A short video from the 2009 Flysurfer Innovation Days from Lake Como in Italy, Filmed by myself.

An old but still cool video of Flysurfer Rider Sebastian Bubmann busting out some kite loops!

After a fun filled flight of no leg room and turbulence we arrived at the airport. Luckily Ramon from Flysurfer picked us up and saved us a cab fare and getting lost on the 50 minute journey to the hotel from the airport.

After concluding we would not be eating as it was so late we were so glad to see the hotel staff had left a light dinner in our room.

Zzzzzzzz zzzzzz

Myself and Tom Beaton from maxtrack are on our way to Chia in Sardinia for the Flysurfer innovation days

The Ozone Catalyst is an extremely versatile and easy kite to fly – Built on the succession and preferred flight and build characteristics of the Ozone Light XC from 2009. This has resulted in Ozone developing a superb do anything, go anywhere high depower, 3 strut, one pump Lei. This year sees the addition of the new contact control bar – A simplified and easily maintainable 4 line control bar with the high end Ozone megatron chicken loop and one line flag out safety system.

Above: Ozone Catalyst 2010 :: Below: Ozone Contact Control Bar 2010

Since 2009 the Ozone Bars has gained a larger centre hole which allows the bar to travel more freely over the depower line, as well as making the general use and flight smoother this should significantly reduce any form of wear on the depower ropes. (this has not been a problem with previous models however) To keep the bars simple and clean in the hands of beginners Ozone have removed the on the fly back line trim system which can be found on the Zephyr and C4. As you can see in the photo below there is now a choice of 3 backline knot settings which are hidden underneath the line floats. The kite ships on the middle knot but we moved it back one knot in the hands of our riders for a tighter turn and more back line tension. Once you have chosen your preferred setting you have the option of the more of less bar pressure with settings on the tips of the kite. We have been flying on the lighter bar pressure and when the wind is up this gives a nice progressive input which gives you a good idea of what the kite is doing above you and remains super smooth.

Safety and Relaunch Video:

In flight the Catalyst is fast, responsive, stable and easily controllable. Sorry this is a pretty poor section of the review for such a crucial factor of the kite, the kite just works whatever you do with it – and does it all so well! The truth is, its a simple kite and it just works!  It is stable and easy to ride, it jumps, it floats, easy to land and launch and all is easy to feel and use.

Everything on the catalyst has been thought through from the bag with separate inners for the kite and bar to the 3 strut design and and safety system. One its first flight out of the bag our 10m was passed around our local flying site. We had almost complete beginners, free-riders and experienced freestylers using the kite throughout the day and all gave the kite back more confident on it than their existing kites and smiling! (With the exception of one of our freestyle team riders who didn’t want to share it and took it home with him to do “further tests with” over the next week)

Freestyle and Freeride Video:

Above: Ozone Catalyst in Flight
Below: Team Riders Marcus & Greg Riding the Catalyst

Ozone Flow Powerkite Review 2m 3m 4m 5m

Well the Ozone Flow has been out for sometime now and I am sure many people have seen and bought these already, either as beginners or as a safe high wind/in land options for experienced riders boarding and kite buggying.

I currently have the entire quiver of Flows, the 2m, 3m, 4m and 5m with options of both handles and the ozone megatron bar. Recently we have also added the Ozone Turbo bar.

After many months of use and abuse on the demo and teaching fleet it is safe to say these kites fly superbly, help the flyer progress every session and withstand some real abuse (goal posts and a school roof to name a couple)

Bag: Normal Ozone high quality and practical rucksack, great build and superior to other kites in its price bracket by along shot! Enough room for the kite and handles without having to fold it away perfectly everytime. You can also easily fit a stake and a drink in the bag which is useful.

Accessories: The kite comes as either kite only or as a complete option with lines and handles or bar and lines. The handles supplied are the normal Ozone powerkite 4 line handles, and both bar and handles come with 20m lines 180kg / 110kg. Also in the bag is a set of kite killers, a repair patch, stickers, a keyring and instructions.

Usability: I was initially very shocked flying this kite, I thought it would be pretty good but was stoked with just how good it was! It is smooth, stable and the sizes right across the range are very fast! There is some lift in these as well but not a great deal. If you want a kite for all out freestyle performance, this is not the kite for you. For the majority of kiters flying static, buggying or cruising on the board this kite will accommodate your requirements at a very affordable price.

Everyone who has flown these kites so far have loved them! They are the preffered teaching and demo kite now from complete novices to teaching landboarding and kite buggying. Its a superb kite for brand new flyers, land boarders, buggiers or for adding to your quiver for high wind days or nasty wind where the stability is crucial… It is extremely versatile.
They look pretty smart as well with the Standard Ozone graphics which you can find across their whole range for 2009!

The price is bang on the buck! Around the same as the Peterlynn range but with high quality water repelant Ozone fabric, handles/kite killers and lines etc.

All in all its a great offering from Ozone and a very welcome kite for the market, to be loved and accepted into most quivers for 2009!

What Ozone have to say on the sizes:

Ozone Flow 2m The 2 is about as much fun as you can hope to have with a small kite. Massive top end wind range for high-speed balls out buggy runs and just the right amount of challenge for anyone with ambition. Try flying on a bar as the kite boarding trainer of choice.

Ozone Flow 3m The 3 is the ideal entry point in the range for the land locked kiter generating power early on in the wind range while always being easy to control. Quite possibly the perfect introduction to land boarding.

Ozone Flow 4m The 4 has the bottom end power needed in the lighter winds likely to be encountered by novice snow kiters and is a great mid-range buggy engine or land board motor.

Ozone Flow 5m The 5 is the one to beat in is this category, with light wind performance for effortless traction and an upper limit the pros will just keep pushing.

First off, The  Ozone C4 is a brand new kite from the ground up to replace the Sport+ from 2009. A minimal bridled C kite makes it the hardest kite to categorize because it really does do it all. It can be as hard core as you want but at the same time as forgiving as you might need. Suitable in the hands of beginners or pros alike this kite has delivered in all situations we have put it through. Land, Water and Snow!

The over all package is the usual top draw from Ozone, A High quality outer ruck sack with separate inner draw string stuff sack, loads of spares, fabric, safety leash, a pump with pressure gauge etc, but that’s not the exciting bit!

The main difference between this kite and a “traditional C kite” is the very minimal bridle along the leading edge of the kite. There is no point arguing that this is not a C kite, it is, and instead of getting confused about the bridle – accept it exists and move past it – the kite feels direct like a C and it be honest it rocks.

The C4 inflates with the same external one pump system that was used last year and will let you pump a lot of pressure into it, Once inflated the kite keeps its shape extremely well, both on the ground and in the air. Whilst setting the kite up for the first time one of key points you notice (If you have previously owned or flown Ozone) is that the bar centre hole size has been increased this year which allows the bar to slide much more freely with de-powering/powering and turning the bar at the same time.

The bar feels very solid if not a little too thick in the hands (in my opinion). One feature I love on the newer Ozone Control Bar is the addition of mini trim straps on outside lines, This allows you to easily add or decrease back line tension without having to land and walk back down to the kite. This feature was particularly useful when flying in conditions where the wind was up and down throughout the day, when wearing gloves with cold hands and swapping the kite between different riders who all like to fly with slightly different settings.

Reverse launching the kite is very simple on 4 lines. We found it spins very easily without much need for rider input on land for launching after nose down crashes which generally occur when letting go of the bar when unhooking. Both through the air and turning speed the kite is fast and remains powered through the turns. This makes the kite great when carving, sliding or pulling big transition turns – The kite does exactly what you want it to and fires you out the other speed keeping its power at all times.

Even when flying in turbulent winds or dropping in and out of terrain whilst snowkiting the kite remained super stable at all times. The depower throw as standard is fairly large and in the stronger gusts you had the option to edge harder to ride them out or let the bar out without the kite loosing its shape or threatening to do crazy things.

The Safety on the C4 is a 100% one line flag out system, Unhooking from the kite when not riding suicide of releasing the quick release on the chicken loop results in the kite very quickly falling from the sky without power in it. The kite falls landing with one tip upwind and one downwind. The system worked flawlessly every time and the relaunch from this situation was easy each time. To relaunch on land was simple – as you regained tension on the lines by pulling thebar back towards you the kite was pulled back into position for a reverse relaunch.

When it comes to jumping with the kite, its goes up like no other Ozone Lei which has been flown to date. There has been some almighty boost and hangtime from the Sport+ in the past but this seems to go bigger still, and with less effort. The kite does not require much speed to generate decent pop which makes it quite fun to static fly also. When on a board travelling at speed a short snappy redirect to 12- 1/2pm results in big floaty airs where you can do your thing.

At this point in time its worth admiring the view, waving to passers by or rotating furiously with a massive boned out grab! Because the kite itself is fast and responsive you don’t have to worry about getting in your timing or redirect in until the last second.

If the standard hang time from the C4 isn’t enough the kite loops like a peach. It is fast and maintains constant pull through out the loop – all the way back above your head again to catch you before hitting the ground like a rock! On the water these kites have massive potential for some mega airs (and high speed wipe outs)

To conclude Ozone have managed to make something different, a fast and poppy – yet high depower extremely versatile kite… oh and with bomb proof Ozone construction from the repair pack in the rucksack to each piece of stitching on the canopy.

The kite honestly is aimed at everyone, in lighter winds or without whanging the kite around window in a frantic rage its suitable for complete beginners due to its large depower, flag out safety, build quality and stability.

Give it to a freestyle or freeride rider in a bit of wind and go huge hooked or unhooked on any surface you fancy – Land, Water or Snow.

Even if you are not looking for a new kite, It’s worth grabbing a demo just for the experience.