Coming from riding my original board, a CWB Faze 141, and then switching to an older Blindside board, the first thing I noticed about this Gator board is – Damn is there even a board strapped to my feet?  This thing is so lightweight (The bindings as well) that it took me a minute to adjust.  Given, the Blindside board I am used to riding is a couple years old, so this brand new ’08 Gator made out of the newest materials in wakeboard technology was a breath of fresh air.  I think it just threw me off because I was expecting the delayed response of a heavier board.

I nearly landed my backroll with this thing – it is super easy to throw around…felt pretty much weightless in the air as opposed to knowing I had a plank of wood attached to me like before.  I dig the fins on here as well, they allow pretty hard edging when you need it, but don’t interfere with surface tricks, so butterslides are cake, and sticking your spins even with a sloppy landing isn’t too bad.

Now on to these bindings: these are awesome.  Super comfortable, easy to lace up even in the water…this was my first experience with closed toe, and I have to say its pretty damn good!  The combination of these super lightweight bindings and that light board make for some easy airs.   You can definitely feel the increased ankle support in a closed toe binding, much more so than the open ones I am used to.  The bottom also has drain holes to allow for the easy draining of excess water inside them, it runs out the back and allows plenty of air flow through them.

Overall, these two make up an awesome combo.  I have stepped up my game quite a bit with them, and the sky is the limit.  I have no problem recommending either of these awesome products.