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

[fernmanus]

I see so many complain on this forum about the cost of equipment. When you pick a sport, you probably researched the costs. You knew what you were getting into and if not, it is your own fault. Why whine about the cost of a equipment that you don’t have to ever buy? No one is holding a gun to your head.

[Kristan]

I see so many complain on this forum about the cost of equipment. When you pick a sport, you probably researched the costs. You knew what you were getting into and if not, it is your own fault. Why whine about the cost of a equipment that you don’t have to ever buy? No one is holding a gun to your head.

No one's whining about the price here. Rather we find it ridiculous when someone wishes to buy clearly overpriced item for minor advantage which could be achieved by using better suited equipment for lower price.

[leeuwen]

I would think that a 5 strut high aspect kite is a good candidate for the HL hybrid aluula.

It’s probably relatively windy when you going to use a kite for boosting and saving every last gram is maybe not really necessary.

I know they teased a full aluula kite but maybe they went back to the drawing board when they looked at the costs of it.
Higher aspect kites probably already have some more leading edge material compared to low aspect and with 5 struts that’s going to be quite a bit of aluula.

[andylc]

If it’s light wind performance you’re after then I agree paying loads for an Aluula kite vs a decent foil kite doesn’t make a lot of sense.
However for the type of kite being discussed I think there are very few that would go for a foil kite. I went through this changing to Souls for a time but for me there are too many compromises flying foil kites for everything. Equally as a skinny git I don’t really need the extra low end and prefer a faster handling LEI even in the lightest wind.

[GregK]

Will be interesting to look back in 10 years and reflect on how the evolution in inflatable kite frame materials settles out.

To put some perspective on it, consider the evolution in tennis rackets over the past half-century. Wood dominated for a very long time, until 1968 when Wilson introduced the T2000 ( Jimmy Connor's weapon of choice ) and the evolution started, next aluminum frames in the 1970's closely followed by graphite ( carbon ) frames, initially at triple the price of a good wood racket. By the late 1980's, wood rackets were obsolete.

Lots of other examples out there I'm sure, probably all with a common theme that it isn't marketing hype that drives it, real progress gets adopted.

[Toby]

For higher winds you don't need anything special, already tons of good gear available, at any price.

In the lower winds I assume different material can make quiet a difference.

Like I said, a tube that performs like a foil in lighter winds does have a market and is unique so far...

Most of us know the advantages of foils, but also the disadvantages. For me personally the disadvantages overweight the advantages.

Still in the search for a kite that gives me 6 seconds Hangtime in 15-20 knots...

Maybe an Aluula can do it...I don't know. Would be good to get a feedback from OR if this is even possible...

[fernmanus]

Still in the search for a kite that gives me 6 seconds Hangtime in 15-20 knots..

Flysurfer 23M VMG.

[andylc]

Yes but doesn’t turn at the speed of second class post.

[Toby]

Still in the search for a kite that gives me 6 seconds Hangtime in 15-20 knots..

Flysurfer 23M VMG.

TUBE

[longwhitecloud]

Will be interesting to look back in 10 years and reflect on how the evolution in inflatable kite frame materials settles out.

To put some perspective on it, consider the evolution in tennis rackets over the past half-century. Wood dominated for a very long time, until 1968 when Wilson introduced the T2000 ( Jimmy Connor's weapon of choice ) and the evolution started, next aluminum frames in the 1970's closely followed by graphite ( carbon ) frames, initially at triple the price of a good wood racket. By the late 1980's, wood rackets were obsolete.

Lots of other examples out there I'm sure, probably all with a common theme that it isn't marketing hype that drives it, real progress gets adopted.

How about look back 10 years ago. The average rider had a better standard of riding than today.

Look at skateboarding, the same equipment for 40 years — maple, aluminium and urethane. Actually got cheaper... the reason ? Accessibility is more important than a companies desire to profit from bull$hitting about how equipment is going to help the ever older targeted kiteboarder.

Industry drives these giant lies

I am lucky enough to be able to actually back this up by riding a 12 year old kite and smoking most riders at freestyle, wave riding or big air. I promise you it isn’t the kite I am riding. Same goes for a lot of my friends riding old kit, absolute rippers. I had a friend riding a 14 year old kite ... absolutely kills it.

Light wind riding? Would rather be surfing. But if you live somewhere where you only have very light winds and have plenty of $$ then sure — advantages no doubt.

Super fast kites are dangerous in high winds.. not needed .. small kites are already fast enough - often too fast... the slightest error in the air can make you eat $hit... and deathlooping is even more dangerous.

Like I said also, super light leading edge kites don’t store energy so well by flying further back in the window , but sure that can be a personal preference thing - I am sure a foilboard rider wouldn’t care about that at all.

Apple vs oppo

That is an even more ridiculous analogy!

The area that is most important in kiteboarding is actually equipment safety development... plenty of people are still being killed when they are launched onto their heads ... but that doesn’t equal profit or good marketing so never even gets mentioned in kiteboarding marketing or product development much these days.

Probably too busy getting their cheap intern graduates with no practical experience designing wingsurfing equipment on solidworks lol