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New Takoon Skoop?

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Toby
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Postby Toby » Fri Aug 02, 2002 8:38 am

I heard a rumor saying there is a new Skoop (12.5) out and it rocks in light winds as hell?
Since it is very light it also breaks easy.

Can anyone confirm this?

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Postby Alf » Fri Aug 02, 2002 1:07 pm

I have a 12.5 Skoop (I have it for 1,5 months already) And what I can say, is that it is very light (much lighter than a X2 14, that I could compare with once)

I don't drop my kite too often (this one dropped once, when my boardleash went through the lines) so I don't know if it breaks easily.

I can use the kite very soon (light and fast turning), and I am able to hold it in 5,5 to 6 Bft gusts (95 kg, Olry 175) I once used it in 3.5 to 4 Bft onshore winds with quite some waves.

Personally I feel that if you look after it, it won't break soon, but an X2 is defininately more firmly than this kite. At a weight issue :wink:

If you want to know more let me know,
Dènis

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Postby Alf » Fri Aug 02, 2002 1:08 pm

Hmm, reading it again, do you mean there is a newer 12.5 out ???

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Postby Guest » Fri Aug 02, 2002 3:33 pm

Toby, I was thinking about buying a Skoop 12.5 and as I was afraid to face a new release the upcomming weeks I called the german importer for info. They definitely guaranteed no Skoop II to hit the german market before 2003 ! Don´t know if it´s due to stocks and maybe different to other markets - or would you even expect a new shape in old clothes ? :wink:

aloha

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Postby TRUTH » Sat Aug 03, 2002 4:15 am

On 2002-08-02 09:38, Toby wrote:
I heard a rumor saying there is a new Skoop (12.5) out and it rocks in light winds as hell?
Since it is very light it also breaks easy.

Can anyone confirm this?
I can almost confirm this for you. I honestly feel that this kite is one of the best light wind performers on the market today. That is, in the inflatable lineup anyway. Why this is appears to be very simple and logical. It weighs nothing! On the down side of this, it lacks durability to a point. If you took another kite brand, like slingshot for instance(just as example, not out of bias), which is loaded down with reinforcements, a heavy duty leading edge, and some other reinforcements that are exclusive to this brand, and removed them all, then slingshot too would be/could be a very light weight kite and then too may perform better than it does already in light winds as well. If you were to take a Skoop kite and a Slingshot or North kite of all equal sizes, fold them up and put them all in different but matching bags and weighed them, you'll see what I mean about the weight. Take an inflated Skoop and lift it up into launch position for someone and you will feel like you are handling a feather, or a kite made of paper becasue of how light it feels in your hands. Not that this is a bad thing, it's just a different thing.
I cannot really comment much on this kites durability. What I do know about it is that I have seen one brand new one explode on the leading edge once while it was just setting on the beach; note that this was a brand new kite and had never been flown before, and on another instance of this brand but with a different kite, I seen where someone was able to pick some of the stitching out with just his fingers(at least I noticed no hidden pocketknife or blade concealed in his hand). Takoon informed me and assured me that this was a problem local to and present only in their first batch of kites and mainly on just one particular size. That is their skoop on that Skoop anyway. In all fairness to them, I have yet to see either of these problems re-occur. I myself cannot see how these could be durable kites considering their very light construction. This is only an opinion though.
I do ride with someone who is hardcore into Takoon's, and this rider is very happy with his kites. He admits though that they seem very fragile to him and that it wouldn't be his kite of choice in a very harsh environment; rocks, shallow lieing coral reefs, wave breaks, high gusty winds, etc. The actual TRUTH about them has yet to be told and I am currently in no position to give you any further facts on this brand. We are however currently putting this brand through the paces we have put the other through that I have mentioned here and I will soon have more detailed information about them for you.
In short, Skoops seem like pretty high performance kites when they are in the right hands. It's definately not the right kite choice for a beginner. In my opinion, a beginner would not only have a harder time with this kite, but would also more than likely destroy it in a short time.

I hope this helps, and if I have led you astray, I would hope that someone here that does KNOW more will step up and point this out for us.

TRUTH

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Postby Toby » Sat Aug 03, 2002 9:25 am

Truth, do you know i there is already a newer model available or hitting the market soon?

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Postby Toby » Sat Aug 03, 2002 9:27 am

Alf, yes, I had the impression they were talking about a newer model. But I can't confirm this, I might be wrong.

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Postby Dr.Gonzo » Mon Aug 05, 2002 5:41 pm

There will be nothing new from Takoon until the new kit, patents and innovations are shown at Paris in December.

There are very little durability problems at all with Skoops from my experience. I have been through 6 personaly and sold them on without any issues. I ride very powered on a pitbull in waves and have had my fair share of slams despite the stability of the Skoop. I replace the pulley section of the bridle with 700lb Hydro line so I don't suffer bridle wear either. I have supplied over 25 Skoops since March and we have had a big fat ZERO problems to report other than two slow strut punctures. Our clients rave about these kites and report huge improvements in their riding.

Durability wise, from what I am starting to hear from folk its the X2 that has the build problems ?? I would like to hear more on this... Gotta say though, the X2 is the only other BIG kite I would go for if there were no Skoops.

I have fully tested and used most kites including X2 and Skoops are way lighter and faster than any other kite out there and offer the widest wind range by a long way. I am using the 12.5 ( 17m ) mostly at the moment for the slack summer winds and I like it a lot. Does feel like a much bigger kite than the 10.5 though but you can still loop the biotch for fecks sake... goes in 8 knots... goes well in 10 and rocks in 12+.

Not for a novice as TRUTH says. But far more user friendly than X2 as you don't need to ride your board at light speed for it to grunt.

L8r,

Gonz.

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Postby chirojoseph » Mon Aug 05, 2002 7:31 pm

purchased the 14 (10 mt) Skoop from competition riders in Cabarete 2 months ago. Ive only had one decent 13-14 knot day to try it and immediately felt that it must have a huge range. I think ill be able to hold it into 25 knots or more. unfortunately, here in Cancun we are in light wind summer hell and I cant comment on how it would be powered up. But I also have a 12 Fuel and it IS mch more rigid kite and heavier. I was in Cabarete for 3 weeks and i can tell you the Dominicans beat the SHIT out of their Skoops! Yes, they are awsome riders..but they are young kids going for it and with attitude...trying to escape poverty and make it into the "big time" of kitesurfing..so while riding on the water i witnessed DOZENS of crashes..hard, nose down line tight screaming crashes and NEVER saw a broken Skoop the entire time i was there.

Now, is the kite light? yes
The leading edge bladder gets SOOO thin at the tips that no matter how hard i pump it its always "floppy" at teh tips. But, with decent wind and under tension, it holds a great shape. I also find that it SEEMS upon first impression to create more power diving with LESS brake tension and then more power RISING with more brakes, flared open so to speak. This is totally opposite from otehr kites ive flown. They tell me it flies best on front line tension but again, i feel i will need a solid 15 knot day to really give a good report. As far as bladder and valves and sewing...its definately not anything special or different from others. I think in the design and the amount of lift it can give is where it excells.

The 14 is NOT a lightwind kite though, ive been resigned to using my mastair 16 all the time recently cause we never get above 12 knots this time of year.

hope this helps

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Postby prankster » Tue Aug 06, 2002 2:33 pm

My experience on the Takoon Skoops: the 12.5 (17.0) model did appear leter than the others. All I can say is that this size flies better than the other Skoops. I must say: even better. Many people are swapping their 14.3 for a 17 as this last one has tremendous low end but holds gusts like a winner. Imho, the perfect Takoon quiver is 17.0, 11.6 for winds between 8 and 28 knots. And you will have LOTS of fun in their entire wind range.

Just one tip: I like these kites with NO bridles. They just do it all better, at least to my likes.

About new releases, Takoon will not have nothing in the market until February 2003. The new Takoon will be presented in December, during the Paris Boat Show.

To me, these kites have the best money/value ratio.


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