Hypertype LInk switchblade 2

[Alex]

I was up in Michigan this weekend for the king of the great lakes and I got to try all the new kites so i figured i let you in ont the secrets of 07.


Hypertype:
Of the three this was my favorite, i flew the 12 felt like an ION mixed with an answer. responisve turning and light bar pressuremake the feel similair to an ion. Very fast and a great kite to unhook with. The 12 has the power of a 15C easy. It pulls when unhooked though. killer bag and bar, although the bar is high quality it isnt as easy to relauch as a XB or SB. ONE PUMP and great construction.

Link
I flew the 15,I want to remind everyone this is my POV not anyone elses so try be4 you buy. The link was quick for a 15 and had light bar pressure and along with another great bar with 1:1 with that cool stopper. Negatives, for me it didnt boost very high and it had less power than my 15 fusion right around the same as my 12, when i unhooked it would stall.
If you want to cruise it was great but as far as trix i was not impressed. Top notch construction and one pump.

SB2
I flew the 12 right after the link and was just as powere. One pump extremely nice bar. 1:1 great eas override way nicer than last years and alot cleaner with a better grip. When I heard this kite was 1:1 i thought that the would make it less flat and really appeal to wake guys but for some reason they made it actually flatter. It was faster more responsive and lighter feel compared to last years so thats a +. Boost were normal of the SB1 and unhooking was far better no akward bar feel more like a C. The 12 had trouble looping. It looped very slow, making kitloop handlepass variations difficult for me. Even Leroy complained. Overall a good kite.

Any Questions? Ill be glad to answer them.

[JoshTaylor]

sb2 sounds nice

i will have a quiever here soon.. everyones welcome to try them out.

[E-Bone]

Thanks for the gear update, Alex. Glad to see that you made it back in one piece.

[Skyway Scott]

The Hyper-type is definitely a nice hybrid kite. I am waiting to see the low end on the 15m and the high end on the 12m before I make my personal decision on what to do for a quiver.
We have been discussing this and other kites quite a bit lately.
http://www.extremekiteskiteboarding.com/viewtopic.php?t=301&start=0

What was the top end you rode any of these kites in, Alex?

What wind speed did you ride them in? Any guesses on wind ranges or sweet spots of the different kites? I have found quite a bit of variability on the low end on the hybrids and bows. Just curious about high end on them.

I got blown off of 3 of them so fast one night, I couldn't pin down top end.
(increased from 16 to 25+ too quick)
Thanks. :)

Did you see any Ozone Instincts (06) out there?

Oh, Cabrinha might want to check into a new meter stick :?

[BigR]

Last years 12m Xbow I was able to ride up to 30kts , I haven't had enough wind yet this year to try the Xbow II in better than 16kts so I don't know if it is the same top end range as last years or not

[Skyway Scott]

Thanks BigR. I am very curious about top end on the Link and Hyper, mostly.
I've seen you hold down the Cabs in quite a bit.


Oh, Cabrinha might want to check into a new meter stick :?

Raul, whatcha think, new measuring tapes necessary for Cabrinha's Contra kites? :? :twisted:

[BigR]

LOL!!!

the 12m Xbow II is exactly the same size as the 12m Contra!!! LOL! :lol: :lol:



No wonder I am soo powered up on the 14m contra! thats as big a kite I need! :shock: :D :o


Time to see if the 12m SB2 uses the same measuring tape :shock:

[Skyway Scott]

LOL!!!

the 12m Xbow II is exactly the same size as the 12m Contra!!! LOL! :lol: :lol:

16 meters?

[Skyway Scott]

Just got some further info from a team rider in the NY area.
Top end on the 12m hyper sounds real good :P

[Skyway Scott]

Alex,

What wind did you fly the 15m Link in? Does it feel like (in terms of power/low end) an 18m C or just a regular ol' 15m? Sounds like 15, from what you said.
Was it 5th line or bridle rigged?

The 12m Link has some of the least low end of the 12m hybrid/bows I have ridden. I was hoping the 15 would "make up for it".

I am still curious about the conditions you rode these above kites in.
Any Insincts out there?
I am starting to think this is the most overlooked kite ever made!

I recently rode the 11m Instinct in 20 to 30 and had a blast. Wasn't even close to getting blown off of the water, after getting blown off of other 12s and everyone else getting blown off, too.
We have one rider here who rides his in 12 to 30. Basically a one kite quiver.

Exceptionally stable/comfy kite in gusty higher winds. Put together very well too. Yet, we can't give them away over here. (We only have 4 of them left and one is about to go in my truck :wink: )
We only sold about 4 the whole time I have been here, out of the hundreds of kites we've sold.

So, I am curious if you saw even just one Instinct out there.

[Alex]

Hey scott, i rode the 15 link in about 13 and could not stay upwind i was on the 5 line version, to say the least i was extremely dissapointed in the Link, overhyped in my opinion.

Didnt even see and instinct im curious though.

See you at the expo.

[Skyway Scott]

Thanks. I am hoping the low end on the 15m Hyper type rocks :)

[Russky]

SB2... The 12 had trouble looping. It looped very slow, making kitloop handlepass variations difficult for me.

Not sure what you're talking about Alex...maybe SB2 you flew wasn't trimmed right. I tried SB2 12m the other day in 10-11 knt conditions, flat water. I was just overwhelmed. The kite feels/turns/flies/loops like a stunt kite...FAST...
I could stay upwind, hop, loop, etc. (12m kite in 10-11knt wind... hard to believe to me too...but...), while I could just cruise downwind on my Contra 14...

Amazing engine.
Damn, I should have been patient, wait for another week, and get it instead of the Contra.

Haven't tried it (SB2 12) in high winds, haven't tried other sizes of SB2... can't comment on those...

Conclusion: Contra 14 still rocks nevertheless :)

[Skyway Scott]

Raul,

Any idea the actual size of the SB2 12m?
Thanks.

[BigR]

no , I haven't seen it but I have heard good things about it :D

[Russky]

I think it really was 12 square meters.
SB2 has higher aspect profile and therefore looks larger than its fat older bros (XBs and Contras)...

[Skyway Scott]

It looks larger than a 12m Contra?

[BigR]

What Scott is asking , tongue in cheek, is if the SB2 12M is the same total area as the Contra 12M . The contra 12M is a bigger kite than it looks, i.e. equal to a 15M slingshot

[Kiteosphere]

I've been riding Links for about 3 months now. I have the 15M rigged 5 line and all the rest 12M, 9M & 7M are 4 line. I've lengthened my 5th line about 10 inches on the 15M and added 2 inches to the trailing edge pig tales. With these adjustments and at 205 lbs. I can stay up wind in the surf and jump super good. I've been out here in St. Aug when most kiters were walking back up the beach and I could actually gain ground at will on my 137. My 15 has a huge range. I've been out in wind from 10 to low teens all the way to high 20s and had a blast. The kite boost me super good. Of all the Links the 15M 5 line has been my favorite until SS came out with the new bridle for the 12M.

I changed the bridle out on the 12M Link at the Halloween event and have had a chance to ride it twice since then. Once in 15 to 25mph onshore conditions in the flat water at the inlet and in breaking surf. I also got to put it to the test yesterday at Huguenot in offshore gusty wind 10 to 28 mph in waist to chest surf. My biggest beef with the 4 line configuration was that the kite wouldn't boost me high on jumps. Well based on my last 2 sessions on the new bridle for the 12M Link that problem has been resolved. I'm boosting way higher with the new configuration. I've also noticed it now relaunches much easier by just pointing the bar at the kite. The new bridle does increase bar pressure but I felt that was a plus for kite control as I can feel kite position through the bar. My only concern is that the nw bridle is much longer and may cause it to wrap on the kite if dropped in the surf. Overall I've noticed a huge performance improvement in my 12M. If you have a 12M Link and haven't tried the new bridle, get it, install it and feel the difference. It only takes about 15 to 20 minutes to install on the deflated kite.

[Skyway Scott]

You were gaining ground using a 15m Link (and a smaller board) at 205 (at will, nonetheless) when most of us in S.A. were losing ground? When exactly did this occur? Did Daryl, Pat, or myself see this? Who did? I will just call them.

I have been riding in S.A. for 5 months now. I have only seen on 2 occassions guys actually walking with kites back upwind. It's a rare event.
For one, most riders are seasoned and won't rig unless it is do-able.
Two, most riders are seasoned (lol) and switch to Glides or surfboards at sub 13 knots. Yet, claim you were going upwind at will on a 137 on a day these guys were walking? This is very hard to believe. I know for a fact I wasn't there. I would have been in shock given the circumstances mentioned.

[Kiteosphere]

Yea Scott, it';s true and I'm no Bullshitter. It was at Ocean Trace about 3 weeks ago. You were working as it was in the morning to mid day. Ragga, Todd, Todd's friend George and other friend from CA were out as well as Ragga, Johnathan and a few others. We were at the shop just prior to going out. The wind was pretty light and almost straight on shore. Jimbo was working down the street and drove up and watched at lunch for an hour.We rode for a total of about 2 hours. Everyone was walking but Todd and I. However, Todd was on a surfboard and a 12M Waroo. Everyone else was on 15s. When I pulled off the beach later Jimbo made the same remark that I was one of the only ones not walking and I was on a 137 and a 15M Link. If you need depositions let me know......but apparently you know all.

[toby wilson]

:lol: