Yes, I was suprised when I took my first jump with the Crossbow 13m2, felt the constant pull of the kite during the jump compared to my Contra 14m2 which has more of a "burst" of power pulling me hard out of the water. Also it was so much easier to turn the kite forward and get a long glide compared to the Contra.. In addition, my landings where a lot smoother after a trick. The 1:1 really does wonders, no latency and a lot quicker turning. And I guess the low-end is the same, I compared the size of the 13m2 by putting it on top of my 14m2. There is almost no difference!
Photos here:
viewtopic.php?t=2350146&p=540050
I got some issues regarding the line and bar colour, also, putting the lines around the bar isnt as easy because of the soft EVA bar ends. Relaunch, safety, selflanding and launching I havent enough practice with yet. But the most important aspect, how it behaves in the air, is excellent.
I sent Cabrinha my thoughts about the colours (as a wish for future change), and got the answer below. I think that it would be excellent if the left EVA bar end was totally red, and the right bar end totally grey. Wouldnt look as nice maybe though...
1. The colour of the front and rear lines are too similar coloured. [..]
2. The colour of the right and left side of the bar is too similar while kiting and spinning the bar, or grabbing it after a crash, it is not easy to quickly spot which side of the bar is left or right. Thinking about colouring the left side EVA foam in a yellow/bright colour to easily be able to spot it quickly.
Answer:
The lines (front vs. rear) are completely different from each other. The outside steering lines are grey and the center lines are red. The idea behind them is to make it simple to tell front from back during rigging and untangling. The other consideration is that most riders rig on either sand/beach or snow. These are both lighter backgrounds that contrast well with our new lines. Not as many riders have the luxury of rigging on grass or other ground cover.
The left/right issue on the bar is something we haven't yet heard from riders. The new colors and graphic is a little more sleek than in years past, and is a new spin on an old bar. We used to have black and red bars several years ago. Coloring a bar end is a great idea if you feel the need for a little added security.