Shinn Monk Glitch Board Test

THE FULL SHINN MONK GLITCH 135 BOARD TEST FIRST APPEARED IN KITEWORLD #107 ON OUR NEW FREE DIGITAL PLATFORM IN NOVEMBER 2020.

THE PRINT ISSUE IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO BUY HERE

Shinn Monk Glitch Board Test Review

“Everything we loved about the old Monk, now re-vamped for more performance.”

TESTED BY: JIM GAUNT AND CHRIS BULL

TEST TEAM NOTES:

The Monk has commanded a special place in the freeride market ever since it set a new standard for comfort and control eight years ago. Once you’d got a feel for the silky smooth riding-on-air experience, many riders found moving on to anything else a jarring experience.

‘If it’s not broken don’t fix it’ was the mantra when it came to the Monk, so why the brave relaunch of the new Monk Glitch? Well, it seems that Mr Shinn doesn’t want to see a whole swathe of riders getting too comfortable lolling around on their comfy sofa when they could be riding much quicker and jumping higher while still looking after their knees.

RIDING ON AIR AGAIN:

Chief tester Bully appreciated the old Monk’s comfort, but as a man of a certain mineral nature, who rides with more impressive kilojoules than most (especially of his antiquity), he says that the new Glitch is the first Monk that he’d consider owning.

“I’ve had some interesting moments in awfully close knit chop. Looking down at the board I’ve enjoyed watching it react. It’s excellent at cleaning up the mess that’s beneath you and really saved my knees.”

Is it time to slow down then, Bully?

“No! I’m just really impressed with the feel and bite this year. The edging is strong but very progressive and I could really recommend this to a lot of people.”

NOW TUNED FOR MORE PERFORMANCE:

If the old Monk was a Cadillac, rolling with air suspension, the new Glitch has transformed comfort into something far more exciting. It’s a certified all round performer and the combination of a thin rail with a bit of flex throughout provides such a good feeling of contact with the water.

It’s like the Glitch has seven gears rather than the standard five. If you’re ever a bit heavy with your front foot, the board flexes, maintains drive and propels forward. There’s just enough rocker to make riding at speed easy while negotiating rough waters but it’s that progressive feel and bite when you shift your weight and load up an edge that’s just so delightful. Whether a short chop hop or a deep cut while you send the kite back for a big jump, the bite feels so predictable and quick to dial into. No doubt the performance has jumped up a gear. The Glitch is an excellent freestyle ally for most tricks you’ll ever attempt.

We even pulled our freeride favourite from the past couple of seasons, the 2020 Duotone Jaime Textreme and it was really noticeable how much more interactive the Glitch feels in its relationship with the water. No doubt the Jaime is fast (also lighter) and extremely comfortable, but it felt flatter and a bit less directionally locked in.

Although the Glitch has a big set of fins, they only positively effect your grip rather than hampering any joy of sliding the board heel to toe. Truly a board for all levels, but don’t spoil it by putting boots on it.

SUMMARY:

Imagine turning up to Brexit negotiations only speaking English. You’re probably not going to understand that, rather than trying to steal all your fish, all the representative from Lithuania is trying to indicate is that you still have some breakfast marmalade on your chin. The Glitch speaks the ocean’s language, eliminates chitter chatter and relays the key message superbly.

KW LIKED:

Everything we loved about the old Monk, now re-vamped for more performance.

KW WOULD CHANGE:

If you still need more comfort, perhaps it’s time to take up knitting.

MONK GLITCH BALANCE POINTS:

Build quality: 9
Fixtures and fittings: 8.5
Speed: 8
Pop: 8
Drive: 8
Flex: 7
Comfort: 8
Looseness: 5 .5
Grip: 8 .5
Upwind: 8
Slider proof: NA
Boots applicable: No
Freeriding: 9
Freestyle: 7.5
Ease of use: 9

SIZES: 137 x 44, 135 x 42, 133 x 41 and 131 x 40cm

Watch the Shinn Monk Glitch product video here:

For more information on Shinn and their product range, visit:

www.shinnworld.com

THIS SHINN MONK GLITCH 135 BOARD TEST REVIEW WAS FIRST PUBLISHED HERE IN ISSUE #107

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