JS Monsta REAL Review

Trip Forman: Welcome to the REAL Board Loft. I’m Trip Forman. Today we’ve got Brent Reilly with JS here at the shop at REAL on the Outer Banks. Brent, welcome.

Brent Reilly: Yeah, thank you.

Trip Forman: And we’re here to talk about the new JS Monsta. It’s a brand new board. Brent actually, a few minutes ago, called it the pinnacle of JS shortboards right now. We want to jump into this board and find out who it’s for, where it fits in the lineup, and why it’s good enough to carry the Monsta name, because there’s been a lot of history around Monsta.

Brent Reilly: Yeah. The evolution of the Monsta goes back a while. I think originally starting with Bruce Irons back in the original Monsta. It’s had its fair share of releases and model updates and naming, so we’re back to the original Monsta name. Right here we have the two options that we do stock: the squash tail that Trip’s holding and the round tail that I’m holding. You’ll see this board in a lot of the CT events this year, with most of our team riders having a fair amount of Monstas in their stock. This being our high performance shortboard marquee model that we’re now releasing, we’re really excited. This has probably been the biggest update we’ve had to date.

Brent Reilly: Starting off, this is a high performance shortboard. The updates we’ve done for this model have made it slightly more user-friendly for the day-to-day sessions most people are having in that 2 to 4 foot range. What we’ve done is ease up the rocker just a hair on the nose from the past Monsta 10, as well as create a little more width in the nose. That’s going to add some stability in the more gutless parts of the wave you might see in everyday surfing. So this is more of a user-friendly all-arounder than what the Monsta 10 was, which I think will be music to a lot of people’s ears when searching for an everyday shortboard.

Brent Reilly: This one is going to be our marquee shortboard that sits between the Golden Child on the better-end shortboard scale and the Xero Gravity, which is more of a step-down shortboard. It sits right between the two. In the past, for example, I’m on a 5’10” Monsta 10. I would surf this in a 5’9”, liter for liter. So you’re going down an inch. Or coming up from a Gravity—if I’m on a 5’8” Gravity, I’d be on a 5’9” Monsta. Before, I would’ve gone up to a 5’10” Monsta 10. So you’re basically cutting off an inch and condensing everything, getting the same liters with less board length.

Trip Forman: One thing that caught my interest—you’re making it easier to surf, but all your CT guys are stocked with it. Is easier to surf actually more performance, and when is it more performance?

Brent Reilly: You’re still getting that high performance DNA. It has a fair amount of nose rocker and tail rocker, just slightly eased compared to before. CT guys will still be on the Golden Child for punchier days or waves with more size. But for example, we’re filming this around Bells, and I think 80% of our guys will be on the Monsta there. The advantage is it’s ready for critical sections, but if you hit a mushier part of the wave, it handles it better than past Monstas and even the Golden Child. That toned-down rocker helps when the wave face isn’t carrying speed, and the added width in the nose helps make up for that.

Trip Forman: That’s good to know. Watching events like Bells and knowing the JS guys are on Monstas is helpful. What other CT stops do you see this board being used?

Brent Reilly: I could see this being used at just about any CT stop, maybe excluding places like Pipeline where you might see a step-up or a round tail version of this. On smaller days at Pipe, you might see it. But generally, most stops, guys will have a Monsta in their quiver, if not riding it depending on conditions. That more user-friendly outline makes it work better in less perfect waves.

Brent Reilly: Especially if you add in the Easy Rider dimensions, which I actually did for myself. I condensed it even more down to a 5’8” and did Easy Rider. It has the same sort of flip in the nose, but it’s fuller through the board. We have A dimensions as the narrowest and thinnest, B dims a bit wider and fuller, and C is the Easy Rider set. That allows you to cut off another inch and keep the same liter range for your ability.

Trip Forman: Usually Easy Rider makes you think of older guys or beginners who want something easier. But at your level, why go Easy Rider?

Brent Reilly: I do have early onset OLD, but I also like a slightly shorter board because it fits the wave face better for my stature and for more condensed waves. It allows me to fit in the curve of the wave with the same rocker profile. It depends on where you’re surfing too. In the OBX, where waves are punchier, Easy Rider dims can actually suit a lot of people by helping them go shorter and fit the wave better. It also helps with paddle because it’s fuller through the board, with slightly more tapered rails than the B set.

Trip Forman: Let’s talk squash versus round tail—when to choose one and when to switch.

Brent Reilly: The squash tail is what you’ll generally see most CT guys on. The round tail is more for tube-shooting days where you’re looking for barrels, more hold, and maybe slightly bigger waves. The round tail holds the face really nicely. The squash tail has more release off the top. Generally, I’d scale up with a round tail if I’m surfing a foot or two overhead or bigger, while the squash tail is great from knee-high to head-high, maybe a foot overhead.

Trip Forman: Are you riding them the same length in your quiver?

Brent Reilly: Yeah, same length. If I were ordering a step-up, I’d go an inch bigger with a round tail. That gives you about a liter and a half more foam, which helps with paddle for better waves where you want a bit more volume. If it’s the same size wave but rounder, you can keep the same length and just change the tail.

Brent Reilly: There are a lot of ways to mix and match depending on where you’re surfing and your style. I think this is going to be a really good release for us, and I’m excited for the CT surfers to showcase it this year.

Trip Forman: It’s cool to know it’s in their quivers and to track it during events, especially with WSL highlighting shapers and equipment more.

Brent Reilly: Yeah, who knows—by the time this is out, we might have a couple CT wins to point to.

Trip Forman: Let’s talk construction. This is PU poly, right?

Brent Reilly: Yep. PU poly is one of the predominant constructions in a high performance shortboard. We’ll also have Carbotune available starting in May. You’ll see the Monsta available in both tail options in Carbotune.

Trip Forman: And fin setups?

Brent Reilly: The squash tails are all thrusters, and the round tails are all five-fin. The five-fin option lets you run it as a quad for tube-shooting days.

Trip Forman: Awesome. Brent, thank you so much for joining us. This is the new JS Monsta, available at REAL. If you have any questions or want to place an order—stock or custom—you can reach us at the shop at 252-987-6000 or online at realwatersports.com/surfing. Thanks for tuning in.