2010 Ocean Rodeo Rise 11m review

I had the opportunity to fly the final stage proto of the 2010 Rise last weekend. The kite should be out very soon so from what I hear this will be the production version. I flew the 11m for close to 4 hours in what i'd guess was approx 18-26mph wind, no one could pry it from my greedy little hands after 3 days of wind skunkage up at lake Nitinat in Canada. I currently fly the 09 and 08 Rises. Previously flew North Rebels and Cabrinas. For reference I'm 195lbs and was riding a 133x42 Poison board and a some time on the new mako. I was using the 2009 50cm bar. I saw the 2010 bar and will talk more about that later.

First impression was that the kite looks similar to the 09 but with a few distinct differences. There are now 6 struts with smaller overall diameter but some extra rings of material at the base and first third of the strut which looks like they add to a rigid profile. The leading edge has wide segments at the middle and then smaller segments as you progress toward the wingtip. This is hard to describe in words, but the overall effect at least from my perspective is to give a wide flat center of the kite, and rigid geometric arc to the wingtips. In the air this ends up looking a bit more C shaped at the tips while retaining a wide area in the center which gives the SLE's and Bows all their power. The kite still has the short 1 pully bridle and direct rear line attachment points.

In the air I was impressed by the overall rigidity of the canopy in the air. There is never any luffing or flutter of the center section or any other section for that matter. I spent hours riding the kite as hard as I could and I couldn't find any aspect that hadn't been slightly improved on. The major differences I could tell were:

1: Meatier kiteloops: The initiation of the kiteloop is slightly different, there is less turning on wingtip and more of an arc. This lead to a few spectacular wipeouts as I adjusted to the increased pull and power. The kite climbed out of loops better and never crumpled.

2: Improved unhooking. There was an instance when I actually tried to stall the kite by oversheeting way way too much and I couldn't do it. Even if you park the bar with the kite all the way sheeted in you can't get it to backstall. The rises have always been resistant to back stalling but this was dramatic. I was able to unhook and do raileys or kiteloops with the kite trimmed to near full power. Before I would need to pull a bit of depower strap to keep the kite flying happily on the front lines. I was able to get some decent slack time for a few Railey to blinds and the kite stayed nicely in the window when riding toward it and passing the bar.

3: More float: You could really get this kite to let you down slow if you sheeted in after your jumps. I didn't fly the new 10 which is my favorite rise from last year so it was hard to compare the 11m in height. Due to my ability to ride the kite very hard with full power I think I could eek out a few more feet but one of the strongest points of the rise already is jumping so I'd need to compare them back to back to see if I actually got higher. Either way I was getting some great jumps and the kite really lets you glide nicely down if thats your thing.

4: Bigger sweet spot: I was surprised at how well the kite flew regardless of where the trim strap was pulled. I never had that on/off feeling, but the kite easily depowers 90% within Arms reach. This doesn't make much sense to me since a short throw for full depower should lead to rapid changes in kite flying characteristics, but it doesn't... I'm sure other people who try the kite could

Things they kept and I love about the rise were:
Great jumping, Fast turning with the option to slow it down, great low and top end. I can't really say if the 2010 improves on any of these but I think people riding the other sizes at the edge of their range could comment. I'd probably guess from the way the 11m handled the gusts and lulls that both ends of the range are a little wider with the big flat center section, but I don't have definite answers.

For full disclosure i'm a team rider for Ocean Rodeo, but that basically means i'm still a customer and I get a good deal on my kites. I'm not getting handouts, so it's important that in the little free time I have that I ride the gear I want to ride. So I tried to give my honest thoughts on the kite. That being said i'm a big supporter of OR from their products to their great customer service. So it's not hard for me to be positive, especially when you've met the great people that run OR, or ever had a problem and watched them bend over backward to make it right. My review is so positive I feel I need to explain myself, but I think kites are getting so good these days that finding flaws is tougher and tougher. Personally i'm stoked on the great unhooking and kiteloops but I'd say that the Rise can suit almost any palate. Ideally i'd say it's suited best for the aggressive freerider with solid application for freestyle and waves. The kite can be slowed down and has such great depower and sweet spot that a beginner could get a ton out of the rise, just don't let them send it back past 12 and pull!.

Cheers,
DP


oh yeah
....As for the 2010 bar, I saw a final stage proto but didn't get the fly it. This thing is a big step forward and incorporates basically every feature you could want in a bar while keeping everything streamlined. I won't make too many comments since I didn't fly it but the new features i'm excited about are. 1. Slight curve to the bar allowing for a more ergonomic grip, 2. Adjustable sizing at the bar ends, 3. Really solid release which is load independent. The bar just overall looks great, probably going to be a big seller independent of the kites.

Nice review. Thanks
Is there still the front and back bridal attachements ?
I can't wait to get my 9M and new bar. Pre-ordered it last week.
This 9M will be the perfect combo for my 2009 12M.

I was eyeing that 11m real hard at Nitinat when you rigged it up and took it out...all day long!
I could tell by the look in your eyes afterwards that this kite was something special.
I grabbed one from BKB and have had 3 sessions with it in cruddy storm conditions,
heavy rain, gusts from 15 to 30plus and I am toally in love with this size!
Not having a center strut really changes the way this kite flies.
Without any bar input its on autopilot, super stable and a joy to self launch in rotored crap winds.
It turns so nicely...maybe its the flex in the center now, not sure, but holy crap this kite can generate massive traction when you loop it and sweet glide or when you sweep it at the top of the power stroke.
I weigh in at 210, and this kite can get me planning on a green mako 150x40 in 15kts, and flew
super clean with no distortions or loss of steering intput in 30plus.
I've used it with a 60cm and 40cm bar, and love being able to fly with the small bar when its
powered up. The bridal attachments are the same for 2010, I like the fast/most depower setting..

Thank you OR for making this size this year, its my new favorite kite!

Just rode my 2010 Ocean Rodeo Rise for a few hours today (this was moved from another forum, an actually posted last week) and I wanted to share my first impressions. I have to post today after only one 2 hour session because I noticed improvements right away. Awesome improvements! Game changing! Last year when I got the 2009 kites I wrote:



Well I'm again happy to say that not only did they not regress the kite by 'over-tweaking' but the kite is significantly better than the 2008 and 2009. I don't say this lightly. I'm a huge OR fan since my 2007 quiver, and each year they have improved a little bit.... BUT... this year the improvement is beyond incremental, it's really pretty fantastic.

I know I sound a bit stoked right now but I am. The best way I can put it is they made many things better without regressing anything that I already liked.

The kite still flies very much the same way, it's definitely a Rise. I was worried that the removal of the center strut would change the way the kite flies. It does, but only in good ways. In other words it steers and feels the same, just with more power, stability, precision and speed. If I had to quantify it I might say it feels 20-30% better. I know that doesn't really mean anything but it's hard to explain how much better it felt.

The first thing I noticed is the stability. The kite is noticeably more stable. Even walking down the beach, it just sits there with hardly a ripple. It's really really stable.

The second thing I noticed was the power and speed with which it loops. I think where this kite REALLY is going to get some notice and excel is in this area. It's a complete game changer.

The kite comes out of the loop and climbs to the top of the window with incredible power and speed. This allowed me to keep the kite over me longer and pull for the loop at the last second. It seemed like my timing was significantly better because the kite responds with power and speed more quickly. I was getting more of that parachute effect after loops because the kite got back up to the top so much faster.

I feel like just that one aspect of the new kite already has made me a better rider. I just felt so much more comfortable pulling loops of all sorts because the kite gets around and up really really well. I really can't even do a good job of putting to words how much better it loops. There are no dead spots or spots where it pulls too much. It's like a consistent power thru the entire loop.

The kite seems to turn faster, my 12 felt like closer to a 10 in that respect.

The other thing I noticed was that the kites seems unlikely to backstall (at all). Each year the Rise has improved in this category but this year it almost seems as though it just won't. I think this will come into play with unhooked maneuvers, you can ride out of the trick and not worry about hooking in again so quickly to avert a backstall. Almost felt like a C-Kite riding around unhooked.

As previewed, it jumps higher and longer. It really hangs. I had to slow down my rotations because I would do a normal pop and rotation and over-rotate because of the extra hang time. I can't wait to try the kite a bit overpowered (as I hear the high end is insane).

Between 2008 and 2009 they changed the depower a bit so the kite depowered more with less throw. This year they seem to have throttled that back a bit, perhaps split the difference is the best way to put it. It feels better to me, pretty natural, not too much not too little

My friend who also rides OR Rise quiver tried it for 1.5 hours after I was done and he is just as pumped as me. We both are frankly surprised at how much better the kite is because we already felt like the 08 and 09 Rise were the perfect kites. This one is noticeably better. Last year the 2009 was better than the 2008 but it was subtle. This year it's not subtle, it's large!

Update after a few more sessions:

I have now had a chance to ride the 8, 10 and 12 meters in various conditions. From not much wind on the 12 to 28 mph and 8 foot waves on the 8 (today!). Wanted to add some thoughts.

My original impression on the looping still holds. The 2010 OR Rise is a looping machine. I'm so much more comfortable pulling the trigger now, I was hitting a lot of moves I don't normally try in 28 MPH winds today. It just gets around and back up so quickly that you come in much more softly than in years past.

Jumps, it's hard to say if it jumps higher or not, it's so subjective, I can tell you that I hit a couple of the largest jumps I have ever hit in my life today, of course there were 8 foot ramps and 28MPH winds The hang time seems to be improved for sure, I as hitting 720's with ease on almost every rotation, didn't need to really send the kite, just float off a wave and pull a 720 front with plenty of room to spare..

Gusts: I hadn't noticed today but everyone was talking about how gusty it was on beach and I hadn't noticed really. The kite really really absorbs the gusts. I find that I have hardly use the depower strap at all on any of the 2010 kites since I got them. I think that speaks to the improved high end that everyone was speaking about. Im speculating that a side effect of that design is that it also absorbs gusts better. It's hard to describe but the kite just seems to handle the increased wind on it's own without having to pull in 8 inches of depower.

Overall I couldn't be happier with this years kite, it has more stability and power, points up wind like crazy, turns faster and truer and absorbs gusts like a sponge..

I had the 2010 13m out recently in strong gusty wind. I would have (should have) been on an 8m or 10m in these conditions that were gusting over 30mph, but I wanted to test the high end. I plan on racing with the 13m and sometimes you start in light winds and the winds ramp up over the course of 3 races.

While I would have been better off on a much smaller kite I was really impressed by how well the 13m handled the high wind. I was more comfortable than I would have been on my 2009 12m. I was initially worried about getting an 8,10,13 quiver instead of the 8,10,12 that I've had for the last 3 years. I don't like big gaps, but the 13 had such good range that it will be no issue at all. I have noticed the improved top end on the 2010 10m and 8m also, but this was in a new league. At 6'3" 190lbs I had considered getting a 7m too, but now I know that if it's too windy for the new 8m and my smallest surfboard or twin, it's probably too windy to be much fun.

3m gaps between kites will be great with the 2010 rise. depending of your size and local wind the 2 kite quivers of 7,10 - 8,11 - or 9,12 will cover most riders.

Finally got to log about 10 hrs on the 2010 Rises in the past week or so. Rode a 12, 10 and 8 in winds from 14 to 30 knots and all I can say is the 2010 Rise Rocks!

On the beach the obvious changes are removal of the center strut - the 6 strut design has smaller struts but the connections and one pump feel more robust than last years. Otherwise build quality remains solidly OR.

In the Air it seems to Jump somewhat higher with a little more hang (2009 was no slouch in this department mind you). The lost center strut and clean middle canopy bit seem to make the kite more stable in gusts - sort of soaks them up rather than darting forward, also in super light winds or riding dead down wind at the kite there is noticeably less back stall than even the 2009 model. Unhooked a few times but didn't get too crazy - flew fine at full trim.

But where this kite really seems to shine over the 2009 is Loops! I have no idea whether OR intended this or not, but it is amazing! Almost no matter what, the kite will get to the top of the window after the loop. What should have been bone crushing impacts were parachute soft landings, sometimes had to throw in a second loop which I have never had to do. Down loops and such were also markedly improved in waves. Absolutely loved it...! \

Cannot wait for my next sesh!
Feel free to pm with questions

How about the 9M..Anyone try it yet ?