| First impressions of the Luke Young Custom | | | | session was not so good, my back foot was stuck in |
| directional kiteboard. | | | | the tail strap while my front foot was bouncing all |
| Luke shaped the directional kiteboard with design | | | | over the place in the heavy chop. After that session |
| influences taken from the Cyborg surfboard. A | | | | I decided to take the straps off and give strapless |
| narrow tail plan shape and quad fin design hold the | | | | riding ago! |
| board in the water at high speed, and while wave | | | | With the board floating in front of me and the kite at |
| surfing. The kiteboard has a low rocker throughout, | | | | twelve, I put my heels on the board and sent the |
| with a rolled vee through the nose to break up | | | | kite down for a board start. Directional kiteboards are |
| surface chop. The centre section is shaped single | | | | so buoyant that the start is much easier than |
| concave, running back to double concave through the | | | | expected. Having gotten up and riding I pointed the |
| fins and out the tail, increasing drive and control. | | | | board downwind and leant back, adjusting my feet |
| Straps are totally optional, and although bolting points | | | | to a wider stance stopped my front leg popping into |
| are built into the board the straps themselves are | | | | the air and I found myself most comfortable as I |
| not included. | | | | moved my back foot towards the centre of the |
| I first went out on the board in September last year, | | | | board. As I was kitesurfing, I felt that the board was |
| at Daymer Bay in Cornwall riding strapped. It was an | | | | a part of me, but not attached, because of this I |
| excellent first session on a directional board - when | | | | couldn't help but feel like a surfer. Positioning the kite |
| riding the waves the stance was ideal, but for normal | | | | deep in the wind and charging at what swell we |
| cruising it was a bit painful. | | | | have, I unleashed a variety of cutbacks, floaters and |
| My second kitesurfing trip with the Luke Young | | | | aerials with grabs. I rode back to the beach happy! |
| board took me to Hill Head in Hampshire. Having lent | | | | Riding strapless has given me a completely different |
| a friend my usual twin-tip kiteboard, I took the 5'4" | | | | outlook when kitesurfing, I am no longer worried |
| surfboard out in relatively good wind - Once again I | | | | about lending my twin tip North kiteboard to friends |
| decided to use the footstraps, it was all great fun | | | | as I've found the directional board suits the local |
| until the front strap bolt came out and I had no | | | | conditions far better. |
| choice but to kitesurf without it. The rest of the | | | | |