FORUM : about boards weight !!!

“Hello,
First of all, we need to be very clear with the WOW effect :
An American friend often told me, ‘People need to be WOWed’ ! In Corse they say ‘blown off you ass’ or ‘Chtoumagué’ (Corse Tongue)…. Brief…I’m talking about when you sell Boards in a Shop, and the weight you feel once taken in hand is what determines your choice. If it is light you instinctually find it better. Next, at what time do you need for your Monospace to be as light as your Formula 1 ? There are some advantages, certain, but having to change parts every two days will convince you quickly that it is a greater inconvenience to have. There is no magic when it comes to weight. We can clearly play with the material quality of a Board to better the rapport between Weight and Solidity, but with identical components, only the surface will significantly vary the weight.
Hence if it’s light, it’s light in construction. So the real question is : Monospace or Formula 1 ? Strapless freestyle is your life : every added gram is a national catastrophe.
500 gros more and you lose half your hottest tricks !!! It’s true. With more weight your Board escapes you, and she’s less reactive, you need more wind to land it, your riding is sloppy.
But if you got the skills , you know what you want. Of course you’re going to freak out every time you break a Board, every 10 sessions, but it’s not in bad faith. You already know that the Formula 1 is incredibly fragile. Strapless Surf and nothing more than Strapless Surf : Jumping is cheating.
For 500 Grams extra your life won’t change. The Board will stick less to your feet in the chop but it will be marginal. Can’t forget that in Kite you surf minuscule Boards, with an over-powered Kite. So 500 gr while surfing is really just nitpicking. You’ll lay down sick turns with or without it. But for the highest performance, in effect, it does count. So the FreerRide, unhindered navigation, cool flowing straplessness, is your kick : will you really feel the difference in the water ????
98% is no. This tiny bit of added inertia might even help you calm the Board down. She’ll stick slightly less to your feet but will be more obedient. And since your stance is less precise than a Pro, she’ll soften your overkill. And you’ll have a Board that lasts. And for the Strapped ??? It makes no inkling of difference that is significant. Kitesurfing is so powerful that 500 gr is seriously ultra marginal as far as sensations and performance goes. On the other hand, when Strapped we slam hard in the Chop, we jump, and it puts the Board in duress. Without the 500 gr the Board is toast after 10 sessions. Why do I speak of 500 gr ? Because it is the weight of a sandwiched PVC or Cork deck on plus than the light techno. And to be definitively clear : I must remind you that ALL Boards are breakable. Heavy OR light. French Made or Chinese. The difference is in the impact tolerance that a heavily charged (with identical composites) Board will offer. But there is no indestructible Board. If you over do it ; you’ll break it.
Luckily everything is repairable with composites. Please no Drama, it is only an aquatic sport. So estimate well your needs. Who are you on the water ?
Then estimate your consumer budget, because it does concern consumption : how many Euros to 100 sessions can you spend/afford ? And please don’t fall victim to the ‘WOW’ effect, or, ‘Ouhaou Putain la Vache !!’ in French…….or……. ‘Joder la Madre que me Pario !!’ in Spanish….. Thank you.” Advisor : l’Ours et GONG Surfboards. Source : Team GONG Kite, share what you feel.
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