I am also starting to love Amplid. Bought a surfari 161 and took it to a powder day at Wolf Creek and it floated amazingly well, super fast edge to edge as well. I was also curious about the paradigms and unw8 so I was talking to the Amplid guys about it. Some useful info and some marketing spiel but in case you are interested in reading:
The Paradigma is probably our best selling board. It's certainly the most versatile snowboard in the collection. Its low camber (only 3-4mm) and directional twin shape means it works for freestyle riding, in powder, cruising the resort... you just can't go wrong with this board. It has a great balance of performance and playfulness.
"The UNW8 is something else. The board has a lot more going-on than the Paradigma. Despite the name (un-weight) I think the UNW8 is a little bit heavier than the Paradigma. Even though we use weight saving tech like honeycomb, its thicker core profile, its Triaxial fiberglass (the Paradigma is Biax) and the addition of Antiphase and other material upgrades adds a few extra grams to its waistline. The result is a board which is damper and more torsionally and longitudinally stiff than the Paradigma. It feels more powerful than the Paradigma and its edge-hold is incredible... but it is more demanding and does require an experienced pilot with strong legs. Additionally, the shape of the UNW8 is a little bit more directional, 20mm more nose than tail, a bit more stance set-back and just a hint of taper. I think the more directional shaping compensates nicely for the 9mm of camber underfoot! This board really appeals to technical riders that enjoy a very precise machine. If you want to make the most of it you'll need firm boots and responsive bindings."
PS. Two things before buying: 1) Amplid also sells used boards on their website. When I was looking in March of last year they had a lot of used boards of their lineup at a great price in various conditions with pictures showing how they look. 2) I believe their boards are now made in Taiwan (2019 was). I had some issues with the surfari I bought (the tail was starting to delaminate) and I read online about others having the same issue, but I hope they corrected this issue for their 2020 boards. Having said that I still support this company and wish to buy another Amplid.
The Paradigma is probably our best selling board. It's certainly the most versatile snowboard in the collection. Its low camber (only 3-4mm) and directional twin shape means it works for freestyle riding, in powder, cruising the resort... you just can't go wrong with this board. It has a great balance of performance and playfulness.
"The UNW8 is something else. The board has a lot more going-on than the Paradigma. Despite the name (un-weight) I think the UNW8 is a little bit heavier than the Paradigma. Even though we use weight saving tech like honeycomb, its thicker core profile, its Triaxial fiberglass (the Paradigma is Biax) and the addition of Antiphase and other material upgrades adds a few extra grams to its waistline. The result is a board which is damper and more torsionally and longitudinally stiff than the Paradigma. It feels more powerful than the Paradigma and its edge-hold is incredible... but it is more demanding and does require an experienced pilot with strong legs. Additionally, the shape of the UNW8 is a little bit more directional, 20mm more nose than tail, a bit more stance set-back and just a hint of taper. I think the more directional shaping compensates nicely for the 9mm of camber underfoot! This board really appeals to technical riders that enjoy a very precise machine. If you want to make the most of it you'll need firm boots and responsive bindings."
PS. Two things before buying: 1) Amplid also sells used boards on their website. When I was looking in March of last year they had a lot of used boards of their lineup at a great price in various conditions with pictures showing how they look. 2) I believe their boards are now made in Taiwan (2019 was). I had some issues with the surfari I bought (the tail was starting to delaminate) and I read online about others having the same issue, but I hope they corrected this issue for their 2020 boards. Having said that I still support this company and wish to buy another Amplid.
