The new 07 Gin Nazca hybrid kites have arrived in Australia and will be making their way around Australia shortly. Starting in Melbourne and making their way up the east coast initially. I believe some tentative dates will be posted shortly on the gin website.

If you haven't seen the kites you can visit www.ginkites.com.au check them out and Kite Republic hope to get some info up on our website about these babies shortly.

First impressions are of a very sweet and well thought out kite, being a 5 line kite with a bridled 5th line.
Apparently awesome in the surf, I can't wait to get a ride on this baby myself.

For those who don't know Gin have a very strong paragliding background with their own factory in Korea producing paragliders as well as Snowkites.

Gin have been pioneers for the new snowsport speedflying you may have seen with guys plummeting at 200km/hr down mountain faces

Initial stocks are small with initial demand to supply the kite worldwide creating an initial shortage but Kite Republic hope to offer a few of these available for sale soon with more to follow closely behind.

Cheers

John

hi john, i think i read somewhere that the nazca was able to be flown either 4 line or 5 line- is this correct? (also is it one pump?)

Hi joespencer

As I understand it they were going to release it as a dual bridle/5 line setup but have decided not to take that into the final production. I believe that they found it to be a satisfactory kite in this configuration and almost got signed off but from what I also understand satisfactory is not good enough as a lot is riding on how the kite is received by the kite community. They want it to be 100% or nothing as 90% isn't good enough.

Definately 1 pump but I will have had a better chance to check it out tomorrow and hopefully have a better idea of build(which I expect ot be top quality given their background). Moderately high aspect at 4.7

Cheers

John

Did they pay ozone to copy their kites?

You know what they say benk, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
The Gin foils look just like the ozone ones too.
I'm not dissing Gin, seen that Speed Riding the Eiger Video? They used the Gin Nano Speed wing. Serious shizzle.
Bring em on. Good to see more companies that make flying machines getting into kites rather than sailboard companies.

I'm not really passing judgement either way but I will say that the design on the Nazca is essentially the samr as what is on the Gin foils is essentially exactly the same as on the Gin Glider is exactly the design they have had since startinbg paragliding which happened way before the instinct or frenzy was even thought of

Like you say imitation is the best form,... so which came first?

I just thought I'd better double check (just to be sure I'm not just shooting my mouth off) and can confirm that the Ozone gliders look nothing like the design they chose for their foils so given the gliders were most likely first cab off the rank (well ahead of the Instinct or Nazca or Eskimo or Frenzy) I think I can stand by the post above that Ozone would seem to be the imitators

It seems the Ozone may well have decided in their past that the Gin design looked better

All in all I say whatever, THEY LOOK AWESOME!!!!!!!!

Cheers

John

PS Nic at Kite Republic now has a Demo available in St Kilda and I will post details of when you might be able to hop on one soon

Has the one pump been licensed to Slingshot? or did Gin have that bit on their gliders too?

Can't wait to fly it.

quote:

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Originally posted by benk

Did they pay ozone to copy their kites?

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That twin-peak design has been on every Gin wing for the last dozen or so years. As far as graphics go Ozone are using a design that has been associated with Gin since long before Ozone existed.

Robert Graham is the Gin kite designer and that guy is a legend he doesn't need to copy anybody.

For that matter, the guys at Ozone don't need to copy anybody either.

Just to clarify, Gin and Ozone both started in 1998, so neither have had designs on their wings for over a dozen years or so.
No mention of Robert Graham on the Gin website at all. Only Gin Seok Song as chief designer.

The founders of both companies know each other well, and flew early paragliders together before deciding to make them. Ozone's design goals were to make paragliding safer, many pilots were being killed before the Ozone design team introduced a more user friendly and high performance glider to the marketplace at a good price.
Ozone have had a twin peak design on their wings and kites from day one.
The Nazca is very obviously copied from the Instinct, the Instinct1 was released in late 2005/early 2006, no sign of an inflato from Gin at the time.

Lets keep it real.

And the original is always best IME.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

mmmm...
So the fact that the Gin Maori LEI of the last two or few years (before any Instinct hit the water) didn't get imported into Australia, obviously means it didn't exist?

The Maori is a C kite so was never imported in any quantity as Bow kites were happening at the same time so Kite Republic were starting to import Gin. As such we made a decision where we decided to wait for the Nazca which we had been informed was well into design development and is now here.

Cheers

John

mmmmmm

Sorry, hybrid.

And Ozone never made any C's, well not under their brand anyway.

Gin kite nazca is a copy of the Instinct.

Imitiation is a great form of flattery, and the original is always better.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

kiterepublic,

i heard that "Gin" in korean means "To Follow" and it clearly looks like they are following Ozone.

I have the following from Marc Ramesier at Gin Kites on the matter.

for the comparison stuff with ozone:
we are not copying anyone, but are doing our own thing. the similarities of kite looks between ozone and gin kites originates from the fact that both companies have the same background, coming from paragliding - and also are kind of taking the design looks from there and evolutioning it further.
I've been flying the first nazca prototypes back in august06 and all the pics we currently use are from september06 - long before we've seen any pictures of the instinct whatsoever..

alright. all the best.
till soon,
marc





Any way forget the mud slinging and get on with riding as you will find out they are great kites. Get a life and get on one and make up your own mind. Obviously not enough wind around lately and every one has too much time on their hands
John