May 8, 2025
O'Brien Intent Vs. Valhalla - Which Board is Best For You?
So you're thinking about treating yourself to a new wakeboard for the 2025 season, but you're not sure which board suits you and your riding style. Two boards that we find are quite popular with both our customers, and our own team are the O'Brien Intent and the O'Brien Valhalla. So let's compare the two.
The Intent
This is Shota Tezuka's Pro Model, so naturally if you're thinking you like his riding style, then you're on the right track. This is one of our highest performance boards that really suits an aggressive rider who likes to take complete control. This has a '3 stage rocker' which essentially makes the board have a huge amount of pop. As you hit the top of the wake, you'll notice the board releases quite aggressively meaning you can really maximise your height on tricks. For riders like Shota, this means he can either boost to the flats or get lots of height for Crow Mobe 7s and 1080s. The Intent is targeted towards a slightly more skilled wakeboarder, however if an aggressive, responsive board is what you like, then this is the board for you!
The Valhalla
This is a board that has been on our line-up for a while. It has had a few improvements over the years which have really helped perfect it, and as a result a very large number of wakeboarders around the world love it. The reason for that is thanks to how easy it is to ride. It's one of the most user-friendly boards we have ever created. The Valhalla has a very reliable personality to it. It will do exactly what you want. Generally it's a little easier to ride for beginners and intermediates as it's more predictable than the Intent.
The Valhalla has a 'progressive' rocker compared to the Intent's '3 stage rocker'. This means it has a little less pop, but is more controllable when hitting the wake. Many of our Pro Team ride it (David O'Caoimh & Filippo Chiarelli to name a few) as they enjoy the board's predictable nature, however it's targeted towards a more recreational rider. Both boards have a Delta Base allowing them to glide through the water with very little resistance, and also allowing for softer landings. That said, due to the nature of the Valhalla's progressive rocker, it has marginally smoother landings. In summary, both boards suit a lot of riders, however if you're someone who enjoys a slightly smoother ride and likes to be playful on the water, then the Valhalla is for you, and if you're someone who likes to push the boundaries of how big you can go, then the Intent is probably best suited to you.
