Takoon Skoop 14.3 Kite - Review

[Toby]

Thanks to Andoni and the Windysite gang
( http://www.windysite.com ):


After a whole week of testing and comparing at Windysite here you are our
first review on the new Takoon Skoop. Comments will be very much
appreciated.

Construction: Same Dacron than in the Rhino. Tough. No Dacron in the tips,
the kite is made of spy to the very end. To compensate this, the tips have
several strong, wide, radial reinforcements in the line-attaching points.

Bladders: 7 bladders, 2 of them at the very tip. These last ones come with a
different valve which does not let exit any air. You can leave these
bladders drum tight effortlessly.

Bridals: the kite comes with reverse relaunch - power steering bridles. Good
Ronstan pulleys that will not wear the bridles, we hope. Durability to be
checked from intensive use (and abuse) in the coming weeks.

Profile:
Thin leading edge.
Segmented leading edge but not as much as in the Rhino.
Negative curve in the trailing edge.
Wide tips.
High aspect ratio.
This kite is 14.3 m2 flat / 10.5 projected


Bottom end:
The kite will stay overhead in 5 knots.
A 80 kg./ 175 lb. rider on a 172 Prankster TT planes working the kite in 8
steady knots. The power comes more from moving the kite (F One like) than
from a deep powerful profile (Rhino like). As it happens with the F One, the
Skoop generates lots of power when you work it hard. Once parked it does not
offer big power, unless you already have good board speed.

Turning:
even softer than in the F One. No pressure in the bar. A very neat
"Airblast" feeling, but faster and sweeter. The kite, as it happens with the
Rhino and the F One, does not open even a little in the tips in sudden
turns. The kite turns well when not in the chicken loop. We use a 55 cm.
bar.

Upwind:
The kite will park exactly where you want it to and there it will stay. It
flies quite forward in the window so going fast upwind, even in light winds
is a child's game.

Jumping:
LOTS of upwards lift, almost as much as in the F One or the Cabrinha BT and
surely more than in the Rhino or Aero. No matter how you landed, it's really
difficult to luff the kite. Very stable.

Reversal launching:
easier than in the Airblast, the sudden pull when you relaunch the kite is
softer now, as it has a natural tendency to go to the edge of the window
before getting speed and power. Launching the kite in the usual way is quite
easy, anyhow. Easier than the F One or Cabrinha BT and as easy as the Rhino
or Aero.

High end:
About 20-22 steady knots for an 80 kg. experienced rider on that same 172
Prankster.

Accessories:
Average "Naish like" extensible bag. No bar or lines tested yet, sorry.
Big pump.

Color schemes (bladders/body):
orange / khaki, orange/apple green, white/pink.... not quite conventional,
to say the least....

Overall:
A very well constructed kite, up to today's standards. A kite that not
experienced riders can grow with (very stable, easy to relaunch and sweet in
the hands) but also a kite that even the most experienced riders will love
for how it flies and what it delivers. A very easy forgiving kite with a
wide wind range and high performances. It's less technical than the F One or
the Cabrinha BT and almost in their same performance level. Experienced
riders will prefer the F One, though. The 14.3 is the biggest kite most
people will need.