Thinking about a new 100 litre cross or skate....and cant decide

I know the skate is freestyle and so has straps more inbound. The cross is more conventional with more outbound straps...but find it difficult to translate this into what i would like....

Want the board to have max fun with a 6.5 - 5.7 before i go onto wave board.
Want it for jumping and waves and blasting

The more adventurous side of me says skate; the more conservative says cross...

Boards mag seemed to really rate the skate; Windsurf mag loves the cross

Anyone atcually tried both??

Regards
Ste

I have!!!

be careful with the Skate as to which year you get...last years (2002) was less freestyley, this years is more so. As far as I'm concerned, both are pretty good all round boards, this years Skate is pretty freesytle orientated and not as fast as the cross nor as controllable in higher winds.

Unless you really want to be doing freestyle tricks (and pretty good ones at that) then I'd say the cross is probably a better bet. Its more comfortable for normal blasting and has a wider sailing range. The footstraps positioning isn't that much of an issue as the cross has some pretty inboard positions on it. The cross should also be OK for freestyle, or at least the sort of freestyle tricks most of us are likely to be doing!! So, as well as being manouverable enough for tircks, its also fairly fast and a genrally good all round board. I've used mine in onshore wave conditions up to about 5 foot as well... It coped well and is actually pretty easy to coax out through the surf and up over the whitewater. You can always stick a small freestyle fin on it to loosen it up as well.

Unless you plan on doing tricks like Spock 540's and making that your emphasis etc then I would imagine the Cross 100 would fit your needs.

Best idea though would be to get a go on both of them at a demo day or by asking your local retailer nicely... Everyone has different sailing styles and preferences and the only real way to find out which you'll like best is to 'suck it and see'.

One thing to bear in mind though is that they are both pretty good boards so you probably won't be disappointed with either.

Hope that helps.
Al.

I have gone for the skate 100....the key reason being that i know the cross is gonna be replaced this year; and i want to concentrate on aerial stuff and carving than blasting. Besides - both design are sposed to be excellent.

My only concern really is how the skate will feel in chop...and how forgiving it will be for gybing in messy water states. I will pick it up later this week and hopefully report after the weekend.

Ste

My mate Andy tried both... he much preferred the Cross. I tired the Cross and liked it too, but didn't try the Skate. I think he said the Skate was too Jittery for his liking.

I have the Cross 110 and love it: Planes early, is extremely loose, carves well, is well balanced (even I can tack it occasionally!). Can't say about the Skate - Boards have tested all 3 of them this year and raved about them, but they also liked the Cross's, too (but not the 2001 versions).

[Edited on 24-5-2003 by MartinF]