crossbow.. lets hear a report

gabe · Since 16 May 2005 475 Posts Obsessed

same concept holds for skims. small kite and skim i believe is one of the safest combos for totally crazy conditions. i did this quite a bit in rufus devil winds that other people considered not kitable, and it was good fun. it made the conditions humorous. 10kt, 35kt, 5kt, 40deg wind shift 35kt etc. etc. just funny stuff, cant take it too seriously when you fall, or have to sit in the water for the next gust.

bamboo · Since 24 Jun 2005 165 Posts da 'chung; taiwan Stoked

there's obvioulsy some differing opinions taking place on here and everyone has their angle. personally, i haven't felt all that inspired by the bow and have been kind of skeptical of what i read/heard. thus, i never even considered it an option. that was until i had a chance to ride it over the last two weekends. i came away fairly impressed and very interested. not enough to throw in my chips and bet the farm but enough that it seemed that the technology itself was rather novel and a step forward. after all that's what innovation is all about.

my take on the x-bow was that it was incredibly solid and very reliable. meaning i could park it in drive, hold it there and then simply ride through any condition. the setting in which i was riding was the south china sea, 3-4m swells, 1.5-2m shore break, and anywhere from 16-26knots. i had been out on both my 9m and 13m fuels earlier in the day and was frustrated with the conditions. when i switched to the x-bow all that frustration went out the window as i was able to throw her in the zone, regulate my speed, and literally hold an extremely consistent edge through all of it (variable wind and variable wave/chop). i felt like i had complete control over my directional speed and could actually throttle it up and down at will. that sole aspect of the kite i found to be extremely rewarding and deserving of my respect.

beyond that though, i did have difficulty with the turning speed of the kite and it's ability to launch me. she was pretty sluggish and had a slight delay in responding and was too funky when i did lift. not to mention i was constantly concerned about dumping it in the sea after reading about some related kitemares.

thus, i found that if i were forced to ride in crazy ocean conditions all the time this might be a good kite to have. however, now that i'm river bound for the most part i'm not sure that this would be ideal. or considering how unreliable the gorge wind is maybe it actually would be. who know's?!

in the end all i know is that a "man is only as faithful as his options."

kt · Since 16 Mar 2005 759 Posts Portland, Or Opinionated

bamboo · Since 24 Jun 2005 165 Posts da 'chung; taiwan Stoked

sorry, i left that detail out...it was a 12m x-bow. i was riding a 136 board and i'm about 90 kg/200lbs.

another weird but unrelated notion i had was that of the power of the wind. Asian air is extremley moist and almost always humid. Northwest air is extremely dry and light on the skin. i found that when i moved from here back there that the "air" felt dramatically different and contained different levels of power. i find that the moist air/wind here really hammers my kite around and tossed her about while the wind in the gorge is sharp and to the point. the only way i can relate it is to the feeling i get when i hammer through cascade concrete compared to alta fluff on my tele boards. both ride different and both are commuicated differently through the equipment. I never thought of the wind in this way so i have no idea how valid this is. i would assume it would have to do with suspend water molecules and what not. just curious if anyone else has sensed something like this? say baja compared to Wadell, Oregon coast to gorge, maui to NC.

gabe · Since 16 May 2005 475 Posts Obsessed

i believe the air density varies as a function of temperature, moisture, and altitude. maybe even atmospheric pressure?

i recently spent a couple weeks at high altitude and when i would drive in cars at 13,000-15,000 ft i would put my hand out the window and do the airplane thing. you could sense that the air was moving fast, but there was extremely little lift (or drag) at all! the airplane thing basically didn't work--you could move your hand around however and it hardly mattered. i can also just move my hand back and forth (like waving) and feel different altitudes. it's quite dramatic if you're tuned into it. maui is good for experiencing this b/c you can change 10,000 ft in less than 2 hrs.

i personally notice a huge difference of salt water vs fresh water on the board. fresh is much softer and easier to hold an edge. this and the less dense air make the gorge an easier place for big wind.

Mark · Mon Nov 07, 05 12:53 pm

I was just over in Colorado and drove to the top of Pikes peak. Elevation 14110'. Yes there is a huge difference in the air density. Its all I could do to breath!! When you move around there is a wierd feeling of no air pushing back on you. As you drive down to 6000' you can feel how the air is getting thicker. When you land in Sunny Portland the air feels thick and sweet.

Mark · Sun Nov 20, 05 4:19 pm

Here is yet another "BOW" kite.
Like the price:
DISCLAIMER: These prices have not been finalized, but this is what we're thinking kite only:

7m $499
9m $599
12m $749
16m $899

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Watching henry today on his CB9 while I just tried to keep things together on my C shaped 7m made me think that a flat kite wouldn't be a bad thing to have in the quiver. Especially if the Waroo debutes at those prices.

Even if I don't use it that often, I think it could be the main kite for my girlfriend... as she would really benefit from the depower and relaunch capabilities.

Just as long as it doesn't do the helicopter death spin... Shocked

bamboo · Since 24 Jun 2005 165 Posts da 'chung; taiwan Stoked

that's exactly what i was thinking...the perfect "significant other" kite. good for her when things are decent and she needs to learn. perfect for me when she doesn't want anything to do with the water and i can't stop thinking of it. it's a win-win situation as far as i'm concerned.

Mark · Mon Nov 21, 05 10:05 am

So what size would be the perfect "significant other" kite? Assuming she weighs 110. Would a 9 be enough for sauvie? or is a 12 better? She is a beginner.

tonski · Since 11 Jun 2005 332 Posts NW Portland Obsessed

Mark, I weigh 110 and my 9m Bow is perfect for 95% of the days. If it's too light, I'll ride a bigger board. If it's too windy (35+), I'll stay off the water and take pictures of the guys.

But, in response to a comment above, I usually don't let my 'Bow go out in conditions beyond 35 knots because I don't want it to get thrashed. I don't think the materials on the 'Bow hold up as well over time for heavier guys and those who ride with a lot of powered moves. It was torture watching the kite flip inside out or do a death spin when Dano launched big airs in high, gusty wind. Laughing

Mark · Mon Nov 21, 05 11:36 am

Thanks Tonia, Smile

So u ride the nine at Sauvie?
It sounds like it would also be a great kite for my son to learn on.

Sounds like Dano needs to put a deposit on the kite before he takes it out Wink

tonski · Since 11 Jun 2005 332 Posts NW Portland Obsessed

Absolutely - I was out at Sauvie all summer on my red 9m 'Bow! Where were you? Maybe you have me confused with the pro kiter, Tonia, who put on events in Hood River this summer. (My name is close, Tonya.) Rolling Eyes

Onad · Mon Nov 21, 05 12:40 pm

Mark · Mon Nov 21, 05 1:30 pm

Rico · Since 13 Mar 2005 1219 Posts Vancouver Photographer

Anyone have experience with these death spirals? When have they occurred? Think of the possibilities. Double handle-pass death spiral anyone? It just might work if someone could find a way out of it. I better start working on single handle-passes so I’m ready. So far, my crossbow has been great for nuking gusty conditions along with mellow 20-30mph. In my book it is the ultimate high wind kite.

Rico

Onad · Mon Nov 21, 05 6:23 pm **Re: Death Spirals?**