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Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

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Tony
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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby Tony » Thu Nov 22, 2012 5:42 pm

Thanks OnB,

No I read it. Guess I could have crafted my post a bit better.

I'm looking at the Monk Forever 132x41.
You're implying that the Monk Forever would have solved the low end issue and that would be the right choice for me?
The guys on the UK kiteforum all seem to favor the smaller boards and suggest that you give up the benefit of the Monk, the 'Monkness' with the 134x42 unless you're a BIG guy.
Would you pick the Joke or the Monk Forever? Why?

I'm riding mainly a surfboard these days but there are still TT days and they are not all nuking days. Absolute low end is not critical but I need more that a pure high wind board.

Ed,
Do you have the Monk or the Monk Forever? Size? Thoughts?

Tony

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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby ed257 » Thu Nov 22, 2012 6:41 pm

Tony wrote:
ed257 wrote:I ended up getting the Monk and am very happy with it. It is a fantastic all-around board.

I did not have an opportunity to try the Joke.

Ed
Which size did you get? Struggling with whether the 132x41 will have enough low end at 180lbs.
Tony,

I got the 135 x 42 (my wt is 187 lbs dry). It's the 2012 model, so I don't think its the "Forever". I have been finding that the Monk does all for me. I use it in light winds, medium winds, high winds, flat, chop, waves, boosting and carving. I am enjoying its versatility and the simplicity of having one board that does all so well. I already sold my lightwind board (I don't go too light) and may sell my mako 140, which I was using as my high wind and wave twin tip.

Ed

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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby ed257 » Thu Nov 22, 2012 6:44 pm

Oldnbroken wrote:I owned the Monk 132X41 and loved it...a lot.
But I thought I could really use the extra little bit of planing area the 135X42 Monk would offer at my 180 pound weight and the conditions we have here, the 132X41 needed some wind to go upwind, and I struggled in the lulls.
I was going to wait for the Monk Forever that addresses the original Monks lack of real early planing, but I'm not a patient kiter.
So I bought the Wainman Joke 138X41.5 and I like it better, most fun board I've ever been on ..just love it.
But I think both boards are among the very best boards out there.
Chris at Kite Naked hooked me up with both my Shinn boards and has sold Shinn boards to several of my friends, he suggested I try the Joke and has been helpful, informative and an all around great dealer.
As long as I'm plugging Kite Naked, he is your dealer for Wainman and Shinn and I believe he might be offering another great kite brand soon.
Chris opened a brick and mortar shop fairly recently in Benicia California, (near Sherman Island) called Benicia Kite and Paddle Sports.
www.kitenaked.com
The joke must be a great board. I have no regrets buying the monk - but it would have been nice to do a back to back comparison on the water.

I have the next size up monk from what you had. It rides a bit smaller than size would indicate.

Ed

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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby L0KI » Thu Nov 22, 2012 7:27 pm

No worries Tony :)
I know most of my posts are long and some folks skip the long winded replies.
The regular Monk 132X41 was a great board for me, but I did not go upwind well when the lulls hit.
If I was well powered, it went great..and is an absolute pleasure to ride, just a great well designed kiteboard.
Mark Shinn knows his stuff and the whole line of boards are really well designed.
I don't agree with the thought that that the next size up was going "ruin" the ride, but I never did get the bigger one, so I can't say that John B and Mike Birt are not right.
The first thing I said after my first ride on the Monk 132X41 was that the tips could stand to be a little firmer and that I would like a 135X41 or 133X42 or 135x42 sized Monk.
I guess it depends on where you kite, Chris at Kite Naked likes the 130X40 Monk and Chris is 200 pounds, but he rides at Sherman Island which blows hard all the damn time, so he sees a typical day differently than I do.
He rides the Joke 134 also and I bought the Joke 138X41.5 at 180 pounds.
Wainman recommends the 138 for people my weight/size, and the 138 Joke is perfect for me.
From what I'm reading, Mark Shinn did the things that I (and lots of others I'm sure) said needed to happen, to make the Monk Forever even better than the Monk.
It was already the best board I had ever ridden, the new one is probably out of this world.
I think a 132X41 Monk Forever would be perfect for you now that they changed it a bit, but I also think that if you went to the 134X42 you would love it as well.
I would recommend the Monk over the Joke to most folks, only because I know the Monk has universal appeal..nobody would ever ride the Monk and not like it.
On the other hand, I've read feedback about the Joke complaining that it takes a lot of power to plane and some say it feels too much like a wake style board and it is it too stiff.
I don't agree with any of that, ....it is not a stiff board, but it does not have the super softy tips that lots of the more popular freeride boards have now.
I don't think the Joke is a wake style only board, it has a bit of rocker and it has thick solid tips and is channeled on the bottom at the tips and it is longer like a wake style kiteboard, but I ride straps and I'm an old man and I am no wake style guy, and it feels fantastic to me.
I decided to get the size that Wainman says on their website for my weight and that took care of the need for tons of power, even the magazine reviewers tried the too small size for their weight.
At 138X41.5 the Joke planes well and goes upwind great.
I like the Joke because I can't flex the shit out of the tips and make it feel mushy.
The flex is through the whole board equally and that feels more like a good racing snowboard.
The rocker on the Joke makes it carve great and goes through chop fantastic.
The load and release on jumping feels the best ever, and the damn thing somehow allows you to land really wrong and not crash, which is good for me because I'm sloppy and not precise.
The only reason I say the Joke is not for everyone, is that it feels a little loose when you first demo it which might put a few people off on their demo ride, it is longer and stiffer than the shorter freeride boards also.
After you've been on it for a half hour, it no longer feels too loose and you realize you have tons of edge without needing the big fins the Shinns have.
I can't say the Joke is better, I will say that it is different and interesting and fun and I like it a lot.
I was ready for something different and had an open mind about it, and it turned out to be something special.
Chris at Kite Naked told me it was great for a year before I finally decided to give it a shot.
If you want to play safe and get a sure thing, the Monk is a no brainer, all the Shinns are great.
If you are ready for a new piece of strange, the Joke is a bad girl and will make you smile and laugh.
It is also built beautifully, the Austrian ski guys really make a clean board.

Ed-I sold my Makos after getting on a Shinn.
The original Monks do ride a size small, in my opinion.
Last edited by L0KI on Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby Thor SFBay » Thu Nov 22, 2012 7:40 pm

I noticed something strange about the Joke - it doesn't appear to have a handle on it. Is that true? That would be a deal breaker for me. It might not be strictly necessary, but a handle definitely comes in handy for a lot of uses.

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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby jespin4845 » Thu Nov 22, 2012 8:19 pm

yea, theres no handle on the joke

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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby L0KI » Thu Nov 22, 2012 9:07 pm

Yeah, the kids don't think it's cool.

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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby Pippi langsamer » Thu Nov 22, 2012 10:51 pm

Now you got me thinking :-?

I've got a new, as yet unused 2012 Monk II in 132x41. At around 180' I'm wondering whether I've made the right choice. I was hesitant before I bought, but went for the size stated.

Should I sell the board as new, or try it first?

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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby L0KI » Fri Nov 23, 2012 3:08 am

Really depends on whether you have steady wind or not.
With steady coastal winds, it just becomes a question of kite size.
If you have the right kite, the 132X41 is awesome.
In the lakes, with the gusts and lulls is where the 132X41 was a challenge when not lit.
The extra length of the Joke 138 is good to cope with that.
I would not sell it before trying.
After three rides, if you are careful, it will still be as new.

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Re: Shinn Monk vs. Wainman Joke

Postby Evolution Kites » Fri Nov 23, 2012 10:08 am

Totally different boards there mate. The Monk is a really cool, all around free ride board with big fins and nice pop. Where as riding the Joke (in a similar size) is like hovering over the water it's that smooth, it has small fins that makes it skatey (good thing) and it carves like only the Joke carves. If you want something that is smooth over chop/waves and wants to carve with more float and bite I'd recommend trying the Jimmy Lewis model 3.

I've had the 142 and the 138 Joke (not through the shop, my own) great for my old man knees and just a lively, smooth fun ride.

Try them both though, it depends how they feel on your feet rather than what the write up or anyone tells you.


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