Difference between wakestyle, freestyle, wavestyle etc...

[GrodanBoll]

I often read that certain kites are great for waveriders, wakestyle riders, freestyle riders etc... but what the heck is the difference? Can a kite not be good for all type of riders? Me myself like to jump as high as possible and I try to learn some new tricks now and then, what kind of style is that?

[edt]

I often read that certain kites are great for waveriders, wakestyle riders, freestyle riders etc... but what the heck is the difference? Can a kite not be good for all type of riders? Me myself like to jump as high as possible and I try to learn some new tricks now and then, what kind of style is that?

wave riders ride waves -- they want a kite that you can "park" in the air and just concentrate on the wave, the kite is there so you can catch waves, not to power up on. The kites used for wave riders overlap with freestyle riders though they generally use one size smaller kite. The important thing here is getting yourself a kiteboarding surfboard (different in several ways from a surfing surfboard)

wake style riders do tricks as if you are behind a boat -- C kites are best for a couple of reasons, they have a lot more bar pressure so you know where your kite is, they aren't as twitchy when you handle pass, a c kite is one like the slightshot fuel. Hybrids like the slingshot rpm or ozone c4, try to mix a bit of depower in to a C kite, not sure how well that works.

freestyle is anything else, you usually want a supported leading edge kite because the excellent depower means you will be able to stay in your comfort zone, this is 90% of the kite market, this is the kind of kite you have, north rebel, ozone catalyst, liquid force envy, best waroo, slingshot rally, naish park, etc etc. This is sometimes called a beginner kite but really it's a general purpose kite.

There are also racing kites and lightwind kites these two styles share kites, in general you are looking at a kite that works at the low end, and has a lot of fabric. Kites like this include the ozone zephyr, north dyno, flysurfer and the blade fat lady.

[GrodanBoll]

Thanks, things got clearer =)

[dyyylan]

Me myself like to jump as high as possible and I try to learn some new tricks now and then, what kind of style is that?

danglestyle

[JerseyPride]

a couple more things to add-

freestyle kites usually have great upwind ability and hangtime, both due to the lift of the kite. usually a much lighter bar pressure bc everyone that rides this way has a VAG . generally not as good for unhooking, or as fast turning as a wave kiter would like

wakestyle kites like to have a strong pop and slack effect for handle passes, as well as being stable (not twitchy) and smooth power delivery. as mentioned, a bit more bar pressure, aka kite feedback, is nice bc you know what your kite is doing without looking at it.

there are 2 styles of wave riding - park your kite and surf the wave, or use your kite to do powered turns. if you ride waves in the first style i mentioned, you will like a kite that drifts down the line well, ie. does not fall out of the sky when the lines are slacked. the latter method would like a fast turning kite with no delay so they can respond to a changing wave face and thwap the lip of the wave when they want. also, relaunch is key for these guys so they can get their kite back in the air before a wave crushes it.

[flyrob]

This explains different styles

[jack_the_kiter]

I often read that certain kites are great for waveriders, wakestyle riders, freestyle riders etc... but what the heck is the difference? Can a kite not be good for all type of riders? Me myself like to jump as high as possible and I try to learn some new tricks now and then, what kind of style is that?

wave riders ride waves -- they want a kite that you can "park" in the air and just concentrate on the wave, the kite is there so you can catch waves, not to power up on. The kites used for wave riders overlap with freestyle riders though they generally use one size smaller kite. The important thing here is getting yourself a kiteboarding surfboard (different in several ways from a surfing surfboard)

wake style riders do tricks as if you are behind a boat -- C kites are best for a couple of reasons, they have a lot more bar pressure so you know where your kite is, they aren't as twitchy when you handle pass, a c kite is one like the slightshot fuel. Hybrids like the slingshot rpm or ozone c4, try to mix a bit of depower in to a C kite, not sure how well that works.

freestyle is anything else, you usually want a supported leading edge kite because the excellent depower means you will be able to stay in your comfort zone, this is 90% of the kite market, this is the kind of kite you have, north rebel, ozone catalyst, liquid force envy, best waroo, slingshot rally, naish park, etc etc. This is sometimes called a beginner kite but really it's a general purpose kite.

There are also racing kites and lightwind kites these two styles share kites, in general you are looking at a kite that works at the low end, and has a lot of fabric. Kites like this include the ozone zephyr, north dyno, flysurfer and the blade fat lady.

Just a correction:
I think what you mean by wakestyle is actually commonly referred as freestyle or new school.
Since what you describe as a freestyle kite is actually a freeride kite.