Gin Kiteboarding Egoist 9m 2015
Reviews / Kites
6,330
At A Glance
After Gin’s departure from the kite scene a few years ago, they came back last year with the new Cannibal, which was an excellent kite. For 2015 they have added the Egoist to the range, a freeride do-it-all kite with an emphasis for wave riding. The Egoist has 3 struts, with quite swept-back wingtips. There is a neat and compact bridle system, and good adjustments available on the rear lines to alter the turning speed of the kite.
Gin was originally a paragliding company, so their build quality has always been top notch. The Egoist has very well-thought-out construction, and the designers have really thought about the forces going through a kite when used for waves as well as general freeriding. The trailing edge has been reinforced with Dacron, and features small Battens which lead to an incredibly robust kite. The trailing edge Dacron is in a wave pattern, this increases the stiffness, but also saves on weight too. Gin have also added an excellent high volume inflate/deflate valve to get you on the water in lightning quick time.
SIZES: 5, 7, 9, 11, 13m
The Bar
We unfortunately did not have the 2015 bar as it was still being finished off in the factory. However, if its anything like the 2014, then it is a fantastic bit of kit. Here’s what we thought of the 2014 bar:
As you would expect the Gin and Tonic bar has been made to some exacting standards, it’s one of the tidiest bars we have seen and it feels good in the hands too. The PVC covered depower line and metal centre hole should mean it lasts for a very long time. The integrated floats are a nice touch and there are decent sized bar horns so you won’t get into a mess when winding up the lines. The chicken loop releases with ease and is also very simple to put back together. The front lines have a 600kg breaking strain to inspire confidence and the bar is available in 44cm or 52c widths.
In The Air
We had the Egoist out in a range of conditions and it proved itself to be a really solid all-round kite. The low end of the kite was very impressive, due to its more Delta type shape it is very efficient through the wind window and create low-end power through apparent wind. Simply fly the kite in a fast and aggressive manner and some good forward speed will be created.
There is a positive bar pressure in all winds, with very direct feel to the kite, a characteristic you really appreciate in the waves. Once powered the kite will do exactly what you want it to do, at all times. It is very stable and forgiving, it is perfect for learning your first freestyle tricks. Jumps are easy with good float, and should your timing be slightly out the consequences are not quite as dramatic as many other kites in the same spectrum. Once at the top end of the Egoist’s wind range, you are in for some great flight as the kite sends you high into the sky and you hang around for a good length of time.
Wave riding is superb with the Egoist, the kite has a snappy turn with good drift. There is excellent depower throughout the reach of the bar, which allows you to concentrate on the wave beneath you whilst your kite drifts obediently. Then simply engage the bar again and off you go to find an-other lip to smash. The turning speed is impressive, so in onshore conditions you can really carve the kite through the window as you rip on the waves and around the sections.
The Egoist is not designed to be an all-out unhooked freestyle kite, its brother the Cannibal is the weapon of choice for that, however a few raleys here and there are perfectly possible and enjoya-ble.
With the swept wingtips of the Egoist, relaunch is incredibly easy, another great benefit in the waves. Simply pull one of the rear lines and the kite will swiftly drift to the edge of the wind window and pop up ready to go again.
A great quality all-round kite with dynamic and responsive handling
For
Excellent wind range, with good low-end power and fantastic jumping capabilities at the top end. Great handling in the waves, a forgiving and easy to ride kite that will offer you fantastic perfor-mance in a range of conditions. The construction keeps improving and the Egoist is the best quali-ty yet. It’s an incredibly simple and safe kite, perfect for beginners/improvers as well as the more advanced wave riders and freeriders out there.
Against
Though marketed as an all-round kite, the unhooked freestyle performance is not as high as some other all-round kites tested, but this is outweighed by the excellent wave capabilities.
Overall
A great quality all-round kite. The build, safety and beginner/intermediate performance of the Ego-ist make it a hard kite to beat in this category. If you are looking for a kite to really progress on this year, and make full use of any waves you find, then the Egoist is a fantastic choice, which will not let you down.
Videos
This review was in Issue 50 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Gin 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!
