1/22/2024 0 Comments Kite magazine![]() ![]() With kites that are lighter and more reactive, new boundaries are being etched in the waves, in the air and on a foil. Both Duotone and Ocean Rodeo are using some innovative materials to substantially lighten the weight of their kites and thereby enhance performance in some key areas. Two brands incorporated new framing material that gives them significant weight reduction and at the same time more durability with increased stiffness and reactivity to bar input. The other major trend is the continuing weight reduction to increase kite performance. Check out the bar systems from Core, Slingshot, and upgrades to existing model bars from Ocean Rodeo, Airush, North and Eleveight. Perhaps the most pervasive trend for 2021 was the cockpit redesign with almost every brand either launching entirely new control bars or adding upgrades to their existing systems with new quick release trim loops that are easier to reengage. With new construction materials, tweaked designs and a host of new quick release trim loops and new control bars, 2021 proves to be another year of solid performance improvement across the board. Like most of us in North America, the Kitesurfing Magazine test crew was forced to stay at local beaches this fall, but we still managed to collect a whole slew of top 2021 equipment and log some high quality, albeit, cooler, fall sessions. New designs and materials push the boundaries of performance to new levels in 2021. It takes more than a worldwide pandemic to stifle innovation in kite designs. Words by SHANE THOMPSON / PHOTOS BY JOHN BRYJA AND DAVID MODY Tested by the Kitesurfing Magazine test team. With smooth sheeting depower ability, and easy clam cleat trim above the bar, the LINX Bar control system checks all the boxes for high standards of safety and functionality.Wave, Foil, Big Air, Specialty kites & Do-It-All Models This is a simple and effective system with nice streamlined bar floats that house the adjustable bar length ends and leader lines. The Quick Release cup is also easy to assemble and engage. The main center line employs a rectangular PU sheath which provides low friction sheeting and won’t pinch fingers that are close to the stainless insert. The bar has a very comfortable EVA grip with ergonomic shaping and easy colour coding. The LINX Bar is a streamlined and refined control bar system well-matched for smooth driving control. Kiters that want to practice their big air manoeuvres with a familiar F-One feel and function, but with more hang time and upper end wind range provided in this five-strut design. Less direct feel and slower turn initiation than some standout three strut kites like the Bandit XVI. For riders looking for the most hang time and explosive lift per square meter the extra structure and stability in the upper wind range, the Trigger is your ticket to the stratosphere. Like many of these new five-strut dynamos the Trigger continues to increase in performance with more wind and power in the upper end. The Trigger has great upwind drive and it offers some decent low-end power compared to some of the competitors in this category. It also has very quick and reliable turn speeds with a fast loop that won’t easily stall. ![]() The sweeping turns and higher aspect kites can take a bit more timing to get the right loft and trajectory to jump bigger, but the Trigger rewards even sloppy boosts with decent hang time and has a more easy jumping character than some of the more wind hungry five strut designs. Sometime the flatter arced five strut kites with lots of pulleys can feel lagging in turn initiation and have a more sloppy, less reactive feel through the bar. The Trigger is designed for going big and holding its form through mega gusts and mega loops but it’s not a difficult or clunky kite to fly and it feels light and crisp in the air. Both the new Bandit XIV and the Trigger show how kite performance can be substantially improved using improved design with high quality and proven, traditional materials. Their philosophy is to use the highest levels of “sail engineering” to maximize performance without necessarily using ultra expensive materials that can double the cost of the kite. F-One’s development and test team, led by the company founder, Raphael Salles, is passionate about rigorously testing and tuning their kites to ensure they meet all the parameters of performance outlined for each product. It features a five-strut frame with flatter arc, high aspect canopy that delivers the explosive lift extra hang time that is sought after in a big air kite. The Trigger is the newest model in the F-One kite line that offers top-level performance for boosting big air with lots of hang time. The Trigger is a 5-strut, big air kite that has that classic direct and nimble F-One feel, but with even more amazing lift for soaring jumps and hang time. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |