Anyone have feedback on the Pentaquark? That beast looks like it's a next level carver. I'm loving that shape and the tech specs. Seems like it may fit between the Surfari and the Unw8 and perhaps carve better than either?
Amplid Pentaquark/UNW8
Does anyone have any history they can share with these 2 rigs
The Pentaquark and the UNW8.
Some pros some cons and similar US boards , Cheers !
The Pentaquark and the UNW8.
Some pros some cons and similar US boards , Cheers !
21 - 40 of 240 Posts
My buddy who turned me on to amplid has a surfari and a pentaquark. He says the Penta is unreal and his go to on groomer days. Can't compare to the unw8 but he absolutely loves it, but if the snow is variable he takes out th surfari. This dude has 15 other boards in his garage now collecting dust.
@jsil It’s there mate, 85 kg +/- 1 kg, 10 US. I don’t expect the Paradigma to be anywhere below the average level grip.
What is also worth noting about the UNW8 is that nose shape. Stiff AF and that white part has a slight 3D shaping. It allows you to just charge through slushy moguls and uneven terrain without worrying to dig it. I haven’t ridden the UNW8 in pow yet but judging by the float in slush it should be at least ok there, better than an average full stiff camber board with a directional twin shape. This worries me in the Endeavor Alpha I’m eyeing too - with such a minimal uprise I’m afraid it’s a one trick pony for evenly groomed terrain.
I’m pretty sure that the Pentaquark, being even stiffer and having a bigger sidecut radius, is just something that you take out for a few hours if you want to ride it daily.
The Amplid guys seem to be honest in their board descriptions and if they say it’s an uber carver for empty morning groomers I believe them.
What is also worth noting about the UNW8 is that nose shape. Stiff AF and that white part has a slight 3D shaping. It allows you to just charge through slushy moguls and uneven terrain without worrying to dig it. I haven’t ridden the UNW8 in pow yet but judging by the float in slush it should be at least ok there, better than an average full stiff camber board with a directional twin shape. This worries me in the Endeavor Alpha I’m eyeing too - with such a minimal uprise I’m afraid it’s a one trick pony for evenly groomed terrain.
I’m pretty sure that the Pentaquark, being even stiffer and having a bigger sidecut radius, is just something that you take out for a few hours if you want to ride it daily.
The Amplid guys seem to be honest in their board descriptions and if they say it’s an uber carver for empty morning groomers I believe them.
@jsil do you think the Surfari is too much board for 145 lbs ?
No, I fluctuate between 150 and 155 and I ride the 157. Can't say I love it in tight trees, but for everything else is SLAYS.
So you're pretty close to the ideal weight for the 163? Sounds about right. I want a hard charger that can still be playful enough to butter around so the paradigma may be a better choice than the unw8. I'm just spoiled with the edge hold on the surfari and don't want to anything less at this point. I wish I could demo the smaller unw8 and paradigma!@jsil It’s there mate, 85 kg +/- 1 kg, 10 US. I don’t expect the Paradigma to be anywhere below the average level grip
Yup, pretty close to the ideal weight for it and I find no problems handling it. A precise and powerful hard charger. It just annihilates the groomers but so does with my quads. Even if I size down to be upper weight limit I don’t expect it to be anywhere near something playful. This is hands down the hardest board to butter around for me (my Kazu 157, Optimistic 154 and Archetype 160W feel like super playful compared to it). The idea behind down sizing is to make it feel a bit softer while keeping that edge hold and carving properties. I don’t need anything more than an average float with it and if I slow down it’s the crowded slope or my self-awareness rather than the board starting to chatter to the slightest degree. Just to make it a bit easier to ollie and possible to ride it 2 full days in a row. I was to drive to the mountains today with my ~~110 kg cousin. I wanted to put him on the UNW8 to see how the board rides under someone 15 kg over the recommended weight limit. I’ll try to do it this week and I’ll report back.So you're pretty close to the ideal weight for the 163? Sounds about right. I want a hard charger that can still be playful enough to butter around so the paradigma may be a better choice than the unw8. I'm just spoiled with the edge hold on the surfari and don't want to anything less at this point. I wish I could demo the smaller unw8 and paradigma!
That's how I feel in the surfari on groomers. I've carved harder and hit higher speeds than I have with any other boards. When I say playful, I guess I mean just a bit softer like you say. I realize you'll never get something playful with this kind of edge hold. Reality is im looking for a board that I can ride all around without sacrificing edge hold. I'm not much of a jibber but a ride through the park hitting jumps occasionally is fun. All mountain freestyle is what I'm looking for with way more emphasis on all mountain.Yup, pretty close to the ideal weight for it and I find no problems handling it. A precise and powerful hard charger. It just annihilates the groomers but so does with my quads. Even if I size down to be upper weight limit I don’t expect it to be anywhere near something playful. This is hands down the hardest board to butter around for me (my Kazu 157, Optimistic 154 and Archetype 160W feel like super playful compared to it). The idea behind down sizing is to make it feel a bit softer while keeping that edge hold and carving properties. I don’t need anything more than an average float with it and if I slow down it’s the crowded slope or my self-awareness rather than the board starting to chatter to the slightest degree. Just to make it a bit easier to ollie and possible to ride it 2 full days in a row. I was to drive to the mountains today with my ~~110 kg cousin. I wanted to put him on the UNW8 to see how the board rides under someone 15 kg over the recommended weight limit. I’ll try to do it this week and I’ll report back.
If the unw8 ends up being mostly super stiff groomer only I'd rather pick up the pentaquark tbh
I’d say the UNW8 can be a great hard carver and charger that you can spin off jumps due to its directional twin shape if you are highly technical there (I’m not). I don’t jib at all, I don’t find it fun but I like to do some 360 nose butters with 180 out etc. but not on the UNW8. It’s too stiff to be fun there but again, it is the Centrifugal collection focused on hard carving first and foremost.That's how I feel in the surfari on groomers. I've carved harder and hit higher speeds than I have with any other boards. When I say playful, I guess I mean just a bit softer like you say. I realize you'll never get something playful with this kind of edge hold. Reality is im looking for a board that I can ride all around without sacrificing edge hold. I'm not much of a jibber but a ride through the park hitting jumps occasionally is fun. All mountain freestyle is what I'm looking for with way more emphasis on all mountain.
If the unw8 ends up being mostly super stiff groomer only I'd rather pick up the pentaquark tbh
I'm happy I didn't go ahead and ordered the Unw8 after reading this. I'm at 100 kg but I think I'd be much better off with the Paradigma.
From Amplid’s description:
’For the carve-crazy, its full-length Pop Camber and extended effective edge will keep the contact points engaged and the UNW8 gripping, no-matter how slick the groomers get… at least until your thighs explode from the strain.’
Quoted for truth
’For the carve-crazy, its full-length Pop Camber and extended effective edge will keep the contact points engaged and the UNW8 gripping, no-matter how slick the groomers get… at least until your thighs explode from the strain.’
Quoted for truth
My opinion on the UNW8 differs somewhat from others. I own one and it's my groomer day board. I bought mine a while back so it doesn't have the antiphase and does not share the paradigma shape as much. My UNW8 is very light and carves incredibly well. My favorite Burton is the Custom X but I like the UNW8 better. It's just a more fun and livelier board than the Custom X while being just as good a carver. It has a ton of rebound and pop when you load it and just about the perfect old school camber and shape. I find it really versatile everywhere except in pow. In interests of full disclosure, I'm a dad carver who hits jumps but generally doesn't ride much on rails/boxes.
The older version was biax instead of the triax with a different geometry so this makes sense.My opinion on the UNW8 differs somewhat from others. I own one and it's my groomer day board. I bought mine a while back so it doesn't have the antiphase and does not share the paradigma shape as much. My UNW8 is very light and carves incredibly well. My favorite Burton is the Custom X but I like the UNW8 better. It's just a more fun and livelier board than the Custom X while being just as good a carver. It has a ton of rebound and pop when you load it and just about the perfect old school camber and shape. I find it really versatile everywhere except in pow. In interests of full disclosure, I'm a dad carver who hits jumps but generally doesn't ride much on rails/boxes.
The Amplids have just arrived, my new 159 2020 (still stiff 9/10 hand flexing) and a Surfari 157 (flex 7/10 like the Archetype 160W so stiffer than the 162 I have too plus the stiff tail) that my friend got. Probably gonna test them both tomorrow and will report back.
1 cm high camber mhmm:
That's a mighty fine picture. Do you have any new insights since those Amplids came in the mail? Could you feel the anti-phase?
I wanted to post my findings today after another day on these but unfortunately due to a late night I’ll miss my today’s shred.
Anyway, my take on my friend’s Surfari 157 (2018) and my new UNW8 159 (2020) at 85 kg, Adidas Tacticals ADV 10 US. Both with Katanas 2019, the ankle strap at the very top and a lot of forward lean. The binding angles + 24-18 / - 6 to -12.
The UNW8 in 159 (I sit at the top of the recommended weight) is still super stiff (but energetic), probably it will break in a bit but as for now I’d rate my UNW8s 159 2020 and 163 2019 as 9/10. I ride the 163 per reference stance, the 159 with a max setback (on reference I feel like the nose digs in/hooks too easily in the mix of slush and ice I’ve been exclusively riding for the past 3 weeks if I put too much weight on the front foot). They both rip super hard carves. The 159 is just more versatile with an 8-meter sidecut to dodge a Jerry while the 163 provides a better float in slush even without the setback and should have even better grip due to 4 cm longer effective edge (I haven’t felt it yet). I haven’t found a speed limit on either, it’s always me slowing down, not the board telling me to do so by chattering.
The Surfari 157 (biax glass) is softer. I’d give it 7/10 overall feel with a medium-stiff nose and a stiff tail.
They say it’s a camber with an early rise at the tips but it’s more of a back seat camber with plenty of rocker that starts just after the front binding.
Grips icy shit well (though the UNW8s do it even better) and is more user friendly due to the softer flex, especially torsionally. Obviously floats great in slush. You can charge hard but it has no problems with slowing down. It can wash out in a hard Euro if you don’t weight the tapered tail at the end of a carve but that’s on the rider. I’d say it feels semi locked-in, the UNW8 is a full lock-in to me. It has a nice rebound exiting the carve so you don’t have to work for that spring changing edges mid-air. For the flex reference I’d rate my Optimistic 154 2019 at my 85 kg as 7/10 as well (a bit stiffer tail than the Surfari in 157). I change to the Optimistic when it gets really crowded to carve around while keeping the float in slush. I can push it at the same time with its great grip. It’s my ’party’ board.
As the Pentaquark is also biax glass and similar weight to the Surfari (and lighter than the Unw8 for the same surface area) I think these two actually share more with each other than with the UNW8. If Amplid gave 8/10 stiffness to the Unw8 (triax and imo underrated flex) and 7/10 to the Surfari (biax, I agree with the flex), I’d expect the Pentaquark to actually sit in the middle, with the Unw8 being 9/10, the Penta 8/10 and the Surfari being 7/10.
So I’d say that the Surfari is a rad dad’s freeride board while I expect the Pentaquark to be a rad dad’s carving board. They must have left it biax for a reason while obviously their super stiff triax would be more appealing from the marketing’s point of view for that hefty 840 EUR price tag.
That’s my guess on the Penta but based on my experience with the two Centrifugals and @trpa_ec describing his previous model UNW8 (biax and lighter than mine) to be more comparable to what I feel riding the Surfari than my UNW8s.
Anyway, my take on my friend’s Surfari 157 (2018) and my new UNW8 159 (2020) at 85 kg, Adidas Tacticals ADV 10 US. Both with Katanas 2019, the ankle strap at the very top and a lot of forward lean. The binding angles + 24-18 / - 6 to -12.
The UNW8 in 159 (I sit at the top of the recommended weight) is still super stiff (but energetic), probably it will break in a bit but as for now I’d rate my UNW8s 159 2020 and 163 2019 as 9/10. I ride the 163 per reference stance, the 159 with a max setback (on reference I feel like the nose digs in/hooks too easily in the mix of slush and ice I’ve been exclusively riding for the past 3 weeks if I put too much weight on the front foot). They both rip super hard carves. The 159 is just more versatile with an 8-meter sidecut to dodge a Jerry while the 163 provides a better float in slush even without the setback and should have even better grip due to 4 cm longer effective edge (I haven’t felt it yet). I haven’t found a speed limit on either, it’s always me slowing down, not the board telling me to do so by chattering.
The Surfari 157 (biax glass) is softer. I’d give it 7/10 overall feel with a medium-stiff nose and a stiff tail.
They say it’s a camber with an early rise at the tips but it’s more of a back seat camber with plenty of rocker that starts just after the front binding.
Grips icy shit well (though the UNW8s do it even better) and is more user friendly due to the softer flex, especially torsionally. Obviously floats great in slush. You can charge hard but it has no problems with slowing down. It can wash out in a hard Euro if you don’t weight the tapered tail at the end of a carve but that’s on the rider. I’d say it feels semi locked-in, the UNW8 is a full lock-in to me. It has a nice rebound exiting the carve so you don’t have to work for that spring changing edges mid-air. For the flex reference I’d rate my Optimistic 154 2019 at my 85 kg as 7/10 as well (a bit stiffer tail than the Surfari in 157). I change to the Optimistic when it gets really crowded to carve around while keeping the float in slush. I can push it at the same time with its great grip. It’s my ’party’ board.
As the Pentaquark is also biax glass and similar weight to the Surfari (and lighter than the Unw8 for the same surface area) I think these two actually share more with each other than with the UNW8. If Amplid gave 8/10 stiffness to the Unw8 (triax and imo underrated flex) and 7/10 to the Surfari (biax, I agree with the flex), I’d expect the Pentaquark to actually sit in the middle, with the Unw8 being 9/10, the Penta 8/10 and the Surfari being 7/10.
So I’d say that the Surfari is a rad dad’s freeride board while I expect the Pentaquark to be a rad dad’s carving board. They must have left it biax for a reason while obviously their super stiff triax would be more appealing from the marketing’s point of view for that hefty 840 EUR price tag.
That’s my guess on the Penta but based on my experience with the two Centrifugals and @trpa_ec describing his previous model UNW8 (biax and lighter than mine) to be more comparable to what I feel riding the Surfari than my UNW8s.
Recently grabbed the 56 Penta, the model made at the Mothership before they switched factories. They state the flex 9/10, but personally feel it's more in the ~7.5 overall flex range imo, so you're guess was pretty spot on. This is my personal sweet spot, in terms of flex on snow so I'm pretty pumped on it.
Nose is the softest part and progressively gets stiffer, but has some torsional give as well. But at higher speeds, this board feels really stable and so smooth at my weight (160lbs). Think they're on to something with this Antiphase thing cos didn't feel nor notice any chatter, esp in the nose which is the softest part. Was really impressed with how smooth this board rides, prob the smoothest deck I've been on to date.
The 8.7m sidecut is the biggest I've ridden to date personally, but didn't take too long to adjust to even on our small local hills here. Took it for some laps in the park also, has lots of pop and good stability on landings. Excited to keep riding it and get more days on it. Super fun and uber smooth mid-stiff charger. Love how much camber it has, as well ?.
Specs for context:
![152501]()
Nose is the softest part and progressively gets stiffer, but has some torsional give as well. But at higher speeds, this board feels really stable and so smooth at my weight (160lbs). Think they're on to something with this Antiphase thing cos didn't feel nor notice any chatter, esp in the nose which is the softest part. Was really impressed with how smooth this board rides, prob the smoothest deck I've been on to date.
The 8.7m sidecut is the biggest I've ridden to date personally, but didn't take too long to adjust to even on our small local hills here. Took it for some laps in the park also, has lots of pop and good stability on landings. Excited to keep riding it and get more days on it. Super fun and uber smooth mid-stiff charger. Love how much camber it has, as well ?.
Specs for context:
- 160lbs
- 8US Burton SLX/frank'd Genies x Cartel binders
- ride "Ice Coast" SE Ontario, CA
- current quiver: 56 Amplid Penta & 57 Korua T.Finder +
I picked up the 56 penta from the outlet too. If the 17-18 unw8 was triax rather than biax I would have also grabbed it. I had such a great experience with the surfari I really want to own all three of the centrifugal. I'll report back when it arrives and I have a chance to ride it.
I also picked up a 160 Penta from the outlet. It arrived Wednesday, but it's finally been puking out here so I've been on my Tailgunner still. Having the Penta on deck has me actually looking forward to my next groomer day. It looks fantastic. You can see the honeycomb in the nose, and the antiphase through the base. I'll report back after I have a chance to put it through it's paces.
At 140lbs I feel like none of the boards in the centrifugal series’s are my size. ?
I'm 150ish lbs and the surfari is the best board I've ever ridden.
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