CORE Kiteboarding Riot XR3 9m 2014
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
Core are a brand based in Germany, this is the first time we have tested one of their kites and the team were quite excited about it. They are rapidly spreading outside of Germany and we’ve been seeing them crop up on beaches all over the world for some time now. The Riot XR3 is the third generation of their all-round kite that they call the ‘crossride’. Their tag line is “Free, to do what I want” and they bill the kite as being capable of freeride, freestyle, race and wave riding. Getting the kite out of the bag it was easy to spot the German attention to detail. The Riot XR3 is exceedingly well built, using CoreTex Triple Core Ripstop in the canopy, of course we have all heard of Technoforce, which has a double weave, well this has a triple weave. Basically think long lasting and durable with a snappy feel in the air. The kite itself is a Delta design with a new shorter bridle system for 2014. There are two pulleys on each side of this short bridle which allows the kite to change its angle of attack without losing its shape. Bucking current trends the kite features 5 struts, and there is also a Speed Pump System with a new Speed Valve 2 which allows you to get maximum airflow from the pump and get on the water faster than your mates.
The Bar
The Sensor Bar is a well finished and thought out product, everything has a place and a function and the overall product has a clean finish. The depower trim is looked after by an above the bar cleat that is easy to reach and simple to use. There are bar floats on either side and the bar itself has a clever untwisting system so that when you sheet in, you take out any twists on the front lines. Perhaps the most interesting aspect is the ROTOR-Quickrelease instead of pushing the release away, you twist it to release, and it can be twisted in either direction. The idea being that if you are getting dragged you don’t have to work against the force of water in order to release the system. It works well and isn’t overly complicated or difficult to reassemble. The grip itself is comfortable on the hands and the bar ends give you plenty of room to wrap up the lines. When the safety is engaged it releases the kite onto a virtual 5th line to dump all the power.
On The Water
The Riot XR is great fun to ride, you’ll quickly notice how responsive it is, and also the light bar pressure. You can tune the kite using the Core Intelligent Trim System to enable it to fly however you wish, heavier or lighter bar pressure, faster or slower turning speed. There are three points that you can tune on the bridal and also three points on the wing tip. As the kite is aimed at the rider who wants to do everything having this tuning ability is greatly welcomed. We’ve had the 9m for a while now and have ridden it in a variety of conditions. The wind range is very good, especially at the top end, which seems to be almost limitless. The gust control is excellent and you have just a short amount of bar throw to ditch the power in the kite. We’ve been enjoying the kite the most on the Super Fast, Direct and Light settings. It flies upwind and the stiff nature of the canopy gives it a surefooted stability that everyone will enjoy. Jumping is really good on the Riot XR3, you can send the kite back through the wind exceedingly aggressively and the take off is explosive. In the air there is plenty of hang time and float to enable you to perform whichever tricks you may desire. The speed and responsiveness of the kite also make it fantastic in the waves, whether the conditions are onshore or offshore it’s great fun to ride and is happy getting thrown into the turns or drifting down the line.
For
A great all-round kite with impressive build quality that will surely blow you away when you see it in the flesh. Fun to ride with plenty of performance no matter what your style of riding.
Against
The tuning options might baffle the more novice rider, but the kite comes shipped from the factory designed to suit 90% of all riders.
Overall
We have been thoroughly impressed with the Core Riot XR, really fun to ride, exceedingly responsive and light pressure on the bar. It excels in the waves and when jumping and free riding too. If you get a chance to ride it you won’t be disappointed…
Videos
This review was in Issue 43 of IKSURFMAG.
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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!
