Airush One V2 9m 2022
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
This is the 2nd generation of the One from Airush, just released in September 2021. Our South African based test team were lucky to get their hands on it so early, being a hop, skip, and a jump away from Airush headquarters, located in the surfside town of Muizenberg.
The One V2 has been designed with simplicity, usability, and durability in mind. From beginner kiters to independent shredders, this should have you covered. According to Airush, the kite has incredible depower and an almost instant relaunch, perfect for lighter wind days. It has a 3-pulley cascade bridle designed to keep the kite as well balanced as possible, stable and responsive, with a ton of depower. Before getting the One V2 up in the sky, let's take a closer look at the features.
We're simple humans and can't argue that a nice looking piece of kit is an added bonus, so we were pretty taken by this colourway. The handsome blue Teijin Technoforce D2 canopy with the modern golden text is sleek and deliciously appealing. You can see that simplicity has been kept at the front of mind in this design. There is no loaded frame, which has been a design feature in most Airush kites. However, it's clear that this was the correct choice, especially for a light wind oriented kite. The absence of the loaded frame combined with the lonely single strut keeps the kite light, in weight and in feel.
On a typical one strut kite, the leading edge and strut have quite a large diameter compared to a three or five strut kite. This gives the kite more rigidity and stiffness, which helps hold the shape and keep canopy tension. If you look at a wing, which is also a single strut design, the leading edge and strut are massive for the same reasons. But this isn't a wing review; it's a kite review, so back to the One!
The Airush One V2 is not your typical one strut kite because it has a thinner leading edge than one might expect. Looking at it on the ground, we had our concerns. There's nothing worse than a kite flapping around in the air like a plastic packet in the wind. We were surprised to find that our concerns were completely unfounded. More on that a little later!
While examining this sexy slate and blue creature on the ground - you know, the usual routine; walk around it, arms crossed, nodding here and there, and kicking the tires - we were quite astonished by the wingtips. They are swept... super swept, to be more specific. This shape would appear to help keep the kite stable and reduce flutter, and of course, make relaunch easier. How will this prominent shape perform in the sky? Let's see!
Sizes: 8, 9, 10, 12
Colours: Red & Teal, Slate & Teal
In The Air
While we would rather have tested this kite in the warmish waters of Muizenberg, we headed across to the western beaches of Bloubergstrand with cold water but familiar conditions that would allow us to get a real sense of the One's performance. We had light, side-onshore wind on the day of testing with some pleasant, waist-high waves. It was a bit stormy, which meant some gusts, which, according to the marketing material for this kite, was a perfect match.
Strangely enough, the feel of the kite in the air was deceiving. With eyes closed, it felt like a three strut free ride kite, rather than a single strut light wind kite. This is a great quality when you want to have some fun and do some jumps in lighter wind. Light wind doesn't just mean mowing lawns, after all!
We went for a freeride session with a few jumps and had a very positive experience. First impressions of the Airush One V2: the kite was stable, full, and really responsive! The canopy looked clean and tight in the air, which took us by surprise. There was a little bit of flutter, which translates into a fluttery bar feeling, but a one strut without this characteristic is near impossible to find. We found it less fluttery than many other one strut kites we have tested. Our team really enjoyed the light bar pressure and ease of use. Some might not like light bar pressure, but that is a personal preference. Our tennis elbow riddled arms enjoyed it thoroughly!
When the wind got unmanageably light, we risked it for the biscuit and grabbed the foil. The turning speed was delightful, and the bar pressure was just right, not too fast and not too slow. We had the Goldilocks experience, I suppose! The reduced weight and thin leading edge made for a very well-performing foil kite. The position in the wind window, slightly forward, made for excellent upwind performance on foil, with amazing drift on the downwind stretches.
The freeride performance was impressive, and the One V2 handled the gusty conditions with ease. It's one of those kites that just flies well. You don't really have to think too much; you just put it in the air and go for it! We used this kite in combination with the new Airush Ride Bar, which suited the kite just right. It has a clean, easy to use cleat depower system and makes use of the IQR click-in chicken loop system, which is an absolute pleasure.
The team put the kite into a few different situations; waves, jumps and even a few crashes. We were pleasantly surprised with how well this kite did EVERYTHING! Great relaunch, solid drift, and confidently responsive to our inputs!
Overall
The kite is very well rounded; from slashing a few waves to sending a few jumps and loops, we really felt like you could throw anything at this kite and get away with it! Of course, it's not designed for handlepasses, megaloops, or getting to the top of the WOO leaderboards, but if you're looking for an everyday kite that will get you out on the water more often than not, this could be the One (V2)!
Videos
This review was in Issue 89 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit AirushRelated
By Crystal Veness
Editor at IKSURFMAG, Crystal Veness hails from Canada but is based in South Africa. When she isn't busy kitesurfing or reporting on the latest industry news for the mag, she is kicking back somewhere at a windy kite beach or working on creative media projects.
