Chinese Import Classic 8'6 review: an unbranded fun board that earned its keep
Updated 2026-09-19
| Length | 8'6" |
|---|---|
| Fin config | Thruster |
| Wave range | 2 to 4 ft |
The Chinese Import Classic is an 8'6 thruster fun board, an unbranded, mass-produced board that still saw more use than plenty of boards from well-known shapers in the same register.
What it is and why I bought it
I bought this Classic stock in January 2013, a board with a medium rocker, hard rails and a flat bottom, run as a standard thruster, finished in yellow. It carries none of the shaping detail or maker's pedigree of a custom or brand-name board, and the register does not log a maker beyond the generic import description.
It came in a yellow colourway.
How it surfed
How often it was reached for says more about this board than any single standout session, since no top speed or best wave is on record for it. The logged wave range is 2 to 4 ft, ideal at 3 ft, ordinary small-to-medium fun-board conditions.
Who it suits and who it does not
A generic, unbranded thruster like this suits someone who wants a cheap, no-frills fun board for everyday small surf, without needing shaping pedigree or resale value to matter. It is not the board for anyone chasing performance or a specific, dialled-in feel; its value was in being simple, available and used often rather than refined.
What happened to it
It sold on 1 September 2014 for $350, against a $395 purchase cost, close to a break-even result.
Questions people ask
Why doesn't this board have speed or wave-length data logged?
Not every board in the register was measured to that level of detail, particularly older, unbranded boards bought before speed tracking became part of the routine; sessions and sale details were still kept.
How did an unbranded board earn a place in the rotation?
Cost and simplicity. A cheap, no-frills fun board like this gets reached for often precisely because there is little to think about or protect.
What conditions suited this board?
The logged range is 2 to 4 ft with 3 ft as the ideal, ordinary small-to-medium fun-board surf.
For the full spec sheet, see the sold boards list. For the other unbranded import in the log, see the Chinese Import Classic 9'2. For whether cheap boards are worth it, see cheap surfboards.