Airush Vapor, Best Yarga, Cabrinha Omega, F-One Tribal 2, Flexifoil Ion 2, Globerider Sonic, Gloderider Trix, Liquid Force Mig, Ocean Rodeo One, Ocean Rodeo Rise, Ozone Instinct Sport, Slingshot Turbo 2
After a week spent in Outer Banks, North Carolina, with sunny skies, 24°C temperatures and all but one day with winds above 15 knots, you might start falling into a routine: wake up, kite, eat, kite, sleep, kite. And our test team did just that. What kept this round of testing from being anything but routine was the new levels of range in the kites and ample performance for wakestyle unhooked tricks. This was the first round of testing where the majority of high-depowering kites offered the unhooked smoothness required to learn new tricks. Our testers took full advantage, spending as much time playing as they did testing. Add the wave appeal of many of these kites, and you get the full picture. Our job is tough.
Kite design has improved in the last two years. You’d need to be new to the sport to not know about the revolution in depowering abilities that has swept the kite world.
During this round of testing, our goal was to cut through the brand-specific marketing terms and better understand the various styles of kite design and their inherent strengths and limitations. The first challenge was coming up with clearly definable categories. All of the design types we’ve previously come to know as fifth line, hybrid, convertible, bow and SLE tell us little about what a designer will be able to build into a kite and proves to be useless when predicting performance. During previous testing, three distinct categories emerged. It’s proven to be more helpful now that convertible hybrids have joined the scene.
Three distinct shape categories—depowering C, moderate C and flat—are the best place to start when deciding what style of kite to purchase. While this might seem like an oversimplification to some, the SBC test team finds this the best starting point when understanding a kite’s performance. Within each of these three categories, one can get more specific in choosing a bow, SLE, hybrid, or fifth-line V and be confident. We tested kites from all of the above styles, but before discussing how each kite performs, it’s useful to look at the advantages of each of the shape categories.
Depowering C
Evolving from the traditional C kites, modern depowering Cs offer increased depower, making them much safer than previous C designs. The North Vegas and Naish Torch set the standard for this category in our first issue and are now joined by the F-One Tribal, with similar depower capabilities, and the Liquid Force Mig, with depowering comparable to that of the Slingshot Fuel. This category offers unhooked smoothness for wakestyle tricks, and a great deal of waveriding appeal and jumping ability. Slower-turning models are ideal for wakestyle and beginners, while faster kites are better for hooked-in freestyle and surf. They’re still primarily the first choice of expert riders and most pros doing tricks. But this year, for the first time, they’re seeing direct competition from kites in the moderate C category.
Pros: Smooth unhooked power; least likely to invert; stable in gusts; predictable turning with good positional feedback; fifth-line safety for easy relaunch and self-landing; up to 80 per cent depower
Cons: Limited usable wind range (typical quiver: three to five kite sizes)
Moderate C
This is the category seeing the most explosive growth. Fitting somewhere between depowering C and flat kites, this style features a more moderate C shape. The leading edge is supported by a bridle or V-shaped fifth line. Most of the kites in this section offer close to full depower, smoothness and stability.
This moderate C sees the biggest variation. The more C-like shape of the Best Yarga, Flexifoil Ion 2 and Globerider Trix offers performance more akin to a depowering C. Flatter moderate C kites, like the Airush Vapor, Cabrinha Omega, Ocean Rodeo Rise, and Ozone Instinct Sport, offer better low end than their sizing would suggest, which gives a bigger usable wind range. Stability, wind range, depower and smoothness make these kites a top choice for beginners to experts. This category has the most performance variation, so carefully read all the individual test reviews to select the right kite for you.
Pros: Near total depower; expanded wind range (typical quiver: two or three kites); closer to C-like handling and smoothness; not as likely to invert as flat kites
Cons: Convertible designs within category are time-consuming to switch from bridle SLE to fifth-line setup
Flat
There are kites that push the idea of massive depower, but not many can push the limits of wind range as the flat kites in the test. Introduced in the form of the bow kite, the Cabrinha Crossbow, this test session sees three new flat kites: Globe Sonic, Ocean Rodeo One, and Slingshot Turbo 2. With flatter designs compared to moderate Cs, these kites can milk wind. These models make a one- or two-kite quiver a reality for almost all riding locations.
So why doesn’t everyone want a one-kite quiver? These kites require more active use of the depower loop (chicken loop) for a smooth ride, so unhooked riding is not as enjoyable. As a one-kite wonder, however, flat kites are hard to beat for freeriding.
Pros: Largest wind range (typical quiver: one or two kites); near total depower; easiest to relaunch; supercharged upwind and jumping performance
Cons: Promote poor stance because of chicken loop travel; prone to inversions
Accessory Menu
Design Type
Supported leading edge (SLE): Uses a bridle to support the arc shape, allowing for more wind range often available with a 2:1 or 1:1 bar.
Bow: Similar to SLE but with more wing sweep. Easiest to relaunch and usually requires a 2:1 bar.
Hybrid: Uses a V bridle to support the leading edge. Must be used with a fifth line to support the leading edge.
Convertible: Can be set up as a four-line SLE or five-line hybrid. While potentially more versatile, they are time-consuming to switch back and forth.
Depowering C (DC): Features a fuller C shape than the other designs.
Lines: Number of kite lines. Modern traction kites have four or five lines to control the kite’s turning and power. Some convert from a four-line SLE bridle to a five-line design.
Struts: Inflatable tubes supporting the kite’s draft. More struts results in a more rigid air foil.
Inflation points: 1. All struts are connected to the leading-edge bladder. Allows for lighting-fast kite inflation. 2. Leading edge is inflated separately from the struts. Allows for higher air pressure in the struts. Higher numbers means each strut is inflated individually. The test team prefers one and two inflation point systems because they take less time to set up before each session.
Stopper-ball valve: Prevents air loss during inflation. The little balls work 75 per cent of the time in most kites. Easier to deflate than one-way valve.
One-way valve: Uses a little plastic flap instead of a ball. Works well but sometimes harder to inflate than stopper ball. Don’t leave deflators in, or they will be stuck open.
Dump valve: Big hole for quick deflation.
Wingtip dump valve: Dump valve located at one end of the leading edge for easy roll up.
Deflators: Needed to deflate one-way valves. Not needed on one- and two-pump kites.
Rescue handles: Grab handles on the kite’s wingtip. Designed for body-dragging back to shore in an emergency.
Line deflectors: Help prevent line tangles on struts. You don’t notice them until you don’t have them.
Number of battens: Stiff little things that make a kite fly super smooth. Makes rolling the kite up more challenging but worth it for the extra performance.
Bridles: SLE or V, they help support the leading edge. Some kites allow you to convert from one to the other. Time-consuming to adjust.
Pulleys: These help reduce bar pressure and keep the kite flying smoother. The latest design trend, pulleys really do work.
Front-line connections: Allow fine-tuning of front lines forward and back. Can be tuned for surf, wake, freestyle, lightwinds, etc. See individual owner’s manual for details. Most people don’t even know they have them.
Rear-line connections: Adjust turning speed and bar pressure. Very practical. Try them out.
Pressure gauge: Located on the pump. Lets you know when your kite is fully inflated. See owner’s manual for proper pressure, usually 6-10 psi.
Kook-proof connectors: Larks head knots strategically reversed to help prevent mis-connecting the front and back lines. Helps prevent a major cause of kite accidents; could be a lifesaver.
Colour-coded lines: Usually red, blue and green. Helps to keep left, right, and fifth organized.
Bar
Bar type (1:1 or 2:1): The 1:1 offers a more direct connection with no bar pulleys. Responsive feedback and less bar pressure. The 2:1 features a pulley at the bar on both rear lines. Reduces the amount of bar travel to achieve depower and allows for faster turning. Some bars and kites are convertible between 2:1 and 1:1. Only takes a minute to switch.
Safety Leash
Rear line (“oh, shit!”): Leash connection or grab handle connected to one of the rear flying lines. Ideal for self-landing and redundant safety. Don’t just pull on it when hooked in.
Front line: Leash connects to front lines to depower the kite. Can often connect to one for full depower or both (expert only) for partial depower with easy relaunch.
Chicken loop: A small extra loop on the chicken loop where most pro riders connect their leash. Doesn’t offer full safety on all models. Difficult or impossible to self-land.
Fifth line: Connects leash directly to leading edge. Offers 100 per cent depower, easy self-landing and, in the hands of an expert, super-easy relaunching. Most technical to use properly and requires most setup time. Our expert testers prefer fifth-line safety systems but don’t expect them to work reliably with 20 spins in the line.
Side Bar
Buyer Beware
During this round of testing, SBC Kiteboard received several kites that were unflyable. Two were SLEs with no more depower than a traditional C kite. One, for example, pulled to the left constantly. Our test team of experienced riders was unable to tweak the kites’ tuning to get their performance up to an acceptable level. SBC contacted the manufacturers and, at their request, removed the kites from these reviews. If you’re considering buying a kite that hasn’t been reviewed in this or a previous issue, SBC highly recommends you try it first or buy it from a reputable source that can help you tune it if it arrives from the factory in an unsatisfactory state. Not all the kites being released to the public are up to the high standards of R and D we have come to expect in 2007.
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