Nobile Kiteboarding NHP 134 x 42cm 2011
Reviews / Twin Tips
39,091
At A Glance
Wow is probably the only word that sprang to mind when we got this board out of the bag! Simply stunning, it looks good enough to eat with the polished lacquer and glitter (the photos really don’t do it justice). It shares the 3d bottom shape with the channels seen on the Fifty50 we tested last issue. The rocker line is much flatter and the tips are slightly more squared off on the NHP though. The fixtures and fittings are second to none as you would expect. The straps are integrated into the super comfortable foot beds and they are really easy to put on the board. 5Cm G10 fins come as standard and there is also a grab handle should you wish to put it on the board. The construction is a wood core honeycomb laminate and the top construction that Nobile produces. The flex is stiff in the middle with a little more give in the tips.
On The Water
We literally couldn’t wait to get this board wet! The stunning graphics and aggressive styling had us racing to the waters edge. We really enjoyed the channelled bottom shape of the Fifty50 and we were keen to see if this would have the same chop eating effect. It did, the NHP goes through the rough stuff like a knife through butter. Underfoot the board feels super light and responsive and the ride is very crisp on flat water. The top end speed is impressive and once cranking the pop was immense, as you would expect from a board of this calibre it really gets you into the stratosphere. The NHP always used to be the board to have from Nobile, over the last few years other boards have given it a run for it’s money but this year it looks set to take back the prize. Huge grip, insane pop and blistering speed all rolled into a comfy ride. There aren’t many boards that can perform this well at this level!
For
The channelled bottom shape makes a real difference to the ride, lots of grip, smooth landings and it irons out the choppy stuff. Speed and pop are about as good as you are going to get.
Against
It’s a high performance board for solid riders, if you want to boost big then come a knocking, if not then something like the T5 would suit you better.
Overall
A high performance freestyle machine with loads of technology and bags of performance!
This review was in Issue 23 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Nobile KiteboardingRelated
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!
