O'Brien Intox grip tape

maxzach · Faceplant Joined: 11 Jan 2011 Posts: 34

Is this a quality board? I like O'brien and have been riding the fuse, im just wondering if this board is a good step up from the fuse for wake to wake and doing more advanced tricks?

Gregeo · Guest

No, I would look to some other companies than O'Brien for a quality skate

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10751 City: Jefferton

derek seaman helped design that wakeskate and has a lot of good ideas about wakeskate design. Here's a write up that was done on the wakeskate: http://www.wakeskating.com/showarticle.php?a=723

SEAMAN · Frontside 180 Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 388 City: Atlanta

Gregeo,
First off, I just want to make it clear I am in no way trying to argue or even disagree with you for that matter. I just want a little more insight as to why you feel that way. You answered quickly so I'm curious if you have ridden the board and why you don't think its a quality board? Lay it out there, nothing you can say will offend me. Most times these questions come from someone being defensive, but thats not what this is about.

Also, and this is for everyone, he asked if it was a quality board. When you think about the quality of a board, does that mean,how it holds up to wear and tear, where its made, or who made it? Or is it a combination of all of them?

I'd love everyone to chime in on this, if it can kept resourceful for everyone, and not the typical internet crap.

Thanks,
Derek

mergeleft3 · Backside 180 Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 673 City: Orlando

When I ask if a board is quality. I am thinking how it holds up. I understand that any wood board will eventually fail (water and wood don'x mix) I just want a board to last maybe a year if I am only riding 1 day a week.

Gregeo · Guest

SEAMAN, I posted that without realizing the skate was a product of your individual input. When I see a product come from a company like O Brien who makes slalom skis, kneeboards, tubes, wakeboards and wakeskates, ski gloves, handles, ropes, etc. I don't take their products as seriously I guess.

What I mean is, a company that sells something specific like wakeskates (and only wakeskates) and spends all their time refining their only product usually builds a more quality product in my opinion.

A company like OBrien who sells everything in the water sports industry i perceive to not make as quality of a product because they don't spend as much time refining their individual products (in my opinion) because they are more worried about selling quantity than quality.

To your casual wakeskater, I'm sure most OBrien boards are fine, but someone who skates a lot and is looking for a more quality skate that will help them progress with tricks I think should look elsewhere.

But I could be wrong here and this skate rocks.

And maybe I'm just a brand whore and I have never tried an OBrien skate so I should probably shut up. Cool

I'm sure you put a lot of time into making the skate and I bet the skate rides really well and I shouldn't have been too quick to judge. I apologize.

SEAMAN · Frontside 180 Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 388 City: Atlanta

No, no, did you not read what I wrote?! haha, don't apologize at all. That's not what I was getting at, I was not calling you out at all. I really appreciate your input.

No matter how you look at it, you are right. There is a reason Integrity has the following they do, the entire operation is oozing awesomeness from every angle, and its why I still love them.

And you are right, if O'Brien was into wakeskating they would have promoted the Intox and put money into the sport. Their only saving grace is that they allowed me to help because I care about wakeskating very much.

What I am really trying to address is the idea of quality. I haven't seen too many compression molded wakeskates broken. Especially the ones that are using some sort of ptex base bottom. For the life of me, I can't break an Intox. And I even broke an Integ once. Smile

I'm just so curious about the idea of quality. Integrity defines it, but how many broken Catalysts do you see? Cassette was the original "quality" board but some could argue that quality was their demise. So is the quality issue dealing with the wood boards of the past? Maybe with companies like Remote building solid wood skates, the word quality is not the right one to use.

I definitely think there needs to be a push for the ROCs. What is the right word to use for that? Can what Integ, Arson, Remote, etc have made be defined in a word that sets them apart?

Hmmmmm....

POPTART · 360 flip Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 7621

SEAMAN, send an intox out for everyone to ride

Get some real input

have everyone film their sets and thoughts on it

Lollar · 360 flip Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Posts: 8253

Car1 has one

I didnt like the way they ride. Really high on the water and really deep concave too...

But I have seen Justin Forrest hardflip one so...

mufinman98 · Posted: Jan 13, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject:

I had a hyperlite vinyl skate..if quality means holding up well that thing was a tank. it was compression molded, and if the intox was bulit like hyperlite built their skate im sure it will last forever. that was my first skate and it ran over rocks, logs, and other river obstructions with barely a ding. However i hated the way it rode compared to my arson, like Lollar said about the intox it rode high on the water and well like a tank. It just depends what your looking for! Rolling Eyes

Jake S · Backside 180 Joined: 29 Dec 2010 Posts: 683 City: SLC

Gregeo, i think the bigger companies can go both ways, either not care at all, and make a bad product, or use their revenue from their other divisions and create great products with the money to do so. Nike for example has many divisions and has successfully entered the snow, skate & wakeskate industries with few complaints. but im mostly on your side as far as obrien goes..

maxzach · Faceplant Joined: 11 Jan 2011 Posts: 34

I have an O'brien fuse and it is a great board it was my fist board and I like the way that it performed. We all have our own preferences no need to bash every company.

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10751 City: Jefferton

even though nike has a lot of money, it took them quite awhile to break into the skate and snow markets. for some reason it seems worth noting.

Jake S · Backside 180 Joined: 29 Dec 2010 Posts: 683 City: SLC

good point.. i remember hearing the snow boot rumor forever. they seem to have legit product. its probably a good move to have meeks as a TM too. im glad they're supporting wakeskating too. more should.

Guy · Backside 180 Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 842 City: Orillia

maxzach, I would look into supporting the smaller companies in the wakeskating industry. If you ask or search there are a few to choose from.

I don't know who is still in business, maybe someone could post some companies?

miller · Backside 180 Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 2394 City: Regina

This brings up a very interesting topic of weather a company recognized for something can be respected in another area.

My person opinion is that if it is done correctly, ie bringing in the right people, then absolutely.

wakemitch · Posted: Jan 14, 2011 10:37 pm Post subject:

bachlonso · Backside 180 Joined: 02 Jul 2007 Posts: 670 City: NFA

wakemitch, add treeknowledge to the list. their boards are definitely solid! most likely more solid than remotes. only downside is that they are quite expensive since they are made and shipped from germany.

Slapdown · Kickflip Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 4240 City: Austin

The concave on treeknowledges looks so weird. Not necessarily bad, but certainly weird.

As far as the Intox goes, i haven't ridden one, but personally i don't at all like when boards are that crazy thick. It seems unnecessary.

SEAMAN · Frontside 180 Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 388 City: Atlanta

Hey Slapdown,
When you say thickness, do you mean the kicktails? Or that the concave is so steep? It obviously has very thick kicktails and concave, but most of the board is thinner than an Integ. Its funny because I think the frustrating thing I've experienced is because the name, the look, or the other thicker boards made, people expect it to be a certain way. Then they ride it and realize its very different than they thought. Its also too bad its only one size but that was out of my hands as well as some other things.

Poptart, I actually offered a while ago to ship out a board for people to try, but lets be honest, I don't think many people are interested which is totally understandable. But if anyone else is, I'm going to send one to Maxzach to check out, so I can have him send it along.

Miller,
Yeah anyone can be "legit" if they put the time in to prove themselves. I think the thing that sucks is that money plays a big part in it. Look how long Erich has put everything he has into Mutiny(wakeboards)/Integ. He obviously deserves the respect he gets but then Nike can come in and also be considered legit. Don't get me wrong, I love what they are doing, but its still Nike. They've got years before they can earn the status of someone like Erich in my eyes. Its shouldn't be about how much they can afford to put in but whether they are willing to work through the tough times also. They have definitely set a great example of how a large company can contribute to wakeskating. Only time will tell if they are in it for the long haul.