This is my review of the 2022 Pure Tripp Wakesurf board. I’m a middle aged, above average, recreational, surf style rider. I’ve been riding this behind my 2022 MB B52 which puts out a pro level wave. I’m 6’4”, 225 lbs and the board size is 4’9.5”.
What’s the Pure Tripp?
Pure Wakesurf is a new American made wakesurf company that builds high end boards in Florida. Pure has partnered with one of the best shapers in the industry, Erie Peeples. Erie shaped boards for World Champion Wakesurfer Ashley Kidd and many other competitive riders. Pure can build you a custom board in any size you want along with custom graphics.
The Pure Tripp is a premium performing wakesurf board for demanding riders looking to hone their skills. It’s the pro model for one of the top competitive surfers, Tripp Allen. It’s a fun and forgiving board that can accommodate a wide range of skill levels from aspiring intermediates to top level pros. While easy to ride, this board is capable of the high level, technical air tricks like 360 shuvs, and varials.
Me riding the Tripp behind my 2022 MB B52
Why the Pure Tripp?
I wanted an American made board that fit my riding style, size, and desire to progress. I’d been seeing competitive riders on Pure and hearing about how great they are on various wakesurf groups. Pure boards are handmade for each person. The price and build timeframe to get the board was just right for me.
At $1,099 the Pure Tripp is about the same price as a Phase 5 board and a few other “off the shelf” brands. It is priced slightly lower than other handmade boards like Soulcraft and Bluesurf, which are in the $1,500 range. I like to support new companies, so I purchased one.
The shape of the Pure Tripp is just what I was looking for in a new board. I ride a bit front foot heavy, this board shape is wider underfoot than most boards with volume where I need it. With previous boards, they were either too narrow, causing my board to pearl occasionally, or too wide, causing them to feel sluggish.
The Process:
I spent a few hours going back and forth with one of the owners, Kennon Owensby, to find the right board for me. Kennon and his wife, Vanessa, own Pure Wakesurf and Wake Outfitters. They are knowledgeable and very involved in the competitive wakesurf scene. I sent Kennon videos of me riding other boards and told him what I like, and didn’t like, about previous boards. He spent some time analyzing my riding style to determine which board and size would best suit me.
I submitted my order, and about three weeks later, I received my board. It typically takes anywhere from a few months to over a year to receive a custom made board from other companies. Build time might be longer as they grow.
What Pure has to say about their boards:
They’re 100% American made at our own facility in New Smyrna Beach, FL
If you are looking to ride revert, air 180’s, shuvs and quick 360’s – you will find the PURE Tripp Signature board for you.
Every single raw material in the board from resin, foam, stringer, fin boxes, fiberglass cloth, logos, paper the logos are on, and ink the logos are printed with – are ALL AMERICAN MADE.
We use Aerospace grade S-Glass for superior strength and lighter weight. Same cloth used in aerospace!
Each board is hand shaped and laminated one at a time by our very own team at our facility.
We are balancing true OG Ocean surf boards with Wake. Our Shaper, Erie Peeples, has over 30 years of experience and many podiums from world titles and national titles.
-Kennon Owensby
Watch Professional Trip Allen ride his pro model
I’d like to add: Recently at the 2022 World Wakesurf Championships, they had multiple riders place on the podium riding the Tripp model!
How the Pure Tripp Wakesurf Rides
Speed 9/10: This board moves fast down the line for catching airs, hard slashs, and big bottom turns. The board builds speed predictably, it’s not crazy fast where you’re on the brakes the whole time, it’s just right. It also has enough speed to recover easily when at the very end of the wave.
Spins: 10/10: This is one of the reasons why I bought this board. This board is the best spinning board I’ve owned. If you do slow and stalled out spins, no problem. Fast spins, no problem either. This board is very easy to manipulate your spin speed, and initiate spins. I can do 360s all day long on it and now very close to landing frontside and heelside 360s too.
When coming around on 360s, this board catches at just the right spot and allows you to reset. There is no chance of over spinning this board. This board also rides revert (backwards) for tricks.
Weight 9/10: This board is very light for the size. You can feel the weight of this board in the air by how easy it is to control. I can tweak my airs anyway I like and the board does exactly what I want to do with it. It’s noticeably lighter than my 4’8” Doomswell, and my 4’7” Jet Pilot Dylan Ayala, for comparison. Light boards have the advantage of feeling lively and quick.
Liveliness 8/10: For being a wide and large board, it has a playful feel underfoot. It’s not twitchy, or lightning fast, it’s just right. It’s a middle of the road feeling which I like. It has a nice confident ride that is stable and lets loose when you want it to.
Pop 8/10: This board has a nice predictable pop that hits just right. I am the limiting factor for catching airs on this. Watch Tripp Allen ride this, he catches a few feet easily!
Fin Talk
The Pure Tripp comes standard with Pure composite fins manufactured by 3D fins. 3D fins use dimple technology which provides lift and speed. These are great for a factory fin, they are much better than heavy fiberglass fins, or cheap plastic ones, that many boards come with.
I am very sensitive to how a board feels underfoot and I desire more performance. These boards are equipped with Future fin boxes, which provide an endless selection of fins to customize your ride.
Because I like to tinker, I tested a bunch of different fins on this board
My fin recommendation for riders over 200 lbs is the Future HS2. This fin has a great lively feel, controlled spins, and most importantly they have the ability to generate power for recovery when falling out of the back of the wave.
The HS2 fin rides similar to the Blackstix F4, a very popular fin for wakesurfers, but slightly larger. The trade off is more recovery power for a bit of liveliness. I tend to lose the wave more with the F4 Blackstix, than with the HS2, as they are smaller.
If you’re over 200 lbs I’d say go with the HS2, and if you’re under 200 lbs, get the Future Blackstix F4 to make the Pure Tripp really come alive.
Another fin I rode that made this board rip big carves and bottom turns was the Future Bamboo Machados. They are fun and fast fins, however they are difficult for me to spin due to their raked shape.
I’ve ridden a bunch of fins on this board and those are my favorites.
I want to thank Dan Van Ampting, the owner of Nocoastesurfer.com and a competitive wakesurfer, for sending me fins to test. Dan is one of the most knowledgeable people out there for fin advice. He rides similar to me, so it’s been cool to compare notes.
Who is this board for?
This board is for the competitive or serious wakesurfer that wants to progress and learn more tricks. I have learned more tricks and progressed more on this board than any of my previous ones.
If you’re the recreational surfer that only wants to slash and carve, you might find this board a bit dull. However, if you want to learn those 360s consistently, perfect your airs, and add some more tricks to your bag, then this is the board for you. If you’re a competitive surfer that’s looking for a podium spot, this board might be for you as well.
This board can fit a wide range of riders from the aspiring intermediate, to top level professional surfers like Trip Allen.
How Does it Compare to other Wakesurf Boards?
The board most resembles the Doomswell Neo, but on a whole new level. It’s faster, lighter, more responsive, and predictable than the Neo. If you like the Neo, then you’ll love this.
It’s much quicker and livelier than 2020 Jet Pilot Dylan Ayala 4’7”. The Ayala is much wider and thicker.
I had a Chaos Team pro 4’8”, and while it was a great board, it didn’t fit my riding style because it had too narrow of a nose and less volume. The Chaos was a bit more nimble due to the shape, but not nearly as fast down the line for me. I frequently pearled this board and had to ride a much narrower stance than I wanted on it. There wasn’t enough volume underfoot for me, with the Pure, I can put more weight on my front foot and not worry about nose diving or plowing.
The Tripp compared to the Phase 5 Phantom is pretty drastic. The Phantom is a different animal with a unique construction process which makes it faster and lighter. I didn’t spin the Phantom well and it didn’t jive with my style. It also pearled frequently on me too. The Phantom had a very stiff feel which I didn’t like as well. If you’re a slash and burn type rider you’ll love the Phantom.
Final Thoughts about the Pure Tripp
This board rips! In all the years I’ve been wakesurfing this is the first board that truly fits both my riding style and my size. This board feels more like an extension of the body rather than a board I’m riding. The first time I rode this board I was instantly comfortable and it fit like a well worn baseball glove. There was no learning curve on this board, it does exactly what I want it to do, the only limitation is my skill.
If you’re thinking about getting a quality handmade board, do it now before prices go up, and wait times get longer! Buy it here.
