davesails7 wrote:Is there some trick to manufacturing a board with all that concave and rocker that no one else has bothered to work at?
I've been riding my 140 since the 140 came out in I think 2009? I've owned several other boards that others said I would like more, but I've sold all of the others because the mako is still my favorite. It's also indestructible, so I'm still on my original 140 after probably 400 sessions.
Dave, there is absolutely a manufacturing process that would take time to work out. It's not like splitting the atom but it took us a long time to get from where we started 13 years ago to where we are now with a wood core and ultra thin rails.
Stoked you're stoked on your 140! I rode the 140 for years (am a 135cm guy now! lol)
plummet wrote:I liked the Mako 140 and King when I tried them. Very smooth boards. the 140 was so chuckable and fun. I would own one if it wasn't for the fact that I dabble at making my own boards. I did note that even though they are smooth at riding chop and great at carving they also can be harsh at speed. I put this down to the huge concave making them so stiff.
The Makos are actually very stable at speeds but it takes a little time to get used to the way to ride them. The Mako only has 2x fins, not 4 like normal TTs and is designed to be carved off the rail, the fins only provide directional (not lateral) stability). This means you need to be quite far forward over your front foot, much more like a snowboard. If you ride off your back foot the Mako will feel very squirrely and therefore quite nervous at higher speeds.
As soon as you get out front on the board and over your front foot, you can hammer on the gas and feel very comfortable at high speeds.
plummet wrote:I find my own board smoother and a lot less harsh at speed than the mako. That's due to less concave and more tip flexibility... but at the sacrifice of carvability. The mako out carves my board...
Totally agree, for most TT boards tip flex helps with this issue. However, as mentioned above the Mako needs the rider to be front foot weighted, once on your front foot the board smooths chop and handles speeds beautifully. Whenever I run demos with the Mako it is the only thing I tell people "get your weight forward"...
plummet wrote:Any way 13 years of production is many lifetimes in the world of kiteboarding. It is truly a worthy achievement.
Thanks!
ShaveTheWhales wrote:I like the colours - good for a spew after a night on the turps.. then ready to rock again
very eye catching..
Totally agree, we are pretty excited about the new look... we've moved with all of our gear towards a very "technical" look, trying to make all of our equipment timeless and focused on their technical merits.
pmaggie wrote:Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to test both the Mako and the OR Kites here in Italy but I bought some years ago an OR drysuit and it is the best one I've ever seen. Quality is astonishing, the design at the time I bought it was completely different and far more advanced than the others (I think it is the "Surf", the close-fitting one with the additional external neoprene layer). After several years of use is like new, I only changed one time the latex inserts and actually not a drop of water comes in.
I'd really like to test a Mako anyway.
Very flattered - thank-you.
As of 6 months ago we opened a European sales office and warehouse with a full time sales and support staff and stocked warehouse of kites, boards, drysuits and accessories. Please get in touch with us directly to arrange a demo of any equipment you like.
Currently, we lack adequate distribution into Italy but are working hard to find suitable retail and distribution partners. Stand by!
markchatwin wrote:Agree with Kamikuza! It's a smooth sprayless ride. If there's one board I want to go out on first when I arrive at a crazy swirling ocean that I've never kited it's the Mako King...
Nothing is perfect though. The King is heavy and makes jumping a chore with rough landings. But small jumps and chop hops are fine. I owned the 140 and it was too small, needed a lot of wind...
The one board quiver is the 150. It's lighter than the King yet still got some length. So it carves reasonably well in the surf and still can pop some jumps pretty well. Oddly enough I have never owned it but am always looking for one.
The King is quite big to jump, it's true. One tip that applies to jumping all sizes of Mako board is to carve as hard up wind as possible before sending the kite. (As in, don't try to load and pop the tail like a normal TT). By carving up wind you help break the surface tension on the underside of the board. All that concave can suck to the water.
However, if you manage to break the tension you can jump the Mako HUGE as it gives such a large rail to carve against and resist the initial pull of the kite, helping you load the lines for maximum pop.
The smaller Makos do need a lot of wind, I ride the 135cm and love it but need to be powered up. It's a riot to ride though when powered. As for the 150, it is our best selling size for a reason - if you are to own only one Mako, it's the one to buy! I believe
Windance might still have some from last season for sale.
rodeoclown wrote:Ride a mako at flat out top speed with your weight centered and lay down a toe side as hard as you can...that's what makes this board! Amazing carve control!
Totally agree Craig!
Cheers guys, happy to respond if there are any more comments.
~John Z OR