I had the opportunity to try out the new Skycountry Alasca 10m this past weekend. Skycountry's new depowerable snow kite.
VERY nice Kite
Skycountry is a company out of the Ukrane ( sp )
It is brought in by some local folks at www.skycountry.ca
I believe this is the 1st Alasca in North America ?
It comes in a good quality pack with extra room for your pads and harness.
Skycountry use a very unique material on there kites. A very slick material that looks oily or wet that should shed dirt and water very well. Bridles
are of good quality.
The vents on this and all Skycountry kites are covered with an extra fine mesh that will do a great job of keeping the snow out + keeping the vents
open. A very good idea on the snow.
This kite was set up on a Ozone bar. It seemed to me that there was more depower in the kite than the bars travel allowed. Depower was good none the
less.
My experience with depower kites is a bit limited still. The 2 kite I can compare to in the same 10 m range are the Psycho 2 and the Frenzy. This kite
was similar in performance to the Frenzy. Plenty of raw power but It didn't hit on and off as much as the Frenzy making it a bit more user friendly.
It also held up in the turns better than my experience with the Frenzy. Collapse and tip tuck was not a problem but the wind was up.
I'm not the greatest at jumping yet but this kite performed very well with the little jumps I did attempt. Just send it and pull in the bar for some
nice smooth lift. Although unproven by myself I expect that this kite will offer some good float as well.
In about 15mph winds this kite was easy kite to handle. Good feedback. Similar bar pressure to the Frenzy. Much harder than the P2. I spent most of
the day with the sun in my eyes. Flying this kite for the 1st time mostly by feel was not a problem. Far more friendly and stable than my P2 ever was.
The wind wasn't too gusty but it took the changes handed to it very nicely.
I wasn't able to test the kite in low wind but expect it will fly early and well.
At about $900 the price point is very good. This kite is worth the money !!!
Skycountry have been around for a little while now. The company is solid but hasn't made in-roads over here yet. Please feel free to contact them
about their product and how to give it a try before you buy. All previous Skycountry kites we have had are proving to stand up to the test of time +
over-use very well. This is a product I can stand by !!! Scudley - 8-9-2008 at 03:37 PM
Glad you liked it. B-Boy seemed to like it too. I thought we were going to have to use a crowbar to pry it out of his hands. Fifteen knots (8 m/s)
is what the designers say is the optimum wind so you had an excellent day to demo it.
When I was first flying it, the wind was lighter than the recommended minimum and it was still able to get my buggy going 40 km/h, (this may not sound
like much but with a maximum tack of 300m the trees are coming up fast). I can hardly wait to try it with a harness that will allow me to sit
properly in my buggy.
S skycountry.caBladerunner - 8-9-2008 at 05:11 PM
Yes,
I forgot to mention how B'boy took to this kite. He a has flown a bit of depower but is mostly a F.B' boy. Maybe not anymore . He has flown a TON of kites in his 2 short years The kid took to that kite like
he owned it. He was riding in the buggy and had a grin from ear to ear ! One of the best kites He has ever flown , He said
He pretty much started flying it and then wouldn't let it go :singing: I was on Blades when I tried it.
This is a true snow kite and this makes it a great buggy kite as well ! The magic mesh over the inlets would be very handy on the beaches. Not even
fine sand will make it through. No way sand is sticking to that slippy fabric.
I never looked to see if it has dirt outs, as if any would get in ! Does it Scudley ?Scudley - 8-9-2008 at 06:29 PM
No dirt outs, but in the two summers and one winter of flying them, I have never had anything get in to any of my Reflexes. It may be slippery but
salty sand sticks to everything. (salt attracts moisture and the very thin film of liquid makes it sticky).
All Sky Country kites are made with Gelvenor. It is used for the wear sections of many paragliders. Heavy than Skytex, but much more durable
according to a lot of paraglider websites. Gelvenor is a South African product. They have a web site showing how they make their fabrics and apply
coatings. The fabric is multi-coated with layers for porosity control, UV resistance, etc. Nothings feels like new Gelvenor.
S
BladeRunner is flying the 10m on blades and I am flying my 4m in the buggy.
Bladerunner - 8-9-2008 at 06:56 PM
That sounds funny :singing:
But it's true :cool2:
Quote:
Originally posted by Scudley
Nothings feels like new Gelvenor.
S
Bluecro - 16-6-2012 at 12:48 AM
Hi I am looking for a Skycountry Alasca 10m, new or used.dandre - 16-6-2012 at 04:04 AM
from my research the general synopsis was two thumbs up, great performance, with a small added concern about resell values. My wager was people who DO
have these kites like em quite a bit, and wouldn't want to sell them low. I haven't seen one in the year I've been a member. I saw a Madagascar, and
maybe 2 reflex
I'd bet they're pretty versatileScudley - 16-6-2012 at 02:25 PM
Looks like I am selling my Alasca. The cash will go toward 6m Reflex. It does not get enough use from me, much prefer FB.
EddieB was asking not much less than he paid for his Reflex. Believe me, he and Roland got a lot of use out of that kite. It is now a fifth hand.
I flew it last week, still flies beautifully.
Ninety percent of Reflexes I've brought in are still with the original owners. Of the ones sold, half were sold because the owner was bought a new
one for nicer colours. The other half because he hurt or scared himself.
Sdandre - 16-6-2012 at 04:32 PM
Snatch dat. 10 will keep intermediates happies into uncomfortable winds.
