What's the deal with this kite? Saw a guy ripping on one the other day. The bugger weighs nearly 90 kilos and was out with me on a 10m, no probs. it seems to do everything really well. And yet I hear nothing about them. Smoke riders what's the deal, why? Thinking of recommending to my youngest brother. Interested in thoughts on those that ride or have ridden them....
It seems to have a mix of every Type of DNA out there. I just thought they were a grunt machine, think I was horribly wrong. Why are they so scarce on the water then?
To Epps kited with a euro today up here in the wind capital exmouth he was on the kite and was ripping , I've rode the big mama for a day in indo, really sweet kite did everything you want, I just felt a prickly riding a kite with a big rabbit on it, maybe not such a big, transaction if you've rode norths the are plenty of underestimated brands out there , for instance the mutiny f is an amazing kite but you don't see them here, ill see if he's keen for a kite swap and ill let u know ,
Yeh cauncy try and do that. I to have asked and the dude said no probs. always looking to get as educated as possible about as many kites as possible. Seem them up at Lancelin a few times, but crew just mowing the lawn and doing the pretend surf thing, but this guy was really ripping hard, looping, keeping it real as Vb man says. Good pop and height although he was on a stiff flexed TT and been doing it a while. But yeh they have such a strange shape and as I said seem to mix all sorts of DNA.
Not sure on y brothers skills and weight, but this bloke here seemed a bit stressed riding it in 25plus at 75kgs, so maybe its got plenty of balls id say, it looked rock solid in the sky, with a tight pivotal loop, no slack powered the whole way around, Yeh it has a different shape to it reminds me of some early kites , a bit of wipikas in the dna
Nah he's up in karratha, some nukin days but mostly light. Sh1t place to kite really. But you gotta go with what ya got. Only 74kg and just starting but don't wanna put him on something as big as you need up there. Put it on slow settings. Yeh it does have a real pivotal loop with little slack in lines, ya right now that I think of it. Farqen weird ass shape if ya ask me, but it seems to work. Will know soon myself let ya know.
Eppo
Currently probably the single most popular kite brand in Torquay area but then again we have the advantage of the importer (Stonker.com.au) in town !
Check out the new video (covers surf and freestyle) on Wainman home page or shorter clips on youtube
wainmanhawaii.com/
But what do you think of them have you ridden them? Videos etc ta but not really useful, as these guys can fly paper bags and look good. Want feedback from average riders who don't do it for a living ! But cheers anyhow.
Hey Eppo,
Thats my red thumb. a thread without one just doesn't look right
I know a few guys that fly the smoke and really like them. They are stable and have a good wind range.
Good in waves as well.
Mate of mine in the uk bought the generation 1 boss and smoke when they very first came out... Many years later he still uses them and has not found anything he prefers.
Grunty as but kind of beginner / intermediate friendly in the old waroo mould of let go of the bar and it will sit waiting for you to be ready, they had some propper boost in them as well, he learnt to kiteloop on them and they were very pivotal in the turn so possibly wouldn't generate enough slack for out and out freestyle.
Shape wise they looked similar to my 2008 rebels but not seen the gen2 kites yet
Hope that helps...
Really 2008 rebels? Haven't seen one of those so wouldn't know. I rode the 2012 rebel, bloody beautiful kite. Reckon they have a real unique shape and I agree out and out freestyle could be an issue, the lines you are right do not go slack. Agree with the beginner to intermediate or an advanced rider who wants out and out stability. Don't think they have changed much since 2010 though...
Yeah, know it sounds like an odd comparison but they were similar, kind of predominantly a standard sle shape but a bit more delta just not as extreme as the evo's
As far as characteristics go I think it's genuinely a kite for everyone from beginner through to a decent level of freestyle, a lot of kites claim this without qualification but I think the rabbits deliver
I'm thinking of getting a gypsy for super stable high wind action
Been riding them since they came out. Went from North rhinos to these and the best move ever
I have 6,7.5, 9, 12, and 15. also north Dino and one Rhinos left.
Ridden them all over the place Cocos Mauritius WA and indo both in the waves and flat water, great construction and the pump up is fine.First bar was a fine and i am still using them, the second bar just an up grade however it is not as good as the north bars.
regards
Eppo, as you said, no negative reviews anywhere, I wont bother sounding like a pimp and give you a glowing review, best advice as usual is to demo for yourself but I love the Smoke and the Boss 12 is just as good. No one pump no probs, its only a 3 strut kite anyway.
Dangerous, Give Alex a call at Stonker, good guy and he's always happy to demo kites
Highly rate these kites have 7 m gypsy 9 smoke and latest 10.5m punch all have subtle differences but love the tuning on mini v bridle stock,upwind,downwind "and largeleading edge which makes the kite firm and won't fold inside out, easy to self land and turns on a dime just demo one try the gypsy that's my favourite on a tt I will go from 24
knots to
low thirties an d wmeigh -90 kilos
Not the smoke but have just bought a mr green & a punch - reviews to come shortly!
Awaiting in anticipation....
to the question about comparing how they fly...very unique, never flown a kite that feels like this. Reckon as the kiteworld reviewer said, either love em or hate them. Very direct, very powerful, but controllable all i can say from my few flies.
oh yeh and more than just good in the waves, no reo level wave performance, but much much better than okay.
hey eppo, i moved to the mandurah area at the start of the year and ive already met 3 other guys who ride smokes so i wouldnt call them that rare. I have a 2011 and a 2012 smoke and also a 8m reo. I tend to use the reo more now but its just different i wouldnt call it better. My average kiter wife really likes the smoke as its so stable and doesnt fly though the window as fast as the reo so good for a less experienced kiter.
The single greatest thing about them is there ease of use and the fact that not only can you do the usual moving of the back lines. you can also move the front lines to flatten/curve the shape for different flying characteristics and different bar pressure. Flattening it out turns it into a grunty high bar pressure slow turning horrible drifting bow kite style thing. But it light wind its really nice to have the option, the bar pressure is light in the flat mode when the wind is light anyway.
message me if you want to come do a downwinder with one, I do one most days there is wind
as far as bar pressure i would guess the smoke has lower bar pressure than the reo when it has its front lines on the outer most knots(downwind curvy setting) but heavier or the same for the middle setting. Assuming you have both kites with the back lines on their wingtips. Comparing to a 8m reo
Yeh guvner found out the same thing this Monday when WOK brought some kites down to demo. Yeh I was surprised to say the least. Kind of cool. I started giving everyone Hawaiian sounding names, but I took the joke to far and it lost its effect after the thirtieth time! Yep on the downwinder man.
Eppo
