CAPE TOWN FIRST RIDES: 2020 GEAR
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. Rob Claisse joins us for foil testing – founder of Progression Sports, he makes kitesurfing instructional videos, runs training camps and has helped the BKSA develop their hydrofoil training syllabus.
HERE’S A GUIDE TO WHAT THE SCORES MEAN FOR EACH KITE AND BOARD 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
HANG-TIME: 1 = Short haul flight / 10 Long haul flight
UNHOOKED: 1 = Collapses or pulls your arms out of their
