Utah Windriders Association

Hey guys, I posted this on another forum and was directed here for info specifically related to Utah. I'm glad we have a decent community going here.

Had a bad experience being stupid a number of years ago and took about 6 years off. Just spent a week taking lessons on Kite Beach and I'm eager to get back into it again.

I was thinking I'd get a 2012 Cabrinha Switchblade, but not sure on the size. Recently I've been told that if I'm planning on using it in the snow I should consider North, because of the rugged construction. Now I'm not sure between the Switchy, Evo, Rebel, or Vegas.

Height -- 6'0"
Weight -- 170lbs (been losing weight )
Preferred style -- Wakestyle/Freestyle
Location -- Northern Utah
Conditions -- Flatwater
Wind -- 7 to 20 knots and gusty (mountain winds sometimes thermal)
Elevation -- 6,000 feet
Temp -- 70-100F

I've been looking at the 12M Switchblade but not sure how much the elevation and other conditions are going to affect the ride. Unfortunately, there really isn't a way to test out any gear here. Down on Kite Beach I used several different kites. The most common was Bandit V 9M, but I also used a couple Liquid Force 7M kites on the really heavy days and once I used a Best. The Bandit was ok but for some reason it really felt unresponsive to me. That might have been because I naturally prefer a bit more bar pressure and I frequently found myself pulling back on the bar too much and stalling the kite, or pushing out too much and that kite doesn't handle well when de-powered.

I have a wakeboarding background. Nothing extreme but I can do some fairly technical stuff like backrolls, tantrums, raleys, etc... So I'm right at home with unhooked conditions with a bar really tugging on me.

Is the 12M gonna suit me ok? I'll be getting into snowkiting this winter as I can ride right behind my house on an open mountainside. Afternoon wind picks up to around 10-15 knots almost every day as the sun starts to set, and some days is really gets moving.

Thanks

Brett,

Not sure that this is the most looked at part of the forum which might explain why people are slow to respond.

To keep it brief I would say that there is no one company that is better than another these days. Like most high end recreational equipment it is more about what you hope to do with it rather than what brand that determines your choice. Your style of riding (which may take years to develop) will determine the type of kite you want.

So....the switchblade will work just fine. I would say the 12m is a good start but you will need a (much) bigger kite around here. That being said you will also need a smaller kite- most of the spring was 7-8m kiting.

Get ready to spend some money because you need a quiver of kites (preferably the same brand and model at first) that will get you going in all conditions.