BEHIND THE BOARD – 2018 Karolina Pro
The Karolina Pro has officially been in our lineup for 3 years and Karolina herself is more excited about this version than any of her previous boards. We caught up with Karolina and artist Alex Fox on their recent visits to Hood River to ask them a few questions about the board.
Karolina Interview:
Slingshot: Hey KW, when you set put to design the KW pro, who did you want this board to appeal to?
Karolina Winkowska: The new Karolina Pro is a board designed for all the girls. I really wanted a female specific board that enables us to ride comfortably in all different conditions. Whether you are jumping or just cruising around, I wanted a board that will stick to choppy, wavy or flat water surfaces.
Up close with the 2018 Karolina Pro.
Karolina cruising in Puerto Rico on her 2018 board.
SS: Where and how did you test the KW Pro?
KW: I tested Karolina Pro all over the world. I tested it wake boarding and kiteboarding. These two sports give me the best data to really test the board. It ensures that the board will perform on the highest level. This board is a dream stick for me and it has not ever failed me.
SS: What do you look for in a board? Anything specific?
KW: After the first session I felt the progression. I guess you could say that is what I am looking for. I want a board that can continuously keep up with me in all conditions. It has to make my tricks look better as well. They started to look better than ever. The board has an amazing pop, as it always holds the edge even when there is choppy and gusty wind. Sometimes I forget to put my fins on and even then the Karolina Pro doesn’t slip out on me durning the session. For this exact reason I can’t imagine a better board for my style and my everyday riding comfort.
The grip and hold Karolina demands.
This is a quality looking trick.
SS: What about the graphic? Is there any meaning behind the art?
KW: The new graphic is designed for all the women who want to rock up to the beach and leave a message. That message is: “I can kite better than you!” Haha. Females in kiteboarding have it tough. Most of the men think the ride better than us, or harder than us. Us girls, are surrounded by male riders that don’t understand the way we ride or what we are all about. The black color is symbolic of who we are. We are strong female kite boarders. We are not afraid of strong winds and deep waters. The colorful frame is representative of the colors of happiness, which is what kiteboarding is all about !!!
SS: Any other words about it?
KW: Not really, I just hope everyone tries it and loves it as much as I do.
Alex Fox Interview:
Slingshot: People have been digging the 2018 Karolina Graphic! How hard is it to come up with graphics for Karolina?
Alex Fox: Working with athletes is always really interesting. Some riders are really hands on and really specific about what they want on a board, while others are really hands off. Karolina falls into the latter. I remember for her graphic last year I sent her an email asking what she wanted to see as the graphic. I asked her to send over any influences she may have. She just emailed back something along the lines of “I like what you do, make me something.” It is liberating to have that freedom sometimes. It also makes it tough. You could spend a ton of time on something you think is really cool and then she could hate it. Fortunately, for us, we have done this three times now and that hasn’t happened yet haha.
The evolution of the Karolina Pro.
SS: Is there anything significant about this board graphic?
AF: I always try to weave a little narrative into the board graphics. With Karolina’s board it isn’t any different. Karolina constantly raves to us about Egypt and how much she loves that part of the world. So I started there. I researched some of the local culture and their design elements. That led me to the flora and fauna… Egypt sits on both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. While I was looking into that I found a bunch of articles on these jellyfish that were invading the Med through the Red Sea via the Suez Canal. Obviously this isn’t the most pleasant story, but the jelly fish look so sick. They instantly became and amazing design element.
Inspiration behind the 2018 Karolina Pro graphic.
For more information on the Karolina Pro: http://www.slingshotsports.com/2018-Karolina-Pro#.WiBK0WU8rp4
For more on Karolina: https://www.facebook.com/karolinawinkowska