Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Cor(e) Blimey!

Took the newly arrived Core 6.7 out tonight, ostensibly to set it up and parapack it nicely ... but despite the Crappy wind, it flew real nice and pulled good so I got the board out of the car and got some riding in!

Big surprise; I'd say there was maybe 3-6 knots and I know I would've been walking the Rebble backwards to keep it in the air. So despite the Crappy wind, it flew real nice and pulled good so I got the board out of the car and got some riding in! Mixed bag of carving turns; some half-hearted others powered - my timing needs a little work! Good fun slides, even in the Chicken Gravy wind!

The Core is a lower aspect ratio kite, sorta short and fat like the Vibe and unlike the longer, thinner Rebble.
I'm using Peter Lynn long handles and 20m 200/100kg lines. In that light wind, it flew slow but steady and reacted well to pull turns and brake only turns. Turns as good as the Rebble even though it's bigger and probably holds more speed through the turn too.
Good solid pull through the window, kind of reminded me of the Ace with it's non-stop steady power supply; the Rebble is sorta jerky as it comes into the power and takes off in comparison.
I stalled it several times trying to jump with it, which I put down to lack of wind and me sending it too far to the edge of the window ... we'll see how it goes in a little more wind.

Compared to the Blade III 6.6 I had, it's a lot less of a handful in the lighter winds; launches easy with a little backwards walking and fills quickly, going up to zenith and sitting there quite happily. Unlike the Blade, which in the same or slightly stronger winds, had to be yanked off the ground and turned to one side to trick it into launching then kept on the move or it'd stall when it got to zenith. That may well have something to do with just how light the Core is, compared to the Blade; newer, lighter materials maybe.

Anyway, it's a bloody good kite and looks like it'll turn a session of Crap into Chicken Gravy.

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