LOCO INCA 9’6 WOOD EDITION TEST REVIEW
LOCO
INCA 9’6 WOOD EDITION
TEST REVIEW
Verdict
The wood edition Inca is a beautiful performance noserider longboard with big progression potential that means you will want to hold onto this one for a very long time. This board is easy to live away from the surf but the focus really is on waveriding performance be that walking up to the nose or surfing it aggressively off of the tail. This 115 litre version starts working when waves appear but the thinned out rails make it really dance when the surf does turn on.
Overview
With its Paulownia wood veneer, this Inca is one of the most visually appealing boards you’ll see outside of a boutique balsa shaping shed. The two-tone ¾ diamond cut deck pad is unobtrusive and compliments the aesthetic. Underneath, a ‘spoon’ concave helps flatten the nose rocker and jet water under the board for fast, flowing nose rides. The concave forms into a vee toward the fins, where the rails also sharpen up and thin right out before culminating in a narrow, performance diamond tail.
Brand Claim
Now in its fourth season our nose riding longboard SUP aka ‘the Inca’ continues to attract lots of attention from riders of all abilities. Perfect for beginners looking for a versatile shape with unrivalled glide and ease of use in the bigger sizes, whether you’re paddling on flat water, graduating to waves the Inca does it all. For more seasoned paddle surfers who err towards more or a longboard style of wave riding the Inca really comes into its own. Butter smooth carving comes from its pinched rails and performance diamond tail which is complimented by a big spoon nose allowing riders to hang ten effortlessly.
Performance
This narrower, lower volume 9’6 Inca is new for 2019, answering the call for a true longboard experience. This one is a surfer’s board, but the distribution of its slight 115 litres through its form is expertly done and the balance on water is spot on. The deck is slightly domed as the rails thin out so don’t expect zombie-stability like on a regular voluminous 9’6, but the pay-off is in the surf. The Inca paddles straight and rolls into waves beautifully giving you time to set up your ride, and it sits so well into the bottom turn, delivering speed where you need it, ready for you to skip to the nose or launch an attack at the lip. Redirects are fast and light, it cuts through bump rather than clattering over it, never feels too fast or stiff and really feels just like you’re surfing a prone performance longboard. I would urge any paddler looking for a more performance oriented board to check out the Inca before trying another chopped down stubby shape. It has a flow and feel that is quite rare.