TESTED : : Ozone Enduro V2

The Enduro V2 is a truly awesome Kite! Having taught last year on the V1’s that were quite a raw and ‘grunty’, this year Ozone have fine-tuned the Enduro to give it a more rounded and consistent performance. It drives cleanly through the window, and feels faster and more balanced with a heavier bar feel. [...]

Lewis Crathern goes large at West Wittering

Lewis Crathern Kitesurf legend, Dan Charlish from Snow Camp and event organiser, Chris Bull from CBK, Rich Gowers the boss at BKSA now British Kitesports, Simon Bassett and Julia from Snowcamp were have a meeting at West Wittering Windsurf Club about The Big Charity Downwinder kitesurf event in September.

It happened to coincide with some wind check out the shots of Lewis he must have been at lest 60 feet above the water –it was hard to keep the guy in the frame he just shot upwards –amazing…

Here are details about the event

Pics Simon Bassett ..

First look: Cabrinha 2013 Kite Gear

I attended the Cabrinha 2013 dealer launch last week in Poole. It was good to see all the usual team from Cabrinha including Chris Martin and Simon from the Pryde group. Also I met up with Susi Mai and Dre (team riders from Cabrinha). All the new toys were on display including the new surf board range in both PU and Epoxy. The boards have a combined wood and cork top sheet in the new models (a subwoofer, re tuned s-quad and skillet, the trigger and Pete Cabrinha’s own signature model).

Mike Rapier explained that Cabrinha have their own factory to make kites and now have a new factory making boards – the first boards are the beginning of a new project that they hope will push Cabrinha to the top of the board pile. The new twin tips look decent too with a stack of new models with refined existing models including Dre’s ‘Custom’ which has retuned channels/rocker, new tronic quad concave bottom, caliber and spectrum.

Susi May has developed a new line of ladies products in the ‘Siren’ line. The kites and boards have been tuned for women, and include narrower widths, a new bar with less through for depower, kites tuned for lighter riders who still want performance and yet they look good.

Lots of work has gone into developing the kite bar/lines/pumps –a complete re design for the switchblade. Work has been done on the bridles, foil shapes, material, colours and even the pumps have smoother action. (The pumps are see-through (!) so you can see the sand gathering inside). The drifter and vector have had a re fit with new material, lines, and tuned bridles. There is a redesigned X Bow which is faster for course-racing and a full bridled C Shape kite. And this year the Chaos which replaces the Nomad as the freestyle kite. The bar had had some tune ups including new lines, and detail work on the quick release with new ergonomic trim adjusters.

We will be having a Cabrinha demo of 2013 at West Wittering so watch this space ask simon@2xs.co.uk for details.

Roberto visits Wittering to demo the 2012 RRD gear

ROBERTO RICCI

Had chance to meet up with Roberto at the Seasprite warehouse to check out the new toys and look at the new RRD freestyle waves – New 100 ltr contest – New RRD religion – New RRD kite wave boards and the new -carbon autoclave 10 knot light wind twin tip.

Roberto also showed us the new SUPER Sup and talked through the new design concepts of all the gear. I will be testing out some of the new freestyle waves 2012 editions – Neal will be getting the new 2012 religions and James on the beach will have the new Obsession Pro on test later next week.

The RRD team dropped down to the beach last Friday to show off the new gear before heading off to the National Windsurf Festival at Hayling Island.
Neal, John Skye, Rosco, Chris, Jem, and Roberto all came to WWWC to before the wind arrived to bring some new RRD toys down to the test centre.

Cabrinha 2012 Kites and Kiteboards

Here is a sneak preview of all of the 2012 Cabrinha kite and kiteboard gear. New boards, new kites and new kite bars.

Cabrinha have a very nice looking set of new graphics for 2012 and a couple of new models called the Vector and Drifter. The Vector is a surf and freeride kite and the Drifter is a pure surf orientated kite. Both of the kites are 3-strut designs.

The Nomad, Crossbow and Switchblade have all been retuned this year. All are lighter in feel for 2012 with improved tuning and balance.

They have improved the 2012 Quick Link kitebar too.

They have a new surfboard construction with a cork laminate as opposed to wood:

As you can see, it’s pretty strong!

There is a new Freeride board called the Transport – an uber-light-wind twin fin board, based on a detuned raceboard.

Bargain RRD Vision Kite Packages from £1225

RRD have just released the Vision kite which has already had a rave review from Kiteworld Magazine.

Kiteworld Magazine were really impressed with the build quality and handling of the kite that puts it well within reach of any kiter from beginner to advanced! The kite is just as happy being

The Vision is not only a fantastic kite that is great for anyone from beginner to advanced, it is also available in a bargain package with the RRD Placebo Board and Global V3 Bar and lines from £1225!

Stuart Holland’s review of the 2011 RRD Obsession MKIII

Having just tried the 2011 RRD Obsession kites on Friday and Saturday I though I’d let you know what differences I’d found between these and the 2010 kites. On the Friday I tried the 7.0m with winds gusting 28 knots averaging just over 25, and Saturday the 9m in winds gusting 27 knots averaging 26, later dropping off to around gusts of 18 and average of 15 knots.

The 7m I found to turn just as fast as the 2010, but it had more bar pressure and a feeling of more lift, very stable in the air, and quicker to re-launch, the times that I dropped it. The new bar was fantastic, the only fault, if I could find one, is not have the adjustable stopper as per the previous global bar to stop the kite completely losing power when you let the bar go, some people I’m sure will like this though.

The 9m I found to be slightly less quick in turning, but it again had more bar pressure and feeling of lift than the 2010 obsession, when the winds dropped a little… more like the conditions that I would normal take it out (15 to 20 knots) it was fantastic, great unhooked, never giving me the impression it was going to fall out of the sky, and re-launching was a dream, even in waves.
I would recommend trying or even better buying these kites.