June 2009 Issue of The Kiteboarder Magazine

analyze thisanalyze thisliquid force Recoil CompTESTED: 132cm AVAILABLE SIZES: 128, 131, 134 and 137cm FINS: Four 2” finsTHE KITEBOARDER REPORTWe had the chance to take out and ride the 134 Recoil Comp. More advanced riders will lovethis board for it’s designed to be ridden during competitions or for freestyle. There is no doubtthe 134 will be popular because of its quality construction. LF has been making boards foryears and knows the business inside and out. One standout feature of the design is the board’saggressive lines. The smaller rocker helps the board track upwind a little better while alsogiving it a little more speed. The Recoil Comp is a little stiffer than the average board on themarket and offers an efficient amount of drive and glide across the water. Looking down at thebottom of the board, you’ll notice its slight concave, which also helps with the boards’ ability toride upwind easier and hold to the water much better when overpowered. You will also noticethat the rails are a little squarer. This rail works with the board to hold it to the water and alsogives the rider a smoother ride through the chop. The Recoil Comp has a great bit of pop withits stiff structure and faster rails, but in lighter winds, the board may struggle a little more asit will be harder to keep up your speed to create the pop needed. The board has some volumein the middle of it which helps it in lighter winds. Overall, the Recoil 134 is a great board forall riders looking for a kiteboard with solid construction matched with performance. Advancedriders looking for a board that can push the limits will appreciate it more. Lighter wind ridersmight want to trade up to the 137cm.REPORT CARDDurability: Solid finish with LF’s new competition flex profile design ExcellentWeight: Not too heavy with all the hardware strapped onto the board Above Averageturning: Solid smooth transitions with its even flex through the tips ExcellentPop: Snappy with its ability to release from the water quicklyExcellentUpwind Ability: Along with the fins the board’s flexhelps give its drive upwindAbove AverageStraps & Pads: N/AFins: 4 two inch finsAbove AverageOverall Ride: Solid feel under your feet with excellent glide in the lulls ExcellentTips:8 When underpowered the board drives upwind better with a littlemore weight on the front foot.8 In choppy water keep a little more pressure on your back leg toprevent the front fins from catching.CONSUMER FEEDBACK: felixkwww.seabreeze.com.au/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=41518Spent the day using the 2009 Recoil Comp 134 (fitted with LF lace straps).Conditions were very, very choppy and it was blowing between 20-25 knots.I was using a 12m kite and was very powered. This board is awesome! Itcuts upwind and handles the chop very well. It is a very light board so it isreally maneuverable and when boosting it doesn’t weigh you down at all —landings are really nice and soft. Also, today was my first time using the LFlace straps, I love these things! Really easy to get in and out and adjust, niceand comfy, and they actually stayed on my feet.slingshot SXTESTED: 131cm AVAILABLE SIZES: 131, 137, 143 & 147cm Fins: Four 2” finsTHE KITEBOARDER REPORTAt first glance, the Slingshot SX has a real narrow look from tip to tip and the graphics of theboard give it a really a cool stylish feel. The inserts for the straps and pads are positioneda little offset for riders really looking to toe out their stance more. The pads and strapscome with the same texture, look, and design as last year, while the fin setup on the boardcomes with aggressive 2-inch fins that noticeably help the board edge against the kite andultimately upwind. As you start looking closer at the board and its rails, you will notice it hasa thin, hard rail and a little concave to the bottom of the deck. This board is fast in smoothwater but because of its width (on the 131 cm) it tends to need a little more speed andpower while riding upwind in the chop. Just the flex alone makes this board fun to jump andlay into some powerful freestyle moves and handle passes. The pop this board offers caneasily be attributed to the flex and overall design of the SX. While loading up against the kitefor a big jump or even just to go for a back or front roll, you don’t want to edge hard for toolong. This board relies on a quick load and release technique unless taken out in conditionsthat are to your outer limits. Slingshot’s SX also tracks upwind well due to its 2-inch fins andsmall rocker. Any rider from beginner to advanced won’t have a problem benefiting from thisboard. A beginner who gets a chance to ride the 131cm will probably dig its freestyle outline,smooth edging and ability to create a lot of speed, and a more advanced rider may prefer theSX for more control and better performance with advanced tricks. Bigger or light wind ridersshould check out the bigger sizes.REPORT CARDDurability: Wooden core board with a durable finishWeight: Lightweight even with the hardware on the boardTurning: Lots of flex allowing the board to power throughturns fast and smoothPop: Solid amount of pop due to the rocker and flex in the boardUpwind Ability: The fins help the board track upwind being 2 inchesStraps & Pads: Pads and straps are easy to mount in minutesand lock your feet down to the boardFins: 4 fin setup with 2 inch finsOverall Ride: Great glide and smooth ride, great for freestyleTips:8 The more powered you can keep the kite the easier the board willdrive upwind.ExcellentAbove AverageExcellentExcellentAbove AverageExcellentAbove AverageExcellent8 Set the footstraps a little tighter than normal as they stretch a bit when wet.CONSUMER FEEDBACK: naishriderwww.seabreeze.com.au/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=429901&TOPIC_ID=43022&REPLY_ID=303944I took home the 09, 137 x 39.5 SX. Apart from looking great, this board iseven lighter than the 07, and has awesome flex. It has three runs of woodcore and foam to make it tuff as well. I first rode the SX in about 13 kts ina choppy channel at the bay (somewhere in Australia). This board was sosmooth through the chop, like built in suspension. Great pop for jumps andlanding, nice. Today I got out in the surf at one mile. It was about 3 foot withsome bigger sets coming through. Once again, very smooth and nice to ride.Carving turns off the lip with control. I was out for a good three hours non stopand the board being so light and flexible it was good on the legs.F-one TX2TESTED: 133cm AVAILABLE SIZES: 132x38 and 135x39cm FINS: Four 2” finsTHE KITEBOARDER REPORTFrom the graphics to the shape of the F-one TX2, this board has a lot of style. The bottomholds a small concave throughout it. We couldn’t notice if this helped the board ride upwindthrough the chop, however, the TX2 powered upwind better than most. The TX2 has some flexthroughout the board and definitely caused the board to feel a lot smoother when cruisingaround. This also gives the board the ability to hold down a lot more power in the kite inoverpowered situations. We were out in conditions that blew 30+ at one point and the boardadapted to the speed and additional power exceptionally well. On powered moves, it seemedthat every time we landed really fast and flat, the board had a hard and solid landing due toits low rocker profile. Keeping more weight on our back legs and landing more on the railhelped to soften them quite a bit. The fin setup that comes with the board also helps theboards’ ability to track upwind although there isn’t a lot of forgiveness in 2 inch fins. The padsthat come stock with the TX2 have a very comfortable soft feel and the straps really lockyou in. The benefit to riding a board like the TX2 with solid but forgiving flex is that it offersa great deal of pop off the rail when loading against the kite and makes chop feel like buttereven when overpowered. Because of the fin setup, this board does stick to the water so youare going to have to be a bit more aggressive if you are used to a skatey board. If you are ahardcore freestyler, try F-one’s TX2 to help you step up your game. Overall, this board is greatfor beginner to advanced riders wanting to start progressing into some more advanced ridingwhile still having an easy board that rides well and tracks upwind effortlessly.80 thekiteboarder.comREPORT CARDDurability: Durable bottomAbove AverageWeight: Pads and straps add some weightAbove Averageturning: Good amount of flex throughout the boardExcellentPop: The TX2 offer solid pop off the rails when loading upagainst the kiteAbove AverageUpwind Ability: A combination of flex, fin setup andboard design gives the board its biteExcellentStraps & Pads: Soft pads while the straps keep you feeling locking down ExcellentFins: 4 fin setup with 2 inch fins.Above AverageOverall Ride: Solid soft feel for beginner to advanced ridersand drives upwind like a champAbove AverageTips:8 Because of its low rocker line, land moves with a little more weighton your back leg to help keep the nose up.8 When going into any toeside transition or even just riding toeside,really use your hip to to steer the board due to its aggressive fins.CONSUMER FEEDBACK:Board just released. No reviews available.NEW AT THE TKB STORETKB and Wind Cult T-shirtsNow Available!www.thekiteboarder.com/catalog