Golden Board Luxury 133 x 39.5 2012
Reviews / Twin Tips
2,322
At A Glance
Goldenboard have been around for some time now, based out of France they may not have popped up on your radar. The Luxury is their flagship model and it is aimed at the freestyle and freeride market. It has a fairly unique shape, the parabolic rails are something we haven’t seen for sometime and the tip design is also a little different. Underneath is a fairly deep concave that flattens off at the tips. The flex is fairly stiff in the middle of the board, but towards the tips it increases. The pads are also a bit different, they come with two separate toe inserts, so you can have a step or no step in the pad, the straps are well made too with a cinch lace system that has been cleverly put together. 5cm G10 fins finish the package off and it is worth mentioning there are special plugs, should you want to ride the board finless!
On The Water
Initially with the stiff flex characteristics we thought the Luxury would be a harsh ride through the chop. But the parabolic rails and the deep concave combine to give the board a smooth ride. It rides very fast but there is still plenty of control to be had and the rail-to-rail carving feels good. In flat water it feels really at home, the stiff mid section allowing the board to accelerate to impressive speed. Pop is impressive, the flex tips and solid centre combine to propel you off the water with some vigour. Landings are softened by the concave bottom shape, which also helps to propel the board upwind.
Overall
Well-built, great finish and attention to detail with the straps and pads. Would suit most free ride and freestylers out there looking for something a little different. Prefers flatter water, but can handle the chop with the best of them.
This review was in Issue 33 of IKSURFMAG.
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By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
