“Wait what? What happened to Photo Annual and Rider of the Year?!?!”

Not to worry, dear e-reader, we’ve got it under control. The Gear Guide switched places with Photo Annual because we like mixing things up. And because it made sense to have the Gear Guide hit stands before the holiday season and the New Year, while it also makes sense to have the Photo Annual come out in January as a true recap of 2016. So without further ado here’s what’s cracking in our latest (and greatest) Gear Guide.

Trever Maur and Josh Twelker doubling down on the Dirty Delta // photo: Rodrigo

Trever Maur and Josh Twelker doubling down on the Dirty Delta // photo: Rodrigo

First off, take a look at that cover. We know what you’re thinking, and yes it’s real. Josh and Trever have been having fun riding doubles together since they were groms, but this summer they took it another level. The guys are riding so close together that Josh’s board would regularly clip Trever’s line when he tweaked his method.

gg_boat_test_760x430This year’s Gear Guide brings back the famed Alliance Board Test, but in a better way. We’ve separated the tests into Boat and Park boards specifically, which only provides you with a more clear and concise way to get the down and dirty info you’re looking for on how a board rides. The Boat Board Test features one board from each brand that were tested by Keenan Allen, Nicola Butler and Gus Schuler. As the Board Test has always been opinions are raw and the information is real; you’re definitely gonna want to check it out.

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The Park Board Test took place at Valdosta Wake Compound, just north of the Florida border. We rounded up Keenan Allen, Austin Pratt, and Gus Schuler to shred for a day on a bunch of the industry’s best park boards and the results were, well, varied and interesting. Let’s just say a couple boards rose to the top quickly while a couple others did the opposite. If you’re big into park riding, be sure to check this part of the Gear Guide out and get some honest opinions from real riders about a variety of boards.

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For the first time ever we decided to test wakesurf boards. This part of wake has obviously grown substantially over the last few years, but buying a board can be both confusing and expensive. We figured it was time to help you understand more about what different boards do on a boat wave and what you might want to look for in your next purchase. Our resident surf guru Steve Reiley put a bunch of rippers through their paces behind a new Malibu M235 and had a field day of endless wave shredding.

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Of course, the Gear Guide is stuffed with all sorts of gear to check out, as well. From wakeboards, to bindings, to wakeskates, wakesurfers, vests, wetsuits, action cameras, boats, and more, this issue has it all in spades. 2017 is shaping up to be an awesome year for new product across the board (no pun intended) and the Gear Guide is a great way to get you started on what’s out there, while also getting you hyped for being back out on the water once it’s warm enough (unless you’re in Florida, where it’s still around 80 degrees and you don’t even need a wetsuit to ride).

Yep, it's pretty cool, eh? // photo: Rodrigo

Yep, it’s pretty cool, eh? // photo: Rodrigo