No, not the naish charger... it's a review of the 2010 Charger kite, a peterlynn kite. -> http://www.kite-line.com/images/headers/peter-lynn.jpg
Normally I needn't to pay my gear, but my girlfriend wanted to change her venom, so I bought a charger 12 (mostly for autozenith), she always wants to ride only that kite
So I gave it a try to see if a foil kite like that would be a good kite for freestyle...for those who don't want to read all...the answer is YES. (pmu will kill me)
During the previous hour, I've tested the torch 12m 2011, so I'll compare with it.
Winds : 14 increasing slowly to 18 knots (average)
board : xenon laluz+bindings, 72 kg
level : most of actuel freestyle moves, a little of oldschool. no wave, sorry.
kite knowledge : I owned hadlowpro, hifi comp, tryed a lot vegas, torch, and every famous actual kite...I've also designed my own prototype
First, great for bindings, the autozenith is great to attach them and to recover after a crash...I enjoyed it a lot for that. Most of the time, the kite on suicide leash doesn't fall on the water when you crash a blind judge for example, it would be good for kickers and sliders, or to learn mobes.
The quick turns are great but different than on the torch (same bar size), quicker than the torch when the kite speed increase, but lower when the kite is at the edge. When the kite is parked, at the very beginning it dives slower, then it takes a lot of speed and it reaches the edge of the wind windows so quick !... probably good for wave rider...but slighlty disturbing when you dive the kite for the first time to go, prepare to send it again to park and ride.
So remember, when the kite is static, the kite won't show you its power
For freestyle, I managed a backmobe and a frontmobe directly at the beginning of the session, I hadn't to take time to adapt my technic. I throw moves as usual.
To compare, I can't say a torch is easier or not, because it's slightly different, the charger is more smooth to pop, and you need a lot of speed and power to have a good pop, and freestyle beginner will be disturbed on that (most of them are too slow), but the confort make the pop easier in moderate winds because you are not disturbed by gusts.
The slack after pop is not as on-off as on tube-kite, the charger does the same, but you need to change a little your timing and your angle of approach. After 30 minutes of moves, it's ok, you've found it, absolutely no need for more strength like on bow-kite for example, it's true C-kite.
Upwind is normal for a c-kite, depower is on par with the torch 12, maybe a little more, high jump are really ok, you are high, but float is really lower than with the torch 12.
For the same size, the charger is really faster than the torch, less float, and maybe higher jump, finally should be compared more with a 10,5m C-tube-kite, for kiteloop also. I never had the impression of a 12m kite !
I think, we shouldn't be afraid of getting a 15m, to compare it with a 12-13m tube kite, I think for this concept, size doesn't matter, you don't need to pump and so speed !
pros:
-autozenith for bindings advanced wakestyle and beginners
-confort, helping a massive pop in gusty winds
-really a small size bag, no pump, no tube to fix, great for traveler
cons:
-this kite don't like to be static, it comes alive only when you move it, it doesn't match with a slow board, you need speed.
-no instant depower in full wind window like on some SLE tube kite, you need to wait the kite to reach the edge, it's a c-kite.
-you need to practice the relaunch/launch/landing technic
I couldn't believe it before, but for sure it could be used in PKRA, if you can try one, do it.
I just hope this concept to be continued !