Kiteboarding /Stand up paddleboarding

Race limited
Comfortably cruising in 8 knots is no longer a dream…it‘s a reality! The reality is that you can now ride in conditions you would never have even considered to be kite-able. Ken Winner has used his 20 plus years of windsurf racing experience to develop a board with mind blowing upwind performance and extreme light wind capabilities. This board has already been proven in PKRA Racing by reigning champion Sean Farley. The earliest planing board ever developed for kiteboarding, the North Race Ltd. is the ultimate course racing board or simply a tool to get you upwind and cruising with very little effort. Angled twin blade-fins with symmetrical foils produce high lift and very little drag while the board‘s „wedge“ outline helps the fins to operate at the highest possible angle of attack. Sharp rails and a wide square tail give you plenty of „bite“ to push as hard as you want to fly upwind when you can barely feel a breeze on your face.
This is a seriuosly fast board with unbelievable upwind performance and after trying one at the North dealer meeting, within two tacks I knew I had to have one- COME TRY one with us at Gower kiteriders this summer.
Its not actually that bad in surf either - i tried it in solid 3-4 ft Polzeath surf over winter and it performed suprisingly well!

163cm x 45cm

SUP etiquette

With numbers of Stand up paddleboarders already on the increase I thought it was about time I put
an entry on ‘SUP etiqette’ before we annoy our wave brotheren so much, we get mobbed!
Coming from a surfing background and surfing all over the world i have seen wave localism in various different scenarios.
From don’t stare at the hawaiian in Hawaii, to drop in Brazilians in Bali through to full on fist fights in Narrabeen.
The whole point of surfing etiquette is Courtesy in the water although at times there can be blatant disregard for this.

Stand up paddlesurfing has’nt had good press from the surfing Community over the 2 years it has been mainstream.There was one incident
i read about on surfline recently where a Mavericks local out on his stand up was heckled and run over by a jetski driven by a Pro surfer.
This blog entry had lots of feedback some good some bad, bottom line it should not have happened ! a wipeout in big surf on a SUP could be fatal!
Most surfers already know the score- we’ve had canoes and wave skis in the water since the 80’s and we hated them, now SUP boarders are the new hated water ethusiasts in the lineup.

Stand up paddleboarding isn’t going to dissapear it will grow, and with this SUP’ers will get better and more radical on waves.
A paddle or SUP board in the face would not be a good thing, similarly a canoe, so if your new to SUP or already catching bombs try and act responsibly!
I had one occasion recently on a gower pointbreak where the shortboard surfers out, were paddling
Staight back out through the lineup, not Around the lineup like most good surfers realise! - This is what I class as surfing ‘etiquette’ so therfore why should SUP etiquette be any different!
Whether you’re a SUP addict, diehard surfer or Surfer who likes to SUP on small days: be couteous,aware, dont drop in, and dont be a wave hog.

Check this diagram if your new to it all- HAVE FUN !

The North Rhino has always been synonymous with extreme power and big jumps. The 2009 Rhino is no exception. Designed for jumping, racing and getting out in the lightest wind the ‘09 Rhino has the biggest low-end, best hang-time and best upwind speed of any kite in the North range. Less extreme sweep and a slightly flatter profile in the center and tips contribute to better high-wind stability, less drag in overpowered conditions and smooth, responsive turning. Improved lift makes it easy to get big lofty jumps that are vertical and drag-free. The simplified Attack Control Bridle permits substantial changes in angle of attack (power/de-power) without any undesirable twists in kite geometry which results in a surprisingly crisp and responsive bar feel.
Additionally, the AC bridle allows you to fly the Rhino on 5 lines for maximum safety or 4 lines without losing any performance. Although de-power is not as instantaneous when the safety is engaged in 4 line mode, the AC bridle does allow the Rhino to flip onto it’s back and de-power much like a 5th element. This is more than the answer to the Cabrinha IDS System! In order to keep the Rhino as light as possible, more light rip-stop has been utilized in the canopy as well as our tested and well-proven Snakeskin along the trailing edge.

In short a kite for bigger riders - freeride, great windrange and lots of hangtime!

The Rhino can be ridden on 4 or 5 lines. Due to the improved attack control bridle the kite can be made pressure-less even in the 4 line setup. Complete depower in no time is attained only by the 5th element!

Massive Hangtime and Lift
- Extremely Powerful Low-End
- Best Upwind Performance of the Range
- Highest Stability
- Improved Attack Control Bridle
- Crisp Bar Feeling
- Sizes: 7 / 9 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 16

COLOUR CHOICES

order yours here- RHINO 09

CRAZY FINS
Whilst out in Morocco i took a set of fins ive been eyeing up off one of my kiteboards and was ‘tres’ impressed
The fins are off the new NORTH KITEBOARDING ‘race limited’ board .A funny looking set of fins, angled twin blade-fins with symmetrical foils produce high lift and very little drag.
The ride on my GONG greedy 10′2 quad was amazing - so much speed in big waves i really had to stick the paddle in the water bigtime to slow down!
In smaller waves the fins performed very well too, lots of speed straight from takeoff i have since been playing around with different placements in the mini tuttle box setup use on all GONG stand up paddleboards
see the pictures - tried this setup yesterday in 3ft Gower surf and was very suprised -really loose off the top and lots of speed off the bottom (not what you would expect)


If your considering getting a STAND UP PADDLEBOARD ‘SUP’ this summer look no futher than a ‘GONG’ Galaxy of new Generations
we have stock of 9′3, 9′11 ,10′2 and 10′8
Call us on 07799062447