Lieuwe Awesome Review | Why This All-Around Kiteboard Lives Up to Its Name

We've got a new board brand at the shop, and Jake took one of their twintip kiteboards, the Awesome, out for a spin. The brand is Lieuwe, pronounced "lee-wa". Admittedly, that's even a bit harder to get right than "Naysh", "Cabreenya", or "Dakeen". Lieuwe is a Dutch company, but we're finding that name tricky, even being located just one town north of Holland, Michigan. However, in terms of performance, the Awesome is a really fun board that lives up to its name.

Overview of Lieuwe's Lineup

Lieuwe stands out from the crowd with their custom graphics. You can get your board stock, or you can choose from their catalog of designs, send in your own, or have them design something for you, so you can ride a board that's authentically you.

Their line currently includes four different boards, and the Awesome is their beginner and all-around board. Jake's got a bit of a secret affinity for beginner boards. They just align well with his riding style. You can find him on boards like the North Prime and Cabrinha Spectrum, and he found the Awesome to be a lot of fun as well.

The next step up from the Awesome is the Shotgun, and the Falcon is a premium carbon construction board. The Oceana is a big air and extreme performance board.

Riding Impressions

The Awesome is for anyone just getting into the sport or for weekend warriors who want to jam upwind and do some all-condition ripping. If you're going to do a lot of boosting, look at the Falcon or Oceana instead. But for some jumping, surfing and cruising, you'll be very comfortable on the Awesome. The board has good upwind and nice control, and it releases well from the water.

The only downside Jake really picked out is that it does send up a little chop spray, but Lake Michigan is a particularly choppy body of water, so that may or may not affect you as much depending on your riding conditions.

Construction

The board shape isn't complex. The bottom outline has a single concave. But that's probably what makes it feel so fun. It's straightforward and rides like a kiteboard should.

Bindings

The bindings use the two-strap system, which is great for locking in your feet. The pads have a toe bar and some good padding, but it's not going to have the bells and whistles of the Duotone Ergo or North Flex bindings. They're good, solid bindings, but you can swap them out for another set if you want. We even put on a red Duotone handle to match the board's graphics, so the holes are standard.

Sizes

The Awesome comes in a 134 x 40cm size, the 138 x 41 that Jake rode, a 145 x 43, and a 150 x 44. Jake's normal board size range is 139-141, but he was very comfortable on the 138. He got out in both heavier and lighter winds, and it handled both well with no walking.

Summary

The Lieuwe factory is a small, intimate setup, and they make their boards by hand. Add to that the custom graphics, and you really do get something special from this European-based company. The performance is there; the board feels great underfoot. They've got a 100 percent happiness guarantee, which means you can send the board back if you don't love it, but we don't expect many boards get returned. It's a great product.

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