Ken's Kitchen:
All the latest news on what North Kite Designer, Ken Winner, has been cookin' up in the North Kites R&D Department!
March 12: Word about the Rhinos
"I'm here in Margaret River, West Australia, working with Jaime Herraiz and Sky Solbach -- the two finest kite testers in the world -- and Henry Swales, our aeronautical engineer. These are perfect working conditions for us: a wide variety of wind conditions, with no one spying on us.
“Here's what Sky and Jaime and I think about the Rhino 06:
“We find that the 12 is more powerful than the Rhino 05 but less draggy. This lack of drag can fool people, even highly experience kiteboarders, into thinking the ’06 Rhinos have less power than the ’05s. However, quite the reverse is true. The ’06s are more powerful but have a higher lift-to-drag ratio. This means they work best with speed. Take away board speed and the kite flies to the edge of the window and seems to have less power. Ride with speed, however, and the power will be readily apparent.
“Since the Rhino 06 12 is so powerful, we had to pack a lot of power into the 14. The 14, therefore, should be compared with the Rhino 05 16 for power and turning. Even with all this new low-end power, the 14 still has lots of top-end range. In fact, the R6 14 is the first 14 I've ever enjoyed as much as a 12.
“Since the R6 14 is as powerful as the R5 16, we had to try really hard to pack some power in the R6 16. This we did. It is a super powerful kite. There's definitely nothing on the market in that size that is more powerful, and we tested many other brands. Still, since the R6 16 is so powerful, it should be compared with bigger kites, not other 16s and certainly not with smaller kites.
“The Rhino 06 18 and 20 are special light wind kites. They have a completely different panel layout and aspect ratio, with more struts, in order to get the most out of the lowest wind strengths.
“The front pigtails may be a bit on the short side with the Rhino 12 and 14. Even very experienced riders have had trouble picking up on this. Therefore, it's necessary to make sure that these kites are not being ridden with loose back lines, which slows turning and reduces range.
March 20: Testing the Vegas
We're finding the '06 Vegas works great right out of the bag. Just hook it up to the 5th Element bar, and go. We are really happy about the way the sizes fit together and the consistency of performance from one size to the next. We're stoked with every size -- there are literally no weak ones -- and with the way the sizes complement each other.
The extra range and de-power allows you to make bigger jumps between kite sizes. There are many times when all three of us are on the water, with three different sizes, and everyone is perfectly powered and happy. For many people, the two-kite quiver is really possible now.
I want to remind everyone that there are two attachment points on the kite for the front lines. The farthest forward attachment point gives the most de-power range, because it is higher up the leading edge. The back setting is for riders who want more constant power, similar to a Vegas 05.
The front pigtails have two knots. The knot at the end is for the 5th Element bar, and the knot in the middle is for four-line bars.
One thing I love about the Vegas 7 is that it has more power when the back lines are attached in the "fast turn" setting -- all the way back. It's something to keep in mind for, say, a light weight rider taking the 7 out in marginal winds. I can use the 7 starting in about 18 or 20 knots of wind, so a lightweight can be using it in 15 knots for sure. Setting the back lines back in those conditions can make for a more enjoyable ride!"
April 4: Doing your own tests
“Here are some tips for you if you are comparing two kites on the water: If the wind is strong enough to power you comfortably on two kites, the less powerful kite is usually more fun to ride -- especially if you're not going for huge jumps. We run into this all the time comparing 12s with 14s. The 14 never feels good compared to the 12 unless the wind is so light that we simply can't go on the 12. OR, if we have two 14s and one is more high-end oriented, the high-end kite feels better all the time EXCEPT when the wind is too light for it. The lesson here is “don’t rig too big”.
“Next time you hear from me, I will be back in the Gorge!”