2 Thruster 12m Impressions - from NW Washington

[gomarpyle]

Cutting to the chase, I do sell kites at http://www.bellinghamkiteboarding.com . I have been riding for 5 years in the Bay Area and more recently the Pacific NW.

I received a shipment of 20 Eclipse Kites and have sent demo's out to Seattle and Vancouver BC... Bellingham is inbetween both cities, and it blew 10-15kts yesterday, and 15-20kts today.

My review....

Today Bellingham Blew 10-12m all day long.

We were able to get a 10m and 12m Thruster out at the same time. I got to fly it in these conditions in classic Locust conditions and here is the report on how the kite handles stronger winds...


Turning Speed - This has got to be the most remarkable thing about this kite... The kite turns fast.. real fast.. One visitor from BC got off his Octane 10m, rode the Thruster 12m, and said the thruster was easily the faster kite. Bar pressure is very similar to a waroo, but turning pressure is less.. ie it takes less pressure to get the kite to turn hard. This should make the kite very condusive to using smaller bars (The kite was used today on both a 2007 Best 45cm Bar and a 55cm Eclipse bar... both ended up being fast)

Power and Jumping - Kite has great power. I had just gotten off a 16m Chameleon (very powered up) and switched to the 12m Thruster. Kite had plenty of juice for decent jumps.... Could have taken lots more wind... no depower pulled.. Jumps were more C-kite style than bow style... but lots of hang time... This is funny because 2 years ago I couldn't get over the hang of a bow kite.... full circle. I guess.

Depower - Of the three riders (besides myself) that tried the kite today, all said the kite had plenty of depower... "Way more than a C-kite" is what one rider said, and another commented it was not that different than a waroo. I think it is somewhere between a waroo and c-kite... but more towards the waroo end... When switching the kite over to the 10m Octane rider, I was able to pull the kite off my harness and hold it with with one hand to pass it to another rider.... this rider then went out and said he was totally lit on it...

Relanch, Launch and Landing- C-kite or bow kite style... Today one rider self landed by hooking the kite to a hook in a piling then walked to the kite... no problem.. Yesterday I tried relaunching this kite in lighter winds and was happy with how fast it was able to get up again..

Possible Downsides? This kite flies more like a C-kite than a bow kite... so if you have grown accustomed to the bow kites, this may not be the kite for you.. (maybe a chameleon?) This kite will build power faster than a bow kite that may require some edging to properly control... you could just sheet out.. but edging becomes easier... If you have mastered the bow type jump.. you will have to relearn the C-kite jump... It is a very powerful kite and should be reserved for those who are ready for it... The chameleon and waroo and bularoo on the otherhand may be better suited for people just learning.. On the other hand, compared to the C-kites I learned on, this kite is much more forgiving, relaunches easier, and doesn't require popeye arms to steer.



_____________________________________________________________
Another Local's reveiw from yesterday in lighter conditions.


Andy of Bellingham Kiteboarding arrived at Birch Bay just as I was
ready to hit it, so he let me demo the 12m Thruster today. The wind
was marginal 12m stuff so not ideal, but a good low end test. Rode the
Thruster, then my Waroo 12m, then the Thruster again.

First impression: it's fast. It turns fast and it wants to go fast.
Very much a C kite, lot's of pull and it yanks you when turned, but it
turns when depowered unlike other C's I've been on.

Turning: faster than my Waroo 12m and for sure what I remember of my
12m X4, maybe faster than the X2 12m but it's been awhile for that
one. Pulls hard if turned casually in a wide arc, went on a few belly
rides after stuffing some jumps with the kite 1/2 across the window,
forgot about the aspect of C kites. I don't see it being a great wave
kite as it yanks you downwind while you carve, but I was figuring out
that if you turn it really hard it seems to not pull so much, so it
might be doable in waves. Looped it hard a few times and was surprised
that it didn't pull that hard, a slow arc'd loop it would pull like
mad. In more wind it might be different, hard to say.

Power: The Thruster eeked more power out of the wind for sure, a felt
more powerful and had more lift when you tried to jump. Wasn't enough
to really jump either kite but I did better on the Thruster. Basically
the Thruster felt more lively

Upwind was very good, I did better on the Thruster, it was pretty
impressive given the meager wind

Depower: Not exactly a good test but I didn't feel the throw was long
enough to make much difference, but when you pull the depower strap it
made a significant difference. Maybe in more wind the throw would make
a difference. The cool thing was it still turns fast when the
depowered, which is unlike other C's I've been on (no 07's for me
yet). I'd rather ride it with my SS/Wiley style bar with more throw,
and I like the depower adjuster below the bar. It was hard to reach
the straps when the wind blows them out of your reach.

Riding: Definately a different style kite from Bow's. Not forgiving
but a lively powered up feel. Edging and back foot pressure is full on
C kite style, send it across the window and you get pulled, the depow
throw just didn't make a difference for me, so when a gust hit it was
edge and pinch upwind to keep the board speed in check.

Jumping: cannot say really, had a couple that surprised me with the
height and hang time given how light the wind was. Jumped better than
the W12. In more wind I bet it is a serious jumping kite. I couldn't
figure out the best tecnique, I'm guessing the typical get as much
speed as you can, load up, and send it

I'd like to get it in more wind before I can say what the kite is
really like but I liked it. I had more fun on it than on the W12, but
it makes me appreciate the W12's depower, balanced riding stance, and
smoothness. I'd say it's for advanced riders that are not looking for
a forgiving kite, but something that is max performance in non-wave
conditions (which is what it usually is like when it's 12m around
here)

Mike S

[uncleneil]

Can you give us a review of a kite you don't sell. If you did, would it be such a good review? I doubt it.

As for your statements:
"Jumps were more C-kite style then bow." Wish I had a buck for everytime I heard that. I'd buy my own kite company. In fact 90% of all bow/sle kites feel like C-kites. So they say.

"Plenty of depower - way more than a C-kite." That's because it's not a C-kite but an sle.

"When switching the kite over to the 10m Octane rider, I was able to pull the kite off my harness and hold it with with one hand to pass it to another rider.... this rider then went out and said he was totally lit on it... " Once again, same as most bows except for maybe the Caution Answer.

"This kite flies more like a C-kite than a bow kite..." Let's get this straight now. Powers like a bow, depowers like a bow, hangtime like a bow, launches like a bow, lands like a bow, and relaunches like a bow but flies more like a C-kite?

"It is a very powerful kite and should be reserved for those who are ready for it... The chameleon and waroo and bularoo on the otherhand may be better suited for people just learning.. " Now I know your a dealer.

"On the other hand, compared to the C-kites I learned on, this kite is much more forgiving, relaunches easier, and doesn't require popeye arms to steer." For a shop owner, you need to try some more kites other then the Crossbow. You can't ride 1 or 2 bows and say the one you sell is the best thing since sliced bread.

Not trying to be too critical but, OK, so I am but this is the same review as 90% of all sle/bow kites.

[gomarpyle]

I agree.. don't take my word for it.. Give it a try yourself... I have made demo kites available in Seattle, Bellingham, and Vancouver BC... I am sure someone local to you has as well..

Regarding you main criticism... This kite is essentially a bridled C-kite... not a Bow kite... The chameleon is like a bow kite... Other kites like this might be the LF Havoc? Check out its profile.... ie.. not a flat kite.. When it is flying.. it is a C-shaped kite... with tiny bridles..

Anyhow, if you are going to shoot down a review just based on it similarity to other reviews..... I guess I can't help you out.

For the record, I have flown the 06/07 Waroo, Bularoo, Waroo por, the entire turbo diesel range, shockwave, Link, LF Assault, Crossbow, Switchblade and GK sonic... Which would you like a review for... I have posted reviews for the STD and crossbow...but that was last year...

Can you give us a review of a kite you don't sell. If you did, would it be such a good review? I doubt it.

As for your statements:
"Jumps were more C-kite style then bow." Wish I had a buck for everytime I heard that. I'd buy my own kite company. In fact 90% of all bow/sle kites feel like C-kites. So they say.

"Plenty of depower - way more than a C-kite." That's because it's not a C-kite but an sle.

"When switching the kite over to the 10m Octane rider, I was able to pull the kite off my harness and hold it with with one hand to pass it to another rider.... this rider then went out and said he was totally lit on it... " Once again, same as most bows except for maybe the Caution Answer.

"This kite flies more like a C-kite than a bow kite..." Let's get this straight now. Powers like a bow, depowers like a bow, hangtime like a bow, launches like a bow, lands like a bow, and relaunches like a bow but flies more like a C-kite?

"It is a very powerful kite and should be reserved for those who are ready for it... The chameleon and waroo and bularoo on the otherhand may be better suited for people just learning.. " Now I know your a dealer.

"On the other hand, compared to the C-kites I learned on, this kite is much more forgiving, relaunches easier, and doesn't require popeye arms to steer." For a shop owner, you need to try some more kites other then the Crossbow. You can't ride 1 or 2 bows and say the one you sell is the best thing since sliced bread.

Not trying to be too critical but, OK, so I am but this is the same review as 90% of all sle/bow kites.

[kitesurfwarehouse]

We have been flying the Chameleons and thruster all weekend in the UK and Ireland.

"Jumps were more C-kite style then bow." Wish I had a buck for everytime I heard that.

With regards to the Thruster being C like, i can only agree It turns like a C and jumps like a C kite. I have been riding bows all year , and had to relearn to jump the thrusters properly again. The Eclipse Chameleon however turns and jumps like a bow. These are 2 very different kites.

In short the 12m Thruster is a very very Fast turning kite that just wants to fly annd nothing else. Even when i rode directly at it and tried to make it stall , it still wanted to fly. I hate brand hype , and there is a lot of talk surrounding the turning speed of the thruster. Make no mistake , the 12m turns as fast as an average 9m C.

I tested it on Friday , saturday and sunday. I won't bang on about build quality, neeedless to say it is excellent.

Really loving this kite , but the fast speed has made me over cook a few things. I guess i just have to remember that i am not flying a normal 12m and need to treat it more like a 9m. The bar is quite small but the pressure in nice giving feed back without being heavy,and as there is very little bar pressure even when turning the kite , i feel that i could use an even smaller bar with it.

Yes we are distributors for the Uk and Ireland. But hate brand hype and where naturally skeptical of the claims of the performance and turns speed, but the Thruster does exactly what the hype states with no BS. Anyone who has had the pleasure of flying one will definately agree.

http://www.kitesurfwarehouse.com

[carkeek craig]

Sounds like uncleneil is a pro, at killing the stoke.
Don't let this kite snob get you down gomarpyle, he's never been to Locust, and is much more interested in destroying your credibility than focusing on whats really important here.
Whats important?
Providing good and usefull information to kiters interested in these new kites from Eclipse.
All 3 kites are very different, but the thruster is of particular interest because it is Dimitri's baby, the one he loves to ride the most. Anyone who's ever seen this guy ride knows that he pushes it very hard.
What I think is so interesting is that all 3 types use the same style bar with only 14" of de-power.
I kinda want to experience this power modulation myself.
Whats a kite designed by riders for riders, feel like?
The answer is gradually revealing itself to us though posts like yours.....
thank you!

[HAIRYTEETH]

I got a 10m and 14m truster myself and got to ride both for the 1st time at the weekend.
the build quailty and bar are top shelf but you can check that all out on the site.
I got out on the 14 and 10m on sat blowing about 17mph and then I got out on the 10m yesterday in 25 mph on a 131 skywalker
usually Id rather fly C's than bows unless its nukin and gusty as it often is here in Ireland and then its hard to beat a 7m bow kite to keep the fear of god out of your eyes, when you get nailed by 40 knt poltergust

my biggest concern with getting kites with bridles is that, they tend not to be as good as C's for unhooked trick which is what I perfer to do
and have trouble enough landing as it is!
without backstalling and other types of misbehaving from my kites.
this is not a concern to me any more.
I flew the 10m when just about powered up (strap full out)
unhooked for full tacks, rid towards it to get slack in the lines etc..
to see if It would stall it. it didnt.
so you can use the whole range of the sheeting when unhooked not like most of the bows ive tried where I tend to almost depower fully to avoid stalling when landing
I tried a hooked kiteloop on my 1st tack and pulled real hard because i didnt know what kind of a pull I would get off it, and I wanted to make sure the kite made a full loop at least to ease the spanking.
it spun almost on axis with a minimal pull .

so if you wanna get some power in the loops you gotta loop it slow and progressively.
which I did unhooked and I got streched out and yanked hard

I can see this being very useful when learning to kloop

there was quite a strong rip running with the wind so not great to judge how little I could get going on on the 14m in, but there was at least 10 others out on 9m to 14m kites and finding it hard to hold the line . I was 200m more upwind than anyone else and got lonely and boosted back down to the launch.
the glide from both the 10m and 14m is like no other Ive tried and the kites move so fast that you could leave the kite sent out right until you have near landed and still get it down in front of you to plane away. i didnt have the 14m more than 1/2 powered all day and was getting some big floaty jumps! not any higher than I have before but the amount of distance you cover is un real,
so if your testing one and are going to send it make sure there is nobody near you and you are well away from the beach.


so yesterday I took the 10m out in 25 mph on the 24m lines the height and hangtime was simply shocking. I dont usually send the kite much at all but yesterday was all about the boosting.
I was staying up that long that I started to time my jumps 1 1000 , 2 1000 3 1000 ... I was getting an average of about 6 secs and counted a couple of 8 sec which isnt that amazing to guys that speacilise in boosting , but it was my 1st decent run out on the kite and it wasnt that nukin ive only boosted this big and long a couple of times in the 4 yrs ive been kiting and usually happened to me when its honking and you get hit by a second gust aka 'the double lifter'

theres plenty of guys round here who boost way higer than me , so Im looking forward to seeing what they can get out of it.
I cant wait to send it off an 8 ft face in 30 knts. bye bye

I then wanted to check out how it was for unhooking in this kind of wind and pulled the strap 3/4 in.
I could land any of the tricks I can normally land with no extra problems, raleys 2 blind , fronts 2 blind pop indys etc it was easy as my c kite to load up and pop but again the air time and distance travelled seemed to last a little longer and be a bit further.
I then started to think that the wind had droped off because I was able to carve unhooked with one hand on the bar ride full tacks unhooked without getting death runs.
so I let the strap back out to see and sent it and got 30ft on the 1st jump. at this stage the grin that I still wear on my face today set like concrete . my wife has asked me several times today what the F#K do you keep smiling at.


get a demo if you can that way you can be sure the hype about these kites anit BS
I am a team rider for the local shop so take what I say with a pinch of salt if you want
but the guys I kite with all read this forum so they can call BS if they want
lots of them demo the kite and all response was good , great right upto ' nicest kite they have flown.
the bar pressure is almost non exsistant and I always seemed to know where the kite was
this is all I can say about them at the moment but im sure when end users get to start riding them round the uk over the coming week the feedback will be all good
Ian

[Balloonboy]

Its the fastest kite I've used in its size (12m) than any other C, Bow, SLE or whatever. To many thats a good thing. To others not. I watched a guy on it get bagged after he "lost" the kite at apex of a high jump. Its so lite in the hands and fast that its takes some deliberate thought NOT to move it and have it sit still.

The same rider btw called my DNA (9m) in 30 knots of wind "a well behaved child". Using that analogy the Thruster is like an ADD kid on a Hersey bar.

So . . . I'm keeping he DNA, NOT getting a 12m Thruster, but I have ordered a 16m Thruster (untried) with the view that big kites can't be too fast . Summer and lightwinds approacheth.

[ethanknight]

I'll throw my 2 cents in here. I finally got a chance to try the 14m thruster this weekend. Here are my thoughts which are the same as a couple other guys who tried it at that time.
First of all it was one of the first ones to get to the shops. Not sure if the later ones where different cause this one only has one knot on the rear lines. I found that kind of odd. I heard Dimitri cut the rest off as they tuned em upon release. Anyone have any idea whats up with that? We where also using a 45cm Waroo bar since the guys didnt want to break open a new thruster bar to demo. Not sure if that had any effect on the way it flew. Little background on me, I started on c kites a year ago then got 06 assaults followed by 07 waroos a new months ago. I do unhooked raileys, rolls, surface passes, hooked loops and big airs. I don't sell any gear and am just sponsored by my local shop. I get to ride and buy just about any brand I want. Now onto my thoughts.

Turning speed: Wicked fast. I was very suprised to see it turned about as fast as some of the 10/12m bows I've tried. Oh and this was on a 45 cm bar. I don't know if I would want to used a bigger one actually

Bar pressure: Now this I didn't like. I dont know if this was just a early kite or cause of the waroo bar but I had to depower it almost all the way to get the sheeting right. I had bar pressure in line with 06 crossbows which to me is WAY too much. I didn't really want to ride the kite more than 45 mins since my arms where getting tired. I found this to be my biggest complaint.

Power: With it turning so fast I figured they fudged their sizes but I gotta say it felt like a solid 14m bow power to 16m of some brands. No complaints in this area.

Stability: I noticed on gusts it jumped forward in the window pretty hard. Def didn't absorb the gusts like other kites I've flown. This was really annoying to the freeride type that tried it. To me, I didn't like it but could live with it although it didn't inspire any confidence to try as much.

Relaunch: Not sure, never dunked it as the bar pressure bugged me too much to get comfortable enough to throw anything too hard.

I think this kite has great potential but I just need to find out whats up with the jerkiness and bar pressure. If those two things can be fixed through tuning or whatnot this is a sic kite. Otherwise I don't think I would fly it. If anyone has any insight into what was causing these problems please let me know.

[KAWIKA]

My 2 Cents you flew the kite with a waroo bar the kite is not a waroo it is a Thruster fly the kite with the bar it came with then put your 2 cents in.

[ethanknight]

Well usually its not a big deal since many kites are meant to be flown best with all four lines even. One of the previous posters said he had the kite demoed with this same bar without any bar pressure problems(might be they are just used to higher bar pressures).