Sep 25, 2011

KSP One Eye Pro

As winds hovered around 10 to 12 knots and 3- to 4-meter swell detonated on the reef during the morning and early afternoon of day two of the KSP One Eye Pro, competitors stayed on call for the wind to ramp up just a bit more. “The wind hasn’t come up quite enough yet, but this is the best conditions I’ve ever seen,” commented KSP Event Photographer John Bilderback. “It’s retarded.”



As the wind slowly increased, event organizers ran 30 minute Expression Sessions for the men and women in order to see if the wind would hold and to set the judging scale for the massive waves, groomed to perfection by the side-offshore winds. The wind remained a bit light at the start of the men’s heat, making it challenging for some of the 24 competitors to ride One Eye top to bottom. Nevertheless, the athletes put on an incredible show, catching waves up to triple overhead. With his fluid, powerful riding, 2008 Kite Surfing World Champion Mitu Monteiro (Cabo Verde) won the Men’s Expression Session with some seriously committed turns and barrels. And Mauritian resident Ninja Bichler (originally from Germany) — who caught some incredible waves and used her local knowledge to ride better than some of the men — won the Women’s Expression Session.



The first three heats of Men’s Round 1 followed, comprised of three competitors per 15-minute heat. Strapped riders Max Bonieux (Mauritius) and Mauricio Pedreira (Brazil) won the first two heats, respectively. Pedreira had the highest scoring wave of the day, amidst the most action-packed heat of the three. 2010 Kite Surf World Champion Guilly Brandao, who rode in heat two, pulled into a deep tube on a massive closeout set, resulting in the most spectacular wipe out of the day and a shredded kite. With his fluid unstrapped riding, tight in the pocket, Airton Cozzolino (Cabo Verde) won heat three, the closest heat of the day. Juan Pabloo Diban (Chile) also put on a great show, linking a lot of turns and exhibiting wise wave selection.

Today marked the official start of the competition and the forecast looks incredible for the week ahead. Men’s Round 1 heats will resume tomorrow morning (conditions permitting), along with the start of Women’s Round 1.

The Mauritius One Eye Pro 2011 is sponsored by the Indian Resort & Spa, MTPA (Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority), Air Mauritius, Mauritours, Le Gall, Habit, Club Mistral and Silent Partners. The KSP World Tour is supported by ION and Vitamizzer.

The Filthy West – teaser

The Filthy West” is BWS’s latest film. Ben Wilson, Ryland Blakeney, Josh Mulcoy and Ian Alldredge embark on the ultimate surfing and kiting road trip across the Western Australian coastline.

The video will be available to watch online at the start of October.

Sep 23, 2011

All you need to know about Raceboards

Clinton Filen – Board Designer – Airush HQ, Cape Town, South Africa

This is an interesting blog to write from the perspective that the progression in the race shapes is moving much quicker than most other board design and has various factors affecting the final design outside of the norm. These include the perspective of emerging rules for the race category, specifically if you look at “One board rule racing” while considering the variety of conditions one might be racing in. Another area is the rate at which the riders are improving their skill level to deal with progression in design and what might work best, for the more recreationally oriented rider.

Without a doubt almost anything I say below has a sell by date, as development is often very cyclic in nature, as the boards get better we can run different fins, as the riders get better they can run bigger/different boards and the same for kites etc. An example is our first Monaro V2 prototypes were simply uncontrollable with double foiled 22cm fins, as the fins created so much drive off the wind you would just explode. As soon as we went to single foil, the control went up significantly. Right now a good racer could run vertical double foil fins 10cm longer and still keep it together.

Range of use & Skill level
The first consideration for your race or freerace boards is your range of use and skill level. Currently there is relatively clear line between a board that is made to go upwind faster than anything (especially in light wind) and the sacrifices you have to make in ease of use, more specifically with reaching and downwind. So at this stage I would say that if you are a recreational racer or racing with anything smaller than a 12 metre you should avoid a race board over 60cm with fins any bigger than 26cm for the biggest set.



You should see this trend change after a year or two when board designs become more controllable and the skill level of the average recreational riders improve.

If you are looking for a board to go blasting around on and having fun, even in marginal wind, I would be very cautious about the newer generation all out race boards unless you are prepared to put the time in to learn how to ride them and are working towards a racing career. Something like the Airush Sector 60 (V1 or V2) would be your best bet by far.

Quad Vs Tri Vs Single
This is currently one of the big areas of debate and to some degree I feel this is a question of control, versus efficiency. We have tried most configurations from single, to twin, to tri fin and inverted tri fin (Single fin in the front). In theory I would say the less fins the better when you are looking at pure efficiency, however as soon as you only have a single centre of lateral resistance the stability challenges become significant.

Currently our test results give us the best control in the quads and the best angle upwind. The weakness is drag so we opt for thinner foils and in most cases on our production boards we have asymmetrical foils to aid control.



Symmetrical foils vs. asymmetrical foils

This is a significant debate even in our own team. In places that are windy where control is more of an issue, asymmetrical foils (or flat foils on the inside) are the preferred choice. This is most obvious if you have a board with cant on the fins, as this increases the control problems significantly. Full vertical fins with symmetrical foils, specifically with the top racers in light wind are increasingly popular however this has drag and control challenges.



Fin Placement/ Further apart vs. closer together
The further apart you put your back and front fin sets the stiffer the board will be. BUT this is a generalization and has very much got to be considered in conjunction with how far forward your fins are. The further forward you put your fins, specifically your front fin set, the harder the board is to control. If you have your fins further back the board is generally easier to control but does not edge upwind as well.

Cant (Angle away from vertical)
Generally if you are used to riding a board by edging it to windward (Twintip style), then a board with canted fins will be much easier too use and more comfortable. Vertical fins require the board to be ridden dead flat or with a leeward cant. Theoretically riding the board flatter is faster, as you limit the amount of drag created by the trim angle resistance from the rail, but that doesn’t help if you crash and explode every 30 meters, or you simply cannot get comfortable.



Width
Our initial wide body development found 60cm to be a very comfortable all round size even in higher wind racing. Our race team will still be on 60cm wide boards such as the Sector V2 or Monaro V2 above 30 knots. This size also works very efficiently in light wind for intermediate racers and freerace. 65cm, like the Monaro V3, and over will give you an advantage in lighter conditions and bigger kites, specifically upwind. For reaching racing, the game changes completely and boards such as the Sector 52 V2 maintains a huge amount of control at speed. But keep in mind most course races are currently straight upwind and straight downwind. However, emerging categories such as boardercross, slalom and long distance require completely different boards that focus primarily on control on a reach, something a full blown raceboard is not really designed for.

Where does volume come into play?
This is open to debate as I would generally argue that once you are planning buoyancy is almost irrelevant, until you start to encounter some displacement such as dropping off the plane or engaging the rail to leeward when going upwind, specifically on vertical finned boards that need to be edged over to leeward.

What about kites?
That’s another whole exciting topic, all of this tech talks and I think I need go for a quick wave session to clear my head. But I will ask Mark our kite guru to

put together an overview on angles of attack, ideal foils and of course the much heralded aspect ratio in a later blog.

Next week Airush kite designer, Mark Pattison, talks about the ins and outs of developing the upcoming season of race kites.

Sep 18, 2011

X3 - Kite Compression Kit





Kit Includes:
1 x Vac Adapter, Compatible with all kite pumps and all vacuum bags, made from durable plastic and has a keychain hole for safe keeping.

3 x kite compression bag, made of extra thick durable plastic, size 50cm x 100cm
with a lockable one way valve.

£19.99 @ http://www.modernfuelproducts.com/

Sep 17, 2011

Kiteracing Fins



all info & prices
HERE

Airush Varial X Race 2012

Kite Features

The Varial X and Varial X Race kites introduced by Airush for the 2012 season are two new generation types of flying machines. Both have similar structures, with minor differences. The Varial X is a perfect freestyle and freeride kite for hardcore riders, while the Varial X Race is dedicated to racing enthusiasts. The Airush Varial X Race blends the successful features of the Varial with those of the Vapor X to offer a unique riding experience.
• V3 Bridle System
• C-Kite Structure
• High Aspect Ratio
• One Pump Inflation System
• Excellent Light Wind Performance
• Excellent Upwind Performance
The new kite line introduced by Airush for the 2012 season it intended to shape a new futire for the kiteboarding world. Every kite model has been carefully tuned and tweaked and it is ready to offer the best performance in its class. Especially for hardcore and dedicated racing enthusiasts, the Airush team has designed the Varial X Race. The kite has a similar design as the 2012 Varial X, but it is available in 13 and 17 square meters sizes only and it is a race and lightwind oriented kite.
The Varial X Race can get you running at incredible speeds when all the other riders sit on the beach and wait for the wind to pick up. At the same time it is ready to take you on the first podium position of any racing competition. The kite is engineered suing a high aspect ratio and a refined C-shape structure. It deploys plenty of power and reaches the top speed in no time. The canopy is supported by a V connection for the bridle to assure that the rider can steer the kite even if it is depowered.
The kite uses the innovative V3 bridle system which provides excellent depower and relaunch. The bridle uses a simple pulley system to keep the rider in control at all times. The kite generates massive power and incredible hangtime. It is guaranteed to satisfy the requirements of the most demanding and extreme riders out there. The narrower race profile and thinner struts make the kite extremely aerodynamic and fast. The kite can propel you like a rocket in light winds without a problem.
Although it is powerful and fast, the Airush Varial X Race is easy to operate and very stable. It has an optimal bar pressure and it is very reactive. The rider can perform spectacular tricks without worries. Used with a dedicated racing board, the Airush Varial X Race is ready to win all world class competitions. The kite is available in three color schemes and comes complete with leash, lines, bar, pump and bag.

Control Bar

The Airush Smart Bar was developed to offer high performance kite handling. It is perfect for both beginner and advanced riders, and blends new technology with user friendly features. It offers maximum efficiency and simplicity at the same time.

Features:
- BRAIN Quick Release System
- Total Depower Safety
- Pull off depower strap
- 4 or 5 line set up options
- Adjustable length
- OS Handles
- Active removable stopper ball
- Color coded connections
- Center Safety Line
- Auto Orienting QR

Best TS



TS: Be Untouchable

Ride optimized kite geometry
Responsive unhooked handling
Wide wind range
Stable in all conditions

Every size of the TS kite is uniquely engineered for a specific set of riding conditions - allowing the TS range to cover all riders and riding styles. Every aspect of design, shaping, material selection and construction in the TS has been refined to bring each size even closer to perfection.

Any rider looking for a high wind kite that is stable and predictable needs look no further than the 4m and 5.5m TS kites. Unhooked wave riders will find that the medium size TS kites offer the perfect blend of tight and fast steering responsiveness, light bar pressure and unhooked control, allowing them to express their style like never before.

New-school riders searching for blistering performance will be blown away by the improvements in handling, power delivery and jumping from the mid-sized TS kites. Hooked or unhooked the 7m -14m TS kites deliver greater stability, precise feedback and more performance than ever before.

For course racing and light wind conditions, the 15m and 17m TS kites are the most aerodynamically refined kites we've ever made. Refined even further they have been trimmed back to deliver maximum light wind performance and racing advantage. Changes to the center strut design and bridle positioning make them even easier to relaunch in the lightest conditions.

With sizes ranging from 4m to 17m there is a TS for every rider and every riding style.



http://www.bestkiteboarding.com/TS

Alex Pastor 2012 Team Series Video

Gaastra Hatch 2



Huge power reserves combined with total control make the Hatch2, the most user-friendly package of all time. Quick and easy to assemble, the high quality workmanship and easy relaunch are standards for designer Urs Hungerbühler.

What makes the Hatch2 stand out from the crowd is an uncompromising user experience on the water, coupled with anything but a boring character.The Hatch2 comes to life when you realize the sheer power it has.
Together with the balanced flying characteristics and the absolutely safe handling in any situation, it guarantees quick success. And it does not matter if you are a beginner or pro- the Hatch2 is the best tool for endless fun on the water.

The RNEH (Radial Nose Easy Handling) profile in the center area provides a balanced ratio of power and easy handling. The profile provides medium drag, which makes the kite predictability and keeping it from stalling. It generages big lift and huge hangtime! The medium bar pressure gives you direct feedback from the bar, so you always know exactly where the kite is. Shaping characteristics are made for effortless relaunch capabilities. The Hatch gives a straight steering behavior and follows your commands without fail. The NACA 0018 profiles in the tip area allow for clean and fast steering. A very sportive kite that will boost any skill level!

more photo & info @ http://www.gaastrakites.com/kites/2012/kites/hatch2

Sep 8, 2011

Wainman 2012 series preview



Progression Trick App





New iPhone app is now live in the app store and ready to download! You can find out more on our website here - www.progression.me/player

Get A Head Start with The PROGRESSION Player!
Progression Sports, makers of the worlds finest instructional videos for kiteboarders, have launched a new mobile app for iOS devices. Available download now in the iTunes store!

A Free Player App With In App Video Purchases
The Progression Player is an essential tool for any kiteboarder wanting to get a head start on their session, anytime, anywhere. The key features:

★ Free ‘player’ app comes with free video trailers and promotional videos
★ Browse available videos by level
★ Over 60 trick chapters available to download
★ New instructional videos regularly released
★ Individual chapters from £1.99, running from 6mins up to 36mins
★ Online account storage to save phone space
★ Recommendations direct from us

Prize Draw To Win A Shinn Board!

We have teamed up with Shinn to bring The Progression Player app to market with
a bang!
Anyone who downloads a chapter in our app in its first month of launch (September)
will be entered into a prize draw to win a brand new, literally just released,
SuperShinn Board!!
The prize draw will take place on 1st October with winners announced on our
website and informed by email.
More app information is available on our website including a short demo video that
will be ready next week. http://www.progression.me/player

No Strut Kite by Airush

Batman3 300x199 Airush 2012:  Primo kite senza struct

L’ anno scorso molti produttori avevano introdotto vele con un solo struct quest’ anno Airush sta testando una vela senza struct.

Eccovi alcune foto in anteprima:

Batman1 Airush 2012:  Primo kite senza struct

Batman2 Airush 2012:  Primo kite senza struct


Sep 4, 2011

Best Taboo 2012





Taboo Series 2012!


Sep 2, 2011

Somewhere in Mexico.

Ian Alldredge, Bear Karry and Ted Lyons somewhere in Mexico.


Small Day in Mex from TDZ on Vimeo.