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Old 06-11-2006, 04:54 PM
Skyway Scott
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I recently noticed while reading thru kiteforum that there is a technical defintion regarding bow kites and some people want to stick to it. Me, not being big on defining/categorizing things, avoided the issue with my "SLE" description. Albe, your kite is definitely a SLE kite and I'll just stick with that. 8)
Yeah, stuff happened in a hurry for sure. I am in the shop now on the computer 'cuz all I really brought was about 5 pairs of shorts, a few shirts and one sock.

I recently got to ride an Aggression Super Phatty, Aggression Barn Door and Glide all back to back in about 12 knots with 1.5 knot current (not opposing but with the wind :x ) Here is my take on them.

In ultra ultra light winds or lighter winds with a current, the Glide is hard to beat for going upwind (maybe no other board is better?). However, the barndoor is awfully close and feels like a smaller board, especially doing tricks. The super phatty isn't as good as the barn door at going upwind (for guys above 140 pounds), but feels a little more "sporty" or skatey, due to its shorter length.

In St. Pete, where flat water is king or the beach doesn't really have that much current, I personally think the Aggressions "win" for light wind board of choice vs. the Glide (I am only comparing these 3 here, not other light wind boards). Why? Because going upwind is "cake" there with the lack of current and it may not be necessary to go as far upwind as a Glide can.
For me, the BD and SP just feel more like smaller boards and are more fun to ride in marginal winds.
After having said that, here in St. Augustine on light wind days, I am begging for a Glide off of Daryl. Why? Because to hold your ground here off the beach in the Atlantic, you literally have to go upwind at the rate of 1.5 miles/hour or so. So, the upwind abililty of the boards vs. there "fun factor" becomes more important. (Unless you are just gonna pull a mega walk of shame)

If a you are over 160 pounds or more and in St. Pete, the BD (of these 3 boards) would be my pick for an awesome light wind board. I now view the Super Phatty as a lighter person's light wind board.

Hope that made sense. It's just my opinion.
We hade several riders here today making much smaller boards work (altho they were definitely VERY experienced riders and they were working at it). I don't think Billy ever needs anything any bigger than his custom 137 by 40 UG wavetray. But, he's literally a pro.
I definitely prefer the bigger boards in lighter winds at my skill level and to me, the BD doesn't really feel all that big. For some reason, to me, the Glide does feel like a big board.
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