With a length of 240 centimetres, the Young Gun Magic Ride looks like a typical freerider. The bow and tail are designed to be quite narrow, and a handle loop can be fitted here for easy carrying. The soft EVA deck offers very good stability and prevents injuries when getting on. The transition from the deck pad to the edge area has been designed to be virtually seamless, which should minimise abrasion in this area. The board comes with soft and very comfortable foot straps. The plug spacing has been adapted to the needs of children and teenagers, so the crotch width is narrower. In general, the deck is peppered with plugs, allowing you to choose both far forward and inboard strap positions as well as positions for sporty gliding further out. There is a 29 centimetre freeride fin in the tail, and the JP-Australia Young Gun Magic Ride also offers the option of fitting a centre fin to keep lateral drift in light winds in check.
JP-Australia Young Gun Magic Ride: Suitable for beginners to adults
We tested the board with three windsurfing kids between the ages of six and eleven - including two beginners who can safely ride straight ahead and tack, and an eleven-year-old hotshot who already rides in a harness and glides across the water at full speed even in force six winds. The size of 112 litres requires a certain amount of balance at first, but our smallest test subjects (25 + 32 kilos) were still able to quickly get to grips with the board and take off in smooth water. The board reacts easily to steering impulses due to its rather round rocker line, even with a 1.5 litre children's sail the board is still easy to turn. The footing on deck is good, even without a wetsuit there is no risk of injury as there is no rough non-skid paint. The centre fin effectively prevents lateral drift in light winds.
If you want to surf safely and get on the water with a planing wind, you should remove the centre fin. The front strap positions then allow an easy step into the straps, even when the board is not yet fully planing. The crotch width is narrower and the straps themselves are narrower than on adult models, which means that even small feet have more lateral support. Speaking of "gliding": The transition to planing is beautifully harmonious, and the Young Gun Magic Ride also offers decent speed potential for those who want to be out and about in stronger winds.
Conclusion on the JP-Australia Young Gun Magic Ride
The Young Gun Magic Ride is a great companion for all windsurfing kids, from beginners' courses to their first gliding experiences. And because the shape works well in planing winds, parents who are good surfers can also have fun with it.
Technical data JP-Australia Young Gun Magic Ride
- Size: 112 litres
- Length: 240 cm
- Width: 72 cm
- fin: 29+35 cm
- Price: 1299 Euro
- Info under jp-australia.com
