Had ankle probs for years and as I said had surgery not long ago to have some serious spurs cut out.

The other day (on another board), trialing another kite for a friend, I have done something serioulsy wriong to my left ankle. The left side is completely numb and when I push on the right side a pain shoots up the left. (has me fucked what it is).

Anyhow not a problem to ride on the Shinn Monk, still getting out there, don't feel a thing while riding.

Except when i get in it is foot in the ice bucket stuff...But that's the foots fault not the board!

To pick up Toby's point, he is right about kite choice as well. I'm on the ozone edges now, smooth graceful and the landings or should I say glidings are as soft as butter. If you want to jump consider a higher aspect kite such as a Dyno or Edge that give you that glide in the right hands of course. Then combine this with a Monk.

Why? Becuase high aspect kites like speed, they develop speed through apparent wind. The faster you can go while still holding an edge the higher you will go without pendulating under the kite. Never ridden a board that can take such speeds while edging even in choppy conditions.

But if ya kite on the flat glassy stuff you see toby in, then he's right, the board becomes less important and the kite becomes very important.


Hey Toby...feel like breaking down your jumping technique, including kite and body positions while in the air...just for a normal jump, not the crazy shit we see you do!

ps Can't wait for the vid man!

I also ride in chop and up to 2m waves (ramps!). In flat water less hassle for the knees...hard chop can be a problem for knees while you ride...also for the landing. Then I don't think a softer board will make such big difference, if you land on hard, short chop. A little for sure.
If you ride in waves and use it as ramps, you also need a good hangtime kite, because you get higher, and down quicker, resulting to hard impacts on the knees.



well, nothing special, I am sure you do exactly like I do it.
- get speed (most are not fast enough!)
- send the kite (make the movement of the kite as short as possible, therefore you need pressure in the kite!)
- pull the bar and edge hard
- lift off and fly

Kite should be in zenith and stay there...and you just below
Body position is just as you need for the trick...



me, neither...about time to finish it! Hopefully January! But looks like it.

Ya Toby, the little kite movement is a finer distinction actually, ta.

Here in Dahab (Egypt) where I live, I got used to enjoy my ride in all this conditions thanx to a TT board that fits all my styles from old and new school moves till some wave riding. I believe nowadays the most important characteristics for a kiteboard is versatility without losing performance. Most of the brands also focus their attention on comfort preventing annoying sprays in your eyes and a smooth ride through chops. I have myself a North Jaime 135x41..other board I could suggest is the Nobile NHP. They both have butter feeling on knees, also for me very important as I spend most of my time kiting. Other option perhaps the Naish Haze or RRD Bliss, still decent freeride boards.
However less stressful for knees would be riding in flat water...come visit Dahab lagoon, a small piece of heaven!
Greetings from Happy Kite wind addicted surfing community!

I just picked up a Monk Forever. As a rider in the 200lb range, I was struggling to find the right board that would support me enough to get upwind consistently and freeride without fighting the board. I picked up a 136 Cabrinha Caliber last season and really fought getting it upwind, when I could truck upwind on my 146 Lowrider. I know, that's a contradiction right? Regardless, that told me my board choice was poor. It's amazing how hard it can be to choose the right equipment for yourself, riding abilities, and technique.

I connected with some Shinn folks and they recommended the Monk for freestyle and freeride. They also said that the Dundee has a softer profile and is even great in washing machine conditions, so that was an option except for the sizing challenge. SuperShinn was also in the mix, with stiffer center offset by my body weight. In the end, it came down to the Monk having such rave reviews by so many folks, and the SS had the right sizes but the profile was a bit different than my riding style. It really comes down to weight, skill, and board profile when you don't have the options to demo the boards.

Those are my research lessons.