We Tested Julian Wilson's Go-To Surfboard | JS Air 17x (HYFI) Joyride

At both the 2018 and 2019 Championship Tour events at Kelly Slater's Wavepool, Julian Wilson rode a stock JS Air 17x (in HYFI construction) to near-victory. We decided to test this board for ourselves in the latest edition of the Joyride.
Watch the video above, and if you're eager for more info and dissection, read our complete review here: stabmag.com/ha...
Tester: Michael Ciaramella (@unholypotato)
Stats: 5'5 x 140 lbs (63 kg)
Board: JS Air 17x (in HYFI construction)
Dims: 5'6 x 18.25 x 2.15 x 22.5L
Fins: Futures' AM1 Honeycomb and JJF Techflex (both Medium)
Video: Ben Judkins (@cliphoarder)
Music: Thes One (@piecelock70) "Be Strong" and "Back from the Dead"
Art: Mike Mailman and Shinya Dalby

[@wesleychapman9001]

6:16 was madness

[@xWaxxy]

haha, quite catlike indeed!

[@JSharp-gu7lv]

Right?! Can’t wait to see the footage from when he finally finds a magic board!

[@mikeywatson1096]

5:02 sprayed tf out of that dude hahahaha

[@bodhitree33]

Yes! Had been waiting for a joyride air17x review. ✌

[@bh2861]

I've picked so many boards up thinking they'll go so sick, they end up being the uninspiring ones. The ones I've picked up that felt awkward and iffy, went really well.

[@TheFletchandSebShow]

This must sell a lot of surfboards. Love the switch re-entry.

[@bryanflores3633]

i'm more impressed that his hair stays like that

[@volition5559]

this man is 5 foot five. Short KING

[@chrisculpen9205]

Ripping Mike 💪🏼🤙🏼

[@brycelaffer2580]

This guy rips wtf

[@youngyarnzy777]

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy these edits \m/

[@bonsummers2657]

Julian is blowin up!

[@lucastorres9260]

Yesssss the switch riding !!!

[@jordandisch6865]

I find that epoxy's have a break in period were they feel stiff, but after ~10+ sessions they get looser.

[@Indonesiansurftravel]

Technically speaking that doesn't really make sense, Epoxy resin once cured is cured, and EPS foam also changes very little from new to a few years old etc as it has very good memory.(rebounds back to shape) This is why EPS/Epoxy boards generally keep that lively new feel even years latter (Obviously different if get an open ding and it sucks water) This is very different to a standard PU/PE board that can change in feel over time, because polyester resin never stops curing and polyurethane foam doesn't have very good memory, every time it flexes those little cells get crushed (the extreme example of this is that green poly foam that they use for flower arguments that you can crush) So for a PU/PE board this could be true and it's the reason why PU/PE boards over time can lose that lively feeling.

[@boobtubereborn]

@@Indonesiansurftravel spot on indo. well said. but i ride a lot of epoxy groverllers and do find they feel slightly worn in after a few surfs but retain that liveliness as you say for pretty much the life of the board, its incredible how good epoxy/EPS are nowadays. perhaps the worn in feel has something to do with deck compression and feet lower in waterline so feels kinda worn in as jordan mentions. this stabilises and doesnt get worse as you note in PU it just gets worse and worse. i have found epoxies last me 3-5X longer than PU.

[@tonyallen8626]

@@boobtubereborn it takes a little while to get use to a new board but once you do it will start to feel broken in.

[@boobtubereborn]

@@tonyallen8626 thankyou captain obvious

[@joepaolucci8605]

Good review and a nice session :)

[@tldrttyl]

Sick review, but you are definitely an advanced surfer, not an average joe!

[@dylantran5346]

Please do more joyride videos 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@tetracontrol]

You should try Felipe Toledo's boards in this peak

[@tardigrader88]

Do the tomo hydroshort ⚡

[@antonioaidar9094]

Try the Slater Designs Sci-Fi 2.0

[@jeff488]

try the same board in Poly! Air 17x in Poly is my go to short board in San Diego. The Poly that JS is using to build in Aus is the best material, I think it would go just a bit better for ya.

[@kylewattssurfing3266]

Yes yes yes more yes

[@SterlingSigurdsen]

Hey just wanted to ask since you’re out there in the LA area have you ever tried Zinka sunscreen wax? I know most have not heard of their wax or even Zinka sunscreen, but their wax is some of the best. I feel like I wax once and am good for like months before I have to wax again. It’s so grippy. Also for sunscreen I think since it’s just zinc it’s the best and the price is perfect.

[@mitchcook5252]

bruh this dud e shreds

[@tetracontrol]

Fu Wax... Unbeatable

[@derekjohnlamoya2037]

Braddah can surf!

[@mitchcook5252]

4:50 made me hungry

[@inFAMOUSBeatsGFx]

RIPPIN!!!!!! 🔥

[@mmn910]

great music!

[@despratssoan8758]

Unholly potato find his magic blade to ripp’ !

[@jenbradford3246]

Remember when you sprayed that guy skinnin it?? That was cool

[@danielvelasco8668]

sharp eye storms next

[@stabmagazine]

Already did it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6nLnnxqfJt3g9U

[@Japan_is_back_]

Dude rips

[@JSharp-gu7lv]

A more accurate (and less misleading) title would be “Why did Julian Wilson ride a stock board during a contest that one time?”

[@kevinm5564]

I could care less about an expensive board for little rippers. I'm just here for the waves. We dont get surf like that in FL.

[@brickpig]

dude has a good bottom turn for a back foot surfer.

[@9soccerplayr]

this has absolutely nothing to do with the video but this seems like a place id get some solid feedback. its my second year surfing im pretty good ive been riding a 8" long board and just got a 6 4 sharp eye 2.5. i looked around for a shorter board that still has some volume. howd i do?

[@nicoriot8264]

Please do a Dhd Phoenix review 🌴

[@wavecatcher2360]

Do a joyride on the JS Bullseye HYFI

[@YM-hs9de]

Do the Channel Islands FEVER

[@danielreyers4974]

reckon the futures went better for you

[@stabmagazine]

Yeah, us too...

[@sladestreet6086]

how is his hair always perfect?

[@eyestamihana2114]

You looked like a real DH spraying that dude @ 5.03 mark bro ….unless you knew him and he was your boy of course then fair game…did you know him bro??

[@sessionsinparadise7357]

I have that ability with body boards lol just by holding it can tell if the buggah go lol

[@stephanienassman1849]

Wolf fucking Blitzer

[@rprxy]

Yurr

[@grantsmith444]

where was the second session at

[@whatrulookinatmygusforonin4542]

review the synth sally by panda i bet youd rip it

[@raystellhorn-tavera5543]

Little man

[@nicolaslopezderomana1068]

should try the Air17, not the x version..

[@stabmagazine]

Too risque for you?

[@nicolaslopezderomana1068]

​@@stabmagazine I think that the x version has other dimensions and makes it larger than the normal 17 and they are made of different materials which make them have different performances

[@maximopineiro5860]

what if im 6"3 x 150lbs? what dims should i ride?

[@jeffluebbe5521]

try eating a few sandwiches

[@jeffluebbe5521]

haha, sort of kidding. I have a similar issue and share the struggle. I'm 6'3 175. I'm enjoying 6'1 at 32 liters. But I surf with a lot of neoprene on. It has been really tough finding boards as a tall skinny guy. it won't be easy amigo!

[@maximopineiro5860]

@@jeffluebbe5521 hahaa yeah my metabolism is giving me a hard time gaining weight. I struggle with boards being too wide for my weight . Im coming to the conclusion that you should be paying more attention to the width and not the length. On my last board i followed my shaper who believed that i should ride a 6'0x19 (stock outline) but go much thinner to get to my ideal volume. Turns out, the board still felt wide when going wast in bigger surf and wanted to lay flat, not allowing me to set the rail with control. Im going to try and follow the stock width for my volume and then use whatever lenght that model has, or just lengthen the board a bit. Hope that this helps someone strugling with this

[@mikesagondeez6378]

maximo piñeiro i'm around your specs im 6'2" and fluctuate from 160-170 lbs I use to ride tiny groveler rocket boards for fun but my sweet spot now it back between 5'11" to 6'0"s around 27-28 liters. width n thickness i feel like depend on how you personally surf.

[@jeffluebbe5521]

@@maximopineiro5860 I like that idea about using the width as a base, and working up from there. Let us know how it works out for you!

[@danielsaldana1208]

Your really good ,but chuck that fucking board in the fire pit !

[@soulsurfer3102]

This board need awavs

[@boobtubereborn]

at 2 mins, how to bog your boxes up 101 with MC! wtf you do this? clean your boxes, dont make them worse, this is a terrible idea. love your vids and your surfing but duuuuuude. Don't try this at home kids.

[@trevsanders5850]

I have a 3 year old, no time to surf, a fat gut and an angry wife. This is not the board for me.

[@DGT73]

Doesn’t sound counter intuitive, wax is a lubricant

[@stabmagazine]

But also sticky!

[@popo-lr8gm]

maybe you didnt give it enough time, sometimes you can get used to a board and it ends up being magic. P.S Stab is gay

[@YM-hs9de]

Do the Channel Islands FEVER

[@antpoop2404]

it waterlogs super quick. had 3 of em :( lol