my list is more what i think about, hear, and read... especially since i have so little personal experience with boards and riding them
LF
* Its about Options- more gear in more sizes and colors than anyone else (the only thing they lack is waterskis
)
* may seem contradictory to "options", but many of the boards seem to have the same features and concaves. but hey if it aint broke...
* Innovation/ trend setter (shorter/wide boards, shallow long based multi-fin boards, twin tip back when part of wake tech, closed toe, velcro strap boots that are high end... the Vantage)
* Competitive high ranking team
* maybe a bit prideful or bullying especially in light of recent events...but could be just my biased eyes judging from LF being a key player in the kent brands
* BroStock, Lake Powell... but not so much anymore
HYPERLITE
* Shaun Murray
ohh yea. history there and great spokesman and a legend
* Awsome team of riders, also keeping up with the ranks
* Brain Stormers - feel like there are lots of people coming up with stuff adding different flavors. different board sharpers to get ideas from for example. Greg Nelson, Scot Bouchard, etc. and to dive into something like the system binding.
*most comfy foot beds on average throughout history IMO. wernt they first ones to make double thickness footbeds?
BYERLY
* Scott Byerly, the god father. i bought two of my past boards solely because it had his name on it!!!
* Scott Bouchard once again.
* 3 stage rockers... and blended rockers
* Glass technology (more a recent thing)
* Half wakeskate half wakeboard focused... or maybe 100% and 100%
OBRIEN
* Have to agree that they don't get the respect they deserve. kinda fall into LF's shadow i think
* secretly loved every obrien board i rode (not many honestly) better than my own... till i found Slingshot anyway. have to give the new obrien flexers a try if possible to give them a fair chance again.
* Delta Base - speed... or so i hear.
* Dallas Friday - maybe they don't have the most talked about male team of riders, but they do have one of the most talked about female riders of all time
* nearly impossible to find high-end/pro gear IN PERSON.
CWB
* Spines spines and more spines - nearly every board has a belly spine to soften those landings
* the hinge and other tweaks to their boots
* customer support - always hear good things
* FUNNY - the brand, the team, everything about them is humorous... in a good way
* like obrien, also very hard to find, but not as hard
* like obrien, sometimes gets labeled as department store brand but maybe not as much. "Big 5 sporting goods" for example, but of course never carry the high end stuff
* Zane Schwenk
RONIX
* Opposite theory of CWB for soft landing - Smooth featureless center bellies... absolutely no spines. its all about "momentum" and "glide"
* historic team of riders that hold their own in more ways than one - Parks, Danny, and more!
* Herb Obrien and the other obriens
* truly rider owned
* Intuition liners and other great boot features
* aiming to be environmentally friendly (especially in boot construction)
* independent
SLINGSHOT
* FLEXELLENT!!! - the true trend setters of flex and sandwich construction
* Freeride
* Shredtown
* Wood
* USA Materials, USA labor!!
* Bomberproof and good support
* Removeable Liners
* not much in choices, especially boots, untill next year anyway.
* independent
GATOR
* "The Gator"
* doesn't get recognition deserved probably
* Randall the "Vandall" and Ricky G - pre Company Wake and Phallanx that is
* West side riderz ^
JSTAR now JOBE
*wont say much... i know so little
*interested to see what comes in future
* seems to have lots of options and potential to be big player
OTHER BRANDS (Humanoid, Phalanx, etc.)
* many i feel are trying to claim a slice of the sandwich construction trend pie before the established brands pick it up
* add more variety and independent flavor and "stick it to THE MAN" the man= kent watersports
* Great names (Kyle S = humanoid, Ricky G = Phallanx, etc.)
*Phallanx - special note about integrity's factory and pricy
* Sine - special note on unique durable construction and best video advertizement of all time. and first "Hybrid flex board " and truly customizable boards
* Humanoid - special notice in being unique with web page and art and such
* CTRL - Starting off with a great buzz, team, and variety of product and innovation in boot connection and fins. very surprising. first company with a major focus on cable