Any recommendation. Early planing and good upwind ability paired with freestyle performance?
Have the Hadlow Pro 138x40. Amasing board when powered. But for the days when "normal weight" guys still ride upwind and I struggle/make the walk of shame constantly, I need something else before I kill somebody in frustration.

Biggest kite i Hadlow Pro 13m.

Don't want a lawn mover board. I do some level of freestyle or I go home. Back and forth aint my thing any more.

Thought about the Airush FS 140x42?
What do you guys think?

North Jamie? Try one. It's kinda got it all.

Yo sanjay Dave is spot on with his post also what kite are you using as some kites fly u upwind better than others I gave my shinn monk135 42 to a mate who rides a 140+ underground he's100kg riding the rebel 8 and loved the board especially its upwind abilities it doesn't hurt to try before you buy

you can buy a f-one trax LW . Use it until there is enough power from the kite to get you going on normal board.

allano said...

hi Sanjay
I was in the same position as you
my biggest kite was a 13m and wanted a board that was something more than a big plank.
Ended up getting a Shinn King George 140 x 46
sound like a strange size but it works

gets me going at about 12 knots - 13m kite (I'm 85kgs)
been out on it at 20 knots

it works well, as swapping boards when the wind fills in is easier (and Cheaper) than swapping the Kite

I even use it with my 9m kite (15-16 knots with a few holes) then just come in and grab my other board

Again I didnt want to be the first out just wanted a board with good characteristics

Do you ride unhooked stuff with that size board?
I know a guy who has it and he is really happy, but dont ride unhooked etc. Havent tried it though

Ill say up front Im biased and the SUGARQUBE boards are my baby.

If your on the west coast Australia, try to grab a demo Sugarqube board from Kite Surf and Sup Hamilton Hill or Scarbs,

The boards are brand new to Australia and have been designed for Australia, they are not available in the East yet.

Both the 135 X 40 and the 140 X 41 where designed specifically for our Perth metro conditions which can be trying at times, chop and spray making the going tough unless your riding those few sweet spots like Woodies or the pond.

Main characteristics of the 140 X 41 are early planing and a nice loose feel at the same time, which lets you try freestly with out the board catching on hitting the water.
Carving up the chop was also a big point on the agenda when these boards where designed having reasonable frestyle skills on a twinn tip always ads to performance abillity on a surf board.
The Sugarqube boards wont track like on rails, feel smaller than they are and probably one of the easiest boards to ride you will ever try.

Im 95Kg myself and may reach the 100Kg over the Chrismas period, and ride the 135 most of the time unless I want to get out on the 15knots days on my biggest kite which is the 11m Slingshot Octane.

But any way, as I mentioned Im biased, try as many boards as you can, I find chosing a new kite is easy, you can instantly feel if there is an advantage to your style, choosing a new board is usually hard, as your dialed in to stance and weight distribution on what you were riding before, which makes it dificult to make an informed judgement straight away.

As mentioned above, I decided on the 2010 Shinn Player 137x44.
It arrived with UPS yesterday.

I look right. Wide of course (44 cm) and really really flat and stiff. I am sure it will be a handfull in choppy conditions but then I have a smaller board. For the purpose it looks quite right.
Hopefully get to try it tommorrow.
Just hope the lenght 137 is enough for the purpose

Affiliation here with Shinn but Im betting you will love the Player.
It looses a lot of the comfort qualities of the Monk & softer boards in the range but it is way more cruisy than your average full-on freestyle board.
Its a X-over with the emphasis on the freestyle.
The Monk is biased the other way slightly ie still X-over but more comfort built in for the free-rider.
From the sound of your posts you have made a great choice.
Please let us know.

puppetonastring said...

Affiliation here with Shinn but Im betting you will love the Player.
It looses a lot of the comfort qualities of the Monk & softer boards in the range but it is way more cruisy than your average full-on freestyle board.
Its a X-over with the emphasis on the freestyle.
The Monk is biased the other way slightly ie still X-over but more comfort built in for the free-rider.
From the sound of your posts you have made a great choice.
Please let us know.

Will test today !
I seem to have read the 2011 got a little more rocker than the 2010 I have bought ? But again for my purpose then maybe the 2010 is the better one.....

Yesterday out on 11m and RRD Poison 132x41. Semi-underpowered. Changed to the Shinn Player 137. Really made a difference. Much better upwind, more power.

I am not sure I am ever gonna learn to pop that big flat (and heavier) board really well.
But is gave me the power I needed and was really fine for e.g. kiteloop backrolls, uh backrolls etc. Just for real raley popping it felt quite heavy and difficult to keep on the feet.
So of course its never gonna be a perfect freestyle board in that size but will save quite a few of my ligther wind days I am sure