Core 5.1

So i got the Core 5.1 in the mail yesterday (thanks Angus), and got a little flight time in on it last night. The winds were a little high for a 5 meter foil last night (approx 20mph) and a few gusts rolling in, but i had to give it a shot! Being that i only have a few comparisons to go off of, this may be more like a Core v. Twister type review.

Setting up the kite in the shop, the first thing i notice is the bridal lines are a lot thinner than on my twister, and there were a lot more lines comming off of the kite... this is good for less drag and less weight, but man, they seem to tangle really easily... but anyway, got everything put together and went out for a sweet flight!

Like i said, winds were a little high, so launch was easy. The kite screams to the zenieth, and has tons of pull in the window, and very little pull once it hits the top of the window... compared to the twister. I get the feel for the kite and dive it, loop it, go edge to edge of the window, and give it the run though... Few things that set it apart: this kite is light! Its hard to explain, but when i fly my twister, i can feel the weight of the kite at the end of the lines, but the core is just a feather on the end, dragging me around the field. The core is really quick and responsive... tug on the right lines and it dives fast, and seems to hold more of the wind during sharp turns... when you try to turn that fast in the twister, it loses some of its pull. On to static jumping... the twister has it hands down. I was getting 6-8 ft jumps with the twister in those winds, and 2-4 ft in the core. The thing that i like about the core is that when you are trying to jump, its ability to turn sharp and redirect without losing any power is great... but not being a jumping kite this feature loses some of its usefullness

I wanted to get a run on the board, but i was not the only one at the soccer complex last night, there were like 10 seperate games going on, so i only had my little corner of the park to fly... so no dynamic review yet... and that kinda sux, because i think that is where this kite will really wow me.

As far as a static kite:
The Core is very well built, flies great; fast, hard turns without any power loss, good even pull from one end of the window to the other... A very sound kite! But if static jumping is your goal, this probably isnt your kite. Jumping can be done, but you have to work hard for the jumps, and they are pretty minimal when you do pull one off.

Im hoping for some good winds so i can get out and board and see what the core can really do when put into a dynamic flying situation... i think the core will be happiest when it is moving!

Thanks agian to Angus @ Coastal Wind Sports for the opportunity to fly a really cool kite... I'll try to get a board run in, let you know how that goes, and i'll send it on its way!
(I'll post some pics after i get them from my designated potographer)

Thanks Again,
-Drew

Well, got the first wind in days here... sadly / scarily its like 20mph. So i figured this may be my last chance for another week to try out the core... lets just say its quick

Winds were screaming and so was i. The Core's ability to turn quick is a huge asset when getting trucking on a board. The fine adjustments sometimes needed to save your a$$ from a painful bail are easily made on this kite. And its tight turning is made without losing any power, so you can dive this kite hard, and slam it back up, and you are screaming down the range. Today i think the only thing limiting my speed was me, lol! I was unable to 'park and ride' this kite, but that may not be the fault of the kite... prolly more me or the wind. A couple times the side pull got the better of me, and im proud to say i have my first ATB tire mark on my helmet (dont ask how, i have no idea)...

So overall this is a really sweet kite, but i kind of got the feeling like, Good at everything, best at nothing... Like the fact that it is an all around kite, takes away from the jumping, or speed, or stability. Dont get me wrong, this is a good kite, very well built... But, idk, if you really want to jump, theres a better kite, if you want gnarly buggy speed, theres a better kite...

I think this kite is aimed more at your casual buggier... I also think the larger sizes would kick the hell out of those low wind days. It handles very well in low wind, hops up easy, and still generates considerable pull in sluggish winds. It has a tendancy to over-fly in higher winds, but a decent pilot can avoid that pretty easily.

As a ATB rider, i give this kite a 7 out of 10
:: Very well built and super light feeling. If you want speed and not so much air, this is a good kite, you'll haul, but you wont have near as hard of a time launching and controlling it, as you would with a race kite. The control is unreal, as is the side pull (wich can be good or bad on a board). But the downer, you wont boost much air. My best static jump yeilded only a 3-4 footer, and i only got some small jumps on the board

If i had the stability of a buggy, and wide open spaces to ride, i think this would rate a lot higher. If you had miles of beach, a buggy, and all day to kill in the wind, this would be your kite. Its a thrill to fly, and a breeze to learn its ins and outs.

I'll miss it when its gone, it is a very cool kite, and a very solid performer, but i really believe its true home is in the hands of a buggier and not an atb rider... Someone who is used to pushing the limits of an access range type kite in the buggy will learn a thing or two from the Core and enjoy every minute of it.

Thanks again Angus, its been a very cool experience to say the least!

it is a great kite, but you gotta want that "all-around-ness"

For where im at, i like a little more... um, not danger, but i like to be a little nerved while i fly. Im more comfortable on the edge About the only reason i didnt drool all over this kite is really the lift. That is one thing i love about the twister... I got into this sport for the hangtime, and the core isnt a jumper kite... you can get some air, but not as much as a twister. that doesnt mean that this kite isnt good. This just has to be what you want...

I would like to see a pro range kite from PL aimed at jumping. They have the engine, the all-arounder, the race kite... they need a blade-killer! I would drool all over that one...:singing:

core review

Thanks Gabriel
The Core comes with a ground stake but that might have gotten mis-placed along the way- no worries on that. That's why I buy ground stakes by the kilo these days.
The Core also does have dirt-outs, but there are no pull-tabs so they are easy to miss. The complete version does not come with KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s however. I threw those in.

The handles come with loops for the strop, so the strop is attached with a bowline variation and not a larkshead.
First, put a stopper knot in the ends of the strop (should have one already).
With the loop outstretched towards you, run the strop through the loop from the top.
Now run the strop up around the side of the loop, over the top of both loop strands and down the other side.
Now bring the strop up through the loop, over the standing part of the strop, and down through the loop again on the other side.
With the stopper knot just outside of the loop, pull everything snug.

Quote:

Originally posted by acampbell That's why I buy ground stakes by the kilo these days..

Barbecue?!?! I feel like such a piker.

Bah.... such glowing reviews of the kite make me want to.... sigh.

Right in DG's backyard too

ATB,
Sam

Quote:

Originally posted by indigo_wolf Quote: Originally posted by acampbell That's why I buy ground stakes by the kilo these days.. Barbecue?!?! I feel like such a piker. Bah.... such glowing reviews of the kite make me want to.... sigh. Right in DG's backyard too ATB, Sam

We can add you in, Sam

Quote:

Originally posted by WIllardTheGrey The stake was in the front pocket

Yay i dont owe angus a stake... just a beer