North Shapes Kiteboarding With the Compact Surf Concept (CSC)

North Kiteboarding Changing Up Surf Kiteboards With Their Compact Surf Concept

New to 2015, North Kiteboarding has introduced their Compact Surf Concept (CSC). As the name suggests, this idea is all about making the board more compact (read as: shorter) with more parallel rails. North mentions that the CSC can have a variety of performance benefits for riders. The CSC makes surf kiteboards easier to ride due to their increase in stability - especially through chop when you're heading full speed. CSC boards are faster and are easier to maneuver for aerial and on-shore tricks. The smaller the swing weight in the nose, cancelling out any effects of the wind throwing you off. With the smaller board design, you're also going to see a shift in the center of gravity to a more stable, concrete feeling, allowing you to fully dominate the board.

North has placed their CSC concept into two of their surf kiteboards:

Whip

Features a double-concave deck, which gets your feet closer to the water for additional control. North suggests that the Whip kiteboard is great for strapless riding. This board will stick to your feet like glue, allowing you to score some awesome aerial maneuvers. North mentions that the Whip is meant for smaller, on-shore, "mushy" waves (read as: flat-faced) without much of a curve.

Pro Series

Like the Whip, North's Pro Series offers a double-concave deck. The main difference with the Pro Series is the Carbon-Innegra Construction, which makes the board very durable and offers great flexible and dampening properties. The entire stance area has cork, which has been brought closer to the lamination. With the cork, you're going to see a softer, more damp feeling. North describes the Pro Series as a longer, narrower version of the Whip, and that it is designed for powerful, bigger waves.

What MACkite has to say about the CSC:

Tuck-Daddy, our resident surfboard-shaper, says, "With the North Compact Surf Concept (CSC) you get a more "pack-able" board with the same rail line and feel of your typical short-board. As a bonus, the reduced swing weight will allow you to get all kinds of flippy, spiny, crazy without extra board length to worry about. Basically the front 10" of your current board goes unused 99.8% of the time you are kiting, so why not just chop it off? Less is more!"

Check out our review of the Whip and the Pro Series if you're interested in learning more about the CSC design.