2019-2020 VISION

HERE’S A GUIDE TO WHAT THE SCORES MEAN FOR EACH KITE / BOARD

TESTING-TESTING

Although we test gear for two solid months a year in Cape Town during January and February, we also test for the rest of the year in a range of conditions in the UK.

Our testers don’t set out to find the best products for pro riders, but instead focus on what’s important for every day riders. Senior tester Chris Bull is 49, has been kiting for 20 years and tested more gear than anyone we know, outside of gear developers themselves. He runs CBK-Hayling Island (www.CBK-haylingisland.com), a lively school, club and shop and understands what riders really need from their purchases. Jim Gaunt is 40, editor of Kiteworld, has been kiting for 16 years and rarely rides the same gear for more than a couple of sessions, so has a detailed understanding of current directions / trends. Kiteworld associate editor Matt Pearce is 30, 6’2’’ and 90 kilos, so adds weight to the team. He’s been kiting for ten years, with six of those spent as a team rider for Liquid Force, he’s been involved in R&D and was an experienced instructor in his time.

TEST SCORE KEY:

KITE BALANCE POINT SCORES / 10:

BUILD QUALITY: 1 = Sew it yourself / 10 = Indestructible

FULL PACKAGE: 1 = Pigtails sold separately / 10 = Comes with its own wind

LOW END: 1 = More power in a handkerchief / 10 = Like a raging bull

TOP END: 1 = Force 3 feels like gale force 8 / 10 = Feels manageable in a hurricane.

STEERING SPEED: 1 = Barely turns / 10 = Blink and you’ll miss it

TURNING CIRCLE: 1 = Most pivotal / 10 = Likes to scrape the water

POWER THROUGH TURN: 1 = You won’t notice it turning / 10 = Could move a house

BAR PRESSURE: 1 = Light as a feather / 10 = Get down the gym

WATER RELAUNCH: 1 = Superglues itself to the water / 10 = Cat on a tin roof

DRIFT: 1 = Always at the edge of the window / 10 = Goes directly with the wind.

BOOST: 1 = More lift in a wet towel / 10 = Heading for space