Nobile Kiteboarding 50Fifty 10m 2012
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The 50Fifty is a totally new kite from Nobile, and it is a strong nod towards the recent resurgence of the C style kite. It is an unashamed freestyle machine designed for the rider who is looking for the ultimate in performance. It utilises a 4-line set up, with a bridle attached to the kite. The bridle helps to support the leading edge, which is very thin to give the kite a more aerodynamic profile. As usual the build quality is up there with the best of them and there is a new webbing strap feature near each of the struts to prevent the bridle catching. This should ensure no matter how much you crash it that it will always be ready to come up for more.
The Bar
The Nobile KISS bar has always been a staff favourite, comfy to hold and well thought out it utilises some clever ideas that are both functional and easy to use. The chicken loop release is simple and releases easily under load, there is an above the bar trim system that uses a webbing pull pull set up and the lines can be attached to the outer, or inner attachment points on the bar to increase it’s effective size should you desire.
On The Water
The 50Fifty is a purposeful kite that flies around the window with some pace. The thin leading edge allowing it to penetrate the air and generate a lot of power when it does so. The wind range isn’t as big as you would expect from a flatter arc kite, but the speed of the kite means that with good flying skills you can get a decent low end range from the kite. The top end is excellent and the kite seems to have a limitless upper range to it. It flies fairly far forward in the wind window, which allows it to tug you upwind with ease, great for staying in the same spot when you are busting out the freestyle moves! The pull from the kite when you unhook is very consistent and it behaves well when you load up the edge, not drifting too much. This means the rider can forget about the kite and concentrate on getting as much pop as possible. Relaunch is OK, if you know how to relaunch a C kite then you will be fine, but this isn’t a kite for beginners so that shouldn’t prove an issue for anyone buying the 50Fifty. Jumping the kite is aggressive, pulling the rider up off the water with some pace, kiteloops generate a medium power band, which means you can definitely get radical when you want to.
For
Great looks, well built, freestyle machine that has an impressive wind range and near limitless top end.
Against
Not for beginners, but then that should be obvious, relaunching is not automatic, you need to put a bit of effort in, just like the good old days!
Overall
If you want a freestyle machine for your riding then the 50Fifty fits the bill really well, coupled with the excellent bar we think it is a definite contender.
Videos
This review was in Issue 32 of IKSURFMAG.
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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!
