Light and compact - the Kold-Shapes Nørdland on land:
At 1699 euros, the Nørdland is in the higher price segment for wingboards. The four sizes with 70 to 110 litres are produced in carbon construction in Europe, Mario Rodwald is responsible for the designs - read an interview about the brand philosophy and background to the test model here HERE .
With a measured weight of 6.65 kilos, the 90-litre size we tested is one of the lightest representatives on the market. Kold-Shapes uses a special core material that should not allow air exchange - for this reason, the board can do without a ventilation screw and should not draw water in the event of damage. With a length of 5'1'' (155 cm), the 90-litre wingboard we tested is one of the more compact concepts on the market.
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Practical test: This is how the Kold-Shapes Nørdland rides on the water:
Despite its compact length of just 155 centimetres, the Nørdland is very balanced in the water - certainly also a result of the wide "square nose". When launching and starting off, the board feels slightly larger. At the same time, the board reaches the required take-off speed surprisingly well. Short boards often tend to produce noticeable resistance when starting off - the Kold-Shapes Nørdland, on the other hand, with its flat underwater hull and parallel outline, gets up to speed with almost no resistance, regardless of whether you are standing passively on deck or actively pumping with the wing or over the foil.
In the air, the wingboard hangs lightly on the foot and the long double rail in the tail allows us to tune the board with different foils (RRD, Slingshot, etc.). Another positive aspect: the bevelled edges mean that you are usually sent back up without any damage if you unintentionally set off or hit a choppy wave.
The flat deck is easy to manoeuvre on, but our testers found the thin deck pad a little slippery when barefoot. In view of its low weight and compact dimensions, the wingboard also sets hardly any limits for tricks and can be effortlessly chased through 360s and other freestyle tricks even in this size.
Conclusion:
The stiff and light Kold-shapes Nørdland is great fun for manoeuvres, tricks and waves. Thanks to its uncomplicated riding and planing behaviour, it also appeals to less experienced freeriders and is therefore recommended for a very large target group.
Weight; planing; compact dimensions
Pad somewhat slippery
No loops
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
Manuel Vogel, born in 1981, lives in Kiel and learned to windsurf at the age of six at his father's surf school. In 1997, he completed his training as a windsurfing instructor and worked for over 15 years as a windsurfing instructor in various centers, at Kiel University sports and in the coaching team of the “Young Guns” freestyle camps. He has been part of the surf test team since 2003. After completing his teaching degree in 2013, he followed his heart and started as editor of surf magazine for the test and riding technique sections. Since 2021, he has also been active in wingfoiling - mainly at his home spots on the Baltic Sea or in the waves of Denmark.
