A quick report on the Mako Grom 130x35….....first day on it yesterday. I will be needing more of these boards as the locals ‘discover’ its’ merits!

Greetings, I’m in Alaska, and we’ve had a great spring. Many high-wind downwinder sessions in good rollers on surfboards and Mako 150x34, but yesterday was not that kind of session.

My session started with 1 foot killer short-period-chop and the wind 30 G37, and ended 2 1/2 hours later with 43 G49, as recorded by a RoadWeather station near the spot. Our area is a very Gorge-reminiscent area and conditions, but this was low-tide and more of a ‘choppy’ session.

The GROM…......I launched the 6Rise, wet my toes, and hopped on the 130/35…..............instantly at home!!!!! I ride a 150x34 unless I’m on a surfboard or my custom channeled-finless-“Carbon-Glide”-TT lightwind-plank. (that’s a mouthful)......anyway, so a 150x34 Mako is my go-to board for the high-wind, downwinder, rolling wave sessions and I ride it ALOT!(muscle-memory)...............the GROM is different, but put me at ease immediately. LOcked-in, upwind-monster, that allows you to set the edge and just LOUNGE there! Carvy? Oh, yeah! LIFTY? what’d you think? It’s a MAKO!! It’s EASY to relax while you have that edge working for you. I was concerned that the Grom might ‘let me down’ in any lulls, but the seemingly-small planing surface is ALL working with that deep concave. And that little (?) board is lifty. I am accustomed to the ‘drive’ of the 150x34 adn 140x40 through transitions and while surfing. The Grom provided a similar feeling, with the ability to make shorter-radius carves. Some might wonder about comparisons of the Mako 140x40 to the Grom….....I would say the 140x40 is much less ‘carvy’ than the Grom, and the Grom feels VERY lightweight. 

The GROM is a ‘flickable’-Mako…....yyyeahhhhhhh!!! You will have to ride a GROM to believe it, and I’d like to hear some thoughts from others, so I’ll end with a few comparisons/analogies:

If a Mako 150x34 is a dirtbike, it’s a 450 four-stroke, The GROM is a 250 2-stroke.
If a Mako 140x40 is an old Cadillac, the GROM is a new sporty-Cadillac, or maybe a BMW.

Summary…....Grom has drive, especially for a 130cm board, is carvy, will hold a line, is light-weight, will hold a line, looks good, can hold down a lot of kite with that concave, which helps to hold a line, is flickable, comfortable, lifty, slices chop…......and the guy I lent it to hogged it for more of the session than I had it!!

His opinion is that his 126 brand-x is no comparison….....

You cannot go wrong with this board in your quiver. If you have a wife or child kiter, this will be their all-around board! Make no mistake…..this is a MAKO, just smaller…......and no comparison to Brand-X. DAVE

Hmmm.. ok.. so you think it is suitable for a kid? (I hoped so) does it provide a narrower stance?
Thx

Janus, there are several positions….yet it will be a wide stance for a small child. I think a small adult would be comfortable on the narrower position.

I rode the board in the wide stance, which seemed perfect to me.

I failed to mention that I am 5’9”, 178 pounds dry, 30 inch inseam.

The Grom is a very sweet blade of a board! Who shaped this thing????

DAVE

Tis funny how great mind think alike then I jump on the band wagon.
I still have the 150 classic as the go to board. Blistering fast, super carver and skittish. Who knows why Ocean rodeo moved away form an outlandish board which few liked and was difficult to sell. Alas I digress.
I had a ball on the Mini mako at Hatteras on the day it blew .
Power . Give me more I don’t know what the limit is .I sure tried to find out and failed
Speed . Yess please So smooth so easy .The faster you throw the 130 into a carve the better it sticks. just crank the kite across the window and chase it
Upwind . easy peasy
Jumping. Speed = Hight and the 130 is fast.
Low wind . Who cares Grab a Mako wide!!

sunrise - 26 May 2011 09:09 AM

skittish. Who knows why Ocean rodeo moved away form an outlandish board which few liked and was difficult to sell. !

Skittish? the 150x34??

As far as the board not being popular…..I don’t know….....But I think the Mako 150x34 may have been ahead of its’ time and all the beautiful people thought it was a 150. (as in….a 150, a ‘beginner’ board).

I still tell the Mako-curious riders that I would tow into a double-overhead wave on that 150x34 board with total confidence. Heck, I might even do it finless!

Remember the magazine ad. photo that Ocean Rodeo had of the Mako on that beautiful wave? Any idea where and who that was?

DAVE

BIG AK - 26 May 2011 07:17 PM

sunrise - 26 May 2011 09:09 AM

skittish. Who knows why Ocean rodeo moved away form an outlandish board which few liked and was difficult to sell. !

Skittish? the 150x34??

As far as the board not being popular…..I don’t know….....But I think the Mako 150x34 may have been ahead of its’ time and all the beautiful people thought it was a 150. (as in….a 150, a ‘beginner’ board).

I still tell the Mako-curious riders that I would tow into a double-overhead wave on that 150x34 board with total confidence. Heck, I might even do it finless!

Remember the magazine ad. photo that Ocean Rodeo had of the Mako on that beautiful wave? Any idea where and who that was?

DAVE

Phillipe Allengrin? He was a big wave pioneer on the Mako Classic. Which magazine? Which add?

My 2 cents worth on the Classic, it is the board that gives me an ear to ear grin in the way a Wide cannot! But I just got a King in the door so this may change.

Kirk
Kirk

I learned to kite on a prototype 150x35 MAKO & moved to the 150x40 a few years ago ... I picked up a 130x35 this Spring & absolutely love it ... Now the 150x40 is collecting dust like my windsurfing equipment ... Initially the mini mako felt like I was on skates but after an hour I was dialed in & chop was smoothed out in a knee saving smooth carving state of nirvana ...  Try this board !!!

I like the idea of the Mini-Mako a lot.

I have a ‘Classic’ that I still ride often enough, but I find (being a smaller guy at only ~140lbs) it feels a bit big and clunky at times. Amazing upwind powered machine, but it almost feels like too much at times, like the board kicks my butt when I try to really crank on it. Maybe I just don’t have the power/strength in those big conditions.

Anyway, anyone else of lighter stature out there able to compare the two? Thinking of trading up…

You are the perfect candidate for the Mini-mako ...

I’m still wondering who shaped the Grom…..and the other Mako’s. Way back when…....when I got my 150x34, I saw the potential and wondered why the ‘other brands’ didn’t have concave…........

...Anyone know who dunnit? DAVE

The original Mako 150 was a collaboration between Mark Vincent and Ross Harrington.
Mark was our sales manager at the time, and kept saying he wanted to build a massive single concave board for carving,..similar to a slalom water ski.
Ross drew up the first shape in CAD, and nailed it .
Ross continues to refine the shape each year with feedback from the crew. Ideas come in, and Ross puts them into the shape.
From the outset we wanted snowboard style construction for flex and durability, so we worked with a snowboard factory to produce the first boards.
The start up cost for the Mako was high due to the molding of the massive concave / rocker combo,..very difficult/expensive to produce.
Over the years we’ve added width, length, mutant inserts,...the King etc etc. We made a lot of trial and error to improve the core material,...so tough to mold and keep the designed rocker/concave.

Thanks Richard.

Any chance you guys still have that photo of the classic that was in all the magazines….the one on that beautiful wave face?

Also, what is your avatar photo??? Those are some bold and beautiful colors. I’m thinking of a big orange kite. DAVE

Not the barrel shot,..but still nice!
Avatar is the bottom board graphic from last year.

Richard, again, thanks. Delicious photo you posted.

JL, I mentioned that the Grom slices chop, you mentioned it saves your knees.

Knee-saver is how I would describe the 150x34 for me, but the Grom does it even better. It is a sweet board, and true to what I said in the first post…....

......I had to order 2 more of them today. I’m pretty sure even more will be needed.

Thanks. DAVE

Very keen to give a Mini Mako a shot, would anyone in Victoria be willing to lend me one for the weekend? Happy to provide deposit or assurance if it makes a difference!

Ned

250.589.2967
ndebeck at gmail.com

I too was instantly at home on my Mini Mako the first time I rode it. Felt like I was on a cushion of air unlike a standard twintip, it’s a dream to carve and boosts huge. Just can’t see how I resisted the call of the Mako for so long? Guess it was ‘cos I was drawn to the smaller size and on them going wood core felt the time was right for me - finance was also a factor but this board is worth every penny