We test the latest signature model from Ruben Lenten
THIS TEST FIRST APPEARED IN ISSUE #93 IN JUNE, 2018
TEST TEAM NOTES:
A special board design for Ruben himself. What business do the rest of us have riding it?! We found out…
The evident build quality is exceptional and we love that matt wood finish. Lieuwe have partnered up with Sustainable Surf who helped create the world’s first gold level ECOBOARD through choosing wood from a sustainable source, using greener resin and really reducing, reusing and recycling their production waste.
Ruben exclusively rides in boots but this 137 is designed for possible strapped riding.
Overall the outline is quite a generic looking freeride / freestyle combination. It’s quite straight and has a uniform stiffness throughout the whole board. Most of the boards we test now have a stiff central section and then more obviously softer tips. The advantage Ruben has with the Oceana is that it gets going fast and hits top speed almost straight away with very little extra input from the kite needed to hit its natural cruising speed.
There’s loads of grip! This is one of those boards that just drives forward straight away. It’s very grippy and takes a decent amount of effort to switch from your heel-to-toe or to go blind, but the moment you do release it the board automatically switches around and locks back in again. There’s a super nice locked-in and drivey feel, but for straps it feels a bit stiff through the whole board for easy pop on your back foot when powering up and over white water for example. Chris used it for several sessions in boots which makes that side of life easier. Although these boards can be ridden with straps, the Ocean is better suited to the extra purchase you get with boots. The board is very solid and the flex is stiff. Ruben clearly puts his money where his mouth is and ‘rides hard’.
Basically, the Oceana is happiest generating speed and lots of grip in a straight line, so it’s a rocket ship for jumping. Going fast and hitting kickers is awesome, but if you want to make freestyle shapes, most mortal riders will prefer a bit more softness in the tips for more of a reaction when loading it up.
Lieuwe make several boards and the closest to this in their range would be the Say No More wakestyle board. The Oceana is quicker, stiffer and more technical but holds way more speed, grip and drive. The Say No More is far looser and more fluid for freestyle with more feel at the back foot and with a much deeper rocker is better for off-axis landings.
The Len10 Oceana is too hard on the knees for most freeriders, though it has a lot of great qualities, including probably the best light wind performance we’ve seen on test this year. Most people would just like a bit more softness in the tips and then it would become a more approachable board. If you’re a bigger / more powerful rider and like to ride in boots but aren’t so worried about doing lots of unhooked freestyle, you will get a lot out of the Len10.
SUMMARY:
This is a grippy, high-speed machine with enough stiffness so it won’t bottom out whatever Ruben manages to throw at it. That rugged performance makes it too stiff for most people to get along with, but there are riders out there who are going to like the sound of its insanely fast driving speed and grip and it’s actually easier for most people than a highly rockered wakestyle board to ride and jump with. It’s not light… but can stand tall through armageddon.
KW LIKED:
No messing, the Oceana gets straight up to speed and drives forward powerfully, charging towards the next kicker. It’s easy to see that it’s very ‘Ruben’.
KW WOULD CHANGE:
The speed, grip and drive are brilliant assets in a kiteboard and if Lieuwe developed a version that was a similar shape but with more progressive flex in the tips then more people might be finding their way towards it.
LEN10 BALANCE POINTS:
Build quality: 9
Fixtures and fittings: 7
Speed: 8.5
Pop: 8
Drive: 8.5
Flex: 4
Comfort: 4.5
Looseness: 4
Grip: 8.5
Upwind: 9
Slider proof: No
Boots applicable: Yes
Freeriding: 6
Freestyle: 7
Ease-of-use: 6
SIZES: 141 x 41 and 137 x 40cm
LEARN ABOUT LEN10’s BOARD
