Gonzas

What do Alvaro Onieva, Petr Tyushkevich, Bruna Kajiya, Karolina Winkowska, Rui Meira, Gonçalo Gomes and Steve Verelst have in common?

All of them are top riders and they ride the Balance Alvaro Onieva Pro Model (AOPM).

Since Balance doesn’t pay the riders to use their board, why are all of them using it?
The reason has to be one… the board must be very good. We wanted to check how true is that.

Balance is a company dedicated exclusively to the development of kiteboards. Working directly with top riders (mainly Alvaro Onieva) and after a lot of research and prototyping, they have created the Alvaro’s Onieva Pro Model.

In 2008 the board is available in 2 sizes, 129×39cm for lighter riders and 133×39cm for standard riders.

Board Shape and Construction

Balance uses the following technologies in the construction of the board:

• Eternal Ride Constrution: Flex and pop till you die. A whole new era on board construction.

• Diamond Surface: Precious and extremely durable construction resultant to shocks and abrasion,

• Anvil rails: Simple, effective, responsive, unbreakable,

• Helium Core: weightless perfect trimmed flex contour, high effective core

• Precisison tips: accurate pop, perfect float after landings. Unique innovative construction ensure unbeatable response on continuous changing conditions.

• Orbitual Concave: designed by aeronautic labs, ultimate response

Summing up; the board is made of the latest technology and of the finest materials.
The core has a woodcore strip, providing strength, combined with airex and quatriaxial fiber layers, high density ABS on sidewalls and stainless inserts.

The outline of the board is what we call a classic outline, simple, clear and efficient. The board is 133cm height, 39cm width in the middle and 26cm width on the tips.

The bottom has an elliptical concave, from one tip to the other, with 0.5cms in the center.
The boards comes with 5,5cms G10 fins that provide extra grip and help the board to go upwind

The graphics on the board are simple, but for us the simple is beautiful. It has graphics with pop cultural icons, from Marylin Monroe to Bruce Lee to Geroge Bush.
“Kill your idols”.

Pads and Straps

The pads that come with the board are the from Dakine, with all the quality of Dakine products.
Boost Footpads are comfortable and they transmit the direct feeling of the board. Control Footstraps are not adjustable. For some people it might be a disadvantage, but the truth is that once you adjust them to you foot size, they are very good.

On the water

We tested the board in several conditions, from flat water to 1.5 meter waves to choppy water.

The board performance is impressive; it performed very well in all these conditions.

Balance guys made a light, accurate, controllable and comfortable board.
Whatever is your riding style, excluding wave riding, Balance AOPM fits on it.

The accurate flex provide impressive pop, It’s a jumping machine! Landings are very soft and smooth.
AOPM is very fast, carves well and doesn’t send you water to the eyes while you are riding it.

It’s a real pleasure riding this board in choppy water, the rails are like razor blades cutting the chop.

Overall

Now we understand why pro riders are ridding these boards for free.
The board is a freestyle machine, with huge pop and perfect for landings. Besides, it is a very balanced board, very comfortable, planes very early and it has a good upwind.

All these qualities also make the AOPM an excellent board for freeride that will perform very well in all kinds of situation you might face.
It’s a highly addictive board!

One thing is sure, Balance guys made one of the best boards ever.

For the 2009 season Balance will not make improvements on the board, they will just add two more length to their range, 135 and 137 cms.

For more information visit www.wearebalance.org