toby

[Do-it]

Just wondering what kite you are using these days. Also what wondering what kites you have flown in the past two years. What do you like or not.... and why?

[Toby]

I had 18 sqm prototypes from North.
Now I am on the Rebel 2015 18.0.

I like the lift and hang time, with a good feel in the bar.

It is a bit too fast, so I use it with 32m lines...and just build myself a short bar with 27m lines.

[Stelios]

Hello everyone and thank you for accepting me.
I am an Airstyle rider from Greece and this is my first message here.

I read alot of great things you guys write which can help someone become a better rider.
However it seems to me that maybe my gear is not good for what i do.I dont know, i am comfused...:
Slingshot rpm 12m , rpm 10m and a rally 7m. and 127 airush board.
My height is 179cm and weight 68kg.

I understand its all about going high and hangtime but it seems to me i also see progress with what i use now.Plus, i have really good feedback on the bar.
Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you
Stelios

[FLandOBX]

Hello, Stelios.

The RPM is not a good airstyle kite. It really doesn't give you the hang-time you'll want to do airstyle tricks. It is better for wakestyle riding (unhooked). Your Rally is a better airstyle design, but a 7m is small unless you have big wind. Most of the airstyle riders want to ride in moderate wind with big kites that provide a lot of float (hang-time).

[edt]

I think the style of the kite is not as important as how large it is and how slow it turns. You want a large slow turning kite. If a kite is big enough, it will give you good hang time. I don't care what model you have, a 7 meter kite will never have as much float as a 12 meter kite while you are descending. And there is no substitute for a larger kite, like Toby's 18, which he rides in around 25 knots (though he weighs something like 90 kilos so his 18 is equivalent to your 12 at your lesser bodyweight). An RPM should be fine it is a pretty slow kite stable in the air, so you can do your tricks and not worry about it buzzing around like an angry be. At 68kg a 12m RPM is a fine choice for airstyle. the 127 airush board is also a great choice nice and small great for doing board offs. Remember airstyle is not about how high you go, leave that for big air specialists. airstyle is about getting a lot of hangtime while your kite is in perfect control. That allows you to do all the awesome tricks you want to do, board offs, one footers, board flips stuff like that. You can jump huge on a smaller kite, so for instance you might be able to jump a lot higher on the 7m rally than you could on the 12m rpm. The problem is that 7m goes straight up in the air like a rocket then comes straight down like a rock. It's hard to find a safe place to do your board offs when you are blasting off and landing like that. The larger kites (12 is a large kite at your body weight) will never jump as high as the 7m, but it gives you a lot more kite above your head so when it comes down it floats and gives you time to safely do your board offs.

I think your gear is fine. Go for it!

It is kind of surprising but a lot of the attributes that wakestylers want are the exact same that airstylers want. A wakestyle rider wants his kite to sit calmly in the air not buzz around like a bee. so they want a smaller control bar and a more stable kite. Airstylers are not really concerned about how high in the air they jump, they leave that for the big air specialists, same with wakestylers, the stability of the kite and feeling of it in the air is more important than huge jumps. The big difference is that wakestyle riders like those C kites which aren't useful for airstyle riders. Actual C kites like the torch or fuel don't have much depower so you can't really size up to the larger kites you need for airstyle. The C-shaped kites like the RPM or C4 tho are ok.

[Stelios]

Thank you both

[PullStrings]

Question for Do-it......were you bored on November 9th 2015 ?

[Toby]

try to ride as big as you can hold the power. You should be nicely powered, not over powered.
The slower you can make your kite, the better! use a shorter bar and longer lines to slow it down.
I ride the inner connection of the bar and 32 m lines on an 18 sqm kite.

Also, you need at least a good working stopper ball to hold down the bar for more hangtime and hands free...best is a microloop...so look at buying a used bar from North, 2009-2012 which has two hols in the center. Then buy the microloop upgrade kit HERE

[Do-it]

@PullStrings yes

[dracop]

I am curious, have you guys tried Airstyle in Cape Town? Not just the wind speed, but the air density changes things there. Once you go up, you just hang up there forever and ever. And thats with small kites! One day I took my LF NRG 12m out in a weak Cape Doctor (40 kts), the hang time was insane. THought I was never coming back down. Will take vids next trip (in a year), but you guys who are Airstyle Masters should try it.

I did love Darkslides between the wave sets...slide and slide and slide and slide and slide...................still sliding......has not stopped sliding yet.....damn, wave in front of me, have to finish it with an aerial.