Verdict

This sleek 22” racer sits at the elite end of the Loco Motion line-up (24” and 26” are also available) but rather than being a highly strung flat-water-only spear, a bit of nose-lift and flat deck come together to make a speedy all-water platform for hacking into fierce headwinds, catching slopey swells and battling across racing tidal estuaries. This is a race board for paddlers that want to push the conditions limits as well as their own physical ones.

Overview

If you’ve yet to see a Loco board in the wild, they’re even brighter than they look in photos. Loco have had a strong, cohesive theme running through their range for a few years now and it looks great on the 14’0 Loco Motion. Neon lines contrast with the grey hexcel effect on deck, with the comfy segmented deck pad covering about ¾ of the real-estate. There’s no sunken cockpit and straps to be found, instead the flat, sleek deck has a recessed handle and the 7” sidewalls are relatively uniform throughout the length. Underneath the brushed paint reveals the carbon construction though these boards are also available in bamboo sandwich construction to suit

Brand Claim

Building on the performance of last year’s Motion, We’ve listened to peoples’ feedback and made a couple of very subtle changes to volume distribution however the main thing we’ve spent time on is optimising the constructions so the 2020 Loco 14′ Motion Race Board SUP range is even lighter than last year’s which raised many an eyebrow at the demo days we attended. The stand out graphics will remain unchanged for 2020.

The board only comes in 14′ with a choice of widths at 22 / 24 / 26 and we’re offering it in bamboo sandwich and brushed carbon to cater for all budgets. The Motion certainly stands out on the water and combines the best of elements of glide, acceleration and stability without being excessively wide! Even heavier guys looking for a touring option will be amazed at how planted the 26″ feels, some might mistake it for a 30″!

Performance

Our first introduction to the Loco Motion was on the 24” and 26” and despite being the other side of 85kg, your tester soon felt he would be right at home on the 22”, for these boards promote stability you’d expect from something 2” wider.

And so the 22” arrived which is obviously the most challenging and aimed at adept riders up to 85kg and we were pleased to feel this floaty board give impressive, predictable stability. It’s a lot of fun to paddle in rough water and stronger winds, the wide tail is just great for snappy step-back turns and gives a very parallel outline. With the skinny width, this allows for a very natural line for the paddle to follow and straight tracking for this board.

If I was planning ultra distances or paddling where remote exposure would be an issue, I’d head for the 24” but for racing, training, and two-hour hammer down sessions the 22” Loco Motion is a real grin expander.

www.locosurfing.com

Vital Stats

Price: RRP £1399

Length: 14’0

Width:  22”

Thickness: 7”

Volume: 265L

Weight: 8.9kg

Fin: US centre