CORE Kiteboarding XR Pro 2024
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The CORE XR Pro is the kite for the riders who want the best of the best, it’s CORE’s flagship model, and it delivers on every front. The XR Pro is the cutting edge of technology, and the brand has pulled out all the stops in its design and build. The XR Pro is a tuned-up version of the XR8, it's important to remember this isn't just the same kite with different materials, it was redesigned and built from the ground up around those materials, maximising the performance. Where the XR8 is all about ease of use and smooth handling, the XR Pro sets its sights firmly on the performance end of the spectrum.
The XR Pro boasts the most rigid airframe material available, Aluula, resulting in a thinner leading edge and strut diameters compared to the XR8. This reduced diameter minimises air resistance, leading to remarkable kite speed. Paired with its exceptionally stable 5-strut frame, the XR Pro maintains minimal deformation and quickly responds to steering inputs, no matter how subtle. This enhances its responsiveness and control while ensuring outstanding stability even in overpowered conditions. Across all sizes, the XR Pro is around ten percent lighter than its predecessor, the XR8, but the entire airframe is considerably stiffer and thinner, improving the flight characteristics by some margin.
It's a five-strut design with a very open span and higher aspect profile, a nod to its big air characteristics. It shares a lot of DNA with the XR8, but turns all the dials up to 11 when it comes to performance.
Sizes: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14m
In The Air
If you want to jump high, get a massive floaty hangtime and go a long way through the sky, then the XR Pro is the kite for you. It’s incredibly easy to jump with, and the hangtime is off the charts. When you send the kite back for a jump, it accelerates quickly, giving you a huge power delivery as it races to the edge of the window, combining to launch you skywards with aggression and huge amounts of lift.
The hangtime is just ridiculous, the kite seems to stay in the air for an age allowing you to perform some of the biggest and most stylish tricks. When you come to land, the XR Pro has a very forgiving nature, and it’s easy to get your timing wrong and still come out smelling of roses. The kite will catch you and allow you to make a smooth and stable landing. Kiteloops are improved over the XR8, but they are a ballsy affair with lots of pull as you engage the bar; it's faster and easier through the loop than the XR8, but it's still an exciting affair.
This isn't just a pure big air machine, it's also great for freeriding and cruising with exceptional upwind performance and impressive top speed for those who like to go fast. With a foil its great too, the light weight means you can ride a smaller kite and throw it around the wind window to generate heaps of power whenever you need it.
The bar pressure is relatively light, and the feedback is very good, allowing you to feel where the kite is at all times. The pulleys in the bridle add a huge amount of forgiveness to the way the kite flies, and it's easy to get the performance out of the kite, even with sub-par technique. While the XR Pro is a high-performance machine, it’s also very accessible to a wide range of riders. If you are a competent intermediate rider looking to step up your game, this would be a great kite to do it on.
For
Incredible handling, very easy to jump with insane hangtime and float in the air. Perform some of the biggest jumps of your life. Easily accessible performance.
Against
It’s expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for; the XR Pro is the cutting edge of kitesurfing technology.
Overall
If you want the best of the best for big air, the XR Pro is it. Incredibly easy to fly, stable and predictable, yet capable of delivering blistering performance when you need it. The hangtime and float are out of this world, and the kite is sure to put a smile on your face every time you fly it.
Videos
This review was in Issue 104 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit CORE 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!
