With a huge boom in strapless freestyle over the recent years it’s no surprise that we are seeing many new additions to this market. Odo Kiteboarding is a relatively new brand so to speak (2014 onwards), however they have a great line up of goodies already. We recently got our hands on some crackers to put through their paces. We…
A Glance The Slingshot Angry Swallow is back again for 2019 with fresh graphics and a new tail design for even more freestyle performance. Designed for real-world mushy waves and strapless freestyle action, there will be many happy people see the continuation of this classic board. Sticking with the wooden design, Slingshot have incorporated large carbon stringers on both the…
The Mitu Pro model has been one of the defining boards of our generation, selling more surfboards than any other model on the market. For F-One to bring a totally new stick to the product line is interesting, how do you make something better than arguably one of the most popular surfboards on the planet? The answer is to make…
The Salerosa V4 is a classically styled surfboard from RRD with a modern twist. Up front, it sports a classic surfboard nose shape, but out the back, a more modern quad fin set up sits underneath a squared off swallowtail. The board is aimed at a wide variety of conditions from onshore to big side offshore waves. The profile of…
The CSC series of boards from North have been around for a few years now; this new Pro Whip CSC replaces the Pro Series CSC from last year. North have reduced the number of boards in the lineup, this year both the Wam and Whip come in two different constructions. Before North had these boards and then had different shapes…
The CORE Ripper 3 is an all out performance kite surfing short board. A classic design with classic surfboard construction. The Ripper 3 has been designed as a middle of the road board between strapless freestyle and big wave charging. The Ripper 3 has an active foam core, this translates as being made from closed cell Polyurethane which not only…
CORE have a strong surfboard range for this year, with riders like Willow River Tonkin on the team it’s hardly surprising. His weapon of choice when it comes to strapless freestyle is the aptly named 720. The board has a classic glass coat, which surrounds the closed cell PU foam core. Inside this is a vertically laid wood stringer, which…
If ever there was a surfboard that needed no this is it. The Mitu Pro Model has been in the F-One line up for a long time now, and it is synonymous with World Champion and legendary wave rider Mitu Monteiro. Over the years the shape has been tweaked, and the sizes have changed slightly, but the premise is still…
The Mitu Monteiro pro model range from F-One has been a hugely popular design. One of the world’s favourite wave riders Mitu from Cabo Verde has an insane amount of talent and is a good bloke too. His boards have been developed with F-One for a few years now and last year saw a new shape coupled with the HD…
The Jester is part of Ocean Rodeos ‘Mako’ series, which has its own die-hard fans the world over. Billed as the first kiteboarding ‘funboard’ the Jester has been designed as a board for everyone to play around in the surf or the flat, or a bit of both, with an emphasis on pure fun. The Jester comes in a relatively…
The F-One Signature Series has sat alongside the immensely popular Mitu Pro Model for some years. This is a very much more surf-orientated design with a thinner outline, thumb tail and quad fin set up; it is strikingly different from the Mitu range in terms of shape. The Signature Series is Raphael Salles’ go to board when he is wave…
When this board arrived we thought we had made a mistake, we had ridden the 5’5” the year previously and ordered the middle sized board in the range to test. Last year the sizing went like this, 5’3”, 5’5” and 5’7”. This year the sizes are as follows, 4’11”, 5’2” and 5’5”. When the board arrived, and we unboxed it,…
The Skater is a square nosed, thruster setup directional board from Naish. The first thing you’ll notice when you look at this board is the outline is very similar to that of a twin tip. Naish have packed technology and high-end construction elements into this board to make it very durable while offering excellent performance. The Skater has a honeycomb…
Brunotti have been making surfboards and kiteboards since the very beginning of our sport. Their twin tips have graced the feet of riders such as Ruben Lenten, Youri Zoon and Annelous Lammerts. Their surfboards, however, have been quietly blazing a trail with a loyal following of hardcore riders from around the world. The Boomer is built using a sandwich construction…
The Signature series of boards have been in the F-One line up for a few years now. These carving machines are the favourite piece of hardware for Raphael Salles to go and shred the waves. While the Mitu Pro Model might catch the limelight, the Signature should not be overlooked. Built using the new HD Foam Composite technology the board…
Last year the Pro CSC was a big change in direction for North as they adopted the Compact Surf Concept, which is what the CSC stands for. For 2016, Sky Solbach has been refining the design and the 5’5” is his go-to board for most conditions. When you are riding the designer’s board, you know he is going to have…
The Angry Swallow from Slingshot is a further development of their ground-breaking T-Rex program from a couple of years ago. The 2016 Angry Swallow sees further refinements on last year’s design; chiefly it’s slightly narrower at 18” 5/16 or 46.5cm. The tail has also been redesigned, and the rear stomp pad pushed further back with the rear strap positions shifting…
Mitu Monteiro needs no ; he’s been at the top of the wave riding pile for what seems like years! His first pro model boards from F-One were an instant hit and they remain best sellers to this day. Available in four sizes this year in addition to the 5’8” there is the larger 5’10”, a smaller 5’6”, and a…
The new North Whip CSC has undergone some changes this year, it was a hugely popular board last year and you’ll be pleased to hear these are tweaks rather than a complete overhaul. It’s the most versatile board in their CSC (Compact Surf Shape) line up which this year features the Pro CSC and the Nugget CSC alongside the Whip…
The Screamer from Slingshot is a further development of their ground-breaking T-Rex program from a couple of years ago. The 2016 Screamer sees further refinements on last year’s design; the tail has been redesigned and the rear stomp pad pushed further back with the rear strap positions shifting towards the tail too. This is designed to allow a more aggressive…
CrazyFly have been making some of the world’s best twin tips for many years now. More recently they started to make surfboards and the results have all been exceedingly impressive! The Strapless follows down that path, the shape is designed for new school freestyle strapless tricks, small waves and light wind conditions. With more and more riders turning towards strapless…
The CrazyFly ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) is a new surfboard in their 2015 line up. Hailed as a do-it-all wave board for most conditions, it has been designed and developed in waves the world over. An impressively attractive bamboo veneer coats the strong EPS Core. There is the option to have straps on the board, which can be mounted on…
Now for something radically different… The Secret Weapon is a new board from Cabrinha this year, it’s a modern take on an old design; short and wide it resembles the popular fish style boards from the 70's. A brief nod to this design is where the similarities end though as there is a bunch of tech going on with this…
The biggest news for this hugely popular board this year is the new construction. Gone is the double bamboo sandwich, and in is a new technique that F-One are calling the HD Foam Flex Composite. It is stronger, less susceptible to impact damage and also gives the board a slightly softer flex more in tune with how a glass surfboard…
The Quest TT has been in the North line up for a couple of years now, it’s a classically shaped thruster aimed at the riders just looking to get into riding surfboards. Due to the design remit the Quest TT has some tricks up its sleeve in terms of the design. The wide point has been pushed a little further…
2015 sees a major change for the F-One surfboard range, the company that pioneered bamboo construction all those years ago has now dispensed with it… In its place is a new technique that the team are calling HD Foam Flex Composite. The HD stands for high density, the aim was to build a stronger lighter board with the kind of…
Everyone loves Mitu, one of the most charismatic and humble riders on the plant, the multiple World Wave Champion has a style that is hard to emulate. F-One have never produced a pro model board, Raphael Salles said he didn’t want to just stick a riders name on something in order to sell more boards. However, after working with Mitu…
Liquid Force have really stepped up their game with their surfboard range over the last couple of years. The tech levels have increased with carbon wraps on the rails, BXP3 waterproof foam cores and bamboo veneer decks. These combine with stealthy good looks that will be sure to get you drooling in the local kite shop! The Slice is a…
Slingshot have totally revamped their surfboard line up for 2014, and the T-Rex is the flagship in terms of design. It’s different, very different, from anything you may have seen on the market. By removing just under a foot off the nose the weight of the board is reduced, which makes it perfect for aerial freestyle. Whilst the nose has…
The Taurin from CrazyFly is a short wide board aimed at small to medium sized waves and a more aggressive rider looking to push the board to its limits. As such the CrazyFly is quite a bit heavier than the other boards in the test. It has been built to be pretty indestructible so will also suit riders who kite…
The 5’11” from F-One has been designed as their entry-level surfboard, but don’t let that remit fool you, it is far more than that. The board features a more forgiving outline, coupled with slightly higher volume than their high-end models. In addition the deck is a double bamboo construction, this makes it a perfect board for learning strapless freestyle, as…
The Pro Series is new for 2013 and with North dominating the KSP world tour with riders like Airton Cozzolino and Patri McLaughlin; it was only a matter of time before they made a high end performance machine. The board is available in 3 sizes, 5’8”, 5’11”, which we have on test and a 6’2” aimed at the bigger riders…
The Wam has been in the line up at North Kiteboarding for some time now; it is arguably one of the most popular surfboards on the market. This year it is available as a quad or thruster set up and in three sizes, 5’8”, 5’10” which we have on test here and a 6’0”. North provides both thruster and quad…
Legendary Maui shaper Sean Ordonez has shaped the surfboard line up for 2013 from Wainman Hawaii. The Passport is based around a classic surfboard shape, but with a modern twist and is aimed at handling just about anything you can throw at it. That said it definitely has a nod towards bigger more powerful waves and side shore conditions. The…
The Fatty from Kiteloose is an entry-level strapless surfboard, designed to be easy to use and fun to ride. There are two sizes, a 5’3” and the 5’1” we have here. The 5’1” is designed for lighter and more experienced riders, and it is also designed to perform in some reasonable sized waves too. Launched last year the Fatty was…
Another work of art from F-One the Surf Series in their line up features two sizes, the 6’2” and the 6’4” aimed at riders looking for a board that they can use for paddle surfing and strapless or strapped riding. A one board can do it all if you will, the perfect board to take on a surf trip where…
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It’s the start of another year and we’ve got an incredible issue lined up for you! We travel to the far northern islands of Scotland with the Manera crew and discover some of the best conditions on the planet! Lewis Crathern uncovers the real Egypt in Dahab and Steven Akkersdijk heads off on a road trip around Ireland! On the other side of the world Rou Chater witnesses Guy Bridge smash the course record for the Red Bull Lighthouse to Leighton race and the is plenty more inside too with thebest photos, stories and videos!
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