exclusief Mark Shinn interview op www.boardhigh.com

Marks thoughts on kite set up/rope & cleat systems / kite sizes & windranges / pigtails / The X3 & X10 / Boards / Grab Handles / Technique & locations


Kites -

How do you set up both your X2 & Aero IIs - do you use 27m lines @ all times on both ?
I always use 27m lines on all kites. I like to ride waves and jump at the same time and shorter lines always reduces your jumping performance. I ride with a long fixed harness line (30 inch) so I set my kites so that when I am in the fixed line I have full power.

Which bridle attachment points on the bars do you use & why/what is the
performance difference in the settings ?
I normally use the longest attatchment point as my fixed line is so long. This means full power on the kite is around half way up the depower line. This gives a lot of room for over sheeting the kite (too much back line pressure). I have to be careful of this when I ride. If you use the shortest settings then you have full power when the bar is fully sheeted in and there is no possibility to oversheet the kite. This is a personal setting up issue….you need to find what works best for you.

Which kite attachment points do you use on both the X2 & Aero II - ie
the outers or inners - what is the difference in performance & why ?
I always use the middle attatchment points on all kites. The 3 knots are another option to change the power of the kite. If you have adjustment on your bar you do not really need them. The front lines have 2 settings and this is for power regulation. On the inner setting the kite has more power as you are effectively moving the center of effort back. This means a slight loss of depower but a lot more bottum end. The front settings give more depower range but less power overall. I always use the back setting as I am heavy and want the power. On the back of the kite the settings are to adjust the turning speed of the kite. More inwards and the kite will turn slower. I use the outer setting on every kite as I like fast kites!

Why use a rope/cleat system on the front lines ?
I was using this firstly on the ARX as the blue standard strap was not long enough. On the X2 the nstrap is longer and covers all the range it needs. In fact I never adjust this as I find that once I set up my bar for a certain kite I never adjust it anymore, I use the same settings for strong winds or light winds.

What lengths of rope do you use, size/type of rope & type of cleat ?
The rope is 4mm dyneema/spectra as it does not stretch too much. We used to use the Clam Cleat racing cleat but now they have developed a new kite specific cleat so I guess this will be much better!

Lots of people want to know the windranges in which YOU use the X2s &
Aero IIs - (ie windrange for YOU for each size of X2 & Aero 2)
The X2 has such a vast range that it is hard to say exactly but as a rough guide….
20 till 20 knots
18 till 23 knots
16 till 25 knots
14 till 30 knots
12 till 35 knots
10 till 40 knots
8 almost never
6 when it is really too windy
4 I’m scared to even think about the day I will use my 4!
The Aero 2 I use mainly for wave riding so I use a smaller size all the time. I guess something like
20 till 16 knots,
etc

What is your advise to riders who think they need pigtails on the back
lines of their X2s as they reckon they dont depower enough ?
All you will achieve is making the back lines on the kite slack! The X2 is a very efficient kite and a lot of the depower range is achieved through edging the board to force the kite further forward in the window. The depower in the bar is really for trim. Putting pigtails on the kite will just cause the back lines to sag and make the kite unresponsive and hard to turn…..don’t do it!

What improvements will be on the X3 ? ....will Neil Censor this question
?
The X3 is a development on the X2. When you have the best kite on the market you don’t need to completely redesign the kite! The structure of the kite is vastly improved with the new “union strut” connection. This allows the profile of the kite to be controlled much more carefully. In turn that gives the bigger kites more bottom end and all the kites across the range a bigger depower ability. Add to that the increased turning speed in larger sizes, faster relaunching and more lift and we have a kite even further ahead of the competition!

What are your comments on the X10 - do you think its relevant/necessary
in a normal kite quiver or big air comps only ?
The X10 is not necessary at all! It is a supplement to a quiver. This is a seriously extreme kite designed to provide the ultimate in hang time and lift. This is NOT a kite for everyday use. In gusty wind the aspect ration is too high to provide constant pull and you would be better off with an X3. If you are a rider that wants the ultimate jump and are prepared to wait for the right day then this is for sure the kite for you but don’t expect to go out everyday and break the hang time record!

Boards -

Is your preferred board the 50 Mutant and if so, why dont you like
customs !!
I ride the 5’0” all the time. It is for sure my preferred board as I helped to design it! There is nothing wrong with custom board but I am sponsored by Naish to ride Naish kiteboards. How can we recommend Naish boards when we don’t ride them? The production boards from Naish are equally good to custom boards and have the added advantages of lower price, better fittings, more durability and a years guarantee. The Naish team all ride stock boards so that a customer can buy a board with confidence knowing that they REALLY work!

When & where do you ride prototype boards.
In Maui we make and test the prototypes. Naish have a full time R and D guy called Greg Drexler working on it. He competed on the tour in 2001 and finished in the top 10 so he knows what works and has a lot of experience in shapes and construction. I am a professional rider and he is a professional board designer….for sure he can do a better job at it than I can! We tell him what we want and he develops it, when he is satisfied the team tests the product and we arrive at a shape for production.

What are YOUR preferred fins sizes for the 50 Mutant
I change the fins a lot depending on the conditions. In strong winds I use the stock fins that come with the board 5cm in the middle and 9cm in the back. In lighter winds I go for 11cm in the back and 6.5 cms in the middle. Under the nose I always use the standard 1.75 inch fins that come with it.

The grab handles on your boards are vastly different/improved to the
standard handle - when will this update appear. In the meantime what
would you recommend be used ?
The handles I change on my boards as I have big hands and find the standard handle a little small. Naish are in the process of making a bigger handle that will reach between the footstraps. This is purely a matter of personal preference. The current trend is to not use the handle at all, I have been working hard to do all my moves from the rails when I can do it comfortably I will use the standard Naish handle as I will only use it to carry the board!

Technique -

Lots of riders (including our own Steve Moore) would like to know the
secret of Transitions WITH Board Offs & what is the best way to learn
them ?
The secret is in Kite control. You have figure out what you need to be doing for every position of the kite. If I make a high transition I am in the fixed harness line and control the kite with one hand, that means either pushing the kite or pulling it. In low fast transitions I use the depower line as I have more space to move and try to keep the kite transition across the window as slow and smooth as possible so that I have the maximum time to work!

In the videos the position of kites isnt always seen & its clear that a
lot of the good riders loop their kites during tricks - where & when do
you loop your kite ?
It’s a shame that you can normally never see the kite in a video. The problem is that when you have the kite in frame you can no longer see what the rider is doing. Kite loops are a relatively new thing and are normally a move in themselves. There are very few riders that can loop the kite whilst making a normal move….a simple back or front loop yes but not a complicated trick. I have been working a lot on it and it is a great way to hurt yourself! In transitions a kite loop can save you from a crash when the kite is too far out to the edge of the window but it is normally looped when you are already landed.

What are the secrets of BIG AIR ?
There are no secrets! Take a big kite, load up the rail and send it! It is 100% technique. In fact everything in Kiting is about control and technique…practice is everything.

Locations -

What is your favourite world-wide location OUTSIDE the Canaries !
Probably western Australia for the reliable conditions and grerat lifestyle but there are a lot of good spots in the world.

Ditto beginners ?
Not really! The best spot for beginners is somewhere warm with a good school on site!

Favourite UK location ?
To be honest I don’t kite enough in the UK to be able to say. There must be a thousand great spots all round the country.

Ditto beginners ?
Ditto beginners!

Favourite Euro location ?
The Canary Islands rule. Fuerte has great conditions with lightish winds. Tenerife is a great spot for advanced kiters that like strong winds.

Ditto beginners ?
I think for beginners Tenerife is not such a good option but Fuerte is still excellent.

You -

Weight ?
88kilos

Height ?
5’10” or 5’11” it seems to vary!

Favourite breed of Dog ?
I have a miniature German Shepard and she is cool!

Favourite ***** ?
Are we talking dogs or women here!

Worst injury/accident ?
In kiting I broke my fingure learning a board flip and that hurt a lot! In real life I smashed up my car when I was 18 and broke plenty of bones in one go!

Ever had a kite rip in the air ?
Kites only rip in the air if you have abused them. This means crashing them, driving over them, putting them onto the rocks etcetc…..I have had kites break in the air but always because I did something stupid first.

When do you use an X2 or Aero 2 & Why ?
X2 for jumping and general freestyle conditions. Aero2 for waves. The kite is super fast to turn and is super stable which means you can make a whole world of mistakes and the kite will still be in the air above you.

Cheers for that Mark & heres to another year of Global domination !