Momentum review

The Ride Engine Momentum is a unique soft-shell harness. It comes with the classic ride engine fit and lumbar lock yet its soft and flexible and allows for completely unrestricted movement for the rider. 

This year Ride Engine has 3 flex patterns in their line up and it's a smart call. Not everyone enjoys the feel of a true hardshell myself included. I prefer something with some torsional give and support like the Saber. Some want the absolute stiffest harness like the carbon Elite. 

If you are someone who has tried a lot of hardshells yet never found one that fit well, the Momentum might be a good option. It will stay down and locked in on most body shapes yet wont dig in if you have wider hips. There is some weight to the harness a loads of cushion and support. For my body shape, there were no pressure points and even if there were, the harness is soft and pliable. 

I was genuinly surprised when I first put it on and I actually considered opting for this over the Saber. That said, in the end, I found that I prefered the extra support from the saber and the Ladder lock system.   

Unlike the other hardshells it will slide around. some riders prefer this while others want something locked in.  I found this useful on a surfboad and foil. Particularly because i never use a rope.  A bit of give allows the harness to shift to my hip. This lets you open up and really edge toeside or do surf moves. The extra flex felt awesome and was welcomed when I was charging downwind and doing a lot of twisting with my core. 

Wingsurfers might consider this as an option as well. I know softshells and thinner harnesses are becoming popular in that crowd. A well rounded rider might consider using a kite hook, a rope slider and a windsurfbar for winging. Best of all you could swap all three with a simple click with the unity system. 

You get a ton of support from this harness. It locks in and prevents the spreader bar from rotating. It actually feels like a flexible hardshell which is surprising. It felt similar in fit to the saber but with more weight. You will be giving up the ladder lock system which in my opinion is one of the coolest new features for Ride Engine this year. In place of the snowboard like adjustment system, you will use their webbing adaptor clip. The unity bar still works and functions as it should. I felt they had a bit more webbing than was necessary. 

In summary

A creative hybrid that feels like a hardshell yet offers all the benefits of a softshell. It's a good option for anyone who tried a hardshell in the past yet could not find a good fit or surf/foil/wingers. Kudos to Ride Engine for making three flex patterns and dropping this hybrid shape. 

Ryan (Rygo) Goloversic

Many people dream of quitting their job, traveling the world and pursuing their passions. Rygo is one of those people who pulled the trigger. A few years into his career, he decided to change everything and travel as a kiteboarder, freelance videographer & writer. His mission is to share the stoke & help people put the boarding into their kiteboarding. Get outside and kite!

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Producer of: Ride with Blake I Sessions I Versus I Destinations I Foil Fridays