They are on the way now. Should be here within a week. We had to get a few 06 based bars for the demos, but the new bars will be here early March.
Keep looking here and in the main forum we will announce when we get them and where demos will be.
Cya and
Goodwinds
Steve
In their haste to get the kites out before Chinese New year, we got some sample kite today but only 4 bars.
One demo sport 11M is on its way to SOS in Perth, another to ARSA in Townsville, and a 9M will go to Kitepower Geelong.
Have one other demo 9M Sport or Edge to spare, dealers only for now.
Will have 11M Sport and Edge as well as lights on demo at Kitepower Sans Souci, from tomorrow.
Cya and
Goodwinds
Steve
A mate of mine just got back from a trip overseas and said he rode the prototype of the sport in Veitnam. Bastard. He said that he has never rode anything like it. Absolutley no bar pressure in 30+ knot winds. Easy as to ride. He rides a Airush flow at the moment and is getting really ****ty at it now after riding the ozone. (actually its quite funny to watch this german dude lose his cool) look forward to trial run these kites myself. See if he's full of s**t.
Well I forced myself to stop work around 11.00 am yesterday and head over to the beach, because a nice 15-22 knots Southerly was blowing, and I had the new Insticts to test.
Took an 11M Edge and an 11M Sport to try. We got 4 bars from Ozone before the factory shuts for Chinese New year, used the 06 bar as shipped and fitted with all the 07 trim. The rear lines and the front lines can be trimmed on the fly, rears are plastic buckles backed up by the rear leader line so you cannot lose a rear line even if the solid looking buckle breaks. Fronts/fifth are trimmed with a cleat, which has a strap that attaches to the centre line so it is always easy to reach. There is a swivel on the front lines, and this year they have fitted flagging rings so that you can flag the kite out for emergencys and self landing, to either front line.
A leash can be fitted to one of these flagging rings and you can also rig a line to go down through the centre hole in the bar so that the leash can spin.
Ozone have put enormous effort into making every single part of the bar exrtremely high quality and functional right down to the bungees to hold your lines on.
Centre line is plastic covered for long life and the chicken loop safety release is a Eurpoean standard pull away system.
The kites are superbly built, the Sport is one pump (licenced to Slingshot), the Edge is 7 strut and is not one pump. Leading edges and struts are small diameter and inflation time on both is easy due to the one way valves on all bladders. I used approx 6PSI in the struts and bladders.
In flight the kites are similar, in that they both give a very direct, light C kite feel, but with excellent wind range and gust absorption. The edge is extremely lifty, I got some great sized jumps, bigger than I expected when I timed my jump well with a gust. Both kites are easy to jump, you can feel them in the air, no pulleys at all on these kites so the feedback to the rider is direct.
Upwind ability on both kite was amazing, I was able to ride up to the bridge from Dolls in a few tacks, chasing a mate on an 11M 07 Waroo! Turning on both kites is amazingly quick, but controllable, the Sport turns a bit tighter than the Edge but the edge still turns tight and fast. Both kites can be ridden as fast as you can hang on, or you can edge more and ride them slower and absolutely truck upwind!
I gave 2 other riders turns on the 11M edge both were very impressed, and I was impressed because they were both entrenched in other brands. Both were amazed at the light feel, that increases slightly with speed and wind, and the upwind and jumping ability of the Edge, we were only using the Edge then.
I think the most popular kite will be the more low aspect, one pump Sport, because it will suit a wider range of riding styles, including unhooked, and wave riding. The Edge will be the choice for those that want to go very, very big, ride waves, ride fast, and have a slightly heavier bar feel.
I'm sitting here this morning with a blasted body still remembering the awesome smooth power and easy turning and positioning of these 2 kites, overall my favourite is the Sport. I spent approx 4 hrs riding both.
Demo's will be sent out soon, we need to get some bags and bars before we can begin shipping kites to customers, but they are showing as in stock at the factory and will only be a couple of weeks away.
Cya and
Goodwinds
Steve
www.kitepower.com.au (Instincts are on the site now)
Spent another few hours last night getting to know the Instinct Light 12M. Wind was approx 12-16 knots, easy to stay upwind on a 1.52 x 44 06 FLX, even doing small jumps and transitions. Other kites on the water were not staying upwind. I weigh approx 75Kg, my son Peace is approx 60Kg.
Tested the relaunch extensively, in deep water, easy, but different to bridled bows. Kite must be swum at until the kite is on its back, then just grab and point the bar to tension the uppermost tip and then the kite will move to that side of the window and take off. In stronger winds pulling in the centre lines and swimming a the kite will make that part of relaunching easier. Kite cannot invert due to span line. If the kite lands face down, leading edge facing upwind, pull one rear leader to rotate the kite, and then swim at it and point the bar, once the kite is on its back.
We relaunched the kite several times from all postions and did not fail to get it off the water within 50M of our board.
I must admit I was extremely sceptical of this 3 strut design, my mind was a bit tainted from my experience with another well know brands 3 strut kite that was crap.
This kite is just heaps of fun, rips upwind, jumps easy, has a firmer bar feel and pressure than either the Sport (lightest in the range) or the Edge. Slower to turn than the Edge and the Sport (fastest and tightest in the range), but still very quick.
The depower is very effective, the kite depowers completely when the bar is released, we tested this too. we had the leash clipped to the centre line below the bar and unhooked, kite came to rest on the water once and on the beach a second time and refused to relaunch until the bar was picked up and the rider positioned properly.
The kite will flutter in transitions if the bar is pushed out too far, but it is not a trailing edge flutter, it is the whole canopy because the depower is so effective. During normal riding with the kite parked or sining the canopy is tight and wrinkle free with a very efficient looking shape, same as the Sport and Edge.
Attention to detail and the finish of construction and quality materials are second to none on the market.
The Light is aimed waveriders, those that want to learn unhooked riding and begginers, and I would like to ride one myself as much as possible. I also like the Sport, but it probably has more of a tendency to spank me, purely because of my wobbly body these days, but I still like the way it rips me off the water and gives super floaty jumps.
Cya and
Goodwinds
Steve
PS - Looking for good, young, passionate team riders in all areas, also instructors wishing to upgrade to a simple easy to use, easy to re-launch design with bombproof construction and a no pulley direct C kite feel - please send me your details sydney(at)kitepower.com.au - replace the (at) with @
hows the turning speed of the light compared to an 06 instinct?
Macca needs a smaller kite ;) soon
Im waiting to get my 11m back from the sail shop, just getting the mod done on mine ;)
Turning speed of all 3 models is up on last years kite, in the 11M and 12M sizes that I have tested so far. I did not feel there was anything wrong with the turning speed of the 06 11M and smaller kites, the 13M and 15M were a bit slow, but still fine for most riders, and all 15M+ kite start to get slow don't they?
Come and try one Macca, you will be blown away by how much smoother they feel, the gust absorption, turn rate, depower, trimming system, and the build quality. People cannot beleive what they see when I use the 3 strut Lights, they perform as well as 5/7/9/ strut kites!!
Let me know how that mod goes, or come and let me see/fly it?
Cya and
Goodwinds
Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Macca Wollongong
hows the turning speed of the light compared to an 06 instinct?
Macca needs a smaller kite ;) soon
Im waiting to get my 11m back from the sail shop, just getting the mod done on mine ;)
11m edge,06 50cm bar used, new bars not yet available
6yrs on wipi,rhino's,flexi storms,windwings,slingy,flx 128/39, srt5,11.Sth coast NSW Shoalhaven Heads home base.75kgs, old school
Purchased 7m instinct when first released 06.Love it,didn't purchase 11m at time heard it a little slow on turning confirmed for self on borrowed unit.
Wind range over about 5-6 days 10 to 20 knts(flx only)
11m edge even on smaller bar(50 instead of 60)turns fine.Kite develops lots of energy when flying, bar pressure fine, I fly one-handed a lot(the fugitive
)Put the kite where u want it and it stays ,very stable,lift and hang time unreal.No surge or untoward behaviour in gusts just plenty of acceleration if u want.Winds are generally very clean here.Have not had to change trim settings over wind range other than experimentation so can't say how kite feels at higher wind ranges however prefer my kites used in "sweet spot" range.
Construction can not be faulted, above bar initially seems a little cluttered due to proliferation of lines and trim strap but after a bit of use u don't notice.
Sail here a lot solo(only 2 of us kite)so launch and land critical.
Landing no problem and just slide launch as per ozone video.
So impressed that I've just picked up a 9m edge to round out kitbag.
