Sup

My dad (59yrs) has gotten into kitesurfing and hes EVENTUALLY sorta going up and down.
Hes using one of my old boards which is abit stiff
Id like to get him a board which is purely a freeride board - most he will ever do is maybe small jumps
must have awesome upwind (thats all he cares about), comfy pads/straps for ppl with bigish feet and a smoooth ride

any boards coming to mind??

I would choose a board that doesnt have the square outline with wide tips.
Those boards just eat up on the leg muscles, trying the keep the board tracking and the keeping the nose up.

Something with a rounder outline, for ease of riding and comfort I would have a look at the Cabrinha prodigy.

focus on the WEIGHT of the board first . then the flex. If you get a light weight with flex at tips board it will be the perfect for him

Apart from what people think is the weight that makes a "helpful" knee board more than the flex.

There are boards at market with minimum weight and good amount of flex from pads to tips. all those makes perfect TT

A different category your dad can use is the OR mako . The shape of the board eats all the chop. So far the best freeride i been , but its stiff if you make jump 5+ meter when you land and dont have good technique

Depending on his weight I would grab one of the new griffin boards,nice and light,big tips for easy plane,aggressive fins ,rails upwind,they come in 133 x 41 and 137 x 42 .
It's a real jeep of a board does everything well.

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radman4 said...

I would grab one of the new griffin boards,nice and light,big tips for easy plane,aggressive fins ,rails upwind,they come in 133 x 41 and 137 x 42 .
It's a real jeep of a board does everything well.

And pimping.... It didn't take long!

Constructively, blacktip's advise is fairly good for the toeside of the board (rounded edge) he lost his credibility with his suggestion of the Cabrinha prodigy though...

Straighter edge on the heel side of the board will promote better upwind abilities, speed and tracking while rounded edge on the toe-side will better control, manoeuvrability, and ease to switch direction.
The position of the fins and the footpads (more centred in the width of the board) may also alter the riders comfort.

Try to spot in your local shop that shape and you would not go wrong.

I am surprise and puzzled about the International panel of riders interested in this Topic...

SHINN Luigi

Some may say, "more pimping" others may say, "I have tried this board and I like it" [}:)]

Very light, flex when needed, good upwind

www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Kitesurfing/Boards/~bl8yr/2010-Shinn-Luigi-132-cm.aspx?search=JIFAOSlMixHWdiopLvCzVQ%3d%3d&t=0

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Hadan said...

radman4 said...

I would grab one of the new griffin boards,nice and light,big tips for easy plane,aggressive fins ,rails upwind,they come in 133 x 41 and 137 x 42 .
It's a real jeep of a board does everything well.

And pimping.... It didn't take long!

Constructively, blacktip's advise is fairly good for the toeside of the board (rounded edge) he lost his credibility with his suggestion of the Cabrinha prodigy though...

Straighter edge on the heel side of the board will promote better upwind abilities, speed and tracking while rounded edge on the toe-side will better control, manoeuvrability, and ease to switch direction.
The position of the fins and the footpads (more centred in the width of the board) may also alter the riders comfort.

Try to spot in your local shop that shape and you would not go wrong.

I am surprise and puzzled about the International panel of riders interested in this Topic...

Been riding the board the last couple of months every session like it thus the post,so dont be a "dick"[}:)]Agree on the prodigy though its a plank, i'm mainly liking this board cos of the wide tips and flatter centre section,being a heavier rider the board carries me through the lulls with ease ,is really fast and holds a great edge,its not the flashest board out there but it does everything well ,i find rounded tip boards need to be a bit bigger to carry through the lulls on gusty days.
Also theres no spray,cant stand spray in the face while riding this board is dry as.

from a couple over 50 year olds, who have been riding for quite some years now.We ride underground boards as a light wind option. I can speak for us both and say that the Underground Styx and the Stella are just fine. They really don't ride like big boards but they rocket upwind get up and plane early, handle really nicely in the boosts, I think the styx holds on to the landings better and another reason I like the styx as it is the only board that is kind to my knees!!!. I have the 142 styx weigh 93kgs( i think this would be the ideal free ride board for your dad), Henry who is older than me but weighs less, rides the Stella. Yes we both are shop team riders but all that means is that we can choose any board we like from the kitepower range. And we like these.

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sustan said...

Sup

My dad (59yrs) has gotten into kitesurfing and hes EVENTUALLY sorta going up and down.
Hes using one of my old boards which is abit stiff
Id like to get him a board which is purely a freeride board - most he will ever do is maybe small jumps
must have awesome upwind (thats all he cares about), comfy pads/straps for ppl with bigish feet and a smoooth ride

any boards coming to mind??

For something that feels nice to just cruise around and hammers upwind you can't go past the Nobile NHP (formerly 666). Put some of those Cabrinha footstraps on it and that is your S-Class.

As an older kiter, not so much into tricks, but enjoys carving, the smaller type surfboards are great, (F-one 5'2" Slingshot Arcane or similar) which I prefer to a twin tip.
As my twin tip I have settled with the North Jaime Pro (137), but I did get a lot of fun out of the Nobile 555 (135 and 137), Keep the length up around 137 or so.

As a final note, don't underestimate the old dogs, sometimes they do learn new tricks!

No pimping, just sharing my stoke on my new board.
Absolutely lovin my new Shinn "The Monk"!!!!
Super smooth, very comfy footpads, great in chop, great upwind, definately worth a demo

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sustan said...

My dad (59yrs) has gotten into kitesurfing and hes EVENTUALLY sorta going up and down.

Can I just say your dad sounds like a dead set legend to be giving kitesurfing a go. If I make it to half his age and still riding I will be happy...

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sustan said...

Sup

My dad (59yrs) has gotten into kitesurfing and hes EVENTUALLY sorta going up and down.

Good one your never too old, i ride with a guy here on a regular basis who's a bit of a legend ,he started when he was 60 and is now 70 and he rocks it as hard as a lot of the youngsters,back flips 20-30 ft boosts and can toeside a wave for miles,hope i can go as hard at his age,

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Hopey said...

No pimping, just sharing my stoke on my new board.
Absolutely lovin my new Shinn "The Monk"!!!!
Super smooth, very comfy footpads, great in chop, great upwind, definately worth a demo

awersome stuff cam glad your stoked with it!!!!

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sustan said...

Sup

My dad (59yrs) has gotten into kitesurfing and hes EVENTUALLY sorta going up and down.
Hes using one of my old boards which is abit stiff
Id like to get him a board which is purely a freeride board - most he will ever do is maybe small jumps
must have awesome upwind (thats all he cares about), comfy pads/straps for ppl with bigish feet and a smoooth ride

any boards coming to mind??

I'm in your dads age bracket, here's my 2c worth from 12 yrs kiting experience.
A lot depends on his weight, if he is around 80-85kg (average) then he will do best on a 1.35-1.40 long x 40-42cm wide, size board, one with a more rounded outline, so not straight edged like you might like to ride.
Examples of straight edged boards that are not going to be ideal are SS Lunacy, and Xenon Laluz.
Examples of boards that I personally ride and rate as good performers are
Underground Stella, FLX and Tahee
Cabrinha Prodigy 2011
Nobile T5
SS Misfit

Have a look at the Crazyfly allround

My older knees really appreciate my Xenon Laluz 135. Super comfy, goes upwind well and is very light. Worth a look.

Underground FLX. Razor sharp upwind. Smooth as the head on a pint of Guinness. Gentle on the knees. Very respectable pop; for your pop, if he gets into that.