Sunday, June 28, 2009

Skins

A while back some examples of boards utilizing wood in the graphic were shown and talked about. This got me thinking of other materials that have been used on the top surface as part of the art. There have been a few wakeboards that have used a synthetic leather or other skin-like or cloth-like material. One of the first examples was the 2006 Hyperlite Era, featuring a simple brown synthetic hide covering every square inch of the board's top surface. A year later, following the Era, the Hyperlite Syn (the women's version of the Era) used a synthetic black snake skin along with an emblem made of jewel accented cloth.

(colors are not true, as this board has seen much sunlight)

The 2007 Byerly Legacy used a smooth black synthetic leather top sheet, garnished with pin striping and a metal badge.

Finally, in 2008, CWB changed up the Faction board using a metal stamp on fabric. "The CWB Faction Wakeboard doesn’t only perform, it’s dressed to impress."

These type of top sheets were not only pleasing to the eye, but were pleasing to the feet, providing a softer no-slip grip for someone who wanted to give wakeskating a try when a wakeskate was not available.