Cabrinha Apollo 14m 2017
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
Cabrinha have been developing a new kite for the 2017 range. Released on the first of August, in time for the inbound 2017 seasons, the Apollo has made its way into Cabrinha’s line up. The Apollo is presented to us as a high efficiency / high performance freeride kite. Ultra high aspect in design, the Apollo is bound to provide not only lift, hangtime and upwind ability but rapid forward speed as well.
Looking at the Apollo’s design features the first thing we notice is the new panel cuts, Cabrinha’s new Pure Profile Panel technology uses two canopy panels for each leading edge section, giving the kite a smoother arc and cleaner aerodynamic flow. What does this mean for us the rider? Well, we will benefit from increased stability, performance and efficiency from our kites. We see the use of Cabrinha’s skeletal frame, 2DR double ripstop, pro span, sprint airlock, three bridle setting options and reduced diameter struts across the Apollo.
Coming with a choice of bar from Cabrinha you can tailor your setup to ensure your Apollo feels the way you want it too. The Apollo can be flown on the Overdrive 1X Recoil or Trimlite bars with Fireball or Quickloop, or even on the 1X Trimlite bar. If choosing your perfect bar isn't enough, use the A-B wingtip and power control settings on your Apollo to tweak your Apollo to the max.
Coming in one colour the Apollo is available in 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16m
The Bar
While out on the Apollo we opted for the Overdrive 1X Trimlite bar with Fireball connection system.
The set up is ultra clean, simple packing some serious features. The 1X release system disconnects smoothly with effortless reconnection; this accompanies the front line re-ride seen across the Cabrinha control system range keeping us safe at all times. The Overdrive feature may be new to you; this gives us the ability to change the length of our bar with ease. While it's recommended to change the length while setting up, you can just as easily adjust in the water with the kite down. The Trimlite also gives the rider the ability to adjust the kite to the nearest millimetre. We found this was great while tanking around and wanting to trim precisely for upwind ability. Moving onto the Fireball… freedom of movement, less force on the body, we don't need to say much more other than if you don't unhook you need this in your life. Check out our full Fireball review on the IKSURF magazine website. The centre line has plenty of range giving the rider the ability to almost full dump the power when needed, pretty handy when you're screaming around on the Apollo!
Not only do these bars come jammed with the above features they look slick, the grip is ultra comfortable and the deliver one hell of a precise, responsive feel to the rider.
In The Air
When you first launch the kite the Apollo look slightly daunting in the air, we are now so used to seeing low aspect ratio kites (short and fat) it's pretty rare to look up and see high aspect weapons above our heads. Initially, fear of an unstable experience was present, however, when heading into the shallows, we made endless attempts to overshoot and collapse the Apollo. It came up trumps, not one collapse, not even a flutter. Water relaunch for this high aspect kite was incredibly easy. We now knew this weapon was stable enough for the masses to fly, it was then time to see what it had in store for us.
Edge, edge and keep edging… serious amounts of power. Just like a fire, stoke it up, and the Apollo is roaring. The forward speed this kite generates and power you can achieve are insane. We all aspire to learn some moves so we don’t just mow the lawn. Get on an Apollo, though, all you want to do is pull in the bar and blast up and down. I haven't enjoyed mowing the lawn that much in years! Don’t let this put you off; the Apollo is insanely manageable for its performance. Push the bar out, and the Apollo shoots round to the sides of the window, slowing you before you start to drive it upwind. Upwind performance is fantastic and effortless with the Fireball / Apollo combo.
An insanely rapid, powerful yet stable and effortless kite
Jumping, we all want to know how well a kite jumps. For a 14m, I’d say pretty epic! The direct feel and insanely fast turn speed of the Apollo make cranking a boost effortless. It’s apparent from how well the larger sizes fly that if you get out in some cranking winds on a tiny size, the boosting potential is enormous.
For
An insanely rapid, powerful yet stable and effortless kite. The 2017 Cabrinha Apollo was that enjoyable we kept going back for more. Combined with the Fireball connection and Overdrive 1X Trimlite bar, it delivers a responsive, manageable and fluid experience. Construction of the Apollo is top notch when casting your eyes over the kite you can see every detail has been thought of, from the new pure panel technology to the 2DR ripstop used.
Against
After viewing the rest of the Cabrinha range, we would love to see the Apollo in some other colour ways. Not exactly the biggest moan! The blue and red graphics of the Apollo are rad anyway.
A word of warning, those who are still focusing on speed control and kite trimming stay clear of the Apollo until you know you can slow down, it's ridiculously fast!
Overall
If boosting, light wind riding, racing, foil boarding or just tanking through the water is your cup of tea, the Apollo should be on your list of kites to try.
The Apollo and accompanying control system are incredibly well built featuring a tonne of tech; both in design elements and materials.
Perfect for those wanting a new purely hooked experience, whether its speed, upwind ability or light wind foil performance. Not ideal for unhooked manoeuvres (hard to create slack) or those still working on board control. Rapid forward speed, direct turns, tonnes of upwind ability, floaty boosts on the Apollo are manageable, fluid and straightforward with the Cabrinha 2017 control system range.
Videos
This review was in Issue 59 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit CabrinhaRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
