Tasilee said..
Hi billekrub and thanks for the comments on your older JL Striker 8'11". I hate the hand hold in the older one I rode yesterday - and I'm assuming the newer models have a better one! Carrying them in a little wind can be dangerous as they can easily twist out of your fingers. On the beach, little problem, but on hard ground or placing the board on the roof of your car - a problem.

I'd LOVE to see more boards use the Sunova (liftsup) handles - they are BY FAR the best I have seen. If you are carrying your board for 1km or more - it makes a HUGE difference. And by the way - the Smiks use the old JL design hand hold! That was one reason I finally dismissed it as not serious. Yes, they (and the JLs) are light, but when walking into a breeze for a kilometre or more, believe me, a good hand hold makes life a lot easier.