Ocean Rodeo Prodigy 9.5m 2016
Reviews / Kites
36,805
At A Glance
Based in Vancouver Island, Canada, Ocean Rodeo started off making drysuits before moving onto kites and now have a vast range of equipment. Considering that the conditions they ride in are so cold, rugged and often hit by North Pacific storms, getting the design and, most importantly, the build quality of their products right is imperative.
One key kite within the Ocean Rodeo range is the Prodigy. Revamped for 2016 the new Prodigy is the lightest model yet. The 3-strut design makes the Prodigy lighter and faster through the sky, setting the Prodigy up for being a fantastic freeride, wave kite.
The 2016 Prodigy comes with design features such as Speed Inflate, Direct Depower and Variable line lengths. The new high flow valves ensure you can get pumped and on the water a lot quicker and pack away quicker when those winter storms roll in! The Direct Depower enables the rider to release from the kite, with near total power loss, to then be able to quickly relaunch and continue riding.
The Prodigy comes in various colour ways and is best flown on the 2016 Ocean Rodeo control bar.
Sizes: 5, 7, 9.5, 12m
The Bar
The 2016 Ocean Rodeo control bar comes stacked with interesting features. It features an above the bar trim, below the bar swivel ensuring you've got what you need where you need it.
The bar features a bungee depower trim line, which ensures there's no chance of getting your trim caught around the outer lines. The grip and appearance is very clean and super simple, after all, simplicity works! The EVA is super soft and comfortable, and the moulded bar ends are perfect in case you slip while going for that first unhooked move. The centre line depower travel is large which enables a vast range of depower on the fly when in trickier conditions.
The 2016 Ocean Rodeo control bar comes with a sturdy chicken loop; this enables a quick direct hook up with the harness. The integrated below the bar swivel works effortlessly unpinning those centre lines. Ocean Rodeo’s quick release system is incredibly tidy and easy to reassemble if there’s ever need to release and you want to get going again, it’s a breeze!
Variable line lengths on the bar make every session even more customisable. Longer lines dish out a slower feel with more boost and float. The shorter line configurations are perfect for shredding the waves!
In The Air
The 2016 Prodigy flies like a feather, its incredibly light in the sky, which is surprising for the power it generates!
In the air, it becomes apparent just how much feedback is given through the bar with direct and responsive turning. The turning of the Prodigy is quite pivotal, ideal for slashing through the waves and whipping the kite from side to side. Even chucking in a kite loop or two mid-wave is simple with the Prodigy; the loops are quick, and a lot of power can be lost quickly and easily by pushing the bar out.
The Prodigy is most definitely a strong contender when boosting too! The raw power you can feel in the Prodigy is unreal; it’s grunty, solid and stable when the bar is pulled in. This can easily be changed with either the extensive depower trim cleat or by pushing the bar up the centre line depower range on the control bar. With all this power it was important to see how well the Prodigy boosted, for such a versatile freeride kite the Prodigy has an incredible amount of lift, firing you into the air on demand.
Relaunching the Prodigy is super easy; the swept tip profile of the kite ensures the kite is rolling up ready to go in no time at al.
For
Smooth, pivotal yet powerful turns. Solid, powerful pull and robust construction, built to last.
Against
For those with shorter arms: The depower range on the centre line is so high that when untwisting the bar it was impossible to reach it again without leaning forward off your edge and pulling up the centre line.
Overall
The 2016 Prodigy is a fantastic freeride / wave kite for those who love a slightly more powerful feel when needed. Slightly slower than some of the higher performance wave kites on the market but fast enough if you give it a little more input on the bar. It’s direct, responsive and smooth flying characteristics make it a perfect kite for those looking to start shredding some waves or nail their next moves.
Videos
This review was in Issue 58 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Ocean RodeoRelated
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.
