If you think all boards are created equal, you’ve probably only ridden one board. Board design is as state-of-the-art and complex as kite design. Shapers and manufacturers can control flex and response to completely change the way a board rides. Add the complexities of water flow over a responsive three-dimensional shape, and one can begin to appreciate the work that goes into designing a board. We are happy to report, all of the shapers and designers whose boards participated in this test session do understand design, and all of the products tested are highly refined. But, no, they are not all equal or identical; some are highly specialized, while others strive to be more versatile. Each has been fine-tuned in a variety of ways to highlight precise performance characteristics.
The goal of our test team was to discover the strongest attributes of each design. The SBC Kiteboard testers rode these boards over a three-week period in a variety of wind and water conditions: open ocean, surf, butter-flat slicks, nasty washboard chop, five to 35 knots. It was all part of the test session. Here is what we found.
Head-to-head freeride for the people
Airush Switch 138, Crazy-Fly 132, Jimmy Lewis Model III, Litewave Stealth 130, Naish Sol, RRD 5X, Rogue Wave 128, Nobile 555
This group is made for riders wanting to push hard but not necessarily compete. With most of the energy and grip you’ll find in the true competition shapes, this selection adds increased direction, forgiveness and wind range. In terms of design, these boards range from a curvy and springy Naish Sol to the tried-and-true lines of the stiffer Jimmy Lewis Model III or Rogue Wave 128.
The Model III, Rogue Wave and Crazy Fly 132 share rounded rails for up-front smoothness while edging, and when you want to go straight, they’re on rails and still you’ll feel lots of responsive looseness.
The Airush Switch, Naish Sol, RRD 5X and Nobile 555 are more active but still smooth. You feel the ride but not the bounce. It may be a coincidence in this case, but these shapes have hard rails in common. They all have flex, but the Sol and 555 are very dynamic, while the Switch and 5X remain stiffer and offer more reaction to the water.
The Litewave Stealth 130 fits somewhere between the two groups. It has grip and comfort that opens the door to more riders wanting longer sessions.
Progression: Easy Rider
Cabrinha Prodigy
The progression group used to be about boring shapes that you wouldn’t be caught on the day after you could stay upwind. The Prodigy shines in the comfort zone and would be happy in the power freeride club, scoring well for speed, getting upwind and jumping power. Not only do these boards bring new meaning to the word control, they’re smooth. The Prodigy has it under control when it comes providing the biggest sweet spot in the test. Its big, flat midsection, thicker rails and subtle flex not only help get you upwind, they mean you don’t have to worry about how much weight you’re putting on your front or back foot. And, more than other shapes, you won’t be punished if your heel or toe pressure isn’t bang-on. A tough act to follow.
Competition
Naish Thorn, North SkyPro, Nobile 666, Slingshot Misfit, Aggression 128
These shapes share stiffer flex patterns, giving more power for load-and-pop jumping (some shapes also tweak out on refined tail flex for smoother landings), flatter rocker lines or less lift at the tips for quicker acceleration and top-end speed. While some of these are surprisingly solid in the chop (in the sense of “dude, what chop?”), they aren’t what we’d call relaxing. Competition shapes are about riding on edge; they need to be fully wound up and smooth out with a clean feeling when you’ve got enough power to set your edge hard. The rails are thinner and harder than you might see from other models a company’s lineup. Competition shapes need to get upwind, power off the tail and go fast.
There is a lot of R and D in competition shapes. Techy materials are put together to create specific flex characteristics: stiff under the heels, softer at the tips and easier flex for grippier toeside riding. And what gets developed here ends up making its way into more recreational shapes, making us look way better than we are.
The skatiest rides had the smallest fins on the competition shapes. Otherwise, the standard for these boards leans toward larger fins in the five-centimetre range. The advantage of the bigger fin is more grip on edge, better upwind power, and more loading ability for that jumping stuff. The most technical boards to ride also had fins as close to the board’s rails and tail as possible.
Wake me up
Liquid Force Mission 138 and 144
If you like to ride powered on a slippery board, this is a good place to look. Wakestyle and parkstyle shapes benefit from strong edging and your love of loading up for big pop. Where wakestyle shapes are on their own is the loose ride. With smaller fins, they slide with tons of balance and control—perfect for a little rail action and forgiveness in landings. Both the Mission 138 and 144 boast the most intricate board designs in the test. Single-to-double concaves and soft rails in the middle get hard at the tips, and a healthy amount of rocker works together with an abuse-friendly construction.
Light Wind
Aggression Phatty, Crazy Fly, North Phantom
Here we give you a sneak peak at a few designs. This new category is helping drop the maximum kite sizes needed for wakestyle riding in light winds. It’s much less expensive to add a lightwind-specific board to your quiver than add a huge 20 m2 kite. These boards get the biggest riders up and going with traditionally sized 16 m2 C kites.
Wave and Surf
Liquid Force Surf, Rogue Wave Surf, , Airush Converse, Surftech Rawson Hyper Skate 3, Jimmy Lewis Surf, Surftech Stretch Ratbow Swallow , Bic CTS, Slingshot Fuse,
Directional surf-style design is the fastest-growing category in kiteboarding. Just about every advanced kiteboarder is adding one to his or her quiver this year. For lighter wind or the most hardcore pro riders, the strapless surf designs are the ones most likely to be found underfoot. In this category, we checked out the Bic CTS, Surftech Rawson Hyper Skate 3, and Surftech Stretch Ratbow Swallow.
A new breed of direction surf design, offering the increased versatility of riding with or without straps, is being offered by a rapidly growing number of brands. The Airush Converse, Liquid Force Surf, and Jimmy Lewis Surf prove the increased ease of use that straps provide. These boards are equally at home riding strapless and double as paddle surfboards.
The Slingshot Fuse and Rogue Wave Surf are dedicated kite designs that don’t double as surfboards, but they do excel in the surf when used with a kite. With its directional twin-tip shape, the Fuse is the most accessible board for kiters just getting into the surf. The Rogue Wave is user-friendly and offers extra nose flip to help riders dropping in, and its directional design is closer to the true surfboard designs.
Be sure to read our individual reviews.
Test Team: John Bryja, Dave Marshall, Andrew Howard, Mikael Lanoe, Sarah Paciacco, Shane Thompson, Rick Yankowich
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