A LIGHTWEIGHT, AGILE LONGBOARD
You may recognize the Bear logo from the 1978 classic surf film Big Wednesday, but rest assured this longboard oozes modern performance. At nine feet one inch long and three inches thick, it felt like it could glide into anything. With a width of 22.5 inches, it’s slightly narrower—hence more agile—than most garden-variety longboards. And the rails are so soft it’s almost impossible to catch an edge. The fin setup is a two-plus-one, with a large single fin and two side bites, although our testers agreed it rides best as a single-fin. 9’1″; surftech.com
Bonus: The construction (a PVC sheet bonded to an EPS foam blank) is more durable (beneath that finish) and slightly lighter than conventional foam-and-fiberglass longboards.
Bummer: Its glossy finish scratches easily.