Power Kite Forum - HQ Demo Day, Jekyll Island, GA, Saturday Sept. 6

HQ Demo Day, Jekyll Island, GA, Saturday Sept. 6

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acampbell - 13-8-2008 at 02:29 PM

Coastal Wind Sports is pleased to announce an HQ Demo Day for Saturday September 6th from 2- 6 pm.

Location: Kite Beach, Jekyll Island, GA.

Joining us will be Tim Baxmeyer of HQ Kites USA and Jan Hendrick Junker, Product Manager for HQ Kites in Germany. They will be bringing the following new models for attendees to try out...

- NEO, brand-new water relaunchable closed cell foil
- Hydra: Water re-launchable trainer kite
- Rush III series and PRO's (updated Rush trainer kites)
- Montana IV de-power kite
- Apex II de-power kite

A lot of these are hitting the US soil for the first time here so this will be a great opportuninty to try out the newest, hottest gear.

All are welcome. For directions to Kite beach, check here...
http://www.coastalwindsports.com/JoinUsOnJekyllFAQ.html

Remember too that we have the Jekyll Island Buggy Expo (JIBE!) scheduled for the last week in September...
http://www.coastalwindsports.com/JIBE2008.html

Questions? Call Angus at 800-592-1195
or angus "at" coastalwindsports.com

f0rgiv3n - 13-8-2008 at 02:49 PM

:o Montana IV! Apex II! and the NEO all at once!!! I SO wish i could be there, looks like a good time :D

domdino - 13-8-2008 at 02:54 PM

Ooh a water relaunchable trainer! Good idea!!! i want one of them

BeamerBob - 13-8-2008 at 04:54 PM

Oh dang. That's my anniversary weekend. We already have "couple" plans and we have to go the other direction to get the kids to someone. Even if I found an easy thing for the kids, I'm not sure I could sell a kite event as a suitable anniversary outing, even as accommodating as she is. I might could've pulled it off with some more notice, but oh well. I have to miss it. My buggy might've been in by then as well.

Montana IV? I was just a week away from ordering one. How extensive are the changes? Any word on that?

acampbell - 13-8-2008 at 05:24 PM

yeah, sorry; just found out today and anounced right away. On the M IV there is a change in the bar set-up and the line configuration. I think we gotta keep it cool till then but I wiil report fully after.
The Hydra is a complete surprise to me.

kullas - 13-8-2008 at 07:31 PM

I would so love to be there to fly some of those. but got to save my money to be able to come down for the event. We changed vehicles and now i got to get a hitch on the back so i can get my buggy down there

csa_deadon - 13-8-2008 at 09:40 PM

Montana IV!! I just got my Montana 3 not to long ago, lol.

I just may need to take some vacation time for this.

PHREERIDER - 14-8-2008 at 07:22 AM

planning to be there.

dustin.burch1 - 15-8-2008 at 10:30 AM

i am going to try and come i live in savannh atm so its not that bad of a drive
pretty xcited bout trying new stuff

BeamerBob - 15-8-2008 at 10:43 AM

Tim and Jan Hendrick, are great guys and are significantly responsible for my affection with HQ products. Angus is as nice a guy as you'll ever meet and it really is cool to get to try out the new stuff at such a great location. Everyone there will be helpful and friendly and give you a warm welcome for sure. Dang I hate to miss it. You think the wife would enjoy an anniversary weekend flying kites?

dustin.burch1 - 15-8-2008 at 10:56 AM

you could always tie a nice gift ( $$$) to a kite line let her fly it so it slips down the line ( slowly )

i mean you would be at a beach and its only 4 hours of kite stuff :ninja:

BeamerBob - 15-8-2008 at 12:58 PM

You aren't married yet are you Dustin? :lol:

dustin.burch1 - 15-8-2008 at 01:04 PM

i am but i think if i bought a big enough ring she would let me fly all week

BeamerBob - 15-8-2008 at 01:37 PM

Maybe I could learn a thing or two from you dude. Maybe you can make it to JIBE? I have a great 3m Beamer 3 you can fly that I don't think you can make lift you off the ground! That way you could give me some marital pointers. Can you make it?

lunchbox - 15-8-2008 at 02:00 PM

Quote:

i am but i think if i bought a big enough ring she would let me fly all week

Yeah, but then you'll have to buy her another one so you could fly the following week :singing:

Quote:

Oh dang. That's my anniversary weekend.

Congratulations...Fortunately, if she's like my wife, you aren't even getting close to the beach...Hell, I'd play it safe and not even look at the wind :tumble:

BeamerBob - 15-8-2008 at 04:06 PM

Thanks lunchbox, you are making me feel like I'm really in more of a normal relationship than I thought. ;-)

dustin.burch1 - 17-8-2008 at 07:42 AM

yeah i agree with lunchbox i would have to sale all my kite stuff just to pay for a ring so i could fly it maybe i should have thought that out more :spin:

i hope to make it to jibe and i will unless something work comes up ( cant call in sick in the army or i would )

i have not been married very long so lets see if its works out before i start giving advice

i should have a 4m buster by jibe time ( and a landboard) :thumbup:

and i would bet that i still could hurt my self with your 3m beamer :yes:

BeamerBob - 17-8-2008 at 08:11 AM

Turns out I've learned a thing or two about relationships. Driving out of town yesterday, the wife starts asking questions about the HQ day. Now after thinking about it for a few days, she came to the conclusion on her own that Jekyll made more sense logistically than our prior plans. I have a few details to work out but it looks like I'll be trying some new HQ kites that weekend in my new buggy. We should be able to have Wexler there for the event and then have a quiet evening for just the two of us as well. Looks like it all is coming together perfectly.

acampbell - 17-8-2008 at 08:26 AM

Wow, Elizabeth clearly rocks. I can recommend some nice local dining options if you wish.

lunchbox - 17-8-2008 at 08:54 AM

Whow, BB you're stoked...your wife is pretty cool!

Please write a review and let us know how they fly...especially the Neo :thumbup:

dustin.burch1 - 17-8-2008 at 12:16 PM

guess i'll be the one asking pointers
:singing:

BeamerBob - 18-8-2008 at 03:47 AM

Right now I feel humble and lucky. Reviews for sure. I'll be trying everything on the beach this year. Angus, I'll take your advice for dinner plans. Wow, I just realized this is going to be my second annual HQ Jekyll Island demo day!

acampbell - 18-8-2008 at 05:45 AM

Wind was light yesterday on Jekyll at 7-10 mph but ninety degrees to the beach with light enough crowds for a perfect park and ride with the Reactor 8.3 for about a mile each way.

kullas - 18-8-2008 at 08:02 PM

O sure that just makes me feel better now im all beach sick :smilegrin:

wish i could be on the beach

NEO in Nags Head

chris - 19-8-2008 at 10:05 AM

The NEO was spotted in Nags Head this weekend. We flew in somewhat light 8-10 mph onshore winds and was able to do a little bit of buggying during low tide. Pictures below are the 8m NEO in action.

Cheers!

Chris

BeamerBob - 19-8-2008 at 11:10 AM

Who had the kite? How did it get down there? It looks awesome.

lunchbox - 19-8-2008 at 09:50 PM

Please...someone...anyone....post a review of the Neo....I'm dying over here!

dustin.burch1 - 1-9-2008 at 01:21 PM

so what are the plans for saturday if the weather is really bad

tridude - 1-9-2008 at 02:10 PM

Sat forecast on magic seaweed.................................... questions is can Team HQ make it down the coast? Looks like the 5th at IOP is a bust but they dont fly foils anyway. Sorry but no loss there Tim. Hope to see you all at JI...............

Sat
09/6 12am *- 3.5ft

11secs 119° 25mph SW - cross/offshore Mostly Clear 80°F

3am *- 3ft

11secs 119° 23mph SW - offshore Overcast 80°F

6am *- 3ft

10secs 119° 20mph SW - offshore Mostly Cloudy 80°F

9am ** 2.5ft

10secs 118° 18mph SW - offshore Sunny 81°F

12pm ** 2ft

9secs 118° 12mph SW - cross/offshore Sunny 85°F

3pm *- 2ft

9secs 117° 11mph S - cross/onshore Sunny 86°F

6pm -- 2ft

9secs 116° 15mph SSE - onshore Clear 84°F

9pm *- 2ft

9secs 115° 13mph SSW - cross shore Clear 83°F

acampbell - 1-9-2008 at 04:28 PM

Just got back from Jekyll. Low tide late in the afternoon. A cloudy sky kept a lot of people away. By 5pm 2 miles of the beach was completely mine with safe passage past the few picnic-goers. Wind was 14-16 mph from the northeast, so not optimal direction but workable with a 12 mph slog in the harness with the Crossfire II 5.0m going north and a rip roaring 30- 40 mph going south on a deep broad reach. Beach was scrubbed smooth as a pool table with hard-pack all the way to the dunes .

Now this buisness about Hanna has me concerned as the current NOAA track has us in the cross-hairs for next weekend.

Wait and see...

tridude - 1-9-2008 at 05:48 PM

tridude - 1-9-2008 at 05:56 PM

sounds like a sweet session Angus. Seems youve got that CF2 dialed in but you can buggy your ass off anyway. Yep, between you and Tybee look hot at the moment...........more to come but still planning on coming. We have 26 foot waves forecasted Friday afternoon so Im sure the IOP demo day is canceled but no big loss for HQ. Tim, Jan, passer byers, and myself would have been the only ones flying anyway. If it dont pump, Air Co. and their clients cant fly it (two line trainers dont count). Oh, and dont forget about Ike early next week!

BeamerBob - 2-9-2008 at 03:36 AM

If things stay on track, the eye should be clear on Saturday afternoon. Who knows about how long the rain will follow. I'm not sure how they get such an aggressive track out of a nearly stationary storm. We'll have to watch closely.

tridude - 2-9-2008 at 03:55 AM

true that BB...............low pressure just moved off the NE coast and once that clears Hanna will start getting sucked up by a Bermuda high. If this scenario plays out Saturday should be fine @ JI. Forecast track has moved a bit more east so Angus' playground looks safe. Big Kahuna and the OBXers better lookout! Pasted the Follyweather live cam. The pier goes out a thousand feet and makes a good landmark for how far offshore you are. Pier was rebuilt after Hugo and would be sad to loose her. Surf is already picking up but nothing out of the norm for you west coasters..............

http://follyweather.com/folly-beach-south-carolina-webcam

tridude - 2-9-2008 at 05:37 AM

woohoooo.............surfs up! see ya fellas.........................
from folly waves.com..................

Folly Surf Report
Tuesday 7am.
Head to a ft. overhead and semi-glassy.

BeamerBob - 2-9-2008 at 06:10 AM

I just checked about hotel cancellations and there is no time limit on money back for weather related emergencies. I'm in it till they say it can't happen. Should be some strange weather that day.

dustin.burch1 - 2-9-2008 at 06:32 AM

quick question ,Do i just show up or is there a list of people that can demo also do you have to have a level of exp before you can fly some of the kites
Or are we just going to watch others fly the kites (i really wanna try a depower)

not sure what to expect, should I bring my kites and harness, landboard? Unsure of the etiquette I guess

BeamerBob - 2-9-2008 at 07:12 AM

No need to sign up or anything. It might help Angus to know you hope to come. He will want to know how many steaks to have for the evening grill on the beach. Hehe, just kidding. Seriously, it would be enough to just indicate you intend to be there. At the one last year, the only kites in the air were HQ. It is an HQ event so it would be courteous to not have other brands in the sky unless you distanced yourself from the event. Everyone there will be helpful and you can fly whatever you can safely handle. If the pros are having trouble flying that Montana IV in heavy winds then you might want to pass, but all that can be worked out that day on the beach. There will be an assortment of kites to try so as close as you are, it will be a fun day for everyone as long as the wind is blowing at sane speeds. Last year I was only 5 months into power kiting and flew the proto Crossfire 4m. I didn't feel like I had enough experience to fly the Montana III proto, but enjoyed watching others fly it. I flew several of the smaller kites as well just to expand my horizons a little. I also bought my Crossfire 5m from Tridude at that event, which I later sold to my cousin Airhunter.

I'm sure Acampbell will be along to add to this but this was my newbie observation last year.

PHREERIDER - 2-9-2008 at 08:33 AM

tridude, glad to seeya back on,

sun, mon were great, hope you got a full dose

hopefully JI will be good, finally got a FS from powerzone .

tridude - 2-9-2008 at 10:03 AM

tridude - 2-9-2008 at 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude

Quote:

Originally posted by dustin.burch1
quick question ,Do i just show up or is there a list of people that can demo also do you have to have a level of exp before you can fly some of the kites
Or are we just going to watch others fly the kites (i really wanna try a depower)

not sure what to expect, should I bring my kites and harness, landboard? Unsure of the etiquette I guess

show up, intro to Angus, bring kites/harness, and fly your butt off! Blades, Bularoo, Scorpion, Profoils, CF2s, M3s and 4s, my GI ATB if you choose, etc........ Last year Team HQ had a scrub ATB there as well (very sweet) make sure you have $3 in hand at the front entrance

Good news on the room BB and thanx MD...........

Waves were rockin this morning, easy head high to a foot overhead...........rip not bad at all....fingers crossed for Saturday

tridude - 2-9-2008 at 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude

Quote:

.............................ooopppssss and the Neo!

dustin.burch1 - 2-9-2008 at 10:11 AM

sounds very cool indeed

i got a cheapy atb that should be at my house when i get off work i dont think i would risk wrecking someone else board
but would be very glad for some pointers/ tips demo of how to atb i am going to riding around with out a kite just to get used to the board

i dont have many hills around here but for a little pull i am thinking hooking into my 64lbs weim he pulls like a train :singing:

tridude - 2-9-2008 at 10:29 AM

my GI board is very sturdy. Whether Im on the water or not your welcome to use my board, you cant tear it up. Your on sand.......................Dont forget your lid and if you need pads Ive got those as well. Last year I was so excited to fly with PEOPLE I forgot to put my knee pads on and left with two bloody knees but a huge smile......................

acampbell - 2-9-2008 at 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BeamerBob
No need to sign up or anything. It might help Angus to know you hope to come. He will want to know how many steaks to have for the evening grill on the beach. Hehe, just kidding. Seriously, it would be enough to just indicate you intend to be there. At the one last year, the only kites in the air were HQ. It is an HQ event so it would be courteous to not have other brands in the sky unless you distanced yourself from the event. Everyone there will be helpful and you can fly whatever you can safely handle. If the pros are having trouble flying that Montana IV in heavy winds then you might want to pass, but all that can be worked out that day on the beach. There will be an assortment of kites to try so as close as you are, it will be a fun day for everyone as long as the wind is blowing at sane speeds. Last year I was only 5 months into power kiting and flew the proto Crossfire 4m. I didn't feel like I had enough experience to fly the Montana III proto, but enjoyed watching others fly it. I flew several of the smaller kites as well just to expand my horizons a little. I also bought my Crossfire 5m from Tridude at that event, which I later sold to my cousin Airhunter.

I'm sure Acampbell will be along to add to this but this was my newbie observation last year.

Yup

dustin.burch1 - 2-9-2008 at 10:50 AM

hey angus i am coming short of a hurricane :spin:

i am very excited about this i put in a three day "safety" pass so that work could not call me back for anyreason

tridude thanks a ton for the offer but you would be amazed at what i can break :D also i have -3 skill level on any board so i think watching is in order for me :borg:

acampbell - 2-9-2008 at 10:59 AM

Looking forward indeed Dustin.

Don, thanks for mentioning the $3.00 parking fee for the Island that is collected up front. The $3 gets you lots of parking, clean rest rooms and outdoor showers for rinsing off sand.
There are directions here if needed....
http://www.coastalwindsports.com/JIBE2008.html

tridude - 2-9-2008 at 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by goldendmd
tridude, glad to seeya back on,

sun, mon were great, hope you got a full dose

hopefully JI will be good, finally got a FS from powerzone .

sweet, what did you buy from John?

tridude - 2-9-2008 at 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dustin.burch1
hey angus i am coming short of a hurricane :spin:

Are you the guy who got hurt on an Ace? If so no Slingshot Fuel for you! We'll have you on the board rollin and going upwind in 20 mins. Also, I have a 4 line Slingshot bar that Im not using. If your Blaze flags out on the rear lines, Ill make you a sweet deal, firewire lines as well. Bar and lines are in great shape

PHREERIDER - 2-9-2008 at 06:58 PM

FS titan 9.5

should have it thurs. Maybe fly it on JI , wind permitiing maybe on the water (20+mph), def run the V16. light/heavy, land, water doesn't matter, best wind tool in the box.

could be some serious wind coming, very hard to tell now, but as you know the NE thing has been on since Fay, clocked almost 70 hours on PL V16 and haven't pumped a kite since.

BeamerBob - 3-9-2008 at 05:11 AM

The weather people are backing up their projected path and timeline for Hanna. It was supposed to be in NC Sat am and now they are saying SC. However TWC forecast for JI for saturday is partly cloudy and a 13mph SSE wind. I hope it doesn't linger around and mess up Saturday.

dustin.burch1 - 3-9-2008 at 05:25 AM

tridude yeah i am the guy that hurt himself on the ace i dont have the blaze 2 yet but its in line as the next kite i buy

i got my atb last night and tied some rope around the back of my suv and had the wife drive super slow around a hugh empty parking lot it was alot of fun, next i need to pratice flying in the harness then combine the 2, the board i got was a mbs grom 6 its a kid board i think and i flex it all the way out when i get on it but it was only 50 bucks and its works so far i am going to order some egg shocks for it to stiffen it a bit as i am pushing 230lbs, but i am really looking forward to talking with some one that knows what they are doing :duh:

PHREERIDER - 3-9-2008 at 07:07 AM

Good day DB1

if going to JI,

I'll bring an old board that is super easy and not too fast but tough. i think i was maybe 225 lbs when i started using it. it's loose but easy to step on and out of. it has low speed bearings, heavy wheels. maybe we could take on a slow tandem before adding the kite. work on board control some first; got the truck full of funjunk. tow rope, gloves, pads helemet,extra harness(XL).

plenty o stuff to play on

dustin.burch1 - 3-9-2008 at 07:27 AM

just wanted to let you guys know that you are all awesom ( in case you didnt know already)

i have a harness but i have yet to fly on it i only have the 6m ace atm and the winds have been a bit to high for me to strap in i should be getting a 4m buster1 soon not sure if it will make it before the 6th

going to go to petsmart today and get a dog sled harness for my dog (gunner) and have a go at that in a big grassy area near the airstrip i am just alittle afried of going to fast, guns a tank and could pull my xterra if i let him ;-)

i should get some pictures of that .........

anyway just want to thank all you guys for being really cool

BeamerBob - 3-9-2008 at 08:21 AM

http://weather.myfoxtampabay.com/maps/WTVT/custom/storms/han...

most of the models have Hanna skipping past Jekyll way offshore. We would be on the weak side of Hanna as well. Maybe it is a go. Can't wait to see some new faces. Dustin, you are right about these guys being really cool. This is a great community for sure.

tridude - 3-9-2008 at 08:47 AM

model looks like MB/Wrightsville beach landing..........either way very close! Im still headed that way unless we sustain damage. Ive got Angus' number in case we loose power and I cant make it. Dustin, bring that Ace. Ive flown the 4 and 5 but never a 6m.

dustin.burch1 - 3-9-2008 at 10:01 AM

will do

lunchbox - 3-9-2008 at 10:29 AM

Quote:

Can't wait to see some new faces.

Man, I wanted to go so bad this year...but with a Labor Day weekend spent camping, going to Catalina and Disneyland I'm a little strapped for cash...Definitely going to try for next year.

....so for all of you that are going, please take some pics and post them...it would be nice to put some faces with the names and see what a good time everyone had :thumbup:

acampbell - 3-9-2008 at 10:48 AM

Deffinately will post pics on the website afterwards.
I'm waiting for the 2pm update from NOAA, but it looks so far liek we are in the clear on Hanna. Winds are forecast lihgt 5-10mph in the afternoon and fro SW, which is not optimal but we will make it work. High tide is around 2pm so the beach will get bigger as the afternoon goes on.

dustin.burch1 - 3-9-2008 at 05:52 PM

so i have to go to jacksonville fl friday to pick up the sister inlaws car it just got shipped from PR, on that thought i am thinking to just get a hotel room for friday night just not a big fan of driving so many hours i called the hotel ( the oceanside inn) they allow dogs and they had alot of cancels so if its on when we drive down friday i am going to pm angus to get his number and give him a call friday when we drive back up from fl
any way did a little ( real little) hill work today on the board to much oversteer order the hardest egg shocks from mbs
also the buster should be in friday or sat not sure if its going to make it to jekyll

tridude - 4-9-2008 at 06:45 PM

still a go for Saturday?

kullas - 4-9-2008 at 07:03 PM

may have great winds with hanna on its way

BeamerBob - 5-9-2008 at 03:34 AM

The eye is going to be up in North Carolina by Saturday but right now there is lots of convection south of the eye. I'm getting afraid that there could still be significant rain on saturday. Also, the eye got organized overnight. Thoughts from you coastal types that go through this often?

tridude - 5-9-2008 at 03:53 AM

NWS and TWC forecasts both show partly cloudy with 12mph winds at 0800 on Saturday. Storms moving at 20mph, just now passing the Cape, most of the rain is east and north of the circulation, yeah Saturday should be fine around 8/9ish. Angus your thoughts? OBTW, does anyone surf at JI/kite beach?

http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/boatandbeach/hourb...

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?...

acampbell - 5-9-2008 at 04:29 AM

Yeah 30% chance of rain (normal) and NOAA says West winds 10 kts. West is doable for the bug. I am causiously optimistic. West is not great for the Neo on the water though, :-(
No Don, not a lot of surfers, but ti would be good by the sand bar where the surf piles up.

BTW Bobby, your buggy was in JAX last night, should be here this AM, will keep posted.

tridude - 5-9-2008 at 07:39 AM

alright time for roll call............who's attending?

tridude - 5-9-2008 at 07:59 AM

so we've got Hannah and the new Montana....................... :lol:

sorry had to got there................

dustin.burch1 - 5-9-2008 at 08:26 AM

i fully intend to go and i will be brings one person

stevep - 5-9-2008 at 11:22 AM

all you guys be careful this weekend i wish i could be there but finances wont let me hope you all have a great and safe time keep an eye on the storms me being on the coast in fla i know how these storms can be but also they can bring some great winds lets hope you get the good wind god this weekend

steve pigeon

BeamerBob - 5-9-2008 at 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude
so we've got Hannah and the new Montana....................... :lol:

sorry had to got there................

Don, you really should put together a standup routine! :spin:

tridude - 5-9-2008 at 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BeamerBob

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude
so we've got Hannah and the new Montana....................... :lol:

sorry had to got there................

Don, you really should put together a standup routine! :spin:

corny I know but what the heck......................it just started raining steady here as the storm is close to 32N. Winds and rain not all that bad. Keep in mind folks as the storm moves north it gets closer to the coast due to SC/NC shorelines. Georgia/JI should have faired well. It would have been an awesome 2.5/3.5m Profoil day. Im sure Angus will chime in but the forecast looks spot on at the moment.

PHREERIDER - 5-9-2008 at 04:51 PM

I plan to be there. may try a water ride here in the AM, if the winds is good with no rain. gotta nice west wind spot on a rising tide.

see you there

HQ-Powerkites - 5-9-2008 at 05:53 PM

Hey guys,

Just checked the weather online. Seems to be good after noon, thus we will be there.

See you all tomorrow.

Tim

dustin.burch1 - 6-9-2008 at 06:25 AM

its super nice in savannah right now i am on my way :spin:

lunchbox - 6-9-2008 at 07:22 AM

My Sat - Mowing the lawn, trimming the plants and trying to dip up and ax a big old tree root...sure wish I was on JI!

Have fun guys!

acampbell - 6-9-2008 at 07:29 AM

It's nice here- not a cloud in the sky. Bobby just laoded up his brand new buggy at my place and we will all be out there in a bit. Winds are West at 9 mph at the moment and will likely build. I would prefer East but am grateful for what we have, considering.

tridude - 7-9-2008 at 06:25 AM

turned out an awesome day as the wind finally kicked in about 3:30pm. Plenty of kites in the air---Neos. Montana 4s, Hydra, the new Apex (very sweet ask Dustin), Venom, Reactor, PKD Buster, Blade, and Bularoo...........

Angus will do an in depth on the Neo and M4 but I can tell you the Neo performance is not hype. It delivers in all categories to include safety. Anyone interseted in a land, snow, water closed cell should demo this one. Within 5 mins I was sold, nuff said.

Thanks to Angus and Team HQ for another great day at JI. Dustin nice meeting you and I think we have another depower convert now. BB, sweet bug and great to see you and your family again!

SecondWind - 7-9-2008 at 07:03 AM

Thanks for the update Tridude - I'm looking forward to getting my Neo :thumbup:

acampbell - 7-9-2008 at 12:28 PM

DaVinch, I think you'll love the Neo and I'd love to hear your comments.

Yeah we started the day with lumpy west winds from 0-7mph and a tiny beach with high tide at 2pm. I told folks that the wind would build after the tide switched and that if the sun stayed hot, the Island would heat up and kick in a sea breaze. Luckily the Island di not make a fool of me, for at about 3:30 the wind swung southeast, off the water and built to about 8-10mph.

I'l have pics up on my website later but here is a quick and dirty on the gear....

With us from HQ Kites was Tim Baxmeyer of HQ USA, and Jan Hendrick Junker, Product Manager from HQ in Germany. Jan Hendrick brought over the Neo, the Hydra, the New Rush series, the Montana IV, and the Apex II.

The Neo
The Neo was the most anticipated and got the most attention and with good reason. This new closed cell twinskin inflatable is unique in many respects. It is a true cross-over de-power kite suitable for Water, snow and dry land.

First is the set-up and launch. Obviously there is no pump, but the great surprise was no pre-inflation as you would with a Peter Lynn ARC. It launches like any open cell foil and inflates itself on the way up to the zenith. In light winds, a couple of yanks on the center line will help insure that it fully inflated.

Then there's the low end that other inflatos don't have (except the more expensive Flysurfers). We launched the 8 sq, m Neo in 6 mph and at 8-9mph, Jan was able to get up on a skim board on the water with the 11 meter viersion, but not so much up-wind. In the air it is smooth and stable with no tip-tuck. Overhead, you can let go of the bar for long enough to open a water bottle and take afew sips without it wandering too far off.

When the wind came up I took the 11 sq. m Neo for a run in the bug. Power was smooth with lots of de-power range. It was even stable in a deep down-wind broad reach, with no tip tuck. Upwind was easy too, even in the light wind that day. Turning was fast, easy and predicatble.

The new de-power bar is clean and neat with all componenets easy to reach. Gone are the familiar seperate pull/pull straps for adjusting the center lines, replaced by a single line with a cam-cleat that is super easy to adjust. The strap leads all the way to the bar so it's never out of reach. Our local kiteboard instructor Robb VanWie really liked the bar.

The Neo is rigged in a 3-line configuration with the front lines coming down to a single line about halfway down to the kite, forming a "Y". Up in the bridle there is a compound 2-pulley mixer system that changes camber as well as angle of attack. the rest of the bridle is simple and neat and , with the shape of the kite, they never seemed to get tangled or want to wrap a line when the kite is luffed. With the light and viariable wind that we started off with, luffs were inevitable but we never bow-tied the kite.

Landing and takedown are worth noting too. The Neo has a landing handle accross the rera lines like a Montana and it's easy to back the kite down for a downwind landing. Once on the ground, pulling the top-hat safety dumps out the front lines by a few meters, plunking the kite down squarely on the brake lines, something Tridude noted would never happpen with his Flysurfers. Staking the kite by the landing handle leaves it parked securely with no worries. To put the kite away, first open the de-flation zipper on the back of the kite. Then fold the kite tip-to-tip, tossing the bridles into the center. Then simply roll-up the kite from the tips to the zipper openning, toss the bar and lines on top and fold it over. Simple and neat. Kiteboarders with Neo will be on the water while others are pumping and will have a beer in their hands afterwards while others are popping bladder valves.

"Sweet- No hype- the real deal" were the first words out of Tridude's mouth after he put the Neo down. He went on to enumerate to Jan Hendrick the advantages of the Neo over the Flysurver Psycho and Pulse, but I will let him post those if he wants as I am no expert with FS.

The Neo should be available in a few weeks. Jan Hendrick tells me that the first production run in Europe is already sold out

The Hydra
The Hydra is like a baby Neo on a fixed bridle 3-line rig and bar.
Take a Rush III Pro 3-line (single rear brake line for reverse launching) and put on a closed leading edge with 2 one-way air inlets and you have a great water-realuchable trainer. Besides a trainer that is sure to be popular with kiteboard schools, the Hydra will be a fun kite to play with in the surf for body dragging and the like. It will be available in afew months for about $50 more than the Rush III Pro.

The Montana IV
My only beef with the otherwis great M3 were the de-power adjuster straps on the center lines that were hard to reach when let all the way out. Well they fixed that big time with the new bar, which is esentiially the same rig as is on the Neo. They also used the same single line front line "Y" set up to reduce wieght and drag. With this bar comes greater de-power range as well. Up in the Bridle, they went back to the same 2-pulley mixer as was on the M2. The kite's profiles have been optimized too for added stability and reduced tip-tuck. The M3 was great in this department and this is even better

The Apex II
The Apex has always been a great, super-affordable entry-level de-power kite and the A2 gets even better. We get the benefits of an updated foil with new profiles for added stability. His first time on de-power, PKF member Dustin took to the Apex II with ease.

The Rush III
HQ took the popular Rush II and refined the foil for more speed and stability. The Pro version has the singe center brake line for relaunching. running like a mad dog, Jan Hendrick took the Rush III Pro for a full 360 around the beach in the light breeze, proving its speed and stability.

I want to thank HQ, Tim and Jan-Hendrick for giving us a great Demo Day and a sneak peek and some great new kites. thanks to all those who travelled a good distance to the event to make it a great success

SecondWind - 7-9-2008 at 03:09 PM

Fantastic review Angus! Sounds like HQ has a killer new lineup :thumbup:

acampbell - 7-9-2008 at 05:54 PM

OK Gang, here are the Pics from the event. If anyone else has any pics they want to include, please let me know!

http://www.coastalwindsports.com/HQDemoDayJekyll08.html

Thanks again to all.

bbrex - 7-9-2008 at 06:46 PM

Great pics Angus, wish we could have attended but we have a lot of clean up to do after the hurricane.
Brad Rex

kitemaker4 - 7-9-2008 at 07:45 PM

Nice pics Angus. Thanks for sharing.

Susan (npw goddess)

BeamerBob - 8-9-2008 at 05:15 AM

Saturday was a great day on the beach with lots of fellow kiters. It was great to see Jan Hendrik and Tim from HQ again. Angus and I are frequent kite buddies so it feels normal being on the beach with him. Great to see Tridude again. He is always a pleasure to be around. My wife likes him since he wondered out loud how I ended up with her. Something about tequila was his guess. Also great to see Dustin again and walking with perfect form I might add. Met goldendmd for the first time and he is a pleasure to be around as well. He makes the landboard look SO easy. Just cruises back and forth seeming to use no effort at all.

Lackluster wind is par for the course in my neck of the woods so I was right at home. Then the wind started to blow steady. I was heading out into the water to cool off and turned around to find 3 kites in the air. Oh well, cool off later. The hype was all about the neo. Of those in the know, the consensus was that it was worthy of the hype with Tridude mentioning it and flysurfer in the same sentence. And that was to say that FS should be on notice that there is a new contender in town. He's had two and flown more so I trust his opinion. I didn't get to fly it due to the short amount of time we had wind and the popularity of the neos. Next chance I get I'll put one in the air. My opportunity was to put a depower kite in some clean coastal winds. My new girlfriends were the Montanas. I flew the 7m and the 9.5. In those light winds the 9.5 wasn't too much at all. The power is sooooo smooth with these Montanas. Want a little extra grunt? Just pull the bar in. I flew both the 7m and the 9.5m. With the low winds we had, the 9.5 was no problem at all. I flew each static for awhile and then took the new buggy on a run with the 9.5. I still have some learning to do and I was flying at the very bottom of its wind window, but it was a pleasant flying experience and I'll have one very soon. In thinking back, it seemed that the turning radius was incredible for a 9.5m kite. It was very maneuverable. Thanks Angus and HQ for a memorable day with some great kites and great people.

tridude - 8-9-2008 at 07:28 AM

all I'll say is demo the Neos, and decide for yourself. Im thinking an 11 even though the 8 was recommended. I will say you wont be disappointed........................

kiteNH - 8-9-2008 at 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude
Im thinking an 11 even though the 8 was recommended.

Tridude, Could you elaborate on this statement a little bit? I'm curious what application the 8m was recommend for and why you'd opt for the larger size.

I haven't heard much on the depower (range) for the Neo. How does it compare to an open cell foil like the Access or Montana?

PHREERIDER - 8-9-2008 at 11:24 AM

Nice run down to JI! Very nice to meet every one. thanks angus for the hosting, big thanks to the HQ Jan & Tom. and thank you mother nature for a little breeze at the end of the day.
Marginal wind day (10mph) the lighter wind kites there seemed to do fine.

Not enough for the water so the ATB was the ride of choice for me. put up a V16 and cruised about til about 5:30. Cruised in and drop my rig and Jan got me on the NEO 11m.

thankful the wind was picking up, I think angus marked the wind speed when I got on it? can't remember exactly somewhere around 10mph.

this kite has a tapered trailing edge like a FS and quickly gets apparent wind feature very fast so it can be flown in low wind easily, the bar is standard depower set up with a trim and quick release below it with another release on the loop. the trim adjuster is reachable and we let it out and got a little more power, then hop on the board and took a ride.

very responsive, quick, very sharp power feel, alot like the FS i have, no tip thing, no collaspe.
upwind settled nicely, a great build in power with apparent wind. maybe got a loop in somewhere, hand full of some powersliding both ways very solid user friendly kite. Jan popped a jump with the 11m, he's 62kg(135lbs.), got some decent air. not enough for the 200lbs. club, but i can see the average rider having great all around ride on snow land or water. this kite would see a lot of use for land maybe up 15mph(for some certainly higher) then onto the water with more wind . A 14m would be nice for my needs water and land. I would guess as compared to the 11m, a 14m in 12-15mph would plenty power to get you on the water for the >190lbs. crowd.

nice to fly HOT NEW gear, for the price and usable range the NEO could be an easy choice, not sure where this kite is on user experience, but i would reccomend for a flyer who wants a, no pump, single all around rig that goes up in light wind with reasonable range.

Jekyll is a beautiful spot, took a bike around the end of the island and back to the site, i remember vacations there when i was 6/7yrs. old.

tridude - 8-9-2008 at 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kiteNH

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude
Im thinking an 11 even though the 8 was recommended.

8m based on my quiver...the depower is excellent. I flew hooked in as well as unhooked.................another 10 kts of wind would have been great but the low end performance was def validated

lunchbox - 8-9-2008 at 10:21 PM

Thanks to you all for posting your comments and to Angus for his great write up and pics....seems like it was a good time had by all.

Can't wait to fly the Neo...What about a "Pass the Neo" program when it's in circulation :yes:

tridude - 9-9-2008 at 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lunchbox
Thanks to you all for posting your comments and to Angus for his great write up and pics....seems like it was a good time had by all.

Can't wait to fly the Neo...What about a "Pass the Neo" program when it's in circulation :yes:

If I go for the 11m, Ill send it your way for a month if you send your 13m V2 this way....................

Bladerunner - 9-9-2008 at 08:44 AM

So...... Kiter Kevin isn't alone out East in the NO HELMET game ! ;-)

Nice pic's ! Easy to see who everyone is without that nasty safety gear getting in your way :smug:

acampbell - 9-9-2008 at 09:07 AM

yeah, guilty. Conditions were so benign and we were lucky to get the 9-10mph, buggy runs were short and slow, so risk was low. I will state that Goldenmd was on a land baord and had his helmet. :thumbup:

Just wish a caught a pic of it.

BeamerBob - 9-9-2008 at 10:20 AM

Guilty here as well. Wexler could've run along beside me on any part of my buggy runs. Just trudging along. Never once did I do a side slide from the kite powering up beside me. I might've hit 10 mph but I doubt it. While flying static, I never had my feet lifted off the ground. I don't think it was possible with such light winds. Helmets are great but I just don't think anyone was in danger and the threat of a surprise gust never materialized either.

lunchbox - 9-9-2008 at 10:23 AM

Quote:

Quote:
Originally posted by lunchbox
Thanks to you all for posting your comments and to Angus for his great write up and pics....seems like it was a good time had by all.

Can't wait to fly the Neo...What about a "Pass the Neo" program when it's in circulation

Quote:

If I go for the 11m, Ill send it your way for a month if you send your 13m V2 this way....................

Hey Tridude...you're on...I'll do that. Only catch would be that I can't send the bar...need it for my 19m. Just shoot me a U2U after you've had a chance to play with it for a while.

tridude - 9-9-2008 at 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lunchbox

Quote:

If I go for the 11m, Ill send it your way for a month if you send your 13m V2 this way....................

Hey Tridude...you're on...I'll do that. Only catch would be that I can't send the bar...need it for my 19m. Just shoot me a U2U after you've had a chance to play with it for a while.

BeamerBob - 9-9-2008 at 10:48 AM

Nice pics Don. So you have an 11m Neo in your future? That's putting your money where your mouth is for sure.

tridude - 9-9-2008 at 11:01 AM

most likely.......not sure on the size until I find the useable range on the Scorpion. The 8m was very impressive in smallish winds but my instincts tell me go for an 11.................

wexler - 9-9-2008 at 01:06 PM

I had a lot of fun Hq has really done it this time with their killer lineup I got to fly the new Neo which was a really cool kite. The Montanna 4 is a KILLER!!! :cool:

It is way better than the 3, The 4 9.5 m goes faster than the 3 7m.
but the kite that I had the most fun with that day was the new rush it wass fast and fun to fly i was even boarding with it, really cool kite! I can't wait till the JIBE.

Bladerunner - 9-9-2008 at 06:58 PM

I'm just poking good Canadian fun at you :frog:
We need to drive 6 hours to find beaches like that around here :o
I actually did enjoy the fact I could see who's who !
Tridude is the spitting image of Flash Austin in that one picture. :cool2:

I might have expected people to be impressed with the Reactor in those winds ? It's a big hit around here !

Tridude, You should try and scare up Pablo. By adjusting settings he was getting some crazy top end out of His 16m Scorpian. From what I got second hand changing the settings on that kite makes a huge difference. Play with it !

tridude - 10-9-2008 at 06:26 AM

noticed the FSer guys will have a Neo at their event in Wildwood. Look forward to their comments and hope you have stronger winds so we can hear the top end performance comments. I will say the Neo easily has it on the low end, more grunt, faster, no pre inflation req, emergency/re ride system, and turning is better than my previous 7/8m closed cell.........................

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