North kiteboards are known for their quality and performance. Behind every North Kiteboarding board is a combination of high-end materials, advanced shaping and intensive testing by world-class riders. From design to production nothing is left to chance: every detail contributes to a better session on the water.

Carbon Construction & Hybrid Cores North chooses a specific carbon layup for each board to balance strength, stiffness and weight. The common thread is North's exclusive 3DY carbon: unidirectional carbon tape that runs exactly along the board's load paths for a fast, reactive response. The Atmos Pro gets Pro Carbon, the Atmos a Triaxial Hybrid Carbon layup, the Astra a lighter Biaxial Hybrid Carbon and the Prime a fibreglass layup with a softer flex. The core is Paulownia wood, a fast-growing timber with one of the best strength-to-weight ratios. It gives good flex, absorbs impacts and is a more sustainable choice. The flagship Atmos Ultra goes one step further with an ultralight foam core and a Y-shaped Paulownia frame.

Hydro Flow Rails & Flex Tips Durable ABS rails with a rounded edge, quad channels in the tips and precise flex zones give you better grip, a smoother pop and controlled landings. The double concave flowing into a V-bottom breaks the water's surface tension, so a hard landing feels a lot softer. The boards feel lively whether you're boosting or carving. With the FlipTech mounting system (centreline inserts) you can also mount your bindings the other way round, giving you a fresh rail on your heelside.

Tested by the best North works closely with pro riders such as big air champion Cohan van Dijk, Marc Jacobs (winner of King of the Air 2021), freerider Oswald Smith and many others. Read more about North's riders on our North brand page. Every kiteboard is tested in a wide range of conditions, from strong wind at King of the Air to light wind on the foil, so you can always rely on your gear.

Performance by Design The design team behind North consists of experienced board builders and kiteboarders with a sharp eye for detail. Every board is designed with CAD precision, analysed in 3D and tested extensively before production. That's how you get maximum performance. Mainly after height and hangtime? Take a look at our big air twin tips. Do you often ride on light wind days? Then check out the light wind twin tips.

For most riders, the choice comes down to three questions: how far along are you, what do you want to do on the water and how much do you weigh? North has a board for almost every answer, from a forgiving freerider to a stiff carbon big air twin tip, and from strapless surfboards to foilboards. Below you'll find, per riding profile, which North kiteboard fits best.

First board after kite lessons: North Prime. After your kite lessons you mainly need calm and predictability. The Prime has a softer flex, a single concave and a flat rocker, so it planes quickly and doesn't punish small mistakes on your edge straight away. The pulled-in tips keep you dry when the water gets bumpy. That way you can put your energy into riding upwind and your first small jumps. See all North beginner kiteboards.

Freeriding and progressing to jumping: North Atmos. If you don't want to choose between cruising and jumping, you'll often end up with the Atmos. North itself calls it the most popular board in its freeride line. The double concave with a deep V-spine takes the hard hits out of the chop, while quad channels in the tips keep the board biting when you ride upwind or load up for a jump. See all North twin tips.

Pure big air: North Atmos Pro. If hangtime and height are what you're after, the carbon Atmos Pro gives you more back for the same pop. Triaxial carbon on both sides and extra 3DY carbon tape make the board stiff and explosive. It does feel sharper than the regular Atmos, so you'll get the most out of it if you can already load your edge hard. The standard Atmos also handles heavy landings well, by the way. See all North big air kiteboards.

Long, light freeride sessions: North Atmos Ultra. Low weight is the selling point here: the 138 cm weighs around 1.8 kg, the lightest twin tip North has built so far. You notice it in every carve and every small boost. One caveat from North itself: the Ultra was not developed for the hardest big air landings. For serious height chasers, the Atmos and Atmos Pro remain the better choice.

Unhooked tricks and powered freestyle: North Focus. In freestyle you want the board to stay stiff the moment you load up for a pop. That's why the Focus has a stiffer spine in the middle, a triaxial hybrid carbon construction with 3DY and channels along the full rail. Feel free to pair it with kite boots if you want a more locked-in feel.

Park, kickers and rails: North Flare. Behind the cable or on obstacles, something else counts: a board that can take a scratch and forgives flat landings. The Flare combines a high rocker with soft tips for presses and a P-Tex base that stands up to grinding. Thanks to the deep quad channels, you can even ride upwind on it without fins.

Lighter or slimmer build: North Astra. A standard twin tip can feel too wide and too stiff for lighter riders. The Astra solves that with a narrower stance and a lighter fibreglass construction with 3DY Carbon. You get the board on its rail with less power and still keep grip and pop for freeride and big air. See all North women's twin tips.

Often light wind at your spot: North Trace. On light wind days your board decides whether you ride or watch. The Trace has a large surface area and a progressive outline, so it gets going early and holds its line upwind well. Because the hybrid carbon construction is torsionally stiff, this big board still feels lively. Especially on lakes and shallow inland waters, where the wind is often fickle, it gets you on the water more often. See all North light wind kiteboards.

Wave riding: North Cross or Charge. Choose your surfboard based on the waves you usually ride. The Cross is the versatile freerider that North positions as a one-board quiver: compact outline, quad concave and a flowing rocker. That also makes it accessible if you're switching from a twin tip to a directional. If you regularly ride bigger, powerful swell, the Charge with its narrow outline, thin rails and low nose rocker gives more speed and drive in the bottom turn. See all North surfboards.

Strapless freestyle: North Comp. Strapless airs call for a small, light board that's easy to grab. The Comp has little volume, a full-length bottom channel with a V in the middle and channels in the tail that help the board release quickly from the water. The Pro version has the Dynalite construction with hybrid carbon, which keeps the weight down without making the board fragile.

Kitefoiling: Sense, Scoop or Echo Pro. With a foilboard, what matters most is how easily you get going and how much feedback you want. If you're just starting out, the 135 x 47 cm Sense with its wooden core is a comfortable start: you roll onto it from the water and it glides well in very light wind. If you already foil on your own, the Scoop (120 x 46 or 135 x 49 cm) offers more response for freeride and freestyle. The 110 x 45 cm Scoop Mini is the compact version for advanced riders, and the Echo Pro is the carbon flagship that's also made for pumping and wake foiling. See all North foilboards and hydrofoils.

Hybrid, Pro or composite: what does it mean? At North, the model name tells you something about how the board is built. A Hybrid version mixes fibreglass with carbon and feels damped and comfortable as a result. A Pro version is full carbon, the stiffest and most direct. The Prime uses a Paulownia core with E-glass, making it the most forgiving. On the surfboards, the bamboo construction is called EcoLite and can take a knock. Futurelite combines carbon and Innegra for a light board that flexes like a surfboard, and Dynalite is the hybrid carbon build of the Comp.

Not sure about the length? Your weight is the starting point, then you look at your level and the average wind strength at your spot. A bigger board helps in light wind and while you're still learning to ride upwind. A smaller board turns faster and feels more playful in the air. Still can't decide? Send us a message with your weight and spot and we'll help you choose. And if you'd like to see the boards in real life first, you're welcome at our megastore in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

How well a board rides also depends on how you stand on it. That's why North develops its own bindings that match the boards in the collection. For the twin tips you can choose between pads & straps and boots. The Flex is the light, simple version, with a single strap you can adjust quickly. The footbed is domed so sand is less likely to stick, and thanks to the oval holes it fits boards with an insert spacing of 6 to 6.5 inches. Want more cushioning for big jumps? Then the Flex Pro is the step up: a triple-density footbed absorbs the impact on your heels and a Velcro closure holds your foot more firmly. If you ride a lot of unhooked freestyle or wakestyle, the Fix boot gives you the direct connection to your board that those tricks need. See all North pads & straps and North kite boots.

North also has its own straps for directionals. The Free Surf straps are made for North surfboards, with an inner lining that stretches in four directions and a flared back strap that fits around the fin box screw. For foilboards there are the Free-Lo straps with a low, light profile, and the Free-V straps with a V-shaped double front strap for extra control. The Flex Pro fits the FlipTech system on current North twin tips as well as older North boards from 2020 to 2022. Thanks to the standard insert spacing, you can usually mount North bindings on boards from other brands too. See all North surf straps.