Ok guys, here is your ride review...
I guess this purchase cursed this weekend's surf because what looked like a couple of days of solid OH barrels in the forecast turned into a Fri - Sun of perfectly fit mid-length conditions.
This ride report is based on waist to HH+ waves of everything from soft walls to moderate push and the occasional barrel. Nothing too extreme in either direction, either full slop or heaving conditions. For the conditions I just described, including the crowds, the CI Mid was definitely a good fit.
As I mentioned earlier, the thing I first noticed about the board is how thin the rails were. That makes for a board that isn't under-volumed by any stretch of the imagination but also one that I would not call a paddle machine. It paddles similarly to my 7'0 Seaside and Beyond which is to say it gets the job done but ultimately is a high-performance mid-length (let's not debate if that's an oxymoron) and thus definitely is not a longboard killer. All in all, the board has pretty good glide and duck dives surprisingly well which is always a benefit at OB.
You all also probably saw from the photos that the board is quite flat. That makes for solid, but not extraordinary, wave catching abilities. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to get in the way too bad on steeper drops but I never really got a chance to push too hard on this front. The only time that presents a challenge is when you don't have the opportunity to take off in the right direction and have to course correct in the flats.
Naturally, the board has plenty of down the line speed, and once up and running having to generate additional speed usually wasn't a concern, but when necessary, was fairly easily accomplished with a few highline pumps. All in all, I'd call the board a down-the-line rocket with impressive glide over flat sections. Perhaps the thing mid-lengths do better than anything else in their arsenal.
I found myself frequently trying to sluff off speed which can be accomplished with some soulful fades, soft off-the-tops, or a hand stall for a quick coverup. When you really need to burn speed you can lay into a full rotation roundhouse and bounce off the whitewater. You can surf the board with an easy-going, cruisy style or get aggressive with it and it doesn't get fazed. The thin rails keep the board nice and sensitive but don't become overly critical when you make a mistake or get lazy. I supposed these are all the elements that make mid-lengths fun, easy-going boards to surf with enough performance to satisfy the discerning surfer.
Basically, the board performs the way you'd expect, and want, a performance mid-length to behave. A fun, dynamic ride for a variety of surf and a solid alternative for when the crowd is up but the waves are not, or aren't at their best. I haven't ridden a CI in some time but you can tell they put in the work to deliver a solid, predictable performer that more than gets the job done. Cruisy enough for the softer waves but still hangs in there when the waves push overhead or there is some real push.
A couple of other callouts. The 2+1 was a solid choice for a fin setup and probably a frequently overlooked performer. I'm using the CI Mid 2+1 fin setup with the 4" side bites. I've had a few varial boards, some I loved and some I was lukewarm on, but I definitely like the foam for this style board and grovel boards, though not so much for everyday HPSBs. In this setting, however, Varial is light, snappy, and buttery smooth.
