What a difference a year has made. The Legaignoux brothers obviously had a good plan when they designed the inflatable kite 20 years ago. They sold us the original C-shape design in the mid 1990s, and then released the Bow kite last year. Noone could have predicted how popular the bow kites would become in less than a year's time.

The advantages are obvious: more effective area, faster turning, massive depower, greater low end power, and easy relaunch. The disadvantages are minimal: bridle can get tangled, setup is more complicated, some bars have pulleys which lessens the direct feel of the kite, and some bow kites have more bar pressure than a traditional C-shape.

Cabrinha was the first kite manufacturer to release a bow kite, which was the Crossbow, and later the Switchblade. The Crossbow was an immediate success, and they sold a ton of kites before any other manufacturer even release their bow kite design. Then the other companies started to come on board - Globerider with the GK Sonic, the Best Waroo, Flexifoil Ion, and Slingshot Turbo Diesel. Recently the Caution Answer and Ozone Instinct have blurred the line with hybrid C-shape bow kite designs that have advantages of both. Now the 2007 Cabrinha Contra has revolutionized light wind kite design with more effective area and unprecidented light wind performance. It will be interesting to see what comes next as the rest of the 2007 kites make their way to the market.

Now for the meat of this topic. Bow kites have been touted as the answer to kiteboarding's dangerous past. This could lead some novice users to conclude that they can't get hurt if they fly a bow kite. This is simply NOT TRUE. Yes, bow kites do depower more than a traditional C-Shape kite. IF in fact they are sheeted out. BUT, and it's a BIG BUT, they can also have WAY more power than a similar size C-Shape kite if they are sheeted in. Bow kites also tend to go backwards in light winds when sheeted in. And, if they are sheeted out too much, bow kites can and do fall completely out of the sky.

To illustrate this, I'll use the experience of one of our local kiters here in North Florida. Let's say that the wind is blowing 16-22 mph, and because of the massive depower, you have chosen to take out your 16 meter bow kite. Now, having flown this type of kite before and confident in its safer design, you are nonchalantly flying the kite with one hand while talking with a friend on the beach. Then suddenly, the wind lulls for a second, giving the kite less bar pressure and your depower loop accidentally slips out of your harness spreader bar. Instantly your always predictable bow kite has gone from total depower to 100% power in a matter of less than a second. Before you even have time to think, a 20 knot gust of wind hits and lofts you 10 feet into the air. Because you are an experienced rider, you have chosen to hookup a suicide leash to the chicken loop, knowing that the kite will depower when it pulls tight. But because you were caught by surprise, and didn't let go in time, it's too late. The kite has already accelerated, gotten momentum, and is pulling at maximum force. You let go of your bar, but because the kite is totally powered up, it doesn't depower in time and you are accelerated to close to the wind speed before landing on your face on the hard packed sand.

Now, I'm not going to name the kiter in this instance, but let's just say that this is a fairly accurate description of an actual event. The kiter in question looked like he had been in a car wreck afterwards, but he luckily didn't withstand any serious injuries, just a couple of abrasions and bruises. This a good example of the phemonemon known as Bowverconfidence. Don't let it happen to you!

Know your equipment, and only use it within the recommended wind range. Yes, bow kite do have a tremendous amount of depower, but that doesn't mean that you need to fly a 16 meter kite in 25 knots of wind, which I have seen. Make sure and us a "donkey dick" or other device that locks the chicken loop into your harness spreader bar, so that you can't become accidentally unhooked. Also make sure that you know how to use the quick release on your chicken loop and have practiced it so it is automatic, in case the wind comes up suddenly. And best of all, don't fly your kite on the beach for any longer than you have to. Take it from the Florida Kitesurfing Association: "Keep it Low and Go!!!"

All of that said, I had an epic session on my new 11 meter Ozone Instinct on Saturday, and although it has the power of a 13 meter kite, I never once felt overpowered in the 25 knot gusts. I always wait until the hype has settled to make my judgement about new products, but this one seems like it is here to stay. It will be very interesting to see what new kite designs come out in the next few years.

Kite Safe,

Eddie Toy
Kiteboarding Instructor
Extreme Kites

How about: Do's: Keep your C shape kites.
Don'ts: Don't get a bow kite
Sorry, couldn't resist. Kited a lot this weekend, and I have to say I am in the minority now...was out on Saturday with 10 bow kites, and me and my C shape. Sunday: 10 plus bow kites and me and one other guy on a C shape. I guess I am missing something???

Very nice "article" Eddie. Worthy of any mag. I agree on all your points.
You looked pretty sweet on that Instinct (while I was on the 12 Ion) during that downwinder.

Pat, C kites aren't going anywhere (IMO), as long as riders with your skill level are around. But, for newer riders, it is amazing how easily the bows go upwind and the range on them. This might make for a much easier initial learning curve (not sure, but seems like riders on them progress pretty quickly these days).

To me, I feel like I am windsurfing when I am on a bow (That has inherent good and bad points to it). It did make handling those waves in 13 to 25 alot easier than a traditional C, for me anyway.

I agree with Eddie though, the bows have some built in hazards.

Hey Tom, chime in on this one, (please) and Ebone... wanna make us laugh?

This is the best way to cause an accident is to keep your kite low; a gust will quickly ram you into a hard object if it overcomes you, also the kite is closer potentally to the power zone that any mistake powers you up. On the other hand, keeping it at the zenith limits horizontal motion which will drag you into a hard object and furthest away from the power zone as possible. The above are especially so with bow kites

Great topic by Eddie and so true. Eddie, is "bowverconfidence" your word? Did you make that up? Seems like we could come up with some more words for different riders: bowverqualified, bowvereager, bowver-the-top, bowveranxious, etc.

I'll spam this up with a diatribe on another occasion (I am too bowverworked right now to get on the soapbox), but flat kites have their advantages in increased safety. Some of that safety is given away, however, because you start riding wind you never rode before on c-kites. Because flat kites are more forgiving in gustiness or high wind speed, if something goes wrong, it is more likely you are going to be out in heavy conditions when it does.

Also, flat kites can cost you your edge. You can start losing your focus because you develop a false sense of security. That lapse in attention can get yo' ass beat really fast. After my own full-on yard sale, I have learned to fear my flat kites (in a good way).

Newbies on big flat kites scare me and I always try to stay upwind of them, period. We have many newbies on the West Side who seem to charge every session on a 16m flat kite, even if sand is starting to blow down the beach. When everything is fine, no worries, but if a big flat kite gets out of control in that windspeed, there is going to be carnage.

One of the ways I have learned to minimize risk while talking on the beach is this: hand the kite off! If I am out ripping it up and raising hell and I decide to take a break, I can almost always find a friend on the beach who will take my kite out for a spin for 10-15 minutes. That way, I can chat it up, get a drink, and chill without my kite ever touching the sand. When I am ready to go back out, I will call my bro' back in, take the kite, and get off of the beach.

Standing on the beach talking with your kite in the air makes you look like a poser anyhow. I do it for the paparazzi, but all you anonymous kiters need to get yo' asses back in the water.

That bit about newbs and big flat kites, got me thinking about this guy about 4 months ago. Every single time it started to go wrong, he'd push the bar out and let go, and the kite would hit the beach...
I finally asked him about his technique there and the answer I got was something along the lines of he thought it was better to depower the kite so he wouldn't get jerked around, but not a thought in the world for whoever was under the kite when it came down.
Haven't seen him in months, not sure if he hung it up or not...

great disussion about bow kites. i am learning a lot this summer. here's another example of the power that a bow can quickly harness...so quick in fact that it can happen in the blink of an eye.

A great time this weekend using a bow kite for my first long session, the 11 ozone instinct kite (thanks Eddie!!!!) great session, different riding style no less. I now see the pros and cons of bow kites. pros...easy depower, light bar pressure, simple set-up. the unfortunate con, pushing the bar out too much and dropping the kite. I knew it but it is habit to push out the bar when standing on sand. no big deal right??? relaunch no problem?? i'm standing on a sandbar...how hard could it be?? shouldn't be, as long as no one comes over to try and help you relaunch the kite. yes, the helper and wonderful man (my husband) came over to grab the leading edge, flip the bow over, and throw it up for relaunch......well it wasn't quite like that. bystanders may have seen what really happened better than we did.....but what we saw was the bow flipping over quickly, full of power, ready to relaunch before we were, and the bridal system of the bow sinching around his neck, strangle your-neck-style. thank god for fast hands and fast thinking. let's just say the scar is impressive and ragga is fine.....no I did not try to kill him!!!! please........

Now we have a new story for the books......the STRANGLE-MUFFIN.
for those of you who remember last years DANGLE-MUFFIN.....he's fine....still rippin, scars and the whole nine. moral is....relaunch a bow on your own if you can and watch those lines!!

He was almost Dragga-muffin. Since your kite went off on his neck, we'll have to call you Dracula-muffin.

Yep,

He was in the shop yesterday and we rode a little this weekend together at Ocean Trace.
The scar is obvious (hopefully it will go away).

Bows can do some odds things. I have a story too.. but, we've heard them all. I personally am moving toward the bows and moving Donna toward them as well (she has a 12m ION and a 12m Contra)

Anyone who knows me with Donna and kites knows I am VERY protective of her while attached to one (too much so at times), so... I obviously think the pros outweigh the cons with regards to "SLE" kites.

It is good that we have this discussion, I think.
I know that Eddie's title meant what it said -- don't get complacent -- any and all kites can whack you given the chance... (deep down they like to watch us get dragged or whacked or flogged or dropped)

So, IMO, talking about how to limit the chances of the kite laughing at us is good. Its not a downer on bows to talk about their shortcomings.

one to save

Ouchiee!

Eddie starts this thread with some great observations and insights, and this is an excellent subject. I was hesitant at first to be drawn into what seemed like a lot of manufacturer hype over bow kites, however after testing around 10 brands I decided that there are a lot of virtues to bow kites and I now teach with them, as well as with C kites. This is not to say that bow kites do not have their own set of problems...but is any kite perfect yet??

I think that "overconfidence" happens with C kites at some point as well. However I think that having some confidence when kiting is crucial because it is often a reflection of your instincts and whether you feel like you are really in danger or not and affects the quality of your responses. After a 2 -3 lessons a lot of students will sometimes want to take another lesson or ride where I can "supervise" because they just need that extra boost of confidence, a weening from the nest so to speak. With the bow kites the confidence level comes sooner, and that can be a good thing too. As long as people continue to understand and respect the limitations and potential danger of any kite - bow or C or foil.

As part of any lesson I discuss equipment and make sure that students understand that (for example) an expert may be able to fly a 12m bow kite in 30 kts, but that they (the newb student) do not have the skills to push a kite to the absolute upper limits and should stay in the low to medium wind range of the kite until they have expert skills (and the same could be said about C kites, but they have a narrower wind range)

A similar and constructive thread was started at http://www.airpadrekiteboarding.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=54 where in my reply I also vouch for the advantage of understanding C kites, and that if possible I try to expose sudents to C kites as well.

For me it's very much about safety and the quality of time on the water. I know there are a small number instructors out there who continue to reject bow kites becasue of "bowverconfidence", however I compared it recently to the evolution of snow skis: If you took a trip to Aspen (consider the time invested , the costs of airfare, lodging, lift tickets, the changing snow conditions) and I gave you a choice of some 195cm traditional sidecut skis or some 165cm "shaped" parabolic skis I can guaranteee you that you will have more fun, ski safer, ski the crud and powder and ice better, get more runs in...and simply have a better trip and more FUN. On the other hand, at the same time, I could present the arguement that the shaped skis sometimes allow skiers to ski beyond their true abilities (and this is an abstract concept), however the forces generated by going too fast and skiing too hard can take a toll on people who are not properly conditioned physically, or who do not have the proper skills when they start to get out of control, resulting in injury. A similar arguemne can be made about bow kites I reckon, and this is where it comes down to the individuals judgement, sklls and attitude, and perhaps the emphasis on safety that they espouse or that may have been part of their lessons

Bottom line is that I believe that bow kites offer a lot of advantages to beginners, as long as they understand the flip side of the coin...but for quick progression it's hard for me to argue against a bow. I still love the feel of C kites and I am still learning how to get the most out of my bow kites in terms of timing, power, performance. I would be willing to bet (oops, Scott, sorry...just a figure of speech) that if the data was there we would see a lower incidence of kitemares/near kitemares with bow kites.

Thanks for your thoughts Roberto. I am a firm believer in discussion and am grateful you took the time to contribute to the one Eddie started here.

Discussions are good. Sometimes people disagree, but, isn't that the nature of a valuable discussion? Otherwise it would be a head knodding tournament!

It was good to hear from you last week and I am glad all is well Roberto

Scott

I'm sorry, but I think you misunderstand the point of the statement "Keep it Low and Go". First it is important to note that you should always launch and land your kite at least 2 line lengths upwind of any obstacles. Then, if the wind is sideshore, you should launch with your kite towards the water. This way, if you do get a gust of wind, you will get pulled towards the water, and not up onto the beach. Obviously the Florida Kitesurfing Association does not condone keeping your kite low when standing next to a stationary object such as a car or seawall. The point is that if your kite is directly overhead, it is more likely to fall out of the sky into the power zone, or loft you into the air. It is better to keep the kite lower in the sky over the water, grab your board, and get into the water as quickly as possible.