Power Kite Forum - 2012 Ozone Frenzy Review

If you have flown last year’s Ozone Frenzy you may have learned this kite was a dramatic improvement from Ozone’s past flagship kites. It was fast, powerful, precise and (best of all) super-stable. The 2011 Frenzy’s stability was a direct result of the addition of the “link line” which unified the wind’s shape. I found the kite to be so rock solid that I was pulling freestyle tricks that I would have never attempted in the past. I could whip this kite from one side of the window to the other without a hint of instability. The downside of the link line was when one needed to land the kite in nuking winds. In these high wind situations the kite was reluctant to flag out and held its shape too well! A tradeoff I suppose. Now, however, that is all in the past.

For 2012, the Frenzy has retained all the great flight characteristics I like plus the addition of numerous SAFETY features. Number one is the addition of a fifth line flag out system that totally kills the power of the kite in high wind situations. Last week in the Big Horns Mountains of Wyoming I had three days of 7 and 9m conditions that allowed me to test the 5th line in strong winds. It performed flawlessly. Whether I purposefully unhooked and deployed the 5th line or released the Megatron chicken loop under extremely heavy load, the 5th line instantly flagged the kite, immediately eliminating any pull from the kite. “Safe, safe, safe” is what I kept thinking. Reloading the bar after releasing to the 5th line was usually as simple as walking up to the bar and hooking in again. Only once, releasing to the 5th line during a severe 40mph+ gust with the 9m, was the bridle snarled and needed to be straightened out back at the lodge.

Of course, in less nuclear winds, I find the brake handle safety to be my primary means of landing my Frenzy. Having two independent safety systems to use, depending upon skill level and conditions is ideal. It’s my choice: I can clip my leash to the suicide ring on the Megatron or clip into the 5th line flag out safety.

Looping the kite (or spinning underneath it) with the leash attached to the 5th line was surprisingly tangle free. The Megatron usually cleared the 5th line wraps in a few moments and it was never an issue. Obviously, if you clip into the suicide ring there are no wraps from spinning and looping.
Another safe and sound improvement was the elimination of the top hat front line release. With the addition of the 5th line, the top hat was unnecessary. So, no more inadvertent top hat releases! Safe!

For riders with short arms, smaller women, and children they will all benefit from the fact that the front line adjustment cleat is directly above the bar. It is more easily accessible than ever before. Safe again.

Most pilots would never notice but I detected some very subtle differences from last year’s Frenzy in my 3 days in the Big Horns. In the sky, the kite appears to be more precisely trimmed. Very small differences in the trailing edge creases were noticed over the 2011 Frenzy. The 2012 Frenzy appeared a notch more finely tuned. When sheeting in, the trailing edge crease was more crisp and precise. This refinement was apparent across all the kites I flew: the 7, 9 and my couple sessions on the 11m.

There is a wonderful feeling that comes from unrolling a new kite and launching it skyward. One expects a new kite to fly perfectly right out of the bag. The Frenzy does that. It should be safe, stable, and fun to fly. With the 2012 Frenzy I knew that would be the case and it was. For riders who want to progress and push their skills to the next level (and beyond) the Frenzy will deliver. Best of all it will do so safely and with loads of potential.

Thanks for reading and see ya out there,

Noah