So how is the XR4 going guys?
The wind range and boost/hang time excellent?
I just got my xr4 8m, the wind was 16 knots, I thought it would pick up but it dropped off while I was on the water, I had to loop the kite and work it quite a bit just to stay up, then I checked the wind and found that I was kiting in 11 knots, something I thought an 8 m would never do. Then I got out in 20 knots and it's just awesome, I used to always transition on boosts, but with the xr4 I can boost and then decide which way I land mid boost, it's amazing. Also the auto unwind on the centre lines makes running your lines out such a treat
The 12 is off the hook, I've had mine about 4 months and I love it. Such a smooth kite to fly and fark it has some hang time. Awesome kite.
Nice. That's what I want to hear. Wind range good and easy to handle at its top end?
Will be upgrading my beloved Fuses this year, top Freeride boosting kite with a massive wind range.
Will be out of the Rebel and XR4.
Yeah wind range is great and it's awesome fun at both the bottom and top end. At its top end it goes big, really big. Even in 15 knots you get heaps of hang time.
Hi Mex,
I own a quiver of XR4's : 7, 9 and 12. Wind range is exceptional on all kites and IMO as good as wind range can get. The 12m gets me going upwind on a hydrofoil in as little as 7 knots with longer lines and in about 12-14 knots on a small twin tip in flat water, probably need 15 knots in open ocean (I'm 85 kg)
I can hold the 12m in 25 knots, it's harder to boost high in those winds with a large kite but you get impressive hangtime with 4-6 seconds jumps easy.
On a twin tip for boosting sessions, the 9m starts to be fun around 20 knots up to 30 knots and the 7m for anything above that.
The 7 and 9m are boosting machines and got me reaching heights of up to 12m (measured on the Woo) and hangtimes just under 7 seconds.
With a good technique and in any winds above 25 knots you can easily boost 10m jumps with 4-5 seconds hangtime consistently, without much effort.
Pro's kiting alongside of me with Woo's and C-kites outboost me in height by a few meters but they have less hangtime.
So in summary a perfect kite for your intermediate to advanced booster who likes long floaty jumps, old school tricks and soft landings.
A friend of mine took the 7m out in 30-35 knots and thrown some decent kiteloops followed by a downloop with controlled and soft landings, impressive!
The kites are super stiff, unbelievably stable and very well built. Additionally, the new Core Pumps makes pumping kite soooo easy and fast you don't mind so much changing kites when the wind picks up or drops off. You can pump a 7m in 20 sec. 9m in 30 sec and 12m in 40 sec. I don't think electric pumps are that fast.
Happy boosting,
Christian
Hey Mex,
The XR4 is not a freestyle kite, it is along the same vein as the Rebel, Fuse and Dyno. All are lousy for unhooked riding. If you want unhooked, the GTS3 is a much better choice.
DM