When you purchase gear through links on our site, we may earn a small commission. Here’s why you can trust our tests and our affiliate partner.
The Ace is the do-it-all freestyle board in the Cabrinha range sitting between the XCaliber and the Tronic. If you want to be hitting sliders then this isn’t the board for you, but if you want to be nailing all of your top-end freestyle/wakestyle moves and riding in a range of ‘real world’ conditions then it’s aimed at you… For us it is the most versatile board in the range and you may have noticed Nick Jacobsen’s antics? Well, this is what he rides.
The 2016 Ace has a super-fast rocker line and a quad concave through to quad V bottom shape on a lightweight construction. On the water and you appreciate this immediately as it gives the Ace a fast, responsive and stable feel. It also sucks up chop so – for testing in pretty bumpy and choppy conditions – it was a real pleasure.
The Ace has more flex than you might expect (it uses the Basalt fiber which is stiff but more comfortable than carbon, and arguably more responsive) and if you put it next to the entry level Spectrum then it has similar flex to this. It is interesting and is testament to the subtleties of the construction that this really doesn’t affect the performance – it trucks upwind nicely and there is plenty of pop and (again a plus for Mr Jacobsen) landings are smooth and highly predictable. The parabolic rails also work to give you plenty of stiffness between your feet and the Ace works in all conditions, and maintains a slashy, skatey and pleasantly loose feel.
This really is a twin tip that pretty much any freestyler could hop on and have a whole lot of fun with but, unlike some other boards aimed at this part of the market, the Ace isn’t going to hold you back at all and really ticks the ‘performance’ and ‘versatile’ boxes.
