JP Slalom VIII 2012 Sizes

I always like to check out the JP board bag sizing for the coming year as it usually has models which have not been put on the website.

JP Slalom VIII Range
59
66
68
78
84

I am pretty sure there will be a smaller size also that is not added to the small board bag list:
http://www.jp-australia.com/2012/index.php?id=647

It appears the larger boards have been resized:
The 76 is now 78cm wide.
The 82 is now 84cm wide.

There have been other leaks on the web but this is on the official website;)

New JP Super Light Wind 2012

JP have added a second size of SLW to complement the original 90cm design.

The 92cm SLW is like a scaled up X-cite Ride and is 16cm longer than the 90 and both come with a moulded 56cm carbon fin. The 92 also has an inboard strap option and 11L more flotation enhancing its appeal for begginers and intermediates.

The 92 is available in FWS and PRO construction, the 90 is available in PRO and GOLD construction.

JP Super Light Wind

I took a bit of a gamble this year when choosing my light wind board and went for the new concept from JP which is the love child of a formula and large slalom board.  I have used 80cm+ slalom boards for light winds in the past and found that even at 130+ litres they sat a little low in the water for my weight at sub-planing speeds.  In 7-12 knots I use a 9.5m sail, combine this with 110kg body weight, harness, wetsuit etc and the surplus volume you thought you had soon gets taken up.  There were also a few occasions that I thought there was enough pull in the sail put I just couldn't unstick the board and plane.  The JP Super Light Wind (SLW) on paper corrects some of those shortcomings of a big slalom board for a heavyweight sailor, but would the board perform as intended?

Design

The width of the SLW is smack bang in the middle of a Formula(100cm) and XL Slalom Board(~80cm).  The deck has the now standard(on jp performance flatwater boards) Race Deck but the pads are thicker in the heel area(white pad) than the slalom boards.  This providing a little more softness in chop and also tones down the effect of the race deck.  The tail planing width is 700mm providing ample leverage over fins into the low 60cm range. There is no tail rocker, a rocker flat of 700mm and a nose lift of 206mm.  The rail shape and tuck is very similar to my Slalom VI 68.

Sailing

Getting into the straps isn't too hard once planing but may still take some getting used to if you are normally sailing smaller less racy boards.  Once up and planing the ride is VERY stable. To some it may not be engaging enough but it really does allow you to just relax and enjoy the sensation of effortless planing.  I tested the board with the Select S10 57(as recommended by Rik!) and this may have something to do with the boards excellent behaviour.  I think the standard Slalom III 56 would work well for lighter sailors or bigger sailors fully powered on a 7.5m sail but I have not yet had the conditions to try it out.  Gybing is easy but the fact that you are often sailing so fast compared to wind strength often means that you either get backwinded or have no drive after the rig flip.  I am sure there are better approaches and timings that would set you up for a planing exit but this would take a little time to get dialled

Construction

The JP website states that the Pro Edition is constructed from Biax Carbon.  This is NOT the case.  The deck and hull are timber veneer and there may be carbon reinforement.  This is the same construction that is used on the hi wind slalom models, not the light wind ones.  The board feels solid and this may indeed increase durability for the target market of light wind performance freeride however, it does make the board feel less responsive and a little heavy.  One thing is for sure, the website should be updated to reflect the true construction used.  The construction feels very comfortable over chop but is a little slower as a result of it sticking a little in the troughs.

Overall

I think that the JP SLW delivers on its statement that "...this board simply widens the wind range where it is possible to get planing and have heaps of fun. It plans as early as Formula boards (which have been purely developed for racing and to go straight up and downwind) but it is a lot more fun."

If you are focused on SPEED in light winds then an XL slalom board is probably the go.  You may not be planing as much as the SLW in "real world" light wind that can have big holes as compared to a race where it will be scratched if lulls are less than the minimum wind speed.

Video

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JP Slalom Evolution

The JP Slalom's have evolved into a range of world cup dominating shapes, but where did it all start?

The first range of dedicated slalom shapes was released in 2005.  There were 3 sizes and they were a little different to other boards on the market with their square tails and compact outlines.  Below is a brief summary of what developments and changes have been made throughout the Slalom's 6 years of evolution.

The Evolution of the JP Slalom Range!
(if the graph does your head in - read the specs below!)

Slalom I

94L - 235cm x  60cm - 5.3Kg

114L - 238cm x 70cm - 6.1Kg
134L - 238cm x 80cm - 6.8Kg

Slalom is becoming popular once again after being almost killed by un-friendly slalom boards of the late 90's.

Shape:
Short & wide - no unnecessary weight up front.

Channel bottom as used on most JP boards.
Straight & parallel rail towards the tail for straight line stability.

Slalom II

84L - 232cm x 55cm - 5.0Kg

94L - 234cm x 60cm - 5.3Kg

114L - 234cm x 70cm - 6.1Kg

134L - 238cm x 80cm - 6.8Kg

With the PWA Racing Format changed to Slalom 42 the range is increased to 4 boards. 
There is no figure 8 slalom, only downwind. 
Colour schemes now incorporate the now standard yellow & black. 
Micah joins the JP team and bases his decision on testing the near final prototypes.

Shape:

Thinned out and flatter deck from mast track to nose to create a spoiler effect.

Optimised rail shape for increased comfort.

Slightly reduced tail width for a looser ride.

Tail cutouts with bigger openings for increased control & jibing.

Channel bottom is maintained.

Slalom III

69L - 240cm x 53cm - 5.0Kg
89L - 240cm x 59cm - 5.3Kg
109L - 240cm x 69cm - 6.1Kg
119L - 240cm x 79cm - 6.8Kg

The Chnnel Bottom is dropped in favour of a cleaner more traditional botom shape.
A range of 8 G10 slalom fins is released the complement the board range in 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 42, 48 & 52cm sizes.

Shape:

Slightly longer shapes, especially in the smaller sizes.

All 4 boards have thinned volumes in the nose and center.

Rails thinner with reduced radius.

New constant radius deck shape around the strap area.

Straps slightly closer to centerline with more outline curve between the straps.

New smaller size(69L) is also a speed board option.

Tail cutouts modified on each size, smaller boards have smaller or no cutout.

Slalom IV

54 x 240cm - 70L - 4.9kg!!!
60 x 240cm - 84L - 5.3kg
68 x 240cm - 104L - 6.1kg
76 x 240cm - 114L - 6.6kg
84 x 240cm - 134L - 7.2kg

The range is now specified in board widths rather than volume.

Pro edition in Biax Carbon with silver limited finish.

GPS testing shows an average speed increase of 5km/h over the MkIII. 

A fifth board is added to the range so that every rider can find the perfect match.

Shape:

Bottom curves adjusted for each size of board.

Tail cutouts adjusted to suit the requirements of each size.

Slalom V
54 x 236cm - 72L - 4.9kg!!!
60 x 238cm - 92L - 5.6kg
68 x 238cm - 112L - 6.3kg
76 x 238cm - 122L - 6.8kg
82 x 238cm - 132L - 7.1kg

Slalom is changed to 63- 6 sails and 3 boards have to be registered at the start of the racing season.  Construction has been modified with a timber hull & carbon deck providing a softer feel in harsh chop.  Antoine joins JP and continues his Slalom domination on boards developed by Werner & Micah.

Shape:
The mid sized boards have added volume, a lot of which is in the rails.


Slalom VI
56 x 235cm - 81L - 5.4kg

59 x 235cm - 92L - 5.8kg

65 x 235cm - 101L - 6.3kg
68 x 235cm - 112L - 6.5kg
76 x 235cm - 121L - 6.7kg
82 x 235cm - 132L - 7.2kg

The range of boards is increased to 6 with a new concept of 3 boards for lighter sailors & 3 for heavier sailors. 
The smaller boards now feature a timber deck also and high speed comfort increases. 
This is at the expense of a slight increase in weight.

Shape:
Smaller sizes now have a double concave running into a flat vee in the tail.
Larger sizes have a constant flat vee throughout.
Outline straightened between the straps and tail widened for a more parallel stance.
New race deck for increased comfort and control at speed.
Deck pads are increased in thickness.

Slalom IV Range

Slalom V 92

Slalom VI 92

JP Slalom VI

The JP Slalom VI range has just been made public after lots of leaks in forums around the world!

Check it out here on the JP website:

http://www.jp-australia.com/2010/index.php?id=462

The range has increased from 5 to 6 boards with an innovative rider weight/height based sizing system:

Smaller sailors:56 - 65 - 76 wide boards

Bigger sailors:59 - 68 - 82 wide boards

There is mention of the bigger boards having a vee hull up front and the smaller designs having double concaves up front but it is unclear whether the range for bigger sailors all have vee and the smaller sailors all have double concave.

If the ranges are designed differently it may make it harder for the go fast weekend sailor who wants a 2 board combo to choose! I was considering the 82-65 combo but think I will go the 59 and keep my Slalom IV84.

Some changes of note are:

• The small slalom in the range is a little bigger - from 54cm/72L up to 56cm/81L
• The 92L slalom in the range is a little narrower - from 60cm down to 59cm but with a wider tail. I would have thought that it could still take a 7.8 but now only the ideal sail sizes are shown in the board data. The ideal sail range has gone from 6.2-7m on the slalom V to 5.5 to 7.0m on the slalom VI.
• Toe wedges are included as part of the board. This will be great when maxed but I hope it doesn't cause problems banking the front foot in the gybe and then removing the foot from the strap in the transition.
• All tail widths are wider increasing their fin carrying capacity and directional stability.

Gear for Sale 09-07

I have more gear for sale:

JP Slalom IV 68 - $1390 - Excellent Condition

Carbon Art SP44 - $1290 - Good Condition

Neil Pryde RS Racing (2007) 7.8m - $690 - Excellent Condition

Neil Pryde RS Racing (2007) 6.7m - $590 - Good Condition

Neil Pryde RS Racing (2007) 5.0m - $690 - Excellent Condition

Ka Koncept 2006 9.0m - $300 - Good Condition

NP 520 Race Pro 100% Carbon mast to suit $200

Light Wind Cruiser - JP Slalom IV 134

I had a light wind cruise on the JP Slalom IV 134 at Goolwa on Monday(8/6/09) in about 10-15 knots. Man I love this board, it is just so much fun in light breeze and is the only floater I have. The other great thing is that I could be out on the 7.8 with either the 92 or 104 with the wind dropping out - whack in this baby and you are going again in a few minutes, no 15+ minutes to rig another sail. Also gybes like a smaller board with relatively thin rails and stays or hovers above the water if it does pick up again.
I also tried the new Select Proslam 47 for the first time, and although I wasn't powered it showed nice speed off of the wind(~30) and still held a reasonable angle heading back upwind. I look forward to more time on this big gear with some slalom & marathon events that are in the pipeline.



I also caught a bit of footage tailing Carl & Joe. At least the water is flat when it is this light...
I looked at the camera after the run and noticed condensation inside the housing and thought the video would not turn out at all. In the end it is slightly blurred but still shows the action.

JP/Pryde 1st & 2nd - 2009 PWA Ulsan World Cup

JP/Pryde riders Antoine Albeau & Micah Buzianis have finished First and Second in the Slalom at the world cup event in Ulsan Korea. Both are still not 100% physically, so this is a true reflection of their talent and confirmation that the JP Slalom Gen V boards and the Pryde Racing Evo II's are damn fast & easily controlled.



See the event writeup here:
http://www.pwaworldtour.com/index.php?id=35&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1487&tx_ttnews[backPid]=29&cHash=9723b18c65

Micah Buzianis Interview

Hi Micah,
Thanks for taking time out to answer some questions.

What are your aspirations for 2009 (sailing & life)?
World title all the way, I was feeling very in tune and lined up for a good run this year but now with my broken foot I am not sure how soon I will be back. I was supposed to be in Austria right now for the first race of the season but I am not back on the water yet, hopefully this week and then I will be ready for Korea. In life I just want to be the best father and person I can be! I would of course love to win the lottery but since Hawaii doesn't have one I don't think that is going to be in the cards.

Do your family ever come with you on tour?
They have come with me a few times but now the kids are old enough to need their own airline tickets and with the price of flights now I can't really afford them to come all over with me. I really wish I could because it would be great to have them along, there seems to be a lot of down time on the road and it would be nice to spend it with them.

What is your most used gear combo(sail, board & fin) on maui?
I would say for racing my Neil Pryde 7.0 RSRacing EvoII, JP GenV 60 Slalom board and a 36cm JP production fin(yes production fin these fins rock and I do use them to race on!) For waves it is my JP Real World Wave 82, Neil Pryde Alpha 5.4 and a Maui Ultra Wave fin.

What is your most used gear combo on tour?
This is a hard one since we see so many different types of conditions, I get a lot of time on all my gear. I would say from 7.8 and up is the most used stuff.

What boards and sails will you be registering for the 2009 racing season?
Well since I am not going to Austria I have a little more time to keep this a secret.......Not really I have pretty much known for a while what I was going to register, JP GenV 60, 68 and 82, and Neil Pryde RSRacingEvoII 5.5, 6.2, 7.0, 7.8, 8.6, 9.5.

I know a large percentage of your time is spent on R & D, on what component would you spend the most time conducting on-the-water testing? It is pretty close to equal on all components, but since I live in Maui and Neil Pryde R & D is focused here I would say it is on the rig, sail and mast first then booms, battens, bases all that stuff. This is one thing I really like about Neil Pryde they spend a lot of time on R & D and not just the development of the sail designs but the progression of all the components as well as making sure the durability is there as well.

Are the JP slalom boards optimised for the RSR/RSS sails or are there some compromises made to make them work equally as well with other brands? Do you try to test other sails with the boards?
I haven't done any testing on the boards with different sails. I am focused on making the fastest and easiest to ride boards for all, I know there will be some differences when they are used with other boards but I think they are overall very easy to sail and get used to. They will first and foremost work best on the JP for sure but with small tweaks in fins and different mast and footstrap positions any one will be happy with them.

Some of the more common terms used to describe fin and board performance are slippery, directional, balanced etc., are there other terms you commonly use to describe performance when talking with Werner?
No regular ones that I can think of, slippery is for sure the most used as we are always looking for more speed.

How developed are your senses after having so much testing experience - can you tell when a board has 1mm more vee or a 5cm longer planing flat?
I think I have pretty good senses on how a board or sail should feel, whether or not I could tell this small of a difference I am not sure. If it were faster or slower I am sure I could tell this quite quickly but I am not sure I could always tell what the change was.

I always wonder how the way a board performs is communicated, do you use a benchmark, say last years board and say how the board you are testing differs in speed, acceleration & control or is it more of a case of you like the overall feel of a board better than another?
For racing it is always side by side testing, if we are trying to make a new generation of slalom boards then we will start testing against the current production boards or if there is another brand out there that is going really well we will get this board and do some testing against this as well. But we will always go against what we have and know currently.

Do you use GPS for testing, I remember the Slalom IV were quoted as being 2 knots faster overall than the Slalom III?
I do use a GPS while testing race gear. It is more for just a reference than to give any definitive answers.

Have you ever been interested in entering any speed comps or are you too busy with your current schedule of racing, R&D and family commitments?
I would like to do some speed but I am so focused on all of the above that I don't have the time or resources to do it properly, I would only do it to win and if I can't prepare properly then I would rather put that energy into my priorities.

Have you done any R&D on the JP speed boards that are in the pipeline or is that Antoine's department?
This is all AA's department, I got to see the boards at the photo shoot here on Maui last month but since I was on the couch the whole time I didn't get a chance to try them. They looked very good though, I am sure there are going to be some fast times on these, they are developed by the fastest windsurfer on the planet.

I noticed you do not have a fin manufacturer on your sponsor list, what are you using at the moment or is that top secret?
I am using whatever is going the fastest, I have some of everything right now.

Thanks again for your time Micah and best of luck with your recovery and the 09 season!

Cheers
Tim

Micah's Site: http://www.micahbuzianis.com/2009/index.php

JP Slalom Boys

From the JP Website:

Antoine Albeau, FRA 192, and Micah Buzianis, USA 34, went to South Africa to test the first generation of slalom boards for next year. Werner Gnigler just finished a set of prototypes and tried out a few additional new shape details.

Check out the Boardseeker interview here:

http://www.boardseekermag.com/mini_features/slalom/cape-town-jp-test-centre-103.html