F-ONE Kiteboarding Slice Bamboo 5’3” 2021
Reviews / Surfboards
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At A Glance
The Slice is the do-it-all surfboard from F-ONE, available in the format here or with a track to add a foil. I first rode the Slice years ago in Mauritius and loved it! Every time I’ve ridden it since has been a pleasure; I was very excited when this arrived on the doorstep through all the Brexit red tape.
It’s a modern compact surf shape, with parallel rails and a squared-off nose. Available in three sizes, the 5’3” is bang in the middle of the 5’1” and 5’5”. It’s designed to be early planning, with plenty of pop and also able to handle the waves. Perfect for the rider looking to do some strapless tricks, who also want a board that can carve too.
The Bamboo construction has long been used by F-ONE, and it’s very tough and durable. The finish on this board is, as ever, sublime, and it comes with a back pad and inserts for straps too. It is missing a front pad, so it’s a wax job, which we did, or get a pad if you prefer the feeling it offers. With a thruster set up underneath and deep channels with a winged thumb tail, the board had us itching to get on the water.
On The Water
It’s no secret that I am a fan of these smaller boards, as they are perfect for travelling. I also find they work well in windy, choppy conditions, and despite their diminutive size, can handle a decent chunk of swell too. The Slice Bamboo feels lively underfoot and is very early to plane, the flattish rocker helping here and giving the board a good turn of speed.
Pop is great; it’s not going to float in the air like the Magnet, but that’s not the point here; there is plenty underfoot to explode off the water and pull some of the more modern freestyle tricks. In the air, it’s easy to control, and the super sticky Magic Wax we used kept it glued to our feet.
The underside of the board promotes speed, and the big channels offer lots of grip, especially when coming in to land on the nose. Landings are easy on the short wide platform, and we really enjoyed this board for some strapless freestyle sessions.
On the wave is where I find the Slice really fun! It’s so small and manoeuvrable you can really throw it around and get vertical on the face. The pulled in winged tail really allows you to pivot, and we had loads of fun smashing small waves when we were testing it. In bigger waves, it handles itself well with plenty of grip in the turns, and it’s even able to cope with some steep faces too.
Perhaps our only gripe was the lack of a front pad. While wax is awesome, we’ve become so used to front pads that having to remember a wax comb for longer sessions and a bit of wax to keep the grip was a little frustrating. In the past, this board has come in the HD Flex tech too. We’d love to see some other versions as it’s such a great board! While it is hard for it to hold its own against the incredible Mitu and the awesome Shadow, it’s got a lot going for it and shouldn’t be overlooked!
Overall
Perhaps the most fun board in the F-ONE surfboard range if you want to smash waves and perform some tricks in the air! It looks good enough to eat, features near bombproof construction, and has plenty of shaping to keep you entertained in a multitude of conditions. One of our favourite surfboards to ride when the waves are mushy; it’s always a blast!
Videos
This review was in Issue 87 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit F-ONE KiteboardingRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
