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Airush Varial X 2014

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Tedy
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Airush Varial X 2014

Postby Tedy » Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:29 am

Any good review or feedback,sizing advice(2-3kites),windrange,...

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Re: Airush Varial X 2014

Postby John-B » Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:50 am

Awesome bit of kit - lots of info on the UK forum

My 12m Review at bottom of page here http://www.kiteboarder.co.uk/kitesurfin ... 70&t=57397

My 7m Review (replaced my 7m Wave) here: http://www.kiteboarder.co.uk/kitesurfin ... 7&start=75

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alexrider
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Re: Airush Varial X 2014

Postby alexrider » Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:11 pm

Not a review, but first impressions from a 30 minute session with the 12m:
fantastic kite, immediately at home, predictable, really fast turning for the size, powerful for the size as well, reminds me that other great 3 strut kite, the Naish Park. Apparently, the 10 is even better.
Much better for waves than any of the foil kites I have. I am going to get one (or 2) as soon as I will be back by the sea...

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Re: Airush Varial X 2014

Postby g0nz0 » Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:47 pm

Yeah real nice boosty fast well balanced Freeride kite. I'm on razors but would be quite happy to fly the Varial X. How heavy are you and what sort of riding are you doing so we can advise sizing?

Dan

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alexrider
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Re: Airush Varial X 2014

Postby alexrider » Mon Jan 20, 2014 1:45 am

g0nz0 wrote:Yeah real nice boosty fast well balanced Freeride kite. I'm on razors but would be quite happy to fly the Varial X. How heavy are you and what sort of riding are you doing so we can advise sizing?

Dan
If the question was direct at me: must have been 82 kg at the time, riding an Airush Choptop 5.8 in 12-14 knots in small wind generated waves typical of Gulf of Thailand. For sure the VX 12 could have handled a lot more wind.

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Re: Airush Varial X 2014

Postby Westozzy » Mon Jan 20, 2014 4:10 am

Spent a good week on the 9 and 12. I like what they have done with the new VX, especially in the 12m size. Extremely stable unhooked. Extremely stable at its upper end, had it out when some were on 5 and 7m...so it was blowing hard! Very stable in those big winds, those pulleys really smooth out the big gusts and transfer them across the bridalling to even out canopy distortion.

In the surf....well to a point. You can see there is some wave influence with some drift qualities. But it reaches a point where if you push it too far, you start to wish you were on a specialised wave kite. It's functional to okay in the waves. If you are just free riding though, but a wave, boost etc it's sweet. Can't get around aspect in the waves, it's just the way it is with all kites.

Looping....well if you like a steady fairly unpowered loop (relatively) it is sweet. The 12m is super fast so the 9m is outrageous!!! As with all kites with aspect though you do need to aware of your sheeting position when engaging the loop. It loops in a real linear easy to know where it is fashion. It doesn't accelerate though in the last third like a kite with more C and less aspect, so make sure you sheet out to let it breathe in the last third.

The unhooking is super sweet and easy to use. Don't bother touching the trim doesn't need it. A great kite for those learning to unhook or those that want to really push the envelope before say hitting a razor, or those that won't more control and want to slow down a bit, very nice.

I've been around for 14/15 seasons now and I'v watched this recent fad into no pulleys being the best set up. I call it a fad, because I'm not convinced, not one bit. I have ridden (and ride now) too many fantastic pulleys/ slidered kites now that are just as good and in some cases better than this movement towards no pulleys. I like the distribution of power load it gives you myself. A lot of these no pulley kites I've flown recently really fly way to much off the front lines.

That being said two things I was aware happening with this kite. When loading for a big jump, trying to convert that kinetic energy into potential, I found the combination of 6pulleys, a shearing canopy (which has its own advantages) and the longish bridals to 'take up' too much of this conversion. Tried to adjust over the week, in moderate to sweet spot powered to lit and it never took me as high as I expected. This can be moderated through good technique and rider experience on this kite, but it is there nevertheless. Direct feel, real direct but the steering over the above kite design does have a sense of mushiness....not obvious but there nevertheless. Just never could get a good bang for my buck so to speak.

I also felt the kite dropped you more quickly than I liked. Of course a powered loop, down, under loop sorts this. I did find though with the 12 though I had to pull early for it to catch me and it regularly didn't. Again technique and experience on the kite could sort this, but I have ridden many kites recently I can get on straight away and dial this in, so again this condition is a reality with the kite.

We have collectively demoed 15 to 20 kites over the past three months, 4 of us with multiple kites in the air riding back to back on flat water and the waves, on SBs and Tts, in light to intense winds and this is the kite that came closest to the one we ride now, in that we really liked it and gave kudos to the designers. A number of kites we couldn't wait to get off!!

It's a super sweet lower wind unhooked kite moving a decent big boosting freeride in higher winds. The 12m is a sweet size. Remember this kite does need wind to come alive and you need to actively fly it still. Not as much as the earlier models but this need is still present. You wanna park and go, forget this kite, go for the many no brainer wings out there.

This is a platform worth developing. Can't wait to see next years kite.

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Re: Airush Varial X 2014

Postby g0nz0 » Fri Jan 24, 2014 11:22 am

My comment was really aimed at the original poster, as he was asking about size choice etc :)

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Re: Airush Varial X 2014

Postby Tedy » Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:16 pm

Hi there, sorry for the delay in my response,..i was riding rpm 10 and 8 ,board 134x41 from 16 - 30 knots, 82 kg,...i need to cover form 15-35(40)knots 2-3 kites,riding style unhooked and freeride,board 135x41,flat and choppy conditions,..

Thanks!

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Re: Airush Varial X 2014

Postby Pier » Sun Mar 16, 2014 3:35 pm

Hi, anyone tried varial x 2014 and park 2014 and can compare them??

Im interested in 10 and 7 metres


BR

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Re: Airush Varial X 2014

Postby iwave » Wed May 21, 2014 5:56 am

I recently tried the new 2014 Varial X 10m in various conditions so I thought I could add some comments about this kite. I am 68kg and kiting since 2008.
I had 4 different sessions with the kite.
For me the low-end was about 11 knots, which I think is pretty good for that type of kite (using my 132cm twintip). In light wind the kite responds well to sinning to generate power. High-end was about 24 knots (maybe 26), average not gusts.
I thought this kite jumps pretty well, high and vertical.
Popping and unhooked popping is pretty good. Unhooking is really good with this kite, even in lighter wind.
Also this kite goes really well upwind (it sits well at the edge of the wind window).
Bar pressure is comfortable, except when looping the kite, then it's a bit harsh.
I was actually disappointed by the looping ability of the kite, it does not accelerate that well in the loop.
For example, I thought looping on the Dice 10m was better (which is a similar kind of kite).
Also, I did not think it was incredibly reactive. I mean the kite is fast and stable, but it does not react right away. So to me it meant that I needed to be more alert about the steps I was going to do in a trick...
Another disappointing point was relaunch in light wind. For example, I was easily riding and maintaining my ground in 11 to 13 knots. But, at that wind speed, I was not able to relaunch whatever relaunch techniques I used. I would have needed a fifth line to relaunch in light wind with this kite.
(I also posted my comments on the Dice 10m in a separate thread)


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