Kiteloose Angel 7m 2013
Reviews / Kites
3,748
At A Glance
Kiteloose have been around since the beginning, and are based in Italy with a following across Europe and around the globe. They had a bit of a restructure last year and are now rolling out a direct to market business model. The good news for the consumer is this can save you quite a bit of money. In a world where most 7m kites will cost you €1,200 at least for the kite and bar the Angel comes in at just €849! That’s a heck of a saving. The Angel is an all round delta based design, aimed at the rider looking for a do it all machine. It is well made using plenty of Dacron for reinforcement and has a simple bridle set up with a direct connection to the rear lines. It can also be ordered with and without a “Re-System” which aids relaunch, but more on that later.
The Bar
You might think that with a kite at this price the bar would be a substandard addition to the package, but you would be wring in the case of the Nuke bar. It is well made and while arguably not as fancy as some of the offerings on the market it is well thought out and packed with features. One thing we would mention is the quality of the lines isn’t the same as on some bars, they are thinner and while up to the job in hand lack a little of the quality feel that you get from say Slingshot or North. But then the cost difference justifies that. The chicken loop is well made and of a very high standard and the bar itself feels good in the hands.
In The Air
As soon as you launch the Angel you will notice the Re-Line system on the rear line of the kite. It looks a little strange to say the least so we should probably take the time to explain what it is. In light winds or waves, or anytime you want a very fast relaunch you can pull on the Re-Line. It runs from the bar all the way to the second strut on the canopy. The idea is that when the kite is face down you can pull on the line and it will collapse that edge of the kite and cause it to relaunch very quickly. It is similar in principle to the Recon safety system that Cabrinha used to use on their C-Kites. It works very well and is easy to use, however on a 7m we think it is a little redundant as it is normally so windy when you are riding a 7m that relaunch is easy anyway. But on the larger sizes and for people who struggle to get kites back up in the air quickly it is a neat feature.
The kite flies very well around the window, it is once you are dialled in you can make the most of the stable nature of the Angel. The speed with which it flies is impressive and it generates good lift for jumping and penetrates the window for upwind work too. The delta shape makes it easy to fly and intermediate riders looking for a real bargain won’t be disappointed.
Overall
For the price you pay the Angel is a definite winner, we would opt out of the Re-Line system on the smaller sizes though. The quality of the bar is exceptional for the price.
Videos
This review was in Issue 35 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit KitelooseRelated
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!
