FEEDBACK : 8'1 Alley 120 PRO !!!

“My first test on my Alley 8’1 120L (I’m 97 kg at this moment). I had the chance to get out and score the end of some relatively decent conditions before a week of sea wind came through.
Buoy at 0,6/1,0m 8s. Glassy. I put in the Thrusters, FCS II JS Sup front and M center. At first glance she’s very different fro the Karmen. But whereas the Karmen volume is spread out through the Board, which gives a Board a thinner aspect and fuller rails, the Alleys volume is concentrated through the middle, but over all her thickness is great than that of the Karmen. The Board is actually shorter than what it’s entry suggests, it’s more like having a 7’6 that had added a small thin nose to. Positioning is farther back than on the Karmen, the nose is more out of the water and you got at least 15/20cm sticking out when you’re paddling. Rowing is les stable than on the Karmen with he same volume (8’4 at 120L) but it’ not too annoying if you get your feet a bit closer. In the balancing is in ‘3D’, the Board is alive at all ends whereas the Karmen is more like ‘2D’, and has a lateral rocking. If you’re used to this type of balance it’s not bothersome. Getting through the churn is easy, the thin nose pierces it without getting blocked.
You feel a little higher than on the Karmen, my feet were nice and dry on the pad. I was really surprised with how easy she caught waves. The Board paddles quick, the trick is to keep her reared up enough to have that margin of security, then move your weight back up front : the thin noise has a good length that is hydrodynamic and that gets the board down the face, but you need to be onto of it more than the Karmen, it has less left so doesn’t forgive errors so easily. That’s where you find the principal difficultly of the Alley : she does not like your front foot on the rail, it’s best if you keep this in mind and keep it centered around the median line. I got in the water a little earlier to take advantage of the lone peak peak before the crowds got there, hollow and powerful, about shoulder high. And the Alley was a revelation : I have never had suck a smooth Board under my feet. Even with the power it was never stiff, at any moment you could re-engage in a turn if you want or reposition yourself on the wave, and practically without having to think about it. I never though it would be possible on a Board so big (29 1/2” Width) . The carving is still clean, nd the Board super tolerant with your back foot placement. With the Karmen, I had to really pay attention to get my foot back, and now it’s instinctual. I think the Board automatically rears when turning, almost like power steering!
The added volume didn’t bother me too much in the hollow sections but was a big help when I wanted to drop in a little earlier. The shape seems to be quite tolerant of the added volume in the wave, even if I’m only thinking of the paddling, you would naturally have a ‘Cork Effect’ thanks to the 3D balance. I need to say I was quite surprised : the back OFO is not as thin as it seems, I never though I’d have such fluid rail to rail with a tail that isn’t narrow. On the good, powerful waves, I never had a speed problem : The Board keeps her speed and easily gets through he sections. I felt that her ‘feeling’ was quite different from that of the Curve : She’s much freer and playful underfoot. When the crowd hit I needed up with smaller, softer peaks, waist high max. The Board took off easily on the waves ( the rocker is relatively low and the nose pierces the water good, a lot more efficient than my 2016 Fatal that has much more), really cool surf feeling. She does have a hard time getting the speed though, the Karmen picks up speed quickly but not with the Alley, you need to have some good technique to get her going in the mushy stuff, but once you got a little, it’s roller city and even in the small stuff but with a little more speed loss when turning than the Fatal/Mob/Karmen. In short, testing validated. I’ve been won over by the smoothness of the drive as well as the radicality in the turns, is you got wave power or the technique need to propulse her. I think a competitor or younger rider could easily size down, but it’s not out of the question that I get myself on a 105L one day. But a comfortable volume is really nice on an Alley, for paddling speed and getting into waves early, and less fatigue at the end of a session, it doesn’t hold back the shape to much (within reasonable limits). As well as having almost 60yrs, you heal slower, and I’m not really into risking it to much in the steep and deep, so I really don’t need to go down in volume. Tu sum it all up : – Roller Queen in powerful conditions, and dreamlike smoothness. – Still useful in small conditions, especially with a bit more volume, even if it os not adapted for it. – Not as unstable as one might think, but get those feet together, and above obligatory centered front foot at the take off.” SUPer : Colas et sa GONG SUP 8’1 Alley 120 PRO. Source : Team GONG SUP, share that you love.