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Background:
I'm a 39 year old advanced wakeboarder and I am on my 27th season wake boarding. I tore my ACL and had it repaired in Sept. I've had the ONE for a few months, but only been able to put it through its paces recently (full line and speed). I like fast boards. The older I get, the faster I like my boards. The last time I rode a three-stage was a Ronix ONE in 2012. Since then I have ridden the William/Bill Shape and then the Happy Hour. I got a few rides on the RXT last year and really liked it, but those are hard to come by and they are not cheap.
Review:
First, this isn't your older-brother's ONE. Everything I didn't like about the early ONE shapes has evolved out. This board has a firm edge all the way around and the late rocker kick has really mellowed out. On previous ONE models I really felt like I had to get on my back foot to get any speed under the board and even then, the most minor hesitation edging bled off speed fast. You had to have a driving consistent edge or the board just didn't work well.
The 2020 Timebomb is fast. It moves across the water as fast as any continuous board I have been on. It is light too. I have the Timebomb with the Carberex ONE boots (totally worth the extra $100, but that is another review). My buddy has the lightest set-up on the market: RXT board and boots. His board is lighter, but by a lot less than I would ever have imagined. Performance wise, it does the job and doesn't make a fuss. I made no adjustments to my riding. I hopped on the board and went to work. In my opinion, the right board for you shouldn't take much if any getting used to. I did switch out the Asymetrical fins for some Hyperlite P-wing fins, but I have never really been a fan of the fat molded style fins.
The performance stand out on this board happens on the toe side. I've been riding super full tip and tail shapes for a long time. The ONE has a little more taper than the Bill/William/Happy-Hour/RXT and every ride I feel like I am taking advantage of it more and more. The additional taper really allows you do develop a lot of angle at the wake toe side without getting into a weird body position. I am getting better pop with less effort and less tension--That frees me up to do more in the air.
It is a very playful board. The flat belly makes for a very forgiving ride, but the channeling through the tip and tail drives through the wake really well. The center of the board is completely flat, but the landings aren't noticeably hard even in the flats. I could easily ride the 142 or 138, but I went with the 142. The increased size and the mellower 3stage rocker keeps the board gliding even out of bigger landings. As I said earlier, this board is super light. If you have a question on your size, definitely go up.
In conclusion, I've always said that the ONE board is for a certain type of rider. Usually, someone that is more advanced, hits the wake hard and doesn't mind a little more drag if it yields extra pop. The latest ONE revision is a lot easier to ride and I would recommend it to anyone looking for top-end tech, but still wants something friendly to ride. Beginner or Advanced I'd say this board is worth a test ride.
5-9 170lbs
2020 142 ONE Timebomb (23.5" Stance, All the way in)
Carberex ONE Boots
23 MXZ Stock Plus 750 PNP in the back compartments (Wedge 3 or 4 depending on people and mood)
75ft
22.5ish
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Threaded Mode