Check it out! www.Board-Mag.com

www.Board-Mag.com

We are looking forward to getting some demo F-Series kites in ASAP to let you know how they ride and feel.

Who are Mutiny?
Mutiny Kites is a design led kite brand founded by a pair of designers with over 15 years of experience in the kiting industry. With a brand philosophy to create the finest products possible using the most ethically and environmentally sound of practices, Mutiny Kites aims to grow a family of kite enthusiasts from all areas of the globe and all walks of life with a customer service and community spirit that has never been seen before. Take control of your own destiny and join the Mutiny family.

Founded by two designers, Dr Henry Rebbeck and Oliver Thorman, Mutiny Kites was established late 2009 with a mission to build a design-led brand offering the finest products and the most personalized costumer service in the global kite market. The products need to be easy to use, have great longevity, premium quality and look fantastic. To do this we have set out to work closely with the entire supply chain to ensure all parties involved – material suppliers, component manufacturers, final assembly plant and the retailer network – are a part of the Mutiny family and share in the success of the brand. Combining our design expertise with the most ethical approach to manufacture and our environmental concerns our goal is to create the greatest kite products ever in the best way possible.

Kite: The kite has had quite an overhaul this year and comes across as a completely new kite. The canopy is higher aspect than previous years and the tips are much squarer than before which is meant to help with stability and also a more direct turning experience. Another big difference is that the Bandit 4 is now a 3 strut kite. Many brands have gone down this route in the last year or two and it definitely seems to keep weight down, increasing low end performance. I don’t want to go to much into the technical aspects of the kites – that’s generally the jargon that the manufacturers, Instead I want to give my personal opinion on the feel of the kite.

Lets begin with the more vein aspects of a new kite… Looks. The Bandit has always looked a smart kite and this year is no different. Simple yet stylish graphics with massive attention to detail and branding all over the kite, right down to the pulleys. As usual there is a ton of colour ways to choose from. Nice to have the option but a nightmare for retailers to try and have all the options at anyone time so finding the kite you want could be tricky. Our demo model is the White/Khaki graphic which I think is stunning in the sky both in blue sky’s and more overcast conditions.

From the first launch at the side of the window it is instantly apparent of the massive amount of depower this kite offers, launching can be done on the spot with no downward travel as you slowly park the kite above your head. Because the kite has so much depower within the throw of the bar I think some people could mistake this for a non direct kite or say it does not feel overly smooth. For anyone used to flying depower kites you already understand you use the lower/mid range of the bar the vast majority of the time and do not fire the bar in and out as far as it can go constantly. Doing this will result in a very un-smooth and powered jerky movement as you  completely kill all the power and then whack it back onto full. I have noticed some people doing this whilst at different riding spots. What it does show however is the huge stability that this kite can offer, as you fly it about in ways you shouldn’t it just shrugs it off and does its job.

Through the air the kite is extremely fast, yet super controlled. It is fast in both turning speed and the speed in which it travels across the window. The turns seem to be capable of holding more power than the Bandit 3 which will be great for kiteloops and accelerating out of waves – I think this is also a benefit to the new squarer tips on the kite.

Relaunching the the Bandit has always been easy, probably the biggest achievement to the Delta shape of kite. Nose dive it anywhere in the window and it relaunches extremely quickly and with minimal effort.

Jumping with the kite is effortless, it naturally wants to go airborne and requires very little effort, just be sure to keep the bar in when redirecting so you don’t kill all the power at the last second. For a 9m I was also really impressed with the amount of float to work with, nice for spins and grabs. I can’t wait to have a decent water session on this kite. For extra hang time try chucking in some downloops just before you land, its plenty fast enough and imagine this is still possible in the bigger sizes easily! As well as downlooping, kitelooping is awesome fun on this kite, it whips around super fast and gives a good amount of whip downwind and retains a good amount of power in the turn.

Bar: Sadly the new 2011 airlite bar was not available when I had the kite out so I flew the new kite on the Bandit 3 bar. From what I can see however the airlite bar looks gorgeous and has some great changes to the chickenloop. I will add to this section as soon as I get a chance to put on onto demo.

Overall: What a kite. Extremely versatile, massive depower, super smooth, great construction, beautiful graphics and colour ways. It really is a kite for all occasions and for beginners and pros alike.

The kite comes in a somewhat unusual silver fabric cylindrical bag and comes complete with lines, handles, kitekillers, 2 ground stakes and an instruction manual. I believe the idea behind the long thin bag is that soon the kite will be available to purchase with a bar system as well as handles, and a normal rucksack design will not comfortably fit a bar in.

Although not the best on the market the accessories included are all perfectly acceptable for a kite at this price range and end of the market. The handles come with a strop line between them – We highly recommend to cut this straight off the handles because it is very short and not at all practical also the kite killers that are provided are very long, besides this there is no real fault with any of the package contents. The handles are coated in a rubbery/neoprene fabric and are very comfy in your hands, great for extended sessions without a harness.

In the air the kite is very smooth to fly and nice and stable. It holds its shape well anywhere in the wind window and there is no strange behaviour when purposely trying to get it to over fly and fall out of the sky… which it wouldn’t do. The graphics are a different colour for each size in the range. The kite looks clean and smart in the sky from both the front and back of the kite.

Although a beginner kite the Soulfly feels quite racey in the sky. If you flick the brakes on whilst flying its like hitting the turbo button, a real surge of extra power which effectively comes from nowhere. This would work really well with the Ozone Turbo Bar.

The kite does not generate a lot of lift but in higher winds pulls like a train in the buggy or on a landboard. Experimenting with the brakes would also be great fun bare foot on the beach skudding around!

Overall this is a great choice for a beginner wanting to get into power kiting on a budget. It will last you whilst you learn everything you need to need to know to safely learn to kite, board or buggy!

After flying the 11m briefly and the 9m a few times on the landboard I have started to get a good feel for the kites. I wont go to much into the build quality on these kites as look anywhere or fly any Ozone kite and you know to expect some of the best built kites on the market.

For 2011 Ozone have generally improved the whole experience of flying the Frenzy. ATBShop have had demo Ozone depowers for years now so I have had the opportunity to ride lots of models and sizes.

The Kite: The additions to the kite this year include the move to meshed and closed vents on the leading edge, a front link line to help keep the kites shape and add stability, more cells in the profile, less bridle, a new ronston pulley on the speed system and trailing edge blow out valves.

When first launching the kite, fill time and the first inflation do not seem to have been slowed down with the edition to the closed cells on the leading edge. The kite powers up extremely smoothly and has a noticeably large amount of depower within the throw of the bar – without having to use the trim strap. The kite is super stable in the air and noticeably quicker then previous versions.

Despite tuning the kites this year to be better overall there does not seem to be an apparent sacrifice to the low end grunt of the kites which has always gone down well with frequent Frenzy flyers. They are extremely easy to fly with near Access stability. The nicest thing about this range is just how versatile the kites are whether in super clean beach winds or dirty inland conditions the kite promises to always deliver good performance. Even if you are new into Depower kites but have the intention of getting some hangtime this kite will not beat you up whilst you learn the basics.

The Bar: This year Ozone have merged the water and landkite bars closure together. With any of the new Ozone depowers you now get the Contact Land/Snow Control bar. With the addition of the bar floats to the outside steering lines we say goodbye to the “on the fly” adjustment. After teaching and demoing Ozone kites a fair amount I am glad to see the new feature implemented. An issue I found with the older system is that it was to easy for people to wrongly adjust one side so the tension on the steering lines was different on both sides, This is now the same for the 2011 waterkites as well. All other differences to the bar are land kite specific which include the very effective top hat safety system and link line on the steering lines for reverse landing and launching the kite.

Freestyle Performance: As you probably know the Frenzy is the mid range kite in the Foil range from Ozone. In my opinion it gives the best performance with a great blend of stability and ease of  use to performance. Check out the photos below I took of ATBShop team rider Abe from the first time he has ridden the new kites. The Frenzy has always been a good mixture of pop/hangtime which not only allows you to boost some big airs but also have enough time in the air to pull some tricks and build your confidence. I have only had the chance to have a freestyle on the 9m so far but from the float I have experienced the 11m must be awesome for old school and some crazy rotations. Because the kites turn fast and can hold power well in the turn the 9m is easy to downloop out of jumps and kiteloop from the flat. Not only is this good for adding some extra float or lift into a jump but it is also what is required to pull you up a mountain on the snow.

As well as hooked in the kite also flys very well unhooked with no backstall what so ever. Add the massive stability and depower into the mix and this kite rides like a dream for practising new school tricks whilst riding suicide on the leash. They produce a smooth pop when redirecting and you still get a good turning speed.

In terms of deciding whether this kite is right for you or if you should add one to your quiver I would follow a couple of simple questions. These must be answered by yourself bearing in mind skill and confidence level. Dont let people talk you into equipment you may not be comfortable with as it can be dangerous and you will not enjoy it. Remember if you want good performance and build quality there are 3 kites in the Ozone range so this does not have to be the kite for you.

Have you flown a depower kite before – or are you new to depower?

Access/Frenzy

Do you have any intentions of jumping and progressing into freestyle tricks?

Frenzy / Manta

Do you want maximum stablility and depower?

Access

Is low end performance important to you?

Frenzy

“Onboard video of some riding with the Flyboards Flydoor and Flysurfer Speed3 Deluxe kite. Enjoy the epic scenery and feeling from this video. Light wind kiteboarding can be awesome, especially when it is riding on glass, see from 01:00 minute onwards!”

To summarize, the Speed 3 21m Deluxe is: A light wind monster, a hang time machine, a formula one racing car, a cable like pulling wake kite.

Based from the popularity and overwhelming demand produced from the Speed 3 kites released in 2009 (12m/15m/19m) Flysurfer have recently re-engineered and released the 21m. As a landboarder and kitesurfer I have always been a fan of the Speed kites for the low wind and hang time characteristics for freestlye. I have always loved the 15m Deluxe edition and the 12m for what I do and intially thought what the £$%^ to a 21m!!! All you can imagine from the size alone is massive low wind performance and the turning speed of a huge bus. Luckily only one of those characteristics is true and that’s the low wind performance. Where Flysurfer have spent more design and rnd on the 21m Speed 3 on top of the other sizes the 21m is not far from the turning speed of the 19m, ok this isn’t going to win any turning speed kite records but its far from ridiculous and is still very usable. One of the Flysurfer riders is able to kitesurf from 5-6 knots on his raceboard with similar performance to other tube kites in more wind!

Unlike the other Speed 3 deluxe kites the 21m comes in the “Silver Arrow” of past Speed 2 kites in terms of fabric colours and design. Of course if you are willing to wait and spend a bit more Flysurfer are more than happy to have custom graphics and colour ways on this as with other kites in the range.

With regards to set up and launching the 21m is no different to any other Flysurfer foil, you just need a tad more space to lie it out down wind! Launching is done by weighing down the upwind tip with sand/board/snow and launching at the side of the wind window. With this style of launching an a self inflating kite you can  be on the water in minutes. You wouldn’t want to pump up a 21m tube though would you? Landing can be done solo but is much easier with the aid of another rider as below.

Now, despite the fact this kite is the most superior high-end, low wind kite I have ever flown this is one of the more obvious assumptions to make of the kite and because of this I am going to comment more on the playfulness of the kite.

Sure you can plane super early, go upwind and have a good time with a race board or Flyboards Door and get out on the water when others can only make sandcastles from the shore line but I much prefer riding the kite in a few more knots of wind with a traditional sized twintip (for me this is a 134x40cm FlyRadical 2010)

Even coming from a background of riding the 15m Speed 3 Deluxe as my most used kite I was a tad unsure and frightened when I first hooked in on the 21m, Its hard to imagine quite how powerful it can be even in such light winds. Once above your head the kite feels smooth and incredibly stable. When on the water one dive of the kite is all that’s need to get you up and planning – going upwind in a matter of seconds. It has been said that the Speed 3 kites pull like a bus, this thing pulls like a train, possibly even two or three when the winds up!

In terms of riding the 21m is incredibly easy to fly, you appreciate it is slower than other kites in the range so require a bit more planning in terms of smooth transitions with the kite and jumping off waves like kickers. After only a few runs it is easy to dial into and feels very natural to fly. After only a short 20minute period on the kite the wind picked up 5knts or so and I became wonderfully powered on the kite! Due to its large depower range there is no need to switch down a kite size as soon as the wind switches on or in gusty conditions, I never rode it in more than around 13 knts but witnessed riders boosting on it in conditions just under 20 when others were on 15′s, 19′s and even playing around on 12′s with bigger boards!

Above: Flyboards shaper Eddy Lansink freeriding the Door in light winds
Below: Team rider Sebastian Bubmann testing the higher end on the 21m

As well as good hooked in performance the 21m performs very well sat low in the window unhooked. I am hoping Flysurfer produce some good media of the 19/21 Speed 3 as a pure wakestyle kite as I think it can really excel in this field for riders who love cable parks when the winds light or just not there. I am personally not gifted in the art of unhooked riding hence why hoping someone else can show off the kite in this way instead of doing it myself!

As well as riding on the water the 21m definitely has potential for some crazy landboarding hang time. Like any big kite on land it can sometimes be difficult to hold an edge for jumping when  redirecting the kite. I definately think the massive depower range could help with this, and maybe a hill or two

Over the last year quite a few brands have began experimenting with low wind kite options and kites designed for the fast growing discipline of racing. Out of all other kites on the market I know the Speed 3 dominates the light wind aspect but also seems to be getting some great podium positions and popularity in course racing throughout Europe. I can only imagine the scene above is only going be more common across the countries beaches in the next few months and years. For already fans of racing you will want to keep and eye out for the new twintip Flyrace board that is due late 2010 early 2011 which went down a storm at the recent Flysurfer Innovation Days in Sardinia.

If you are undecided on whether to add this kite to your quiver or not I strongly recommend you try to get a demo on one. Likewise if you want to maximise flying time on the water without really needing to check the wind forecast before heading to the beach then this could be for you. They are already proving popular in countries with constant but light winds on some of the lakes and beaches. It is important not to be put off by the sheer size of the kite as it is extremely versatile and inspires confidence when flying. Even if you are new to the sport but want something to go upwind with at crazy angles this does the job perfectly and flawlessly.

If you have any further questions or I have missed some points which is likely due the time of writing leave a comment below and I will be sure to add to the article or send a response! Interested in purchasing the 21m , Check it out on KitesurfingStore.

Whilst out there we were presented a new trainer/school kite called the Flysurfer Viron. A closed cell depower delta inspired kite with huge amounts of depower and auto relaunch from the side of the wind window when on the beach/snow or on the water.

To help keep costs down for such a kite Flysurfer have come up with a new simple bar system with a brand new quick release which is also to feature on the Infinity Bar 2.0 next year. The Viron is made up of fewer but much larger cells to the other kites in the Flysurfer range and also does not feature a mixer on the bridles.

To keep such good relaunch capabilities and to enable maximum time on the water without drinking it the kite features only one air intake. Despite this the kite still inflates easily and keeps a high amount of pressure. Flysurfer seem extremely happy with the durability of this product and know for people learning and crashing kites around left, right and center it is one of the key elements. From what I saw out in Sardinia including some crash testing it certainly seems to stand up to the job.

As you can see from the photo above the Viron has a very swept shape from the Leading Edge to the tips, As well as helping with the massive amounts of depower this kite has it also aids the crash / relaunch capabilities of the kite. When crashing the kite directly downwind in higher winds only minimal bar input either left or right is enough for the kite to slide to the side of the window and take off again. The biggest selling point for this kite for beginners however is how incredibly well the kite behaves when you push the bar all the way out – the kite flies to the edge of the window and just bounces on its tip and waits for input from the rider. Due to its low aspect ratio we were able to fire the kite around the window and let it fly itself quite happily whilst holding a conversation with a group of other riders.

This kite has been thoroughly thought out for the beginner market, right down to the graphics. As with all kite equipment left and right is defined with sailings Port (always red) and Starboard (often blue/green) This is a great visual aid for customers as once progressing further into the sport line/handle and bar colours are often designed with this in mind.

As it stands the Viron is going to be produced in sizes 2.5m / 4m and 6m

I will post up some more information once it closure to release.

The Viron will come in a smaller and slightly modified version of the Flysurfer bag found on other kites in the range.

If you are interested in Flysurfer and their product range check it out on KitesurfingStore.co.uk