Fluid Kiteboarding X 135 x 41cm 2021
Reviews / Twin Tips
2,355
At A Glance
The 2020 X from Fluid Kiteboarding is a lovely all-rounder when it comes to picking your twintip. With a smooth ride and great for beginners, the X is accessible for everyone.
The board consists of a full wood core with a progressive 3 stage rocker whilst having a nice flat base in the middle. Like Fluid’s other board in the range, the Twoseven, it has the advanced 3D flex tips. Although this board is more suited for freeriding, the flex tips allow a nice pop to throw down some freestyle moves. A great board for those who are progressing down the freestyle route but still want that smooth freeride feel.
At a glance, you can’t miss those bold colours and its slick graphic design. Being able to see the wood core mixed with the red graphics is a nice touch. This year saw Fluid pair up with designer Malena Harig to give the board a look like no other. Paired with the Fluid Feather Lite bindings, it really does stand out! The colours also make it super easy to spot if you do lose your board.
With Fluid, you have the choice of the Feather Lite or M.A.X bindings. With the M.A.X bindings your able to make more adjustments when it comes to top and bottom of your foot, whereas with the Feather Lite, it’s just the one strap. On the X though there’s plenty of inserts in the deck giving the rider several choices for foot placement.
This board also comes in an aqua blue colour and is available in the following sizes; 133x40, 135x41, 138x42, 141x42.
On The Water
You really do get a smooth reliable feel when riding this twintip. With the base of the board and from the images provided you can see there are 2 main channels which help to provide that little extra grip when riding and sticking tricks. For those that have a more aggressive riding style, something like the Fluid Lush would be a better choice of board, and you can see the review for this board on our website test section.
Perfect for that beginner-intermediate level, the X really does mark the spot when wanting a smooth freeride session with some easy turns and entry level tricks. It had a lovely gliding feel to it when in the flat sections and I was able to really dig my heels in and let the board fire me along. When it came to the chop and the waves it handled this very well and I was able to throw down some sharp turns on the face of some waves due to that flat base in the centre of the board.
With all its characteristics it was easy to ride back upwind. I had the 4.5mm fins inserted and this pairing was perfect. I feel with some smaller fins on the board it wouldn’t have been as good in the conditions I tested it in, but still would’ve been a very enjoyable session.
Overall
I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the 2020 X. For freeriding, it’s a perfect board when blasting up and down. For riders who are moving into learning their first tricks and jumps, this would be a great choice. Having the smaller size of 133x40 means that this board is a great option for lighter weight riders or young groms getting into the sport! A board which is easy to use for everyone and has great benefits, it has clearly been thought through by the Fluid designers, enabling anytime on the water to be a good time!
This review was in Issue 86 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Fluid KiteboardingRelated
By Liam Dredge
Liam fell in love with all Watersports after completing numerous seasons aboard, he then picked up kiting whilst in the warm tropics of the Carribean and has been obsessed ever since! Anyone that knows him would say it's near the only thing he talks about (which drives some crazy), and he loves to keep up to date with all the latest news, equipment and events that kiting has to offer. Liam also runs his own Watersports Centre along the south coast of the UK, LOOP Watersports, which is where our IKSURFMAG Test Centre is located!
