Last year someone at the shop suggested that maybe Best should make some all black kites for us at Ocean Extreme Sports. After initially nixing the idea, someone must have liked it, because they have created a special limited edition Best Waroo Stealth. We have the first one, so check it out.

mine! mine!


here's a youtube video too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpJPljpjJnI

It would have looked ten times cooler without the fish blocking the other graphics. Oh well, still pretty cool. I have been loving my 09 13m 'Roo. Very nice kite.

Oh man.... I just noticed the EZ Pump. Is there going to be options (forever I hope) on Waroos regarding having a One-Pump system? I sure hope so, I view One Pumps as nothing more than gimmicks and one more thing to go wrong. I prefer being able to pump up my struts rock hard w/o exploding my LE.

they're using Slingshots one pump system now and not the (failed) system they try to develop aren't they?

Scott, you still loving your Waroo's?

i weigh 190lbs. a 9M & 13M or 11M & 15M? whadaya'll think?

Thanks!

It was a combination of me and Daryl that suggested it. I've always wanted an all black kite since day one that I started kiting. The kite is cool but they could have jazzed up the graphics considering its a limited edition......

Yeah... just removing the fish (all pale looking) and jazzing up that squiggly design would have looked killer. Yes, I still love my 'roos.

Michael, I know enough to know that I can't (confidently) recommend outside of my weight class, but I will give my impression. I believe Eddie probably weighs what you weigh and his insights are more valuable. I weigh 160.

I start having quite a bit of fun on the 13m in solid 15knots. I am talking I can do anything I want. Unhook with good power, jump pretty high... etc. On my 9m, 17/18 knots is when the fun starts for unhooking and around solid 20/22 knots.. I can jump pretty high and am pretty much litt. Solid 25 knots and I start going for megaloops. The 9m 'roo is a sick megalooper.

I think those wind speeds indicate one thing, primarily.... it's hard to have a whole lot of fun on a kite (talking adrenaline rush) in less than 15 knots... if you are unhooking and need "pop power". I like to try to do unhooked stuff these days (if on a twin tip). If I had the 15m, I could unhook in 13knots, but it would be slo-mo, not so much pop... so what's the point(?) is kinda my take.
I only do 4 or so unhooked tricks.. but I like to come off the water powered when I do.

I also use the 13m as my light wind kite, and can easily ride it on a surfboard in 10 knots. I happen to have quite a bit of fun just cruising around and riding. But it's a totally different kind of fun than unhooking and stuff.
My take (at my weight) is that a bigger kite is a waste of time and money for light wind riding. You are going to be just sight seeing in less than 13 or so, not doing many tricks... so why do it under a circus tent? If it picks up.. you are on a circus tent then. (slightly off tangent... )
Both waroos have pretty good low end for their size, imo. So a bigger 'roo may not be necessary for 15 knots or so, is my point. Again, I don't know what it's like to weigh a certain amount. I just know what the deal is at my size.

I would imagine if you aren't interested in sub 13 knots... that the 13 and 9m combo would be a good call. I view the 9m as the cherry... and would want that kite in the quiver. Hope this helps. I think a lot of your decision may be based on your riding style. If you ride hooked in, like power (maybe being overpowered), I think I would recommend the 15/11 combo for bigger guys who ride in 10 to 30. If you like more technical or unhooked stuff (where being totally overpowered can suck) I think I would say 13/9, almost regardless of weight (unless a flyweight.. then just the 9m).

Hope that makes any sense at all.
Take that info together with Eddie's.. and maybe... Jonathan and Codder can hop on too.

Can someone give insight into the one-pump deal? Is Best still going to offer a non-one pump choice? I am a huge believer that being able to inflate each strut and then LE is the only way to go (for me). One pump makes no sense in terms of kite performance.. it just lessens it, imo. Also, it's a major pain in the ass when LE has leak on many brands in terms of fix. I view it as not much more than a marketing fad that unfortunately took hold among kiters.
It will be too bad if Best doesn't offer a non one-pump solution.
I would be willing to pay MORE to not have one-pump.
For me all one pump does is insure my struts don't inflate rock hard.
Ozone seemed keenly aware of this years ago.. and even they switched over.
Ahh... the power of the (ignorant) consumer... gotta love it (End rant).

never had an issue with one pump, now own 5 of them. i know the struts have the ability to have more psi, but my kites seem not to have an issue. 6-7 psi all the way through, and they all fly great. and im on the water quicker than you...

I had tons of issues with the 04 Slingshots (yes, tons) and several of my friends are currently having issues with the 08 Flexis. It's maybe 2 minutes faster to have a one pump. I can't think of any other advantages, but I might be missing something. Actually, I do see the advantage if you are pumping up a kite from a boat and can't lay it out. That's pretty big for guys launching from boats on a regular basis.

To each his own is my take. I just want to have the option to stick with a non one pump kites is all. I like that I can pump up my struts to probably 11 psi and my LE to around 9.

By far a vast majority of riders want one-pump. That's pretty obvious.
I just think conclusion has been arrived at due to convenience and "what's in" maybe more than for functional/performance reasons. I know I am in the minority.
Because of that, Best will probably not offer non one pump for much longer and I will buy 2 13m and 2 9m's at the end of the season. LOL>....
I have noticed that when discussing non one pump, almost always the $$ saved is mentioned as why. I don't think anyone has really discussed the pressure in LE vs. struts much. Anyway........

Scott,
You're not alone. I do not want a one-pump. I have 7m/9m waroos and a 12m era. I love everything about the Era except the one-pump. Wish I could get the struts stiffer without over-inflating the leading edge. Maybe a 1min difference in setup time ... and less if you leave the struts inflated.
No one-pump for me.
Tony

I know there are several guys here in St. Pete that prefer to not have one pump as well.
But, most do still prefer it.
I have a 12m RRD Hyper Type II (one pump) that I got from EK for Donna.
Basically, I blew out the leading edge seam within 1 month of having it. The struts simply won't get rigid unless the LE is about to friggin' explode, so, not like you have much choice except to pump it up pretty hard.
Small diameter struts, large diameter LE and the laws of physics regarding pressure/volume won't allow for small diameter tubes to get even close to being rigid until the large diameter LE is rock hard and ready to burst. The Hyper II has really small struts and a pretty large LE. Bad combo. I can see how a small LE and small struts wouldn't be as big a deal. Maybe something like the Best HP's.

Anyway... mainly brought it up because I know EK sells a ton of waroos and might have some (maybe) pull on keeping at least a choice on the waroos. I just want a choice, not to convert other's opinions or change anyone's mind.
Thanks for hopping on though Tony and saying sumtin' ... maybe Best will listen up and continue to make at least a few non one pumps
I wouldn't cry if they dropped the flying penis logo either.

I agree but I don't think it will happen ... branding and all. Maybe they could adopt the Kahoona graphics which are much better in my opinion. I guess I shouldn't complain too much though, great kites at reasonable prices ... they can have the flying penis.

I'm another one that prefers the standard pump also. One pumps just make one more thing to go wrong. Keeping kites as simple as possible always makes em better in my opinion.

thanks for all the info!

not to change the topic but i rode the 11.5 kahoona and the 12M Waiman back to back this weekend. Was strapless on a surfboard. Kinda light but fun. I personally preferred the Kahoona. It seemed like a better wave kite but Ben K who rode the Kahoona much preferred the Waiman. I thought the Kahoona turned faster and Ben thought the Waiman turned faster so who knows! The Waiman had a tiny bit more power and it should have anyway as it's a tiny bit bigger. The Waiman has more power through the turn and turns lower than the Kahoona. We both agreed though that the Kaoona was more stable. It needed less baby sitting. I also thought the Kahoona relaunched a lot easier.

I rode the Kaoona latter on flat water with a twin tip. I still perfer my 08' Era's for free style. The Kaoona had a lot less lift and was less floatier but still a fun kite. The Kahoona is a VERY user friendly kite over all. You can make a ton of mistakes and not get punished. I will probably get a 9.5 and an 13.5 for wave riding and keep my Era's for free style until they fall apart.

Finally, Ben and i agreed to disagree as to which kite was better. I preferred the Kahoona and he the Waiman. I would insist though that the Kahoona is def more user friendly and would be better for a beginner than the Waiman would be and i'm sure Ben would agree on that.

does the limited edition turn faster?

I hear it not only turns 17% faster, but it also is 22% stronger due to the black limited edition material that is laced with a special UV kite resistant (patent pending) material.

As far as I know the Stealth is just a Waroo with different colors, so it probably does not turn any faster unless the black kite heats up and hot air rises, causing it to be lighter weight and react faster in the air (just a theory).

I understand the 1-pump arguments from both sides, but here is another thing that has not been mentioned. When kites are brand new, non 1-pump kites hold air for days when the struts are left inflated. I have gone several days without having to top off the struts when a kite is brand new. But as you pump up struts over and over, the valve starts to invariably get stretched out, and it starts to leak ever so slowly. So yes, you can pump up your struts rock hard when you first setup the kite, but how long does that last? Over time the struts will start to leak a little, and the pressure will decrease a little after a 2-3 hours session, and potentially decrease performance.

With a 1 pump system, there is only 1 inflatation point, therefore only 1 valve to stretch out and slowly leak. Since it is connected to the entire kite, a little bit of air leakage will not matter nearly as much as it would in a small strut. In the past there were problems with the glue coming unstuck if you left your kite in the heat, but over the past year or 2 I have not had that problem with my kites. Of course I don't leave the kites in the car with the windows rolled up in the summertime any more either. But I think bladder construction has gotten better as well. Any input on that one?

As far as kite size, I weight 220 pounds, and last year I had a 9 and a 15 Waroo. However, I did not like the performance of the 15, so this year I upgraded to a 13, and am WAY happier. My feeling is that the 13 is the bread and butter kite when the wind is between 15 and 22 knots, which is pretty common around here. Under 15 knots, I have other stuff I could be doing, but if you want a light wind machine, the 17 or 20 meter Waroo are a better choice than the 15. The 15 meter turns considerably slower than the 13, but does not have a whole lot more low end, so what's the point? There was only 2 days this year so far that I needed smaller than a 9.

"I hear it not only turns 17% faster, but it also is 22% stronger due to the black limited edition material that is laced with a special UV kite resistant (patent pending) materials"

This was a joke.... although your theory about hot air and black sounds nice....

I was told the black material on the limited edition does IN FACT make the kite turn much faster. I also want to add that it’s much faster than 17 percent. On a hot summer day (especially in Florida) you can expect results as high as a 35 % increase in turning radius. Best has made some fascinating breakthroughs with this limited edition technology. By manipulating the suns path of direct energy(i.e. turning the kite through the window) the black patented material absorbs the sun's energy. This conduction of heat occurs through subatomic phenomena built into the limited edition material.

Although this is all based on geometrical issues such as orientation of path please consider the examples.
Example 1: If an object [with a flat surface] is facing the sun at a 90 degree angle versus an object at a 15 degree angle, thus more energy is stored in the object with a 15 degree angle.
Some surfaces reflect more light than others.
Example 2: Rough surfaces will absorb more heat than a shiny polished surface, thus best` patented material is the highest conducting material of calidity to date.

Don't be alarmed this kite will never wear out like previous materials with ill-favored UV damage Theoretically, you can "charge your kite up" by letting it sit on the beach for around 10 minutes before launching or simply feel the effects of the limited material increasing in speed steadily throughout the session (if you choose not to wait). I also want to note that just because you can’t see the sun (i.e. overcast conditions) doesn’t mean the kites material isn’t in full effect.

Best award winning R&D team made an outstanding discovery that can be applied to the aeronautics of kite flight. The discovery of an idealized perfect absorber along with its patented material led to the realization that all radiation is quantized (not continuous). This applies to the theory of quantum mechanics which, as predicted, was extremely successful through a series of lab tests correlated to the subatomic phenomena.

My next post will go into the warnings of the material as there is some risk associated with this exponentially fast kite.

Funny how an argument can be complete bullshit, but if you throw in enough big words and factoids, suddenly it actually starts to make sense! Halfway through the latest post I found myself thinking that I might have to pump up a Stealth back to back with my 2009 13 Waroo and see if in fact this space age material does increase my jumping potential.

Now, if only we could find a way to harness the electrical power in a thunderstorm to give our kite an electromagnetic charge, maybe we could just levitate for a while and fly around instead of just going up in the air and back down again like a toad. Then again, it could turn out like the Air France jet scattered over 140 miles of ocean...OUCH.