CORE Kiteboarding Bolt 3 139 x 32.5cm 2019
Reviews / Twin Tips
62,313
At A Glance
CORE's Bolt 3 board is for that specific all out, balls to the wall, wakestyle rider who demands only the toughest and most performance-orientated board out there. A boots specific board, this is not a board you can grow into, nor can you grow out of; it is simply that good. Designed to be ridden with either the 48mm, 28mm fins, or indeed finless, it has masses of grip and a slip and slide nature to allow you to create your lines in whatever environment you are in.
The board itself has been made with durability in mind, but also with the ability to fix certain things; should you just so happen to grind along a concrete pier and need to hide it before you send it back (this definitely did not happen!). Taking inspiration from snowboarding, the base of the Bolt 3 features the Pro Fix Grind Base, which allows you to touch up any blemishes with the PTEX candle.
The core of the board is made from the naturally dynamic and durable Paulownia wood, which is then sandwiched between two-layer Cartan Carbon for even more strength and longevity. The board then benefits from CORE’s 3D diamond shape to give it a balance between flex and rigidity. There is a new multi-channel for insane grip even when riding finless, and variable rail thickness for better control.
Sizes: 136 x 42, 139 x 42.5, 142 x 43.75 cm
"We Loved This Board For Its Aggressive Playful Attitude."
On The Water
The Bolt 3 is a solid board underfoot. It feels big and strong and once riding with power; you do feel like the world is turned into a playground for you to crash around! There is enough surface area to keep you planing in lighter winds, however, being powered brings big rewards with extraordinary pop available for those with an aggressive style. For this reason, and that it is a boots specific board, we would only recommend for advanced riders who are keen to step their park and wake riding to the next level.
The Bolt 3 likes to be ridden fast to get the most out of it, certainly in terms of unhooked freestyle performance. The height produced and ground covered is nothing short of extraordinary and gives you so much more time in the air to complete your manoeuvre with style. We tried to see how slow we could go to produce this pop and we were surprised at the low speed this was before things got a little lacklustre.
The flat midsection of the board is slide ready, and the rocker line through to the tips keeps those heavier landings smoother. When riding so powered, there is always the opportunity for the dreaded negative flex to appear. However, CORE have worked hard to eliminate this and we never once experienced it with the Bolt 3.
Extremely playful underfoot, you cannot help but throw yourself around and onto and off every kicker and more going.
Overall
We loved this board for its aggressive playful attitude, which encourages you to hunt out obstacles. Insane wakestyle capabilities in the hands of an aggressive rider make this a pretty much ideal option for those dedicated kiters who believe the rules of possibility are there to be broken.
Videos
This review was in Issue 75 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit CORE KiteboardingRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
