Shinn The Street and ________ ?

proletariat · Since 22 Feb 2013 102 Posts Denver, CO Stoked

I recently bought a Shinn Street 135 X 41, and it was a game changer for me. I finally started to feel like an actual kiteboarder when I happened to have enough wind to ride it. However, I gotta be quite (over?)powered to really be able to ride it due to the serious rocker. Thus, for light wind days, I'm thinking about a second board. I currently have a 2008 Spleene Session 139 that is great in light wind, but has 0 rocker and even a bit of sidecut instead of a convex rail. In variable winds (which is all we get) I am either going straight and standing straight up or getting blown off my edge or skipping sideways because I can't really "dig in" like I can with The Street (or even my previous Kitelement).

I realize a board won't solve my crappy kiteboarding skills, but the Street has made me realize that it might help to get something a bit more my style. I'm thinking of getting into a big board with a tiny bit of rocker and a bit more rounded rails & smaller tips.

In short, I'm eyeballing the Shinn King Gee and the Spleene Session as a light(ish) wind board that'll still let me edge hard during gusts. I'm not really asking for a brand recommendation as much as I am asking if anyone has had experience edging hard on some of the bigger, low rocker, wide boards in way variable conditions or if I'm just wasting my time.

Thanks in advance.

west · Since 09 Oct 2008 136 Posts Lake Michigan Stoked

I believe you answered most of your own questions w your reasoning. You're looking for a light wind board that doesn't ride like a plank.

A lot of it depends on the conditions you're riding. A no rocker, rectangular outline, wide board is going to plane up fast and get upwind well, but is going to be hard to edge when windier, dam near impossible to turn worth a dam, and easy to catch a tip in the chop. A minimal rocker, elliptical shaped board with narrow tips is going to turn better, be less prone to "pearl", and easier to edge; but will be slower to plane and harder to get upwind.....those are the obvious trade offs in board performance. The trick is to find a board that can combine some of those positive characteristics while limiting the drawbacks.

It seems like you're looking for a board in the 140 range, so that it still rides like a board and not a plank. A board to ride in marginal conditions, not a "light wind" board. In my opinion the board needs to have a decent amount of concave to aid in quick planing, to "ease" edging, and to give you better upwind ability. The board also needs good "flex" so that the rocker profile can change as different forces are placed upon it: there's just no way around it, if you have no rocker, the board's going to ride like a plank (stiff, sluggish, straight line).

It's a tricky proposition...to be able to find a board that will perform in marginal conditions.

macgruber · Since 06 Dec 2011 490 Posts SE PDX volcano Obsessed

My Shinn Monk 134 x 42 works pretty well in light wind up to 15m and down to 6m (170lbs). It has a soft ride from it's flex even though it's low rocker when unloaded. I've liked bigger Slingshot Misfits in light wind also as they are pretty flat. I've heard that Lightwave's big board is pretty fun for a door shaped board.

Hard to beat a flat directional in really light wind (Airush Slayer)