Got out yesterday for a few hours on the new Flexifoil ION 12m. Winds were blowing around 10-17, averaging around 13 or so. Attached is a wind graph. I was riding at Matanzas Inlet, with an outgoing tide, so that gives you an extra boost(makes the wind feel around 3-4mph stronger than it is. I weigh 170lbs, and was riding my Slingshot SX 151 most of the time. Here are some comments:

Kite Construction and Looks: As all Flexifoil kites, bombproof and a lot of attention to detail. Very solid, extra stitching and scuff guards where you need it, etc.. Comes with One pump, so that is a nice added feature. In terms of the bridles, and pulleys: it has one pulley on each side of the kite on the front line bridle. The back line attaches right to the kite. So, super simple in terms of bridles and pulleys. Shape looks very similar to the Caution Answer I just flew the other day. When in the air, it looks very similiar to a normal C shape kite(from the riders view)

Bar and Lines: Basically their Axis Bar with a few modifications. Has a grab handle on the left outside flying line. The chicken loop line is a little longer than a normal 4 line bar, but not super long. It is setup so that at full power you can still let go of the bar and it won't totally kill the power of the kite right away. The kite will slowly fall out of the sky but it isn't immediate. It is too long that you can't rest against the bottom of the strap if you wanted to use that as a stopper...so, for the stopper ball guys out there, you may want to add one or you may not like it. It has a 5th line style ring that comes through the bar and you can hook you leash to that. So, if you want total depower, you let go of the bar and that pulls directly on the front lines which kills the power.

Self Launch: Sand on the wingtip method..I was 1 for 2. Just got to keep an eye on the bridle and keep it above the wing tip. The other time, I did a reverse relaunch(grabbed both outside flying lines, backed it up in the sky, then let go)...

Self Land: unhook, outside grab handle, easy...

Speed: Very good speed for a 12m. About in line with the Waroon 12m and Caution Answer 12m. Way faster than the Cabrinha Crossbow, Switchblade, or Liquid Force Assault. Not as fast as an RRD Type HIR 13 or 10m...So, good speed....

Bar Pressure: Very light and positive feel. The Sonic is probably still the lightest, but this is right in there with the Caution Answer. Very comfortable for unhooked, etc..

Power: Good power. It wasn't super strong out there, and I could go. Another guy was on a 16m Slingshot Octane. We switched kites, and the Octane definitely had a little more power, but not much. So, probably the power of a 14 or 15m C shape kite.

Jumping: Good..it was pretty light, but I could still get some nice jumps and it held you up there really well...

Unhooking: Very nice.... One of the first bow kites I actually fealt good unhooking with..fealt like a normal C shape. Missed a few handle passes, and I was able to pull the kite back down to me before the kite hit the water(had the leash setup directly to the chicken loop).

High end: Don't know yet...more to follow when we get more wind...

Overall: I really liked this kite. Pretty much the same review I gave the Caution Answer 12m I rode a few days ago. It is the best of both worlds: Part bow kite, but part C shape kite. Feels like a C shape kite, but you have the advantages(safety, water relaunch, etc.) of a bow shape kite. For the C shape guys that think most bow kites feel very weird...you will like this kite. For those who want that instant kill switch(push the bar away a few inches and kill almost all the power), you may not like this kite(The Crossbow, Sonic, switchblade, Turbo diesel, and Liquid Force Assault are better for that...with their bar setups). So all in all, not much negative to report on this with my inital trial. I guess the only thing is there isn't a way to rest since there is no stopper ball, but that is about it for now... more to follow as I get to hopefully test in higher winds. Who knows, it may fly backwards and explode in high winds...

more pictures

more pictures

Does Flexifoil every cease to perform? This looks like the ultimate bow kite in my eyes. I still don’t know if I would ever switch (yet) but it definitely looks amazing. It looks just like my fusions in mid air! Is it faster than the fusions? I wonder what Hadlow thinks of them? What about unhooked kiteloops (how did it act, respond, pull, ect.

-Jonathan

I’m flattered of my new title "local ripper" ha-ha = )

Did I say local "ripper???" I meant local stripper. I hear you have joined the male stripper tour in Palaka?

I would say faster than the 12m Fusion and very nice for unhooked kite loops...did a few yesterday with it, and the kite was already around and climbing back up way before I hit the water.... very nice......

Hmmmm I'll put a bullet in my head if i like the ion more than the fusion. I m scared to fly it i dont know if i want to now haha.

-Local Stripper

Dudez, Local Stripper is the heat! At last week's Palatka Beefcake Revue, he pulled an unhooked Thong to Blind to Pork Rind right in front of a close-out wave of country girl flesh, ignoring the consequences of a false step.

That move was sick!

Ebone...you kill me!!!! Let me know when you start writing for Saturday Night Live!

How much does the kite depower saying that you just wiped out on a big unhooked nipple tassle mobe (hooked suicide). Could you 86 the fifth line on the bar and get away with just hooking to chicken loop?

-Local Stripper

PS: you need to consider carrying these in the shop
I hear slingshot will be releasing these with a fifth line guide hole

I would say if you are flying it at full power mode(no adjustment strap pulled in), 80% of the power would be gone if you miss the pass. Just a guestimate... Still a little juice left in it, but it isn't enough that it is going to yard you downwind like what could happen on a C shape if you hook the leash suicide style....The kite will start to fall to the water, so you have to recover quickly...but it doesn't do it immediately.

Also, thanks for the link about those rings... I have seen you wearing those when you ride, but wasn't sure where you got them from. Now we know! Does it hurt when you wear those under your wetsuit, or would you recommend just cutting a hole in your suit so they stick out?

I want to fly it!

It’s a painful pleasure! Being the local stripper I have to make sacrifices to get the job done. In order to keep my title "local stripperâ€

Local Stripper, WTF are you talking about? If you think you are breaking new ground by incorporating masochism into your riding style, you obviously missed out on my early days of kiting.

I didn't settle for no weak-ass tassles. With me, it was all BIG MOVES: tourniquet leash wraps, headbutting the board, saltwater lung enemas, and getting my nipples wrapped in kite line.

I even wore black nylon bike pants to the sessions. It was pure SEXY, although I was 25 pounds heavier back then and was sponsored at the time by Krispy Kreme.

any chance you have got to try the ION in higher winds?

torn between this and a waroo 12m.

thanks!

No high wind test for us yet...wish we had it out there today..it was in the mid to upper 20's most of the day. Next weekend Flexifoil is coming to town with all the sizes and hopefully with some wind!

Few questions :

Can you lunch/land by attaching your chicken loop to your board and keeping kite flying on its tip ? (I assume you can, but just want to make sure it's the case)

How much replacement bladders will cost for the kite ?
(I had a C-kite from flexifoil, and bladders were a bit expensive ...)

When we can hear reviews from real users ?

What is the defferance btween the Waroo and the ION? And what kite do you like more

Lots of similarities on the Waroo and ION...only a few differences.
In terms of what is similar: they fly about the same, both are fast, both have light bar pressure compared to the other bow kites, both jump very good(the waroo may jump a little higher), both are good for unhooked stuff compared to most other bows, etc... The biggest difference in my opinion, is the bar and lines on the two kites. The Waroo bar has a little longer chicken loop rope. The way the leash works on the two is also a little different... 5th line type of ring on the ION(it goes above the depower strap to kill the power). Also, the ION has one pump and is probably made a little tougher. Other than that, both are killer.

So the prise makes the differance

The price is defintely different between the too. No question about it, the Waroo costs less(they don't have distributors, which saves us and you money).

How is it possible that the wind range of the Waroo is larger than ION? The Waroo 14m2 10-24 kpn ION 15m2 13-25 kpn
Waroo 12m2 12-28 kpn ion 12m2 17-29 kpn

Where this lies to??