Sizes tested: 7, 9, 12 Rider: Alex, 65kg, kite instructor

Unboxing:

You immediately notice this is high-end equipment. Dacron reinforcements on all strategic areas ensure a solid construction and increased durability. You'll find them at each one pump system, all along the Leading Edge from the start of the spi, and along the Trailing Edge. This is exactly what you need from a wakestyle kite, especially with all those unhooked crashes. You'll also find many possible configurations at the connection points, with three positions on the front lines and three on the back lines. The bag is well-designed, with space for your bar and pump, a central pocket, and it's large enough to easily store the kite.

Riding:

We tested the 7m with a 5th element bar in strong wind conditions, over 30 knots. With a low-pressure system rolling in and winds hitting 30+ knots, we pumped up the 7m, ready for a high-jump and kiteloop session! (We set the front lines to high depower and the back lines to medium.) This is a fast, incredibly stable kite, letting you place it exactly where you want, when you want, with direct bar feedback. We started sending jumps and immediately felt the power, it boosts high and fast! We measured 13.4m with the Woo. While it doesn't glide much, that's typical for a C-shape; you can't have everything. Downloop landings are super easy. Now for kiteloops, this kite was made for them! Pull on one side, and you're off! You'll get pulled forward quite a bit, but sheet out, and the kite climbs back up, ready for another downloop. You always know where the kite is. This makes it incredibly easy to handle. We tested the 9m with a wakestyle bar and 5 lines in medium wind conditions, 20-25 knots. We set up the wakestyle bar for an unhooked session (featuring a larger chickenloop, a sheathed depower line, 42cm width, a lower Y, and the option for 6 lines). We used a medium depower setting for the front lines and a medium setting for the back lines. This kite truly shines in its element: wakestyle! Our first impression was a powerful kite with excellent responsiveness, even with the wakestyle bar. When you unhook, you get insane pop and massive line slack. Don't hesitate to send it, even if you feel overpowered; the generous line slack makes bar passes effortless with the right timing. Depending on your settings, the kite offers varying amounts of pop, line slack, and stability. When the wind picked up too much for unhooking, we switched to kiteloops, and even with the wakestyle bar, the kite turned beautifully. What we really appreciated about this kite is its versatility; you can transition smoothly from a wakestyle session to jumping, kitelooping, old school, and more. It performs well across the board and truly excels in wakestyle. We tested the 12m with a wakestyle bar and 5 lines in light to medium wind conditions, 13-22 knots. We used a medium depower setting for the front lines and a hard setting for the back lines. The 12m is the perfect size for unhooking. You position the kite, unhook, land your trick, and the kite stays exactly where you left it. This kite helped us improve our tricks. We achieved greater amplitude and added grabs. It has a good low end, letting you unhook comfortably in 13-14 knots. Back line settings:

• low setting: a more reactive kite with less slack
• medium setting: reactive and stable
• hard setting: a more stable kite with more slack

Front line settings:

• high depower setting: more depower, less pop
• medium depower setting: recommended for the wakestyle bar, less depower, big pop
• low depower setting (Hadlow setting), recommended for the wakestyle bar with 6 lines, little depower, explosive pop, reduced wind range.

Using the 5th Element bar: The kite is more reactive and less aggressive. This setup is great for old-school freestyle, kiteloops, and wakestyle. Using the 5-line wakestyle bar: The kite becomes much more stable and feels more comfortable in your hands for wakestyle. This is the setup for freestyle wakestyle. Pay close attention when connecting the 5th lines, as there are two possible knots on the kite depending on the bar you're using. For the wakestyle bar, use the lower knots, and for the 5th Element bar, use the upper knots.

The positives:

Solid construction, versatility, multiple adjustments to suit every riding style, pop, and kiteloops.

The negatives:

Relaunching can sometimes be a bit tricky, but the 5th line is there to help, and it relaunches in just two seconds. Find the North Vegas in our online store Find the North Vegas in our online store