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Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

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Hugh2
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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby Hugh2 » Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:38 am

edt wrote:
Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:18 pm
jumntheshark nailed it got nothing to add
Yup, especially avoid the old North Rhino, dangerous kite on water, potentially lethal on land. I would not even sell my old 12m, trashed it.

Kevin Brooker
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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby Kevin Brooker » Thu Nov 01, 2018 1:40 pm

My quiver started in the 90s with 2 line fixed bridle kites with home grown releases base upon skydiving cutaways connecting an old climbing harness to the kite. Don’t crash and carry some form of deadman to secure the car while disconnecting to reset the kite. Fun and compared to anything from this century they pretty much suck. Still fun to flyand pull like trucks and handle like them too. Kites with brakes but no depow allowed for relaunching. They pulled hard and you learned to respect the power as they just ripped you into be air and applying the brakes pretty much killed the lift so you came down fast. Getting off the brakes it took s while for the kite to repressure and behave in acontrollrd way. Reading the wrinkles in the fabric was a tell of what the kite was about to do. Still pulled the pin and let em go if things became squirrelly. The first kite with depow was a frenzy from 03(?) and it was orgasmic. Only had two LEIs and they were from the late 00s fun and the change in de power was fantastic but I still prefer edge fouls. My PL V2 is an awesome kitebut a bit persnickety with he gusty lake winds here in VT. When the wind stays in range it’s a blast. The advancement of foil kites and kites aimed at snow has been great.

I have a few old bicycles too. One from the 70s with a smattering if rigs right on through the newest carbon wonders. The old ones are fun to ride from a nastalgia POV and the skills learned don’t translate to modern technology. I love my 6 speed downtime friction shifters because they are novelty and simple. The skills learned with hem are valuable but useless with modern equipment. Carbon forks were scary when he first appeared but are a superior ride and more comfortable. Back in the 80s a state of the art bike cost in the neighborhood of $1500. Most bikes costing the inflation adjusted equivalent are under s grand and are much better. The point of this run on diatribe is modern sport gear is simply just better. State of the art is expensive but really great gear can be had which is two generations older. This stuff is also safer and more fun to use. Old gear is interesting and not worth hating on. If it sucked so bad the activity would have died. The nastalgia should be appreciated, not hated upon and most definitely not used.

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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby bay surfer » Thu Nov 01, 2018 3:01 pm

Best Waroo best kite ever made, still use a 14m for winter, Just retired a 20m Rhino2 sad its now backpacks, but was the best reverse launch kite for the low wind days with deep POW, Note the 20m is replace with a 18m airush vantage has about the same pull but will not relaunch as easy. Just a note, used a 5th line attached to the lee edge, C kites will not relaunch on snow without a 5th line to the lee edge. Safety wise winter in general we use a smaller kite than water, and constant pull a plus since edging is better.

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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby lightwind » Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:15 pm

I still have my Epic screamer from 2010, works normaly. Also tried this summer Gaastra Jekyll from 2009. Nice kite. So, I think there are good old kites, but the condition can be questionable.

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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby Matteo V » Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:18 pm

SaintMark wrote:
Sat Oct 13, 2018 4:38 pm
do they really age so fast. can't they be fixed with lots of spinnaker tape (fabric) and shoe goo(valves), or why do all kiters say they suck so bad. Or are they just not as versatile, smaller wind window. When I look at the user manuals from 2008 they all claim to have lots of depower.
You are welcome to think fixing a bladder a day is fun if you want too. Heck, some of the well known brands even made you do that within the first month of use on a new kite. I would just say that this is not my cup of tea. But to each his own.

And the "lots of depower" thing - kind of leads into the paradox in kiting:
a. Every year, COREporate kiteboarding hype is published that says more depower (or faster turning) on this years model.
b. If "a." was true each past year, we would have kites which you would not have to have more than one size across all wind speeds in the current year because the depower has always become better each year. And even in 2018, it is commonly accepted that 2m gap between kite zizes is pretty standard and has been for the last 10years (since C kites). And you can say a similar thing about kites turning speed.
Thus "a." is not true since we do not see "b." And you have just demonstrated that you may have a high susceptibility to COREporate "HYPE". I would suggest you roll back your strength of belief in what a brochure tells you. COREporations publish things to make sales, not tell the truth. And because of competition in a free market, there is no fix for this.

SaintMark wrote:
Sat Oct 13, 2018 4:38 pm
I heard pros now prefer the old C kites, since the new bowkites are so versatile every noob can ride them.
Gonna be a Pro???? You need to check your aspirations. Staying alive should be your first concern. If you have not been kiting on your own already, then you have no idea what this means. Go "Pro" after you have stayed alive for a while - like give it 2 years at least.

As to those of us that have been on older gear.........well......we almost all buy some newer gear now. Or, at least most of us with different approaches and backgrounds own both older and newer gear. While I know many kiters who do love older gear/safety systems, all of those dedicated kiters wind up with some newer gear eventually. And the only major complaint that I hear about the newer gear is price.

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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby grigorib » Thu Nov 01, 2018 8:16 pm

What's wrong with old kites?
- canopy gets eaten by UV with porosity increasing and fabric getting weak
- glue and seams fall apart on old kites
- plastic hardens and dryrottens
- old kites are less safe
- old kites don't relaunch well
- old kites don't resell well
- old kites are heavy and are not good for LW
- bar pressure on old kites might be a killer
- old kites didn'thave single inflation point
- old kites have too many struts and too many pulleys
- old kits might not be compatible with nowadays bars

Other than that I can still ride them and it gives me special pleasure to bring people to realization that it's the rider who defines the style and beauty of a ride. Equipment only makes it easier and more pleasant.
And if anyone believes that buying an expensive "2019 GTS" kite will make him/her boost 30m jumps - we all need people as such. These people pay top price for good gear and I appreciate kite companies making their extra buck.

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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby ap888 » Sat Nov 10, 2018 5:27 am

i agree my best waroo was still the best kite i have ever flown wish i kept it windrange was massive and the feel of the kite is undisputed champ still...

NorCalNomad
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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby NorCalNomad » Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:10 am

SaintMark wrote:
Sat Oct 13, 2018 4:38 pm
why everyone is hating on the old kites..
Because they are dangerous and fly like shit compared to this year's or even a few years ago kites.

/thread

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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby longwhitecloud » Sat Nov 10, 2018 12:07 pm

i ride an 8 year old 9m torch on a regular basis, it's most awesome. i get easily bored riding some newer kites.

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Re: Why is everyone hating on old kites ?

Postby Flyboy » Sat Nov 10, 2018 4:16 pm

NorCalNomad wrote:
Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:10 am

Because they are dangerous and fly like shit compared to this year's or even a few years ago kites.

/thread
Yup - it's a miracle anyone survives until "this year's" kites arrive. :jump:


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