Takoon Kite Surf Board Bag

The new 2010 Takoon Kitesurf Board Bag (145cm) arrived yesterday and the bag is just amazing especially considering the price!

The Takoon 145 Kiteboard Travel bag is perfect for most riders looking to bring all their kitesurfing gear in one bag.

It offers the best materials and shape for durability, easy set up and it's light weight. It features a heavy duty outer material 600D design, 10mm closed cell foam, double layer at extremities, along with aluminium heat protector inside material, internal padded dividers, an internal pocket for your wallet and keys, padded shoulder strap and handles and corrosion resistant zippers.

The Takoon 145 kitesurf board bag will hold up to 2 kiteboards and 3 kites as well as your kite accessories and towel. You can also carry your surfboard thanks to the “extra nose extension”.

A handy “Fragile handle with care’’ logo on bag will help your gear to arrive safe and the “golf” logo might eliminate excess baggage charges on some airlines... if your lucky.

Visit S2AS to get your hands on one of the awesome bags!

2010 Kiteboard Bag Rundown with S2AS - Part 1

As a bit of a new running feature we are going to be looking at several of our favourite 2010 kiteboard bags available at S2AS. Were keeping it simple with a look at the bags, how they feel, any features and what we like about them.

Ok first things first not all kiteboard bags are the same; you have 3 types:

• Kiteboard only bags – These are designed to fit one kiteboard and no extra gear

• Kiteboard and other small gear bags – Designed to fit one kiteboard and some accessories such as a wetsuit, harness etc

• Kite and Kiteboard bags – Typically wheeled bags that are designed to hold up to 3 kites and 2 kiteboards.

First up we are going to start with the simple kiteboard only bags:

Dakine Slider Kiteboard Bag - £34.99 - £39.99

The Dakine Slider Bag is capable of holding one kiteboard and provides maximum protection during travel, whether it be travel from beach to beach or on holiday.

With padded side walls and 12mm foam padding, the Slider Bag offers increased protection compared to standard kite board bags, making it far more suitable for airline travel as well as in the back of your car.

Whether you're spending a week in paradise or a session on the road, the Slider Bag will help you pack right and protect that expensive kiteboard.

Features:

• Padded wall for maximum gear protection
• Webbing carry handle
• 12mm foam padding

Sizes Available:

• 135 x 44 x 6cm
• 155 x 44 x 6cm

Mystic Venom Kiteboard Bag - £29.99

The Mystic Venom Kiteboard Bag with its heavy duty padded canvas construction provides maximum protection for your car and kiteboard during transportation and also provides an ideal home storage solution, Shaped like a kiteboard and not a door the Venom Kiteboard Bag has great graphics so you will look pimp at your local kitesurfing spot!

Features:

• Heavy-duty 600 D dual-coated polyester canvas
• Lined with 8 mm heat proof foam
• Heavy duty zipper
• Carry handle

Sizes:

• 145cm
• 155cm

Next time we will look at the 'board and accessories' style of kiteboard bag.

The S2AS Team

2010 Cabrinha Switchblade IDS

2010 Cabrinha Switchblade IDS

Yes it's a bow, yes it has depower, the relaunch, the safety bomb proof construction and it's turned into one of the most popular, highly developed high performance bow kites on the market to date.
From croosing around, boosting big floaty jumps and hitting any conditions you feel on the day the SB will deliver.
The Cabrinha Switchblade IDS is most famous through Cabrinha international rider Andre Philip. Therefore the kite has been developed through the years with his input and has turned into one of the best wakestyle kites. Pure clean power delivery while unhooked for hitting obstacles and performing low tricks while having safety and easy relaunch when needed.

But don't be put off, the Switchblade has been marketed towards the wakestyle side of kitesurfing but its a pure easy kite to fly and learn on while giving great performance when needed.
The SB is purley a kite I would happily lend to a beginner in the first stages of learning, or an advanced to pro rider.

Together with the new and improved IDS bar it’s the perfect setup. It’s one of the most clean bars Cabrinha have developed with the intergraded IDS line, it makes it super clean & easy to use. The new diameter makes a perfect grip and the new mounded bar ends offer extra protection and conformability for your hands when unhooking.

Get out and ride, its the year of the rider so make the most of it.
Dan Sweeney
S2AS Team

For The best price on the Cabrinha Switchblade kite and kiteboard packages look here Cheap Kitesurf Packages

Advance Kappa 131x42 Kiteboard Review

At a Glance
Like the rest of the Advance kiteboard range, the Kappa has a lovely high quality finish with a white and clear laminate over the top to expose its beautiful full wood core. The Kappa utilises full hand made construction, to guarantee a close eye has been kept on each board whilst it is made.

The Kappa is quite a square railed board with a width of 42cm that only tapers down to a width of 30cm in the tips. These wide tips gives this little 131 plenty of planing area to make sure it can perform as well as larger boards on test. The board features a strong white ABS sidewall that blends in with the rest of the graphics well, also giving a strong impact resistant edge. The rocker has been kept to a minimum for added planing ability, but where the board lacks in rocker the flex makes up for it.

The board has G10 fins which have been beefed up for 2010 with more substantial bolts to keep them in place and a lovely concaved asymmetrical shape to give maximum grip and drive for minimum fin size. Straps are easy to adjust and have been designed to suit the board, the pads on the other hand look and work great, but the green clashes with the white and black graphics and orange fins.

On the Water
The Kappa’s flat rocker and wide tips has you up and riding really early for such a short board and with the help from the long straight rails and unique fin shape the board grips solidly and drives up wind very well.

Unlike many kiteboards with the same design features you can still stall and slow down riding speed by stomping down on the back foot giving the tips a load more rocker with the flex. Although the board grips like you are using a dagger board for fins you can flatten the board to the water and slip and slide to the rider’s desire. But watch out for the short nose, if you are not careful it’s more than happy to catch and remind you of its length. The board definitely prefers flat-water conditions, and riding powered up makes for a really playful twin tip that accelerates well, and turns on a sixpence. Choppy conditions will keep your riding reserved, making sure the toe side rail and nose keeps way out the water.

Such a square design will automatically pop well, but with the added flex you won’t need a tree trunk of a back leg in order to load the rail to get it to pop some decent height. Sticking in quick explosive rotations is made super easy and fun with the board weighing next to nothing and hardly any tip and tail sticking out past your stance.

Pros
Very playful board with lots of freestyle performance yet remains useable enough to enjoy all round freeride riding.

Cons
Flat rocker and wide tips makes for a bouncy and wet ride when using in choppy or wavy conditions.

Overall
A perfect board for a freestyle/wake style rider to use as a one board quiver that you can play and have fun on, but doesn’t blow out the knees and become uncomfortable to ride after long days out on the water. It has a beautiful high quality finish that wouldn’t look out of place above a mantle piece.

For more information visit your local dealer or go to www.advance-kites.com

Original review from our friends at IKSurfmag

Advance Kaiman 2010 Kite Review

At a Glance
This kitesurfing kite is the 3rd generation of the Kaiman model from Advance. The kite still has its very unique canopy shape that pulls in towards the middle section of the canopy to make the tips wider than the centre, giving the kite a high aspect ratio but keeping the kite stable enough to fly.

Taking the kite out the bag you will notice the kite is well engineered with rows of stitching everywhere, plenty of bumper pads and a big strip of Dacron making up the trailing edge. The kite has a few finishing touches some other brands have always overlooked. One key feature is an extra valve on all of the struts as well as the one pump system to give instant and complete deflation. Another handy design is a kite handle in the middle of the leading edge to make handling of the kite on the beach very easy. The Kaiman works and flies like a 4 line bridled kite, but added just as a safety feature is an extra 5th line to leash the kite out instead of the standard release systems that just fly the kite out on the two front lines.

One of the main changes to the new Kaiman is as new bridal layout to give the kite a better high end, but with out compromising on its high low end. Not forgetting to mention its new graphics, which we think is a huge improvement making the kite look pretty mean in the sky. The kite also came with a nice little tool bag with everything you would need to undertake pretty much any kite repair down the beach.

The Bar
Like their kite, Advance has a unique bar. The chicken loop is pretty special with a large sensitive plastic push away release that’s clean and easy to use but not the most simple to reload. The loop has a full 360 swivel and a rotating 5th line attachment point to make sure any twists and tangles can be removed after spinning the bar. To finish the loop off they have added a suicide attachment point that has been designed to break if you over load it. The bar has a double pull down strap as a power adjustment system that works well and keeps the top half of the bar clean, on the back of this strap there is a extra cleat that the 5th line runs through so once leashed out the 5th line locks in place disabling the kite unless you let the line back out through the cleat manually. This system makes the kite very safe and water pack downs are simple. It also has line adjustment straps on the outside lines on top of both bar floats for fine-tuning the kite when back on the beach. Rear and front kite lines have been finished at different lengths to make up for the length of the bridals on the front of the kite, this can make rigging a little tricky in high winds.

In The Air
The 8.5m is a small kite, so launching it on a windy day is always going to be exciting. We assumed the kite wouldn’t have much low-end power due to the high aspect ration and cutaway canopy. However the kite surprisingly has plenty of grunt and power giving the 8.5m lots of low end. Moving the kite around the sky lets you know you are attached to a high aspect machine, it flies very far forwards and pointing up wind is taken to a whole new level. The Kaiman hacks up wind, which makes regaining ground after jumping easy. Although the kite flies very far forward in the window, the Kaiman never shows signs of wanting to tip forwards and over fly the rider.

The kites wind range is pretty big and holding down this powerful 8.5m is a lot easier then you would expect, pushing the bar away in gusts keeps the kite manageable even in strong winds. It holds plenty of speed and loves to accelerate at any opportunity you give it. Picking up speed and sending the kite back for some lift is loads of fun. It rips you up and sends you sky wards and unlike some boosting machines the Kaiman glides, finding time to stick in grabs and tricks is easy. But like any high boosting kite, make sure you use plenty of front hand on the way down to keep the kite out in front of you. Jumping in high winds is brilliant but not for the faint hearted.

Kitelooping is pretty extreme, the Kaiman lets you know were it is throughout the loop and there is no escaping its powerful turning axis. But in the right hands kiteloops on this 8.5m can be some serious fun keeping any riders adrenalin rushing around their body. Unhooking and getting technical is not one of the Kaiman’s strong points but with enough skill and balls you can use it for new school riding as long as you don’t mind some pretty fast manoeuvres. Re launching is easy with no need to use the 5th line, just grab one end of the bar and pull the kite up and around the wind window.

Pros
The kite makes for a brilliant high wind boosting machine, You can push the bar forwards forcing the kite miles up wind to make ground then let your rail loose and fly.

Cons
Kiteloops will need a pretty confident rider at the bar end to ride out the beast when it unleashes its power. A stopper ball of some sort on the chicken loop would be a good addition to give the arms a rest after flying the kite in mega winds.

Overall
The Kaiman is built and designed to last with plenty of low and high end giving the kite a large wind range. The kite flies up wind and boosts huge with plenty of glide to stick in any freestyle tricks. Kitelooping and any wake style tricks will need an advanced confident rider to keep the kite tamed. The re launch is really easy, unlike the old high aspect machines we were used to riding a few years ago.

For more information go and see your local dealer or visit www.advance-kites.com

Original review from our friends at IKSurfmag

RRD Placebo 2010 Kiteboard Review

At a Glance
The Placebo has been a strong character in the make up of the RRD kite board range. It has been designed for the every day rider looking for universal freeride freestyle board.

This kiteboard hasn’t changed much over the years, they have kept a nice wide width between the straps where you need some planing and landing area, yet the tips have been pulled in to make the wide board manageable through chop.

The Placebo is aesthetically pleasing, with a high gloss finish and a full wood core, backed up with a strong stepped ABS Sidewall that tappers to the tips. It has plenty of concave and fairly soft flex characteristics to make it user friendly to ride. To finish off this typically Italian stylish looking twin tip, we have RRD’s deep thick comfy foot beds and straps which can be done up without a screwdriver.

On The Water
The first session on the RRD Placebo had us pleasantly surprised. Regardless of the thickness of the rails, the board bites straight in and digs up-wind without hardly any heel pressure. With loads of surface area and relatively thick rails, the Placebo gets planing very early and can maintain a fairly slow planing speed.

With help from the heel raise and toe grips on the comfortable pads, the board gives you a brilliant connected feel with the water surface, providing you with the confidence that the board won’t side out at any point.

Heading in to some small messy chop we weren’t expecting anything special from the Placebo, but it really did hold its own. The rail holds beautifully and grips on the worst of the bounce chop, whilst carving really well with the added help of those pulled in tips. Any surf with a reasonable size would demand a board that accelerates faster down and into wave’s faces.

Loading up the rail going in to a jump is pretty easy for any moderate size jumps, but pushing too hard into the board to get some real spring or pop gives the board a little more rocker than desired sometimes slowing the board and forcing the kite to far forwards to early. Once you get the technique down though the board is impressive and should excite most riders.

Pros
Great for a freerider looking for an early planer that will give them ample confidence in getting their teeth stuck in to some free style.

Cons
When you really push the Placebo you can, if you are good enough find its limits, the flexi nature can slow the board as you really load up the edge. Perfect for freeride and most riders abilities, if you want a high performance freestyle machine you should look to the Poison

Overall
A great well-rounded board with plenty of get up and go with enough performance for 95% of riders. The board has you getting stuck in trying freestyle moves you wouldn’t have had confidence to try before!

Original review from our friends at IKSurfmag

RRD Venom 2010 Kiteboard Review

At a Glance
For any one who is familiar with the RRD range will know they have all ways spent lots of time and attention on developing wave specific kites and kite boards. For 2010 there has been no change with the brand coming up with three wave-specific directionals, and one hybrid style twin tip, designed around hitting lips of waves and slashing them up, but also some thing with a flat rocker that has bags of pop for those flat water days.

To make all of this possible RRD have had to come up with a pretty special bolt on tip design. With the tips bolted down you have a 142x42 board with shed loads of kick in the tips to make the most extreme of carves down large waves possible without sinking or catching the nose. Yet with the bolt on tips off you are left with a flat wide 130x42 for loading and popping. The RRD Venom board comes with RRD's screwdriver less straps and 5cm fiber class fins.

On The Water
With or without the tips screwed in, the Venom gets planning very early and fells like it wants to screw is self as far up wind as possible. You really can take a smaller kite out than you can with any other twin tip of its dimensions, head out the back and find waves to ride using little power from the kite and enjoy a smaller kites turning speed.

Obviously this twin tip will never use the power of the wave as well as a directional, but it responds like no other kite board made to ride waves, as soon as you push from one rail to the other the board really snaps into action. Carving is less stable than a directional but the large bolt on tips allows you get away with some ballsy caves for a twin tip. The tips fell don’t even catch when you chuck in some pretty ruthless turns.

Hitting some flat water with the Venom without the tips was fun and the board performs well as a freestyle machine. Sometimes just a little more rocker would be nice to punch through any chop that is around. The rails don’t lock and bite as well as a dedicated freestyle board, but if they did it wouldn’t surf as well as it does.

Pros
The perfect two-in-one board, if you are headed on a holiday with waves and flat water and don’t want to take two kiteboards then the Venom could be for you.

Cons
This kiteboard obviously doesn’t work as well as keeping two boards in your quiver, but does an impressive job covering both disciplines.

Overall
A well made, pretty board from RRD that you can turn up to any beach with any conditions and have confidence you are going to have fun.Overpowered or underpowered the board just works and for a twin tip you can draw some pretty impressive lines in those waves.

Original review from our friends at IKSurfmag

RRD Fatal Wave 5’8” Kiteboard Review

At a Glance
The Fatal Wave is a directional surfboard with a classical outline, wider in the nose and more drawn out towards the tail it wreaks of 70’s retro surfing! This kiteboard was developed with RRD’s world-class wave rider Abel Lago and it is his board of choice for competitions and just about anything the ocean can throw at him.

Built using traditional surfboard techniques with a foam core and a glass/polyester lay up the board looks stunning. A lot of extra reinforcement has been made in stress areas and the Futures Fins put a quality finishing touch to the set up. It comes with some of super comfortable pads attached and straps as well; of course the straps are optional. A leash point is fitted as standard.

On the Water
The RRD Fatal Wave looks very different to the modern surfboard shape when under foot, that wide prominent nose hardly escapes the eye. But as you drop into your first wave of the day you’ll see why these classic outlines have made a big comeback in recent years on the surf scene. The wide nose and rocker keeps itself well out of the water, even on the choppiest of faces and that allows very smooth carving from rail to rail on the thinner tail section of the board. The drawn out swallow-tail ensures you get plenty of rail bite in those turns and the board snaps off the lip in a highly pleasing manner. Being quite short, it is very chuckable too. In onshore mushy conditions you can really throw it about. Be sure to set the front strap a little further forward than normal so you can keep some weight towards the front of the board as it likes to be driven a little nose heavy especially in marginal waves that lack power. Get it in some big stuff though and it is excellent, we can see the test team fighting over this for a while!

Pros
Great looks, quality finish and excellent fittings, especially the Future Fins. On the wave this kite board is a joy to ride, at home in the big stuff and small mush it is sure to please all those who climb aboard.

Cons
The retro style means you need to adapt the way you ride a little, but once you get it dialled it will give you hours of fun!

Overall
A really stunning piece of board building from RRD, the Fatal Wave Classic works well in a variety of conditions and the looks are stunning!

Original review from our friends at IKSurfmag

Cheap Kitesurfing Packages

So you’ve just finished your Kite surfing lessons or your super keen and your already looking for your first Kite surfing package at an amazing price well your in luck because for this year Surface2Air Sports have over 10 kite surf packages available all at massive discounts from the individual prices so for example a kite surf package that would consist of say a Kite surf kite, Kiteboard and harness would normal cost you around £1600 we have for just over £1000 now that’s a huge saving on normal shop prices.

So what brands do we have on our kite surf packages? All unheard of brands I hear you say! Not at all! We at Surface2Air sports only stock the worlds best kite surfing brands and nothing less!

Yes you may find yourself paying a little more for these brands but your get a much better re-sale value and also all spare parts off the shelf in any good kite surfing shop, unlike with the brands that come and go in kite surfing where you will not be able to source the parts in a year or so, and this will make your kite useless and that’s the last thing we as a company and you want.

So our package brands on offer are as follows:

Cabrinha Kites – the worlds best selling kite board brand

Slingshot Kites – Probably the best built kite surf equipment you can buy.

Naish Kites – one of the most famous kite board brands in the world

Takoon Kites – the company to event Kite surfing kites we fly today

That is just some of the brands we have on offer at Surface2Air sports

So if your ready to get going and move on with your kite surfing give us a call in one of our shops below or check out our cheap kite surf packages

Remember to have fun and be safe!

Angelo

S2AS Team

S2AS Brighton (Tel: 012373 746836)
S2AS Poole (Tel: 01202 738448)
S2AS Kent (Tel: 01303 269828)

Blade Trigger 10m Kite Review

At a Glance
With a pretty good year in 2009, Blade are able to hold their heads up high knowing that they are on a similar level with the larger kite brands producing quality hard wearing kitesurfing kites.

REVIEW REMOVED DUE TO THE BRAND *CALL US FOR MORE INFO WWW.S2AS.COM*



For more information contact us at any one of our Kitesurf stores in Kent, Poole & Brighton or visit www.s2as.com

Cray Fly Shox Kiteboard 132x41 Review

At a Glance
Crazy Fly have been making their much loved Raptor Pro stiffer and stiffer over the years to cater for the full on freestyle rider; aiming to squeeze as much performance from the board as possible. Because of this there has been a gap left in their kiteboard range for a performance orientated freeride board.

This season Crazy Fly have released the all new Shox to the range to fill the space. The Shox is built with a very light full wood core with carbon and glass layup construction sporting some fresh young bright graphics. The board has a fairly shallow constant rocker line with deep concave that runs pretty much from tip to tip. To finish the board off there are some very stylish leather foot straps, thick foot beds and thin profile G10 fins the rest of the Crazy Fly range benefits from.

On The Water
Slipping your feet in the straps for the first time feels great; you can make yourself really comfortable and have a solid felling of being locked in. The light crisp ride will get you quite exited and looking for small kickers or flat spots to launch off from. The Shox pops and loads well and carries enough board speed to send your kite back for some lofty jumps. Although slightly stiffer flex and more rocker would be a aid giving a little more performance, giving the board some extra flex and extra rock makes it a easy to ride. We really believe any one can jump on this board and ride all day without your knees giving out, over the chop the ride is smooth, slick and most of all comfortable.

This kite board has been designed to be the ultimate freeride board, and it fits that bill well. Once you’ve had some fun throwing your self about though there is another characteristic that will appeal to lots of riders. The shallow rocker line and bit that you get from the rails really helps the Shox fly upwind, something you’ll appreciate after jumping around on it and having fun!

Pros
Freeride kitesurfers of all levels looking to for a board that will let them be adventurous.

Cons
The Shox has some great performance under it’s bonnet, but if you want out and out freestyle aggression look to the Raptor or Rocky.

Overall
An all round freeride board that any one can ride at any level and feel at home with. It still holds plenty of performance and excitement though for those who tap into it.

Original review from our friends at IKSurfmag

Slingshot Octane 11m Kite Review

At a Glance
The Octane is an all-new kitesurfing kite from Slingshot for 2010, based on the Rev, one of their best selling kites of 2008 and 2009.

Essentially they have taken the Rev, which was originally designed to be used as a user-friendly wave/freestyle kite, and opened up the trailing edge to allow it to fly faster through the sky. This gives a little extra spike to its power and turning ability. They have pretty much kept the simple bridle system and the bombproof kite canopy lay out. Finally, no Slingshot would be complete without Slingshot’s pioneering one pump system.

The Bar
Slingshot have really stepped it up for 2010 with the all new Comp Stick kite bar. They have pretty much ticked every box; with a whole new chicken loop using a friendly push away QR. A locking pin on top of the chicken loop locks out straight when unhooked to make hooking back in as easy as possible. There is an all-new centre line swivel that removes any twist left in the centre lines after spinning the bar after rotations and kiteloops. The de-power cleat and cleat line have been slimmed down for easy use, furthermore the bar features a removable chicken loop dick and a attachment for a suicide leash as well as the usual O shit handles on both sides of the bar.

2010 Slingshot Comp Stick Bar from SLINGSHOT RH

In The Air
After a fast responsive Rev2 for 2009 we didn’t think the Octane could be improved by much, but by opening up the trailing edge and a new stiffer shape from the new strut lay out and tweaked bridal they have managed to squeeze a bigger wind range from a kite that travels through the sky quicker then ever.

After moving the rear lines up a knot or two closer to the kite to tighten the steering lines up, the kite becomes very responsive enabling the it to turn on a sixpence allowing the rider to be able to throw impressive kiteloops without any drastic consequence.

Boosting with the Slingshot Octane has been fun with the kite turning and moving faster, however the kite demands extra kite piloting skills to use its full jumping and hang time potential. This kite seems to demand input and likes to keep a nice forward speed. Without a good amount of board speed and keeping the rear lines tort, the kite will fly further around the wind window then desired. Any inexperienced riders will want to use the most inner pigtail attachment point on the wingtips.

Riding waves with the Octane is more fun then ever, being able to stick the kite where you want it and have confidence the kite will keep up with board speed on lighter wind days. It parks really well and just hangs in the sky allowing you to ride down the line.

Pros
Wave riding and freestyle on this kite surfing kite is a dream. The all-new bar is a pleasure to use leaving only the riders to hold themselves back.

Cons
Any riders looking for a kite they can lock down and load a rail for wake style tricks should stick to the RMP or Fuel.

Overall
The Octane is a quick responsive kite with a huge wind range and great up wind potential to make ground up after ripping up a huge wave down wind or some big lofty jumps. The build quality is as ever second to none!

Original review from our friends at IKSurfmag

Cabrinha Nomad 9m Kite Review

At a Glance
The Nomad from Cabrinha is a totally new kitesurfing kite for 2010; it fills that gap that was previously empty for a high performance freestyle kite for pro riders.

Cabrinha spent the best part of a year listening to their pro riders and creating a kite that fulfilled their wants and needs. It is about as close to a C Kite as Cabrinha dared to take it, yet it retains all the great features of a hybrid, it benefits from easy relaunch and a simple bridle set up to. As standard the kite comes with the IDS safety system.

Nomad Cabrinha 2010 from freeride-attitude

The Bar
The bar this year from Cabrinha is an improvement on last years excellent design. It is simple, functional and has everything just about where you would want it. Arguably the neatest system on the market every aspect of the design has been well thought out. New for this year the IDS system is fitted inside the depower protective tube; this tidies up the set up even more. The trim straps are neatly placed above the bar and are easy to reach and the quick release is simple and functional.

In the Air
Ever since Cabrinha launched the Crossbow in 2005 they have been missing a kite like this from their range. The Switchblade was used by the likes of Andre Phillip for his wakestyle riding and the Crossbow was a freeride machine that in recent years has had a hint of race applied to it. The Nomad bridges that gap and it is a stunning kite.

The turning speed is rapid and when powered up the Nomad will put a smile on your face like no other. The kite launches you into the air with some impressive force and leaves you hanging there. Whip it into a loop and it turns in a wide arc around its wingtip generating heaps of power. The bar feedback is excellent and the rider knows where the kite is all the time. There is no “heavy” bar pressure often found on some of the other kites in the range. The Nomad is light and extremely responsive. The responsive behaviour also lends the kite really well to wave riding, you can flick it around the window whilst you are tearing waves to shreds and it behaves immaculately. Upwind the kite performs well, flying far enough forward in the window to get you there quickly, but retaining a good amount of pull at the same time.

Pros
A true high performance kite surfing kite from Cabrinha, if you like hardcore freestyle then think of it as a return to form from the brand. And if you enjoy shredding waves you won’t be disappointed.

Cons
It depends on your riding style as to whether you will enjoy the Cabrinha Nomad or not. If you enjoy the way the Switchblade flies in a solid, locked in and predictable manner, be prepared for a different beast altogether. We loved it!

Overall
Fast, responsive handling with pinpoint precision, the kite flies fairly far forward in the window, which allows it to fly upwind. The kiteloops are excellent and it really fills a gap that had previously been empty in the Cabrinha range.

Original review from our friends at IKSurfmag

JN Da Vinci 8m Kite Review

At A Glance
The JN Da Vinci is an interesting concept. The biggest size in the range is only 10m! When you think that most brands make kitesurfing kites up to 14m and 16m you could be forgiven for asking where the larger Da Vinci sizes are? The answer comes in the form of the Da Vinci Bat. The basic concept is that the smaller sizes are designed with the sorts of conditions in mind you would expect for smaller kites; gusty, punchy, stronger winds. Whilst the larger Da Vinci Bat kites are made for lighter winds and early planing.

The Da Vinci has a flatter more hybrid style arc that JN say is very stable and offers a lot of depower. The kite still flies with the reliability of a 5th line safety system. The front lines use a very short Y connection point that could constitute as a bridle, but in reality, where the bar and lines are concerned, this is much more of a 5 line set up than it is a hybrid.

The kite also utilises the floating batten technology we saw last time round, on the JN Prima Donna, with the struts being attached to the canopy with an extra piece of material so that they hang beneath the kite rather than being stitched directly to it. This enables the designers to get a really solid foil shape from the canopy of the kite. It also allows for a more aerodynamic design and a lighter construction, which will help the kite to be lively in the air.

We used the kite with the Switchcraft Bar, which works really well. The bar has ends that twist so you can change its length depending on the size of kite you are intending to use. Just unscrew the bar ends, twist and the bar is instantly ‘shorter’. You’re then all set to use the bar on a smaller kite such as this 8m. The safety release is excellent and very well engineered, plus you are provided with a large and a small chicken loop so if you want to unhook you have all the tools right there!

In the Air
These days many of the brands seem to be supplying kites with a bar that can be used across a whole range of kite sizes. In theory this is excellent as it enables you to have one bar to control all your kites and also you become familiar with the safety system.

The downside is that the kites don’t always fly properly straight out of the bag. We found the 8m Da Vinci needed an extra knot on the front pigtail about 4 inches down from the last one on there. Effectively this shortened the front lines a bit and turned the kite from something that was over sheeting into the kite it was designed to be. It is worth mentioning because, if you didn’t know too much about kites and rigging them, you could end up with a kite that doesn’t fly the way it is intended to and you wouldn’t get the best out of it.

Once set up correctly the JN is quite a kite to behold. The first thing that will strike you is the stability of the foil shape. After a very gusty, windy session it wasn’t just the rider underneath who was commenting on this. The other testers at the beach could see this super solid shape in the sky hardly flutter at all in conditions that were extreme to say the least. In the hands it feels very stable indeed and just keeps on pulling through the gusts.

The bar set-up comes with a stopper which you can move up and down the depower rope. You need an allen key to adjust it, although the depower rope is fairly short and you could easily remove it altogether and have even more depower. Jumping with the Da Vinci is easy enough; the kite really pulls you off the water and gets some impressive height. Landing the jumps at first wasn’t as simple and we found ourselves crashing hard as the timing is a little different to some other kites. After twenty minutes of riding we had it dialled in and it was great fun to fly through the air with. The control through the bar is excellent and the responsiveness is second to none. This is no doubt helped by the 5th line C-kite style set up. When you engage the bar in a turn the kite responds instantly and positively driving power to the rider throughout, which makes it great fun in the waves! Kite loops aren’t super powerful so it’s a perfect kite for someone looking to learn these. In gusty windy conditions the Da Vinci really excels, and would be well suited to beginners and intermediates alike. If you are a very experienced rider looking for a kite for strong winds then the Da Vinci could be a good choice too.

Pros
In gusty, howling conditions the Da Vinci offers the rider a very stable platform, the responsiveness of the kite is second to none and the feel of control in the hands is very direct. Jumping is exciting and great fun and the kite is also perfectly suited to waves.

Cons
You need to trim the bar before you fly the kite, which is easy enough, but important to do. The bar may be a little over engineered for some riders, but JN offer a simpler bar if you want a more freestyle orientated system.

Overall
One of the most solid kite surfing kites we have flown in a while in really nasty conditions. If you are looking for a high wind, performance machine, that stands out from the crowd the Da Vinci will fit the bill. The responsiveness in the turn will put a smile on your face and the jumping will make that smile even bigger.

Blade Trigger 10m Kite Review

At a Glance
We haven’t seen a Blade kite surfing kite for a couple of years and first up we must commend them on the latest kite surfing kites and the build quality they are now putting into their designs.

With more reinforcements than you could ever care to need you should be expecting this kite to last you well. There are plenty of Kevlar patches at critical wear points and also heavily over stitched and webbed areas where the kite will usually experience stress points. The graphics and over all look impressed the test team too, as did the one pump system which has clearly had a considerable amount of thought put into it. The shape of the trigger at first glance looks fairly conventional; it is a higher aspect bridled design. The kite still uses a pulley bridle system for the rear connection points, but overall the bridle is fairly simple.

The Bar
We were equally impressed with the bar itself, there is a new chicken loop release mechanism which works very well and is also just about the most simple system to reconnect that we have seen. There is a front line safety system and the line runs through the chicken loop so you can do as many rotations as you like without getting twisted lines. There are O-Shit handles for added safety and the bar itself is comfortable in the hands and easy to grip, a pull-pull trim strap above the bar finish off the set up.

In the Air
The Trigger from Blade is a very easy kitesurfing kite to get on with. It is aimed at the freeride market and, as you would expect, it is an easy kite to fly. In the air it feels balanced and well mannered and with minimal bar pressure at the rider end it is the sort of kite you can fly for hours without getting tired.

What did impress us was the directness of the steering, which is very precise allowing you to move the kite around the window and put it exactly where you want it for your next trick. The depower though is quite long, meaning to fully ditch the power of the kite the bar needs to move a fair way from you. This can be useful when waveriding and you want to keep some power in the kite. Blade have tweaked the leading edge shape of this kite to enable it to produce smooth consistent kiteloops, and it certainly does that. Sending it through the window inspires confidence as each time the kite behaves as you would expect it too.

Jumping is good too, the precise steering allowing you to throw the kite back when you want to and control your jumps much more than some kites which have a looser feel. The wind range on the Trigger is fairly wide, getting going very early and having a massive top end will mean that for lighter riders they may have a kite that can cover a multitude of conditions, especially if they have a surfboard in their quiver.

Pros
A classic freeride kite that will excite the more experienced rider out there, the Trigger is as at home in the waves as it is throwing down freestyle on flat water.

Cons
The kite still holds a fair amount of power when you push the bar away from you and it needs a lot more input than some designs to spill the wind. This is a small niggle though and, once you are familiar with it, won’t affect your ride.

Overall
A very well finished product with lots of attention to detail and some well thought out attributes. In the air the Trigger is precise and stable offering the rider a great all round design that will handle anything you care to throw at it.

JN Mr Fantastic 10m Kite Review

At a Glance
JN have been around for a long time now and the Italian company has always come up with some innovative products. Concepts like floating battens and the Switchcraft bar have defined their forward thinking in terms of design.

The Mr Fantastic is a totally new kitesurfing kite in their range that utilises a sweptback wing tip design. It is aimed as a ‘one kite fits all’ machine that has a wide wind range and is happy flying in a variety of conditions with a variety of riders at the controls.

Before we tell you what the kite is like out of the bag, the bag itself is worth a mention. Easily one of the toughest and best-made bags on the market it also easily swallows your kite when you have finished with it!

The Mr Fantastic itself boasts some impressive build quality and the kite looks very well made, one pump comes as standard as well and the kite also sports a very simple bridle set up. There are reinforcements along the leading edge and there are plenty of segments and panels to ensure the load is spread evenly throughout the kite.

The Bar
We were supplied with the Switchcraft Bar from JN, there is now a Switchcraft II bar, which has been tweaked and slightly upgraded. The concept is simple, to provide one bar that can be used for a wide range of kites. JN achieve this by making the bar horns swivel, you need to loosen them with a screwdriver first but once this is done you just twist the horns to effectively make the bar longer or shorter by moving the leader lines as well you get 4 lengths of bar in one. In addition to this the entire system can be spun as the safety line runs through the centre of the chicken loop. There are O’Shit handles as well as an added safety feature and the best bit is the bar is supplied as standard with two different chicken loops, one large and one small. So if you want to unhook you can easily put the large loop on and not have to buy something extra. The chicken loop itself uses a very effective quick release, some riders may find it a little bulky, but it works and is easily reached in an emergency.
In the Air
Mr Fantastic is a pretty outrageous name for a kite surfing kite, by anyone’s standards! So we didn’t quite know what to expect when we first put the kite into the air. It certainly looks very different to anything JN have produced before.

Perhaps the most striking thing is the leading edge, which hardly tapers at all until it gets right to the wing tips; this gives the front of the kite a beefy chunky look. The extra volume of air on the corners of the wing tip really come in to their own when you crash the kite as it rolls over really easily and is up and back in the sky before you know it. But you won’t be crashing this kite much, it is really simple and easy to fly, very stable and very forgiving.

The bar pressure isn’t too heavy or too light, giving you a great amount of feedback as to where the kite is at any given moment. As we got to grips with it we realised it was one of the easiest kites we have flown in a while to get dialled into, each of the test team just jumped on and got instant enjoyment out of it. Unhooked it is very stable and delivers a good amount of pull. Hooked in freeriding the kite is quick with a good turn of speed and jumping was amazing. Sometimes when you jump on a new kite it is tricky to get the timing of the jumps right. You either send it back too far or don’t pull it far enough forwards to get your landing right. The JN just seems to fly itself overhead; slight movements on the bar bring the kite back under control and exactly where you want it. Definitely one of the easiest to jump kites we have ridden in a while.

In fact the more we thought about it the more we thought that while Mr Fantastic was a somewhat daring name, it is actually rather apt. The Mr Fantastic flies upwind, puts a smile on your face when you send it through the window and is very easy to fly indeed. Coupled with the easy relaunch JN have really hit the nail on the head with this all rounder. The name says it all.

Pros
Really easy to fly, excellent in the air and fantastic upwind, a perfect freeride kite surfing kite, the ease of relaunch make it well suited to beginners as well and we liked the simple bridle set up.

Cons
As far as the kite goes we couldn’t really find any fault at all, good build quality and great features. Being fans of the simple here at the magazine then bar is a little over engineered for our liking. But that is personal choice; riders out there who love the technical will be very impressed with it.

Overall
One of the best kites we have ever seen from the JN stable, the team behind it should be really pleased. The Mr Fantastic defines everything a freeride kite should be, easy to use with blistering performance.

Liquid Force Recoil Comp 134 x 40

Liquid Force have been making boards for a long time, way before kitesurfing was invented they were getting a pretty hardcore name for themselves as manufacturers of wakeboards. It is no real surprise then that they have some pretty good kiteboards in their line up. In the past however they have often been overlooked but with the team they are repping at the moment and the movement towards wake style riding they seem to be enjoying a bit of a renaissance. Surely if you want to ride wake style, who better to make your board than the guys who have been making wakeboards since the beginning of time!

The Recoil Comp is a new board for 2008 and is their top of the line board using the latest technologies available. It differs in construction from a lot of the boards in the test, using their own tried and tested technologies instead of the snowboard style construction used by so many brands today. It isn’t the lightest of boards out there, but it is very strong and super durable. There are quite a few sizes in the range and also some extra wide ones for those light wind days or heavier riders.

On the Water
The board has quite a square outline to it, with wide tips that have a swallowtail shape to them. The rails are pretty sharp and thin allowing the kiteboard to really bite at the water and hold down a lot of power.

The board is all about freestyle really and there are certain characteristics that really lend it to that. The outline and wide tips allow you to not only hold down lots of resistance ready for popping really huge, they also allow the rider a huge platform to come down and land from the trick. There is a deep concave bottom that helps smooth out the landing even more and gives the rider a little more control. The concave also aids control at speed, which is a good thing as this board is fast, very fast. The rocker line is continuous but fairly flat which allows the board to get up some good speed. And as the old saying goes, if you going fast you are going to go high! This is very true with the Recoil Comp; this board goes big every time! The flex is pretty stiff in the middle with a little more in the tips, but not a great deal.

What was surprising though, was that even though this kite board screams performance it is also pretty comfortable to ride in the chop. All too often boards go all out and forget that most of us aren’t blessed with perfect butter flat water. The Recoil Comp cuts through the rough stuff well and is a pretty comfortable ride. The sharp rails aren’t the most forgiving out there, so you need a bit of skill to get the most out of it but if you want freestyle performance then the Comp has it in spades.

Fixtures and Fittings
What can we say? I think there will be a change in the way footpads and straps are made over the coming seasons. Liquid Force pads are hands down the best out there. There is a reason Aaron Hadlow uses these pads, they are amazing. The pads are super soft and comfy, with extra soft bits and grip in all the right places. We had the Comp Lace Straps, which are fitted with a binding style adjustment system, which allows you to really crank the strap down on your foot. The fins are 5cm but quite long, and interestingly have a good amount of give in them so when you come down a little sideways you can get away with it as opposed to tripping the board over.

Overall
If you want an uncompromising freestyle board that is fast and goes high then the Recoil Comp fits that bill. Coupled with the best pads on the market what more could you ask for.

Starkites ExA 11m 2009 Kite Review

At a Glance
Starkites have been around for a few years now; born in the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean you cannot argue they have one of the best testing grounds for developing equipment.

Previously they have concentrated on one kite, the Sbow, which was aimed as an all round freeride kite surfing kite that was well suited to beginners and intermediates alike. This year they launch the ExA, which is their first foray into the world of kites designed with freestyle performance in mind.

The first thing you notice about the ExA when it is on the ground is the super flat mid section to the kite. The middle strut bends in the opposite direction you would expect it to. Starkites call this the A.M.P. or Auto Morphing Profile. In layman’s terms the idea is that it will make the kite more stable when it is at the edge of the window. And when you sheet the kite out it changes not only the angle of attack but allows the centre profile shape to flatten out which increases the kites depower range from a smaller movement on the bar. The leading edge also has an inner curve, which leads to a minimal contact point on the water to avoid the kite getting stuck. It also comes with one pump inflation as standard, which is a neat addition to the package.

The construction this year looks amazing and it is hard to pick fault with the kite as it sits on the ground. It really seems like the new brands have picked up their game in terms of construction this year.

The Bar
The bar looks very well made and it is certainly well thought out; there is an excellent spinning safety system that can either be used as it is supplied, or you can adjust it to a handle pass leash style set up. The depower is an above bar pull webbing system, but it is easy to reach and works really well. The chicken loop is moulded so it fits into the bar, which makes hooking in and out easy and the whole set up looks very well made. Our bar was straight from the factory and hadn’t been sent for final testing; we noticed a short pigtail was attached to the release pin on the release mechanism. This pigtail actually held the pin at 90 degrees when the release was activated, which caused it to not release. Starkites are looking at the issue and by the time you get your bar the offending pig tail should have been removed, but if it isn’t make sure you take it off!

In the Air
The ExA immediately feels stable once it is in the sky; riding along behind it the kite seems to sit like a rock in the window and no matter what you do underneath it the ExA sits there patiently waiting for you to finish your move before it does anything untoward. It was designed with freestyle in mind and this super stability seems to be something that all freestyle kites are featuring these days. The thinking being, of course, that while you do your handle passes you don’t want those inputs into the bar to send the kite spiralling out of control. In order to get the kite to engage in a turn you really have to put some pressure on the bar. Once the turn is engaged the kite is very quick round the window and you can pull some impressive kite loops with the ExA.

Jumping takes a while to get used to on the kite. It needs a lot more input into the bar than some of the free ride kites that are around today, so at first you’ll find yourself dropping like a stone having sent the kite way to far back in the window and not being able to get it back across your head in time. Once you have the timing dialled though it has some impressive hangtime and float to it. Upwind is good too with the kite really attacking the edge of the window. The bottom end for the 11m is impressive too and the kite delivers a lot of low-end power. The relaunch is excellent with the inner curved leading edge allowing the kite to release from the water really quickly and get airborne again.

Pros
A super stable kitesurfing kite that is perfect for riders looking for something which won’t move too much when they are upside down hanging on by one arm. Good build quality and a sweet bar set up.

Cons
Make sure you check your chicken loop release before you fly the kite. It should be fixed, but test it just in case.

Overall
Star kites have upped their game this year, one pump, good construction and great freestyle characteristics make the ExA a good choice for the rider looking for a freestyle orientated flat kite.

Ocean Rodeo Rise 2009 10m Kite Review

At a Glance
Ocean Rodeo have been pumping innovative products out of Canada for pretty much as long as we can remember. Always a brand to come up with something different in the design and developments stakes; they are most recently famed for the invention of the Go Joe, a device to help riders get their boards back after a wipeout. Love it or hate it the idea has proved popular with many and it is these out of the box ideas that set Ocean Rodeo apart from the rest.

The Rise is no different and whilst it looks like a normal kitesurfing kite to the untrained eye closer inspection reveals the incorporation of the Venturi Technology. In layman’s terms this is a flap that spans the main arc of the kite and it allows air to spill through from the inside to the outside of the canopy when the kite is over sheeted. When a kite is over sheeted it produces turbulence on the outside of the canopy and laminar flow ceases and the kite can stall. The most noticeable effect of this on the kite is it dropping backwards out of the sky. The Venturi Technology allows air to spill through and fill the gap and help encourage laminar flow to prevent this. The Rise also features a very neat and tidy bridle system and one pump as standard. The build quality is as ever “Canadian Tough” and the whole kite is excellently put together.

The Bar
The bar set up on the Ocean Rodeo is a very simple affair, one of the cleanest bar set ups we have seen for a while. There is a below the bar depower, along with an effective stopper. Perhaps the bar is dominated by the chicken loop release, which we found a little bulky and rubbed on your hands while unhooking. It is a small grumble though for an otherwise excellent set up.

In The Air
The Rise is aimed at being the ultimate free ride kite surfing kite, and to be perfectly honest it isn’t far off. Instantly the kite feels at home in your hands, the bar pressure isn’t too hard or too soft, it feels comfortable, allowing you to know where the kite is at all times just from the feedback in the bar. Ocean Rodeo say that the Rise is the easiest kite in their range to fly, and they aren’t wrong on that either. It is one of the best jump on and ride kites we have ridden in a while. There is nothing surprising or untoward about the way it flies, it just feels natural. There is plenty of depower at your finger tips and the relaunch on the Rise is excellent. One thing that did impress though was the jumping capabilities of this kite. Hands down it is the most aggressive yank off the water we have had for a while.

In flight the kite is easy to control and it seems to keep pulling you up. We hit some of the biggest airs of the session on the Rise and for the kiter who enjoys going big this is definitely a weapon they should consider. The kite is also very fast through the air, we noticed a marked difference in board speed whenever this was used as the engine. The kite is keen and eager to seek out the edge of the window and just flies along at an impressive pace. Kite loops were fairly exciting although the speed of the kite made it easy to get the Rise round the full loop before your hit the deck at speed.

The last time we flew an Ocean Rodeo kite was way back in 2005 for a test for another magazine, to say the brand has moved on in those years would be an understatement. Unhooked the kite works well, we did find it back stalled on a couple of occasions, so the Venturi Tech hasn’t completely eliminated the problem, but a quick trim on the depower rope and the kite was flying unhooked perfectly.

Pros
A really impressive freeride kite that will blow you away when you send it back through the window. It is easy to fly and will appeal to a broad spectrum of riders.

Cons
We’d like to see a smaller chicken loop safety, we found the standard one a little tough on the hands when unhooking, it also released accidentally on one occasion, but there is a modification to correct this on the Ocean Rodeo site.

Overall
A very impressive kite from Ocean Rodeo, with One Pump and top construction it really does sit alongside the major industry players. When you get it in the air you’ll realise it truly is one of the kites of 2009 in terms of performance in the free ride arena. If you don’t try one, you are missing out!

JN Chit Chat 134 x 40.5 Kiteboard Review

At a Glance
Wow, what else can you say, when this kiteboard arrived in the office we jumped around like kids and argued who was going to ride it first. It looks good enough to eat! OK so the crazy “Chit Chat” style graphics may not appeal to everyone, but reading the phrases on the base of the board entertained us and on the water it looks stunning. The board has a honeycomb core with a fibre glass lay up and is then finished using carbon which the team at JN layer to give the flex characteristics they want. The straps and pads are excellent and finish off what is a very good looking board. If the wind doesn’t blow at the beach you can always get entertained by reading some of the “chit chat” on the bottom too!

Aimed at the performance freestyle market the Chit Chat sports a very square outline with wide tips, there is a small concave in the underside and the rocker line is fairly flat.

On the Water
The Chit Chat is aimed squarely at the freestyle market and it’s shaping gives away some of its potential. Once you put the board on the water though you really start to understand what it is all about.

The flat rocker line combined with the very stiff mid section makes this board lightning-quick. On flat water it just bombs along at Mach 10 and literally flies upwind too. In the chop the stiff section makes for a more uncomfortable ride, it’s the sort of board where you need to bend your knees rather than let the board do all the work for you. Of course you can’t have everything so whilst the board isn’t the comfiest of rides in the rough stuff it does dazzle elsewhere.

The pop on the Chit Chat is insane, power it up and load the edge and it really whips you off the water. The stiff mid-section comes into its own and allows you to really load up the edge. The slightly more flexi tips help to smooth out the landings, but with a board that is 40.5cm wide those landings are going to be pretty easy anyway. If you are the sort of rider that wants a board to propel you into the stratosphere and allow you enough air time to perform the most technical tricks then the Chit Chat will perform the task very well. Equally, if you just want to scare yourself a bit with its straight line speed and pop for big air then apply here!

Pros
Fast, stiff, great upwind and awesome pop the Chit Chat rides as good as it looks, oh and did we mention the looks, simply stunning…

Cons
Not the comfiest of rides in the chop due to the stiff flex characteristics, but then it more than makes up for that with top end performance.

Overall
We were excited when we first saw the Chit Chat, and then when we got it on the water we got even more excited. This kite board performs at a very high level and looks fantastic. Well done JN.