Shinn K2 2020
Reviews / Hydrofoils
10,413
At A Glance
When Shinn launched the Model P a while back, it was a bit of a lightbulb moment for lots of riders - an easy to use, forgiving wing that made learning to foil quite simple. Brand new for 2020 is a new wing that equally could be about to set the world on fire for a vast number of kiteboarders. The new K2 wing set up aims to be a revolutionary freeride combo that will allow you to progress your riding with ease.
The front wing itself is a two-stage anhedral design with a surface area of 866cm2. It’s manufactured from high modulus carbon and is meant to be exceedingly durable. That is coupled with a rear wing of 290cm2 which attaches to an aluminium fuselage and mast. It’s a top mount design for the wings, meaning the tougher aluminium fuselage can act as a buffer in the event you hit the deck.
The mast plate is a quick fit design and coupled with the Trim Track on the Shinn Jackson Sunburner it’s a fast way to connect the set up together and allows for easy for and aft adjustment. The whole set up is modular, and there are a variety of masts on offer from 40, 60, 75 and the 90 which we had on test. Shinn have a range of wings, so if you want to swap the front wing as you improve you have that option too.
The front wing itself has a fairly deep pitch but isn’t overly thick. Shinn reckons it will fly at speeds of 12kph up to 55kph giving you a wide speed range depending on your ability. The whole package looks stunning, the large carbon weave on the wings catches your eye, and the mast has an anti-vibration finish to it that gives it a slightly roughened surface. Mark did a lot of work with a university on the issue of vibration in masts creating noise, and this was the result.
On The Water
The Model K2 comes in a lovely bag, and we are big fans of these. When you spend a lot of money on a foil, it should at least come protected and with pockets for all the bolts and parts: top marks in this department. Putting it together is simple when you know how Mark even includes some anti-corrosive paste to add to the bolts to ensure everything comes apart as it should. Once built, it certainly looks like a polished product.
Connecting it to the board with the Trim Track system is as simple as slotting the bolts into the slots on the base plate and tightening them up. It works well once you have it dialled in. Picking the foil up, it’s quite light, especially with the Shinn Jackson Sunburner set up. In fact, we were surprised by just how light it was! Especially considering the mast and fuselage are aluminium.
Once on the water the foil gets up easily, it has an incredibly low take-off speed, but more than that an even lower stall speed. This means when you are goofing up a gybe or wobbling round a tack, the foil will still support you. This characteristic makes it incredibly forgiving for riders who are still learning the ropes. Once you dial in the speed though, the K2 comes alive.
It cranks upwind with an impressive turn of pace offering a stable platform underneath, it’s not a totally locked feel, and it’s easy to quickly change direction and initiate a solid carve. It’s this playful nature that makes the wing, so fun to fly, it has speed on tap, but can also cruise at lower speeds should you want it to. If you do breach, then you get a few seconds to deal with it rather than being rudely spat out the front door.
Forgiveness and performance are two words that sum up this wing. It’s happy at low speeds and offers a stable platform, yet you can put the pedal to the metal and ramp things up as fast as you dare. All packed up in a very tidy package with beautiful looking wings and a mast that is impressively quiet straight out of the box.
Overall
If you are looking to progress your riding, the Model K2 would be a great place to start; it’s well built, comes in a superb package and is easy to ride. Additionally, the low stall speed makes it very forgiving, and the stability is impressive. As you progress you can get some remarkable speed from the wing, it will blitz along as fast as your balls, or lady parts, dare...
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This review was in Issue 76 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit ShinnRelated
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!
