Hi All great knowledge peeps,
I am about 78kilos, riding for two seasons, can do most of the progression dvd tricks - back roll, front roll, transitions, etc and a currently do a lot of mowing the lawn. In the last couple of weeks I have been having learning tricks unhooked - surface pass, unhooked relays and such. My current kite quiver are wave-kites (will not mention brand as this is not the focus of the conversation) - stable, fun, falls back in the window, grunty and good hang-time. However, it sucks arse at unhooked as even depowering it enough doesn't sit right unhooked.
I am wanting to a better freestyle kite that can also free-ride that has depower and jumps really well. (Still my fav trick)
I rode the Naish Park last week and really enjoyed. It was a lot faster than my current kite and unhooking was a lot easier. Downside is that friends have had a number of problems on the lines catching - causing a spiral death loop. (Not sure if this is fixed in the 2012)
One of my friend suggested the Airush VaporX as better hang-time, fast turning, good grunt as semi-delta and boosts really well. He rides free-ride and freestyle on the VaporX. It would seem that this kite would need me to be a more agressive rider - but then again I need to lift my riding. Watching the video I like the look of the kite. If you have any experience would love for someone to chip in.
Or should I get a different Kite?
thanks in advance
try the ozone c4? great kites for unhooking and still awesome for hookedin/freeriding
Park ,been ridin them for months and have never experienced a spiral death loop mate nor have any of my other Park riders????????????????
Never seen it happen here either.
I guess the question is do you go with your friends advice or your own gut feeling on what you enjoy?
2012 Park has more power and hang than 2011 if that helps.
gotta be the vaporX for the simplicity and the all round performance. only way to find out get to your local kite shop and give it a demo.
Don't know anything about the park but I have been riding the Vapour X for about a year and rate it as the best kite I have ever used (been riding for 10 years)
Nearly all modern kites handle reasonably well and have good safety , what makes the vapour so good is the refinement . It is really responsive but very predictable with light bar pressure but really positive feed back through the bar letting you know what the kite is doing at all times .
It does have a relatively flat foil which means it will fly fast and sit further forward in the window , this will also give you max boost however to get hangtime you will need to keep the kite moving whilst up there ( just loop it) . It also comes with a bridal or 5 line set up so you choose what you want to use . I use the bridal and have had no probs with it .
The best thing to do is try one if you can , I loved this kite from the moment I tried it . I actually gave it back after 5 mins as I didn't want to get too used to it . Ended up getting one though . I am 80kg and have the 8m , it is my most used kite as it does have a fairly wide wind range that you can use it COMFORTABLY in .
Can definetly recomend the kite .
+1 for the C4 (biased because I'm a team rider. Became a team rider because C4s were what I wanted to ride). These kites will take your riding to a new level when that's what you're up for, while still being super stable with plenty of range and depower when you're in the mood for a more mellow session. 4 line pulley-free simplicity, great construction, and recently verified mojo to round out the package.
If the easterlies come in like they're forecast I'll be at Altona on the weekend. Hit me up for a spin on the red C4s if you're there.
djdj - thanks for the offer, would definitely like to take you up to try the Ozone, however this weekend I am snowboarding. A flat water test would be great at Altona.
It's still not kiteboarding season so have time to test.
As for the park spin, it happens when a beginner crashes hard, the lines wrap twice around the wing tip and loops crazily with safety won't depowering it. Admittedly, it's a rare event but I have seen it a couple of times. (Both times by inexperienced riders, so a more experienced rider may not get into this position)
Briskites puts it in one - gut feel or friends advice. I think I will just have to ride a number of kites, hopefully on the same day to get the answer.
Thanks Mike - I will definitely try a VaporX as well. The increased range and hang-time in the park is something I would be interested in.
Recently I tried crashing my 12m C4 as awkwardly as possible to see what would happen. I had to ride towards it fast a few times before I could get it to roll through its lines. Even then I could see that the bridle was too small to wrap around the tip or catch on a strut end. Small bridles rock.
definitely try out a VaporX if you have the chance, i think it would definitely be a kite up your ally and haven't heard a bad word about them either.
you'll find heaps of reviews on here: kiteboarder.co.uk/kitesurfing/the-2011-airush-thread-product-info-and-rider-feedback-44282-105
can't go wrong if it's designed by an aussie, too! 
Sounds like an inexperienced rider wrapping the tip with the flying line to me, could happen with any kite,as Briskites says it comes down to gut feeling, try them back to back if poss,in my experience its best to fly one the jump onto the other then switch back,this will give the best comparison ,if its possible in your area.
OhYeah
I'm about your weight (80kg) I have been ridding the Vapor X for about a year now as well and i'll agree with Mike that it is the best kite that i have ever used! and like Mike i have been riding for just over 10 years. I use it for everything Waves, Race but mostly flat water freestyle. it has incredible boosting! since i have been on this kite i have easily got the biggest jumps (height and hang time) i have ever done. I love it! and like Shmidy said its designed by an Aussie too
DISCLAIMER: I work at Airborne Kitesurfing and we sell Airush. Normally i would feel bad for pimping like this but not in this case as it is because of the 8m Vapor X that i am working here. I was riding for another brand when i first tried the Vapor X and as much as i loved my old kites after only 5 mins of flying the Vapor X i had to hit Airush up for a deal and jump ships.
As for the Park cant say much about the way it fly's but i have seen one do the death loop thing but it wasn't a line caught around the wing tip it was the leash snagging before the bar had run out far enough.
+1 for the Park... Been riding one this year and just had another session on the 2012- hot kite. Super fun. Never seen this death loop thing and never had it happen to me or anyone else I lend my kite to.
Demo tho as you may be like different stuff to those giving advice.
2012 10m and I currently have a 2011 10m. Bit more power and smoother...bit essentially still the same kite I loved last year - quality looks good as Naish always is and some nice little tweaks here and there.
I have seen both those kites in action and seem like good shapes for what you want to do which is unhooked riding. The Vapour is the kite I would go for first, it seems more stable and the bridal thing puts me off, like ice in your pants. If the airrush designer is Australian this is an extra 2 points for Airrush.
Also look at the New Alibi, its really similar to the kites your looking at. Another Australian designer/brand and they are way below normal kite prices. The website shows big prices but you can pick up a new one for a fraction of the price of Naish.
Also try out the boys at "The Zu Boardsports" St Kilda they are Vics Airush stockists and they have a vapour X on demo, give Ivan a shout and he'll set it up for you.
www.thezu.com.au/
Neither. Get a Slingshot RPM. Youri Zoon just won the PKRA championship on it, and it's the only non C kite on the tour. Helped me heaps with my foray into unhooked moves (whereas the Wainman was a bit of a handful to unhook). Anyway check out this little vid of him shredding it in Brazil.
OT but that vid of Youri is awesome. A few years ago he was a skinny kid with a bit of finesse, now he's a beast! To his credit he uses his strength to enhance the power of his precise moves rather than to smash his way through like a thug. I'm not at all surprised that he won this year if that's how he was riding. If he can add some tweaks, some playfulness, within the intensity, he'll be unstoppable.
^^hahaha, yeah this is probably true. My point was its a good bridging kite if you're making the progression towards a C kite, just like the other kite's he's mentioned.
The RPM is a great kite for bridging from hybrids to C-kites as is the park and C-4. The C4 has a tiny bit more performance over the RPM but is a more closed canopy. The C4 will suit lighter riders for the given wind strength and the RPM will suit heavier. The RPM is slightly gruntier as its canopy is slightly flatter. the 6-9m are the sweetest sizes if you can have the wind strength to use them in Vic. If you can get away with a 9m RPM, if not get a bigger vapour X or other grunty lighter wind hybrid.10-12m RPMs and C4s are more for park and ride wakestyle stuff, and dont handle well in the waves.
you kitesurf in a specific wind range 80% of the time, get a modern quiver thats suits by having a try, regardless of brand etc... youll be suprised, they are all damm good.
The wingtip wrap thing is not a worry, If it has happened to your mate more than once, he should take his kite back to the shop to check line lengths etc.. It is not a 2006-2007 bow kite!
Got my new 2012 Demo Parks Whoooohoooo,just need some friggin wind ,cant wait to try them out,why is there never wind when you need it
