^^^ thats good to hear mate. You have to get some shops in the sydney area on board(pardon the pun)

windtzu said...
I'm hearing lot's of positive feedback about the Shinn Monk. Someone offered to sell me their's - 2012 Shinn Monk 132 x 41. I have an 09 North X-Ride 135 x 39 and like it well enough. Being my first full season kiting, it's the only board I've ever ridden, so I have nothing to compare it to.

I'm wondering if the Monk would be a step up from the X-Ride...pro's & cons?

My other boards are directionals > North Skimfish & Airush Cypher 5'6. Like most of us, I let the conditions and my mood determine which board to ride.

Albeit on the small side, I can get going on the 135 cm X-Ride @ 13 -15 knots on a 12 m (Airush Lithium). I weigh 72 kg.

Thanks for your suggestion

eppo said...

windtzu said...
I'm hearing lot's of positive feedback about the Shinn Monk. Someone offered to sell me their's - 2012 Shinn Monk 132 x 41. I have an 09 North X-Ride 135 x 39 and like it well enough. Being my first full season kiting, it's the only board I've ever ridden, so I have nothing to compare it to.

I'm wondering if the Monk would be a step up from the X-Ride...pro's & cons?

My other boards are directionals > North Skimfish & Airush Cypher 5'6. Like most of us, I let the conditions and my mood determine which board to ride.

Albeit on the small side, I can get going on the 135 cm X-Ride @ 13 -15 knots on a 12 m (Airush Lithium). I weigh 72 kg.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Pm cauncy I think I remember he used to ride the xride before the monk.

yeh had 3 different xrides , the monk is a much smoother board a bit like going from a ford falcon to an audi r8, a strong pulling kite or higher winds lets you make the most of this board , instead of changing your kite size you can just engage the rail more , ive tried numerouse times to force the edge out from this board and just grips harder, on the x rides id just chatter across the water, the comfort of ride is like chalk and cheese, this is where the monk is a winner in very choppy conditions it still doesnt lose its edge and rides as smooth as silk with zero spray, and i mean zero spray, if you want to get the most from the board for jumps she charges up under load then release and up you go, when heading out over the swell and wash i just flick a little upwind turn and apply back foot pressure and it gives you a nice lift over , totally effortless, the board feels very strange when you first ride it due to its comfort and thick memory foam pads which take a couple of sessions to bed in , they feel weird but not in a bad way its just youve never rode a board with such comfy pads and straps, when i first looked at the board and tweeked it, it looked super thin and very flexible in all honesty i though it would be a one season board, as im on the heavier size 88kgs and we get some stonking conditions here, but ive had it for 3 seasons and thrashed it and its still looking great, but when you start to get some hours under your belt on this board it all makes sence why its so flexible and has thin rails with an agressive outline and big rocker, it trucks upwind but id say my kite has a part to play in that as well, if your an agressive freeride kiter , this board lets you hoon around for hours in total control and comfort, i still come off the water frothing over this board, its a rippper

Well I have the latest 2013 king mako and a shinn monk. The king is an unreal board, feels so much smaller underfoot. I'm throwing all I normally do on it. Rides in light winds but can also hold itself in high winds. Also really bites on the rail and believe it or not you can boost this board really well. Very smooth.

But...

Doesn't come close to the shinn in terms of comfort, grip and control. Once the chop really increases the mako does find its limit. The shinn. There is no limit and I can't overstate this enough.

The mako King excels in the surf through as it should given its finnage and Farq me if it doesn't ride strapless so well.

Today the monk and the edge played again in a refined symphony of speed and speed and speed and.....height.

kiteboarder.co.uk/kitesurfing/shinn-the-new-thread-47485-315
This is the most comprehensive shinn site that have come across
Take a look

So this board is for 17 knots plus right? Personally at 72kg, a 42 wide board is a bit to big mate. Although if you are not into boosting big and just want to cruise, freeride then it is the right model.

Ugly said...
You blokes have talked this board brand up so much I had to buy one to try. Get it next week.
So I am in the dog house again with the wife.
If I don't like it will be for sale in the buy and sell

its a small price to pay, wait till you prefer riding the board instead of her, that will rreally piss her off

A few comments and ?'s here on the loading of the Shinn boards.
This is one of their standout features.
I first spoke to Mark Shinn straight after my 1st ever ride on the Luigi. I too was as gob-smacked as many others Ive demoed to since. He explained the fairly radical new build technology. During the conversation he made the comment that 'you will find you just cant bust out an edge'.
Sounded like hype if ever Id heard it so decided to put him on test.
It was 24+kts. I pumped a grunty, mid aspect, Delta type 10M kite that I knew would be right up at my top end. I powered up, dug in & prepared to hang on.
It was a battle, to say the least, but despite thinking my arms would be pulled out at the shoulder, I held that edge through way more speed than I would ever normally ask for.
End of story was when the kite pulled right up to the edge of the window & stalled.
I was an agent for Shinn the very next day.

My Monk Forever 134/42 arrived today, spent a couple of hours on it this afternoon at Woodies. I'm somewhere between 80 - 85kgs and went out with my 2012 C4 9m and was well and truly fully powered. I'd call myself an advanced beginner and i have mostly been riding a chopstick. I had huge expectations for this board after reading so many positive reviews. I was pretty impressed that the board even managed to surpass my expectations, amazing piece of kit.

First thing that amazed me is how smooth the board is, it really cuts through chop well (and it was quite choppy this arvo). I have dud knees and this board is really kind to them, ill never be touching the chopstick again (and i really didn't mind that board). The whole "no spray in face" thing is 100% legitimate, no spray the whole afternoon. So nice not to be wiping sunscreen / water out of my eyes every few seconds.

The second thing that impressed me was the fact that i could not lose my edge. If i had been on my chopstick in these conditions i would have been losing my edge all over the place and skipping across the water. I probably would have spent 30 minutes on the water before i would have needed to get off. I was extremely overpowered at times and the board didn't even threaten to lose its edge once, just carved harder upwind. Tacking on it is great fun too, has so much grip. Super stable board that gave me the confidence to try some new things.

Found myself carving on it (first time), catching little waves, going straight downwind easily, effortlessly upwind and landing jumps i probably shouldn't have landed. Overall i am extremely happy with it, highly recommend it.

Oh and i find the sneakers super comfy.

Great to see all these unsolicited reviews backing up everything I say in the shop.
Sometimes I think I sound like a used car salesman but I honestly dont have a bad thing to say about the boards and the good stuff I blab on & on about it is exactly what you read here from others.

Ugly said...
Cauncy.
Was that you up at Dongra after new year and was talking to a bloke on a choptop and tried to give him a go on your shinn.

Have had mine shinn out twice and got a bit of a traveller and then lent it to a mate to try. He is refusing to give it back so xxxxit had to order another.

yep usually all visitors to dongara get to give my monk a run, i should get a job for shinn as all i do is respond to emails about them,had a french bloke and a new local on the monk tonight , never had a negative vibe , the choptop looked a pretty interesting board with the swept tail and tip , im hanging out to give the new monk a run, i might have to join the que at kitestock

have to work in dongara, some people are blessed,heh the winds looking great tomorrow ill be down around 4 usually the prime wind time, ill be out on my red yellow edges, for sure have a session have a cold one and talk **** sounds great c u tmoz

Bought the monk this morning from KSS, spent a solid 3 hours on it this arvo at meville.

130x40, 67kg, 9m naish park

I won't dribble on because il just be repeating what everyone else has said but the eye opener for me was how smooth the board is, the edging was incredible and not one bit of chop in my face.

Landed a few back/front rolls and a few good boosts, super comfy and will only get more so with the memory foam.

Must buy for anyone wanting a new board

Monks on its way, with great thanks to KSS in WA.
will be good to finally get on one and see what all the fuss is about...
Kitch.

Having spent some time on the Shinn Dundee in varying conditions, I can agree that is is one fine board.

Compared to my North X-Ride (which is a great board as well) it's smoother - wow, and the X-Ride is a smooth ride; goes at least as well upwind - better as the wind gets stronger and you drive the edge in harder; easier to ride through chop and waves - I can ride it with my weigh more equally distributed and no more back leg fatigue; doesn't stuff in chop and waves like the X-Ride would if I wasn't paying attention; holds an edge when powered up - the X-Ride would skip out when overpowered; carves turns better; planes up slightly faster but handles more wind - it's bigger than my X-Ride (133 x 42 Dundee vs 135 x 39 X-Ride).

Downside: to my surprise, none. I usually expect compromise with all designs but I can't come up with any. Again the North X-Ride is a nice board and for the riding I'm doing at my current level of progression: cruising, carving turns, playing in small waves, swell riding, I was perfectly happy...until I bought the Shinn.

I'm on the lighter side at 72 kg / 158 lbs so the Dundee 133 x 42 isn't an ideal size in a blow or so I'm told, but I had it out in 25 mph plus and no problems with control. Whereas I expected the X-Ride's smaller size to be superior, it wasn't.