A KITEBOARD FOR WOMEN:
Why we design kiteboards specifically for ladies
On average, women are lighter and shorter and have smaller feet.
Why we need a board specifically developed for women?
In general, we women are lighter and shorter than men. Designing a board particularly for women means to adjust its technical parameters based on our physical differences.
As a result, handling and manoeuvring the board becomes easier, and we can enjoy longer kiting sessions. Therefore, progress is faster, and we have more fun.
Our women's kite board is much lighter than men's kite boards.
LOWER BOARD WEIGHT
We develop our kite boards with an average female kiter in mindāthat is, a kiter who is 20-30 cm shorter and 20-30 kg lighter than the average male kiter. (Yes, it's just an average).
To achieve the same level of riding comfort that male kiters experience, we have adjusted the outline, thickness and length of the board. This means that the boardās weight changes as well.
The weight of a kite board should stand in direct correlation to the riderās body weight. Therefore, in most cases women's kite boards should be lighter than men's versions.
A lighter kite board ensures less tiring kiting sessionsāfrom carrying the board on the beach to manipulating the board in the water, from learning new tricks to manoeuvring the board while in the air.
Men's kite boards are much stiffer than what we require for our weight.
THE STIFFNESS
The stiffness of a kite board dictates how much the board will bend. The boardās stiffness will directly affect your pop, your landings, and how smooth you can ride in chop.
Most female kiters who ride men's boards in smaller sizes experience problems with their knees. Men's boards are designed with a rider weighing between 70 and 100kg in mind; therefore, menās boards are much stiffer than what is necessary for a rider of lower weight.
"For my partner (80kg), the board will behave differently than for me (60kg). He will be thrilled with the snappy pop and the soft landing, and he will stay on the water for ages. I, on the other hand, feel my knees after the first few jumps, and my legs burn after a few minutes in choppy water.
Because I love kiteboarding, I still enjoy my session, but not as much as I could with a more suitable board. Certainly, I won't progress as fast as I will with the right kite board."
Bindings that fit are a real game-changer ā
for riding, jumping, and landing.
BINDINGS THAT FIT
No one would enjoy walking around in shoes three sizes bigger than their feet. To have bindings that fit is not a luxury; it is a necessity, if you want to feel confident and progress at a quicker pace.
Women's kite boards come with smaller bindings that match your foot size. Compared to the one-size-fits-all bindings on men's boards this is a real game-changer:
- Your will ride with more confidence, since you can use your feet more efficiently during turns, slides, upwind riding, and so on.
- When jumping, you are less likely to lose your board in the air.
- Because your feet have full support, you will land more tricks.
Few brands offer amazing womenās designs that are stylish without being pink and flowery.
More than a pink or flowery design on a men's kite board
The kiteboarding female community is growing and the market is reacting to that - very slowly.
Is it shorter bars, fitting harnesses or suitable boards, most brands by now have realized the need and start selling women's equipment. We love to see this development just as much we love to watch the female kitesurfing community continuously growing.
But, kite equipment for women is still something fairly new on the market. In the beginning brands used to simply āshrink and pinkā their boards: They produced them in smaller sizes, change the graphics to pink, and called it the āgirl's version.ā
Now, brands very often work with their female team rider and develop women specific equipment and boards.
Good? Well, yes - but we are still far from equality in the kiteboarding industry. Most brands offer a women's twintip board - yes ONE. Right, and here is the problem. We are not all the same and do not have the same expectations in our board.
We have different levels and different styles but what we get, is one all-round board, that is supposed to suit all female rider - from beginner to pro. We beliefe that isn't possible.
One board can be an ok allrounder, but certainly not really, really good as a freeride/beginner board AND have really good freestyle performance.
"The kite board market, when it comes to boards anyways, paints a picture of us female rider as either being always beginner, or not willing to spend money on our equipment.
Female boards temped to be less pricy due to lower quality material used."
So it happens, that only one of the big kitebrands offers a carbon core twintip board for women. The Duotone Soleil extreme 2020.
This board offers everything female advanced rider can ask for to show their full potential in kiteboarding freestyle. A very sporty pop combined with a comfortable ride and smooth landing. Super light thanks to the carbon construction.
Well done Duotone!
Our BIG BLUE Barracuda is, just like the Soleil, a freestyle kiteboard specially designed for women. Thanks to the full carbon core, the board is incredible light, offers great pop performance but yet has the flexibility we want for smooth landing and comfortable riding. The 4-channel bottom and the outline will make you experience an amazing t board control and edge.
If you are an ambitious beginner or advanced rider, you are going to love this board - promise.
Our BIG BLUE Marlin (beginner-advanced) is the best choice if you're a new rider or love free-riding. The Marlin offers everything a newbee wishes for - the squarish outline and double channel bottom give this board a perfect upwind performance, it has a nice flex so riding even in choppy water is incredible comfortable and the board is very light even in the bigger sizes.
And here we are - Marlin is actually available in bigger sizes - Women's boards sizes on the market end at 136 max. the Marlin is the only real women specific beginner/lightwind board on the market since it is available in sizes between 130 cm up to 145cm. And not only beginner will appreciate the slightly bigger boards - the Marlin is also a perfect light wind board.
Yes, female specific is more than small sizes and beautiful design.
The BIG BLUE Barracuda is currently one of the only carbon core female specific kiteboards on the market .
BIG BLUE Boards is the first women-only kite board brand.
We bring equality to kiteboarding by offering high-quality equipment specifically designed for women.
Contact us:
E-mail us to: info@bigblueboards.com
Follow us on Insta: @bigblue.boards
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"WE EMPOWER YOU TO THRIVE IN EACH KITE SESSION!"
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