Kitesoul Magazine #3 English Edition

108TECHHow to choose the ideal kitewithout pulling the ridertoo much.HANG TIMEThe amount of time spentin the air whilst jumping,also known as buoyancy…The lift is the abilityof the kite to “jump high”.Kites with low AR jumpreally high but make youfall just as quickly. Kiteswith high AR jump lessbut have more buoyancy.DRIFTINGThe ability of the kite to“follow” the rider whenthe rider is surfing. Thisis fundamental in onshoreand side onshore windconditions.STEERING (Overpowered)How fast the kite reactsto the pressure of thedepowered bar (sheetedout, hence with slackback lines) when turning.STEERING (Reactive)How fast the kite reactsto the pressure of thepowered bar, so with alot of backline tension.STABILITYHow “predictable” yourkite is when flying, withoutunwanted andunexpected behavior.For example during gustsor when moving fromone wind window to theother.UNHOOKED POPThe ability of the kiteto react rapidly and floatduring an unhookedjump.POWER RELEASE DELAYThe ability of the kite todelay the loss of poweronce the bar is depowered.HIGH BAR PRESSUREHow much pressure isperceived by the rider, onthe arms, when pullingthe bar. This pressure,for some brands, can bechanged by altering theback lines setting.KITELOOP SPEEDHow quickly the kite rotateson its axis.KITELOOP POWERHow much power is deliveredthrough a kiteloop.UPWINDThe ability of the kite tosail close to the wind direction,outside of thewind window. Kites witha high AR go upwind bettervs. kites with low AR.LOW ENDThe power delivered bythe kite in conditionsof low wind, devised forthat specific kite size.Renato “DrKite” CasatiTechnical ExpertRRD Wave team rider. Kiteboarder since 2000, he has beenPKRA athlete and judge. He’s a professional sportswriter forseveral technical magazines. He lives between Como Lake andSardinia, but he spends every winter in the waves of Cabo-Verde.