Author: PSR
Date: 12-26-04 18:06
Bluto, I really ought to let JG, Shaggy or Micheal put in a word on this first... But, long story short, Madds was a premier board back in '96, taking the whole carving/race scene totally by suprise by making a board that [Gasp] didn't quit carving when it was on ice, had a carbon top sheet, a base that was almost impervious to wear or small rocks, and sported a forward placed camber/sidecut that just draws a rider into carves with an effortlessness that's unreal.
Unfortunately, several bad things happened pretty much all at once, the big/bad thing being that the factory in Italy got creamed by a flood of nearly biblical proportions. However, the boards were So Good that the riders who had them kept asking when {not 'If",but WHEN!?} Madds could regroup and put boards back into production. It's taken years, and the process is ongoing still. Little items like the original press cassettes had to be found, materials had to sourced out , and then Craftsmen who could put the boards together 'just so' had to be brought back to the company.
What you're reading about here is the rebirth of the boards and the company. It's going to take a bit of time yet to sort out production, and the way Madds is selling boards is by word-of-mouth, through local Reps, so they aren't likely to be in shops anytime soon, if ever. But, being Small isn't a bad thing here. It's very much like buying a Lotus or TVR race-ready road car. You put in an order, and the factory gets you your ride when it can. The boards are often being hand-tuned by some of the best Tuners in the New England area, but only on request at the time they're purchased.
The cool thing is that they're back! The better thing is that they're as remarkable as they were 8 years ago. As for being compared with Donek or Prior, well, Madds dosen't have production numbers even close to that high. Coiler, that's closer to the idea. All of these companies have been making high quality boards, and I've had the pleasure of riding on models from each. However, I still have a Madds 158cm from before the factory flood. It's got a few hundred days on it now, but it's what I use to chase my better race students when they're on their Doneks,Priors,and Coilers, and I rarely am Behind them. Also, it's one of those boards I won't sell, which puts it up there with my '80 Backhill, my '94 CK, and my Tanker Crown.
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