A little less conversation, a little more action

[zgur]

People love to talk how stuff works......I'm all about feeling it.......I've told many people how sweet the Amundson board is, now you have a chance to find out, even when I am riding on my ride.....

As of today I have a demo board, 128X38, wherever I will be kiting. Find me and you can see for yourself how a custom board feels......in my opinion, it feels REALLY nice. You tell me after you ride it.

Now all we need is some wind....

Get some, Z toothlesss 1. :P

[BrokenDC10]

So Z.......I read your post on kiteforum about the HyperType.

Not a very impressive writeup.........did you try the pre-production model? Just wondering if it was the same kite that one of our local web-retailers had who is also recovering from kite-induced injuries.

- Brickyard Mark

[OliverG]

I rode the HyperType 12 once, at Sherman over the July 4 weekend and my intial impression was pretty good I have to say. The kite turned reasonably fast (quite good, but not TypeWave speed, and it's not meant to), generated very smooth power and provided light bar pressure, but not so light you're lacking feedback, and the kite flies in 5-line mode without bridles. As far as air and hangtime, I was very impressed and on my limited session was hucking the biggest air I had done all weekend. As far as freestyle goes, I still prefer a C-kite, but that is really a result of kite design. Slingshot, for instance, has the new Link, another hybrid C/Bow kite which can be flown in either bridled or 5-line modes, but still offers the Fuel. I think there's still a place for C-kites and most manufacturers will continue to offer them, although it appears Cabrinha will not as noted recently. But back to the HyperType, it seemed pretty solid to me on my limited exposure to it.

Ollie

[fearlu]

What color is the demo board? If it's missing from the beach, look around for me.

[zgur]

Mark - I was being honest about the hypertype and all SLE kites in general which I have flown. The kite was Chip's 12m.....I think people use words too lightly and "blow smoke up the skirt" of equipment makers. My goal is honsty: when read that I'm stoked, you should not be wondering - "is he really stoked, or just talking nice abou this product?". Integrity matters.

I write honestly about my experience, and provide backround about myself, so that people can take it with a grain of salt.......

Here is what I wrote......

"I flew this kite. Before I tell you my opinion, you need to know a bit more about me.

I am an intermediate kiter, trying to become advanced, working on:
1. Improving my unhooked riding
2. Improving my wave riding....been kiting for about 5 years, windsurfing for 20+. I love C kites, and don't like how SLE/bows feel. Just my personal opinion. I think it's the kiter, not the kite, that matter.

I flew the 12m on a very windy day, should have been on next size down, but it was not available. I flew the kite for 45 mintues: in my opinion, you know in 20 min or less if the kite is the one for you.

The kite turned really fast, good jumps. Good range, as I was definately on the top end of where this kite is ok. It flutter a bit when at the top end, but so do all the others.

Stock set up had a huge throw, which I personally don't like. No stopper ball set up. Kite made good upwind progress. could not test the unhooked riding, as it was too powered (even w/trim strap pulled down). Kiteloops - well, not really loops, more like rotations at the edge of the window - were easy and quick. Felt like cheating. My friends told me that my jumps had long hangtime - did not feel any diff from normal. Being on a 12 when I should be on 10/9 was a part of it.....

Compared to other SLE kites, it's simple (4 line) has good bar feeling (not too soft/heavy) turns quick and jumps well.

After I got back on my "hybrid C" Vegas 06, I was instantly at home and was again reminded that I am not an SLE person."

Later, Z.

[BrokenDC10]

Z,

Thanks for the reply. Appreciated. Trust me, I don't want the smoke up the skirt!

- Mark

[Live2KITE]

Well, all I know is that I had the pre-production kite for 2 weeks and I rode it for 1-3hrs every day. (it's the one that I gave to Chip for the 4th of July weekend and the one that Zeev (the touthless hero) got a short taste the same weekend).

For the record. The kite was a preproduction kite. The bar, safety, depower, zipper and a few other details were for testing only and very different than the production model which will be in our hands next week.
I don't intend to write a report about this kite, since we are planning for a broad testing of the production model end of next week.

What I want to convey though, after having 14 days on the kite which is the most that anyone else in the US has had so far on them, is that it is the most amazing jumping kite I have ever been on.
When Simone told me that he called it the BOMB I laughed at him, but he insisted that this is the most advanced kite to date.

I found the HyperType 12m to be a very fast turning kite, extremely stable, very responsive, and when you send it it shoots to the moon. Literally - I had jumps that the vertical was substantially higher than the 13m RRD Type HiR (and all of you in this forum know that the HiR is a jumping machine). and the float and smooth landings of the HyperType were surprising. The kite doesn't want to go down! Amazing.
I couldn't help noticing though that the pre-production HT was not a beginner kite. This is not your regular bow people - this is a high performance kite!

Anyway, we have a big order that has already shipped and will be in our Sausalito warehouse by Thursday of next week. Most of 50% of them are already sold to people who tried the kite while we had it in our hands!!!!

Stay tuned - Live2kite carries 12 different types of bows and hybrids at this point. (the widest selection of kites in the San Francisco area and across California - probably in the country at this point
)
We are planning for an extensive testing back to back on these kites and will report our results through our newly established Test Center. I can't wait to put the HyperType next to my favorites Instincts, ION, Sonic and Waroo & Waroo Pro and more....

More soon.....

Evan
(still on the brace and one more week before I can walk - tough to believe but that's what the doc said)

[Bulldog]

"I couldn't help noticing though that the pre-production HT was not a beginner kite. This is not your regular bow people - this is a high performance kite!"

I'm sure that this is true, and I'm glad Evan is making the statement, since many of the RRD kites seem to be so fast moving that they potentially would slow the learning curve for anyone except an expert kiter. When you get spanked on an RRD kite, it hurts! Adding a TDB helps, but it doesn't change the nature of the kites.

IMHO, North seems to have made a kite in the Vegas that allows everyone who flies it to quickly improve their kiting, whatever level they are. At Sherman, everyone from beginners to experts are on these kites and have taken their kiting to a new level this year. I heard an expert RRD rider last weekend talking about how much more stable and confidence-building the Vegas he tried was, while being just a tad slower turning, than his Type 7.

[Live2KITE]

Here is what RRD has in plan for 2007:

B-Type. An improved bow kite that is targeting the beginner, intermediate and freestyle community. Super stable, fast but not too fast, great safety / depowering features - Pretty much the right kite for 80% of the kiting population

HyperType aka The Bomb. If you are looking for performance this is the kite. It jumps higher than anything else I have ever tried, but still super stable, great safety and depowering features - the future in kite design!

Type 8 - The marriage of Type 7 and Type Wave2 with all new design and features, coming standard with the Total Depower Bar which has been (as usual with RRD) ahead of its time! This will be what Chip and Ollie will be using as well as the ultimate wave riding kite (as RRD has created the tradition). But it won't be here till October this is only from the preproduction tests.

Pablito - many schools have been using RRD kites for the past 2-3 years so I am not sure what your point about expert only is all about.
Are your references anecdotal or from your own experience?
There are many Type 7 RRD kiters in the Bay that would violently disagree with you regarding the spanking comment. These kites are super smooth, forgiving, and very predictable. You are probably referring to 2-3 yr old kites, which were spankers no matter which brand you were looking at.

I will have a few HyperType 12m ready for people to try by end of this week. They will be in Alameda, Sherman and 3rd Ave so everyone can tell first hand if these are trully as advanced as people have been talking about.

There are so many good kites out there which turns the discussion more around which has the right characteristics to match your style, and not which is the better kite.
I am certain that between RRD, Flexi, Ozone, GK, Naish, Best, Cautio or OR you will find the right for your style and where you want to be.
:yawinkle:
Evan

[whitecap]

I have to add that Alex is a bit impressionalble, and I would not take his comments as 'an expert kiter' as gospel. He is a 13 year old kid that gets excited about the newest toy. Heck, he has even lost interest in the cool remote control cars he had out awhile ago...Parking next to Zeev for awhile is stong mix, as we know that Zeev has stong opinions, and Alex is a bit too receptive.

I have had some issues with the bladder on our 7, after Alex did not close the wing tip, and the bladder blew up at the end. As a result, he was bumming kites on the beach the last couple weeks. He did like the vegas a bunch. It does look like a nice kite, and some great riders are on them, but I have not had the chance as of yet. The funny thing is that after he read Evan's description of the type 8, he kinda changes his tune. Chip turned us on the rrds a couple years ago, and I would have to disagree with Paul's assesment. Yeah, the type 6 was so much quicker than any other kite in 2004 that the unaware would get spanked. Same for the type wave. However, the type 7 and hir are completly different, as they are quite stable, and wait for your input. I did manage to try the Rebel and Ozone instinct, and I still feel the total depower bar is the best solution available - assuming you know how to tune the 5th line tension - and I think a number of folks do not figure that out....If you do it right, the bar will 'float' half way out, with no bar pressue, and around 60% of your kite's power. Pull it in for 100% and PUSH it out to kill the power. That is the difference - tune it right, and you activly push to shut it off, which eliminates the bar pressure problems of the bows, and lets you spin the bar while keeping power in the kite.

Unless something smacks me upside the head, I will be looking for a new quiver of type 8s - and my selection of type 7s will be for sale in the winter/spring, along with customized bars...OK - a disclosure, as we are kinda with rrd....I will say that the early wave bars last year were not that durable. We went through chicken loops and the adjustable part of the 5th line. However, a trip to West Marine created a much nicer bar with better spectra, and swivel, ball bearing pullies for the TDB. Chip and Ollie have also played with their bars. They came out with better bars later in the Spring.


bob