Rider: Weight,95kg Level (intermediate)
Style: Freeriding
Weather: 15-30 knots
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 9.7/10
Disclosure: I wear board shorts over my wet suit and I think people who ride small bridle kites are a bit girlie even if they rip it up. [admin] and I sell/manufacture these kites!
My Comments:
Have been riding this kite for 12 months now and I have to say it is pretty dam awesome.
Its the perfect size to comfortably cross over from freestyle to the waves. I generally give up freestyle in 25 knots and head out to the outer reefs and ride waves. The 9.5 works well for me unhooked freestyling in 18-25knots and works well in the waves 15-29knots.
The kite is predictable in a way like no other kite is...
The power delivery is smooth due to the consistent speed across the wind window. Which makes it easy and predictable to jump. I find this a real asset for knowing where the kite is when I'm upside down goosing around.
The kite isn't too fast to turn...
I have found some kites erratic and too fast to turn. Have seen some crew who were intermediate freestylers go totally backwards in skill ability. So Im really happy to be using a predictable turning kite.
All the ALIBI range of kites have a predictable trajectories across the wind window. When depowered the kites don't just roll over and fall out of the sky, they actually continue their path depowered to the edge of the wind window - where ever you have piloted the kite, it will continue there depowered.
It seems like a revolution in flying cause you can think more about the maneuver your doing on the water (or in the air) and a whole lot less about the kite. Because it isn't going to fall out of the sky like a school kite does. Unreal stuff.
Jumping is full on huge with the 9.5 ALIBI...
I have done some XL jumps on this kite. My nose has bleed from the radical altitude change. Naturally it doesn't go as huge as the 8m in 40 knots but it floats alot further down wind in only 35knots. Be very careful what is down wind. You will more than likely clear it or land on it.
The bar hasn't changed a bit...
The nuclear bar is the same reliable 5 line product that's been around since 2007. Some slight changes to the nuclear construction include iridium center insert for prolonged wear on the plastic covered depower rope.
The Bar Pressure is medium to soft...
I confess, Im in Geraldton and actually kite a lot more than most. I require reasonable bar pressure to know where the kite is. But the bar pressure must be light enough for me to last the whole kite season, kiting every second day for 6 months, with out getting tennis elbow. I find if I borrow a kite that has heavier bar pressured than an ALIBI, my arms tingle and cramp. The ALIBI bar pressure is perfect for building big muscles without the tennis elbow pain.
My bag is huge...
Im stoked to have a big sack. Its actually the same XXL sack all the NEW kites come in. All I do to pack my stuff away is -
Halve the kite span, this keeps the sand on the outside of the canopy instead of rolling it in where it can get in the hard to clean seams.
Then roll from the joined wing tip to the apex of the kite
Then simply half the cord LE-TE.
Then stuff that neatly in my huge XXL bag. NICE.
The pump supplied with the kite is also revolutionary...
Much better than anything else available. Its yellow and pushes 2L of air when you push on it and still pushes 2L of air when you pull on it. Im very happy with my metal shaft pump.
Anyway I definitely wont be down grading in design to a bridle kite, I recon the ALIBI will keep me frothing on the water and rapidly learning NEW tricks for years to come.
Come and say allo for a demo at KiteStock.
NJPornstar
> 9 months ago, 30 Dec 2010
