The Super Ride joined the JP family in 2020 as a latecomer – as the Magic Ride and Super Sport were already fully grown. With a sleeker outline than the particularly easy-to-surf Magic Ride, it had already demonstrated more agile, light-footed handling in earlier comparative tests and was, on top of that, a touch faster. This now makes the comparison in the freerace class an interesting one. With almost the same width and a slightly narrower tail, the JP-Australia Super Ride 135 is nevertheless inflated to 13 litres more than the comparable Super Sport. When selecting boards for the test, we regarded the similar width as the more important criterion. The additional volume is mainly concentrated in the voluminous nose and the fuller rails, particularly in the mast track area. The V-shape in the hull is also rounded, but is significantly more pronounced in the front half of the board.
The rows of straps offer plenty of adjustment in the longitudinal direction and are positioned further inwards than on the Super Sport; this inner position is well suited to freeride beginners. For quick pit stops, all screws are Torx-headed, and the robust G-10 fin is anchored in a reinforced foil Tuttle box. With 135 litres under the deck, the Super Ride is actually half a size larger than the group average; on the other hand, the width is spot on. In any case, when planing, the JP makes the most of the extra volume and is the first to push its nose over the planing threshold. That’s something you’ll have to catch up on first. Especially as you’re just as nimble in the straps and can already settle comfortably into cruising speed, whilst on some semi-race boards you’re still struggling to get your toes into the footstraps. When it comes to getting up and running early and easily, no board in this group can beat the Super Ride.
Good speed with maximum comfort
As you accelerate further, you won’t exactly be pressed into the straps – which are very comfortable and positioned a fair way outwards. You don’t need the resilience of a jet pilot here, as this JP doesn’t accelerate in jerky, snappy bursts, but rather steadily and, as a result, unstoppably. Even when casually hanging back on the yoke, the Super Ride picks up good speed; advanced riding skills aren’t required. When surfing autonomously in the left lane, you might occasionally be pushed aside by Futura and so on are a thing of the past; instead, you can enjoy good speed with maximum comfort and, using just 70 per cent of your effort, get what feels like 95 per cent of the board’s potential performance out of it.
‘Easy Going’ is also the motto when tacking, as you stroll leisurely around the mast base on the wide deck. Do you prefer a more sporty approach? Perfect, because sliding jibes with virtually no loss of speed are particularly easy to pull off on the Super Ride. Once you’ve initiated the power jibe, the board grips securely, cutting through choppy waves as smoothly as a cake knife through the Danube wave. It maintains the chosen radius with inherent stability and exits the turn at a good glide speed even without perfect weight distribution – and with good technique, it does so almost unchecked.
surf’s verdict on the JP-Australia Super Ride 135
The JP-Australia Super Ride is a freeride board that’s great for jibes, with a sporty feel but without the aggressive freerace sensation. Perfect for effortless, smooth power jibes and good speed – all without the need for advanced riding techniques.
Very easy to get going and perform power jibes; comfortable to ride
Foil-ready; feels more like freeride than freerace
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Technical Specifications: JP-Australia Super Ride 135 Wood Pro
- Weight: 8.3 kg*
- Price: 2,499 euros
- For more information, see jp-australia.com
*surf measurement, excluding fin and footstraps
JP-Australia Super Ride: Available sizes and specifications
| Volume | Width | Length | Weight** | Finn |
| 115 | 69 | 238 | 7.5/- | 38 |
| 125 | 73 | 240 | 7.7/9.0 | 40 |
| 135 | 77 | 242 | 8.1/9.4 | 42 |
| 145 | 81 | 246 | 8.6/9.9 | 44 |
**Manufacturer’s specifications, Wood Pro/ES, prices: 2,499/1,899 euros**