Naish Kiteboarding Alliance 10m 2008
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
We last tested a prototype Alliance in August last year, there were a few issues with the fifth line set up back then and Naish have now released the final version which is now available in stores. The final version has a slight change not only to the 5th line length but also the panel layout and some tweaking in the kites shape as well. The Alliance is the 5th line version of the Naish Sigma Range of kites, aimed at the freestyle market it is billed as being the weapon of choice for unhooked freestyle riding. Naish still produce the Torch for the dedicated freestyler but the Alliance offers all the benefits of the Torch with the added bonus of better range, increased depower and of course the Sigma shaped leading edge and the Geo Tech panel layout. These kites have been on the market for a while now so the initial fears about the construction should have passed. We haven’t heard of any failing due to the build and the Alliance looks just as solid as the other kites in the range. The bar set up is the standard 5th line bar with the Smart Loop chicken loop, which allows for a much greater throw in the chicken loop and consequently far more depower. You can set a stopper ball on the system if you like which allows the rider the comfort of resting the bar. The Smart Loop itself is a well-designed mechanical release and fans of the Naish chicken loops will be pleased to know it utilises a male female system like the original chicken loop, which makes it perfect for unhooking.
In the Air
The first thing you notice about the Alliance is how direct and solid it feels in the air. The tensioned canopy offers a really rigid kite no matter where it is in the window. Even when depowered and at the extremes of its wind range the kite remains stable and solid. In gusty conditions it is even better with so much stability and control that you’ll hardly notice the crappy conditions if you ride in them. While others will be complaining on the beach you’ll be wondering what the fuss was all about! When jumping the Alliance you will need to get dialled in to the timings as the kite needs to be redirected quickly back over your head, the first few times it will probably catch you out! The steering is very fast and direct though, so it is easy once you know just how much input you can put into the bar to get the kite to do what you want it to do. Unhooking is what it is all about with this kite though and the Alliance flies really well unhooked and is a very stable platform from which you can launch into your moves. A lot of modern style bow kites lack a serious amount of grunt when you kiteloop them, not so with the Alliance it feels very similar in performance to last years Torch 3. Delivering a smooth loop with plenty of pull, downlooping generates heaps of power for maximum pop and the kite doesn’t backstall after you land your trick. The real advantage of this new shape from Naish is the stability, gust handling and control that you get in overpowered conditions. Couple this with some awesome freestyle characteristics and you have a fantastic kite that will put a smile on even the most hardcore of C kite riders…
For
Awesome kite for the freestylers out there, great unhooked with all the added benefits of a Sigma series kite, super stable and a rack solid canopy.
Against
You need to be really quick with the timing of the kite during jumps, otherwise you won’t get it back over your head in time and it will drop you like a stone…
Overall
If you like your freestyle but want a kite that offers that little bit more then the Alliance could be it. It might look unconventional but it feels familiar in the hands and it is easy to get heaps of performance out of it.
This review was in Issue 8 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Naish 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!
