Ocean Rodeo Razor 9m 2014
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Razor from Ocean Rodeo has been part of their line up for the last four years, billed as an SLE C kite it promises dynamic handling and an exciting ride. It’s a 4-strut design with no centre strut, a concept that has been around for a few years now, but one Ocean Rodeo are still backing. It is there, or not there depending on how you look at it, to promote power in the low end of the wind range.
The Razor features some other interesting design aspects too, namely the Forward Swept Wing Technology, or FST as they like to call it. This offers a faster turning kite and also more depower range. The other bespoke feature is the Venturi technology, an exhaust vent that opens as you power up the kite, this allows air to flow through the canopy and increase laminar flow, generating more power and stopping the kite from stalling.
As usual the high quality construction that the ocean Rodeo brand has become synonymous with is very apparent and the kite is available in the following sizes: 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12m.
The Bar
The Ocean Rodeo Fusion Bar is a mix of features from their Freeride and Freestyle bars. It utilises a below-the-bar depower system, an easy to operate chicken loop release and “oh shit” handles on the rear lines. There is a tension adjustable stopper ball for old school/airstyle tricks too. The bar combines with the Roll Over Bridle System on the kite to offer near total depower when you activate the safety release. It’s a great system and feels comfortable in the hands, the below-the-bar depower works well and is, of course, easy to reach.
In The Air
We’ve always been a fan of the Ocean Rodeo kites here at the magazine, sadly we haven’t been able to get our hands on one for a while so we were pretty excited when the Razor showed up on the doorstep. Once you get the kite in the air you can immediately feel its strong pull in the low end of the range, the Razor is a powerful beast alright.
It’s also very precise around the window, you feel instantly connected and it is really easy to fly and get used to. No nasty surprises as you manoeuvre it, and there is hardly any steering lag, which inspires confidence. It’s great for unhooking too, offering a really good pop off the water and an excellent power delay in the air allowing you to perform your tricks with ease.
Upwind the kite is excellent, even at the low end of its wind range, it really flies forward in the window and is very fast through the air. Jumping on the Razor is great fun, the kite offers plenty of hangtime and the boost off the water is impressive. The Razor is going to suit a wide range of users, it’s great for freestyle and freeriding, but it also handles exceedingly well in the waves. The predictable and fast turning nature combine with good drift qualities to make it a great wave kite.
For
Fast, responsive and dynamic in the air, it’s great fun to ride and will suit a multitude of kiters looking to get their fix however they choose to ride. Great build quality and some innovative design features.
Against
The bar feels a little agricultural compared to some of the other bars on the market, it’s perfectly functional and works well, but this style of bar, with riveted bar ends and loose floats has been around for a few years now.
Overall
Another great kite from the team at Ocean Rodeo, we’ve yet to fly one we don’t like, and we think you’ll enjoy this one too. It’s the perfect freeride tool and will suit freestylers and waveriders alike. The Razor has very precise handling with a huge wind range with lots of low-end power.
Videos
This review was in Issue 45 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!
