[Triple8Sol]

I've been interested in Amplid for years so I finally sent it and picked up both of these in 157. They look kind of similar at first glance, and share similar construction, but actually ride very differently. Ran Union Atlases on both, since they both need to be paired with a responsive full size disc binding. Figured I'd share some initial impressions after a couple days on snow, since there are so few reviews out there...

Surfari has an 8/10 Flex rating that feels accurate tip to tail, but has a little more torsional flex than expected from just hand flexing it in. This thing locks in on high speed carves with that 8.0 sidecut and has surprising edgehold despite a mellower camber profile and average EE. I think the grip comes from being well balanced and so damn stable. It hasn't snowed much for over 2 weeks here in the PNW, but it stayed steady even on patches of ice in the shade. Reminds me of the US Outer Orbit & Korua TF Plus+.

Souly Grail is slightly toned down, one notch lower 7/10 on the flex scale with considerably more torsional flex, slightly narrower waist, 7.9 sidecut, and a little more setback. Every bit as stable as the Surfari but a little quicker edge-to-edge and you can butter with some effort. This might become my new go-to charger for now. Reminds me of the US Inner Orbit & Nidecker Mellow/Liberty/Fun Ball.

Thoroughly impressed so far and impatiently waiting for another storm cycle so I can try them out in some pow.

 

[Triple8Sol]

Some additional thoughts...

Weird to hear the customer service issues above, as I had an opposite experience. You all remember how ridiculously bad the shipping industry was around this past holiday season. They voluntarily upgraded me to 2nd day air, just so I would have a chance at getting the board in time for a trip. I don't even want to know how expensive that is from Germany to US.

I always read marketing materials with a big grain of salt, but antiphase tech is the real deal. Paid close attention but never noticed any discernible chatter in rough conditions. Plenty of other companies try to accomplish this with different wood core layups, various carbon stringer/sheet placements, etc... but in my experience it oftentimes just creates an overly stiff/heavy/dead zone that ultimately isn't even very effective.

Whatever sintered HD7 is, it seems to be a fast base. I was shocked how much faster it was while flat-basing on a cat track vs. my buddy on a Cardiff Bonsai. Granted it's a brand new base, but with only a single coat of basic wax. Base is already dry and edges are white after just a couple days, so it should only get faster with more coats of better wax.

So far, their Centrifugal collection takes everything I like about the Koruas & Nideckers I've owned, but without the dead door feeling that they suffer from. Might need to try the Pentaquark and/or UNW8 someday, but worried they might be too aggressive for what I prefer these days...

 

[Triple8Sol]

How much do you weigh? I’d love to try either of these decks but I feel like my weight is too low (63kgs) to really get the full benefit out of them.

TBH I don't think you'll enjoy any of the Centrifugal collection boards at that weight. Hopefully they release some smaller sizes eventually, but until then I'd look into their Future Shapes lineup--something like the Dada or Spray Tray.

Do you think those two boards are different enough to own both? Seems like there would be an incredible amount of overlap.

If you have the room/budget, then why not. But yeah definitely some overlap, just depending on which type of riding you'd prefer. Surfari requires you be more aggressive whereas the Souly allows you to be a bit more playful. You'd prob be better off with the Souly + Pentaquark or UNW8. Or Surfari + something from the Future Shapes collection.

 

[Triple8Sol]

@Leeshuming Ugh that looks horrible! My boards arrived unscathed, but keep us updated on how that works out!

 

[Triple8Sol]

@Triple8Sol had both the 57 SG and 57 Surfari, I'm also curious to hear your feedback on them both, now with a full szn on them. I know the SG was set to be your DD. It became mine, and look forward to making it my DD again next szn. Excited to get back on it asap, so much fun for what I enjoy doing.

The SG remained my go-to board throughout this season. So much so, that I only busted out the US Pioneer (prior DD for the past 3-4yrs) once and the US Cadet (another DD) twice. My 2nd favorite new board this season was the K2 Excavator, but the SG is still way better on variable days. That said, once broken-in, the Surfari can actually be a bit more versatile that I initially thought, as long as you're not a welterweight. Just picked up a Dancehaul Pro that should be a competitor too, so hopefully will be able to get on that a couple times this month before Crystal & Bachelor shutdown.