The Testing
Let me explain how our typical R&D process work. Usually it all starts from some team rider feedback on the actual boards. Starboard team riders are called Dream Team for a reason: there’s no other team featuring so many world champions and world class talents. So, getting constant feedback and suggestions from such an amazing pool of athletes is invaluable.
When a team rider sends their feedback on a board model, the Product Manager Ollie collects the input and starts working together with the shaping team to improve that specific model. They usually produce a few versions of the same board, with the aim of testing these version against one other and against the reference board – the current production board. It is at this point, that the testing comes into play. Boards are shipped to the team riders but also testing by real world paddlers – not just people like Sean, Zane or Iballa – in order to collect feedback from riders with different skills level. So there we are. Ollie, Antoine and I, testing the new Hypernuts prototypes and giving our opinion on this new generation of Tomo-style boards.
