Great idea Sorse, I actually spoke with bill earlier about something similar. I would like to see a number of top riders with experience get together and do a complete gear review in KBM. I would personally love to do it. I think there are many other riders that would suit such a test, riders that have been around now for a long time and know kites!

A massive demo day would be great, but also caos. I have seen how hard it is to just test one brands kites at a dealer meeting, little lone multiple brands. I think a mag test would be easier and clearer. Maybe get 4 or 5 top riders from different brands, and 4 or 5 begginner-intermediate riders (with no deals or aliegances) and have a score card in different catagories. Give each kite a score out of 10, and a comment. then the editor could go through all the cards, work out which ones seem on the mark and show a general consensus of how each kite shapes up to the competition. Make it open to every brand that wants to be in it. Could be interesting...

JB

I would like to see a mix of experienced and novice riders. Things like turning speed, hand time and jump height can not always be relable from a novice kiter! also with some aspects of a kite which may be confused with a riders bad habbits or inexperience in certain riding tasks during the tests. But definately the novices point of veiw is very valid, as they are the customers out there!

JB

Great idea,

Compare complete prices and give a ratio to performance value.

With tests like

Size of bag for packing.
Weight
Kite reinforcing and its true value
Amount of pull on leash
relaunch quality from all crash positions
Over powered characteristics (Stability)
Safety options
Safety reliability
Processes and results of self handling in overpowering conditions.
Waveriding
Speed of the kite across the wind window
double kite loop?
Hooked in
Unhooked
Ideal application for the kite.

Im a big kook but this would mean something to me

Nice list,
Should add

Weight
Bar durability
Bar comfort
Bar simplicity
Line length
Water relaunch posibilites(Nose down, trailing down,U shape, Nose forward)
Self landing options(anchored,Reride,5th release)
Pack up (Bag easy to pack, Bag a bit small)
Safety leash options (Reride,Suicide,5th)
Technology
Recommended Retail Price

Now we are starting to get somewhere. About time somrthing like this happened.I believe an invitation to all brands would be nessercery.Those who dont participate will lose face.finally we will see which claims are real and which are bogus before you part with you money.biggest challenge would be getting unbiased riders though.Mind you im fairly sure you would get a heap of people volinteering for the job.Each rider would need a control board so that the only thing that they could judge would be the kite.Reverse also for comparing boards.Bring it on I say.

The whole BIG review done by a select few riders on all new season kites sounds good and will help a little to narrow your choice down.

I think it will be cool to have something like that in the kiteborder Mag and be a good read and will help sell more mags But...

you still will be taking advise from some other bloke who proberly used the kite in condition unlike your own and has a completly diferent riding style than yourself.

As Steve and choicey said and I will also say...

Best thing to do is Go into your local kite shop and Try,Try,Try
This way you fly the kites in your own conditions and make up your own mind before you buy.

If they are a Good Kite store they will have the Full range of the leading brands and the Demos avaliable.

Best thing is it beats siting down reading a revew!


Bring on Summer nothing like playng with new toys!

Regards
Luke

Fantastic idea Dave and I was just speaking to Martyn from Glascraft this arvo on exactly the same topic. We at Surf Connect in Brisbane is hoping to do just that this coming season, inviting as many brands as we can on board so customers can choose on an unbiased platform, and find a kite that is most suitable and comfortable for them. In England/Europe, regular open days are run where most brands participate. The day is like a funfair, like heaven for users as they are not only able to see the latest in the market, all different brands in one place, but also get to try different ones out. Hope that will happen here one day too. We start with regular gearswap days here, next one we are sponsoring is the Wind Wanderers next Saturday at Redcliffe in Brisbane. Details: www.seabreeze.com.au/Members/Events/View/WindWanderers-Winter-Gearswap_1172776.aspx. Come along, bring all the gear you wanna sell, or come to find some bargains. We will have the latest Liquid Force 08 kites and boards for demo on the day too.

Hey JB, Sorse, Monkeyboy you are all on the mark. I was talking to Bill at KBM myself last week about a similar concept. I know the review is coming up and we are all going to submit out kites to be reviewed in KBMag which I think is great.
I also mentioned to Bill a roadshow and keep these kites on the road and take them to a few of the main beaches and let the guys hacve the chance to have 2 mins on 30 kites. I know i'd love to do it myself. IMO KBM are the go as they are impartial with no adgenda but they probably don't have the time, money or inclination to do it but it's a top thought. Anyone else want to volounteer to cart 50 kites around Aus?
I like what I ride and I ride what I like because I can but even though I import and retail I might also jump on something and say HEY I gotta sell that and hopefully other guys are going to hop on some of the lesser known brands or maybe haven't flown this brand or that brand and say I really like the way that flies.
I'm all for being informed and making informed decisions. Different strokes for..... I'm left handed so I can't speak for the masses

PFFFFTTT......

quote:

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Anyone else want to volounteer to cart 50 kites around Aus?

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haha il do it, but only if you supply the car and if i get to keep the kites after

this is a brilliant idea, if no mags are game we can always do it on seabreeze, like set up a totaly new review part that gets updated by the riders only etc. so its set up just like the mags are but on here instead? or set up a totally dedicated review web page?

I think it should be like an event during summer, shops come together with a bunch of demos at a beach and let people ride and fill in the card and hand it in, then move to the next beach another day. i really hope this plan gets put to action!