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There you are, confronted by a multitude of mountain boards, all different lengths, colours, styles.... freeride, freestyle, cruisers..... TERRIFYING! This is the situation I was in when I started out. Totally unsure of what I wanted in a board. "what's that handle thingy on that huge board?" I naively asked. "that's a brake" replied the keeper of the toys. "ching" goes the till as I manage to lift the hernia inducing conveyance off the shelf and trundle it out to my car. That's the history of my toy.... what are the stats on the beast? Well.... it's BIG it's LONG and it is "probably" the heaviest board about at the moment. 134cm long 10.5kg! 9 inch tyres on industrial strength hubs The reverse cap composite deck has some cracking looking graphics, gives lots of flex and sits nice and low on the matrix trucks. This is the most adjustable board I have ridden. The trucks are adjustable for differing pressures on the heel and toeside, the bindings are ratchet style and adjustable for offset on the baseplate's. This may not sound too important BUT if you have a dodgy knee then the board can be set exactly as pleases YOU not someone of a different size and ability. What do I use this for? Well, downhill mountain boarding and kitelandboarding. Start with the downhilling.... now I am NOT as quick to heal as I once was so the addition of the incredibly comforting brake system means I will tackle descents that I wouldn't dream of without. The length of the beast means that as you go faster it stays stable for longer, this is fairly important as a good speed wobble Will throw the beginner off quite easily... remember those wrist guards boys and girls!..... The bindings can be clamped down nice and tightly, ensuring a much reduced chance of a foot being knocked off of the board if you should get some accidental air. Ahh.... getting air.... this isn't the board for those wanting to do lots of huge airs in a freestyleee way. The heavy nature of the thing means it is much better aimed at the larger rider who only wants smaller jumps. From the moment you drop in to a run this board inspires confidence, just bend your knees and keep looking where you want to go, it will take you there..... no need to worry about the odd lump in the way either....at 10.5 kg it could cut through a herd of cows!! I ride with the setting much harder without the kite, it means that the low speed turns are much harder but as you gather speed it holds the wobbles off and prevents turns being so quick it flicks you clean over the high side of the board. The adjusting of the trucks takes seconds and is done with the excellent tools provided with the board. With the kite..... if you want to break the landspeed record with a kite.... try it with a 26x!! You can hold HUGE amounts of power before it gets unstable or slides without your wanting it to. Slacken the truck pressure off and it turns sweetly and quickly, allowing carves that other boards just can't match. Jumping.... well.... it IS heavy! You will get air but it is harder to come by and your ankles will feel every KG of the board! I am not that great at the freestyle trickery but I am informed that once you get it spinning you carry on spinning. There are a couple of points with the board that annoy over time.... you need a big car to carry it in the boot, most will require a seat dropping down to move it. The weight gets tiring if you have to move the board a long way from car to playzone. The final one is NOT specific to the 26....... the quality of some of the components is really awful! These boards are staggeringly expensive yet I have known people get through bearings in one beach visit, decks to fall apart in a month, truck springs to turn to rust after ONE beach session and perhaps most disturbing.... bearings to rust onto axles requiring truck replacement! I have had my 26 for two years now and have no plans of selling it, I have coated all exposed metal in grease and clean and regrease regularly and have had no other problems, the thing is showing "battle scars" but no worse than could be expected, even the graphics are holding up to saltwater, sand and the odd jet washing! Who should buy one of these? The larger rider will appreciate this board, it wont suddenly turn because you moved your head! The rider who wants to do some cruising with the odd jump thrown in, NOT the other way round. The rider who wants wind powered and gravity based fun. If you see me trundling about on mine, feel free to ask for a try... they aren't the most popular board out there because most people seem to be obsessed with saving a gramme here and there.... this board would be first at the buffet table and last to leave!! If you get the chance, give one a try. By : adamski