moomin

Well, it turns out that the answer was d) None of the above. I do have myself a shiny new North Select. Thanks to Boardworx for the excellent deal. I will admit it's a bit more bling than I originally set out looking for, but I think it'll do me for a good few years to come and will be the perfect board for mushy Camber chop. Now, hopefully the babysitter will turn up and the weather will be OK and the husband and I can celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary squabbling over whose turn it is to ride my board!

Because sadly I haven't won the lottery! Still down between the Brunotti and the Balance. Balance would work out about £180 more when you take into account pads as they don't come as standard. Can't decide if it's worth it!

Nah - Husband had the raptor and it was far too stiff for him, so won't be any good for me.

Yeah, thinking I might do the Jo Wilson one too! My MIL is in Norfolk, so I'm sure she'll jump at the chance for some quality grandson time. Again, it's been over a year since I was out on the water and will need to get my confidence back. Could give me a good nudge to get back into it over the summer, then nicely rounded off with the Lancing round in October. Need to get a new board though, but can steal hubbies in the mean time.

Trouble is, I'm not really a lighter rider! The pic is now... 5 years old, and I've had a baby since then :bag: I had a 132 Crazyfly girly board which I sold - it was OK, but it was a bit too soft. Flex is good, you need a bit of flex in the rough but I'd also like something that feels a bit more precise. Have now found a Pro Princess for about £300 - it might be too much of a bargain to resist.. but still thinking about the Balance!

Naish doesn't really appeal to me TBh.. Flexi - who are they? Do they make kite stuff? Nobile is OK but tiny - yes, I'm 5'4 but I stand little chance of landing anything as it is - I need a bit of board on my feet rather than a tea tray. Tell me more about the 133 Balance - what are they like flex wise? I like the 09 more than the 10 design wise! I think we're down to 2...

You only need to be able to get back upwind. If there was any other requirement I would be in serious trouble. I think the £30 is it - on her blog she originally said that she wanted to run them all for free, but couldn't get the sponsorship so just needs to cover costs. The Jo Wilson tour looks good - could quite fancy Hunny but not sure I have time to get back up to scratch! Also £60 for 3 hours!! Go on - convince the wife!

Why? Other than the fact you're a Naish dealer?

Well - you can jump, so you're already better than me. I could jump, but it seems a long time ago now! at least I have the summer to try and get back to some sort of standard - baby allowing!

So: 5'4. Too heavy Generally kiting in mushy Camber chop, occasional forays into flat water goodness. Looking for something cruisy, but with a bit of play to it just in case I get good (ha!) Choices: Brunotti Pro Princess - 130- x 40. Few 09 boards of eBay for under £400. Mark Shinn - Luigi's Brother. looks nice - liking the look of the shape & the flex in the tips. Would have to buy new girly footpads. Looks a good all round board. Balance - either 130 or 133. Again, looks like a good all round board and something that I'm not going to grow out of. Expensive though and no footpads so making it even more expensive! There's also the Shinn Monokini, but a) it has a stupid name and b) it's pink, so I'm not too keen. Suggestions welcome!

3 days of coaching with Kristin Boese for a measly £30? I'm in! KB4girls: UK, Lancing Anyone else going? Thinking it looks great - should certainly get me back riding over the summer after my post baby break. Hubby can look after the baby - I'm off kitesurfing! Could be a chance to learn some good tricks without all of the usual macho bollocks that you get on the beach

I would agree with basically everything! I'm not really that good (probably worse now after a baby and far too many months not kiting) but I was OK, and I wanted a board that was going to suit my style a bit better. As you say, the majority of girls boards are a basic board with none of the performance. Again, the thing that's always attracted me to the Pro Princess is it actually looked like a good board. I have size 5 feet, so also feel your pain with the whole foot straps issue. I read the blub for the Shinn board and sort of nodded along with it, until I got to this bit... When I realised I'm generally equally aggressive, weigh about the same and am riding the same sized kite!

When you say little girl, how old is she?

I have indeed, and also seen pics of the proto version in orange. Although the final version is pink - or more technically - fuchsia. I like the sound of the board. I like the fact that it's women's specific, and has been developed to be equally suitable for the more advanced rider (although I probably wouldn't be that advanced these days!) but I'm not liking the pink. I was wondering if it was just me, or if girls did actually like pink!

Ha ha.. so funny Teenflight - wouldn't happen to be the Mark Shinn board by any chance?

Do you actually like pink? Do you like buying women's kite surfing products because they're pink? Would you buy a pink board over a white board, if the design was the same? Would you buy a specific 'women's kite' if it was pink? I ask, because after a slight rant at a board producer about their latest offering (in pink) they have come back to say that it's pink because.... Girls like pink. So - do they? Really? Me, not so much. I'd like to buy a women's specific kite board for a variety of reasons - I like supporting the women's market for products. More women buy women's products, the greater the market, the better the designs get etc etc. I want something with a smaller stance & small footpads. But I don't always want to stand out on the water as a girl. I've never felt that proclaiming my gender whilst kitesurfing to be particularly important, and generally it attracts negative attention from 'helpers' with their useful advice. I've always liked Bruotti's designs personally, and if I had all the money in the world then a '10 Pro Princess would be mine. Clean and feminine, but classic and above all - white! What do you think?

Weird, the North website states it's - Size: 138cm x 42,5cm / 2,9kg The North Paris looks OK. TBH, I think I'm going to wait until the 2010 kit comes out. I have a 10 week old baby, so the chances of me getting out a huge amount this year are slim, and I'll just steal my husbands board in the mean time as it's unlikely we'll both be out together.

It's not really a case of it being 'girly' enough. Does it have a narrower stance and smaller foot pads? Then it's 'girly' enough for me. What is it, and what's it like to ride? ETA - If it's a Sky Pro it's a 138? How is that a girls board?

I didn't see them at the BKSA although I was told they were there. I emailed Powerkiteshop who said that yes, they'd heard the same thing but would know more by the end of August. I've also left a message via Facebook, so will let you know if they come back to me. Sucks big time! I had a Crazy Fly girls last year and it was nice, but a bit too soft for me. We're moving soon though, and I'm going from choppy, messy, Camber Sands crappyness to mostly flat water Norfolk loveliness, so will be looking for a slightly different board anyway. Apparently Spleene may be bringing out a Womens' board next year. My OH had a 2007 Spleene Rip last year which I road a few times and was quite nice. Liquidforce do a range of ladies options, which would come with the supposedly nice Stiletto bindings, but they still look horrible (pink!) to me. The North Paris is also supposed to be a good board, and I've just noticed that for 2009 they have a 'Pro' model out. Expensive though, but not too pink...

Oh crap, don't tell me that! The Pro Princess was just about the only girls board that actually appealed to me. Something that was technically on par with the top spec male board, and not bloody pink! PKS are still saying pre order is available for September delivery. Have you tried contacting them direct? No idea about the Onyx / Princess comparison though. I seem to remember that Brunotti were at the BKSA last year, and I'm going tomorrow. If they are there then I will interrogate them about the pro princess though!

Still succeeding more that you ever did

Cheers. Looks like I've sold my other board, so we might be tempted! When I say I'm hoping to get 360's nailed this year, what I actually mean is I'm hoping to get out twice before October, as I think this is probably a more reasonable estimate! I'm hoping that a kite surfing hubby and a helpful mother in law (is that an oxymoron?) might actually make it possible to get in the odd session before the blighter is 5...!

As I'm very nearly 9 months pregnant, now seems to be an ideal time to ponder the purchase of a new board. There's nothing really wrong with my old board, but the Brunotti speaks to me in a way that I can't describe. I'd like to buy something something that's developed for the women's market, and this seems to fit the bill. It's also not pink, which is also a bonus. Skill wise - I'm landing (small) jumps, and baby allowing I'm hoping to get 360's nailed this year. Hopeful move to Norfolk in summer means flat water conditions - Woo! Anyone seen one / ridden one / have any comments to make? Oh - and if anyone wants a Crazy Fly 2008 Girls 132 x 38, then I might have one for sale

But.. but... meerkats. What is currently meerkat will shortly be human. C'mon... think metaphysical, rather than live in the constructs of an (admittedly crappy) pop song. Allow your own imaginary menagerie to grow and flourish!

Well - for a semi serious answer.. CV work just generally. Rowing machine is really good, and gives you the most effective full body work out for a CV machine. Lateral pull downs if you have a machine to keep the shoulders in trim, or alternatively do pull ups / chin ups if you have an assisted machine (or can do full pull ups, if you're hard!) I used to find that I braced with my thighs, so would do some abductor / adductor (push out or squeeze in with your thighs) if you have the right machines. Weighted squats would also be good for your quads - general trend these days if to do up against a wall with a fit ball between the wall and your back - weight in each hand. Keep your knees over your toes, or ask your instructor how to do them properly. Again, if you have the fit balls then do some core strength work, crunches / twists etc. Climbing is really good - great for core strength, leg strength, upper body and certainly arms! Although almost as addictive as kiting, so be warned. Swimming is also good for 'off' days, or 'rest' days. Can be good post gym session, as will re-work / stretch out your muscles without adding additional stress. Oh yeah - stretch, stretch and stretch to make sure you don't get injured.