Photo: @thegoldenbear
2015 RONIX SNEAK PEEK
By Taylor Boyd, Seattle, WA: Not long ago, the snow industry was shaken up by the addition of rocker to skis and snowboards. The opposite, and equivalent, occurred in wakeboarding last season when Ronix added camber to wakeboards. Ronix has been an innovative company since day one, and for 2015 they’re continuing to push the envelope of product progression in the wake industry. While we were at Surf Expo we had evo and Ronix rider, Shota Tezuka, show us the 2015 lineup.
evo Collective rider, Shota Tezuka, with the Parks board and boot
The Parks — the board that started the camber revolution is back. Camber positions the rider in a more neutral position, with much of the weight that is typically placed on the back foot being distributed more evenly between both feet, creating a faster ride and more centered point of release from the wake. Instead of rating their boards on a typical stiff-to-flexible spectrum, Ronix refers to their boards in terms of energy, being either “instant” or “stored.” The Parks, with its cambered design and ulra-lightweight Aircore, is a board with instant energy. What this means in terms of its ride, is that it generates quick lift off the transition of the wake. The Parks has a wide waist with relatively narrow nose and tail, making it a stable landing board, with the proper amount of effective edge to cut hard when needed. The Parks’ thinned out tip and tail profile also help the board hold a hard edge, and provide flex for pressing on rails. The board is designed to be loose in a neutral position and rail when you want it to.
Tequila! Eric Ruck’s signature Bandwagon colorway
The Bandwagon is the other cambered option in the Ronix line. What’s unique about this board is that it has about 10% more surface area than most boards its length, but 10% less water contact. Added waist width accounts for the Bandwagon’s additional surface area, and by bringing the meat of the board to the center, it offers minimal swing weight. This board also has the largest sweet spot of any Ronix model.
Bill is back.
The only continuous rocker profile in the line, Bill sits on the “stored energy” side of the Ronix spectrum. This board is designed to be ridden closer to how you would a snowboard or skateboard, popping with your tail instead of receiving instant, bucking energy off the wake. The thin profile and increase in flex featured on the third generation Bill work well at the cable because of the additional feel these features give a rider on park features.
Bill has a sort of paisley design on his chest.
Also worth noting, is that there are two very unique aspects to Bill’s topsheet — first are the “suction cup” sections on the deck that increase connection with the boots, providing added response. Second is the penguin graphic that glows in the dark and is visible under a blacklight. And you thought black light parties were out of style?! Not when Bill comes to town.
E.V.V.S., District, District Park, Vault
In the way that the Bandwagon is meant to be sized down because of its increased width, El Von Videl Schnook is meant to be sized up, as it is narrower than a typical board. E.V.V.S. has a flattened rocker profile through the center of its hull that allows the rider to have more control over its release point, making it ideal for airs off the cable.
Ronix calls the District their most versatile board, and it comes in a boat and park version. Both feature Ronix’s Krypto Cable. If you’re a snowsports person, you can think of Krypto Cable as a thickened up steel edge, which makes Ronix boards with this feature incredibly durable.
The Vault is unique in that it features an asymmetrical design, taking into account the fact that a rider’s shoulder and hip positioning is different when approaching the wake toeside vs. heelside. The toeside edge of the board has a longer, deeper fin that’s closer to the rail. This allows the rider to hold a toeside edge easier. The fin on the heelside edge is slightly shorter and shallower, allowing easier release for heelside spins off the wake. The toeside edge also has a more relaxed sidewall angle, requiring less effort to hold a toeside turn. Essentially, the Vault takes into account that it is easier to rail a heelside carve on a wakeboard than a toeside carve.
E.V.V.S. 126
El Von Videl Schnook also comes in a 126 youth model. Just like the full size E.V.V.S., this board should be ridden a couple centimeters longer. It also comes with a set of markers so you can give it your own Day Glo graphic job.
Shota displaying the Parks boots in Chameleon Volcano and Anodized Ocean
Ronix is known for making high quality, comfortable boots and this year they’ve gotten even better, thanks to the addition of what they’re calling Brainframe Technology. This new design separates the upper from the baseplate, allowing the pairing of a more rigid baseplate for response, with a softer, more conforming upper for flexibility and comfort. The Parks boot that Shota is holding above is one of the Brainfame models
The Frank
The Frank boot features Brainframe Technology and is a mid-flex boot designed to bridge the gap between a stiff boat boot and soft cable boot.
This display for Brad was front and center at Ronix’s Surf Expo booth.
Brad Smeele is a wakeboarding legend who suffered a horrible accident, shattering his C4 vertebrae and leaving him in a quadriplegic state. Ronix is releasing limited edition models of the Parks, Bill, Bandwagon, and Code series boards. $150 from the sale of each one of these boards will go directly to the Brad Smeele foundation.
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