AUSTRALIAN KITEBOARDING SCHOOL

TRAINER KITE GUIDELINES AND PRACTICE

Important notes!

If you are reading this, chances are you have purchased a quality Ozone Trainer kite from us (or we hope you have ).  This is a basic helper to get you started and we urge you to get proper lessons for power kiting.  The exercises in this document are to be used in conjunction with the kite manual you receive with the kite purchased.  Initially you should approach flying your kite in light winds as even small kites can generate quite a bit of power.  We suggest light winds (up to 15 knots or 25 km/h) and small Trainer kites (up to 2.5sqm), and always consider safe location and the safety of others around you.  Again, these are TRAINER KITE PRACTICES and should absolutely NOT be applied to large kites of any description!

When flying your trainer kite, BEFORE you launch, fit the safety leash to your wrist and carry out preflight checks (refer to kite manual).  After flying your kite, safely land the kite and THEN remove the kite leash.  Kite leashes, kill the power of the kite when you let go of the control bar ensuring yours and bystanders safety.  We suggest if you lose control of your kite at any time, you let go of the bar (assuming you are wearing the leash).  Safety Leashes should be WORN AT ALL TIMES when operating your kite.

This is currently a FREE document and AKS is a small family owned business, PLEASE DO NOT change the content, remove the AKS branding/references, or use if for any commercial purpose.  We rely on your support to keep offering stuff for free.

We hope you get practicing safely and enjoy power kiting as a recreation whether it be on water, snow or land.  Happy and safe Flying!

Flying a Trainer Kite

A Trainer foil kite will teach you everything you need to understand the wind window and the theory and dynamics of flying a kite in the wind window.  Understanding this information is 85% of the total knowledge and skill required to be an independent and safe kiteboarder.

Basic Setup of a Trainer (2 or 3 Lines) Kite.

Most foil trainers will have two or three lines from the bar which connect to the kite bridles.  Most lines are colour coded or numbered.  The two lines from the ends of the bar connect to the two front bridles on the kite, make sure the bridles of the kite are tangle free before you connect them up.  Generally the red line goes on the left side of the kite as you look at the underside of the kite in front of you.  The green or blue or whatever other colour goes on the right.  If you have a three line kite, there will be a central line coming from the middle of the bar and it should be connected to the trailing edge bridle of the kite.  This is the bridle set connected to the back edge of the kite all along the trailing edge.  Make sure the lines are not crossed or tangled before you launch.  It pays to check your lines twice before you launch, as tangled, twisted or incorrect lines can result in a powerful kite launching with reduced or no control over steering.  Like driving a car with no brakes and no steering wheel and the accelerator at full speed!

Trainer kite Launching (Light – medium winds)

For the purpose of this exercise, let’s assume your kite is already setup with lines attached to the bar and kite ready to fly.  A foil kite launches from straight downwind in normal light to medium wind strengths, we’ll cover strong wind launch later.  Place the kite down on the ground on it’s back with the open end of the kite (Open celled leading edge) facing away from the wind direction (Downwind).  Place enough sand to keep the kite in place on the beach without blowing away, along the trailing edge of the kite only.  You should be looking at the kite on it’s back showing all the bridle lines facing up with the trailing edge closest to the wind direction.  Then unroll the lines from the bar as you slowly walk upwind away from the kite.  Once you are in position with the lines stretched out, untwist any twists or tangles in the lines without pulling tension on the lines.  Once you can clearly see that the lines are running directly to the bridle of the kite unhindered,  make sure the red side of the bar is in your left hand and attach the safety leash to your wrist (if the leash is connected to the right, connect to the right wrist, if from the left, then connect to the left wrist.  If the safety leash is connected to the center line, you may attach the safety wrist to either wrist that is most comfortable. 

Check to make sure nobody is approaching close to the kite from downwind, upwind behind you, and from the sides.  If you are all clear, and when you are ready, pull a little tension on the bar in order to lift the leading edge of the kite up and into the wind stream, this should partially inflate the cells in the kite.  When they stop inflating, give a few gentle tugs on the bar to further increase tension and to help the sand lift from the kite and finally, good a good tug on the bar to release the remaining sand and take a step backwards. 

Safety Tip!  If the kite takes off and you lose control or there is a problem, immediately LET GO OF THE BAR whilst wearing the safety leash and the kite will depower and land straight away awaiting further input from you.  You can then sort any problems or rethink your launch.

The kite will lift off the ground with moderate power and quickly climb directly to zenith (above your head) where it will stay so long as you do not change the course of the kite.  Keep your hands steady and evenly distanced from your body so as not to turn the kite.  The kite is steered by pulling on the side of the bar that corresponds to the direction you want the kite to turn.  To stop the turn, straighten the bar again.  Push with one hand and pull the bar with the other hand  to turn the kite.  Do not try and turn the kite by steering it like a steering wheel.

To turn the kite to the left or anti clockwise in the sky, gently pull on the left side of the bar towards your body.  You only need a tiny amount of input for the kite to turn.  The kite will continue the turn so long as you keep the difference in line tension.  To make the kite fly straight again, return the bar to straight so as both lines are equidistant from your body.

To turn to the right or clockwise, pull on your right hand side of the bar.  So long as you keep pressure on the right side of the bar, the kite will continue to turn to the right and will execute a full circle in the sky.  This can lead to massive unexpected power as the kite loops through it’s turn. 

We suggest you make small inputs of control initially until you gain an appreciation of the power in the wind window.  Remember, if you loop the kite in then power zone and you cannot control the power – LET GO OF THE BAR – rather than trying to regain control, especially if you have people or obstructions about you.  You can repair a kite easily and inexpensively with repair tape.

Strong wind Trainer Foil Launch

To launch the kite in strong wind it is better to avoid the directly downwind launch procedure as outlined in previously inn the light/medium wind launch instruction.  Instead, set the kite up more towards the edge of the wind window away from the land ie towards the waters’ edge side of the wind window.    The layout of the kite is the same as in 5.2, but the kite will launch so much closer to Neutral that you will not get the massive pull immediately on lift off that you will get from the downwind launch method.  The kite should be approximately half way (45 degrees) between Neutral and directly down wind.  This will give it some power and stability but still be controllable.

The kite should be set with one wingtip upwind and the other downwind, still on it’s back and of course with the trailing edge closest to you.  Walk back slowly and as the wing tip lifts and starts to fill with air , the kite will gradually power up and climb up overhead with much less power than a directly downwind launch.

Basic Flying Exercises

Having good kite flying skills is fundamental in learning to kiteboard.  How can you expect to combine riding on a board and producing just the right amount of power in just the right direction, if you cannot control the kite without having to think about it?  It is our intention that you learn to fly the kite through feel and intuition and get that skill in your muscles and body (Kinaesthetics).  If you constantly have to be thinking about how to control the kite to position it where and when you need to, then  you will waste valuable and precious lesson time when you could be up and riding.

1.       Basic Steering and Control.  Firstly, with the kite at 12 o’clock, gently pull a little on the left side of the bar to start the kite to make a left turn, towards the 9.30 o’clock position or L/H neutral.  As the kite turns and begins to slowly descend along the neutral of the wind window you will not have  to keep left hand pressure on  instead, return your hands to even pressure, allow the kite to slowly fly towards the ground and stop it’s descent with a little right hand pressure on the bar until the kite stops and flies 1m off the ground.  Adjust your hand pressure until you can effectively keep the kite steadily in this position.  Keep the kite stable in this position for 1 minute and then slowly return the kite to the 12 o’clock position by gently pulling on the right hand side of the bar to initiate a right hand turn upwards away from the ground.  Again, once you have initiated the turn, you do not have to keep the turn pressur eon until you wish to counter the previous unput with opposite steering.  To stop the kites ascent, counter with a little left hand to turn the kite directly back into the direction of the wind once the kite reaches zenith (12 o’clock).

2.       Carry out the same exercise on the opposite side of the wind window, ie, from 12 o’clock down to 2.30 o’clock and then back to 12 again.   Continue this exercise for all positions of the clock face and ensure you can keep the kite absolutely still in each position for 30 seconds to 1 minute at each point.  If the kite drifts in and out of position, you need more practice.

3.       Easy Figure 8’s.  The second exercise is to fly the kite in figure 8’s between 11 and 1 o’clock.  This will help you build a fluid feel for the kite whilst keeping it in constant motion.  Begin as usual from 12 o’clock and by pulling on the left side of the bar, turn the kite towards 11 o’clock.  When the kite reaches 11 o’clock, make a turn with right hand pressure,  straight away without stopping, and bring the kite back across the window, past  12 o’clock until the kite reaches 1 o’clock.  Again as soon as it reaches 1 o’clock, immediately turn the kite back across the top of the wind window towards the 11 o’clock position againand so on……  You should aim to become fluid in your steering and control of the kite and this will produce a small amount of power if done correctly.  As you gain confidence you can turn the kite more aggressively back and forth until you feel comfortable.

4.       Powered Figure 8’s.  This exercise is to allow you to feel some of the power of the wind window.  It is similar to the previous exercise but instead of 11-1 o’clock, start at 10 o’clock and fly straight across to 2 o’clock in as straight a line as possible.  To do this you will need to make a sharp turn and aim the kite at the opposite clock number, then execute another sharp turn to get the kite to race back across the wind window to the original starting point.  The kite will produce considerable power as it accelerates across the wind window.  Pay particular attention to how much power is created and where in the window the kite is as the power comes on.

5.       Power strokes.  An important exercise is to create consistent power strokes in the direction of intended travel.  To create a power stroke in the direction of across the wind to the left, you need to start the kite in a power dive from 1 o’clock diving sharply towards 9.30.  Before the kite reaches 9.30, you need to make another sharp turn back towards 1 o’clock again.  Again, before the kite reaches 1 o’clock, you need to execute another tight turn and bring the kite back down the same diagonal line towards 9.30 again and so on…  The aim is to try and create uniform traction favouring the left hand side of the wind window which will be the choice of direction to travel.  This is a very exacting exercise and must be completed flawlessly to create power only in the direction of travel.  If you go too far to the right, the pull will be too far downwind, if you turn to early, the power stroke will be too short, if you wait too long the kite will reach neutral and the speed and power of the kite will be too “on and off” to be of any use.

6.       Sining.  Same as 5, but this time to the right hand side.  Starting from 11 o’clock, dive towards 2.30 and back and so on.  Repeat until you can control it precisely with ease.  No mistakes!   This exercise not only teaches good power strokes, but also is the embodiment of “Sining”.  Sining is a technique in which we can generate more wind speed across the canopy of the kite than the prevailing wind speed.  This is a fundamental skill required when you ride in less than enough power for your kite and will be a skill you will always use in kitesurfing on lighter wind days.

7.       Advanced Exercises – Down turning the kite.  Most of the time when you are learning, you will turn the kite upwards towards the zenith which will slow the kite and reduce power as the kite moves closer to the neutral away from the power area.  Sometimes however, you need to create power in the turn to keep speed and power high for fast carving turns on the board.  In order to do this, you need to turn the kite in a downward loop away from the Zenth.  Begin with the kite at 1 o’clock and make a turn towards 11 o’clock by pulling with the right hand.  CAUTION: Downturning the kite will create substantial power as the kite tracks down into the heart of the power zone, so be ready!  You will also notice straight away that the kite, during it’s loop, will twist the lines.  Do not be concerned with the crossed lines.  The left side of the kite still corresponds to the left side of the bar, so just ignore the twist in the lines.  Once you have successfully made a down turn across to 11 o’clock, you can keep going and execute another down turn away from Zenith in the opposite direction from 11 o‘clock down and across back to 1 o’clock again.  By doing this you will remove the twist in the lines and return everything back to normal.  Again, expect some serious pull from the kite.  Remember if you lose control, LET GO OF THE BAR.

8.       Crash Recovery.  It is almost certain that you will crash the kite into the ground at some stage.  If flying a 2 line kite, you will need to put the bar down, remove the safety leash and go to the kite, resetting it in the original launch position, then start over again.  If you are flying a 3 line trainer such as the Ozone Imp’s.  Simply pull on the trailing edge or 3^rd line progressively until the kite lifts off the ground backwards.  Once it starts to lift, turn the bar either way and the kite will flip over into the launch position.  Grab the bar with two hands again making sure you have the left end of the bar in the left hand and get ready for the pull of a launch.

9.       Expert Exercises for fun and skills sharpening.  Try flying perfect squares in the wind window.  Tight right angle turns and fly straight lines to form the square.  This is not easy!  If the beach is clear, try flying across the wind window with the kite at a constant height from the ground starting at 3m off the ground and eventually working your way down to less than 1 m.  Please watch out for other beach users when flying advanced manoeuvres’.  The kite will move fast and creat tremendous power in these manoeuvres and should not be attempted until you have the skills.

10.   Synchronized Flying and chasings.  Grab a friend with a similar kite and stand side by side and chase each other copying the manoeuvres’ of the leader.  Take turns in being the leader, this will sharpen your skills and reaction time.  Enjoy the trainers, they are great fun.

11.   Final Exercises.   Once you have mastered the exercises above, the next step is to learn to do most of them without looking at the kite directly (Foveal vision).  Your aim is to be able to fly the kite using only your peripheral vision (watching out of the corner of your eye).  This will take a combination of three things; sighting the kite in your periphery, feeling the kite’s pull with your arms and upper body (muscle memory and physical feedback, and also having the knowledge through experience of where the kite should go and what it is about to do (Cognitive).  Ultimate level, is to be able to fly the kite with your eyes closed, opening them every now and again if you need to ascertain the kites position.  Only do this on the basic exercises!  This takes time, don’t rush it, enjoy the learning process.  The more time you spend flying your trainer kite, the more flying the kite becomes intuitive, second nature and an extension of your body.  You will not have to think to produce the kind of power you need in the direction you want, you will have experienced all manner of feelings and situations from the trainer so that when you fly the big power kites, you will not be learning harsh lessons  of “what if?.....”

CAUTION ! Remember that full sized kites cannot be flown like a trainer kite.  Many of the power exercises can only be done on land which is the reason for the trainer kite in the first place.  Trying some of the power exercises on a full sized power kite will throw you like a rag doll no matter how strong or heavy you are and you will be hurt!  If you feel you need to practice this kind of power moves on a full sized kite after you have had lessons, make sure you are in the water so you can deal with the full power and speed of a full sized traction kite.

Once you have completed this series of Exercises with the trainer kite, you will be more than ready to start lessons with the full sized kites with our school.  All of the exercises correspond to techniques used when flying the big kites.  So when you are ready, book your lesson with us and take the next step.  If you can fly the kite like you should be able to after 12-15 hours on the trainer, then we will get you riding in just two short lessons on the big gear.

Don’t stop flying the trainer though, there is never enough time to gain more experience by flying the trainer, or get your partner or best friend into the sport by giving them a go on the trainer too. 

See you in School!   J

Trainer Kites

Trainer Kites are a great way to get started into the sport of either Kitesurfing or Land Kiting if you have had no prior experience of flying 2 line controllable stunt kites or traction kites.

AKS sells quality Ozone trainer kites from the IMP Trainer range.  These kites are "foil" design and are only suitable for use on land, they cannot be used in the water as they will collapse and take water in the event of a crash in the water.  The foil design is inexpensive, powerful, compact and easy to setup making it ideal to keep a trainer kite in your car for when you may have a few spare minutes to kill.

The IMP Trainer is in it's 3rd series with the latest model being a complete redesign from the ground up.  The new IMP's have the new colour pattern distinctive of the Ozone range of kites and have a cleaner safety system  and new bar.  The flying characteristics are closer resembling the performance and handling of their bigger land and water counterparts in that they fly more slowly, turn in a greater arc and have a solid pull similar to the larger kites, this gives a much better "feel" when learning to fly.  The new design is very stable in the air in all wind conditions making it even easier to fly and fun for all levels of experience.

The IMP Trainers are 3 line configuration with the two front lines controlling the turning  and power of the kite whilst the third line hangs limp and loose in normal flight conditions.  It is only when in emergency, relaunch or landing situations that the third line comes into play.  By releasing the bar, the third line is tensioned and the front two lines are slacked which folds the canopy and allows it to drop harmlessly to the ground without power.

Should the kite be crashed onto the ground leading edge down, the kite can be easily re-righted by pulling on a front line for turning the control bar, and also tensioning the third (back) line to initiate a reverse turning relaunch.  This saves a lot of frustration over a standard two line trainer kite which need to be reset into the launch position to begin flying again.  The IMP Trainer just turns over and relaunches from the bar without having to go to the kite or have an assistant.

Buying a Trainer kite and spending as much time as possible flying it prior to a lesson will give you an advantage if you have no previous flying experience, it is not essential but experience tells us they do help a fair bit, then once you have moved on to lessons, the kite is always there for your friends and family to prractice on at a later date when they become interested in your new sport.

Although learning the basics of flying with a trainer kite is really easy and can take as little as 5 minutes, it is the repetition of flying and having it ingrained into your unconscience that makes the difference, for this we recommend about 12-15 hours of flying until the control and handling of the kite becomes 2nd nature.  If you are going to make a control error when flying kites, its better if it happens on a small trainer kite than on a full sized power kite.

Training Exercises for Trainer Kites only!

For  specific exercises to practice when you have your trainer kite, click this link

Please use the links below to hyper link you to what you are looking for.  Use your browser back button to return to here.

About Kite Styles            Riding Styles/Suggestions          Kite Selector Guide    

Surf Kites                         Freestyle/ride Kites                       New School Kites         

Big Air/Race Kites          Glossary of Terms

I'm so confused, How do I know which kite will suit me?

This is a tough area for anyone who hasn't had at least two years in the sport experience.  There tends to be a lot of Jargon thrown around, a lot of acronyms, a lot of buzz words and quite frankly, a lot of BS.  For a start, every manufacturer will pretty much say the exact same thing, it's like they get one guy to write the blurb for every kite type and they all just change the name where it says <insert manufacturer name here>.  If you believe what you read on their pages, every kite is the saviour of the kiting world and has become faster, lighter, stronger, easier, prettier, more depower, more power, faster turning and the list goes on ...... boring!

My aim is to align you to the kite which will best suit your riding level allowing you room for growth, making sure it does everything you want and at a budget you can afford.  For this you will need to ring me and answer a bunch of questions I'll fire at you, and with this info, I'll make suggestions in the price range you are looking for.  I do not necessarily push any particular brand over another, but rather try and give you what you need, not necessarily what you want, but what you need.  There is often a difference between wants and needs ..... and hopefully you'll see my logic and appreciate the honest feedback . At the end of the day, the choice is your's and hopefully, this will help you make a more informed decision.

As a beginner or someone who is new to the sport, unfortunately, I'm going to ask you to trust me to do the right thing by you because there is so much hype and anti hype, brand pimps who won't declare their allegiances to shops or brands, and lots of misinformation from the chronically misinformed (Yep, its a mine field out there!)

However, as with all of our products, we welcome you to try and demo the gear you are keen on (provided you have the skills to use it) and see for yourself.  Many of our customers have tried every board or every kite in determining what is right for them, and more power to them for they make wise choices and go away completely satisfied they got exactly what they needed!  

The above table is a guide only and will depend on the style you wish to ride.  For instance, if you ride waves on a twin tip, I would rate the Airush Generator higher than it currently is for wave.  Use this as a guide and then read up on the kite itself by following the links of each Kite name.

If still confused, please just call me as I love to tailor kites to individual needs 0433 982 696

Delta Style Kite

About Kite Styles

Delta Kites - The new kid on the block.  The Delta kites are only a couple of years into their lifespan and have breathed some much needed life into the industry.  A Delta Kite is a plan shape with very parabolic leading edge curve and heavily swept back wings.  They are usually bridled kites often with pulleys to enable faster steering and better depower.  Delta's happen to be very powerful for their sizes and turn and fly fairly fast.  They all have auto-relaunch to a point where the kite will do most of the work for you (yes, you still have to do some small part in getting it out of the water). Delta's are usually known to be a bit heavy on the bar pressure but have solid stability and are good all round kites.

High aspect C-kite

Classic Bow kite

Typical 5th Line Hybrid

Typical SLE design

The SLE kite was the  follow on and improvement over the standard "Bow" or wide span kite.  With a slightly lower aspect ratio and less width and more "C" shape, the SLE's turned better and had less flight issues than the pure Bows.  The SlE's tend to be characterised by having a pulley on the leading edge which connects the front line bridle to the back line bridle.  This allows massive range in "pitch control" or in plain terms allows the kite to change angle of attack more aggressively to give more pivotal turning, and higher degree of depower.  These kites tend to be powerful and easy to relaunch, but have little "Feel" for the kite in the air.  The rider usually becomes accustomed to the kites feel.  These kites were the set in evolution between the Bow and Delta.

Riding Styles and Suggestions

Many of these kites fit into more than one category but in order to try and keep it a bit more simple, I have paced them into the category they are most suited to.  Beginners don't have a category as I tend to not sell beginner beginner kites like the Airush DNA or North Buzz, (unless you really need one), but rather I try and set you up with a kite that you will quickly grow into and slowly grow out of. 

Use this list and the table below it as a rough guide to help narrow your search, then click over to the models and info on the kites, check the pricing and sales blurb if you like and then give me a call to help steer you into the right final decision, hopefully I will just confirm what you have already decided.  Information is power!

Surf Kites

These are kites which invariably have a broad range of power to full depower, they are usually fast turning and "Drift" extremely well when lines go slack when on the wave face.  They should also relaunch really quickly and well, and be resistant to luffing and stalling.  

Freeride/Freestyle kites

Although Freestyle and Freeride are quite different in most peoples vocabulary, they have a lot of cross over.  Freeride is a combination of all styles and to ride with no agenda.  Freestyle is to perform new school tricks usually whilst being unhooked from the kite.  Many kites will do both reasonably well.  

Hardcore New School Kites

Big Air/Race Kites

These kites tend to be the most efficient kites producing massive lift, and can handle terrific speed through the air.  TRace and Jump kites tend to have very rigid canopies well supported by multiple struts (5+) and are usually the most difficult  to relaunch

Glossary

Leading Edge - Front inflated tube which forms the front part of the curved canopy 

Trailing Edge - trailing part of the back of the kite, usually unsupported

Struts - Inflated sections running front to back which lock the wings profile.

Profile - The aerodynamic cross section of the wing which creates lift.

Bladders - The inner plastic vessels that hold the air inside the struts

One pump - The system by which all struts and leading edge can be inflated from a single point on the leading edge

Multi Point Pump - All struts and leading edge are individually inflated and sealed off.

Canopy - The skin of the kite 

Wing Tips - The left and right side ends of the kite.  Usually steering lines attach here.

Chicken Loop - Control loop that attaches to the harness to control power.

Trim strap - Adjusts power of the kite in a macro sense

Suicide leash - A leash attached to the kite and your harness which doesn't depower the kite if you let go.

Chicken finger/Donkey Dick - A small 6 inch pin which can lock the chicken loop to the harness.

Bridle - A series of web like  thin lines which support the wide span of a kite and allow huge depower.

Auto Relaunch - Is a term used todescribe a kite that prepares itself for relaunch from a crash by making it's way to the edge of the wind window by simply letting go of the bar and waiting.  Mostly from Delta kites!

Wing chord -  Wing chord is theoretical centre line of wing when viewed in profile.  From LE to TE.

Angle of Attack - A of A is the amount of angle between wing chord and relative wind.  Low angle = Less power, High angle is more power to a point (see stall).  Angle must be positive ie above horizontal.

Stall -  A stall is when laminar airflow breaks away from the wing surface and destroys lift.  Kite usually flys backwards and falls out of the sky.  Mostly caused by rider error of pulling in too much back line tension when kite is low.

Luff -  Is the opposite to Stall where the kite drops from the sky leading edge first also refered to as "Hindenberging", often from lack of back line tension in gusty wind.

Pivotal Turning -  Is the ability of the kite to 'pivot" on itself and turn without much forwrd motion.  Usually low power in turns and commonly associated with many but not all bridled kites with pulleys.

Radius turning -  is the kites inner wingtip creating a wider radius in a turn. both wingtips move in a forward motion and the turn radius is usually larger than a pivotal turn.  More power in turns.

Stability -  The ability of a kite to remain flying with little input from the rider in gusty conditions.

Static power -  Is what AKS refer to as a kites ability to produce power/lift simply by pulling in on the bar to full power whilst the kite remains motionless in the sky.

Apparent power -  The kites ability to create power through its speed through the air.  Little static power, but bags of apparent wind power when flown quickly or ridden fast.

Airush 2010 Lithium

Airush 2010 Lithium

The Delta shape leads to "auto-relaunch"making re-launching a crashed kite childs play.  The depower is almostb total withe Airush's new V3 bridle system which allows the bridle to lay the kit flat and pull from the centre of the kite when depowered.  5th line safety with only 4 lines.

The Lithium employs Airush's "Frame technology" which is just a Dacron frame around the panel edges to prevent major tears from leach to luff and and provide canopy rigidity.  The kite is strengthened in all the right areas and has Airush's new FBI (Fast Bladder inflatio). God I hate cheesy acronyms!

The Lithium is also available in the LW or Light wind variant in the two larger sizes of 13m and 15m.  The LW have optimized flattened geometry in the nose section of the canopy to improve upwind ability and increase speed. 

At the end of the day this kite will appeal to the beginner market or people wanting a simple kite that just works for general freeriding.

All kites come with the new Airush SMART bar and BRAIN Quick Release system as explained below.

Sizes: 4m, 6m, 8m, 10m, 12m, 13m (LW) & 15m (LW)

Airush Lithium 2010 - Rider Review

OK, so the Lithium is a new kite for 2010, modelled on the DNA, it is squarely aimed at the entry level freeride/learner market.  The Lithium is a 4 strut Delta Hybrid kite.  It is designed to sit a bit further back in the wind window and be grunty and stable, it's also pretty quick on the turns. Test flown in 20-25 knots gusting a bit more.

Firstly, the bag.  It's the smallest bag I've ever seen.  My daughters school bag is bigger, now this is great when bringing it home from the shop and hanging on your wall (or in a truck ), but it's an absolute bastard to get back in the bag and forget it if you're in a hurry, you'll just have to stuff it in your boot and deal with it later.  I finally know what the compression strap is for.  Having said that, the bag is nice, well made and lux, it has a nice compartment on the side for the bar and a rig I haven't quite worked out on the other side for the pump (I made it work though not right).

The one pump system uses big bore but thin walled transfer tubes of which one kinked on me whilst pumping up due to long tube length and weird angle.  Sorted easy enough and it pinged nicely at 8psi. The big Diameter tubes are great when deflating and rolling the air out, very quick!. The valves work well (sea easily) but are restrictive when inflating so a little more effort required when inflating the leading edge when compared to some other kites.  The Lithium uses two sets of pulleys similar to Core kites so depower is total when safety system is activated (same as Core) which is great and the kite falls onto it's leading edge on the water into the wind.  Makes self landing easy!

Once rigged, we tossed it up and no adjustments were necessary, it flew well straight from the bag.  The Lithium does sit a little further back in the wind window but you tend not to notice it when flying it at 12 on the beach.  The new Smart bar has a long depower throw which is a bummer, but they have tossed the old below the bar trim system, YAY with a capital YAY!   The trim strap is well out of reach so a pair of extensions lead down to a more reasonable level where it is easy to use the Pull/Pull trim setup.  The stopper ball is good but because you need the full length of depower to fully turn the power from 0-100%, then it's a little pointless in gusty wind, probably better in smooth steady wind.

The Lithium pulls hard when dived to get going and you take off with a good squirt of speed.  It turns quite quickly but has a squashy bar feel similar to F-One Bandit Dos.  Many people liked Dos so it shouldn't be a drama to most.  The jumps are fairly easy, just send it, but you need a little speed and when you do send it, it will take you up, but it sits back in the window and will land you a bit fast downwind if you are over zealous on the trigger arm and fire it from 11 instead of 11.30.  The kite gives good jumps considering it is aimed at the lower end of experience and gives decent hangtime when you get it dialled.

The upwind on the kite is fairly impressive considering where it sits in the wind window and I had no effort to get well back upwind, it wasn't a battle like on the older DNA's.  What I really liked was it's power coming out of a downturn carved transition.  Huge power when needed, just sheet in and go.

It's a good solid  kite and will do nicely for the target market it is aimed at.  Perfect for beginner to intermediate freeriders.

24/09/09

Airush 2010 Varial 

Airush 2010 Varial

The Varial has a sleeker profile for greater speed and control in a wider variety of wind strengths.  The sleeker profile also offers better upwind ability than that of the Lithium as it sits higher in the wind window.  Being less pivotal in steering and more forward movement steering it will have more power in the turns and should have smoother power delivery in flight.

Relaunch is easy and will roll over and launch hot which is a good thing for surf riders looking to get the kite back in the air quickly.  The Varial has good boost and controlled hangtime whilst being light on the bar for steering and nimble in the sky.

The new Varial also comes with the new Airush Bar system and allows customizable feel on the bar and adjustable bar throw.

Sizes:  6m, 7m, 8m, 9m, 10m, 12m, 14m

Airush 2010 Varial - Rider Review

This is a kite I was really looking forward to and got the chance to put it through the wringer today in 20-25 knots of wind SSW gusty in choppy water.

The Varial is a 5 strut Delta Hybrid and is the hyped up version of the Lithium in respect to performance range.  Similar in build and design to the Lithium (read above for more details).  Bag is too small, but looks great and if you read my Core XR review, this bag you could take into town.  Helluva sexy bag, just too small to fit the kite in once it's been used without careful packing down.

The Varial felt quite similar to fly to the Lithium  but was a bit faster and less pivotal as the brief says above.  It boosts nice jumps, and delivers good hangtime.  Definately pulls less downwind than the Lithium in jumps so landings aren't so hot, due primarily to wider turning circle.  The steering is direct and turns the kite quickly, but with a similar slightly squashy feel to the Lithium.  This is something you'd probably get used to as I know one accomplished rider who has been riding one for ages and he loves it.

2nd Ride

Yesterday I got the chance to ride the Varial again.  Wind was a very unsteady 15-18 knot.  The Varial needs to be pumped up HARD.   On my previous ride I only pumped the kite to the minimum suggested pressure (8psi) and had an issue with the kite.  This time I pumped it to 10 psi as suggested by Airush designers and had no such issues again.  The kite flew beautifully and made most of my trick repertoir seem easy.  There still isnt a lot of downwind pull from the kiteloops but in most other senses the kite was very predictable and easy to ride.  Boosted good jumps and had a good feel to it.

Upwind ability and relaunch was easy  and the kite looked good in the air.  Several others took the kite for a ride and also came in with similar positive comments .  It's not a cutting edge kite for people looking for the nth degree of performance, but it IS a good solid all rounder which will cover most peoples riding requirements well.

I think the Varial would be a fine kite for the average learner to advanced intermediate to get out there and have some fun.  

Airush 2009 Vapor III (Mid Season release)

Airush 2009 Vapor III

The depower is of hybrid whilst the flight and feel from the bar is pure"C".  Relaunch is also hybrid in nature making it easier to rollover and launch more downwind.

Super stable and fast, the  Vapor is for people looking to improve their freeriding and freestyle riding whilst not getting too far out onto the edges of "C" kite behaviour.

Sizes: 5m, 7m, 8.5m, 10m, 12m, 14m, 16m

Airush SMART Bar and Brain Chicken Loop

Airush 2010 SMART Bar

The Airush SMART Bar is a very clever design and although I don't like the name, the features it packs put it up there with the best.  Firstly, the bar is extendable.  Simply press the pin, remove the extendable bar end slide the special spacer onto the tube, then re-insert the tube back into the main part of the bar until the lock "clicks".  Nice, now one bar makes traveling easier with two kites to save weight.

The new Brain quick release chicken loop lays claim to greater simplicity and allows spinning of the chicken loop benneath the bar so multiple rotations can be un-spun whilst riding.

The SMART bar fits all the 2010 kites and can be 4 line or 5 line, 45cm or 55cm long, and has multiple adjustability for all lines so tuning is easy.  Airush have gone with the more simple and reliable strap trim system which is a BIG improvement over the below the bar cleat system of previous bars.

Some other nice features are you can still opt for below the bar cleat, multiple different line length configurations and improved safety leash.  All in all, Airush have vastly improved the bar system for 2010.  Now how about we work on a new name eh boys?  

SMART Bar and Brain CL - Rider Review

Today was my first look and ride of the new bar system from Airush.  It is filled with little innovations that are unique and clever  and work reasonably well.

The bar length adjustment is good, it is easy to shorten or lengthen, and takes only seconds each side which is good.   The bar feels solid in either short or wide mode.  The bar diameter is good and grip is comfy.  The centre rivet is good and feels solid.  There are no line bungees on the end of the bar winders like on other bars to keep the lines on when wound which keeps the bar looking very clean.  Instead the bungees are cleverly installed in the bottom of the floats on each sid.  Not so clever is they can be quite difficult to get at when the lines are wound on the barespecially if you wind your lines on the bar quite tight.  I'd suggest winding the lines on loosely.  Once the bungees are in place, they work better than any other bar line bungees that I have seen on any system.

The Trim Strap is efficient but out of reach so extenders are added to gain access to the trim, this works well and looks neat and tidy and is a far cry from the previouly unworkable below the bar trim cleat system.  The depower throw is long, quite long, but not out of reach (I have long arms).  If you are short it may be a little issue so that you have to use the stopper ball.  Twin depower lines and a safety line run through the bar for below the bar safety.  This is clean and works well.

The Brain Chicken loop quick release looks a bit plasticky but seems to work OK.  I didn't test the release today under load and note that it can be activated by either hand equally well.  It is impossible to rest with one hand, this is definately a two hand job to reset it in the water and even then, it can be a bit tricky.

The spinning/rotating head on the bar we tested today was extremely stiff to turn and although it will turn with a bit of force, it certainly wont do it on it's own.

The donkey dick is long and chunky and gives you a nice feeling of confidence that it isn't going to fall out in a hurry.  I didn't use the new leash system but did inspect it, it looks good and is simple and foolproof.  Good quality snap gate clip on the end.  Other great feature is the two piece line sets which allow you to change line lengths by removing the extensions.

Overall it is a nice innovative bar and only needs a few minor improvements to be a really great bar.  The extendable bar ends are a real winner.  Nice one!

24/09/09