector-net carbon-weave layup, and park-friendly fins that are set back from the tip and tail for a quicker release at the wake.
Sizes: 139 cm, 145 cm
MSRP: $530
O’Brien Baker
The Baker features a strategic flex pattern, a progressive rocker line with a healthy dose of rocker, four molded-in fins with two optional center fins, and an extremely durable construction complete with Durarail sidewalls, an impact base and a balsa-wood-and-foam fusion core. These features make the Baker a great hybrid that’s stable, consistent and forgiving behind the boat and in the park.
Sizes: 136 cm, 140 cm, 144 cm
MSRP: $600
Ronix Space Blanket – ATR
The Space Blanket is the new and improved version of last year’s Bandwagon, now with 20 percent less drag. Its features include G&R channels, a dished-up tip and tail, a strategic flex pattern, and two sets of fins to fine-tune your grip. Ronix opened up a whole new type of arc in the board with the camber line. If you haven’t had a chance to ride on one yet, you should find a way — it’s well worth your time.
Sizes: 133 cm, 137 cm, 141 cm
MSRP: $510
Slingshot Whip
Slingshot is no stranger to making killer hybrid boards, the Whip being a perfect example. The shape was inspired by Steffen Vollert, who puts it through its paces at the park. It’s also ridden behind the boat by team riders like Dylan Miller. With a continuous rocker, subtle V-spine, new and improved Fastrack, and medium flex pattern, it’s no wonder it performs so well in both environments.
Sizes: 135 cm, 139 cm, 143 cm
MSRP: $549
