Took the brand new Starboard All Star Downwind special out for the first time today. Solid 20-30 knots with a few gusts in the mid 30s... ideal test conditions for a DW board. Unfortunately no video to show (unless DJ got a few shots on his helmet mounted GoPro) as I didn't want my maiden voyage tainted by camera mounts. I will endeavour to get some video next time.

Anyhow, the board performed extremely well. It is certainly a sweet throwback in many ways to the Coast Runner / Ocean Race heritage. It gets onto a glide quite easily and holds speed well, and it is super stable. I felt very comfortable on the board, stayed dry the whole run, and didn't ever have to hold back. It's an interesting exercise in working out the trim. As we were discussing afterwards, it probably depends a lot on your height, weight and style, but I found the method I normally use of walking the board was not necessarily optimum for holding the glides and linking bumps - I had to widen my surf stance and distribute weight from front foot to back foot. A different skill set to work on but it's always good to have a new challenge.

Anyhow, all good fun and a highly recommended option for anyone looking for a dedicated 14' downwind board.