I rode the new 2010 RRD Placebo today and loved it!

The boards look great. The styling is nice and clean and the see through deck shows the wood core. It's not too heavy or too light and setup couldn't be easier. The foot pads and straps do no require any tools. I also like the fact that the screws for the foot straps cannot back out. (That happens all the time on my underground.).

Conditions:
- Steady wind in the 20-24mph range
- Ocean Surf and flat water riding at an Inlet with tidal current opposing the wind at ~4kts
- rider weight - 235lbs
- kite - 2009 Waroo, 13M with 25m lines

The first thing I noticed is this board likes to grab and edge and hold it. No sliding around while going from zero to planing speed. It just hooks up and goes. I was fully powered and zooming on the flatwater. After a few passes on the flats I headed out to the surf, which was in the 2-3 foot range and sloppy. On the way to the surf there were some cross currents making for some oddball chop. The Placebo just sliced through it and charged the incoming swell. Out past the breakers in the rolling 3 foot chop the board just kept going and when making small jumps over the chop, the board immediately hooks up an edge on the landing. This board instantly makes you feel confident in any condition.

It has great flex and pop for boosting big air. The foot straps are very comfortable and easy to adjust.
I may sell my underground lightwind board and replace it with an RRD Placebo. These boards are solid and a very good value!

** note: I am not an employee of OceanExtremeSports.com and I was not compensated for this review.