I have gone through at least five boards, and my Hyperlite Marek Nova has performed the best by far. I originally purchased a new 2009 Hyperlite Marek, and I purchased my 2010 Hyperlite Marek this year after my 2009 Marek cracked. I have not yet ridden the 2011 or 2012 Mareks, but the 2012 is the only one with a different shape.
The Marek is easily the fastest and lightest board I have ever ridden. I've used 132cm boards that are heavier. It is also ridiculously responsive. The board initiates an edge on command, and the step-down rail spanning the full length of the board locks the edge all the way through the wake; not a bobble!
For being so light, the board is surprisingly extremely durable. My first one did crack, but that was only due to the jumping ramp incident (check out my previous blogpost if you don't know what happened; http://wakeboardersworld.blogspot.com/2011/09/2011-collegiate-midwest-wakeboard.html ). In really should have snapped in half as far as I'm concerned. The one that I have now was used multiple times before I bought it, and it's been used multiple times by myself; still snappy and responsive as my old one was until it passed on unexpectedly... RIP.
The abrupt continuous rocker makes surface riding very smooth and the pop off the wake even smoother. The landings on the Marek are also really soft considering the air you can get on it. I'm sure it's got something to do with the diamond-shaped molded landing feature on the bottom of the board.
I did not have the Strata Track Mounting System on my 2009 Marek, but every model since has come standard with it. The system uses sliding mount pieces to give the rider increased flexibility in their binding positioning. However, I have experienced at least one problem with the system. I got a little sand in the track, and I needed to use a screwdriver to pry the sliders out of the position they were in. Not a huge setback, but definitely obnoxious.
I would absolutely recommend the 2009 and 2010 Hyperlite Mareks to any intermediate to advanced riders. I'm sure the 2011 Marek is virtually the exact same. However, it is probably not the best board for beginners. My first Marek definitely had an immediate positive impact on my riding, and I'm sure it couldn't hurt yours.
Places to pick up a Marek of your own:
2011: http://www.amazon.com/Hyperlite-Marek-2011-Nova-Wakeboard/dp/B0047XN42W/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1318472364&sr=8-2-fkmr1
2012: http://www.wakeaction.com/products.php?product=Hyperlite-Marek-Nova-2012
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