2024 F-One Strike V4 Wing Vs. Swing V4 | Which One is Right for You?
Tucker and Jeff are back with some more winging goodness for Wing Wednesdays. Today they're looking at two wings from F-One, the Swing and the Strike. What's new with these wings for 2024? How do they compare to one another and previous versions? They got some time on the early releases of these wings and have some insights to share.
Low-End vs. High-End Performance
Last year, the Strike lost some of that low-end grunt in exchange for more performance at the high end. Some Strike fans even moved to the Swing since it retained the low-end grunt and easier lift. However, this year the Strike has regained some of its low-end while keeping good top-end performance.
Still, if you're looking for a wing that has that lift and extra grunt for operating in the lower end of its wind range, the Swing might be the better choice there.
Sizing
You can now fly the Strike in a more normal size. Last year, we recommended sizing up by half or even a whole meter, particularly in the larger sizes. You can still size up half a meter since the Strike is a wing that shines when it's powered. It has a lot of drive and speed, and the 5m and under perform well in the higher wind range.
The Swing will get overpowered at the upper end more easily than the Strike, so be prepared to size down as the wind comes up if you're riding the Swing.
Who Are They For?
If you're somebody who likes to ride powered and fast, the Strike is without question the better wing for you. It's smoother and has a higher wind range and better upwind. It's just not as nervous and physical to fly when overpowered.
The Swing, on the other hand, is great for those looking for grunt, but at the top end of its range it starts to get very physical and a little bit more nervous with more feedback. It's not as smooth or stable once it becomes really overpowered. You're going to feel it and know you can't push it any more, whereas on the Strike you can continue to push it a little higher.
For most people, the Swing is going to be the wing they're comfortable on because it works in less wind and is less work to get up, but when the wind really starts to crank, then you should gravitate towards the Strike. The Strike is also the wing for those looking for performance.
The Swing isn't too bad on waves; it flags out pretty well, arguably better than the Strike, which is counterintuitive since we can get the biggest waves when it gets really windy. But it's a very stable wing when flagging; just size down a bit.
If you like to size down to get on the smallest wing you can and are willing to set down your 5m at 18 knots, you'll probably want the Swing. But if you tend to hang on to that 5m so you can ride powered and with speed, then you'll probably want the Strike. Depending on your riding style, you may even choose the Strike for your smaller wings and the Swing for your wings 5m and up.
Handles
The handles are the biggest change for 2024. F-One wings ship with the soft handle you're familiar with, but now there are other options for flexibility with your style and preferences. Each handle is sold individually, so you can even mix and match front and back handles if you like.
The handles use the inflation of the center strut to lock them into place, and they're very stable that way. Do note that the sizing on the front and back handles is different. Jeff initially had them switched, and when he handed the wing off to a buddy to try, one handle popped loose out on the water. (He made it in safely, though!) The shorter handle goes in the front, and the longer one goes in the back.
Soft Handles
The soft handles are a little stiffer this year. They went with a new plastic core on those that's a little stiffer, so if you're after a similar feel but with a bit more direct response, you'll get that with the soft handles. Even though they're soft, they're still quite rigid and a little bit harder than last year's. They still have the nice smaller diameter that's very comfortable in the hands and easy to engage with.
Semi-Rigid Handles
The semi- rigid handle is like the soft handle, but it has a little plastic core in the first part of it that's even stiffer than the soft handle has. It holds its shape even more and doesn't flop around as much, but it's also a little bit tighter to the boom. It doesn't hang down as much, which could be looked at as a good thing or a bad thing. Being more level with the strut makes it easier to adjust your hand along its length without having to death grip it. When it's bowed out, your hand's always going to want to fall to the center. However, with 5 mil gloves on, it's a bit more difficult to get your hand in there, which can be frustrating when you have to shove your hand into there, so it may be a little bit tight if you're a big-handed person wearing gloves. You might want to have a different one for the front and then leave the soft handle in the back, or go to the hard handle.
Hard Handles
The front hard handle is angled, so it is a bit more ergonomic for your wrists and your shoulders. It also gives you the opportunity to pistol grip it better at the front, so rather than having a little nub that you try to hang on to with two fingers, you're going to have a full-on grip to give yourself some good leverage over that front handle.
Boom
We expect the boom to arrive sometime in June, and hopefully the other handles will be here in May 2024. Then you'll have lots of options other than the included soft handles.
Jeff's Handle Pick
I still like the original handle. I got so used to it with the feel of the wing in the higher winds that I like to ride with it. It's helpful for fatigue, and I've grown to like that connection point. It seems like everyone's going to hard handles, and I was like that initially, but I really appreciate the soft handle. I think they've done a nice job, and the smaller sizes with the soft handles seem to work well.
Tucker's Handle Pick
I think I'm going to like the hard handle setup. I'm pretty happy with the soft handle and I'm not sure that I would bother to change it, but I think I'd like the hard handle up front to give you that pistol grip option with either a soft handle or hard handle in back.
My only qualm with F-One over the years is that, as a heavier rider that likes to ride powered, these wings tend to be back hand heavy. I think it's because it's designed around and tested by lighter riders. When you look at the handle placement, it's really optimized for somebody that's not riding a 5m in 22 knots, so I'm always choking up on the handles and really having to grip them to hold them where I ride. It would be nice to have a hard handle that you can grip without any kind of fatigue in your hands because you can lightly grip it anywhere since it's rigid.
Now, the new Swings do balance out a little better for heavier riders since they're pivoting it towards that more powered riding style, and I didn't feel as heavy-backhanded for the V4, so I'm pretty amped on that, and that might make the soft handle more attractive for me, but I'm fairly confident I'm going to land at least on the hard front handle. The soft handle is a little lighter than the hard handle, so if I can get away with that in the back, I'll probably do that.
Additional Wing Notes
One thing that makes F-One wings a little bit special and unique, and what keeps people coming back to those wings is that they're very surfy, light-feeling wings that are well-balanced and easy to ride. As long as you're choosing the right size and model, you're going to be really happy with them.
If there's a downside, in the past they weren't really built for heavy riders riding super-powered. The frames were a little bit more flexy and the handles were in a different position, so in the past 180 lb and smaller riders would love it the most. Other riders loved it too, of course, but if you've ridden their stuff in the past and not liked it for those reasons, try riding it again this year. There are some notable changes, and F-One has really opened up that top end. It's a stiffer wing, it's more durable, and the canopy will have more longevity with the new panel layout and new materials. Some of the past criticisms of F-One have been addressed, and if you're used to a rigid handle, the new options will let you engage with and like the wings so much more.
F-One continues to try to innovate and have some unique features. They don't always follow the crowd, but they do make subtle adjustments to make it so that everyone can have success and engage with the products.
Kitesurfing Progression | How to Perform Strapless Airs on Your Surfboard, with Evan Netsch
Introduction to Strapless Airs
Strapless kitesurfing offers a unique challenge compared to traditional strapped methods. It involves more balance, control, and technique, making it a rewarding experience for those who master it. According to Evan, performing a two-foot air on a surfboard can be as thrilling and rewarding as a 25-foot air on a twin tip.
Choosing the Right Gear
Lightweight Surfboards
A lighter board is crucial for strapless airs, especially in light wind conditions. Here are some of our favorite kite surfboards to get the job done: North Comp, Cabrinha Flare, and Duotone Whip.
Kite Selection
Choosing a kite that offers significant depower is essential, as it helps keep the board stuck to your feet during jumps. Avoid C-kites or heavily freestyle-oriented kites that generate excessive pull and sit forward in the wind window. Most modern, surf kites, like the Cabrinha Drifter, Duotone Neo, and North Carve will be awesome for learning strapless airs with.
Ideal Conditions for Practice
For beginners, starting in stronger winds is advisable as it simplifies the jumping process. A wind speed around 15 miles per hour, using a suitable kite, such as a 14-meter size, can offer the necessary lift and control.
Technique for Performing Strapless Airs
Positioning and Kite Handling
Speed and Direction: Ride at a comfortable speed and point the board's nose slightly into the wind to generate lift.
Kite Position: Keep the kite high but not past 12 o'clock. Sheet out to manage the lift without aggressive kite movements.
The Takeoff
Engaging the Lift: As you approach your takeoff point, sheet in to create lift while simultaneously carving upwind. Position your feet for stability, placing more weight on the back foot.
Board Orientation: Ensure the nose of the board lifts first, catching the wind underneath to aid in lift.
In the Air
Maintaining Connection: As you ascend, balance the kite's power and the lift from the board to keep the board glued to your feet. Adjust sheeting based on wind strength and your ascent.
Board Manipulation: Bend your knees and adjust your legs to control the board's position. If necessary, straighten your legs slightly to re-catch the board.
The Descent and Landing
Controlled Descent: As you descend, orient the tail of the board into the wind, converting it into a landing position with the nose pointed slightly downwind.
Landing: Sheet in upon touchdown to engage the kite for a smoother and controlled landing, ensuring the board lands with the nose off the wind to maintain forward momentum.
Conclusion: Practice and Progression
Strapless airs require meticulous control over both the kite and the board. Evan emphasizes the importance of gradual practice, starting with lower jumps and progressively tackling higher ones. Each session enhances your control and confidence, ultimately allowing you to perform more impressive and higher jumps.
Keep Learning and Evolving
Evan Netsch's detailed breakdown not only offers a practical guide to mastering strapless airs but also motivates kitesurfers to push their limits. For more insights and tips on kitesurfing, subscribing to Evan’s tutorials can provide ongoing support and inspiration for all skill levels.
By following these expert tips and dedicating time to practice, kitesurfers can enjoy the exhilarating feeling of soaring over the water, strapless, adding a thrilling chapter to their kitesurfing adventures.
Follow Evan Netsch on YouTube!
Thu, 02 May 2024 13:08:57 +0000
The Foil Drive Universal Mast Adapter and Everything You'll Want to Know
Introduction
The world of assisted hydrofoiling is witnessing a significant breakthrough with the introduction of the
Foil Drive Universal Mast Adapter. Paul from Foil Drive recently unveiled this innovative product designed to enhance the adaptability and performance across a wide range of hydrofoil brands and the various masts that they offer.
This blog delves into the features, installation process, and benefits of this new adapter.
The Need for a Universal Mast Adapter
Traditionally,
Foil Drive has produced specific pod adapters tailored to fit individual masts, a process that was not only labor-intensive but also struggled to keep up with the diversifying specifications of hydrofoil masts. The advent of continuously tapering and uniquely shaped carbon masts necessitated a more versatile solution.
The Universal Mast Adapter is Foil Drive's answer to this challenge. It aims to cater to a wide range of masts with a single, adaptable solution.
Design and Material
The Universal Mast Adapter is crafted from a rubber-like, highly durable material that retains its shape under stress, whether bent or crushed. This material choice is pivotal in preserving the traditional feel of Foil Drive systems while ensuring a gap-free fit.
The adapter uses interchangeable keys that easily slot into the pods' nose cones.
It accommodates mast chords from 90mm to 150mm, covering nearly all existing masts on the market. This feature eliminates the need for mast-specific positioning, offering unprecedented flexibility.
Installation Simplified
Installing the adapter involves simple steps that are similar to the previous process but now include selecting the appropriate key for your mast. Whether you are using a long or short nose cone, the adapter allows for easy alignment and secure fitting without the need for custom-sized parts.
This universal approach not only simplifies the setup process but also significantly reduces the time and effort required to prepare for a hydrofoiling session.
Enhanced Performance and Durability
One of the
Foil Drive Universal Mast Adapter's standout features is its vibration-dampening capability. The rubberized component acts as an isolator between the motor and the mast, smoothing out vibrations and harmonics that can detract from the riding experience.
Additionally, the adapter's durability ensures it can withstand rigorous use and environmental stress, an essential factor for hydrofoiling enthusiasts who demand reliability from their equipment.
Streamlined Water Flow
The adapter's design focuses on maintaining a smooth surface along the mast to ensure optimal water flow. This is crucial for achieving the best hydrodynamic performance and reducing drag during rides.
The adapter's seamless integration with various mast shapes helps maintain a streamlined profile, essential for both competitive and recreational hydrofoiling.
Conclusion
The
Foil Drive Universal Mast Adapter is a game-changer for Foil Drive users everywhere. It offers ease of use, enhanced performance, and versatility to fit almost any mast on the market. Its innovative design not only addresses the evolving needs of hydrofoil masts but also sets a new standard in the adaptability of the Foil Drive systems.
Whether you're a seasoned Foil Driver or new to the sport, this adapter promises to elevate your
Foil Drive experience on the water!
Code S Series vs. Code R Series Foils | Which One Is Right for You?
Welcome to Foil Fridays with Tucker! Today, Tucker introduces Code Foils, and-
...Wait, MORE foils? Tucker, what's up with that? Care to explain yourself??
Does Tucker Have a Foil Hoarding Problem? You Decide...
This is a new brand for us in the shop. Arguably, we probably don't need another foil brand; we do have a ton of amazing foil brands, but after riding the Code foils, we had to add them to our lineup because they are just that special! Their system is pretty simple and straightforward and clean.
S Series Front Wings
The most popular series in their lineup is the S Series front wings. You could say it stands for "Surf", but I guess you could also go with "Speed" because, while these are a pretty surfy foil, they are also really quick with amazing glide and a huge speed range.
Being very surfy and maneuverable all at the same time, they tick a lot of boxes, so a lot of different disciplines are going to be happy with the S Series wings. For 99 percent of the people out there, this is going to be your go-to wing in one of the available sizes.
I personally have been riding the 850 and the 980 quite a bit. The 980 is very lifty and very surfy for its size, even for me at 200 lb. I can prone it in small waves and I can Foil Drive it in flat water with no problem at all. Light wind winging is also no problem.
The 850 is my go-to shredder on any of those days where the conditions are good and a bit more windy or and wavy, starting around 16 or 17 knots of wind with waves chest high and over. You could ride it down to about waist high, but I think the 980 is a bit more in its zone there, especially at my weight.
The thing to know about the S Series is that they do have more lift than you would expect for their size, so I would suggest sizing down just slightly. If you want to maximize your performance or if you just want a cruiser, then ride a similar wing to what you normally would and you're going to get some extra lift on the low end and more forgiveness with your stalling.
These wings are very easy to pump as well, so if you're somebody that just wants something fun and cruisy and surfy that you can pump everywhere, stick with a similar size to what you would normally ride in a similar foil.
R Series Front Wings
The R Series stands for "Race", or as I would say, "Really, Really, Really" fast. Or "Really, Really, Really" glidey. These things are very high aspect, about 12 aspect ratio, so there is a lot of span on these; even the 770 is wider than the 850 S by about 4 or 5 inches, so they're really stepping up the glide game with these.
Because of that, you should look to these for downwinding, downwind racing, any kind of downwind gliding you want to do, or pumping in the larger sizes. These wings are very efficient pumpers; the glide and pump-ability is at maximum efficiency with regard to winging and kiting.
With the extra wide span, you'll want to size down if you want to keep good maneuverability. The 770 is about as big as I would take for winging and it is really fast, but in breaking waves the wingspan can get a little bothersome from time to time, so it's best used in conditions where you just want to glide and cruise, or where you have the ability to go really fast and not have to worry about breaching the wingtip in the swell or in hard carves.
It is really fun to ride this one, and it has a surprisingly low stall speed and great low-end lift for such a small, thin wing. It is sleek, almost like a knife, so it has great low speed lift for a wing of this size.
It was fun to play with that one a bit and find out where it fits in the quiver. For day-to-day riding, a one-foil quiver, or something that's just a bit more recreational, fun and good over a broad range of conditions, the S Series is what most people are going to want to be looking at unless you're hardcore into downwind paddling.
AR Series Stabilizers
Code has two series of stabilizers as well. The AR is your standard stabilizer that most people are going to be riding with the S Series. It can also be ridden with the R Series if you want a little bit more stability or a little bit more stall protection
.
The AR is a really good, surfy stab. It's got just a little bit of an anhedral V to it, and that gives you some flow in and out of turns. It gives you active turning where it wants to bounce in and out of turns and gives you something to push off of. It also creates some acceleration out of turns, so this is a really fun, surfy stab.
I've been riding the 158 and the 150 most often. With the 950, the 150 is a little better, but on the 980 I can mix and match. If it's lighter wind, I go with the 158. If it looks pretty good and more surfy, I go with the 150 for a little looser feel.
R Series Stabilizers
The higher aspect R Series stabilizer also has a slight V anhedral. That locks that wing in and gives it some directional stability so it's not so twitchy and unstable or slidy. It gives you a bit more traction, but not so much that it isn't still fun and surfy and really efficient.
With such a high aspect, very thin stab, it's really glidey and has a massive speed range. It pairs well with the R series, but if you want to take your S Series up a notch in terms of your glide and you don't mind sacrificing some of that surf-ability and traction in the turn, you can go ahead with an R Series as well.
Fuselage Extensions
There is a small, medium, and large fuselage extension, and they will be releasing an R Series fuselage in the near future as well.
The small is best used for shorter boards, kite foiling and shortboard prone foiling. If you want a really loose and twitchy feel in the turn or a very skatey feel, use the small.
Medium is what I'm using most. That's the go-to fuselage for winging, proning in average conditions, and even for downwind if you're not riding a really long board. The medium is going to be the go-to fuse. It provides you with really good stability, stall protection, and glide, but still is very maneuverable and surfy and fun.
The large is for longer boards or people wanting to maximize that glide efficiency. You'd primarily use it on the R Series and downwind, especially if you're on smaller foils, big, fast conditions, or longer, stretched-out boards. The longer fuselage is going to give you a bit more glide and stability in the pitch so that everything's smooth and easy and you don't mind sacrificing a little bit of maneuverability and opening up the arc radius of the turn.
For most people, the medium is the go-to unless you're really on one side or the other of average. If you're a really light rider, you might even want the small size just to adapt for your weight distribution and the smaller boards you're riding.
Tucker's Review
One thing I noticed throughout the entire Code range is that everything is very sleek and clean. There's not anything on these that is flashy just for the sake of being flashy or cool-looking; it's all about maximized functionality and efficiency.
Something unique about the entire Code range is that it is incredibly stiff. That goes for the stabs and the wings. Even with the huge wingspan, narrow chord, and thin profile on the R Series wing, it's still rock solid. The mast is one of the stiffer carbon masts on the market, and that's even without going to an ultra high modulus.
Even the mast connection is really stiff; the mast cavity where the mast connects to the fuselage is larger, and it locks that in so there's no tolerance or wiggle between the fitment. How the fuselage is molded into the front wing is rock solid and stiff. It has a fuselage extension like some other brands, including F-One and Cabrinha. This one is similar and very stiff, again with a larger connection than most so it can really lock in there and make the stiffest possible connection for the transfer of energy, rigidity, and efficiency.
This stiffness makes Code's foils a joy to ride and really levels up the ease-of-use and how intuitive they are. When you're riding them, especially as a heavier rider like myself, the more you weigh, the stiffer your equipment needs to be to maintain its performance, otherwise it's going to feel nervous, unresponsive, kind of twitchy, and hard to ride. Code really levels that up. If you're a heavier rider looking for high-end performance, this is a foil you should definitely consider.
Coming from somebody that has been an F-One lover for a long time, I would say these foils share a lot of the attributes of the F-One line, but a little bit stiffer and heavier, so that's something to note as well. The weight doesn't bother me in any way; it's so minimal that I don't really notice it when I'm riding. However, if you're a lighter rider the weight might bother you more, but I would put this foil in anybody's hands and feel confident as long as we had the right setup for you.
The Code foil lineup all comes with really nice covers and hardware with all the pieces. It is all 100 percent carbon, and much of it is in high modulus carbon, which is why they are so stiff and solid and awesome.
If you have any questions about this gear, reach out to us at the shop. I'm really excited to get some of you guys on this and hear your feedback. Until next time, we'll see you around.
Big Air Kite Test - Harlem Force / North Orbit Pro / Duotone Evo D/Lab / Cabrinha Nitro v2
Today's big air kite review from Jason focuses on the Harlem Force, comparing it to the North Orbit Pro, Duotone Evo D/LAB, and Cabrinha Nitro v2. As always, he'll highlight his favorite aspects of each while being as fair as possible.
Harlem Force
I had the benefit of testing the Harlem Force over five sessions, but unfortunately four of them were under 30 knots due to the summer conditions here in Auckland not being very favorable for big air. In the end, some of us did a little road trip south for 8 hours to find the 30 to 35 knots I needed to really do a proper big air test, and I'm really glad I did because that was when this kite came alive for me.
Design and Construction
So, is the fabric in the manufacturing technology as advertised, and does it make a very noticeable difference to the feel and performance of the kite? The short answer is, "yes, significantly," but as with a number of our recent kite tests, what kind of rider really benefits from this is, of course, a big question and, perhaps more importantly, does the kite design benefit as much as it could from the technology?
So far, the best overall example I've flown where design maximizes new materials from the last few years is the Evo D/LAB. The Duotone team spent a year developing that kite specifically for Aluula, and it probably didn't hurt development to have some of the best riders of all time helping the design team with testing and feedback.
I can say there is a similar feel with the Harlem in terms of the weight and the speed of the kite. Depending on your level, once you get used to that lighter feel and kite speed with either of these kites, it's very hard to go back to standard kites and they start to feel like a lot more work than they need to be. I can imagine it's like what people thought of power steering when it was first starting to become more common in cars. It was strange at first but quickly became familiar, and then after a while it was only enthusiasts that didn't want to have it in their vehicle.
Comparisons
How does this Harlem kite compare overall to the Evo, and what other kites are the most similar, in my estimation? I think the very closest comparison I could give in terms of overall performance to the Harlem would be the Orbit Pro. They both move at a similar pace in a very similar way, and are closely comparable in everything from low end to boosting to looping and hangtime.
Speed and Timing
The most significant difference between the two is that the Harlem feels and rides noticeably lighter both on the bar and in the overall feel while flying it around, which also translates to it moving a little bit faster, be it through the window, around a loop, or shooting up to 12 as you send it.
In my Orbit Pro review, I found this speed very challenging to get the hang of at first, but the performance reward you get from it is wonderful once you have. Just like the Orbit Pro, the Harlem Force is not as forgiving as similar-style kites like the standard Orbit or Nitro v2, and it can certainly punish you if you're caught slipping with your timing, particularly in more challenging, gusty conditions.
I was doing a bit of over-sending on my boosts and loops at times and, of course, struggled to get the kite very low on even the bigger, more powered kiteloops with my 22m lines. On a couple occasions, I even screwed up my descending Heli Loops on sent jumps in the gustiest session and found myself falling out of the sky a little bit, something I can't recall doing in a long time on any of the recent kites I've used.
Jumping and Height
In the lighter sessions, the Force felt like it had less power than the Orbit Pro in the low end, but only by a very small amount, and you could easily make the argument that it only felt that way because it's noticeably lighter in the overall weight of the kite and the bar pressure. When jumping in the lighter to moderate conditions, I only was finding about a 1m difference on the Woo jumps up to around 15m, which can easily be attributed to wind or technique variation from jump to jump. However, a couple of us had similar results in that we could, on average, get a little bit more height from the Orbit Pro.
Another explanation for this slight disparity could be that we found the sweet spot on the Orbit Pro a little bit easier to hit when sending the kite up, likely because it's moving a touch slower as well. I made a similar comment on my Nitro v2 vs. the Orbit Pro review that with all of these super fast kites these days, sometimes a little slower movement when sending actually makes it a bit easier for moderate level riders to hit that sweet spot. I would wager that a top-tier rider is likely to go a little bit higher on the Harlem because their timing is going to be a lot better and more consistent, but I don't think it would be that far off the Orbit's or Nitro's, perhaps less than 5 percent.
By the time I got to my session that was over 30 knots, I was a lot more in tune with the kite, but I still struggled at times with timing the launches optimally, especially with the addition of hitting kickers. I did manage to crack 20m on my Woo with one jump that I got just right, but I do feel like I would have fared a little bit better boosting, on average, if I was on the Orbit Pro or Nitro v2.
The Evo D/LAB would be a whole other tier above these kites in terms of power, lift and overall boosting potential. I would wager that in the same conditions of 30 - 35 knots I would jump about the same, if not even a little bit higher, going down to my 8m Evo D/LAB, which is no surprise. It costs 25 - 30 percent more and has a more top-heavy kind of bow shape, closer to an XR or Edge, which comes at a cost in the looping department, of course.
Although I'm not sure exactly how it looked on screen when seeing it in real time, from the beach where I was during last year's King of the Air, you could see the difference the Evo D/LAB was making in terms of height for the Duotone team in almost every heat where they faced other riders, and particularly in the finals where Andrea was consistently outjumping Lorenzo even though he often wasn't hitting the best-forming kickers. Lorenzo seems to have been doing a much better job of getting more optimum launches going to the left, but he couldn't just keep up with the height and lift the Evo was giving Andrea. I'm really curious to see what kind of height disparity there will be off flat water at the upcoming GKA events.
Loops and Catching
Where this kite really shines is in looping. The Harlem would appear to be the tightest, fastest loop I've tested, though it is very close to the Orbit Pro. The Ocean Rodeo Rise is probably right up there as well, but I did test that one almost 2 years ago, so its super speed around the loop was likely quite relative to the kites I was trying at the time.
The Harlem's super fast looping and catching speed takes some getting used to because you can over-send the kite a little or time it a bit incorrectly, but it does open the door to training loops without jumping as high as you need to with most other kites, and with a lot less pull because of the high angle of the kite's rotation.
The benefit of these faster, tighter-looping kites is that when you are progressing in loops or loop variations, you don't need to commit as much risk by not having to jump as high to loop, and when pulling hard you'll have a softer, higher-angled loop ready to catch you super quickly.
In comparison, even with my D/LAB, which is as fast-moving, the shape tends to create a little more pull, and with poor timing can bobble and pause for a fraction of a second before coming up for the catch after a loop, even on the 8m. Luckily, this kite moves so fast that it's very hard to get in trouble with this like I used to at times on my old Core XR7 when it would do a similar pause, but for much longer after the loop and before the ascent.
On the Harlem Force, I can do a front roll with a nice, late high-angled loop. It's a very safe tight-turning kite and it catches me very easily when I'm only about 5m in the air. There's hardly any pull, so if I stall or over-rotate, all I need to do is sheet out and the kite will likely easily complete the loop and shoot up above my head and be on its way up above me to catch me and reduce the power of the crash.
Another wonderful aspect of the overall weight reduction, bar pressure and speed of the kite is that pulling loops with one hand is far less intimidating because you're not feeling as much power in the bar. You can have a lot of confidence the kite is coming around to catch you.
On the pro level, I don't think anyone is going to argue with this kite; Lorenzo seems to be consistently pulling some of the sickest-looking double and S-Loop variations with an often ultra-low, fast-moving kite. At that KotA final, although his height was lacking, his kite angle on the Double Loop variations was vastly more impressive to me, likely in part due to this kite's maneuverability through the loops with an almost guaranteed catch.
Andrea seemed to have a habit of depowering the kite fractionally after his first loops on the doubles before the second loop, potentially to let it breathe a little and to keep the kite high enough that it won't bobble or stall slightly, especially when he's traveling a bit further downwind with more slack in the lines. To me, this is likely why we see so many high-angle doubles and S-Loops from him, and often the freefall from them as well. The slight pause in the double will keep the kite higher and extend the height of his jumps, but at the cost of the impressive kite angle. The Evo's shape and this style would contribute to the slack and freefall he's often seen with. I think both styles are super impressive, but I would probably make the argument that if the kites were reversed, we'd likely have seen a different winner at the end of the day.
Stability and Hangtime
With all the looping prowess the Force has, like the Orbit Pro, the downside would be that the kite does suffer somewhat in stability and hangtime. Both kites can be challenging in gusty conditions, but I probably preferred the Harlem because it is lighter so you don't feel the gust as dramatically, and it is slightly quicker to maneuver out of trouble.
With hangtime, I struggle to say which was better. They both allow you to do tight Heli Loops on a dime above the head. That is great fun while floating down from jumps and just zipping it around a few times as you descend. I had trouble doing board-offs with these kites because of the lack of hangtime, and also because my skills lack in that area as I've only just gotten into them in recent months, and mostly on my Evo D/LABS, which have the best hangtime on the market as far as I'm aware. I also found board-offs easier on the Nitro v2 because it was a bit more stable and less likely to allow me to make the mistake of sending the kite out of the window too quickly and thus run out of time to get the board back on my feet.
Conclusion
So where does this leave me in terms of which kites I prefer, and in what area? These questions seem to get harder and harder because, frankly, I've enjoyed all the kites I have tested the last few reviews, and the standard for kites these days just seems to keep getting better and better.
Although I absolutely love the Harlem Force, it's probably not my favorite in any one specific area with my riding style. However, I think I do prefer it overall to the Orbit Pro because it is a little lighter weight and it feels so easy to throw around, even when it gets crazy windy.
For the 9m size in kiteloops and loop-related trick progression, I would probably give the slight edge to the Nitro v2 because it was a bit more forgiving and stable, but that could also be due to testing the Cabrinha in fairly ideal conditions. My opinion could well vary from session to session.
If I was into doing Double Loops or riding these kites in the larger sizes, then I'd have to say I'd choose the Harlem Force over the Orbit or Nitro because it gets around slightly faster, it's lighter, and it would just be a lot easier looping it in the larger sizes, I'd imagine. But the Nitro is fast enough for me, and its added stability gives me just a little bit more confidence.
For boosting, power, and hangtime, none of them are quite on par with the Evo D/LAB, but they are all close enough to each other that I would wager most riders would tend to jump to similar heights on each of them in similar conditions, with the edge for ease-of-use going to the Orbit Pro and the Nitro v2, the easiest of them all.
What is quite wild about the Harlem Force kite, though, is that you have to remember it's only the first edition, and it's already on par with, if not better than, the best loopers in the game that already have years of design experience behind them with this style. For that reason alone, if you're a fan of the loop game, you should definitely try one of these kites if you get the chance.
I'd have to imagine they are also working on something closer in style and overall performance to the Evo, given that the kite's designer is also behind the technology that helped make this Force so special. Listening to the Kitesurf 365 podcast with brainchild and founder Ralf Groesel does give me a lot of hope for a more cost-effective, more durable alternative to Aluula in the near future, so perhaps we'll be seeing that from the Harlem kites first.
Kitesurf Control Bar Review | North Navigator Pro / Duotone Trust / Core Sensor 3 Pro
Jason is an excellent reviewer of kiteboarding gear, limited only by what he's able to get his hands on in New Zealand. He and MACkite have teamed up to get more gear in his hands, so hopefully you'll be able to enjoy even more of these in-depth reviews in the near future.
Today Jason is talking about the North Navigator Pro control bar but, as is true of any of us, his perception of it is going to be influenced by what he's ridden in the past. So a little backstory will help bring things into perspective, as well as give us a nice comparison of his most recent bars.
Bar Backstory
I've mainly ridden North Orbits with the standard North bar from 2019 until a year ago. Then I bought my first quiver in years, Duotone Evo D/LABs, and I went with the 2023 Trust bar. Prior to my switch to North in 2019 I was riding a Duotone Evo and Dice combination with the 2019 Click bar.
2019 Duotone Click Bar
When I went back to Duotone gear last year, I decided to go with the Trust bar because I found my old early edition of the Click bar wasn't the most durable and, after just a few months, would slightly jam up at times when trying to sheet out, particularly after Heli Loops. I also had the line snap on me, both inside the mechanism itself in the Click bar and on the lines as well. I had to replace a couple of other parts within the first year.
Although I really loved the feel of that bar and how it worked, the parts replacement was quite annoying to me because I hadn't done much replacing of gear before. But at the time, I was also progressing a lot and didn't realize at this stage in my kiting that, depending on how you ride and your size, it's not uncommon to need to replace bars annually, at least in terms of the lines.
2023 Duotone Trust Bar
When deciding on which Duotone bar to ride with my D/LAB purchases, I noticed that almost all of the current Duotone Pro Team tended to compete with Trust bars, so I assumed they would be more durable and more functional for big air riding.
Riding my modern Trust bars, one of the first things I noticed after all the other brands' bars I've been trying is just how light they are in comparison. At first, it's a little bit off-putting and makes you wonder about the durability, but after a few sessions it really grows on you.
Weight difference aside, the Trust's grip is good but a little bit slippery at times, and overall not as comfortable in the hands as my North Bars were. It does perform wonderfully smoothly with a fantastic sheet in and out and no binding at all when rotating yourself or the kite multiple times.
I also find the way you can reduce or increase the width of the bar to be a bit easier than these other brands, as they tend to jam up after a while and require some soaking to get the salt out. With the Duotone ones I find I can even do it while I'm actually in the middle of a session on the water.
Overall, things were going great for a few months with this Trust bar after I bought it, until a friend of mine and myself both snapped our center lines midair on big wind days. However, I don't think either of us were moving our V-splitter around every dozen sessions or so, something I've since been told is important to do. Recently though, I have seen online that Duotone has offered to replace Trust bar lines due to this possibility, so if you have a Trust bar, check out their website or perhaps contact the store you got it from to see how to get yours replaced. If you follow my Instagram, you'll know that I have since swapped my Trust bar lines to the Line Smith and have had no issues with them for 6 months now, and the bar feels fantastic again.
My only gripe with the Trust bar otherwise is that it does get wear in some areas, in particular the little plastic center part of the bar that the lines run through. You need to replace this every 3 or 4 months if you're a big guy who rides a lot, and it's quite a challenge to get the piece in and out. It takes at least a half hour. On the plus side, that piece is very cheap, and the store I bought it from actually gave me replacement parts for free.
All in all, I can still say that the Trust bar is overall one of my favorite bars on the market.
2021 Core Sensor 3 Pro Bar
During my long stint with North, in 2021 I switched some of my smaller kites to Core XR7s, and with those I got the Sensor 3 Pro bar. These kites were only really used for super windy sessions, mainly for boosting and looping. For the most part, I really enjoyed the functionality of the bar, but I was never a huge fan of using it because of the grip. There's something about it that I just don't enjoy in my hand.
Just like my old Click bar, you do need to replace components of it due to wear every 8 to 12 months, at least if you ride them like I do at my size, and unfortunately I found the Core components the most expensive to replace here in New Zealand, particularly the lines which cost me twice as much as other brands. They are arguably among the strongest factory lines on the market, but I have seen them snap as well after about a year's use. If you live somewhere with a Core shop which can do all the part replacement for you, Core is super functional, well-designed, and just a great overall bar, especially if the grip doesn't bother you as much as it does me.
One other small downside of the Core bar is that if you are trying to use it on other brands with a High-V like Duotone, it doesn't maintain all of its safety functions. I do see some people choose to use the Core bar with their Duotone gear, but I would warn against it. I'm told by an actual kite bar designer that there is something about the Core's flag out system that means you don't have a full flag out when you punch out your safety. So that's just something to keep in mind.
2019 North Bar
Moving on to my previous North bar, I mainly found it ideal for its simplicity. The grip itself is great; it's probably tied with Cabrinha for my favorite grips on the market. The North bars have a slightly elongated area under the fingers to make it a bit more ergonomic, something I never knew I needed until I felt it. This grip just seems to be a lot easier to hold onto, particularly with only one hand on the bar.
The size and weight, although a little bit larger and heavier than my other bars at the time, didn't really bother me too much because I was used to it for so long, and of course the kites I was riding with it were a bit heavier and slower, so it lined up a bit more with the overall feel of the bar.
The bar, of course, doesn't have auto-unwind, but it did have a very smooth sheet in/out motion and, more importantly, never seemed to stick at all when sheeting out after multiple Heli Loops or rotations in the same direction.
In terms of durability, these bars were probably the best I've personally owned, and I never had any of the parts or lines need replacing while I owned them, although I did get new ones each year so I can't say for sure how long they might have lasted before they began to show more wear or needed parts replacement. In my opinion, if you are riding often, more than, say, 100 sessions a year on the same bar, and jumping over 10m and doing some powered loops in stronger winds, you should really consider replacing at least your lines each year for safety's sake. If you are doing just surf and foil and not a lot of big air, they could probably last for years.
The point where I started to find the older North bars less enjoyable is now that I've gotten used to the lighter feel of my 2023 Trust bar, especially when testing more of the modern, lighter kites. Going back to the heavier bar is just a bit more annoying and feels like there's a slight delay. I find it can slightly reduce your overall feel in connection to the kites in the smaller, faster, sizes. I did mention in both of my Cabrinha Nitro kite reviews that I find the lighter and faster the kites are, the lighter I seem to prefer the bars to be. This is a bit of a picky critique, and I realize that most people might not notice it a great deal, but after a while on a lighter bar, I promise that you can really feel the difference that extra 15-20 percent weight can make.
North Navigator Pro Bar Review
The new Navigator Pro bar, right away in the hand, is very similar to the North bar with the functions of the auto-unwind of the Cabrinha bar, but as soon as you pick it up and feel it, you can see it's clearly lighter in hand than both of those bars. Once again, it's super clean and easy to use. It has all the essential functions, and they look like they've all been given a little bit of an upgrade.
In particular, the grip still has the same fabulous characteristics of the standard bar I like, perhaps improved even a bit. It also has that super easy-to-hold ergonomic shape I love. The weight reduction has meant the bar has not quite caught up to the lightness of the Trust bar, but it is certainly close enough to make it feel comparable performance-wise, even in super strong winds.
The other main difference of this new bar, of course, is that they have added the auto-unwind, and it seems to function very, very smoothly. In the lighter sessions, I couldn't feel any resistance at all on it, and it unwinds cleanly as I ride downwind with multiple loops. I had a similar experience in my big air sessions where I was testing the bar in over 25 to 30 knots. You should try to make sure you set up your lines correctly and there are no twists in the center lines. I'd wager a couple of twists may hinder the clean sheet-out the bar has, although I didn't find it bothersome enough to make me go back in and fix it during my 90-minute session.
Because of my experiences with my old Click bar and my Sensor 3 Pro bar, I can't help but wonder how long before these parts start to show some wear in the auto-unwind, and that might hinder the clean flow of it. Having seen some of the "tech talk" videos on the materials used, and feeling the robust nature of it in person, it certainly looks up to the challenge to last a little longer. I do have a friend who has been riding his for a few months now since release, and he rides a lot and is as heavy as I am, and so far there are no signs of wear or delay in the auto-unwind for him, which is a great sign of the potential longevity.
Another feature North is marketing is that this is the most functional bar on the market because you can add a High-V option and make it work with High-V kites (except for Core because of their unique flag-out system that I mentioned before). Because I have Duotone kites, this is actually how I've been testing the bar for the most part, and on its face it seems spot-on. When you don't have the pigtails on, the V-splitter slides onto your lines and moves around really easily, screwing into the fixed position you desire, in my case 4.5 m from the start of the lines on the rider side.
I was loving riding my D/LABs with this bar. In particular, the grip and the functionality of it was great for everyday riding and big air with board-offs and anything where I would use only one hand.
Navigator Pro Nitpicks
However, after about 10 to 12 sessions, when I went to move the V-splitter as you are supposed to do to reduce the wear in one spot, I did notice that there was already a very small but noticeable amount of wear on both sides of the V-splitter. Now, with other High-V bars, they have some kind of sleeving in that area, but so far North is just attaching the V-Splitter to the line itself, so I'm not sure what this is doing to the lines and how long you can get away with it before it becomes risky.
Needless to say, I took the V-Splitter off to avoid causing more wear, and I did let North know about it, so we may see an update to this system in the near future. Of course, it could just be that I'm overly pedantic after the Trust bar line snaps that I've had. At my age and level, I do scare quite easily when it comes to line wear, and odds are if you are moving the V-splitter around a bit more often, say, every 3 - 4 sessions, then you would be a lot less likely to see the kind of wear in a single place like I did, but I've not had time to experiment with this so I can't really comment for sure whether it would be an issue to worry about.
If I was doing a little more nitpicking, although this is no longer something that really applies to my riding style, I probably wouldn't go for this bar for freestyle because the two-piece auto-unwind does add a bit of girth to the gap in the middle where the lines run through, which could mean that if you were trying to pass the bar, you could potentially stick a finger in there.
Nitpicking aside, there are just so many little improvements, new features, and components to this bar, from the floaters to the new secure chicken loop and safety line attachment. They're all tasty little bonuses, but you can hear about those on any number of other tech talk videos that are already on YouTube.
Summary
The main thing for me is that it's so easy to use and it just feels really great while you're using it. Although this is certainly my new favorite bar on the market and I'm looking forward to testing it with a variety of other kites over the winter season, for now I might only use it with testing High-V kites in smaller quantities, just to play it safe by sticking with Trust bars I already own for my day-to-day kiting with my Duotone kites.
I will do a lot more regular updates on my Instagram if anything changes in terms of the High-V and I learn a bit more about it. I will also cover my experiences testing this bar with the Line Smith lines to see if I can pick up any differences in terms of elongation or feel and performance. In my experience, the North lines are among the top of the market and seem to be super durable for me. Thanks to North for supplying me with this bar to test, and of course check out MACkiteboarding to see if you want to buy one yourself. I'll see you again soon.
The 2024 Ozone Fusion takes wing design in a very different direction. While other wings are built like LEI kiteboarding kites with an inflatable frame and single skin canopy, the Fusion is based on a dual-skin foil kite, but keeps the rigid leading edge and center strut. It's unique, it's patent-pending, and it makes some exciting performance claims. Does it live up to the hype? Tucker has done extensive test riding to really get a feel for this special entry into the wing market.
Features
Surf Handle
The surf, or leading edge, handle is thick, stiff, and nicely padded. However, it may be a bit small if you have large hands and ride with gloves. If you usually grab with just two or three fingers, though, it won't be an issue for you. It also has a soft patch underneath, so even though it's a smaller handle, you won't beat up your nails and knuckles when grabbing it.
Leash with Belt
This wing does include a leash, as well as a nylon belt to attach it to yourself. If you prefer a wrist cuff, you can attach the leash to that instead, or to your harness if you ride with one. The leash is a good length for doing whatever you like with it. It's not too long or too short.
Handles
If you're familiar with Ozone's handles, then you know what to expect. These have been some of our favorites with their narrow diameter, light weight, and direct connection. Be sure to inflate your strut hard enough to get that nice, solid connection with the handles.
The handles bend inward just a bit to make them more ergonomic for your wrists. It's a very natural-feeling, intuitive position. The front handle has a larger end so that you can have a comfortable pistol grip. There's also a little rubber bumper to help prevent board (or head) dings.
Harness Line Connection
A harness line isn't included, but between the front and back handles is the perfect place to attach one. With the hard handles, you can cinch the harness line up a little higher when you're riding overpowered. That will bring the balance further forward. It's even easy to make adjustments while you're on the water.
Frame Construction
Ozone uses a Dacron that is similar to Duotone's SLS material on their leading edge and strut. It's 20 percent lighter and stiffer than regular Dacron, and Ozone uses a seam weld technology for a smooth, clean layup without frayed edges or anything to catch on. The craftsmanship is top-notch because Ozone owns their factory and has control over all the details to consistently turn out the quality they are known for.
Inflation
Open up the zipper that runs parallel to the center strut to access the Boston style valve on the strut. You'll need a fat tip pressure adapter, which is included with the wing. There is another valve in the leading edge, so you can pump each up to the proper pressure without worrying about hoses or pinch-offs. If you happen to get a leak in either bladder, the other will stay inflated. Just remember to zip the access back up before heading out so the opening doesn't catch in the wind.
Dual Skin
Of course, the dual skin is what makes the Fusion really special. It merges a lot of Ozone's existing technologies like wingsuits and paragliders. For winging on water, there were some special challenges. The frame is in the way of where the air inlets to inflate the airfoil would normally be. And how do you let air in, but keep water out? It's not as simple as adding a second canopy. But with their existing expertise, Ozone was able to hit the ground running on this project, and it works. It's a lot of fun.
How Does It Work?
The inner white skin is a lighter weight material, and the outside skin is the usual dual-strand ripstop canopy material. Together, they form a foil shape. Rather than the air creating vortices and drag behind the leading edge, it flows smoothly over the whole wing, like a hot knife through butter. If you're familiar with ram-air kites from kiteboarding, you know that they are a lot more efficient and better into the wind. For winging, this concept blows the lid off the top end range.
The air enters through the orange ports in the bottom skin. A firm material holds them open so the wind can blow in and fill the space between the skins with enough pressure for the wing to keep its foil shape.
To keep the ports from being crushed and losing their shape while the wing is packed away, they ship with foam pads inserted. Take them out before you ride, but be sure not to lose them so you can re-insert them every time you pack up the wing. It is critical that the air intake ports can efficiently scoop air into the wing and keep the skins rigid.
Inside each air intake port is a baffle, and once the foil has the proper air pressure, that will close and help keep the wing at its optimum shape. It also does a good job of limiting how much water gets in when you fall or hit a wave. The water that does get in drains out at the drainage ports on the wingtips and center strut. While this wing isn't designed as a wave riding wing, this helps a lot if you do take it in the surf, which makes it a very versatile wing.
Weight
It seems like adding a second canopy would add quite a bit of weight, but the wing is still well within the average range. While it's not as light as an Aluula surf wing, it's not that much heavier, either. The inner canopy is an ultra-lightweight material since it is the stiffer outer canopy that bears the load.
Tucker's Review
The build quality is phenomenal on the Fusion, and the Ozone team really seems to have nailed the design the first time. You'd expect an innovative idea like this to be on the third or fourth generation before really getting fleshed out, but they got it right the first time. The wing is exceptionally easy to ride.
Initially, I thought this was going to be a niche design that only a few riders would want, but after riding it, I think it has a broader application that will appeal to a lot of people. Now, it was designed first and foremost as a racing wing, and it definitely does excel there. While I'm not a hardcore racer, it's the best race wing I've tried yet. Racing wings are about angles, speed, efficiency, and top end, and the Fusion checks these boxes.
You can size up, knowing that you're not going to get overpowered or yanked downwind. You can hold it down in a crazy amount of wind. At 200lb, I've easily ridden the 5m in 16 - 35 knots. At the upper end, it was very fast and had a lot of power, but it was still manageable, and I probably could have gone to 40 knots. Unless you're racing and the surface conditions are perfect, you're not going to want to do that all the time, but it is do-able.
The reason for this gets back to the efficiency of the dual-skin wing. This is definitely a forward-pulling wing and not a wing with a lot of lift and grunt, so it's not going to lift you onto your foil. As a racing wing, it's not designed for light wind. You'll need to build boardspeed and lift off with your hydrofoil. A larger, narrower board is going to help with this.
Once you are up, the upwind ability is amazing. It's better upwind than any other wing I've ridden. You'll feel it immediately when you get on foil and drive upwind. The only thing limiting you is your speed, your foil, and your technique. It wants to keep accelerating, even when riding upwind and building more and more apparent wind... as long as you're holding the correct sail angle.
That is one thing that keeps this from really being a beginner wing. The sail angle is a bit more finicky and has a smaller sweet spot, like a lot of racing wings. You don't want to over-sheet this wing or it'll fly less efficiently. It took me about 5 minutes to finally home in on that sweet spot, and after that I had to find the harness line location that worked best for that day's conditions. But once I did, it was like a rocket ship.
A lot of racing wings are good either upwind or downwind, so different wings might excel depending on the type of race. However, the Fusion is fantastic both upwind and downwind. That's the magic of the dual skin design. You should be able to gain the advantage with this wing in a race that requires riding in both directions. And it's a lot of fun. If you're into racing, you owe it to yourself to look at this wing.
In racing you'll do a lot of tacks versus jibes, depending on the course and if you're racing upwind or downwind, but this wing is phenomenal going into the wind. It's light and slices right through the wind in a tack. It doesn't slow you down or kill momentum, and as long as you're carrying speed into the turn, it'll make its way through nicely. The handles are easy to find and maneuver with. Even if you're a rider who is progressing into tacks, don't be afraid of it; you can jump right in because it's so smooth and easy to ride.
While the Fusion was developed solely for racing, I do think the design could be tweaked to make models for beginner and intermediate riders by building in a bit more lift and grunt. It'll be exciting to see how the dual skin concept develops and whether different riding styles can benefit from it as well.
Who's It For?
Is this wing good for anyone other than racers? While I'll race my friends from time to time just for fun, I'm not a hardcore racer. I don't track my times, and often I'm not even watching to see how fast I'm going. I just like the feeling of going fast, as long as I'm feeling comfortable and not like I'm on the edge of hurting myself. The Fusion does that for me. It's so smooth and cuts though even shifty conditions like butter.
Jeff and I were out the other day and he was overpowered on a standard 4m wing while I was on the 5m Fusion. When we got off the water, he complained about how nasty, shifty and gusty the wind was, but I didn't even feel it. I was comfortable ripping around and having the time of my life. I probably could have ridden a smaller wing, but it didn't even occur to me to do that.
I was able to do some big, lofty jumps. When you jump this wing, it sails almost like a hang glider. When you go up, it wants to continue its momentum if you're angling it properly. It doesn't necessarily go straight up and float down like some loftier wings do, but it you build your momentum and sail it, it'll do a really fun, gliding jump. Of course, pro riders can use a big wing with a lot of power to do really big jumps, but I had a ton of fun jumping it too.
Who's It Not For?
While it does work in waves, the dual skin makes the wing less stable when it's flagged out. It actually doesn't want to flag out because it always wants to be flying and reacting rather than just pinning out straight and being calm and stable in your hand. And, of course, it will take on water if you get submarined through a few waves. It does drain out pretty quickly, but it's not ideal to deal with in a wave situation. If you're a hardcore wave rider, this probably isn't the wing for you, but if you're mainly into going fast and occasionally find some waves to play in, then you can certainly do that.
Quiver
If you want one wing to cover a really massive wind range, the Fusion is the wing to do that. You can get great upwind and downwind angles. For travel, it's nice to bring just one wing and know you can ride in 15 to 35 knots.
A one-wing, two-board quiver is possible with the Fusion. You can take a 5m out in high winds on a smaller board and ride with high performance. You can take the same 5m out in light winds on a downwind board. Now, you probably won't crack the 10 knot barrier unless you're a very efficient rider, but this wing can build a lot of apparent wind before you even lift off.
It doesn't have that much grunt on the low end, so don't go out in 12 knots with a 40 liter board expecting to get pulled out of the water and on foil. This wing likes to ride powered, and it's happiest when it's got a lot of air moving through it. It likes to ride fast. If you like riding overpowered on small foils, but not feeling overpowered, this is definitely the wing to go with. It's a lot of fun for that.
Durability
I've put the Fusion through its paces and have ridden it in more wind than is normal, and it's still crispy with no issues at all. This speaks highly of the Ozone design team's construction, and I'm stoked on that.
Tucker's Nitpicks
Not so much a nitpick since it's the design of the wing, but more something to be aware of is that you have to watch your face when you're hooking in with a harness line. You lose a few inches of space for your nose with the bottom skin being right there and will end up with a face full of canopy if you don't lean back. It's a little awkward at first, but it's easy to adjust to.
Things to Know
You won't pump this wing like you normally would. It doesn't want to scoop the wind like a single skin wing will. It wants to slice and create forward speed, so slide it forward as you're pumping. With a grunty wing, you'll pull with your back hand, but you'll need to pull with your front hand instead on the Fusion. Definitely take this wing out in powered-up conditions the first couple times until you get a good feel for the quirks of a dual-skin wing.
You'll usually want to size up on this wing. If everyone else is out on a 4m, you'll be happy on a 5m. If they're on a 5m, grab the 6.5m.
I've also tested the bigger sizes. The 7.3m is a lot of fun on lighter days. It's the wing you'll fly when others have a 6m. You're going to be riding faster than they are, ripping upwind while they're just taxiing around. It's not a light wind wing for 8 knot conditions, but if you have an efficient board with good low end, you can get out in quite light conditions, and I've ridden it comfortably in up to 25 knots. It's also great for bigger guys who just want to rip and feel comfortable and smooth.
Summary
If you're racing and want to be competitive, the Fusion is definitely worth a look. It's a fresh, innovative idea from the Ozone team and flips wing design on its head. There are huge performance advantages built into this wing, and everyone intermediate level and up should give it a try. It is a fun, unique experience.
The kiteboarding industry is on the brink of a revolutionary shift, spearheaded by the introduction of the Harlem Force, a product of Harlem Kitesurfing's innovative Game Changer Lineup. What sets the Harlem Force apart is its rare combination of high speed, exceptional hang time, and reliable performance in down loops. It's not just a kite; it's a testament to the possibilities of combining high performance with environmental consciousness.
Origins and Inspirations
Back in 2016, a dedicated family of kite repair experts ventured into designing kites that not only perform exceptionally but do so sustainably. Their journey led to the creation of the Game Changer Lineup, with the Harlem Force at its forefront. The goal was clear: to merge cutting-edge performance with sustainable practices and offer customizability unheard of in the industry.
The Magic Triangle | Material, Design, Manufacturer
Achieving the perfect balance between material, design, and manufacturing is referred to as solving the "Magic Triangle." To conquer this, Harlem partnered with Brainchild Production. This collaboration ensures that every Harlem Force kite is a product of the finest materials, impeccable design, and ethical manufacturing, all powered by 100% solar energy.
Sustainable Practices in the Heart of Europe
Brainchild Production, nestled in the heart of Europe, takes advantage of its location to source high-tech and recycled materials efficiently. Their commitment to sustainability is further highlighted by their reliance on solar power for all production processes. The innovative PROWELD technology used in the Harlem Force kites eliminates seams, increasing the structural stiffness and altering flight characteristics for better performance.
Design and Customization | Unleash Your Creativity
The Harlem Force breaks new ground with its fully customizable design. Enthusiasts can personalize their kites in any manner they wish, thanks to the new digital printing technology that significantly reduces waste and conserves water. Each kite, including the fabric and the bag it comes in, is designed with future recycling in mind, promoting a sustainable lifecycle.
Performance That Earns Trust
Kitesurfers who have experienced the Harlem Force note its predictability and control in the air. The kite's design allows for fast loops, a stable boost, and a smooth descent, ensuring safety and confidence even when performing complex maneuvers. It's lighter and stiffer than traditional kites, qualities that seasoned kiteboarders and kitesurfers find invaluable.
Join the Revolution and Change The Tide
The Harlem Game Changer Lineup invites you to be a part of a movement that values performance, innovation, and sustainability equally. With the Harlem Force, you're not just choosing a kite; you're supporting a sustainable future and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in kitesurfing.
The Harlem Force is more than just a kite; it's a symbol of the future of kitesurfing. By choosing the Harlem Force, you are participating in a sustainable revolution, all while enjoying a kite that meets the highest standards of performance and innovation.
Join Harlem Kitesurfing in this exciting journey and help change the tide in the kitesurfing world!
Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:01:56 +0000
Duotone Ventis 2025 | What's New?
If you're familiar with Duotone's Ventis, you know its specialty is freeriding in light wind. The 2025 release features significant advancements for riders who want effortless performance. What's changed to deliver this?
Three Strut Design
The three-strut design and re-engineered wingtips facilitate easy takeoffs without the need for advanced pumping techniques. This means you have more fun riding without having to split your focus on getting up and on foil.
Deeper Profile
A deeper canopy profile delivers more low-end power and improved upwind performance, which are essential for riding in light wind.
Refined Tip Twist
Light wind days aren't known for having especially consistent wind, and the new tip twist will help smooth those gusts out while improving responsiveness. It also helps keep your wingtips out of the water, preventing drag.
Ergonomic Center Strut and Handles
The center strut is now angled to be more ergonomic, and the extended carbon front handle gives you more hand position options, including one-handed. These features combine to reduce hand and arm fatigue on the water, resulting in longer, more comfortable sessions.
Consistent Canopy Tension
Ken Winner has worked hard on this year's model with strategic modifications, including bringing the side stretch inwards to achieve a consistent canopy tension and profile. This paves the way for a stable flight and effective depower. The lightweight 50g ripstop promises durable performance without additional weight.
Summary
All these features combine seamlessly to amplify power, smoothen your ride through gusts, and offer a comfortable, fatigue-reducing grip for longer freeride sessions on the water.
If you ride in an area with multiple light wind days and need a wing that'll let you get out and have a great session on those marginal days, the 2025 Duotone Ventis D/LAB is worth a look. Why is it up to the challenges presented by light wind conditions?
Efficient Design
The Ventis D/LAB has been engineered with an advanced three-strut design and has been crafted from premium Aluula material in the leading edge and struts. This innovative combination not only ensures an ultra-lightweight build, but also delivers remarkable efficiency and power generation. Now even marginal conditions are an opportunity for unparalleled freeride adventures.
Rider Comfort
However, it's not just about power and performance. The Ventis D/LAB's canopy incorporates a lightweight 50g ripstop to further minimize weight. It's also got an extended carbon front handle that makes one-handed riding possible. The angled center strut is ergonomically designed for ease-of-use and to reduce fatigue. We all know this translates into longer, more enjoyable sessions on the water.
High Performance
This year's Ventis D/LAB has been refined to feature a deeper profile shape and optimized tip twist. This translates to increased power and a smoother response in the gusts that can accompany light wind days, positioning the wing as the lightest, most responsive, and highest-performing wing for ultra-light wind conditions.
Novice-Friendly
While advanced riders will appreciate its upper-end features, the design of the Ventis also focuses on stability and minimal drag. The reduced tips and relocated side struts help eliminate tip drag and the need for advanced pumping techniques. Newer riders will enjoy the easy takeoffs with the lightness, responsiveness, and power offered by the Ventis D/LAB.
Summary
The Ventis D/LAB sets a new standard in light wind foiling. It will unlock the full potential of your light wind sessions with improved direct power for early lift and stable draft positions for smooth gust handling. The effective tip reduction results in effortless starts and minimal drag for a great freeride experience in light wind.
Spot Locations
