Blade Kiteboarding Trigger 9m 2013
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Trigger was a popular kite for Blade last year, they didn’t label it strictly as “all round” as different people like different things. The Trigger is billed as a powerful, playful and dynamic kite to fly, which should suit most riders looking to live a varied life with a kite. For 2013 there have been a few tweaks, but no major changes, no need to fix what isn’t broken after all. The main change comes in the wingtips, which have been tuned to allow the kite to turn a little smoother and with more power. There are also different settings for freeride and wave style riding. Unlike traditional wing tip adjustments these are on the leading edge of the kite. The kite has had some construction changes too, beefed up materials in all the stress areas, although not an overdose of Dacron so as to keep things light.
The Bar
New for 2013 is the Uni bar from Blade, we were lucky enough to see a near final prototype whilst we were in South Africa and were very impressed. The bar has been completely reworked from the previous years version and, in our opinion, it is an excellent bar system. It features a new quick release that is compact, neat and simple and above all very easy to release and reconnect. The trim for the kite is now looked after by a cleat system, still above the bar, but it is much neater than the old webbing pull-pull set up. There is also a new swivel for the front lines and the set up uses high quality Teufelberger FL series lines, previously only seen on North bars. These lines have a much better stretch resistance without being any thicker than the previous lines. At the heart of the bar is a solid billet of aluminium to ensure stiffness and this is wrapped in a special nylon shell to give the bar its shape and finally wrapped in a soft EVA grip.
In the Air
The new wingtips are the big news here, and they play a big part in the way the kite flies. It feels altogether more responsive and lively in the air, the direct connection and short bridle allowing you to have total control of the kite. The depower range is good, and there is a relatively short throw to control the kite in gusty conditions. Upwind the Trigger really excels, it really penetrates the wind window and hauls ass upwind. This is great for maintaining your spot on the beach when boosting big airs, or for getting back to the peak when you are wave riding. In the waves the kite is more of a flyer than a drifter, keep it moving as you turn the board and it will reward you with plenty of power at the right moment. The direct and responsive steering make the Trigger excellent in a freeride role, you can really send it back through the window and its speed will wrench you off the water with some force. Hangtime is good and the kite delivers plenty of float. It is an easy kite to fly and delivers plenty of power, but it is a kite that likes to be flown, so would suit the intermediate to advanced rider looking for a dynamic kite.
Overall
Coupled with the new bar the Trigger really is a package to consider, comfortable in the waves and boosting big airs, it also handles well unhooked. Fast and powerful sums it up and if that is how you ride then take a look!
Videos
This review was in Issue 36 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Blade KiteboardingRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
