Tkb Review: 2022 Flysurfer Trip

Sizes Available: 137×41.5, 142x43cm
Sizes Tested: 137×41.5cm

Flysurfer Says:

The TRIP is functional, versatile, and durable. The new era PU splitboard construction provides the ultimate crossover performance. Featuring an asymmetrical outline and progressive concave to underline its playful feeling while ensuring excellent response and control. An unmatched package that saves you costs on the way to your dream destination!

Visit for more info: www.flysurfer.com/project/trip/

TKB Says:

Flysurfer’s Trip splitboard is guaranteed to change any preconceptions about the limits of a two-piece travel board once assembled and charging in the water. Light to the feel and super versatile under foot, this traveler packs up tight and exploded our expectations on everything from carving to jumping and straight line chop mowing.

Design and Features
The Trip splitboard comes in two halves with a screwless assembly that easily packs into a suitcase for super convenient travel. The connection system uses an s-style adapter in the middle that adds strength to the split design and utilizes sliding levers to lock the board’s tongue and groove connection points together. It’s worth noting that the board labels its heel and toeside edges to ensure that you line up the s-style adapter correctly with the concavity that is built into the board. The Trip features the Firefin system’s 50mm fins that allows you to easily remove the fins from the bottom deck by pinching them at the base which makes for a quick disassembly or swapping fin sizex. The Trip utilizes a unique bottom shape that increases the concavity into the center where the board’s carefully designed split connection system allows the concavity to continue the length of the board, transitioning into solid channeling at the tips. The center section features a continuous rocker with some extra kick in the tips as well as two insert options to adjust your stance width. Additionally, the board comes with a nicely padded handle in the center that won’t scrape you up if you get hauled over your board.

Impressions
Our first impression of the Trip was how light weight this travel board felt in our hands standing on the beach. The second thing we noted is how it was almost impossible to notice that we were riding a splitboard. In many respects, Flysurfer has done an excellent job of camouflaging a travel board as an all around freeride board that will appeal to both beginners and intermediate kiters.

The Trip has a really good feeling that gives you a solid traction on the water that is neither too grippy nor too skatey, landing comfortably somewhere right in the middle. The Trip locks into an easy upwind edge and the kick in the tips deflects any tip spray and cuts through the chop with ease while feeling really solid. We kept asking ourselves if we could sense the two-part seam in the middle of the board, but the Trip does an excellent job of making the rocker flex feel uniformly intuitive during average freeriding. If you ride the Trip super powered up and push the board to the limit, yes you can feel the difference from a conventional high performance board.

Carving on the Trip is super fun with the tip’s extra kick and channel it feels nimble as you lean into hard carves and the Firefins and rail make the board feel steady and intuitive through the entire carve. The Trip has asymmetrical tip corners, so if you compare your heelside to your toeside, you will find the toeside tip corner is a bit smoother.

When it came to jumping, the Trip is easy to control on load and pop with easy release that generates solid airs. The Trip doesn’t have a super aggressive flex, so the load and pop is ideal for progressing/intermediate riders that want easy to control middle of the road pop that is user-friendly and easy to manage. Because the Trip’s construction is mindful of extra weight, it feels really good on your feet during launches with a lighter feel that helps with rotations and keeps the board easily glued to your feet. With its moderate flex, the Trip handles landings decently with no signs of weaknesses from its spits construction.

Overall, the Trip has succeeded in combining the upsides of a splitboard construction while minimizing the awkward downsides that riders might expect. Built for the travel lifestyle, the Trip packs into a square suitcase and rigs extra quick with the simple lever connector and firefin system. With confidence inspiring grip in the water and smooth upwind riding in chop the Trip delivers freeride performance that scores solid points in jumping and carving while offering you a quick and tight packdown for your next getaway adventure.

Pads and Straps
The Trip came with Flysurfer’s premium Squad pad and strap system. The pad system has lots of options for adjusting duck and the pad features mounting tabs for the straps that allow you to move the strap’s placement forward and back over the top of your foot. Since travel is anticipated, Flysurfer has labeled the left and right pad and the assembly is easy and quick. The straps feature a duel adjustment over the top which allowed us to tension the strap’s fit over our toes and the arch of our foot separately.

The foot pads have a nice soft feel with textured EVA that gives your foot good grip. The footbed provides some extra cupping around your heal, with the texture lined up in the different zones to counter your foot’s movement. There’s no toe pump under the front of your foot, but the texture and all-encompassing strap does a good job of locking your foot into place. All in all, the Squad features an intuitive setup that allows for quick installation, easy and thorough tuning and the right amount of padding to keep your feet comfortable on longer sessions.