XTR

sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
5,856
11,262
113
San Diego
Why does XTR bother claiming they can do black? seems like a great way mess with the first impression.
 
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ChaseTMP

Billy Hamilton status
Apr 6, 2014
1,703
3,109
113
S. Redondo
Why does XTR bother claiming they can do black? seems like a great way mess with the first impression.
I would think it adds too much possibility of the board heating up. There are vent holes for a reason. I asked for black rails, but they're purple. For some reason the black rails stay black on their FX-2 construction. I know it's carbon fiber and not sprayed, but thought it was interesting since most of the Superbrand and Haydenshapes' boards with carbon fiber rails look purple to me.
 
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jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
10,041
8,978
113
Central California
Picked this 5'6" x 19.5" x 2 3/8" (28.6L) Astro Pop today in their SL.C with a 6 flex value. Feels great under the arm. I was a little worried if it was going to be too chunky, since I felt up a stock 5'6" that had 2 5/16 rails (27.8L )and the rails were pretty full feeling on that. Someone at Pyzel recommended that I don't go down in volume compared to my normal HPSB's when going to their Electralite, so I tentatively went up to my normal 2 3/8" thickness even though the stock 5'6' felt like it'd be enough volume. The XTR's rails feel a little more foiled compared to the stock PU I checked out, despite the board being a 1/16" thicker. The beak is much less pronounced (like no beak) which actually a pleasant surprise.

The color came out more purple than I wanted, but that's been my experience with gray and epoxy. This one is much less purple than a Rusty Barking Spider I had a few years ago. I did ask for no XTR lams on the rails, but I still got one. At least it's further back than center. I asked for their lam to be off the rail just above where a tailpad would be, but it's such I minor deal it wasn't worth mentioning to them. Javier was really nice and we briefly talked about upcoming swell and my thoughts on Varial. There is supposed to be some windswell the next couple of days so I'm excited to give it a go out front. I think I'm going to try it as a thruster first, with a KA large set. I'm curious to see how that compares to riding it as a quad and a 2+1.
Looks awesome! Interested to hear your feedback!
 
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frontsidegrab

Billy Hamilton status
Dec 4, 2014
1,427
1,515
113
Picked this 5'6" x 19.5" x 2 3/8" (28.6L) Astro Pop today in their SL.C with a 6 flex value. Feels great under the arm. I was a little worried if it was going to be too chunky, since I felt up a stock 5'6" that had 2 5/16 thick (27.8L )and the rails were pretty full feeling on that. Someone at Pyzel recommended that I don't go down in volume compared to my normal HPSB's when going to their Electralite, so I tentatively went up to my normal 2 3/8" thickness even though the stock 5'6' felt like it'd be enough volume. The XTR's rails feel similar compared to the stock PU I checked out, despite the board being a 1/16" thicker. The beak is much less pronounced (like almost no beak) which actually a pleasant surprise.

The color came out more purple than I wanted, but that's been my experience with gray and epoxy. This one is much less purple than a Rusty Barking Spider I had a few years ago. I did ask for no XTR lams on the rails, but I still got one. At least it's further back than center. I asked for their lam to be off the rail just above where a tailpad would be, but it's such I minor deal it wasn't worth mentioning to them. Javier was really nice and we briefly talked about upcoming swell and my thoughts on Varial. There is supposed to be some windswell the next couple of days so I'm excited to give it a go out front. I think I'm going to try it as a thruster first, with a KA large set. I'm curious to see how that compares to riding it as a quad and a 2+1.
You have to pay l lot more for no rails lams...ask all the shapers that got them for their team riders
 

urchined

Nep status
Jul 20, 2019
763
1,385
93
NCSD, CA
If your paying for a product, you should not be forced to advertise the logo. If you like the logo-great. they should let you place it where you want. And if you don’t want it, they should only require it if they give you a monetary incentive to place it. If you pay standard rates, then customer should decide to do whatever they want. That’s my general xtr gripe. Nothing to do with chase’s killer board or the glass job quality in which I have huge respect.
 
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frontsidegrab

Billy Hamilton status
Dec 4, 2014
1,427
1,515
113
If your paying for a product, you should not be forced to advertise the logo. If you like the logo-great. they should let you place it where you want. And if you don’t want it, they should only require it if they give you a monetary incentive to place it. If you pay standard rates, then customer should decide to do whatever they want. That’s my general xtr gripe. Nothing to do with chase’s killer board or the glass job quality in which I have huge respect.
I get it. But everyone knows that going into it. It's not a random Rusty '80's logo snafu on the nose. It's known right upfront. You get to decide how to proceed thereafter.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,981
22,510
113
PNW
So all black XTR rails come out purple?
I don't know for sure but I think it has to do with the optical brightener used in the epoxy. It may be actually be black paint underneath but the purple tint in the resin over top gives it that hue.

My Rusty twin in Torsion Spring was supposed to have a black tail fade but it's definitely a little purplish. Doesn't bother me.

I'm not sure why some colors hold up and others come out a little purple.

Years ago when I got my first board with that brightener in it, an Allan Gibbons glassed at 5-star, I was tripping. It was so bright I had people comment on it like what's up with that board it's glowing. It was just a plain white board but in certain light you could see the purple really pop. Again it didn't bother me, I thought it was kinda rad and it kept it's brightness much longer than a normal board.

I would rather have the purple hue than the yellowing that people have been complaining about with XTR for years. If that is in fact the trade off. I know they have been trying to solve that this past year or so.
 

ChaseTMP

Billy Hamilton status
Apr 6, 2014
1,703
3,109
113
S. Redondo
I actually don't mind the purple hue and I actually got a few unsolicited compliments this am.

I must have been in denial yesterday after picking the board up at XTR. The rails are pretty chunky, especially when comparing them to my NB2's and Fever's rails. Both CI boards are the same 2 3/8" thickness as the Astro Pop, but have much more refined rails. The thickness is carried almost all the ways out to the rails on the Pyzel, which is similar to the 5'6 PU I felt up at a local shop (E.T. Surf). I figured it's going to be in the grovel category for me so the fuller rails wouldn't be that big of deal.

The windswell hadn't filled in as expected, but there was some inconsistent waist high+ waves coming in. It looked like they were bussing groms in, as I've never seen it so crowded which probably put me in a slightly negative headspace paddling out.

I had that too on-top of the water feeling on the handful of waves I caught. On my first wave, the board felt a lot more loose than my NB2, mediocre drive with the KA large tri set I was using. I was able to squeak out some marginal hits on the mostly one pump and dump waves. I paddled out late (9:00) trying to let the tide fill in, but it was quickly going onshore and the water had dropped a few degrees again. I caught a thigh high left, did a little tail-slide reverse, figured that was the most progressive thing that would probably happen for me today and went in (plus, I could feel my work emails/texts accumulating).

The waves were too sh*tty and I didn't catch enough of them to write the board off. I've had boards where I literally felt like I couldn't get down the line (JS Air 17X and a Chilli Churro roundtail) normally, so the Astro Pop's debut isn't terrible, plus I have an s-load of fins to try in different combinations (other tri sets, quads, 2+1's). I try to give a board at least a week's worth of dedicated surfing to see if it's a keeper or not.
 

ChaseTMP

Billy Hamilton status
Apr 6, 2014
1,703
3,109
113
S. Redondo
ASTRO pop looks like it would favor the twin plus trailer set up
Almerivk set would be my first choices
I have a set of those and preferred them to the MR's in my performance twin (no trailer plug). I'll give them a go tomorrow or this afternoon if the swell fills in.
 

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
6,931
17,272
113
San Diego, CA
Quad? I only rode the one I demoed as a quad and then Akila twin + TA 2.5" trailer. Both seemed to go fine in the marginal surf on offer that week. Pyzel has said on Insta that he likes his as a 2+trailer.

I may have said this already, but I don't understand why Pyzel didn't offer this model in stock sizes more like the proportions of the squished down one that was ridden in the Electric Acid vid. That thing looked like a blast. The stock model is too stretched out.
 

ChaseTMP

Billy Hamilton status
Apr 6, 2014
1,703
3,109
113
S. Redondo
When's that next $100 off customs Javier??

@ChaseTMP what was the cost on the new SL.C build? I don't see it available on the site yet.
Flex value 6 says it should be like FutureFlex, right?
It’s the same price as parallel carbon, which Shey said was their recommended build, but SL.C was a close second. I just don’t love the looks of the two bands. I was open to diminishing the contrast of the two bands with a dark charcoal spray, but they didn’t recommend that approach.
 
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hotCheetos

OTF status
Mar 28, 2020
294
358
63
When's that next $100 off customs Javier??
x2. Was hoping there was a code before black friday or xmas. would like to get a new winter board. Maybe if had enough guys they'd do a code for an erbb group buy like on truck forums