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airush sector for slalom anyone?

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:55 pm
by coleman
is anybody using the sector boards (in various sizes) for slalom racing? i personally have never been in a race but i do really enjoy straightline reaching speed.

i currently have the v1 52 sector and am mulling over an upgrade either to the new aguera slalom or the more freerace v3 sector 54.

any feedback? :bye:

Re: airush sector for slalom anyone?

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:01 pm
by ronnie
Peter Petersen in South Africa used to use the Sector 52 in races and won (but he is a very good rider). They were a local race series and there were some reports on iKiteboarding forum. I dont think upwind was a big factor in those races as they were open to all types of board in different classes - a bit like the race series in Hawaii.

There are other boards in the 60 cm wide range.

Julian Keurner won the 2012 Slalom Worlds and posed with an RRD K-Free 60 on the podium, so he may have used that in the races, and there is also the 59cm North Race which was used to finish 3rd in the women's European Slalom Championships.

There's a bit of video of Alex Aguera on a prototype slalom board at the end of this video. Damien Leroy won the 2011 World Slalom title on an Aguera but had to use his race board instead of the slalom board as it was too difficult to get upwind to the race course in time on the slalom board because the wind was very light.

Re: airush sector for slalom anyone?

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:50 pm
by droffats
We have ridden and sold all the Airush Sectors since V1 and sell/ride the RRD. The RRD K-Free is a better slalom board. Straightline speed is at opposite ends of the hull design spectrum though. Think course racing board vs. those tiny little ski like things that set speed records. The RRD and Airush both seems to feel like they get a lot of drag about 30-35mph. I feel like I have to start pushing the board forward with my legs at that speed.

- Stafford

www.adventurekiteboarding.com

Re: airush sector for slalom anyone?

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:30 pm
by coleman
thanks for the insight. interesting about the drag you mentioned stafford at 30-35mph. i have never had a gps so i cant tell about board speed but i have felt like that was about my limit as well on the sector.....30kts or so on a broad reach.

i spoke with alex about his slalom board and he says that the speed sailors are in fact using his slalom design on speed trial runs. Damien leroy was on the aguera and rob douglas was also clocked on his mikes lab slalom. Both clocked over 40kts. alex mentioned needing 25-30kts on a 9m for those speeds.

from the sounds of it the slalom setup that alex is putting together is considerably faster than the sectors, but no surprise there as the sector is more freeride oriented. he did attest to that but i always like to get feedback from various sources.