What is best for big air? What is best for float?

general dude,

I have an 11m Fuel an 8m Switchblade 3 and a 12m switchblade 3 .

Without doubt the SB's give me much higher longer airs way more hang time. This could be to do with the fact that you can ride the bow/hybrids far more powered up more comfortably. I will often be riding with my trim strap halfway in so that i can get upwind without being pulled off my edge in powered conditions only to let it out just prior to a jump.

biggest jump I've done was on a 9m '07 Vegas, but havent riden a similar sized bow kite in the same wind, so i can't compare. Naturally a larger kite will give you more hang time, but a smaller kite will give you more height. Mind you if you have the right sized kite for the wind your in, there won't be much difference.

just use both. a stack of kites (prob a bow a c and a hybrid just to be safe) would give you the best jumps.

general_dude said...

What is best for big air? What is best for float?

NA NA NA you're all wrong. What you want is a hot air balloon. An orange one, they go the highest and hang for ages.

highest jump so far would be for me on my vegas, floatiest would be on my rebel, i have seen some massive jumps on flat kites when ramping off a decent waves though!

Hi guys,

I don't think it matters what you ride. I have jumped huge on "C", Bow and 5 line hybrids, it's not the kite! What is important to going massive is timing, control, take off and experience.

Timing - Is critical. You need to have the right ramp, the right timing to pull the trigger on the kite and prefably in a nice gust all to coincide with the load and release of the edging prior to lift off.

Control is critical - If you can't reasonably control your kite ie it's too overpowered to get a good edge for take off, then you wont bump clouds. You need to be really powered up, but consistently in control of the kite. Being overpowered on a kite leads to slack back lines which slows steering and kite response. It also usually pulls you off your edge before you are ready resulting in long, low, hangy type jumps with a luffed kite to finish.

Take off - is critical. If you can't edge hard upwind and release at the point of the lift from the kite, you cannot load the lines or project yourself more upwind of the kite, this will determine height, not hangtime.

Experience is also critical - It comes in handy when maneovering the kite whilst you are in the air to be in the best position for long hangtime, good height and a controllable landing. No point going massive if you plonk your landing, or bail and crash land with a following luffed kite and a water relaunch. On super large jumps you usually have to loop the kite to prevent luffing and to make the landing doable.

Good winds,