I looking for some info from girls/chicks/women/other riding boards, apparently engineered specifically for females, or from a boys/guys/men/other who can offer some direction on the subject.

What have you ridden and how it compared to a "guys" board?
Do they offer anything other than a girly graphic?

I'm about 60kg, boosting and backrolling looking to progress as quickly as I can.
So far I've looked (online) at:
- North Paris 129 -rare as rocking horse ****
- Brunotti Pro Princess 130 x38, are there any Aussie stockists?
- Liquid Force Aura 130

Of course there is huge scope here for "I've a ridden a guys massive one and loved it" "I found that the small one was technique related" and a whole range of other entendre.... but I'll take it as it comes (damn was that another one)

Footnote to manufacturers: have a word with your marketing teams, Stiletto, Paris, Princess...... please! I'd rather ride a My little Pony!

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pluzi9mm said...

Footnote to manufacturers: have a word with your marketing teams, Stiletto, Paris, Princess...... please! I'd rather ride a My little Pony!

That definitely needed to be said cheers

Nobile make womens sizes in their boards.

Cardboards have a lot of girlie prints. www.cardboarding.com
With these you can get some really small sized boards and change the stance width. Not sure about their footstrap sizes.


Crazyfly also sells a board called "girls". www.crazyflykites.com/

Judging by the 'do they offer anything other than a girly graphic', I'd say pluzi9mm doesn't particularly want a flowery pink board. But Cardboards also offer a lot of non-girly graphics, or you can put your own on if you want.

I've only ever ridden a Cardboard, so I can't compare it to anything else, but the fact that you can customise them to pretty much whatever you want means it's pretty sure to suit. Mine's a 126 with narrow stance. As far as I know there isn't any variation in footstrap size, but I'm pretty small and I've found the standard footstraps fine.

The paris is a great looking board and no im not refering to the graphics. Comes with women specific foot straps as well which is a nice touch. the 129 is a rare board at the moment but the 126 is avaliable.

for what it's worth, i cant remember the last time i looked down at my board during a session to check whether the graphics were suitably masculine, nor was i appalled when riding my wife's shocking pink nobile (which ironically isn't the "girly" graphic version).

The only thing you should be looking at is the stance width/footstrap size, and overall board shape/size. I'm a nobile fan, and they make plenty of smaller boards which are awesome to ride, including a womens board.

My wife (66kgs) rides a 128 555 without any worries, she prefers it to the nobile shinn which she thought felt a bit twitchy and aggressive.

Brunotti are sold by kite republic in Australia. I suggest you contact them to get one of the Brunotti's if you are looking for one.

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lovey said...

for what it's worth, i cant remember the last time i looked down at my board during a session to check whether the graphics were suitably masculine, nor was i appalled when riding my wife's shocking pink nobile (which ironically isn't the "girly" graphic version).

The only thing you should be looking at is the stance width/footstrap size, and overall board shape/size. I'm a nobile fan, and they make plenty of smaller boards which are awesome to ride, including a womens board.

My wife (66kgs) rides a 128 555 without any worries, she prefers it to the nobile shinn which she thought felt a bit twitchy and aggressive.

...and that is absolutely my point.
"Do they offer anything other than a girly graphic?"
I'm not bothered about girly graphics, I want to know why I would buy one over a boys board. Currently riding an 2005 flx128 underground and it's served me well, but it's time for an upgrade. I was looking forward to inheriting a 666 when the BF upgraded to Mallory Pro. Then the BF landed hard attempting an s bend and creased the 666 :( . I loved that board. Light and comfortable on my on my feet, a really smooth ride and it pops of everything. Prefer it over the 555. Would consider a 666 but really like the footpads/straps on the North boards - hence started looking at the Paris.

It seems that mainly the "girls" boards with the harder flex profile are 126, which I think is too small for me. Are girls over 60kg not suppsed to want harder flex?

i was just talking to a girl the other day about boards. she was a very competent kiter.. she used to use the underground then recently changed to the cardboard and said the weight difference (CB being much lighter) made a huge difference.. she also said the biggest problem was finding straps that fit her tiny feet..i would say find a light board with a small strap option..

If you don't like the feel of the paris definately consider trying the north women specific foot straps. If you are in teh sydney area. Wind Surf n snow in collaroy has a paris 126 board to have a look at.

I think Airush have developed a board for ladies and lightwieghts which Gisela Pulido rides

You could always go for one of the new Underground boards?
They make small size straps now that are TINY...

Their 2009 Straps are yet to be released. But apparently they are doing the lace up thing like Cabrinha and Cardboards. I'm sure those in the small size would be what your after? New 2009 range is released in a few weeks...

hi, i am 57kg and have ridden quite a few boards now. I tried so many different boards when i 1st started kiting including the boards that the guys normally ride. I have 2 boards in my kit. 124 CARDBOARD Freeride(melstarPro) and absolutely love it. Great for all riding style including handles the waves quite well too. And the start of this season i have also added a BEST Oujia 129 and love it too. This one I ride with boots and is my flat water freestyle board, def a heavier board than my cardboard but the extra surface area helps me land my tricks better (especially unhooked) and the pop on this board is mad!!!! It really depends on the conditions u ride in. I believe the cardboard would really suit your level of riding and help you continue progressing and putting down the moves u want to achieve. good luck

I have an Aboard 129 z series, it's hard flex, and my wife (60 Kgs), thinks it's fine. No girly graphics, will do kite loops, sliding 3's and board offs for you ;)

I also think you'll find that there are no boards "engineered" for females, more "engineered" for lighter people with smaller feet, and painted for females :).... they are just made for a particular body weight and height... Most girls as they are generally lighter and shorter.... would be around the 128 - 132 mark

Ps the 129 is not a "boys or girls " board, they just design boards for the weight they are meant to carry..

found this girly kiteboard on a website the other day

I'd tend towards the theory that girl specific boards is marketing bull****. Boards have such a huge range of stance options/footpads etc these days you should just get a smallish board.

Also, pink boards, or boards that look like tampon packets, are hard to sell when you want a new one as most kiters are men. Bad resale value!

I've been kiteboarding since the dawn of the universe and I've always had underground boards - a 122 and a 132. Always been fine for me, because, most importantly, they're almost completely unbreakable.

Ha friggin ha Girly kiteBoards wtf

Chosing one would definately be a nightmare, just ask any male

What size.... ummm im really a size 12 but ill take the 8

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SaveTheWhales said...

Ha friggin ha Girly kiteBoards wtf

Chosing one would definately be a nightmare, just ask any male

What size.... ummm im really a size 12 but ill take the 8

HAHHAHAH