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Bouwe Kerkstra from the Netherlands started at Lieuwe as an intern, and has now been working with the brand for about five years, becoming more and more involved in R&D, helping with testing, fine-tuning and developing their boards. He took some time out to tell us about Lieuwe’s brand-new Shotgun Air.
Dimensions: 136×40.5cm || Rider weight: 68kg || Rider height: 182cm
What makes my role interesting is that I’m not a pro rider, but more the passionate, everyday kiter who rides in all kinds of conditions. That gives me a lot of insight into how boards really perform for most riders. I started kiting on the Dutch coast, mostly in choppy and unpredictable conditions, which really shaped my riding style.
The Shotgun Air is the perfect match for me. It’s the board I now ride the most and the one I’m progressing on the most. It has that ideal balance between comfort and performance. It still feels smooth and forgiving in chop, but at the same time it gives you the speed, grip and pop to really push your riding. It is the perfect training board. It gives you the confidence, consistency and control to really progress session after session.
I’m not a super technical rider and my landings aren’t always perfect, but I do go quite big, around 15 to 20 meters. The Shotgun Air gives me the confidence to go for it, while still helping me on the landings. It’s really built for riders who want to progress into bigger jumps and more powered riding, without stepping into something too aggressive or demanding.
The key is in the balance between stiffness and comfort. The Shotgun Air is slightly stiffer than the regular Shotgun, which gives it a more direct and powerful feel during takeoff. At the same time, it still has enough flex to absorb chop and keep things comfortable. It uses a medium to slightly higher rocker combined with a medium-stiff flex. That combination keeps it fast and responsive, while still being comfortable in messy conditions.
The board has a slightly straighter outline, which helps generate speed and maintain strong edge hold. The added channels and angled fins create extra grip, especially when you’re riding powered. That gives you more control and confidence when loading up for a jump.
The base features a single concave with channels mainly in the tips. Those tip channels really help during takeoffs, giving you extra grip and a clean release. Together with the angled fins, it creates a very predictable and controlled feel when you load and pop.
I’ve ridden pretty much the whole Lieuwe range. Compared to the Shotgun, the Air is faster, more direct and gives you stronger takeoffs. Compared to the Falcon, it’s more forgiving and easier to ride. The Falcon is lighter and more technical, while the Shotgun Air supports your progression more. I’ve also been riding the new Brute, but I mainly take that one out when it’s really windy and I need maximum grip and control.
If you’re going into competition and want to squeeze out every bit of height and performance, you would more likely choose a Falcon or a Brute. Those boards are more focused on maximum performance and control when riding fully powered. I don’t compete and competition riding is a different game. At that level it’s not about comfort anymore, it’s all about maximum performance and getting everything out of your jump.
I’ve been riding the Shotgun Air throughout the entire development phase, mostly in the Netherlands in heavy chop, but also in Cape Town in stronger wind and more extreme conditions. Testing in both really helped us dial in the balance between comfort and performance.
We finished our testing period in Cape Town as those conditions are the strongest to test durability. During this process we went through a lot of small changes in rocker, flex and grip. Sometimes very small adjustments make a big difference on the water, so it’s a detailed and ongoing process.
I was closely involved in the whole R&D process. I tested prototypes, gave feedback and helped fine-tune the boards. I also liaise with our more talented riders who are part of the design process such as the guys at SpaceX. Lastly and just as important is the feedback from the stores we get during the testing phase. We always try to give them some prototypes for a short period.
I’m also able to build the boards myself, which makes the whole process even more interesting. Understanding the materials, constructions and how small changes affect the ride is something I really enjoy.
While we had Lieuwe on the line, we fired Director Roel de Weers some questions about their other brand-new board, the Brute.
How should a customer decide between the Shotgun Air and Brute?
The Shotgun Air is all about balance. It gives you performance, but still keeps things comfortable and forgiving. It’s the ideal board for progression. The Brute is much more focused on maximum grip and control. It’s stiffer, more locked-in and really built for strong wind and powered riding. If you’re progressing, riding in different conditions and want a board that helps you push your limits, go for the Shotgun Air. If you’re riding fully powered and want maximum grip and control, especially in strong wind, the Brute is the better choice.
Tell us about the Brute’s construction.
The Brute uses a unique hybrid construction that makes it very stiff and strong, while still keeping the weight relatively low. There is something unique to say about the hybrid fibers as we are the only brand using this type of fiber. I think it’s one of the most expensive type of fibers someone can purchase and is used in the aviation industry to be super durable and shock resistance. It gives something unique to the board. Combined with deep channels in the base, it creates a very locked-in feel with a huge amount of grip. That’s what gives you so much control when riding powered or landing hard.
It’s been a while since your last ‘new’ board release.
Why’s that?
Most people who know Lieuwe are aware of the fact that we don’t change our boards yearly. The advancements with boards is less than what we see with kites. It’s another game and there has already been a lot of development with boards. So we don’t release boards just to have something new. It needs to make sense for us, and for the Shotgun Air and Brute the main reason was that the level of riding has grown a lot and so have the different styles and abilities within Big Air. So that’s why we have now three specific boards within the Big Air category.
Both the Shotgun Air and the Brute went through a long development process where we kept testing and refining small details. We tested them in different conditions and with different types of riders to make sure they really added something to the lineup.
In the end, that time investment is what makes the boards feel right from the first session. Feedback has been great so far and we really expect them to last a long time without adjustments. Shotgun is now hitting year eight and still going strong as people still have interest in the Shotgun despite the fact we’ve launched this Air version. Same story for the Falcon, so it’s good to see we get the affirmation in how we positioned them without cannibalizing themselves. ■
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