I hit up Ireland's South Coast on a recent road trip and was lucky enough to have the Shinn Monk Kitesurf Board in tow. The monk found itself at home in every condition the South Irish sea could throw at me, from calm flat waters to choppy waves the Monk handled the conditions like you would expect a gorilla to handle swinging on branches - totally at ease!
The monk was quick to gain its King Kong reputation in the world of kiting for its incredible freestyle skills. I could see the source of this status was clear from the moment I experienced the ecstasy of my first session on the Monk. It is a wicked board with some serious visual presence; with a face like that you would expect the performance to live up to its look, and da
mn it does!The board carves effortlessly in all conditions and with total elimination of spray. It manages to turn the most strenuous of conditions into the most pleasurable session, regardless of how choppy the sea is. The flex and profile of the board seem to be perfectly tuned to suit any riding style and whatever riding conditions you might be faced with. It carves beautifully through the chop, and it's got that balanced sensation that you'd expect from a directional board, not a
The monk's versatility is probably my favourite characteristic, whether you're going for an underpowered approach when learning new tricks or going big with the kite powered up, as a rider you feel the board just wants to adapt to whatever you give it. This does a lot for your self confidence, the board is fast and punchy when you want it to be, but also forgiving when you get it wrong. When you push for a hard edge, the rail does the work for you, it wants to be ridden hard, fast and stay up-wind.The wake-style pop of this board is just immense, it holds so much speed as you carve, if you like aggressive edging then you'll love the monk.The pads are really comfortable and easy to tune to your own requirements, riding all day
doesn't lead to any pressure points or discomfort, the name 'sneaker' does it justice.I would say the graphics on the board are best contrasted to 'marmite'. You'll either love it or you'll hate it! I'll let you decide, however I can assure you that it won't be long before you find a soft-spot for the Monk, as every kiter has room for one of these beasts in their lives!
Vanessa ProcterS2AS Team Rider
For More info Call S2AS on
01202 738448 Poole
01303 268269 Kent
01273 746836 Brighton