2012 Super Shinn 130

Rider: 95kg (need to get back to WA to shed this winter insulation!)
Intermediate 7yrs kiting
Style: Freeriding
Weather: 18 knots, choppy seas on a 10m Flexifoil Ion
Board: Super Shinn 130 x 40
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 9/10
Disclosure: Last board Underground FLX 128
My Comments:
I'd preface this with conditions could have been better and I was worn down from travel, but desperate to get out.

Appearance/build:
The board looks as good as the video, I went the blue top side and it is classy. The SHINN on the bottom is clever paint work - not reflective like it looks in the reviews. It looks like its price tag!
The foot straps are super plush and there is quite a bit of give with the memory foam. I can see that in a few more hours of riding I'll need to tighten the straps. The foot bed is large and quite grippy with a ridge directly under the strap to help with grip. The mounting is hidden within the pad itself which is a nice touch. I've tried quite a few pad/strap combos and these look like they will take a lot of punishment without failing at the usual places like stitching around the fixing to the strap mount or around the screw hole through the pad base Only time will tell though.

I had previously been on an Underground FLX 128 and found those pads/straps excellent. The Shinn don't have as much width adjustment, but I found them really good and think they'll improve as the memory foam adjusts.

Otherwise the fins and mounting hardware is all top quality.

Ride:
It was, as always in Wellington, choppy and quite gusty, so not great testing weather. I was powered on my 10m in the gusts, but definitely could have done with more grunt. But to the board - I found it very grippy, very solid but still very easy to throw around. At one stage when I was really carving very hard I actually thought, "so this is what being on rails feels like". It held lines that my FLX would normally skate away on. It felt substantially smoother through the chop and possibly by way of proof there was heaps less spray up on to my chest and face. I was quite surpised how smoooooth it was. The other thing I noticed was how much grippier on the landings it was, which made the board feel a lot more forgiving.
Upwind ability was good, pop felt good, but really need some better conditions to get a true comparison in. I'd say it felt a bit poppier than the FLX but too early to tell.

On land the board feels quite stiff through the mid section, but the tips are very flexible, it's quite noticeable. I've ridden a 2011 Naish Thorn and it felt stiff right through the board, while the Super Shinn had obvious tip flex. Compared to the FLX the Super Shinn initially felt more flexible, but when I looked at where it was flexing, it was all tip.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed but still need more decent weather and some flat water for a true test.

The other thing I noticed was there's only 2 foot pad positions, wide and very wide. I definitely noticed the narrower Shinn stance is wider than the standard FLX stance. Especially as I'm only 176cm, so smaller kiters might want to test it first. There are only 2 poisitions for your pads - so it's not as customiseable as say the North system.

Overall I'm hanging out for some good wind and flat water to really test this baby out! Come on long weekend!

Hope to have the Super Shinn available at Kitestock for demo.

Is there anyone in NSW that has a demo board? (Specifically the Monk or Super Shinn)
When I did a search for retailers on the Shinn site, I couldn't find an Australian rep let alone a NSW rep. (although the site may not have been updated)

Yo puppet,my mates been kiting with a surf board for about 8 years he reckons the duke is the best board he's ridden .

I'm riding the 135 Supershinn in Perth at the moment. Been on it for over a month and is absolutely the best board I have ridden. Really good across a range of conditions and pop is so nice! A little review I wrote on kiteboarder:

Had a few sessions on my supershinn now after waiting for a 135 to pop back into stock. Got it out the box and first thoughts were very thin at the rails and very light! I've been riding Liquid Force boards for 2/3 years and have just come from an Influence so I'm used to seeing the very solid 'liquid rails'. That said although very thin it looks well engineered and built so I'm confident it will hold up very well. The shiny deck finish is of the highest quality. The underside is clean, but possibly not the most durable feeling, but then it's not designed for hitting sliders etc so not a problem in my eyes.

On to the ride. Slipped into the straps and felt right at home. They really are like slippers, so comfy and forgiving. The influence I was riding before was 138x42 with very small fins so felt a bit of a handful in the chop and tended to flatten out on landings, which is why I went in search of a new board. The influence on its day is a very nice board though, but I wanted something for a wider range of conditions. Anyway, back to Shinn. So I was expecting a much more locked in feeling with the Supershinn. I was wrong to a point, there is a certain skateyness about the Shinn, but I absolutely love it and when you get used to it, it will grip very well when you need it to if that makes sense. It does indeed excel in the chop like no other board I have ridden (but I haven't tried a monk). In the carving department it initially felt not as good as my influence, but then I adjusted my technique and I it feels so good now. I guess sometimes you need to dial into new kit for certain aspects. The pop on this board is unbelievable. It has bucket loads. I wouldn't call it explosive, but very rewarding and very controlled. You really don't have to get it spot on every time and I think this is largely down to the constant curve rocker.

In summary, this is one very happy customer and absolutely the best board I have tried to date and the best board for me. I can't see myself ever wanting to part with it. If there was anything that could perhaps be improve it would be to finish the underside of the deck with a harder wearing surface, but note I have not tested it and I don't plan to because I want to keep it so perfect :-)

yo chris ill do you a swap you take my monk for a spin and ill have a go of the super cu at kitestock