The 2008 North dealer trip saw UK dealers visiting the sunny but not so windy shores of Bolonia, a quiet sandy bay situated 20 minutes NW from Tarifa in southwest Spain.
Bolonia is a less crowded and picturesque bay open to wind directions very similar to Tarifa. In the height of summer Bolonia and its Fantastic beach does not allow kitesurfers to enjoy their sport, but after September its beautiful white sand shores and flat water riding conditions are available to those who want to avoid the October crowds of Tarifa.
The 2009 NORTH kite and board range was available to test – The following is our synopsis on what ‘we thought’ after riding the products in gusty 20-30 mph of cross/ cross offshore Lavante conditions over 2 days of wind.
NORTH 2009 ‘woodcore’ board range
Based on my weight of 86kg
CESAR pro 132
A great looking board with great pop and tracking through the water, a little small for my liking, but definitely a freestlyle orientated board for flat to choppyish conditions.The new 2009 North woodcore definatly helps all the boards in the range absorb more chop.
My usual size choice but the board felt too stiff for my liking even though I ride a X series ABOARD at present which is a very stiff board !
SKY pro 138
I love this board!! On first impressions it looked too big for me but once out on the water it was really hard to come in and swap to test comparison.Amazing flex qualities the board even felt smaller than it actually was! landings after jumps were soft and the flex tips seemed to soak up any gusty wind conditions or choppy water with complete ease. My personal favourite from the North 09 board range and highly reccomended for riders 80kgs and above- I was kiting with a vegas 09 10m.
MALLORY pro 132
Very stiff with flex tips, this is again a freestyle orientated board identical to the Cesar in shape but with different graphics and marginally slimmer through the middle.
YOUNG BLOOD 129
As the smallest board in the North Pro range, the Young Blood is suited to lighter weight riders and the new generation of grommets taking over this young and aggressive area of our sport. I did not personally try this board but the kids were loving it.
2009 JAIME pro 128,132,135 ridden
The board felt very carvey and toeside transitions were very enjoyable but the flex for me did not fit ! I thought i was going to love this board, but it
didn’t quite grasp me as other jaime pros have.It seems apparent to me that the new woodcore construction from North this year makes the smaller boards stiffer and the larger boards a little more flexible and able to soak up choppy conditions
2009 X-RIDE 129,135 ridden ,141
Very suprised with the Xride this year, Now in its 3rd year of production.A board for the masses and for me a definate improvement from last years model.It was a standout for me in that I felt it would increase its performance the more power you exerted into it through edging and kite speed. Infact in a locked in edging position with gusty/choppy conditions it was my favourite out of the whole range for rider comfort. Defo a board for a large variety of conditions.
PARIS 126 ridden, 139
OK.ok I know its a Femal model but it was on the beach and I had tried everything else in sight, Very stiff but it planned suprisingly quickly- A board for female rippers! Female beginners would better be suited to the larger 139 Paris or 135 Gonzales.
2009 GONZALES 135, 143, 151 ridden
WOW! everyone who tried the Gonzales commented on how good it was.Good flex, pop and not a board to be dismissed because of its price.A great allrounder board which will satisfy almost any calibre of rider from freestyler to freerider. The Gonzales is not a board to be overlooked especially with North’s new footpad design making riding a very comfortable experience.
BULLET- 5’7, 5’10
A board meant for juicy waves, very direct and great at upwind tacks.Most people however who are not used to riding quads may comment on the splash back the board creates.This board needs commitment and patience to release its true potential. The conditions we had were flat so Non of us could comment on its wave performance
The Bullet is extremely loose and snappy and fits well in the pocket of small to medium waves. Strapped or strapless, the Bullet easily takes tight lines in small surf and is easy to bust the tail free and throw buckets of spray! A squared off nose and batwing tail give the Bullet it‘s striking looks.
KONTACT 5’8, 5’10, 6’1
The concept is quite simple; The overall look and feel of a bigger semi-gun, scaled down to around 6‘ for kiting. The result is a board that offers excellent grip and encourages you to go as fast as possible into turns and carves and give you more confidence in pushing the next turn.
RACE LTD 163x 45
You have to try one! If you are after a light wind board that will excell and allow you to ride in 8-9 knots, jump and cruise upwind better than a windsurfer then this is your Board.
The looks I got from our wind brotheren were classic and if you get an opportunity to try one- TAKE IT- these boards are awesome!!!
FREESTYLE FISH 5’0, 5’3 ridden
FUN, FUN. FUN bring back smiles and good times to your kiting. Any choppy conditions will allow you to have a ball on the water on this funky little machine.
With or without footstaps, the sky hooks are suprisingly easy to use and the board is good to use in up to a solid 4ft wave. In my opinion its either this or the RACE LTD as a second board in your quiver.
A great trip
