Juice Widebody 120 by 44cm Kiteboard

Every once in a while something comes along that makes you have a serious think about why things are the way they are. Welcome to a new way of looking at traditional Twin Tip design, and a new frontier for mainstream freeride kiteboarding. 

Short, wide, effortless, balanced, and reactive with unprecedented windrange. The Widebody is a revolution for those who define the true essence of freeride. 

It's quite some boast, but then it's a radically different shape. If you are open to new ideas, and enjoy being part of the cutting edge of the sport, then read on. Freeride TT's just became a lot easier to ride, a great deal more practical and more importantly, fun.

Philosophy of The Short, Wide TT

Why The Widebody is so relevant to modern kiteboarding...

Over the years we have seen production boards of 120, 155 and even 90cm in length. They worked well, gaining a great deal of critical acclaim in an era when 140 was radically short. Yet the advance in flex technology put pay to their advantage, as their superior range and comfort were replicated in traditional sizes by flex. So what has changed? The real reason that the Widebody works so well in the current kiteboarding world is threefold.

Firstly, on the whole, kiteboarding is a much calmer sport than it was five years ago.

As riders, the majority of us are happier with our standard and enjoy the sport for what we interprete it as. The upper echelons are kiteboard performance are so far ahead of what we could warrant exploring that there is no way we would be able to turn up for work every monday morning. As a result there are far more of us searching for equipment that lets us enjoy and master the core of the sport. Without doubt, there are more recreational kiteboarders in the industry than there were 5 years ago, and the Widebody offers a silver bullet to this style of riding. Hugely practical, comfortable and effortless to use for the mainstream freeride rider.

Secondly, the rise of the depower kite.

We live at very accessible point in the history of kiteboarding. Those who grew with the two line kites will remember a very different introduction to the sport as those today. It's now rare to see people underpowered, and it's rare to see people overpowered. You can choose your power simply and easily. The need for high level athletes and abilities to deal with the idiosyncracies of the early equipment has evaporated. Many who could not master this violent and tricky watersport have made a home for themselves now the equipment is more welcoming; kiteboarding is truly all encompassing. The Widebody is hugely applicable to the current mainstream rider; suiting them perfectly. Upwind, downwind, carving, bite, stability, from early intermediate to expert the widestyle short board is even more relevant now than it was when it was first pioneered in the mid naughties.

Thirdly, flex.

The technology of flex has never been applied to the shorter wider boards; as such the Evolution is a huge step forward from the moulded, solid boards of old. Not only longitudinally but the greater width brings far more lateral twist than a traditional board, the core of the board remains very stiff and the rails highly flexible. It's a more relevant technology in this shorter, wider application.

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.

Juice Kiteboarding Fins

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 Widebody 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).

JD1

The JD1 is a half moon design that gives a very loose feel to the board. The outline is such that the fin is very easy to break from it's straight line track, making shifting from stance to stance effortless. Typified by the comment "skatey" it is designed to give enough stability and feel to let you load hard, yet allow instant break for aggressive wake-style moves, when needed. Landing the most aggressive moves these fins allow you to shift your placement of the board without the fins catching or over-balancing you, making them ideal for new school freestyle. As there is a convex leading and trailing edge to this fin it's a very progressive fin when pushed to critical levels, so it breaks away with a more gentle feel than a traditional freestyle fin. Made with a thin foil in high density G10, it uses a metric (euro) thread of a 5mm diameter (M5).

JD2

The JD2 is the most common style of fin in kiteoarding today. Quite upright and low drag it provides a good deal of directional stability and bite in the water without being inefficient. This is a preferred freeride style offering great straight line stability, that inspires confidence without high levels of drag. The concave trailing edge has a cutout at the base which further guards against cavitation. Made with a thin foil in high density G10, it uses a metric (euro) thread of a 5mm diameter (M5).

JD3

The JD3 is is a larger surf oriented fin for either wave specific twin tips, or semi directional designs. A greater depth gives a great deal of bite and the sweep not only offers maximum protection against cavitation, but also aids carving. Ideal for boards that are changing from heel to toe-side regularly and holding hard fast carves the JD3 is thin, efficient for it's size and fantastic in wave oriented boards. Made with a thin foil in high density G10, it uses a metric (euro) thread of a 5mm diameter (M5).

JD4

The JD4 is a fin similar in intended use to the JD1, yet the trailing edge of the fin is swept making it slightly more resistant to breaking away. It is a favourite with frestyle riders who like a fin that is either locked in or broken away. As such there is very little progressive bite to this fin, so it's a more committed freestyle fin, for those who have a commanding style. Made with a thin foil in high density G10, it uses a metric (euro) thread of a 5mm diameter (M5)..

Ergo Footplate

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.