BIC 9’2″ PERFORMER TEST REVIEW
BIC 9’2″ PERFORMER TEST REVIEW
Verdict:
The new Bic 9’2 Performer has a very broad appeal; it surfs better than most riders would require it to, being smooth and forgiving but chuck-around-able too. It’s chunky enough to work as a compact all rounder for all but the heaviest riders and comes in an ultra durable great value construction. Surely a board you’ll soon see at a beach near you.
Overview:
Bic are well known globally but have been a bit quiet in the UK. They’ve been producing boards in their virtually-indestructible but light Acetec construction for over 25 years (windsurfers and surfboards) and did have the lion’s share of the global market. This year they’ve expanded on their Performer range with this mass-appealing 9’2. This tough board has a 3 part deck pad, thruster and quad FCS fin boxes (alloy centre box), plus two cargo inserts and single leash point. A small paddle guard seam runs around the rail so you’ll never need to rail tape it.
Brand Claim:
For novice riders under 150lbs, the 9’2 is a stable flat-water cruiser that’s compact and lightweight, making it a breeze to transport and store. For intermediate riders up to 180lbs it’s the perfect surf SUP when you’re ready to move to a shorter more maneuverable board. For larger riders the 9’2 will take your surfing to new levels.
Performance:
This board fits the mass-market brief well: it’s super stable for a board of this length due to its width with more glide than you’d expect. Underneath, the slight convex nose runs to a concave and then into a double concave to vee in the tail, a bit sounds complex but it’s a proven design. The quad fins are set right on the rails (bang on trend) into solid FCS boxes. Surfing, it’s very secure and steady in the tri fin mode and a bit more aggressive in the quad set up. The board can judder as you drop over the back of a steep wave (not unusual on bigger boards), it’s smooth and steady, not radical and lets you get away with a few errors and keeps it’s pace along the wave, an ideal first time wave SUP. The rails are pretty thin for a board of this size and have no problem holding in even on a chunky choppier wave. The nose rocker is fairly low for all round use, but doesn’t seem to catch on the wave, even when re-entering back in to the wave. The 9’2 has a comfortable deck pad, you can even tell where you are on the board as there are small gaps between sections. The handle is wide and comfortable with an inner ledge; you’d be able to carry it with gloves on too. So who is this board for? It’s not a high performance board (Bic have a C-Tec wave pro range too), however it’ll surf better than most buyers would expect at this price point. If you’re after a durable board which you’ll be unlikely to ever have to repair but want more performance than an iSUP, this could well be for you. A compact all-rounder for light riders, super easy first time wave board for medium size people or a tough heavyweight wave board