CORE Kiteboarding Fusion 2 LW 147 x 44cm 2016
Reviews / Twin Tips
62,313
At A Glance
Core have really pushed the boat out and created an incredibly high tech piece of kit with this board. The Fusion 2 is as Core quote “the Swiss Army Knife” of kiteboards, it features a Cartan carbon deck, CNC milled wood cores and G10 fins. They’ve spared no expense in creating a high performance board.
The 147x44 is one of two light wind versions of this board, so it’s designed to get you going when normal twin tips can’t. Having a good light wind board in your quiver can be the difference between getting to the beach and riding, and not leaving the shore. If you’ve not ridden a light wind board before then be sure to try one out. The Fusion 2 LW features a large surface area combined with a reasonably flat rocker and stiff flex to promote early planing and fast speeds that will keep you going through the lulls.
Following the classic Core yellow, white and black design, appearance wise you won’t be disappointed. It definitely looks like the design came from a supercar; we love the way the carbon is on display in areas of the deck.
On The Water
First impression on the water was just how responsive the Fusion 2 is. You might expect a board of this size to feel a bit like some of the old ‘door’ style kite boards - it was nothing like that. Years ago large light wind boards tended to be heavy and unresponsive, great for mowing the lawn in 10 knots, but not much else!
The carbon makes the board lighter than a fibreglass equivalent, therefore giving it a very lively feel under your feet. What that essentially does is make you feel like you’re a better rider, which can’t be a bad thing. Unlike boards with loads of rocker, this one will get you on the plane very quickly which is what makes it great for light wind days. We were going well in just 10 knots of breeze with a foil kite. Something that is essential to light wind riding is staying upwind and the G10 fins help the board provide an incredible angle upwind. It’s such a good feeling to not have to do the ‘walk of shame’ back upwind, even in 10 knots of wind!
You could be forgiven for thinking that a board of this size would really struggle in chop. However, we found it to be quite the opposite, the V-shaped bottom along the entire length of the board is designed to penetrate chop and smooth out your ride. Testing in Poole Harbour meant that we definitely saw our fair share of chop and the Fusion handled it well. The V shape will also be one of the reasons the board will get on the plane earlier and give you softer landings after jumps.
It’s hard to find a fault at all with the Union Pro pads & straps. The dual strap design makes them very adjustable, we tried them with & without wetsuit boots and they were the perfect fit every time. The pads also feel really well cushioned to make those hard landings softer. Something that, as testers, we really appreciated is just how easy the foot straps are to set up. There is nothing worse than getting to the beach and spending an hour trying to screw pads to a board. Lastly, but not at all least, these straps boast nine different stances and three pad insert options, you are guaranteed to find your perfect position with that many options.
For
Every single tiny detail of this board has been meticulously thought through, it’s great to see it all come together in a board that is a pleasure to ride.
Against
As a light wind freeride board it’s difficult to find fault!
Overall
The Fusion 2 looks fantastic, features state of the art technology and manufacturing which gives a lively feel under foot. The board is bound to put a smile on your face even in the lightest of winds.
Videos
This review was in Issue 57 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit CORE KiteboardingRelated
By Jack Galloway
Jack is a fanatically keen kiter from the South West of England, he loves riding just about anything with a kite from foil boards to surfboards and everything in between. He's competed in the Red Bull Ragnarok snowkite race on numerous occasions as well as some world class kite racing events. He's our Web Editor for the magazine, as well as one of our testers where his vast knowledge of the sport and different kites and boards comes in handy!
