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THE HYPE:
Smaller kites, bigger boards, strapped, strapless with dedicated surf performance in no wind situations. This versatility has changed the way many riders view wave riding. A higher volume means you can ride more vertically with more snap than was imaginable a few years ago. The range has been developed specifically to replace the light wind kiteboard in your quiver and give you the freedom to take only one board on your travels... for surfing and kiting.
TEST TEAM NOTES:
RICHARD: I tried this three times and it's excellent on the wave. Very snappy indeed, but it was generally the hardest to ride. Difficult to track and bounces around a lot.
CHRIS: This is a pure wave board. Turns really well and would be great for an expert in really good waves. The rest of the time it's a bit lost.
ANDY: There is a lot of tail rocker slowing it down everywhere but on the wave. It's narrow as well, which may make it very good on a powerful wave, but it's a right wobbler on the gybe.
STEPH: It's bullet proof though, you wouldn't be worried about trashing it.
KIRSTY: The back strap was too far back for the conditions we were in. Made it feel sluggish in general. Playing around with the back strap makes a huge difference. Moving it forward would make it more suitable for conditions in the UK, where it's on-shore a lot of the time, because it would get planing quicker. I like that it feels like a real surfboard, but it was frustrating because we couldn't get the most out of it in those conditions. It's an out-and-out cross-shore / off-shore down-the-line machine.
SUMMARY:
If you live near, and can handle, world class down-the-line surfing conditions, this is the one for you. If not, keep looking!
SIZES:
6'2” x 18 3/4”
6'0” x 18 1/4”
www.airush.com
This test is in issue #26
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