Mark’s Big Idea
Kiwi Jackson got sick just prior to the showcase, which upset him as much as it did me. Not only is he a fine SUP racer but he has a couple of very interesting boards and he’s a really nice guy who is always fun to be around. Sick though he was, he contributed a great idea.
We have always offered our readers the ability to contribute to the board showcases by filling out a form and uploading photos, but it’s a pretty low-key approach that focuses mostly on people reviewing the boards they already own. We’ve had a lot of good boards reviewed that way, but in many ways it makes sense to develop that further. Mark’s idea, and now mine, is to develop a group of reviewers who can approach designers, shapers and manufacturers offering to review their board. This will be a useful endeavor both for surfboards and for racing, distance, and downwinder boards, but we’re going to launch it with racing boards, followed closely by surf boards.
Who Gets What
The reviewers will have to opportunity to try boards they otherwise might not have access to without purchase. The shapers and manufacturers can expect a thorough, if subjective review, and our readers will get to see more boards tested from more manufacturers. No one has to ship any boards anywhere, and no one has to give anything away except a little time and perhaps some wear and tear on a demo board. Reviewers get credit for their reviews and can have a link to their website if they have one. Other bloggers are welcome to participate, especially since they already have an interest and skill in writing about our sport.
I am developing a set of forms and examples of the kind of information we want to gather. All the reviewers will be working from the same playlist. We’re not going to elicit or publish unabashed praise, and we won’t let anyone trash a manufacturer. We don’t expect people to be unbiased, we assume bias, and so should the readers, but the informati [...]
