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What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

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antonioc6
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What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby antonioc6 » Wed Jun 12, 2019 12:58 am

Hi guys, can anyone explain to me, the differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite?

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Re: What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby edt » Wed Jun 12, 2019 1:08 am

wave kites are supposed to be able to drift (so it doesn't crash when wave riding) and relaunch quick (in case it does crash) freeride kites need to boost but a lot of times it's just marketing.
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Re: What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby juandesooka » Wed Jun 12, 2019 1:17 am

Someone more qualified than me will provide a detailed explanation, with aspect ratios and other scientific principles. But I'll give you the gist of it from my experience.

Wave kites are designed to drift, so that when you are surfing a wave, even moving directly at the kite, they will just sit there and wait for instructions. The goal is to surf the wave with minimal kite input, closest to actual surfing -- then at the end of the wave you re-engage the kite and zip out for another. Wave kites are generally stable and forgiving, so that when you're surfing a wave and things go wrong, you have a better chance of pulling it off (this also makes them good beginner kites, also good for foiling). They usually sit back in the window (low aspect).

These benefits come at the cost of less better at jumping and other high performance aspects. A freestyle kite will maximize jumping and explosive power, but at the cost of not drifting as well.

A freeride kite is in the middle, a hybrid of both. And like all hybrids it can be either the best of both worlds or it does neither task well, depending on how you look at it. ;-)

That's how I see it ... now I await correction from the masses.
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Re: What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby longwhitecloud » Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:10 am

pretty much...

not as much as the industry makes out though- watch ben wilson wave riding videos from 2006... better riding than 99.99% of waveriders today.,

modern kites do give a better compromise of going back upwind and spilling the wind out when you dont need it though while waveriding.

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Re: What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby bragnouff » Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:32 am

and wave kites have an ability to pretty much dump all power on demand, which tremendously helps for strapless riding, when going over waves for instance. Wherever the kite is in the window you can get or dump power. It is also designed to be super fast turning. The counterpart of that is that there isn't lots of lift and hangtime, by design, and it could feel a bit twitchy for freestyle with a risk of unintended kiteloops. A wakestyle kite, on the opposite end of the spectrum would maintain a certain amount of power at all times, mostly controlled through edging, and would require a frank committed bar input to get it to engage a turn.
Freeride has no clear definition, but it assumes it can do a bit of wave riding, and a bit of good old boosting on a TT.
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Re: What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby antonioc6 » Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:51 am

Tx for all your help. Cheers

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Re: What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby juandesooka » Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:10 pm

longwhitecloud wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:10 am
not as much as the industry makes out though- watch ben wilson wave riding videos from 2006... better riding than 99.99% of waveriders today.,
With a primary interest in surfing with a kite, I was all over the Ben Wilson instructional videos! He seemed to be the first or main kiter really focused on surfing. But interesting to note, before releasing his own branded wave kites, he was really focused on unhooking -- get into the wave, then unhook so you get the surfy feel, at end hook back in and go. Seems to me that unhooking fell out of favour with wave kites, as there wasn't as much need.

Similarly, in my local, everyone was all about looping the kite. But this was never even mentioned in the BW videos, so I emailed the man to ask ... he basically said he loops once in a while, in light wind, but generally finds no need. The key difference being, the local riders were using freeride or freestyle kites that would backstall if drifted, they required constant active flying, forward driving in the window. There's another example of wave kite vs not.
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antonioc6
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Re: What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby antonioc6 » Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:26 pm

Great topic created:) and very good explanations. Thank you all. Learned a lot with all of you. I wish nice winds for everyone

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Re: What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby longwhitecloud » Thu Jun 13, 2019 2:13 am

juandesooka wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:10 pm
longwhitecloud wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:10 am
not as much as the industry makes out though- watch ben wilson wave riding videos from 2006... better riding than 99.99% of waveriders today.,
With a primary interest in surfing with a kite, I was all over the Ben Wilson instructional videos! He seemed to be the first or main kiter really focused on surfing. But interesting to note, before releasing his own branded wave kites, he was really focused on unhooking -- get into the wave, then unhook so you get the surfy feel, at end hook back in and go. Seems to me that unhooking fell out of favour with wave kites, as there wasn't as much need.

Similarly, in my local, everyone was all about looping the kite. But this was never even mentioned in the BW videos, so I emailed the man to ask ... he basically said he loops once in a while, in light wind, but generally finds no need. The key difference being, the local riders were using freeride or freestyle kites that would backstall if drifted, they required constant active flying, forward driving in the window. There's another example of wave kite vs not.

unhooking still exists, those few seconds of no attachment to the centre of your body are much more like actual surfing, but although i still waveride with "freestyle" kites i have ridden higher depower kites and the win with them is getting back upwind quicker for more waves + being able to dump the power on the wave... well unless it is cross offshore

given the choice i would use a high depower kite to get back upwind and then ditch it for a small c kite as i was waveriding.. thta isnt going to happen unfortunately.

more of an issue if you have to waveride in moderate winds than strong winds.

well almost all my c kites delaminated at the same time, so i gonna keep borrowing other kites and trying them out.. no idea what next but i tried newer duotone, Liquid force, cab.. all very easy to ride a bit dull after riding Cs for so many years.

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Re: What are the Differences between an Wave kite and a Freeride Kite

Postby jumptheshark » Thu Jun 13, 2019 1:08 pm

longwhitecloud wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:10 am
pretty much...

not as much as the industry makes out though- watch ben wilson wave riding videos from 2006... better riding than 99.99% of waveriders today.,

modern kites do give a better compromise of going back upwind and spilling the wind out when you dont need it though while waveriding.
Well, Ben would tell you that his kites were the first true wave kites, with weight balanced for good drift in the design brief from the very start. The reality of all the footage of Ben killing it in waves is that its all in side off conditions. He kills it no doubt, but that's a pretty major factor when it comes to how you ride in waves. It's the direct opposite wind direction to 90% of wave riders worldwide.

Not being critical of the kites he's using. The true anti hero of surf kiting Ian Alldredge was on BWS for years and rode primarily gnarly west coast cross on conditions.... and made it look incredible.


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