Hyperlite 2018/19 Season Preview

Hyperlite have gone from strength to strength over the past few years. When it made the choice last year to start to absorb the Byerly name back under the Hyperlite banner, I was speculative. Over the past season i've noticed it to be a masterstroke, with a range that is as fluid as ever, but offers an insane amount of options. From the mainstay State 2.0 at the bottom of the range right through to the Riot Nova, it is hard to fault. The Baseline has offered a nice step up complement to the State, while the Murray has given the power and fun back to the older guys. The decision to move the Kruz down the range to give a contrast to the Murray as a mid range board, was as smart a decision as i've seen from a wakeboard company. The top of the range also nicely complemented each other with 3 considerably contrasting boards, the Vagabond, Relapse and Riot range. As for the women's they ran with the same mantra. Venice complements the Eden 2.0 as a step up, while then you have steps up to the Maiden and then the Prizm. With such a complete Boat range it's hard to see how they can one up what they've produced for the 2017/18 season. So how should we expect this to happen? The top of the range is mostly set after the Riot had a successful first run and the Relapse and Vagabond have continued to be great boards throughout their runs, though after a few years one of them could be up for a revamp. The Byerly chapter of wakeboards is a chance to completely come to a close, as I expect the Brigade/AR2 to meet the end of the line. Moving down the range, the likes of the Murray and Kruz continue to have strong resonance through their attachment to giants of the industry, Shaun Murray and Rusty Malinoski. This gives them a safe passage through to 2018/19, as for the Franchise and the Baseline, the Franchise has potential to see it's run end after a run of 5 years (this bad boy just didn't want the party to end) streamlining the jump from Baseline to Murray/Kruz. At the bottom, the State 2.0 isn't going anywhere, unless they slightly adjust it and call it the State 3.0. For the women's, the only major change that may arrive is in the removal of the Maiden and the introduction of a new shape to replace it. The Eden 2.0, Venice and Prizm are all attached to the likes of the State, Baseline and Murray, all of which I consider to be relatively safe. As for the kids, they are in the same boat, with only junior versions of the Eden and State, they should continue as is. The cable range provides some of the most innovative tech as well as some of the most modern graphics. With price point boards like the PBJ and Ripsaw propping up the entry level cable market, those guys aren't going anywhere for at least another 2 seasons. The likes of the Union and the Wishbone are 2 of their bread and butter boards, same shape, different cores, flex and feel, so to see them get rid of these would be a shock. The Union has proven itself time and time again, even behind the boat, but on the other side of this coin, has also been around for a long time, with some changes across the years. Will this keep it safe? Only time can answer that question. At the top end, the Hashtag being only around for 2 years should be safe, as it's full of tech. The Jam is the peculiar one, introduced at the same time it finds itself placed between the Wishbone and Hashtag, with a plethora of tech in it, history should tell us it's not going anywhere but we've seen stranger things happen before. Switching gears to wakesurfers. With the continual expansion of the sport of wakesurfing and the growth of participation, we should expect some changes across the board here (excuse the pun). Many of Hyperlite's & Byerly's (we'll add Byerly in here for now, as surfers seem to be the only projects truly remaining under the banner) have been doing the rounds for coming up on 5 years. Boards that are safe as a tin shed in a hurricane: Hyperlite Broadcast, Shim and the Byerly Buzz. These guys have been around since wakesurfing started to blow up and have been fine servants, innovation in any industry is key though and is why we may see them get replaced with new models. The Buzz may be the only one to survive of the 3, based off it's incredible track record and versatility for almost all surfers, beginner through to experienced. Boards that are as safe as a cruise-liner in flat water: No icebergs floating for these models, the Hi-Fi being the pro model of Noah Flegel and the Automatic a brand new model foe 2017/18, make these a no brainer to carry into 18/19. Same goes for the Byerly options the Action and Misfit, being a well rounded skimmer and another 1st year shape respectively, means it would be surprising for them to be in the gun. This leaves us with a couple of boards up in the air, the likes of the Speedster, the Quad and the Time Machine. The Quad and Time Machine are great cruiser options, with slightly different feels and cater to the same market, it will come down to Hyperlite deciding whether it is worth keeping both around. As for the Speedster, it really competes directly with the Broadcast or it's replacement if it happens, this could led it to lean more to the side of being removed from the line. There it is, what we expect could happen from Hyperlite for 2018/19. How do you think we did? would you be dissapointed to see some of these outcomes or look forward to it? ↓↓↓ Let me know in the comments below ↓↓↓