I saw this in another thread about the Charger and didn't want to take over the thread.

I have the 2012 10m and was wondering if anyone can give a comparison.
I have progressed more on this kite than the 2 other kites I own
Really forgiving when it all goes wrong, easy to jump and good wind range.

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pro merc said...
if you don't like the newer park i would suggest the 2013 Blade trigger, its a fantastic all rounder!

2013 is higher aspect than the 2012. ( shorter in the middle strut)

Profile of the kite has changed to allow for the higher aspect.

2013 bar is completely different. They went back to the drawing board with this one.

Colours are terrible. :/ but everyone can see that.

Rides really well.

Disclaimer,

I was the aus distributor for the last 5 years. I now work for Cabrinah
.

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Hobie1463 said...
2013 is higher aspect than the 2012. ( shorter in the middle strut)

Profile of the kite has changed to allow for the higher aspect.

2013 bar is completely different. They went back to the drawing board with this one.

Thanks
Have you demo'd any
has the windrange changed??
Is it as "user friendly??

The wind range seems to be the same.

I would say that it is better for riders that want to move forward in there riding.

It's not a user friendly as 2012, Only because it higher aspect.

Still flys similar, Loops way better, Not as good in the surf mode as 2012. Again due to higher aspect.

West Oz kiteboarding should have demos by now.

I have had a few of these for about 3 months now and im just waiting on the new bar before putting up a proper review, its a very very nice kite and going out on a limb i would say the best all-round kite of this season.

plenty of pics with a decent write up coming soon.

I've ridden the 2013 for the last 3 weeks with the 2012 bar as the new bar hasn't arrived yet. The bottom end is amazing and the bar pressure is great. The kite turns very smoothly and the water relaunch is very fast and easy. With the 12m I can get it to loop with ease and good speed and the 10m and smaller are even easier.

As for colour and design I think the kite looks great down the beach and had many comments to back it up.

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shua said...
I've ridden the 2013 for the last 3 weeks with the 2012 bar as the new bar hasn't arrived yet. The bottom end is amazing and the bar pressure is great. The kite turns very smoothly and the water relaunch is very fast and easy. With the 12m I can get it to loop with ease and good speed and the 10m and smaller are even easier.

As for colour and design I think the kite looks great down the beach and had many comments to back it up.

Hi Shua
Can you compare the 2013 and 2012 kites? what the difference??? worth upgrading.

Have you used another 12m to compare it to??

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pro merc said...
I have had a few of these for about 3 months now and im just waiting on the new bar before putting up a proper review, its a very very nice kite and going out on a limb i would say the best all-round kite of this season.

plenty of pics with a decent write up coming soon.

Hi Pro merc
From memory you were on the 2012 Naish Park and the Fluid Ego....can you compare?

Hi Allano

I'll try and not sound like a sales person but the gear has changed a lot. The 2011 and 2012 gear were built off the same platform were as the 2013 is a new design. From what I've experience so far is that the 2013 kite turns faster with very nice bar pressure. I found I can get bigger air with less effort and shooting upwind is easy as you can put the kite fairly much anywhere in the window. As a previous poster stated it is higher aspect making it perform better in all riding styles but I have to admit I haven't had a chance to ride it in waves yet. The Trigger I would say is one of the best all round kites and tough build which is great for beginners to advance riders. They have narrowed the leading edge for better aerodynamics but whether the better performance is from this I couldn't say. All I can say about that is that you need to make sure the kite is pumped up tight!

This year I've ridden only a few other 2013 kites but without naming I'd just like to say that I'm very happy with my choice to go with Blade. I find that with a lot of 12m they are only good for cruising and jumps but with the Blade I can do kite loops, unhook and transitions with ease from low knots. I'm now waiting on delivery of a Fat Lady as I've read on forums everywhere that they are great for light winds and have great turning and good bar pressure.

Hope this helps.

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Hi Pro merc
From memory you were on the 2012 Naish Park and the Fluid Ego....can you compare?

let me start by saying i dont ride Fluid anymore as they discontinued with kiting, i was always trying to sell against Blade and had never flown one of their kites. after testing some of their kites i now sell them as they are that good and the trigger is my favourite all round kite for the season.

The trigger is a really light weight kite that is still strong, it is super fast turning and probably the funnest all round best kite i have ridden to date!

oh yeah did i mention its fast?!

the canopy is a bit higher aspect than last seasons kite so it goes well up wind and jumps amazingly well for a three strut all rounder. all round kites are usually only ok at everything, this is a rare kite that is marketed as an all rounder and does it all very well.
yesterday i received the new bar which is very nice, it makes some of the big name brands bars and chicken loops looks silly.

i will do a proper review after flying the kite on the new bar :)

The new UNI bar mini site has now been launched;

www.bladekites.com/unibar/

i finally had a chance to try the it yesterday and its a great compliment to the already fantastic kites. very comfy grip wise and the slight bend does noticeably reduce elbow/ arm fatigue, i rode for 3 hrs yesterday without getting tired arms!
There are two settings for long and short bar so the one bar can be used on a small or large kite.

swivel is pretty amazing, it does not clog with sand is one of the rare ones on the market that work, it features a new type of bearing that is expensive but works under the nasty stuff us kiters throw at it. the safety system is really clean now and works 100% the 5 times i tested it in 20-25knts.

finally the chicken loop is a something else, it features a rubber overmold that is slightly tacky that makes it easy to release when you want to. it is push away and i dont think you will ever release by accident. initially i thought it looked a little small, when un hooking it sits so perfect in the bar you dont even need to look down to hook back in.

a couple of other guys were excited about it after trying it and feeling how comfy and easily everything worked.

take a chance to check out the mini site, it shows how much engineering went into this bar, its not just a few tubes riveted together. Even though its a light bar one you see the construction i doubt even the heaviest of riders will ever be able to break it!

The new swivel looks to be the same bearing type as the Mutiny kite bars have - and they work a treat :)
Dont worry about untwisting your centre lines when setting up... As soon as the kite gets some power it automatically unwinds itself

Have fun

Pro Merc

How long before the new bar is available with the 2013 Kites?

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Flying High said...
Pro Merc

How long before the new bar is available with the 2013 Kites?

just in case anyone does not know i am a kite retailer, yes i sell this brand! www.alliancegear.com.au im trying to be honest in my opinion of the product. this is not the only brand i sell, but this is one of my favorites if i had to buy a kite full retail. im posting this in case you have missed my in depth reviews from the past few years.
i will do one of my large reviews on this kite and 3 others in the very near future!


i have been told the new bar will be shipping anytime now, until then you can like me fly the kites on the old blade bar or another brand. i have the new bar for demo anytime anyone would like to check it out. with a few simple sheeting mods this bar would be nice as a racing setup.

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SaveTheWhales said...
The new swivel looks to be the same bearing type as the Mutiny kite bars have - and they work a treat :)
Dont worry about untwisting your centre lines when setting up... As soon as the kite gets some power it automatically unwinds itself

Have fun

i have seen the mutiny one and it looks nice, how does it go with sand?

the Naish and Liquid Force ones also work well as long as you give them a few twists at the start of the session and make sure they are free.

Ive had no problems with sand or having to give it a few spins.. the sealed bearing has a minimal gap so youd have to force sand in there to get it to jam

I always wash my bar afterward (if nothing else) with no particular attention to the bearing. Once a month I use silicone spray on it and wipe away the excess etc

The naish swivel does clog up and needs more attention for it to run freely...

Bars will be here in the next 2 weeks

riding the 2013 blade 9m trigger withe 2012 bar but found the kite to be more satble than 2012 and boosting is heaps better great kite

Just like Pro Merc I've taken on Blade for SA so if anyone is interested in checking out the gear and taking it out for a run, please let me know and I'll be happy to help out. Blade has seriously stepped it up a notch this year and is really worth the time to check it out for yourselves!

The 2013 kites are here but the bars are only 2 weeks away as well as the Fat Lady for those light wind days.

Is there anyone who has changed to or tested these kites and compared them to other 2012, 2013 brands like Slingshot, Naish, North, Ozone etc.

I only say this as most 2012 or 2013 kites are going to be so much better than kites 3-5 years old, regardless of brand.

I do like the price of these Blade's and the Trigger seems to fit the category I am looking for. Just curious how they would compare with a 2013 Park, Bandit or Rally?

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Flying High said...
Is there anyone who has changed to or tested these kites and compared them to other 2012, 2013 brands like Slingshot, Naish, North, Ozone etc.

I only say this as most 2012 or 2013 kites are going to be so much better than kites 3-5 years old, regardless of brand.

I do like the price of these Blade's and the Trigger seems to fit the category I am looking for. Just curious how they would compare with a 2013 Park, Bandit or Rally?

I fly everything i can get my hands on and this season i have flown almost every kite out there so i can give my honest opinion to customers. Yo have mentioned some of the big name brands in kite boarding and yes the 2013 Blade gear does go toe to toe against them in regards to quality, the finish of the printing and detail is exceptional and they use all the best cloth.

On the performance side i would say the Trigger is one of the best all round kites......no wait im going to go out on a limb here......the Trigger is the BEST all round kite on the market right now!
Everyone who has tried mine has raved about how easy it is to fly and that gives them confidence to learn new tricks. It does everything very well. Some minimal settings change the kite for different disciplines.

If i had to choose a second choice from your list i would say the new Park, this kite is also great kite but does not have the raw direct feel you can get from the trigger although this season Park is the best one they have put out by far.

The rebel is Norths all rounder but is not as good, its heavier canopy with 2 more struts and un necessary tech like a 5th line and batterns (yuk).

the bandit is a similar kite but lacks stability and the low end the trigger has, the bar setup puts it 3 years behind.

Ozone dont have a kite that can really compete in the same catagory.


Below is a cool give away they are doing;

I have a rather silly question but when you pull on the depower on through the cleat on the new bar, wouldn't you reduce the bar throw?

Unless the single front line before it splits in significantly longer than apparent in the photos?

Any ideas from those who have used them?

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pro merc said...


Ozone dont have a kite that can really compete in the same catagory.

Thats a bit rough, the 2013 Ozone Catalyst competes extremely well against this kite, including price
Everyone who has ridden the 2013 Catalyst is raving about how good it is, and the Ozone build quality is second to none in this industry.

Yes always beware when someone says it is the 'best' kite their is in a certain market. The best kite is the one that matches the rider.

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Sassa said...
I have a rather silly question but when you pull on the depower on through the cleat on the new bar, wouldn't you reduce the bar throw?

Unless the single front line before it splits in significantly longer than apparent in the photos?

Any ideas from those who have used them?

sassa when you pull on the depower the lenght of line above the cleat between it and the swivel is what decreases so it does not effect the bar throw.

The bar throw must be adjusted on the beach, as the line is taught while being flown and this does not allow it to be un cleated and moved.

Hi all

I didn't figure this is worth its own thread, and its a question about the 2013 Trigger so bear with me

I'm just a beginner (in Melbourne) and this is my first real season where I've managed to get out more than once or twice. I'm learning on a 2011 9m Griffin at the moment, which is OK but in the wind ranges I'm going out in I'm finding I really have to work the kite a lot. It feels like I'm probably progressing slower than I could be due to this (solely due to my general beginner crapness I think).

So I'm in the market for an additional kite and the Trigger and their new bar has caught my eye. My question is what size? My 9m feels a little bit small/underpowered and I can't decide between the 10 or 12 Trigger.

Beginner
Wind range - 15-25kn
Weight - 75kg

Any suggestions/advice from those in the know with the new Triggers would be much appreciated

Cheers

bakz

P.S. Wow... 6 posts, didn't realise I'd been such a lurker for so long

Bakz would suggest the 12m trigger, the 10m will be too close to what you already have.

at 15knts and 75kg's you should staying up wind easily once you have your lightwind technique down pat.

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Kitepower Australia said...

pro merc said...


Ozone dont have a kite that can really compete in the same catagory.

Thats a bit rough, the 2013 Ozone Catalyst competes extremely well against this kite, including price
Everyone who has ridden the 2013 Catalyst is raving about how good it is, and the Ozone build quality is second to none in this industry.

Have to agree with Steve on this one!

I have been dealing with Blade for a few years and they are a great kite, BUT!!
when it comes to quality, price and resale the Ozone wins by far.

James your wrong their is one guy that will break any bit of kiting gear even the best and that is Mr Wonderfull aka Blakey.Nothing lasts over 12 months without being repaired lol.:-))))

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WOK said...

Kitepower Australia said...

pro merc said...


Ozone dont have a kite that can really compete in the same catagory.

Thats a bit rough, the 2013 Ozone Catalyst competes extremely well against this kite, including price
Everyone who has ridden the 2013 Catalyst is raving about how good it is, and the Ozone build quality is second to none in this industry.

Have to agree with Steve on this one!

I have been dealing with Blade for a few years and they are a great kite, BUT!!
when it comes to quality, price and resale the Ozone wins by far.

What would you know WOK! Lol!!!!!!!

I've got an 2011 9m Trigger and am wondering if I could swap out the bar n lines for the 2013 'unibar'? Someone above mentioned that they few the new kite on the 2012 lines so this could work?

Cheers,