It would take alot to kill a B1 from failed role atempts. imo.....
That all depends on your definition of the word "kill" :wink:
Last Jan, derek tried a roll, and threw the ski away. It was big, and the ski only got about 1/4 of a rotation. His hood paid the piper for that one. But his ski was fine with a new hood.
Only the hood where it meets the rubber cracks, and small pieces chip of thats it... not every time dont worry!
The gelcoat on the hood definitely cracks, that's hardly a concern, I agree.
I believe he has reinforced the hood lip and bond line area like a superjet. The hood also has some weak spots that need reinforcing, like the latch area, that will need attention.
After a few months of fiberglass carnage, we started reinforcing like a superjet. I now reinforce the bondline and hoodlip, although I don't reinforce all the way down to the bottom of the hull. Open the hood on a blaster and put some pressure on the hood lip, you'll see that it flexs an AMAZING amount.
It's tough to see in the picture, but there is more glass under the hood lip. There is no need for reinforcing past where the hood curves in towards the seat, that area is solid.
Reinforcing hood is basically a must. Especially when learning. The key area is around the edges of the hood. It's Super week, and will probably be the first thing to break. Save yourself the trouble and just lay a few strips of glass around the edges of the hood.
Another very useful technique to keeping your hood in one piece (and water out) is to adjust your hood latch so it's very tight. Most people have it just tight enough to clip down and keep the hood down....but when upside down, it pulls away from the hood seal a lot more than you'd realize. This ends up applying excessive force when it "bangs" back down.
All in all....your not going to junk your blaster trying any rolls faster than you would a superjet trying to learn rolls. An un-reinforced superjet will break faster than an un-reinforced blaster, without a doubt.
Oh, and about flip attempts.....just be prepared to junk your hood. The hood takes a serious beating when you land on your head.
Get out there and try getting upside down. It's good times, and once you figure it out, you'll never want to do anything else.
