Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2002 2:44 pm
following you will find the tested kites and the main statments about it:
Cabrinha Black Tip 9.4 and 12.2 (25m lines)
- great hangtime
- almost same high steering forces like last year
- 12.2 doesn't really turn faster than the 2001 model
- the 9.4 turns faster than 2001
- very good relaunch
F-One Mach1 18.1 and 15.1 (27m lines)
- very low steering forces for both sizes
- very good depower
- easy relaunch when enough wind, with light winds couldn't be tested
- the kite has to be depowered a little, if not the backlines will be pulled too much and than it tends to stall (backstall)
RRD Supertype 16.0 (28m lines)
- very low steering forces and turns fast
- the kite has to be depowered a little, if not the backlines will be pulled too much and than it tends to stall (backstall)
- good relaunch
- good lift for jumps
- long batten at the tips
Gaastra GXS 14.0 and 12.0 (28m lines)
- despite the stick in the middle of the kite at higher winds it will still get the typical U shape like other kites
- the kite has to be depowered a little, if not the backlines will be pulled too much and than it tends to stall (backstall)
- steering forces similar to the North Rhino
(intermediate)
- good relaunch
- same lift and power as the Gaastra G-Spot
Wipika Airblast 8.4 and 11.8 (25m lines)
- with bridles very fast and almost no steering forces (but this way you can't feel the kite)
- disadvantage: small impulses on the bar are enough to turn the kite, you need very good control of the kite
- wide depower range
- the 11.8 doesn't create much poer at the low end compared to other kites of the same size
- easy relaunch due to bridle
Takoon Skoop 8.5 (28m lines)
- as fast as the Airblast and same easy steering
- wide depower range
- can be too fast when not experienced
- great lift for very high jumps
- difference to the Airblast: the Skoop has the last battens all the way at the end of the tips and no special valve to keep the pressure in the tube
Cabrinha CO2 9.0 (25m lines)
- good allround kite
- as 2-liner easy to handle, as 4-liner fast
- good jumping power but less hangtime than highperformer
- very good relaunch
- large wind range (also depending on the boards) from higher 3 to higher 6 Beaufort
Gaastra G-Spot 12.5 (28m lines)
- comparable to the CO2 from Cabrinha
- fast and easy handling
- same wind range as CO2
- alomost longer hangtime than the Gaastra GXS
- the riding speed is less than the GXS
- very good relaunch, considerable better than the GXS
- can't be used as 2-liner
Flysurfer Warrior 9.3 and 7.0 (20m lines)
- perfect relaunch, also good for snowkiting
- lift for jumps not comparable to tubes, but still ok
- good depower
- very low steering forces
- 9.3 can be compared to 10 sqm surface area tube kite
Naish Aero 10.0 (28m lines)
- very good relaunch
- steering forces a little bit more than the C02
- good lift, but hangtime less than highperformer
- turns slower than CO2
RRD Type 4.1 12.0 (28m lines)
- good relaunch
- steering forces like Slingshot 10.0 Fuel
- turns intermediate
- similar to Wipika Hydro
Slingshot Fuel 14.0 and 10.0 (28m lines)
- good relaunch
- 14.0 turns slow and has high steering forces, not good for jumping
- 10.0 turns fast, still higher steering forces, great lift for jumps (better than Aero)
Strongkite 8.6 (line lenght n.a.)
- turns fast and direct
- the testers only had this size which was too small to test in comparison to the others.
- relaunch couldn't be tested, which should be very interesting
Takoon Akooba 12.2 (line lenght n.a.)
- comes with a 2-line bar
- not good to fly with 2 lines
- good relaunch
- good intermediate kite with average performance
Wipika Hydro 11.0 (28m lines)
- needs longer depower than Airblast
- very good-natured, not agressive
- doesn't turn as fast as compareable kites
- good for easy riding
Wipika Inferno 9.0 (30m lines)
- very stable and constant pull for wakeboarder style
- not too fast, good-natured
- good relaunch
Naish Virus ? (20m lines)
- same as Wipika Inferno
Cabrinha Black Tip 9.4 and 12.2 (25m lines)
- great hangtime
- almost same high steering forces like last year
- 12.2 doesn't really turn faster than the 2001 model
- the 9.4 turns faster than 2001
- very good relaunch
F-One Mach1 18.1 and 15.1 (27m lines)
- very low steering forces for both sizes
- very good depower
- easy relaunch when enough wind, with light winds couldn't be tested
- the kite has to be depowered a little, if not the backlines will be pulled too much and than it tends to stall (backstall)
RRD Supertype 16.0 (28m lines)
- very low steering forces and turns fast
- the kite has to be depowered a little, if not the backlines will be pulled too much and than it tends to stall (backstall)
- good relaunch
- good lift for jumps
- long batten at the tips
Gaastra GXS 14.0 and 12.0 (28m lines)
- despite the stick in the middle of the kite at higher winds it will still get the typical U shape like other kites
- the kite has to be depowered a little, if not the backlines will be pulled too much and than it tends to stall (backstall)
- steering forces similar to the North Rhino
(intermediate)
- good relaunch
- same lift and power as the Gaastra G-Spot
Wipika Airblast 8.4 and 11.8 (25m lines)
- with bridles very fast and almost no steering forces (but this way you can't feel the kite)
- disadvantage: small impulses on the bar are enough to turn the kite, you need very good control of the kite
- wide depower range
- the 11.8 doesn't create much poer at the low end compared to other kites of the same size
- easy relaunch due to bridle
Takoon Skoop 8.5 (28m lines)
- as fast as the Airblast and same easy steering
- wide depower range
- can be too fast when not experienced
- great lift for very high jumps
- difference to the Airblast: the Skoop has the last battens all the way at the end of the tips and no special valve to keep the pressure in the tube
Cabrinha CO2 9.0 (25m lines)
- good allround kite
- as 2-liner easy to handle, as 4-liner fast
- good jumping power but less hangtime than highperformer
- very good relaunch
- large wind range (also depending on the boards) from higher 3 to higher 6 Beaufort
Gaastra G-Spot 12.5 (28m lines)
- comparable to the CO2 from Cabrinha
- fast and easy handling
- same wind range as CO2
- alomost longer hangtime than the Gaastra GXS
- the riding speed is less than the GXS
- very good relaunch, considerable better than the GXS
- can't be used as 2-liner
Flysurfer Warrior 9.3 and 7.0 (20m lines)
- perfect relaunch, also good for snowkiting
- lift for jumps not comparable to tubes, but still ok
- good depower
- very low steering forces
- 9.3 can be compared to 10 sqm surface area tube kite
Naish Aero 10.0 (28m lines)
- very good relaunch
- steering forces a little bit more than the C02
- good lift, but hangtime less than highperformer
- turns slower than CO2
RRD Type 4.1 12.0 (28m lines)
- good relaunch
- steering forces like Slingshot 10.0 Fuel
- turns intermediate
- similar to Wipika Hydro
Slingshot Fuel 14.0 and 10.0 (28m lines)
- good relaunch
- 14.0 turns slow and has high steering forces, not good for jumping
- 10.0 turns fast, still higher steering forces, great lift for jumps (better than Aero)
Strongkite 8.6 (line lenght n.a.)
- turns fast and direct
- the testers only had this size which was too small to test in comparison to the others.
- relaunch couldn't be tested, which should be very interesting
Takoon Akooba 12.2 (line lenght n.a.)
- comes with a 2-line bar
- not good to fly with 2 lines
- good relaunch
- good intermediate kite with average performance
Wipika Hydro 11.0 (28m lines)
- needs longer depower than Airblast
- very good-natured, not agressive
- doesn't turn as fast as compareable kites
- good for easy riding
Wipika Inferno 9.0 (30m lines)
- very stable and constant pull for wakeboarder style
- not too fast, good-natured
- good relaunch
Naish Virus ? (20m lines)
- same as Wipika Inferno