Mike Birt

Good Job, I spent a lot of time comparative testing, so I was sure of how the boards were performing, but it's good to hear from everyone... There will always be bad feedback as rider needs are so varied, but I aimed to make a board that every standard of rider could enjoy; a good board should have a great deal of universal appeal...

Thanks, please bear in mind though that these are very high end boards - the constriction, shape, finishing and accessories are as good as it gets. The reason they are good value is that they are UK based; this is their home, and when they make it abroad they will be more expensive for sure. When I took them to show the shops I asked for a unprompted opinion of what would be a competitive RRP for them in the current industry. their reply was between 425 - 475... they look very impressive in real life.

Courtesy of Red Bull and Facebook... some exceptional images here.. a real insight in to extraordinary people and their lives... Having played at a few of these sports, as well as a keen eye for a good image I find this collection just stunning.... red bull photo archive

There was an initial sample delivery that was bought before the main launch.. This is to be found at; http://www.andybiggs.co.uk Buy Windsurfing and Water Sports equipment online | 24-7 Boardsports ! A Power Kite Shop - Power Kites Kiteboarding Flexifoil Kite Buggies Landboarding Kitesurf Boards UK Buggy Equipment Suppliers Powerkiteshop - Kite Shop Powerkiteshop Power Kite Shop West Midlands UK Birmingham Flexifoil Ozone Cabrinha Naish HQ F-On Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, and Surfing Equipment - Surfstore Poole Harbour Watersports | FREE DELIVERY to UK & Europe Kite Surfing | Power Kites | Fleetwood | North West | UK At the end of the month the next delivery will arrive and every mainstream shop in the UK will have access to them, as well as a functioning demo fleet at HQ.. RRP Prices; Evolution (with ergo footpack) £349 Evolution (with Propack) £379 Widebody (with Ergo footpack) £379 Widebody (with Propack) £399 Sizes; Evolution - 130x40, 132x42, 134x44cm Widebody - 120x44cm

Evolution; http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/222.jpg http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/25.jpg http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/juicekiteboards121.jpg http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/IMG0511.jpg Widebody; http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/206.jpg http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/mike2web2.jpg http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/soulcarve.jpg http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/nosegrab.jpg

http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/logow.jpg Hello all, May I extend a cordial welcome to the rebirth of the UK’s first production kiteboard brand. With over ten years invested in the international kitesurfing business we thought it was about time that we took our knowledge back to the UK, after all this is where we ride, test and judge the performance of our equipment by, so it seems only right to bring it home.... Juice is a rider lead team, drawing on a long history of putting the development of product at the forefront of what we do. This Autumn we present to you two ranges of twin tips, both designed to help you reach the full potential of your time on the water. From expert to beginner the engineering that underpins these boards is designed to give you the freedom to concentrate on what you are doing, not trying to make the board comply to the conditions you find yourself in. Juice Evolution Multidiscipline freeride. http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/evokb1.jpg Welcome to the Juice Evolution. As the name suggest this multi-discipline twin tip series is an evolution of 10 years worth of knowledge and experience dating back to the very beginnings of the sport. Making a board that appeals to all riders is not the easiest of tasks, but we feel that a truly exceptional board should do nothing less. Whether you are taking your first nervous steps in the sport or loading up to critical bite levels as an expert, the evolution has been tuned to win your trust. It's our opinion that your board should be responsible for cutting through the background white noise of your session, bringing you only the feedback that is constructive to your technique. The aim is to free up your concentration, forgiving minor mistakes and brushing off the inconsistencies of challenging conditions to leave you free to concentrate on riding. If you don't have to manhandle your board, the extra concentration it releases can be put to far better use elsewhere. In addition the board needs to achieve what the rider demands, and in this the Evolution will take all you care to throw at it. From the most aggressive styles to the most inclement conditions, there is a wealth of technology, history and prototyping to make sure that it both encourages progression and never holds back aggression. We don't claim that the Evolution is the best board in the world, for that would be wildly arrogant, but it may well be the best board in the world for you. The Evolution comes in three sizes and three different flex patterns, all specifically aimed at different sized riders. Width is key; it is the absolute measure of a board's size, for length tells very little to the seasoned rider. Whilst there are overlaps for riders who kite with extremely low and high power usage, we offer the following guide. 130x40 - ideal weight range under 73kg 132x42 - ideal weight range 73-85kg 134x44 - ideal weight range over 85kg If you would like a personal recommendation, please write to us with you weight and description of your riding standard. more details on Juice Kiteboarding Juice Widebody .Newschool freeride http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/wbkb1.jpg Widebody - Why less is more Every once in a while something comes along that makes you have a serious think about why things are the way they are. Welcome to a new way of looking at traditional Twin Tip design, and a new frontier for mainstream freeride kiteboarding. Short, wide, effortless, balanced, and reactive with unprecedented windrange. The Widebody is a revolution for those who define the true essence of freeride. It's quite some boast, but then it's a radically different shape. If you are open to new ideas, and enjoy being part of the cutting edge of the sport, then read on. Freeride TT's just became a lot easier to ride, a great deal more practical and more importantly, fun. Have you ridden a directional lately? If you have ridden a modern directional surfboard lately you will have noticed just how far back your back foot is. Compared to the old days it's a long way back, almost on the tail. The other thing you will notice is that the pressure distributed to the board through both back and front feet is even. A directional board's stance does not have to compromise, so the stance can be set to the perfect position. Perfect for loading, perfect for carving and perfect for straight line control. The only problem is; you have to turn it round. Conversely, the compromise made on twin tips is the opposite. To enjoy the advantage of having a symmetrical board you have to compromise on the ideal foot placings. For the last five years twin tip designs have been pigeon-holed in a certain size category, normally 130-140cm in length. This length means that there is a great deal of board still left behind your back foot; as a result the stance is heavily compromised, else it would not be able to ride symmetrically on either tack. Not so on the Widebody. This is where the Widebody starts to break the rules; alterations in rocker, outline and width have allowed us to get very close to a directional stance, on both tacks. The result is a board that feels effortless to ride. Near even foot pressure and effortless riding, mile after mile. The secondary benefit to even foot loading is that you'll find a great deal more strength and endurance in your legs. From a raw power and endurance perspective, two legs, it seems, are far superior to one. This is only half the story however. As the length shortens, the planing area decreases, and so the board width has to rise. This brings a host of other advantages. In comparison to a normal twin, the Widebody feels alive underfoot; such a short length brings a very low swing weight and a highly reactive feel. From a mechanical perspective the depth of rail projection into the water is greatly increased compared to the total surface area in contact with the water. This means more bite, efficiency, upwind ability and power handling capablity. Far from overpowering your ankles the shorter rail enables you to exploit this bite far more effectively than a traditional twin. The shorter length also allows a lower rocker which adds even more efficiency to the hull. The result is unprecedented levels of range, efficiency, comfort, lively feel and grip. Riding at normal power levels brings a vast wealth of range; if the power drops you keep pointing, if the kite surges you have a huge reservoir of grip and trust. In the lightest of winds early planing is also hugely improved, for the efficiency and resistance of the board to being pulled sideways (or crabbling) is greatly reduced. As a result, the Widebody has the same planing potential as a 44cm wide traditional twin, yet can deal with as much power than as a traditional 40cm wide board when the wind picks up. - More endurance - no back leg burnout. - Less fatigue; ride for longer. - Feels alive and reactive, a real feeling of athletic confidence. - Hugely improved stance transition, heel to toes side switch is so easy. - Devastating upwind, points much higher. - Huge windrange ride effectively in much lighter and stronger conditions. - Versatility; can be ridden with minimal or extraordinary levels of power. - Very Practical as a one only board. - Easy and trusting to carve. So why does Juice also make regular sized TT's. If the Widebody is that good, what place does the Evolution have in a direct freeride comparison? It's a fair question, and one we ask ourselves regularly as prototyping continues. The need for a traditional range of twins is one reason, yet those freeriders who try the Widebody may disagree. Certainly in heavy, hardcore chop, as well as under the heels of harder core freestyle moves and long fast carves the Evolution is a better board. Everywhere else, we feel the Widebody is superior. If you are a 65-88kg, and a regular freeride kiteboarder, we think that this board could well mark the turning point for the future of freeride TT design. Pad Systems Pro pad These pads are our premium pads - solid, wedged with intercahangable foam inserts to alter the compression of the base plate. For full detals see; Juice Kiteboarding http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/pro pad.jpg http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/pro pad 2.jpg Ergo Pad These pads are our Ergo mainstream pads. Flat based, solid and very comfortable they are highly effective. For Full details see; Juice Kiteboarding http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/images/ergo1.jpg

I can find one flaw in your plan. There appears to be no water in your video... :-)

Shinn Kiteboarding will definitely be there, and I hope to have samples of a new UK brand too...

I'm on the East coast too, but I nearly froze to death last weekend.. 6 degrees.. rode with ibby who was in boots, hat and gloves.. in May!!! My no boots rule meant I lasted an hour.. then the hailstones polished me off!!!

I actually read in "new scientist" (boffin mag) that the lack of SW wind/change in the jet stream is due to the low solar activity at the mo not heating a specific section of the upper atmosphere, and this causes the high altitude jet streams to shift. They change their minds in that mag every month though. Other times of extreme documented UK cold through continental winds correlate to low solar output levels... They said they have records going back a long way. So give the sun a sir!!! Having just returned from a tour of the shops it's obvious no one is riding. It's really bad. The season just hasn't started! and it's the middle of May!! Keep your eye on the forecast tho, and don't loose heart.. I had a classic 2 hours at Rhossi last night, a bit overpowered on a 10m NHP and 130 Luigi... it reminded me of what we have been missing. Feel for the windsurfers though.. These easterly airstreams are bad news for every wind powered industry... :-(

link to the release n the shinn website; Shinn - all we do is talk talk talk

In the flesh the board looks good, and done with style it works really well. Lets just hope it doesn't ever end up in this situation, as I'll be round to take the board back!

ha ha, I hear you there... but hey, beach towel and board in one... It's a one shot single order, so they will sell out (it's not a board that will ever be produced again)... and I'm getting very few. The sample is getting picked up at S2AS Brighton in the morning. I'll run it past the "living with every day" filter in the morning. :-)

good guess...! shot was from Knokke, Belgium. Mark has a base in Tenerife, and also a life in Belgium... yet to be honest he moves around so much in the summer he really doesn't live anywhere for very long!

Available only in the UK, in 4 weeks time. Mr Shinn brings something back to his homeland, and only for his homeland. http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-10/1098314/TheSterling1.jpg

Actually i don't work for Surfstore anymore... I'm still on very good terms, but the kiting side of things there is being headed up by a new chap called Carl. I now work only with Shinn, and outside Teesside for the most part.

Some good looking boards.. I have played with vacuum bagged epoxy directionals - time consuming, but fun, and pretty cheap once you have the pump, The custom board shaper I worked with for years gave up making twin tips when the snowboard tech kicked in, in his opinion he could make nothing that would justify the extra cost of a custom build... still I'm impressed with the above, and after all there is something about making your own board.. it's a lot of fun.

Actually I have not revisited boots since the wakeboard 2 line kite days of old... I remember plenty of shingle pies as I was dragged back up the beach ;-) The next delivery comes in at the end of the week. Your preferred width is around 40cm, right? Be interested what you think of the Player, it's very smooth but very dedicated!

38mm is standard through nearly all production boards.. it's the wakeboard fitting distance from old...

38mm is standard hrough nearly all production boards.. it's the wakeboard fitting distance from old...

Yorkie - Nice Avatar!! Indeed - I hear there is a Budle opening going on this weekend... I'll be up in the far north of Scotland though, but I will be chasing the conditions as much as possible this year.. I am my own master! I have a regular eye on the forecast for those strong south winds; Beadnell is probably my favouirte spot ever when it blows hard.. Thanks Tom.. about time I sent you a demo board don't you think? ;-)

Hello Kitecrowd, my first posting here... I've been in an around the kitesurf industry since the very beginning... I even used to import the Wipika Classics (apologies for that one.. but there really was very little choice back in the day!) I'll be joining the forum to help and contribute where I can and share in some more of the UK's enthusiasm for kiting... here's hoping for an epic summer... regards to all...