Setting up a 5th line for a bridled SLE kite?

[windchaser]

Any one can comment on what will be a good SLE with 5th line option? or an SLE that could be modified to use a 5th line?

Daniel

The first one that comes to mind is the Flexifoil Ion2.
Awesome kite. I doubt it's the only one, but it was the first to come to mind.

[Erick]

Originally Posted by CrazyJay

Inferno.. I was on a 7m Fuel. Be careful trying anything in over 30 knots. It can really hurt!

Tom, Have you tried using a "V" 5th line bridle? Have Keith make some attachment points on the front about 3 feet apart off center and bring the lines down 6 feet to a v then attach 5th line. This helped with my wipika and kept it from inverting

That is the system the North Rebel 08 has. Is a V fifth line bridle. I flew Cornel's Rebel this past week and really like that kite. I'm also a big fan of 5th lines mainly for safety reasons. I feel safer and from experience that additional line has helped me many times in different situations. I remember once when I was riding at Picnic Island and wind picked up maybe to 25 knots and I was flying my old "Machine". There was no people at the beach, so I self landed the kite just by unhooking and letting go the bar. Like Jayson has said it is a system that save lives.

Cornel let me ride that Rebel. It was very nice.
I really liked the bar, 5th line system, and the ironheart QR system.
It's interesting how some really good kites never get much market penetration/exposure in some areas and a lot in others.
In other words, worldwide that's a very popular kite, but I think Cornel is the only local to have a Rebel. (maybe another person does and I missed seeing it)

[Erick]

I don't know of another Local that owns a Rebel. I've seen a couple of people that own Vegas. Like Scott mentioned there are kites that seemed to be popular in some places but not in others. Also I haven't seen any Airush here.

[inferno]

are there any locals with the new rhino's?

[Sam]

I had last years vegas, great flying kites however would never buy another north because they had bad customer service, took them the better part of 3 months of the kite sitting in norths warehouse to replace a defective 2 pump bladder system that had failed on me 2 times about a month apart. sold them both and got cabrinha. All kites are great but its really the customer service that sells kites.

I agree Sam. It's going to come down to C.S.

I now make most of my decisions about kites around the warranty reputation and customer service reputation of the company.

I would rather buy a kite that is "almost as good" as the "absolute best kite available" with a damn good backup plan (the company's support). I learned pretty quickly while at EK that some companies give lip service while other's give real customer service.

You are right, most kites these days are pretty good. I think the customer support we get is going to be the difference between a successful company and a one season wonder. It's amazing how many companies are making kites at the moment, isn't it?!

I wonder how many there will be in 3 to 5 years?
I can't imagine it still being as high as now. Mainly because wakeboarding and windsurfing have much fewer (don't they... maybe I am wrong).

Anyway, interesting stuff to me. A little microcosm of marketing/business to watch change over time.
Now that it is main stream and hitting critical mass, it is a huge curiosity to me to watch how different brands market and stuff.