Blade Kiteboarding Trigger 9m 2014
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Trigger has been in the line up for 6 generations now, and looking at this years kite you can see just how polished the product has become. The attention to detail on this kite and build quality is really fantastic and the team deserve a high 5 for really nailing that this year. There are neat graphic touches everywhere and each panel and section has been carefully planned out. Kevlar and rubber reinforcement patches alongside an exceedingly well-stitched leading edge combine to ensure strength is kept to a maximum. The kite itself features 3 struts a fairly high aspect shape with a medium arc. The leading edge is quite slim and the aerodynamic struts add to the racy looks. There is a single pulley on a short simple bridle and the rear lines connect directly to the wing tips, which are swept back.
The Bar
The UniBar was launched last year and is one of the best kite bars on the market right now. It features a quick release that is compact, neat and simple and above all very easy to release and reconnect. The trim for the kite is looked after by an above the bar cleat system. There is a swivel for the front lines and the set up uses high quality Teufelberger FL series lines. These lines have a much better stretch resistance without being any thicker than normal 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
We rode the Trigger in a variety of conditions to ensure we had a good feel for it, the bar pressure is what we would class as firm. If you are used to lighter bar pressure then this may take a couple of runs to get used to. It does however offer plenty of feedback as to where the kite is in the sky. In light winds the Trigger performs exceedingly well and its aerodynamic struts allow it to fly quickly around the window and generate plenty of power. This aerodynamic shape also punches forward into the wind window and allows you to get upwind quickly. Turning speed is fast and the kite is very reactive to rider inputs. The kite really twists when you pull on the bar and this gives a fast dynamic turning arc. The depower throw is quite short which offers plenty of control at your finger-tips in gusty conditions. At the extreme top end of the wind-range we did find the kite was a little unstable and you noticed it pulling at the bar and tugging you off line quite a bit. It did however maintain good steering characteristics at this extreme end of its wind range. Bring the kite down a notch or to and within more sensible wind limits and the power and performance really put a smile on our faces. As a freeride kite it is great to boost with, the timings are easy and there are no nasty surprises when you start throwing kite loops. In the waves the fast nature of the kite allows it to turn on a dime and react to rider input too. The drift is good as well and the lightweight structure of the kite allows it to hang in the air.
For
Great low end, excellent attention to detail and build quality, fantastic bar set up and great upwind ability, fast turns and fun jumps.
Against
Titchy and a little unstable at the extreme of its top end wind range, you’ll definitely be changing down a size when the wind picks up.
Overall
An excellent all round kite from Blade, well suited to the adventurous beginner and the expert free rider too. If you’ve not checked out Blade before, you really should take a look, they have come a long way both in terms of design and construction.
Videos
This review was in Issue 42 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!
