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.