Connelly Blaze Wakeboard Review
Whether you are a beginner, an intermediate or advanced user, there is an appropriate Connelly Blaze Wakeboard for you. However, here, we are going to look at the Blaze wakeboard that measures 141cm long.
This board is targeted at beginner and intermediate level wakeboarders and it is designed for boat wakeboarding. This wakeboard is also available as a package – Connelly Blaze 141cm wakeboard with optima bindings.
When selecting your first wakeboard, you want one that can give you the bare-basics of wakeboarding. However, you do not want to outgrow it too fast, at least not until you have mastered a few tricks. If this is what you are looking for, your search stops with the Connelly Blaze Wakeboard. It will take you through the novice level and intermediate level. It is neither short nor too long. Remember, beginner boards are usually short and rounded.
This Connelly Blaze 141 wakeboard is considered a long board that you can use for a long time. When you need a board that’s perhaps 150 or 154cm long, you will have learned everything about wakeboarding on the Connelly Blaze board. You will be a pro.
Specifications and Features
- Subtle three-stage rocker
- V-Tech Tip and Tail
- Full Spine hull
- System 80 Core
- Nexus shell (with UV protection) base
- Molded-in fins, 2 bolted skater Fins
- Length – 141CM
- Width – 42.9CM
- Weight rating – 140 lbs
Predictable, consistent and gives better landings
The Connelly Blaze wakeboard is made of System 80 light density foam material contained in a Nexus-laminated shell for durability and UV resistance. Today, closed cell foam is used for all types of wakeboards, including premium ones for professionals. Closed cell foam is rigid, so there’s no flex to the Blaze wakeboard at all.
The biggest benefit of foam wakeboards is their consistency and predictability. You’ll always know how the board will handle on top of a wave, when coming out of the wake, when jumping from one wake to another and so on. Since the Connelly Blaze wakeboard is stiff on the core and edges, it will behave the same way all the time in the wake. This makes it so good for beginners and intermediates because it shortens the learning curve.
If you love big air, go for the Connelly Blaze 141 wakeboard. This wakeboard has quite the pop. For a beginner, it gives you a real taste of the kind of experience you will enjoy when you get a board with flex and aggressive three-stage rocker.
The vertical pop from this Blaze wakeboard is good, but the landings are very forgiving. Because of the rigid design of the board and its almost flat hull, it dissipates water properly. This is how you get soft landings.
This Connelly Blaze wakeboard also comes with a subtle three-stage rocker line. It is a three-stage rocker line, but where most three-stage rockers have an aggressive upward shift in the tip and tail, this one is so gentle.
Jarring landings happen when the board does not disperse water properly when it lands. Therefore, the water creates more resistance, and the board does not absorb all of the impact. Some must get to the legs. Because of the gentle three-stage rocker, the Connelly Blaze 141 wakeboard disperses water properly for a soft landing.
Faster ride
People ask: What is the most efficient hull shape? If this question has been ringing in your mind, the Connelly Blaze wakeboard is the answer. It comes in a full spine hull design. This creates a planing effect on the water.
The Blaze wakeboard is designed to glide smoothly on the water and since it is used for board wake, this board is able to displace water for faster movement. You can build up speed on this board with minimum resistance from the wake.
The Connelly Blaze 141 CM wakeboard has another big benefit – that of size. At 141 CM long, you will be able to build speed easily. Short boards plow the water, so they face more resistance. However, longer boards move faster because they have a bigger surface area sitting on the water.
Even when the boat moves faster, say at 20MPH, which is the best speed for creating a clean wake, this Connelly Blaze wakeboard will keep up with it. Cleaner wakes are best for novices to learn tricks such as flips, crossing the wake, surface 180, tail grab and others.
Your wish is Blaze’s command
As a beginner to intermediate skill board, the Connelly Blaze 141 wakeboard gives you ultimate control over speed, pops and other factors. It is simply one of the most accommodative wakeboards for all riding skill levels.
Point the board in the direction that you want it to go and it will obey. It is light in weight at 20 lbs only, and it does not plow the water.
A smooth edge rail helps to make carving easier. To be able to master the carve “trick,” you should be able to edge hard and fast. You should also be able to shift from heelside to toeside edge, angling towards the wake, leaning to the water in fast motion and using the tension of the rope to stabilize you. This will take some time to master, but the smooth edge rail of the Connelly Blaze helps a bit. This board is stiff, so it responds accordingly to heelside and toeside edging. If you make any errors, the board’s design helps to correct many of them.
Connelly has created shallow channels on the board to make takeoff easier because the board does not generate friction. This Blaze wakeboard also comes with molded fins plus two bolt-on skater fins made of plastic, which are removable. Because of its almost-flat design, this board can take off so fast. That’s why it has the molded-in fins at the edges to create the right amount of drag. You can also bolt on two, single-screw 1.9-inch center fins to enhance the boards tracking.
The fins dig in to help the Connelly Blaze wakeboard hold its direction and to prevent it from spinning wildly on the water. These fins will create drag, which can enhance stability but at the same time, they will not hinder the board from building speed when you want to have fun. They’ll also not hinder the board from doing different tricks.
Pros
- Smooth edge rail helps the board responds fast to heelside or toeside edge
- Good-sized fins to enhance tracking and stability for novice wakeboarders
- Experience high pops and smooth landings
- The price is good
- With practice, you can do tricks such as surface 180, surface 360 and butterslides on the board
Cons
- It is not flexible so it might not be very good on rails
- After learning how to wakeboard, you might want to upgrade to a flex board
Connelly Blaze Wakeboard
The Verdict
This Connelly Blaze wakeboard is affordable and simplistic by design. However, the manufacturer has managed to pack in some features that you would mostly find in higher-priced boards. The main benefit of choosing this beginner to intermediate board is its responsiveness. Because of the stiff, closed-cell foam board, the board obeys heelside or toeside edging promptly. The winning feature is the subtle three-stage rocker that enables you to enjoy all the benefits of a continuous rocker or an aggressive rocker line.
