Harley Ingleby HIBT Thunderbolt Red 6'0"

Trip Forman: Welcome to the REAL Board Loft. I’m Trip Forman. Today we’ve got REAL team rider Ryan Leopold with us. Ryan, welcome. We are reviewing the Harley Ingleby HIBT 3 + 3 in Thunderbolt Red technology.

So before we get into this, this board is not Thunderbolt Red technology because it has a red little area in the back of the board or because it has red fins. The red technology, or the red lamination as Harley likes to call it, is their most PU, polyester-like feel in the lamination. It’s an all fiberglass lamination. When they’re talking about black lamination, it’s not that the board’s black, it’s that it has carbon and fiberglass in it. So this is an all fiberglass layup on the board. With that said, Ryan, tell us about this board.

Ryan Leopold: That makes a lot of sense actually, because the first time I rode it, I rode it as a quad setup on a bigger day with lots of wind. I was almost like, I don’t even want to ride this thing today because it’s just so windy. Nine times out of ten, an epoxy-style board will have that kind of chatter and get blown out the back very easily. So I didn’t really want to ride it. But then I took it out on the outer bar in big waves with a lot of wind, and it just held so good with the quad. It was barreling too. First impression on the quad—so fast. It just flew through tubes, even in wind, which really surprised me.

Trip Forman: You’re talking quad, right? So let’s jump into what this whole 3 + 3 thing is about. There’s a lot going on. Right now, this board is set up as a twin with Harley’s Power Twin from FCS. This board can also be set up as a quad using the front boxes for the quad front fins and the back ones for the quad trailers. It can also be set up as an asymmetrical, with the twin fin on your toe side and the quads on your heel side. That’s not wave-direction dependent—it’s based on your stance. So you’d have the twin fin on one side depending on whether you’re regular or goofy.

Ryan Leopold: Yeah, and I’ve never really ridden asyms before, so I didn’t know how it would work. There are a lot of rumors out there—people say asyms don’t work backside and all that. I think people are kind of hesitant to enter that realm, and I was the same way. But having it all in one board is pretty crazy. I don’t know all the science behind it, but I’ve been riding a lot of twins, and when I switched from the quad to the asym, it took me so long because I loved it so much. I was blown away. You have all the speed of a twin, but when you go to crank a turn, you’ve got those quads on your heel side, so it just holds through big surf and small surf. It holds through everything. I was so impressed with the asym that I couldn’t even get off it and go back to the twin.

Trip Forman: Once you got locked into that asym mode, we had to pull teeth to get you to switch back to the twin for clips.

Ryan Leopold: Yeah, and the waves have been barreling, so the asym just worked. I didn’t want to switch it up. But the twin felt really sick today too. It’s cool to see how much I liked the asym because there’s a lot of media around asym boards, and a lot of them look extreme. There’s also confusion about whether they’re for certain stances or wave directions. But what’s cool about this board is you can ride it as a traditional twin or quad, and then rearrange the same fins and make it asym.

My first instinct was to go twin because I’ve been riding twins, but the conditions made the quad make more sense at first. Now I’m kind of mad I waited so long to get on the twin because it’s so loose and free. I think I’d really enjoy it in smaller waves. Today I rode it in waist- to stomach-high waves that were super soft, and I was just flowing through sections. This board is a little more volume than I’d normally ride too—32 liters.

Trip Forman: What’s your height and weight?

Ryan Leopold: 5’10”, 160 pounds.

Trip Forman: And you’re riding the 5’10” x 19 3/4” x 2 9/16” at 32 liters. What do you normally ride?

Ryan Leopold: Usually around 28 liters in a poly shortboard, and twins around 30 liters. So this is a step up. But in winter, and as I get older, I don’t feel burdened by extra volume or weight anymore. I’m more cruisy now. It’s changed my whole outlook on surfboards. I’ve been exploring twins and having a lot more fun. I’m less concerned about volume or weight and more about just enjoying the ride.

Trip Forman: Let’s lean into the asym feel. The first time you rode one was in the wave pool, right?

Ryan Leopold: Yeah, in Virginia Beach. It didn’t take much to get used to it, which is great in the pool since every wave counts. I started with the asym setup because I was so intrigued by it. It’s the perfect mix of twin speed and quad hold on your heel side. You can do laybacks and push it harder than a typical twin, or just cruise and do S turns. It’s super versatile.

Trip Forman: Let’s talk about wave range. How small can you ride it, and how big?

Ryan Leopold: For my size, in this 5’10”, you can ride it in really small waves—even knee-high, soft stuff. If it’s super small, maybe go up to a 6’2” or 6’4” for more volume. But this size still works. On the high end, I’d say chest to head-high tubes are prime. You could push it into 6–8 foot, maybe even 10 foot. That’s probably where it maxes out.

Trip Forman: And conditions?

Ryan Leopold: It’s really versatile. If it’s small, throw in the twin. If it’s bigger or more powerful, go asym or quad. I was worried about epoxy feel, but it holds through wind and bigger waves really well.

Trip Forman: Let’s talk durability. You’ve been riding this a lot.

Ryan Leopold: Yeah, it’s been through everything—trips, cold water, wind, getting tossed in and out of the truck. It’s hit me a few times, and usually a PU board would have a big dent or ding, but this thing holds up. It hurts me more than I hurt it. I usually destroy boards pretty fast, but I’ve been riding this for three months in heavy conditions and haven’t wrecked it. That’s pretty crazy.

Trip Forman: The deck still looks insane—barely any impressions.

Ryan Leopold: Yeah, just one little surface scratch from the truck. No real dings.

Trip Forman: Last thing—accessibility. You’re surfing it at a high level, but how beginner-friendly is it?

Ryan Leopold: I think it works for a lot of people. In places like Virginia Beach with weaker waves, it’d be great. If you’re less experienced, just size up a bit. Even for me, I’d go bigger and not worry about it. You can still turn it easily. If you’re my size, you could go 6’4” or 6’6” as a beginner.

Trip Forman: The surprising thing is it looks like a performance fish for small waves, but it handles heavy tubes with total confidence.

Ryan Leopold: Yeah, it’s really sick. I can’t get off it. It’s all I’ve been riding.

Trip Forman: That’s how you are when you find a board you like.

Ryan Leopold: Exactly. When something works, I just stick with it.

Trip Forman: Viewers, this is the Harley Ingleby HIBT 3 + 3 in Thunderbolt Red lamination. If you have any questions or want to order one, reach out to us at the shop or online. Thanks for tuning in.