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The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

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windsuks
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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby windsuks » Tue Feb 18, 2014 11:25 pm

So we just had our long term annual event here in the depths of winter, we were blessed with pretty awesome conditions too.

We had several people demo the surf...here is a review we just had via email.

Hi Mark and Sarah,

Thanks for organising such a fab-u-lous event.

My first Frozen Blast was something to cherish. Sun shone, plenty of kites flew and double overhead waves were waiting at the back, calling loud.... it couldn't have been a better invite.

I am still stoked to be riding in mid feb, all winter in fact, thanks to Tim Nunn at Lunasurf wetsuits. Every sesh, i feel like a hound out of the blocks on a warm summers evening. On his JANGA suit, every winter's day has been tropical. Only Artic, hardcore, icebergs surfers know what i mean, check his site at www.lunasurf.com and get in touch with him. No more excuses, keep pushing and ride more winter waves.

After a rocking start on my 6m RRD Religion, wind gusting 35-25knts for a solid hour, with proper Welsh (intimidating) waves at the back i was just getting dialled to this unfamiliar terrain. Having observed the Wavemaster champion tackle his own local spot, i got the gist quick in how to confront his heavy soldiers. Alone at the back, one wave after the other, I was starting to enjoy my strapless dares on his brown water, heavy munchers. Ride after ride, i begun to unlock the spot and as im warming up, scoring some heavy drops, one bottom turn and charge to the lip, again and again. But soon, the wind begun to recede and I found myself underpowered on a still growing swell. Shitoooo, i do not like the feeling of being chased by breaking mountains without power on my kite. Anyone who rides big lumps knows that timing is everything and under-powered riding is like trying to extinguish a forest fire with a toy water gun....

Time to come out and pump my 9m Religion, wind now dropped to 25-15knts, waves at the back still pumping, head and a half to double overhead and fierce.

As i came to land my kite, Champ Mark screams to me: 'Ed take this out, the range is huge' and hand me over a new 2014- 5.5m Surf Epic kite, pretty little thing but a 5.5mts? You must be joking? i need a 9m. But if the Wavemaster insist, who am i to refuse the local hospitality?

First tack, Boom, out quick, charged thru the white water with speed and found myself at the back fairly prompt. Wow... Kite was noble, fast, alert, reactive and very forgiving as im crossing bigger and bigger froth, strapless i do not want a demanding kite, i have enough on my plate trying to ollie the incoming waves.... sweet, i maid it out without thinking about the kite, a good start.

As I rode back towards the beach, i begun to give some thought to the cute looking thing in the sky, not bad. Last November, courtesy or Rou Chatter (editor iKsurf mag) i rode a 2014 Best Cabo 7m, on 25knts, head high waves and found it grunty, demanding, ever so present. A kind of egotistical, high maintenance girlfriend, very unlike the Epic Surf.

The kite pivoted beautifully on its wingtip, tick, ironed the gust like a good wave kite should, bouncing off the bar, not yanking, double tick. Bar had plenty of feel and feedback. You could fly this kite with your eyes shut, fun to fly and generated plenty of speed when i pushed it. Should be good in higher wind, i though but im still going fast on a decreasing wind and heavy swell. Wind was light and i was still riding, on a 5.5.... mmm....mental.

I dropped on a long wave, pushed the bar up and rode it all the way to shore, few face turns, roundhouses, just having fun, Tom Cruise mode.

Second tack out was a different affair, the white water bigger, harder to cross. Waves leaving no room for strapless water rats, getting out an impossible ask. Closing out in long sections, i found myself drifting downwind for a long time looking for the smallest of openings. Wind dropping, i was very far from where we started without my passport. On a couple of gust, i managed to pump up enough courage and speed to jump a few incoming waves and found myself at the back again, thank god...waves still big but again, not much power in the kite and speed to charge. Slowly, in one endless long tack, i made back to the Blast Camp, phew...

Still hunting at the back, mmm.... not much wind and this cute kite still taking me upwind.... mmmm... how the f***k is this possible? Now, i was still at the back and i had plenty of waves to choose from, time to charge. Dropped on a beauty head high, bottom turned but as i pulled in the bar back, to iniciate my toeside climb to the lip, the cute 5.5 begun to stall, no juice, a lull, wind must have been gone to early teens, perhaps too low to demand soooo much, still I rode the wave and lined up myself for another one.

Same move, choose a lump, drop, bottom turn, start the charge up, pull the bar down.... oh noooo, no wind to take me up, grabbed centre lines and recover a falling kite. I had ridden all the wind out of the kite, well i do not think there was more than 18 to 14knts to work with and perhaps too much to ask from this cute 5.5m surf kite.

So, id like to think that i was kissed by a pretty girl that gave me all she had, but promises much, much more. I had a date on her lowest range on heavy swell and happily survived. My beloved 6m RRd couldn't give me another hour and i doubt any other high wind, small wave kite could have given me more.

Like a good snog on a first date, the promise of more to come entices the dreams.

Thanks for letting me taste sweet lips,

I want more!

e


Image


ps I have replied pointing out it's actually a 5m :thumb:

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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby Westozzy » Wed Feb 19, 2014 1:03 am

Entertaining read man, loved it.

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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby nikalaitzian » Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:16 am

windsuks wrote:So we just had our long term annual event here in the depths of winter, we were blessed with pretty awesome conditions too.

We had several people demo the surf...here is a review we just had via email.

Hi Mark and Sarah,

Thanks for organising such a fab-u-lous event.

My first Frozen Blast was something to cherish. Sun shone, plenty of kites flew and double overhead waves were waiting at the back, calling loud.... it couldn't have been a better invite.

I am still stoked to be riding in mid feb, all winter in fact, thanks to Tim Nunn at Lunasurf wetsuits. Every sesh, i feel like a hound out of the blocks on a warm summers evening. On his JANGA suit, every winter's day has been tropical. Only Artic, hardcore, icebergs surfers know what i mean, check his site at www.lunasurf.com and get in touch with him. No more excuses, keep pushing and ride more winter waves.

After a rocking start on my 6m RRD Religion, wind gusting 35-25knts for a solid hour, with proper Welsh (intimidating) waves at the back i was just getting dialled to this unfamiliar terrain. Having observed the Wavemaster champion tackle his own local spot, i got the gist quick in how to confront his heavy soldiers. Alone at the back, one wave after the other, I was starting to enjoy my strapless dares on his brown water, heavy munchers. Ride after ride, i begun to unlock the spot and as im warming up, scoring some heavy drops, one bottom turn and charge to the lip, again and again. But soon, the wind begun to recede and I found myself underpowered on a still growing swell. Shitoooo, i do not like the feeling of being chased by breaking mountains without power on my kite. Anyone who rides big lumps knows that timing is everything and under-powered riding is like trying to extinguish a forest fire with a toy water gun....

Time to come out and pump my 9m Religion, wind now dropped to 25-15knts, waves at the back still pumping, head and a half to double overhead and fierce.

As i came to land my kite, Champ Mark screams to me: 'Ed take this out, the range is huge' and hand me over a new 2014- 5.5m Surf Epic kite, pretty little thing but a 5.5mts? You must be joking? i need a 9m. But if the Wavemaster insist, who am i to refuse the local hospitality?

First tack, Boom, out quick, charged thru the white water with speed and found myself at the back fairly prompt. Wow... Kite was noble, fast, alert, reactive and very forgiving as im crossing bigger and bigger froth, strapless i do not want a demanding kite, i have enough on my plate trying to ollie the incoming waves.... sweet, i maid it out without thinking about the kite, a good start.

As I rode back towards the beach, i begun to give some thought to the cute looking thing in the sky, not bad. Last November, courtesy or Rou Chatter (editor iKsurf mag) i rode a 2014 Best Cabo 7m, on 25knts, head high waves and found it grunty, demanding, ever so present. A kind of egotistical, high maintenance girlfriend, very unlike the Epic Surf.

The kite pivoted beautifully on its wingtip, tick, ironed the gust like a good wave kite should, bouncing off the bar, not yanking, double tick. Bar had plenty of feel and feedback. You could fly this kite with your eyes shut, fun to fly and generated plenty of speed when i pushed it. Should be good in higher wind, i though but im still going fast on a decreasing wind and heavy swell. Wind was light and i was still riding, on a 5.5.... mmm....mental.

I dropped on a long wave, pushed the bar up and rode it all the way to shore, few face turns, roundhouses, just having fun, Tom Cruise mode.

Second tack out was a different affair, the white water bigger, harder to cross. Waves leaving no room for strapless water rats, getting out an impossible ask. Closing out in long sections, i found myself drifting downwind for a long time looking for the smallest of openings. Wind dropping, i was very far from where we started without my passport. On a couple of gust, i managed to pump up enough courage and speed to jump a few incoming waves and found myself at the back again, thank god...waves still big but again, not much power in the kite and speed to charge. Slowly, in one endless long tack, i made back to the Blast Camp, phew...

Still hunting at the back, mmm.... not much wind and this cute kite still taking me upwind.... mmmm... how the f***k is this possible? Now, i was still at the back and i had plenty of waves to choose from, time to charge. Dropped on a beauty head high, bottom turned but as i pulled in the bar back, to iniciate my toeside climb to the lip, the cute 5.5 begun to stall, no juice, a lull, wind must have been gone to early teens, perhaps too low to demand soooo much, still I rode the wave and lined up myself for another one.

Same move, choose a lump, drop, bottom turn, start the charge up, pull the bar down.... oh noooo, no wind to take me up, grabbed centre lines and recover a falling kite. I had ridden all the wind out of the kite, well i do not think there was more than 18 to 14knts to work with and perhaps too much to ask from this cute 5.5m surf kite.

So, id like to think that i was kissed by a pretty girl that gave me all she had, but promises much, much more. I had a date on her lowest range on heavy swell and happily survived. My beloved 6m RRd couldn't give me another hour and i doubt any other high wind, small wave kite could have given me more.

Like a good snog on a first date, the promise of more to come entices the dreams.

Thanks for letting me taste sweet lips,

I want more!

e


Image


ps I have replied pointing out it's actually a 5m :thumb:
Wow!!!!every time i read a review i cant wait to have mine.Dimitri do you hear me????!!

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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby soul19 » Wed Feb 19, 2014 5:54 pm

That has been one of the more entertaining reviews I have read in awhile. Sounds like a powerful, stable kite with good range. I am looking forward to having a go on these kites once the weather gets warmer here. Pointless to use a wave kite on ice!

James

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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby Rorke » Wed Feb 19, 2014 6:17 pm

Windsuks, Very good review. Thanks.
Soul19, I love a wave kite on the snow, especially for snowboard downwinders or terrain.

Dimitri and Momi made the Kima while at Eclipse. That was such a sweet wave kite.
Was it the first 3 strut Delta? I think so.
Ahead of its time.

Have they done it again?

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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby soul19 » Wed Feb 19, 2014 6:22 pm

No doubt that it would be a fun kite to use on the snow! Now you have me thinking about wanting to try it out snow kiting..... Whatcha think Dimitri :lol:

James

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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby windsuks » Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:58 pm

soul19 wrote:That has been one of the more entertaining reviews I have read in awhile. Sounds like a powerful, stable kite with good range. I am looking forward to having a go on these kites once the weather gets warmer here. Pointless to use a wave kite on ice!

James
The guy who did the review is such a cool guy too, I was totally surprised when he emailed me this, I knew he liked it (a lot) but this reads like a love story!

I really do think this could be a winner!

The kites actually boost well too, not the best pic but this is on the 5m
Image

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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby soul19 » Wed Feb 19, 2014 11:05 pm

It is always fun to see someone have a good time on a kite that is new to them. The excitement that they get when it just clicks for them.... I like being that guy as well :thumb: Epic has a nice looking kite in their new surf!

James

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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby windsuks » Thu Feb 20, 2014 8:54 pm

another nice session today this time on the 8m

Below pic is of a good mate (9lives) about to test the SURF...he is a jinx though each time he's tried it the wind dies off completely.

Image

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Re: The Surf 5/8/12 (4G)

Postby prayfawind27 » Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:14 pm

Has anyone, Flown the Ben Wilson kites and can compare the 2,


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