Individual test: Tabou Rocket 125 LTD - 2016
What the Golf 8 or 9 is for car enthusiasts, the new Tabou Rocket is probably for many surfers. When a classic - and this can certainly be said in the case of the Tabou - that has bagged many top test results is relaunched, the surfing world takes a close look. The "Rocket Wide" had already generated a lot of interest this season, but it turned out to be a much more sophisticated board. It seemed like the end of the good old Rocket era.
Shaper Vollenweider also admits that it was not easy to modernise an already very balanced board. However, the new "pure" Rocket could be a good coup. But first the figures.
The new Rocket is three centimetres wider - a rather moderate increase compared to the current wide freeriders from other brands. Because shaper Vollenweider has kept the length the same "to maintain the harmonious transition into gliding", the board has been thinned out considerably. The slimmer edges in particular will immediately catch the eye of any Rocket connoisseur. After our first test experiences - albeit without a direct comparison to the Fanatic Gecko, JP Magic Ride and co. The 125 LTD, which reached us with a 40 mm freeride fin, bobs stably and glides smoothly. Then comes the first noticeable aha effect. A lot has been transferred from the Rocket Wide. The board seems smaller, more agile and more lively underfoot, the additional dash of sportiness is well balanced and shouldn't be too much for anyone.
The old Rocket was the proverbial "easy-going board", the successor now offers a freer planing position and a slightly more lively ride - exactly what sporty freeriders in particular were probably looking for. In any case, we liked the board even with a 7.8 race sail. It rides more freely over the chop and is damn fast even with the standard fin. Over 50 km/h was easily possible in strong winds in choppy water on Lake Starnberg. At this top speed, however, you can also feel that the new board needs at least a little more attention. In the "normal" wind range, the Rocket remains well-behaved, but also a little livelier than before. And the board also takes a good shot of this new liveliness into the jibe. The "old" one was a gliding wonder in the turn, but needed a lot of pressure for tight jibes. Now lighter surfers can rejoice: jibes can be pulled noticeably tighter with less effort, and the control in the turn has remained at a similarly good level in our estimation. The conditions for jibing could hardly be more difficult than on our test days - and yet it was great fun to carve one turn after another into the water with the new Rocket. The first big comparison test should be pretty exciting.
Tabou Rocket 125 LTDVolume:95/105/115/125/135/145 litresLengths: 237/246/242/250/250/250 cmWidths:58/63/66/72/76/76 cmWeights: 6.0/6.5/6.9/7.1/7.5/7.6 kgFinns: 30/34/38/40/44/46 cmPrice: 2199 Euro www.tabou-boards.com
