Slingshot Fuel 2011 Kitesurfing is it now a wave kite?

It seems the big news for the 2011 Slingshot fuel is the lose of some struts, it seems it is following it's little brother, the RPM and turning in to a three strut kite. Maybe slingshot want the kite to cross over a little more, giving the kite more wind range, and better turning ability. Rubens influence seems to strike again with the new crazy graphics. Loosing a few struts will reduce weight , and help the kite settle back in the wind window either in waves or during big freestyle moves. I am sure slingshot will give the Fuel it's legendery super strong build quality. Can't wait to get my hands on one.

North Select 2010

Well, I got bored of the Shinn Luigi, I loved the luigi, but at 44cm wide, I decided I would come down to a more traditional width and for the strong winds, I fancied something more 41-42cm so I opted for the expensive North Select 135cm.
Now to be fair I have used the Select before but that was courtesy of North in Cape Verde and it was in perfect flat water between huge waves, and the board was a dream there, but we are back to reality now and using it in short sharp Whitstable chop, and in brown water.
The problem I had with the shinn was when it was blowing over 35 knots I had a problem with the board loosing a edge and skating away from me, and my thinking was a slightly narrower board it would hold more power.
The Select is super light, the first thing you notice bumping off small waves is the weightless feel under your feet, it is incredible, then back that up with a slightly softer flex the board is super smooth even silky smooth even through even the worst chop. I read the old bollocks on the north blurb and they talk about it being a magic carpet ride, well, I hate to agree with them but it really is. I just smooths out the ride for you, and cuts through anything.
With full carbon through the tail, it has an impressive spring or pop in the tail of the board, and it is wonderful to load up and release and still surprises me just how high the board gets with even a small amount of input. The crazy looking fins seem to give a great bite, but still loose enough when you want to slide it about, if there was a down side, maybe it is the super gloss top that can mark up easily. I am very heavily in love at the moment.

Litewave Spirt and Hybrid lace up Binding.

Had a lovely feeling Thursday night, had a bit of personal service, no not that type of service, did have Dave on his hands and knees though, but he was Adjusting his new straps around my feet. These kitesurfing foot straps are a little different, as the laces completely open and the tongue that covers the top of the foot Velcros to the side walls of the lace walls. This covers the whole of the top of the foot and gives a very secure feeling, add this to the pad that has a massive drop where your toes go and you feel so secure in them, locking your toes over the edge, even in boots this can be felt. You just nip the laces up tie them in a bow and push them up between the tongue and the strap walls and you have a tidy no nonsense strap. They come is two sizes a 5-9 and a 8-12, they are £94 but are free on the spirt board, that I hope will be £399.
The spirt was a 132-40,137-42 and a 144-44m, I rode the 144cm in about 14knots on a 14m ,I am about 100kg and found the Spirt a very comfortable board to ride, typical litewave feel, just friendly and well manor ed, not the lightest board, but keeping the super strong litewave philosophy alive. The board carvered and jumped nicely and went up wind no trouble at all, another old friend from Litewave designs.

LiteWave Designs Lightwind Wing Kiteboard

LiteWave Designs Lightwind Wing Kiteboard.
Dave popped in from California on Thursday, bringing down with him a few new toys, the spirt, a conventional twin tip and the new Wing shaped board. Well after a little chat we hit the water, North east and pretty flat water as the wind was barely 14 knots.
For all of you that know me I am a fat boy, to many pies and to many beers and go in a little past 100kgs, so 14knots is a little light for me. I took my trusty Vegas 14m ( again all who know me will tell you that this is my kite of choice up to 25 knots.
I took the spirt to start with 144-44cm and I had a pleasant enough ride, very easy and fun, a conventional shape and just kept ground for a while. Then Dave beckoned me in for a go on the 153cm wing, ( to be honest, I have riden a flydoor and I didnt much like it, so I was not that keen) Slipping my feet in to the straps ( liked the deck pads, they have a really big drop where your toes go, so you can get great grip) I dived the kite and went straight under, this board has very little rocker line. A bit of a reshuffle and started again with more weight over the tail and I was gone, literally gone .
From just holding my ground I was 100m up wind the first run. The kite was powered and I was ripping up and down, well more up up up and up, after 5 runs I had got to wankers point and needed to turn off down wind. This shape of board really does cut and I mean cut through the 6-12' chop, in fact feels weird as it doesn't slap, just cuts, does not really ride up and down just slices through the water. A good friend terry had a go on the board and he said the same, a smooth ride, and it shouldn't of been, no slip, just silky smooth, as Terry said it was Cushty.
The board sells for £469, so seems a very fair price for a board that gives so much pleasure. ( I have taken one if any one wants a demo.

Flexifoil Ion 5 2010
Just seen the new Flexifoil Ion5, (Pictures lower down) This is really going to appeal to those kitesurfers who want a good reliable performing kite who arr not to interested in handle passes etc, but still want to have a good performing kite. The kite seems like it has gone back and taken all the good things of the solid performing ion2 and the higher performance ion3, and then fused them together.Different sizes giving slightly different feel,the 14.5m giving great low end grunt, and still pretty tight turning, at the other end of the extreme the 7m being a fast but not silly , bee on steroids fast.The Ions keep there legendery solid feel with great manors, not trying to set the world a light but being a trusted friend in the sky.
The Ions now have reinforcements on every leading edge segment seam, those of us that do a lot of self launching will love this type of attention to detail, as is the dump valve on both wing tips.
The bar is very similar to last years but has a slightly longer throw on the depower line. Typical flexifoil easy on the eye colours and there you have the new Flexifoil Ion 5.