Have lei kites gotten any better in the last 6 years?

[plummet]

Let's look at established brands who have been manufacturing the same model kite for years.

Are the kites much better at all? Or are they simply tweeked it make suit a particular evolving market better.

Has there been any "game changer" moments in lei design leading to greatly improved kites?

I think the answer is no. Lei's are flying pretty damn similar to what they have done for years. The latest models simply tweeked to suit the market, a few new colours to make them look cool and that's about it.

My direct comparison is comparing the 2012 8m catalyst (which I own and need to replace) with the 2018 8m enduro. The Enduro is slower to turn, drifts worse, has more reinforcement and doesn't hang in the sky as well. It does have more power and jumps better than my old 2012 kite. All and all for me it's a decrease in performance from my old banged up 2012 kite.

[GraemeF]

Better at What?
They change according to what the individual brand decides a particular style is aimed at, then in theory they get better at that role.

So, we now have wave kites that drift better and steer with slack lines.

Other kite styles jump better as can be witnessed by some of the record heights being attained by woo riders.

Some have more power in smaller sizes to accommodate use on surf style boards.

So yes, they have been getting better since what 2011? Six years ago, definitely.

[Matt_TYRCZ]

all better except BEST kites ))

[plummet]

Ok fair call. Ill define what a call better. I see kites getting more specific and getting good at one specific goal. But there overall performance hasn't increases.
Ie make it drift better it just worse or goes upwind worse. Makes something and awesome jumper it becomes a worse drifter.

What I had hoped would have happened in 6 years is that a particular kite model would have improved in all areas. Ie jumps better, turns better, has more depower, drifts better. But this doesn't appear to be the case.

[GraemeF]

You need to try a few more then, and with my salesman's hat on I'd point you at a GTS or XR series from Core, there's many a surprised Ozone rider not believing that there could be such an improvement.

[Flyboy]

I see kites getting more specific and getting good at one specific goal. But there overall performance hasn't increases.
Ie make it drift better it just worse or goes upwind worse. Makes something and awesome jumper it becomes a worse drifter.

This is what I believe. There are only so many things you can tweak on a kite. Give it better low end & you sacrifice high end. Make it fast turning with little pull & you give up boosting ability. ETC.

[plummet]

I see kites getting more specific and getting good at one specific goal. But there overall performance hasn't increases.
Ie make it drift better it just worse or goes upwind worse. Makes something and awesome jumper it becomes a worse drifter.

This is what I believe. There are only so many things you can tweak on a kite. Give it better low end & you sacrifice high end. Make it fast turning with little pull & you give up boosting ability. ETC.

I agree with this. But id hoped through refinement designers could have made improvements across all areas.

[iriejohn]

I see kites getting more specific and getting good at one specific goal.

Perhaps that's what the market increasingly wants?

[kitejumping]

I think the main improvements have been in the lightwind area, using better lighter materials to improve the low end wind range, but it's always tradeoffs. I only fly foils but have always been impressed by the lightwind abilities of the 19m core kites. They are usually the last LEIs still in the air snowkiting when the wind dies. The last 6 years foil kites have seen way more improvements than LEIs though.

[tautologies]

Holy shit YES!!!
I mean riding today is just easier, safer and my kites are many times as good as they were 6 years ago. I think kites are to some extent a bit more specialized, but also working better a wider variety of riding. I mean I constantly get amazed at how well the Pivot is working in different conditions.