Juice Evolution Kiteboard

Welcome to the Juice Evolution. As the name suggest this multi-discipline twin tip series is an evolution of 10 years worth of knowledge and experience dating back to the very beginnings of the sport.

Making a board that appeals to all riders is not the easiest of tasks, but we feel that a truly exceptional board should do nothing less. Whether you are taking your first nervous steps in the sport or loading up to critical bite levels as an expert, the evolution has been tuned to win your trust.

It's our opinion that your board should be responsible for cutting through the background white noise of your session, bringing you only the feedback that is constructive to your technique. The aim is to free up your concentration, forgiving minor mistakes and brushing off the inconsistencies of challenging conditions to leave you free to concentrate on riding. If you don't have to manhandle your board, the extra concentration it releases can be put to far better use elsewhere. In addition the board needs to achieve what the rider demands, and in this the Evolution will take all you care to throw at it. From the most aggressive styles to the most inclement conditions, there is a wealth of technology, history and prototyping to make sure that it both encourages progression and never holds back aggression. 

We don't claim that the Evolution is the best board in the world, for that would be wildly arrogant, but it may well be the best board in the world for you. 

The Evolution comes in three sizes and three different flex patterns, all specifically aimed at different sized riders. Width is key; it is the absolute measure of a board's size, for length tells very little to the seasoned rider. Whilst there are overlaps for riders who kite with extremely low and high power usage, we offer the following guide.

130x40 - ideal weight range under 73kg

132x42 - ideal weight range 73-85kg

134x44 - ideal weight range over 85kg

The Philosophy of the Evolution

What makes a good twin tip?

Over the years we have spoken to a lot of different people about a lot of different boards. Highly positive reactions are what we strive for; there is nothing more infectious than taking big steps forward in your riding whenever you touch the water. 

That positive reaction depends on a number of different variables, depending on experience, style and conditions. It's fair to say that if you are a pro-level rider your needs and preferences will be considerably different to the mainstream kiteboarder. Yet the core of riders, the overwhelming majority in the centre of the sport, rarely share the same R+D potential and rewards as pro-level athletes. While it's absolutely necessary to push the upper limits of the sport, the technological advances that result need re-engineering to bring a performance edge to the mainstream. In addition to this we need to push R+D in new directions that develop new technologies and design suited specifically for the real world. 

Herein lies the key philosophy of Juice; The perfection of technology and design to create the tools needed for those who live in the real world.

Generally speaking, mainstream kiteboarding conditions are the most demanding of all. While the world's best push boundaries as a career they enjoy the fortune of riding in some very special locations. For most of us this is a luxury rarely experienced; constraints on our time and location will often push us to conditions that many Pro Level riders would dismiss. It is here that our equipment needs to shine. This is our playground, and this is where our R+D is done. It's easy to design a board in perfect conditions, but a truly good board is one that soaks up the worst of days without complaint. A board that allows you to concentrate on your riding without demanding your constant attention, upsetting your natural stance or physically weakening your fitness.

We strive to bring you a fantastic session on the water, no matter how the conditions change. 

Asymmetric Tune

Is it better to have power or control? It’s a traditional kiteboarding dilemma, but what’s wrong with having both? 

It’s natural that our toeside stance is weaker than our heelside. Sure footed, a heelside stance is powerful, with toeside being a contorted control stance for most, needing stability when your stance is twisted. To solve this we use a different outline on the toeside to the heelside. It does not look radical to the eye, but makes a significant improvement to the stance you use. 

The Evo has gone beyond the compromise; asymmetric tune offers a perfect match to each stance; different outlines on toe and heel side edges to make the most of our asymmetric stance. It’s essentially two boards in one and what’s even better is that neither characteristic has any effect on the other. 

Construction

The Evo is built with a proven construction finely honed and tested in the kiteboarding industry. A derivative of snowboard construction; the wood core, ABS sidewall and deck laminates not only allow for precise control of flex, but also give huge strength and impact resistance.

Core Construction

There have been kiteboards built from many different core constructions. Fashions come and go but one fact endures throughout, not only the kiteboard industry, but also in the snowboarding industry. Wood cores have the highest strength to weight ratio you can get. Our boards are made with a wood core for this very reason. There have been many synthetic materials engineered to surpass certain functions of wood; whether it be weight, reflex response or stiffness, yet nature has spent a long time balancing strength, weight and longevity. Wood is still the most effective material currently available. 

Outer Skin

The outer skins of the Evolution are an ABS sheeting. Incredibly strong as well as flexible by nature, this skin is capable of taking a huge amount of abuse. The graphics are not painted on the top; they are impregnated into the plastic and as such are impossible to scratch off, even through deep gouges. Through flexion and abrasion the structural and graphical integrity is industry leading. The deck of the board uses a weaved top sheet, giving a signature deck finish with added adhesion for bare feet. The base of the board is a matt hydrophilic finish, which gives, hydrodynamically speaking, the most efficient glide through the water. It attracts a boundary layer of water, which noticeably decreases the board's physical resistance when riding.

Stress Reinforcement

All fin sections are lined with ABS, making it a completely sealed and strengthened load bearing area. Protecting against damage as well as providing more support to the fin areas under heavy load, it is a proven technology that has seen countless seasons of testing. All inserts are stainless euro fixings that are heavily reinforced. All 3D mouldings are carefully engineered to avoid straight lines along critical areas of possible hyperfexion. We have an almost zero warranty rate. 

Stance Levelling

The Evoltion has a specific stance levelling mechanism built into the overall flex pattern of the board. In lightwinds and low loads the overall rocker of the board starts relatively flat, this offers drive, bite and efficiency in a balanced stance. When you push more power into the board the stance levelling geometry causes the rocker-line to shift with less force than traditional control flex would allow.

The effect is to maintain the same feel between lower and higher power usage. The advantage is two fold; the board has far more range (powering up much earlier and enjoying the same high power handling ability as any high rockered board), whilst your stance stays constant throughout. 

There is a second tier of flex underneath the Stance Levelling that deals with load spikes; this is the flex technology common to all high end kiteboards and deals with a multitude of the higher power flex interactions, like chop and landing impacts, yet central to the flex engineering of the board is this overall levelling flex that gives the Evo such a huge range with flawless poise throughout. 

Fins are incredibly important to how a board rides.

They not only control aspects of the boards stance in the water but they offer different levels of grip and carving potential. As such we developed the Evolution with a specific style of fin called JD5, suited not only to it's rockerline, flex and shape but also it's intended multidisipline use. All Juice boards are supplied with the JD5 fin as standard. We also make a number of different fins for different styles of boards, all with different characteristics as an accessory range.

All fins are milled from the highest quality solid G10 composite that offers superior strength and accurate finishing. The foils are thin and exact, ensuring that they have as little drag as possible. In order to achieve this thin profile we only use the most expensive materials and construction methods available, for these fins represent the cutting edge of design and construction.

JD5

This is the multidiscipline fin. The JD5 gives the board a higher stance in the water, lifting flatter rockerlines, whilst still retaining a very efficient profile. The swept leading edge and hooked trailing edge makes for a very grippy fin, resistant to spinning out as well as making it highly manoeuverable. Fantastic in the carve, it is also extremely stable in high load situations and rough chop. Made with a thin foil in high density G10, it uses a metric (euro) thread of a 5mm diameter (M5).

3D Moulding

All Juice boards use 3D deck and hull moulds. Simply put, there is no advantage to making a 2D kiteboard (flat deck, flat hull), aside the fact that they are cheaper to produce.

The first part of the 3D design is the hull, or shape of the underside of the kiteboard. All Juice boards are shaped not only with curvature from tip to tip but also rail to rail. This single concave is an essential tool in increasing the windrange and central core stiffness of the board. Without it the board would have far too much core flex, leading to buckling as the tips of the boards are forced away from the rider under high load. This leads to total failure in rocker flex, making the board stick and refuse to carve cave whilst exponentially increasing drag. To offset the increased core flex in a 2D board extra laminates and core thickness is needed, which takes away feel and increases weight. The Concave also changes the rocker of the board between centreline and rail giving a flatter rocker when the board is upright and increased rocker when canted onto it's rail. This is a fundamental principal of controlling and harnessing snowboard technology in freeride kiteboards.

The second advantage to a 3D mould is seen on the deck profile in the form of flex control. It allows precise and correct placement of flex at the tips, which provides the control to allow you to channel more drive into the stiffer central core. Continuous moulds do not have the radical steps needed to control the flexion of the tips required to fully utilise the snowboard technology's radical flex capability. All steps in the deck mould are continaully curved in every plane ensuring that there are no inherent weak spots or points of stress in the moulding. This flex brings a great deal of stability, comfort and balance to the board that is central to the feel and performance of modern kiteboards. 

With Our largest Evolution, the 134x44, we found that the same top mould that we used for the 130 and 132 was not working as well. With the 134 having more leverage, and suiting heavier riders we engineered a new specific top mould for the board; making it stiffer thank the other boards in the range. This is far from a common occurrence in the industry, infact it's very rare, and means that whatever your weight, your ideal board size is tuned for you. 

At Juice we would never consider making a 2D kiteboard, yet when you look at the market there are plenty out there, all with flash graphics and plenty of bling to hide the truth of what lies beneath. 

Ergo Footplate

Ergo Pad

This Pad and strap set are designed for a variety of different uses from mainstream freeride through to freestyle. It retains the same philosphy as the pro pad in terms of comfort, ease of use and versatility to bring a more price focused pad to the Juice range. 

Secure, comfortable, fully adjustable, designed to lock you in whilst still giving you the ability to shed the board when you need to.

Ramped Foam Density

The footbed uses three different foam densities at the heel. Surprisingly the upper section of the pad, closest to the foot, is the thickest foam of all. This gives a greatly improved feedback to the rider; a more solid surface on which to transfer more minor stance and position changes to the board. Under this layer is the softest layer; which aids in picking out all the minor bumps and vibrations. The base layer is the middle density, resisting medium sized compressive impacts. 

Raised Toe Bar

A raised toe bar on the front section of the pad enables you to hook your toes over the moulding to give an extra level of grip during demanding moves. It's not especially stiff, so does not interfere with normal riding, yet when you need to it's there for your toes to grip.

3D Deck Contours

The heel side edges of the pad also have a raised edging strip which help you locate the pad and guide your heel firmly into the centre. It's an additional layer of security should your foot come loose. 

All Fabric Strap

The Strap is an extremely comfortable 3D all fabric wrap around design, making it flexible and comfortable with a trusted velcro closure for precise adjustment. Each end mounting on the strap has 6 different attachment points allowing you to move the position of the strap to a number of different positions on the pad. It allows the rider to shrink the strap down to very small size for the smallest bare feet, as well as open it out for the biggest feet shod in boots. With a thicker section to the strap in the big toe area and thinner by the little toe the strap offers a high degree of comfort, support and flexion that allows you to ride for hour upon hour, day after day. 

Multiple Attachment Mounts

The Base plate uses six different attachment points allowing you to mount the pad in a multitude of different positions, both in angle and position on the board. 

Pro Footplate

The Pro pad is aimed at the more demanding kiteboarder. A footplate that will give you additional bite, customisation and feel. Designed to excel in more aggressive freeride applications on all boards, it will give greater confidence, more support, feel and grip. It is rare to find a concensus on the perfect pad, but with a high level of customisation we like to think that the Pro Pad is as close as you can get!

Canted Footbed Geometry

Juice is the first kiteboarding company to take a close look at the inter-relation between mechanics of footbed design and rail pressure. When you are pushing for the most amount of grip that your heel edge will produce, there is one crucial piece of geometry that controls how much stable, constant bite you can develop. The angle of your ankle is, in many circumstances, that constrictive element. For some this is no issue, they either have shorter legs, more flexible ankles or a much less upright stance when in high load situations. The vast majority however do not, and when rail loadings start to get critical there is a simple way to increase your rail grip; Canted Footbed Geometry. In comparison to a normal footbed where the heel is the same height as the toe (or, under compression - actually lower), the Pro Pad uses a significantly higher heel, compared to the toe. The effect is simple; the board sits on your feet at a canted angle giving the rail between 2.5 and 4.5cm (depending on heel foam density chosen) more projection into the water.

The result is a far higher level of effortless grip in high load situations as well as a far higher directionally stable ride, even if you are not pushing high loadings.

Adjustable Pad Density

In the heel section of all Propads is a removable foam insert. Supplied with 3 different densities, changing this heel specific central foam insert radically alters how the footbed feels. The higher the density of foam used, the greater amount of resistance to compression, which gives a harder feel to the footbed and greater projection of the rail into the water. As such the board will give more feedback through the feet, and the rider will be able to project more rail into the water in any given foot angle. However, not everyone likes a stiff pad, and to that end two other densities are included with every Pro Strap, offering a choice of compression. 

Rider weights, desired feel and power loading levels all differ between riders, and the Pro Pad offers the solution. There is only one correct insert to use; the one that suits you and your riding most!

Increased Rigidity Straps

The Pro Pad strap uses a flexible nylon mounting plate that connects the strap directly onto the board. Easier to mount it offers a more simple rigid connection. The core of the footstrap remains flexible, built with plenty of padding for direct contact with your foot, however it's placement is far more accurate and supportive when held in place by the nylon supports. The result is a much stronger yet still very comfortable connection between you and the board, offering greater control, feedback and security.

Aspect Adjustment

The Propad footbed has a number of different attachment points, the idea of which is to allow you to customise the position of the pad and strap. It is not only possible to adjust the pad's aspect, or angle of foot (level of duck), but also the position of the pad on the board fore and aft. There are two insert options on the board, a wide and narrow stance depending on your personal preference, which allows you to alter the spread, as well as being able to move the pad closer or further away from the heel side edge.

Buckle Height Adjustment

Adjustment of the foostrap size can be achieved with the use of a very simple webbing buckle on the side of the strap. The nylon supports on the sides of the strap allow it to raise or fall equally. This maintains a constant angle between strap and foot ensuring that you get the optimum comfort, support and security when riding. The buckle also lets the rider change the size of the strap very quickly; it's ideal for swapping boards or using with boots when the weather turns cold.

High Friction Topsheet

It's extremely important to have a solid trusting connection to your pad surface. With this in mind the contact skin of the Pro Footpad is a specially developed, separately laminated, high friction top sheet. Whilst not abrasive to your skin it offers a very high coefficient of friction and helps your feet adhere securely in place. The result is a direct connection to the board with none of the squeaky fidgeting typical of non capped moulded foam finishes.