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New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

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Paleofit
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New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby Paleofit » Thu Mar 25, 2021 5:38 pm

First time poster here, sharing big hopes and dreams!

I vote for a robust, big air specific 5-strut jumping model in aluula. First and foremost, performance: my 14.5 aluula flite turns/loops faster than much smaller Dacron kites (eg, feels similar to xr6 10-11 to me; it’s no contest against 12m xr6, rebel, etc).

The other aspect is versatility, range, safety and progression. I like a kite to fly happily if the wind drops. Simply come in and change to a bigger board, no landing or rigging needed. Feel the bigger xr6s just get too sad in little wind. I think this marketing point could be pushed much harder for aluula. They are stiff and light and will fly with input at like 4kt or something. Something along the lines of “given the same rider input, you can always be the last kite on the water if the wind dies. Ride confidently in changing conditions for longer, for increased fun and safety.” How many new kiteboarding spots/kiteboarders will come online by nailing fun OPed and marginal riding with one kite? How many more tricks will we learn with increased water time and margin?

Would like to see a beefed up canopy so it’s stiffer and doesn’t bag out in time with all the moon-ward boosting. The extra reinforcement weight may even benefit the kites, esp small sizes which could get too reactive.

Speaking of sizes, what do y’all think? Maybe a 14m-15m big jumper and then to go down to 11, 9, 8? Oh, and why not custom sizes for even more money (so then if you want a 20, you can get a 20. :thumb: )

In short, come on OR, make me sell my xr6s. Imagine there are enough big air kiters in the market looking for “the best” to make it worth your while. Win us over. Maybe waiting till the xr7 comes out is the play, but then again you’ll miss the chance of winning those brand loyalists. Even bigger play is to force other brands to license because the materials are simply that superior.

Btw, the teaser in the stick shift 3 vid and Reese’s bladder changing video was an aluula reincarnation of the “rise” model from years past.
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Re: New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby Havre » Thu Mar 25, 2021 8:35 pm

I was planning to replace all my gear in SA this winter, but that obviously never happened. Would be all over an Aluula big air type kite (assuming it actually performs of course).

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Re: New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby Toby » Thu Mar 25, 2021 9:14 pm

20 for sure.

A foil killer !

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Re: New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby fernmanus » Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:06 am

Yes, Aluula is needed for big air kites because we ride them in OP conditions. So, the kite takes more of a beating when landing. Plus, who wants to pump up another kite when the wind drops? It is so much easier to grab a big board or a hydrofoil.

When the wind drops dramatically, which unfortunately happens all the time at my local spot, you want a kite that stays in the air so that you can get to the beach instead of slowly drifting in. The Aluula kites have proven to win in sub-rideable conditions, just wish there was a high aspect, 5 strut model.

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Re: New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby Kristan » Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:26 am

fernmanus wrote:
Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:06 am
Yes, Aluula is needed for big air kites because we ride them in OP conditions. So, the kite takes more of a beating when landing. Plus, who wants to pump up another kite when the wind drops? It is so much easier to grab a big board or a hydrofoil.

When the wind drops dramatically, which unfortunately happens all the time at my local spot, you want a kite that stays in the air so that you can get to the beach instead of slowly drifting in. The Aluula kites have proven to win in sub-rideable conditions, just wish there was a high aspect, 5 strut model.
The lengths people go and prices they ready to pay just not to buy a foil kite. :lol:
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Re: New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby andylc » Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:40 am

Chances are a new Aluula kite will still be cheaper than a foil kite!

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Re: New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby Kristan » Fri Mar 26, 2021 9:14 am

andylc wrote:
Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:40 am
Chances are a new Aluula kite will still be cheaper than a foil kite!
Image

upd: Just to clarify, my new 15m foil kite did cost me only 1130$ without the bar. I reeeally doubt that 17m five strut Aluula kite would cost even twice more than that.

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Re: New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby Havre » Fri Mar 26, 2021 9:37 am

Full price 18m Ozone Chrono would be more or less exactly USD3k here. I wouldn't know what a 17m Aluula Flite would cost here, but they go for 2.9k in the US I guess. It would then be slightly over 3k here in Norway.

Ridiculous in both cases.

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Re: New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby sonny2727 » Fri Mar 26, 2021 11:00 am

Havre wrote:
Fri Mar 26, 2021 9:37 am
Full price 18m Ozone Chrono would be more or less exactly USD3k here. I wouldn't know what a 17m Aluula Flite would cost here, but they go for 2.9k in the US I guess. It would then be slightly over 3k here in Norway.

Ridiculous in both cases.
its not ridiculous ..why would it be ..Haven't heard anyone complaining Ferrari or latest iphone is expensive ..these are not needs.. plenty of cheap kite out there..

Now a bit about the theory ..if manufacturers cannot get a premium on new development there's no motivation to spend on R&D and take risks, and innovation will never happen just like it didn't in soviet union where everyone had the same car..
Few years from now Aluula will be as cheap as dacron and that's the way it should be...thanks 2 Apple i can buy a really good Oppo for $300..

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Re: New 5 Strut Aluula: should Ocean Rodeo make a big air kite for boosting, old-school, airstyle?

Postby Havre » Fri Mar 26, 2021 11:10 am

sonny2727 wrote:
Fri Mar 26, 2021 11:00 am
Havre wrote:
Fri Mar 26, 2021 9:37 am
Full price 18m Ozone Chrono would be more or less exactly USD3k here. I wouldn't know what a 17m Aluula Flite would cost here, but they go for 2.9k in the US I guess. It would then be slightly over 3k here in Norway.

Ridiculous in both cases.
its not ridiculous ..why would it be ..Haven't heard anyone complaining Ferrari or latest iphone is expensive ..these are not needs.. plenty of cheap kite out there..

Now a bit about the theory ..if manufacturers cannot get a premium on new development there's no motivation to spend on R&D and take risks, and innovation will never happen just like it didn't in soviet union where everyone had the same car..
Few years from now Aluula will be as cheap as dacron and that's the way it should be...thanks 2 Apple i can buy a really good Oppo for $300..
I fear this will derail fairly quickly, but you haven't heard anyone complaining about iPhones being expensive?

Another bit about your "theory". Bike frames are made on the same factory in China. One has some Italian brand name painted on it - and the other a Chinese brand name. Same "quality", but one is 3x more expensive. It is all good if you want to pay for that brand name. I don't care. But it is still quite ridiculous in many cases.

Production probably isn't the issue with kites - distribution is. And if someone sold a Ozone Chrono for 1.5k we would now think it has less quality, because we as consumers are unable to objectively evaluate the quality of the product.

If I ever buy an Aluula-kite - at least in its early days - I am under no illusion that I am not paying a ridiculous price for it. Completely fine for OR trying to make money though.


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