2009 Ultraflat Fluid Torque 15m - Light wind monster
Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 2:16 pm
Got a short ride on the 2009 Fluid Torque 15m today when one of the guys from Fluid Kiteboarding was down at the beach. Its one of the ultra-flat concept kites that Bruno designed where the struts are away from the canopy and the kite is much flatter than a normal kite. The ultraflats apparently have much more low end than conventional bows so I've been meaning to try one out for a while to see what they are like.
The 15m is actually a little scary, even in the light wind I tried it in, the amount of power it generates is insane. I haven't tested a 16m bow kite since the first bow Contras but this thing is a truck in comparison to anything I've tested before. I was able to go upwind and do decent jumps in conditions that my 12m would normally have battled to even get me planing and my kiteboard is a pig (heavy rocker) so the fact that I could even go upwind is a mystery in those conditions.
Timing jumps is a mission, partially because I had just come off a 9m before the wind died and because of the pure size of it, but the lift and float is amazing given the conditions, I forgot how much fun big kites can be, especially with a whole section of flat water all to yourself. Turning speed on the big kite is obviously slow, but given the fact I could just lock and load the kite in conditions I'd normally would not even be able to ride, it was a small price to pay.
I'm still keen to test a smaller kite so I'll give the 11m a run the next time and provide more feedback in a kite size which is closer to my current size.
The 15m is actually a little scary, even in the light wind I tried it in, the amount of power it generates is insane. I haven't tested a 16m bow kite since the first bow Contras but this thing is a truck in comparison to anything I've tested before. I was able to go upwind and do decent jumps in conditions that my 12m would normally have battled to even get me planing and my kiteboard is a pig (heavy rocker) so the fact that I could even go upwind is a mystery in those conditions.
Timing jumps is a mission, partially because I had just come off a 9m before the wind died and because of the pure size of it, but the lift and float is amazing given the conditions, I forgot how much fun big kites can be, especially with a whole section of flat water all to yourself. Turning speed on the big kite is obviously slow, but given the fact I could just lock and load the kite in conditions I'd normally would not even be able to ride, it was a small price to pay.
I'm still keen to test a smaller kite so I'll give the 11m a run the next time and provide more feedback in a kite size which is closer to my current size.
