Wish I Got the Fish
The Huntington Hop board surpassed my expectations in every way from the board’s responsiveness, turning ability, and classic vintage surfboard shape looks. I purchased board to replicate the feel of riding a surfboard since I live a car ride away from the beach and as a new dad, I wanted something I could sneak away and rip without committing half a day to the waves. Let me just say that this board does not disappoint. I’ve never had so much fun riding on pavement the way you can seamlessly link hard carves with pumping near the nose of the board with nose riding. Hamboards absolutely nailed it with the deck aesthetics (I grabbed the red checkered deck), providing an awesome vintage vibe.
My only concern with buying online is that is so hard to get the “feel” of the board before making a purchase. As someone who enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding, I considered the Fish, but since I could only go by descriptions and videos, I ended up going with the HHOP. I’ve been using the board daily and getting comfortable with its capabilities, but ultimately wish I “sized up” to a board that would provide a steeper learning curve with more performance capability. My takeaway: know your riding style, the terrain you will ride, and size up to the more challenging board to keep your motivation to go hard.