The Wainman Blunt is also pretty great. I was riding a 10.5 Punch on a SS Asylum 141 in horrible chop w/gusty wind. I was having a terrible time staying powered consistently and cutting through the chop. I swapped over to the Blunt 130 and it was night and day! I'm not really certain why, but that board feels like it's on rails. I've ridden it twice now, in the same conditions and I couldn't be more impressed. I don't own it (I'd borrowed it for a little bit), but I'm considering getting one now. And at 6'1/230 lb (104kg), that 130 is the smallest board I've ever ridden.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I work for a shop and we sell most of the boards you're talking about. I haven't ridden the Monk, Mako, or the Raptor Pro LTD. I have been eyeing that LTD something fierce, though. I suspect that one is also going to end up in my quiver. Too many boards, not enough money!

I had a 140 Mako, unfortunately it broke, but it was a great ride. I also have a Shinn Monk. However, the board I prefer over both of those is the Xenon Laluz. It is such a fun board to ride, it feels a little more loose than the Monk and still loads up nicely for jumps.

Spraying is problem of flat boards, rocker boards is good way to avoid it also good for chop, but rocker does not fit well for gusty conditions. In my opinion great freestyle board is Aboards Z-series - great in upwind, nice pop and good control in the same time.

Freeride=Jimmy Lewis Model III. Try it and put a stop to this nonsense! In fact you can all try it and then compare it to your own personal favourites. It s a different type of board completely from your Raptors, Monks, A series, 50-50, Laluz etc....these are all built along exactly the same lines with the same materials, with the tweaking done over the rocker, bottom shape, tip width etc. The JLboards are built differently - no wood core, no sharp rails, no nothing. If you kite on the sea or anywhere which doesn t have completely flat water and need a go to free ride board, you ve got it. Find one, demo it, don t look back.

Fern,

What size Monk and LALUZ do you have? How did you break your mako 140? Lastly, what is your weight?

Thx,

Ed

My favorite freeride boards this year were the Trax from F-One and the Monk 2, one both of them I had to go a few sizes higher than the normaly I ride doe the rocker but they were awesome in medium to high chop. No spray issues, lots of pop and easy to land on,

My top 3 are the Xenon LaLuz Xenon Rayo and the Fone Trax.
Never got a chance to test the Monk though...

For me, my top 3 would be the Shinn Monk, the Flyradical 4 and then the Fone Trax. But there is a fair difference between a 2010 Trax (wich I loved) and the 2012 (that I did not liked as much). I did ride theses three in the last year but my final choice went for the Monk because it is the most comfortable of the lot IMO.

Love my mako king and I boost as huge as I'd want to as a 42 yr old! The board is awesome on the knees and super carvy. I am now looking for a playful directional that matches it in mushy conditions etc, but I'd never sell my mako. There was an amazing explanation one one of these sites that explains the water line etc. that posted explained why the board rips upwind and has good lightwind abilities despite seeming to have so much rocker and concave, it boiled down to a flat water line in a real water situation but the concave throws the water away and spas the knees from the chop. The poster was clever enough to show the effective flat waterline with a ruler on the bottom of his board.

I ride in bc canada, but I had the chance to visit and ride in newport Rhode Island a few years back. Great spots and local scene.

Aside: I do all have a sector 60, but not at all related to this thread I just wanted you to know I'm not a rep! In terms of the directional for mush Im pursuing I'm psyched to try the liquid force little phatty and north nugget. I know the mako king can be ridden mutant style, but I'm already down the true directional path..

Speedball? Shinn??