Cabrinha Nitro Apex 9m 2024
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
Having re-introduced the Nitro name last year, Cabrinha has now given it its new full title, the Nitro Apex. This nods to the ULTRA HT construction of the Nitro, which is only seen on the Apex series of products. The overall product specification of the Nitro Apex remains the same as before, but design and construction tweaks have been made to increase performance and stability and reduce weight. Ultimately, the Nitro Apex is a performance machine primarily intended for big air.
The Nitro Apex is a mid to high-aspect kite with swept wing tips and a lifty airfoil profile. The airfoil has been refined this year, and the wing tips have been narrowed slightly relative to the overall kite. For any given size, this increases the proportion of the canopy in the lift producing centre region of the kite in a bid to further increase efficiency and available boost.
Only the Nitro and Moto kites currently fall within the Apex series, which benefits from 'ULTRA HT' construction, utilising Cabrinha's lightest leading edge and strut material with incredibly low elongation, which both allows for increased performance through reduced leading edge and strut diameters and reduces weight. This is used alongside Cabrinha's proprietary nano-ripstop canopy material, which has been used for many years. New for this year is further Apex weight savings in the form of featherlite bladders, which are 22% lighter than previous standard bladders, and the new Apex bridle, which is made from a lower diameter and lighter SK99 flying line to reduce weight and drag.
This bridle is all new, now with 7 points of attachment on the leading edge instead of the 4 from last year. With the new Apex bridle being 40% thinner than before, stability could be enhanced without increasing parasitic drag. The Nitro Apex still has two bar pressure and turning speed adjustment options at the steering line attachment pigtail, though I think most people will use it on its default outside setting as we did in most sizes (fastest turning, lowest bar pressure). The Nitro Apex also retains other recently introduced updates to the Cabrinha kite lineup, including the Sprint 3.0 inflation system and the streamlined TPU leading edge and seam bumpers.
Sizes: 6m, 7m, 8m, 9m, 10m, 12m
In The Air
The Cabrinha Nitro is clearly a performance kite - a highly reactive kite with on point handling. It responds quickly and precisely to input, and it is clear from the outset that this kite has serious potential. The bar pressure is medium/soft and well-balanced through the depower stroke. There is a good amount of bar throw depower, and the Nitro remains comfortable to ride even at the top end of its wind range, so the stratospheric performance of the Nitro should remain within reach of most riders.
The jumping performance of the Nitro is excellent. It isn't just the vertical height that can be achieved that will impress you, but it is how it gets you there. It has more than enough initial vertical yank to keep things exciting but not so much that your abs are at risk of a hernia. The Nitro sustains this medium-aggressive vertical pull for quite a long time, which gets you really high smoothly and in control. In physics, I believe they use the term 'impulse' to describe this force over time momentum relationship... well the Nitro has excellent impulse.
The wingtip adjustments of the new Nitro have done nothing to dampen the kiteloop performance. It is still fast, smooth, and reliable. The Nitro Apex is what I consider to be a 'modern big air machine' in that respect. This may seem obvious, but the following isn't the case for all kites. Some kites are terrifying from the start to finish of all kite loops, whilst modern big air machines kite loop intensity and fear factor is directly proportional to how much (or little) you crank the bar. If you really steer hard, the loop is fast and tight, and it has recovered before you know it. If you moderate your steering input, you'll need a little more resolve as the kite drives low, and you must prepare for some freefall before killing some of that forward speed with a well-timed heli-loop. This trait, and the Nitro's consistency in the loops allow you to progressively dial things up and gain confidence as you do. Great for progression, great for learning new tricks and great for getting higher and higher over time.
The Nitro Apex still sits far forward in the wind window. The ULTRA HT construction allows for reduced diameter airframe tubes, which reduces frontal area significantly, reduces drag, and allows the kite to push forward with haste. It has many benefits. It produces lift more efficiently when jumping, recovers quicker after loops and drives upwind quicker as the kite can sit closer to the wind at the edge of the wind window. It was when edging hard against the kite and riding upwind that I noticed the increased stability of the new 7-point bridle the most. Its profile remained solid, and the kite's position barely faltered in response to gusts. This goes a long way to building confidence in both you and the kite. With your mental game being such a make-or-break part of big air riding, this is an important tweak.
Overall
The Nitro Apex lives up to its name and remains one of the leading performance big air kites out there. Its accessible boosting performance will appeal to the wider market, whilst its fast and adaptable looping performance will keep the more advanced riders coming back for more.
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This review was in Issue 103 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit CabrinhaRelated
By Liam Proctor
