The 2004 Airush Kite program marks the release of four completely redesigned and far-reaching ranges that include the combined knowledge of over 5 years work. They are the third generation in a series of kites developed by Australian designer Ben Severne and his team.
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| Kevlar reinforced tip |
Pivotal wing tip strut |
Aerodynamic Kevlar reinfroced strut end |
Solid strut connection |
Segmented struts/EVA seam guards |
EVA/PVC abrasion guards Trio, Flow, Lift |
Ben's unique design capabilities come from an amazing grasp of design theory, mathematics, computer modeling and his own gifted abilities as a true waterman. Whether pushed to the wall or ridden in marginal, gusty and unforgiving winds his technical ability to judge first hand how his designs perform are fundamental to a fast and aggressive design process. Through years of development Ben has established his own CAD design software, specifically designed around his own engineering theories and dynamic structural models, helping him to bring new insight to this specific field of aerodynamics. Several of his pioneering profiles and seam construction methods as well as the solid Dacron bladder casings have been adopted
industry wide and stand as confirmation that Airush leads the way in technology.
History shows there have been many superficial attempts at kite design improvements, over complicated and in many cases un-necessary bolt-on parts that add one singularly crippling complication; weight and drag. Mass needs to be minimized, aerodynamics need to be maximized, anything else that detracts from these core principles can only hold back kiteboarding potential.
Kite turn speed tuning (Trio, Flow)
By attaching your back flying lines to the different points you can tune the turning speed of the kite. Back position for normal speed, middle for medium speed the forward position for slow speed. We recommend beginners start on the slow setting and gradually move the lines back as skill levels increase.
For 2004 all the Airush kites have undergone further performance enhancements not only to their aerodynamic potential, but also to their response, build technology, speed and stability.
Physical Performance
Efficiency - All of this years kites have been tuned to increase their efficiency without compromising basic handling characteristics. A kite that has the ability to sit further forward in the window brings with it a much improved upwind performance, better vertical jumping ability, increased de-power and thus added wind range. The 2004 series kites are even more forgiving in gusty winds, allowing you to span a huge wind range with a small number of kites.
Weight - Lighter weight kites give more wind range, accurate, progressive and ultimately faster responses to turning inputs. Once the course is altered they also possess a much more rapid acceleration speed enabling power to be drawn immediately. This makes for more versatile riding characteristics with power on tap when you need it, together with precise control making transitional moves easy. Redirection of lighter kites is immediate and direct, which inspirers rider confidence.
Strength - Lightweight doesn't mean weak. In fact far from it, as the 2004 kites are engineered to be stronger than ever. Throwing material and reinforcements at structural weak points often has little effect. As such the 2004 series kites are intelligently engineered to provide the maximum resilience to impact and wear whist still keeping the weight to an absolute minimum.
Stability - Last season's kites proved that high performance need not mean instability, even the Lift Pro has proven itself to be a very stable performer. Both under powered and at idle the new generation kites have proven themselves even more capable than their predecessors.
Turning speed and Response - The 2004 series kites have undergone significant development into the way they respond to rider commands. The aim has been to create a faster kite with handling parameters that deliver instant yet highly progressive turning and power adjustment ability. Pull a little and you get a minute yet precise response, pull more and the reaction of the kite is equally measured. A trusting and direct feel that fills the rider with an absolute confidence in both the position and response of the kite.
Sizing - Last year there was a broad size range between kites, and this system of 9, 12 and 15.5 worked very well with all of the ranges. Unlike other kites on the market Airush enjoys a huge wind range, and the overlap between these sizes was more than enough to keep you comfortably powered in all wind strengths. In 2004 we have added half sizes. This is not to plug any holes in the range but to offer you more versatility in choosing your sizes should you have to fit them into an existing quiver. Having every kite in the range will give you the optimum choice but realistically you need only every other size, e.g. 12 and 16, or 14 and 18.
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