Maybe someone should organise a retro kiting event. The catch is you need to enter with a kite that is more than 10yrs old. Extra points for also having a board 10years old.
Select to expand quotebillykiter said...
Maybe someone should organise a retro kiting event. The catch is you need to enter with a kite that is more than 10yrs old. Extra points for also having a board 10years old.
I'll supply the board for the event!
2008 SOFX 10m "glider" 7 strut. Put it into a turn and that's how it stayed.
Would survive a nuke but flew like crap. Where are they now?
Core GT 7m
Flappy, surged all over the place, and had a tendency to refuse to respond to bar inputs during turns unless you sheeted right in - like trying to place a car driver computer game with digital buttons. Not the best when you're trying to boost in 30+ knots.
Killed itself in a piss-weak nose dive and I replaced of with a Crossbow 7m - fabulous... in comparison.
Airush Lift 16m was very fond of hindenburging in a lull too. But that was just very annoying.
Select to expand quoteKamikuza said...
hindenburging
Never heard that one? What's it mean?
Select to expand quoteDaniel1973 said...Kamikuza said...
hindenburging
Never heard that one? What's it mean?
Google Hindenburg and you will understand.
Select to expand quoteDaniel1973 said..Kamikuza said...
hindenburging
Never heard that one? What's it mean?
When a kite front stalls a little, the nose drops, the lines go slack and it just falls out of the sky like a rock.
Pretty rare thing to see these days, most kites are designed so if they overfly at all, they just float back into the window. My 1st gen Flite does it occasionally when I'm standing around on the beach in super light wind, with it poorly trimmed...
Select to expand quotebillykiter said...Daniel1973 said...Kamikuza said...
hindenburging
Never heard that one? What's it mean?
Google Hindenburg and you will understand.
This is the reason I asked:
I knew the Hindenburg caught fire, and my mind was wondering how the **** does a kite catch fire, and why have I never heard of it!
Select to expand quoteDaniel1973 said...billykiter said...Daniel1973 said...Kamikuza said...
hindenburging
Never heard that one? What's it mean?
Google Hindenburg and you will understand.
This is the reason I asked:
I knew the Hindenburg caught fire, and my mind was wondering how the **** does a kite catch fire, and why have I never heard of it!
It's more because of the way it drops out of the sky when it flies too far into the window.
Blade Trigger! 2010 i think it was. got rid of at as soon as i knew better!
poor quality (bar control line end ripped out once, only held in with pot rivet!) and like someone said before about another kite... it was just crazy, flew like a ADHD kid on red jelly beans and fanta! made me think of the blade instantly!
Select to expand quoteTanos said..
Obviously you guys never tried a Slingshot Link, the kite that could not even fly without a bridle tweak released 6 months later! 
the link 7 was actually a great kite in 25 knots of wind.. yes the rest were a bit suss it was dano now lead designer at bws who messed that design up..
Select to expand quoteAdamYared said..Tanos said..
Obviously you guys never tried a Slingshot Link, the kite that could not even fly without a bridle tweak released 6 months later!
the link 7 was actually a great kite in 25 knots of wind.. yes the rest were a bit suss it was dano now lead designer at bws who messed that design up..
The link in bigger sizes were absolute pigs. First time I put one in the air, I waved frantically to drop it as I thought I had the lines connected incorrectly. 'They weren't.' I remember having trouble launching one on dry land, let alone dropping it in the surf.The magic red bridal just thankfully helped to sell it. The 7m worked as a storm kite around here to. From memory it was well strutted and very rigid, and came into its own when it was nuking. Be interesting to fly it now compared with modern kites in strong winds, but I'll leave that to someone else.
Select to expand quoteKamikuza said...Daniel1973 said..Kamikuza said...
hindenburging
Never heard that one? What's it mean?
When a kite front stalls a little, the nose drops, the lines go slack and it just falls out of the sky like a rock.
Pretty rare thing to see these days, most kites are designed so if they overfly at all, they just float back into the window. My 1st gen Flite does it occasionally when I'm standing around on the beach in super light wind, with it poorly trimmed...
Got an 08 flow that loved to do that at Melville .. Got good at untangling my lines real fast
Select to expand quoteMonsoon said..
the worst kites I had was either this 2003 19.5m Airush liftpro jellyfish
Did you take that photo to prove you survived pumping it up?
Slingshot Turbo Diesel mark 1 12m.
On first launch I sheeted out and it nose dive and inverted. It spent probably 50% of its time inside out after that!! Huge range though if you didn't let it fly inside out.
Airush 2004 Flow. Fixed 6 plus bladders and it would fly over your head and just keep going until the lines went slack.
Select to expand quoteONYX said..
Naish Boxers ~ 2002. Thats when I first picked up the kite, only to almost loose my life.
Took me 8 years to get back on a kite after that...
HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA... put mine in the trees
Boxer was alright really if you compare it to kites of the day. I mean Cabrinha Blacktip (01-02) was absolutely horrendous... I learnt on a 21m, shop said it would be good for me (50kg kid), nearly died a few times.There's tons of bad kites, Naish have made a lot, Cabrinha have made tons since they stopped making C kites, F-one makes them all the time, Best constantly makes them, Slinghots made a few, Ozones made a few in the past... what am I getting at? I'm pointing out that it's far easier to highlight the kites that are good vs the ones that aren't, the list isn't exactly long 
.
Probably need to consider them against the other kites of the time.
In the running for Widowmaker of all time:
Wipika Wip - relentless pull, no steering
Naish X4 - Satan's own kite
But I think the early "toenail" kite are the overall worst kite category winners: anything with 2:1 bar and bow shape. I know they might have changed the course of kiting for the better, but the first ones were universally ****. And yes, the Slingshot diesel 1 looked like the worst of the worst - and I didn't even own one.
Select to expand quotePhezulu1 said..
But I think the early "toenail" kite are the overall worst kite category winners: anything with 2:1 bar and bow shape. I know they might have changed the course of kiting for the better, but the first ones were universally ****. And yes, the Slingshot diesel 1 looked like the worst of the worst - and I didn't even own one.
Hw did they change it "for the better" again???. I still haven't flown a "good" one.
The problem with the 2005-2007 years was that while bows were first coming out and were absolute shyt, all of the C kites had gone 5 line and were f**king sick! Bow frothers were extra annoying at that time. I remember guys on the first Crossbow trying to tell me how good they were compared to my wonderful Torches. EADC. Bridled kites have come a long way now and I don't mind riding them at all. Actually learning to love bridled C's!
Select to expand quotesir ROWDY said..
Boxer was alright really if you compare it to kites of the day. I mean Cabrinha Blacktip (01-02) was absolutely horrendous... I learnt on a 21m, shop said it would be good for me (50kg kid), nearly died a few times.There's tons of bad kites, Naish have made a lot, Cabrinha have made tons since they stopped making C kites, F-one makes them all the time, Best constantly makes them, Slinghots made a few, Ozones made a few in the past... what am I getting at? I'm pointing out that it's far easier to highlight the kites that are good vs the ones that aren't, the list isn't exactly long .
I have seen good riders do realy well on all the kites you mentioned, some kites were just what was regarded cutting edge at the time, maybe a rider problem, unable to dial in to what a pro rider considerd a great kite. which is generally a problem, ......guys with freak talent giving feed back to kite designers.
hmmm, maybe. Although most pros actually want something that should be the easiest for intermediate to advanced riders of any level to use. The only rider I can think of that want's something that wouldn't be great for learning tricks is Youri Zoon.
