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Based out of the same cabbage-packing building that Carved founder Bernie Hiss once worked as a child, Carved’s hand-crafted kiteboards are tested and built in the legendary windsports mecca of Fehmarn, Germany in the southern end of the Baltic Sea. In the spirit of technical precision and custom sizing, Carved builds bespoke boards ideal for the most demanding kiteboarders.


THE CARVED TWIN TIP LINE INCLUDES THE IMPERATOR 6, THE IMPERATOR LIGHT WIND AND THE TANTRUM. HOW DO YOU STEER VARIOUS RIDERS BETWEEN THESE THREE BOARDS?

Here at Carved Customs, we do things differently. When we are commissioned to produce a bespoke twin tip, we first listen and learn about our client’s needs before any work commences. After a thorough briefing, our client’s requirements get translated into one of the above models you mentioned.

In the end, your ”˜forever’ board might be a stock shape or a completely custom Imperator 6 tailored to your exact specifications and colors. We do all the heavy lifting and in six weeks, your 100% Cartan® carbon masterpiece is delivered to you with a smile. Then it’s up to you to add water (and wind) to enjoy the legendary performance of a handcrafted Carved Customs twin tip. Rest assured that your Carved Customs twin tip will deliver a lifetime of woohoos in boots or straps with the performance you’d expect from a custom board fabricator.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CARTAN® CARBON IN YOUR CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE WAY THESE BOARDS PERFORM?

Let’s see if I can answer this without boring you! First, not all carbon fibers are created equally. Generally, off the shelf carbon fabric tends to have a 90° weave. This means a traditional carbon has unwanted symmetrical flexibility in both directions (tip-to-tip and rail-to-rail). Ideally, a board needs more flex along its rocker and less flex between the rails. Since we couldn’t find any carbon that met our needs, we had special carbon fabric with an exceptionally high filament count weaved for us. Cartan® carbon, our proprietary, tight weave, low resin, 30° biaxial carbon fiber cloth better manages board torsion and longitudinal flex among other things. Making our own carbon fiber costs more, but it’s worth it.

THE IMPERATOR 6 COMES IN A CUSTOM SIZE OPTION, ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE TANTRUM LINE. HOW DOES A RIDER GO ABOUT ORDERING A CUSTOM CARVED BOARD AND CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE SIZE?

It’s no different than visiting your favorite tailor. Once the decision has been made, our people will talk to your people… just kidding! Our people will contact you to better understand your riding style, where you ride, what kites you fly, and other personal details before any recommendations are made. During this process, we help you pick your own colors, graphics, and finishes before we start fabricating your work-of-performance-art.

THE CARVED ULTRA IS A PREMIUM FOOTSTRAP THAT FEATURES A RATCHET STYLE TENSIONING SYSTEM. WHAT ARE THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THIS PAD AND STRAP COMBO?

Once you try our Ultra pads and straps you will never go back to your other ones. The biggest reason is the innovative fingertip control. Its snowboard binding-inspired tongue and click buckle system lets you make micro-adjustments on-the-fly, like in the water when swapping boards with your buddy. Riders tell us that the Ultra’s pads and straps feel like their favorite pair of sneakers. But that’s not all, the Ultra’s tongue and buckle system are also adjustable in both X and Y-axis and without any need for tools. And if you want to move your straps closer to your toes””no problem, the tongues are easily adjusted by hand. Some may argue that we designed possibly too much customization into the Ultras but we’d like to think that there’s no such thing as too much comfort.


 

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