Liquid Force Kites Wow 10m 2016
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Liquid Force Wow kite was released late last year, but they have proved so popular it has taken us a while to get our hands on it! Billed as a thoroughbred wave kite stacked with some freeride DNA and boasting a smooth sheet-and-go power delivery, precise manoeuvrability and rapid response times. The Wow is a perfect companion for those wave orientated riders who like to go out and boost on a twin tip every once in a while.
Tech is something Liquid Force are never lacking in their product range, the Wow is no different. One of our favourites had to be the Max Flow Inflation System, which makes pumping your kite a breeze! However, if we dive deeper into the construction of the Wow we can see EVA Scuff Guards, 0.1mm TPU bladders, LE English stitch, Synergy Struts, Tension Trailing Edge and their Layered Frame technology. To many of you that might not mean much, but trust us when we say Liquid Force have put their heart and soul into building this kite. It’s a three-strut design that has been built light, but also tough. A simple, short pulley-less bridle offers a direct feel at the bar and there are three tuning options on the wing tips to enable you to dial in the handling you want.
The Wow comes in a variety of eye-catching designs and colours so you can pick one that suits your style!
Sizes: 6m, 7m, 8m, 9m, 10m, 12m
The Bar
The Response Control Bar that comes with the Wow certainly packs a punch in terms of features and ergonomics The new bar features easily adjustable bar ends (yes, you can alter the size of your bar!) this is exceptionally easy to do, and can even be done while the kite is in the air! The depower cleat on the Response Bar can be moved in or out depending on the riders preference and reach, so no more worries for us short folk. The grip on the bar is also very stylish and comfortable to use.
Getting onto more important matters the Response Control Bar comes with a brilliant safety system. A front line re-ride moving down to a moulded chicken loop, the release mechanism is the same as the excellent system developed by Blade. (LF and Blade actually did a swap for 2016, Blade got the Max Flow Inflation and LF got the chicken loop release.), It’s exceedingly easy to engage the mechanism to release the kite, but it is also really simple to put it all back together again too and this can be done on the water.
In The Air
The Wow did actually wow us! Instantly on launch it became apparent not only how responsive the kite feels, but also just how much you can turn the power down if needed. The Wow gives light bar pressure, however bring it down to the bite point and every movement in the canopy can be felt.
While flying the kite it became apparent that the Wow was incredibly stable, something we were very excited about taking to the max in the waves. The winds were up and the waves formed at our local spot so we took to the water. The kite behaved impeccably, pivoting on demand. As for drifting, the Wow just hovers waiting for you to snap it back into action.
If you’re just starting out in the waves the stability of this kite is going to inspire a lot of confidence, equally, if you fancy yourself as a bit of a shredder then you’ll love the handling. The Wow relaunches incredibly well and pretty fast too. Just what we all need to get us out of those sticky situations we sometimes find ourselves in!
“Super easy to fly, forgiving and yet still a very high performance kite, with amazing build quality.”
Now moving onto the second design aim of the Wow, the freeride ability. Whether you’re looking to cruise around or blast the coast the Wow will perform! Throwing yourself into the air on the Wow is super smooth and hang time is not incredible, but very adequate for this style of kite.
For
Insanely fast turns, huge depower with little loss of bar response. Bombproof construction. A solid performer in the waves that can also handle some jumping duties too.
Against
One thing we would possibly like to see on the Wow, would be an addition to the control bar, a plastic coated centre line. The bar is so close to being the “ultimate” kite bar, this would really complete the package…
Overall
The Wow will most certainly be a kite to watch out for; if you’re in the market for a dedicated wave kite then be sure to get underneath one. Super easy to fly, forgiving and yet still a very high performance kite, with amazing build quality.
Videos
This review was in Issue 56 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Liquid Force KitesRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
