North Kiteboarding Jaime Pro 134 x 40.5cm 2008
Reviews / Twin Tips
12,673
At a Glance
The Jaime Pro board from North has been running for some time, the first board in their range back in the day to pioneer the new construction techniques now so popular in today’s board market. Each year the Jaime Pro has been one of the most popular boards in the North Range offering performance and versatility. As North have introduced more and more pro models to the line up it has allowed them to make the Jaime Pro even more appealing to the mass market as opposed to just the top end. Popular for its forgiving yet exciting ride it has long been the board of choice for many kitesurfers.
Meat and Veg
The Jaime Pro has an awful lot going on with the construction and shape, the only board featured this issue to utilise both an asymmetric concave and an asymmetric flex pattern. The concave is biased towards the heel side edge, giving you more control when powered up, and allowing for smoother landings, whilst the flat section gives the board an extra edge of speed when the wind is light or you hit a lull and need to level the board off to keep it going. The outline is simple and tried and tested, with a good width to the shape. On the water the board feels crisp and sharp and eager to get going early. Through the chop the ride is smooth and the super sharp rails help it to crank upwind with ease. They do make it a little unforgiving though so remember this is still a top end board for skilled riders wanting that extra level of performance. The mid section of the board is pretty stiff and this allows some great pop off the water, the flex tips and concave bottom then cushion the landing for the rider. The board has a three-stage rocker, the flat section in the middle again allowing for great early planing potential and giving the board a good top end speed. Graphics are as ever pretty slick, the bottom maybe not to everyone’s taste, but then it’s not often you see that when riding!
Fixtures and Fittings
The board comes as standard with Tarifa Fin Company 5cm fins, these have often been regarded as the best kiteboarding fins on the market and are an expensive thing to buy on their own. The straps and pads are easy to fit and we especially liked the way the strap can be adjusted across the foot, tighter closer to your toes and looser on the top of the foot. This allows the straps to really grip the whole of the foot and gives you a very connected ride. The pads are grippy enough and comfortable on the sole of your feet.
Overall
Fans of the Jaime Pro will love the latest edition, subtle changes make it even more comfortable to ride, yet it still retains some impressive pop and performance at speed.
This review was in Issue 9 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit North 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!
