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Review of Speed 3 - 21 - Deluxe Edition

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woonder
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Review of Speed 3 - 21 - Deluxe Edition

Postby woonder » Sun Aug 22, 2010 3:45 pm

As promised, here comes the detailed review of Flysurfer Speed 3 in size 21!

A few weeks ago Armin asked me if i will have one of the first 21er to post a review, I could not of course say no! After the kite arrived one week to late (because UPS delivered over prag), we couldn't wait anymore to try this new lightwind beast!!

After 2 Days of over 20 Knotes... the third day we arrived at the beach and: around 10 Knotes!!!! PERFECT!!!!

Fipi (Mykite.ch Team Rider and FFCustomes CEO / shaper) and Räffu were with me in the car.

The Test: I was out for about 1 houer on my directional... then i headed in to give it to fipi. I had to eat and shoot some pics...
after that we swiched back again and again..

This review is our opinion... as FS and Armin knows... we allways write waht we think...


We made a rating system:

****** Out of reach!
***** Very good
**** Good
*** Acceptable
** Bad
* Disaster

the test riderss:

Fipi: I weigh 70kg and kite for five years. I have a 12 and 15 Speed 3 and fly regularly the 19.

Phil: i weight about 90 kgs. I ride 90% strapless. Normally on: 12/15/19 SPEED3 and 5-12 Wainman Hawaii

The Review:

Phil: First impression *****
After I put wet sand on the tip(this almost broke my heart) the kite starts as usual ... When i heard from Ernst that a 21 is coming my reation was this: BOAAAA ... but it does not look bigger than the 19 and feels not bigger. So my 6'0''under my arm and straight on the water ... hey! the thing turns !!! and makings nice pressure ... and where is now the backstall?!?!! Let's try the first Straplessair... Hang Time guaranteed! First impression: this is a 19 without Backstall and more grunt! Perfect for my weight.

Fipi: First impression *****
I've just come from the water with the 15 when phil gave me the 21. So back out and what do i notice??? Nothing.
And that's great: no gusts, no ears rattle, not a Zeppelin feel. First jump... and up it goes... like a elevator ... Excellent.

Fipi: Turn ****
It is still a 21. But if i would not have know that this is the 21, i would have thought it's the 19!!! Both turn the same!!! Overhead kite loops, etc. Downloops work properly. No Tiptucking at all... only at the lower windrange when i was working the kite hardly!!!

Phil: Turning *****
I totally agree with fipi!!! When i heard that the kite will turn like a 19 .. i said tomyself: marketing Bla Bla ... as always ... However, it's ture!!!!!! The 21er turns at least as good as the 19er.
Straplessairs with kiteloops for the landings... (I speak here of a loop initiated during the landing) were not a problem. Sure it takes a bit of timing. But it works great!

Fipi: low end ******
Despite the small fish in in 8kts (which is approximately comparable to a 140s), I could still comfortably ride upwind. the basegrunt is way better.. if you have windholes.. the kite keeps pulling. Just send the kite down, pull the bar in and there you go... no backstall... really easy!!!.

Phil: low end ******
KILLER! I AGREE WITH FIPI ! i gave the kite to a beginner (80+ kgs) . Even for him it was no problem at 8 knots in combination with a Doorshape to make high and jump. Absolutely easy for beginners! I think with a race board, the low end is magical! For a foil, we prefer not to talk


Phil: de-power & high end ******
We had some 15 kts for a couple of minutes. At my weight and a 130s board, it was really funny! Had absolutely no problems. The depower is again excellent. I noticed that the kite coveres comfortably a big windrange... at 7 kts you ride it and at 15-20 kts you can ride it... no problemo!!!. I think I have to figure out the high end. But probably it is minimal among the high end of the 19er. It is incredible how the kite eats gusts!
PS: the wind range is huge! just huge!

Fipi: de-power & high end *****
Also in the 15knt I was far away at all touch the trimmer. Overall, the comfort zone is very large, which is fun whether you feel like at BigAir, unhooked or Strapless.

Fipi: Jumping ****
After one year of speed3 experience, I felt comfteble with the 21 immediately . Some Speed and the right timing is the key to massive hangtime!!!! You go up really gentle... and the you stay in the air for ages.. after that i goes down really slowly!!! Overhead loops are no problemand do make a lot of fun, thanks to the light bar pressure you will be able to kite for ages!!!!
Unhooked its like a cablepark!!!. The trimmer does not need to be touched, because there is no BACKSTALL, Pop is as with the other Speed's very good.

Phil: Jumping ****
AGREE!!! just figure out the timing and you will FLYYYYYYY....

Phil: stability *****
we where at a gusty spot... no problemo at all!!! a tube tried to go to the water 3 times... he came back 3 times with a wet kite :-)

Fipi: Stability ****
Also at the very gusty entry in Portalban there were no problems. underjump the kite and he drives slowly back into the wind window.

Fipi: Barfeeling *****
Barforces are really low!!! Perhaps a wee bigger than the 19 on softsteering.

Phil: Barfeeling *****
The Barfeeling in my eyes is TOP! I do not like it when my arms start to hurt after half an hour. With the Speeds that was never the case! Very pleasant barfeeling and you can feel where the kite is.

Phil: Design *
Sorry .. but the design is very boring. Simply White with a cutted FS logo. It is a pity that FS did not do a better job on the design. In addition, the kite won't look white anymore in short time.

Fipi: Design **
The kite comes all in white (who knows the Silver Arrow 2, knows that it wont remain white for a long time), only a cutted FS Logo is sewn in gold.

Fipi & Phil: Conclusion *****
Flys like a 19 with more grunt and no backstall at all!!!. Absolute fun machine in light winds as in the middle and high winds.
With the 21, the number of your waterdays will once again increase significantly! Thanks to Armin and Flysurfer for the new lightwindmonster!!!! ...

For the relaunch, I can not say much. One drop and easy realaunch without Porblemes ...

Here are some pictures of the test:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?ai ... 2509554569

and here you can buy the kite ;-)
www.mykite.ch

aloha

PHIL

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Re: Review of Speed 3 - 21 - Deluxe Edition

Postby kiteingcolin1 » Sun Aug 22, 2010 4:58 pm

great info, thanks, I am looking closely at this kite for use with my race board,

one question,

when I am flying off the wind on the race board speeds get a bit high and control is sketchy at times, so sketchy that sometimes I explode at high speed, this means that the bar sometimes is best released as I cartwheel to a dizzy disorientated stop, in this situation will the kite always fall to the water either,,,, not at all,,,,,,very slowly,,,,,,,,,,same as LEI kites,,,,,,,,drops like a stone,,?????

and is there a kite in water position that is ruddy difficult to relaunch from,

thanks

colin

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Re: Review of Speed 3 - 21 - Deluxe Edition

Postby gmb13 » Sun Aug 22, 2010 7:14 pm

Hi Colin,

I have had a fair number of big crashes in Races and training for them.

The worst position I have ever gotten a kite in is inverted. That is pretty easily solved by tensioning the back lines and waiting for the kite to sort itself out. This is with small kites.

If you are racing with a 21 the wind will be so light and I doubt you will be having any massive out of control crashes on the downwind course.

On the reach you might get some nice good speed, but I have personally never had a crash on a reach course where the kite has ended up in a mess.

--
Gunnar


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