Chinese Import Classic 9'2 review: an unbranded fun board with steady use
Updated 2026-09-19
| Length | 9'2" |
|---|---|
| Fin config | Thruster |
| Wave range | 1 to 3 ft |
The Chinese Import Classic is a 9'2 thruster fun board, another unbranded, mass-produced board from the same import line as its 8'6 sibling, before it moved on.
What it is and why I bought it
I bought this Classic stock in February 2013, a board with a medium rocker, hard rails and a flat bottom, run as a standard thruster, finished in white with a wood-look panel. Like its shorter sibling, it carries no shaper's name or pedigree beyond its generic import description, bought as a simple, cheap fun board rather than a performance shape.
It came in a white with wood colourway.
How it surfed
Steady if unremarkable use is what earned this board its own page here; no top speed or best wave is on record for it. The logged wave range is 1 to 3 ft, ideal at 2 ft, keeping it in small, soft-wave territory, in line with its longer length and generic fun-board build.
Who it suits and who it does not
An unbranded, longer thruster like this suits someone who wants an easy-paddling, cheap board for the smallest, softest days, without needing shaping detail or resale value to matter. It is not built for anyone chasing performance or turning; a fun board like this is about paddle ease and simplicity above all else.
What happened to it
It sold on 1 October 2014 for $400, against a $645 purchase cost.
Questions people ask
How does this board compare to the 8'6 Chinese Import Classic?
Both come from the same unbranded import line and share a similar flat, hard-railed build; this one is longer at 9'2 and saw less use than the shorter board.
Why is there so little data logged for this board?
Older, unbranded boards like this were not always tracked to the same detail as later, more deliberate purchases; sessions and sale figures were still kept even without speed or wave-length numbers.
What conditions suited this board?
The logged range is 1 to 3 ft with 2 ft as the ideal, small, soft-wave, fun-board territory.
For the full spec sheet, see the sold boards list. For the shorter sibling in the log, see the Chinese Import Classic 8'6. For whether cheap surfboards are worth it, see cheap surfboards.