Ozone Amp V1 9m 2019
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
An entirely new kite from Ozone, the Amp has been designed for those dedicated freestyle and park riders who need a tool to help them progress. Featuring 5 struts, a mid to high aspect ratio, both 4 and 5 line options and a C kite shaped design, the Amp has all the attributes to keep you at the top of your game.
As with all Ozone kites, the Amp has been made with longevity in mind, and the construction backs this up. Using Teijin materials exclusively, the canopy is made with D2 ripstop and the leading edge and struts with Techno Force Dacron. Both of these together create a lightweight, well-built kite with a solid feel in the air. The struts are connected directly to the leading edge, and while Ozone doesn’t add excessive protection patches and weight to their kites, there is plenty of stitching and reinforcement in the right places.
There are various tuning options on the kite, both on the back line adjustment for turning speed, and also the bridling for the feel and dedication of the kite. For those who are going to be looping, the kite works best with the bridle set on the closest knot, whereas a more freestyle orientated feel requires the bridle to be set on the longest knot. Additionally, you are able to change the kite into 5 line mode which offers a direct attachment and is designed for those advanced freestyle and park riders who need the kite to slack on demand and support them through all manner of inversions and spins. All of these mods are quick and easy to do and allow you to alter the kite as you progress.
Ozone kites all feature a high-quality one-pump system with large inflate/deflate valve, and a well put together backpack with comprehensive repair kite and spares.
Sizes: 7,9,11,13,15 meters
The Bar
The Amp is compatible with the Ozone Wakestyle bar which though similar to the standard Contact V4 bar has a couple of key differences to make it preferential to freestylers.
Starting with the new Click-In chicken loop. Sometimes the simplest designs are best, and Ozone have produced a chicken loop which is every bit as functional as you would imagine. A moulded loop for easy hooking in and out, a releasable suicide mode, so the safety is always ready to be activated no matter your way of riding, an above loop swivel which doesn’t lock into the bar but does sit close. The safety release is industry standard push away with single line re-ride, and taking inspiration from a seat belt, to reengage the release you simply click the release back into the top of the loop with 1 hand.
The centre line is hidden inside a PU tube, keeping everything smooth as you sheet in and out on the bar. The bar itself has had an update to the grip and colours. The new grip has been shaped slightly differently, so it sits perfectly below your fingers along the top.
The new EVA coating has been wound around the bar rather than a continuous coating, this simply adds more ridges and bumps which again aid grip; simple and very effective. Integrated bar ends and floats remain on the new Contact Bar, but now feature the additional ability to trim the back lines at the bar ends. This is super easy to do and incredibly useful.
Moving up the bar, the trim system stays the same using a racing grade cleat, as well as the bungee trim line. The new Ozone lines came into play earlier this year and are now shipping as standard with all Ozone bars. Lighter, stronger and with less shrink than the already excellent lines.
“Bags of freestyle and park performance available to all.”
In The Air
For those who are thinking this is merely a renamed C4, you would be wrong. The Amp has been redesigned to suit the current trends, though has certainly taken some of the much-loved traits of the C4 and incorporated them into this design.
The kite is forward flying and maintains fantastic stability at all points. Ozone have managed to keep the high performing nature of the kite while allowing those who are newer to the sport with high aims to get what they need out of it.
The feedback through the bar is constant without being twitchy. The kite flies well off the front lines which certainly when you are learning those first few freestyle moves this is a much more supportive feeling with the kite pulling through the move and allowing for those small tweaks which are sometimes made in the air. Here, however, you are able to alter the backline tension bar end (inside the floats) to get the feeling more akin to the C4V6.
The Amp has been designed with park (obstacle) riding in mind, and the uncanny cable like feel lends itself to this. We really enjoyed the accessible high performing nature of the kite, which encourages you to throw your self around from the get-go while knowing the kite will still be solid in the sky at the same point.
Ride into some tricks with speed, and the Amp comes alive with simply phenomenal acceleration and slack. Being lower aspect means the kite pulls you out of your tricks slightly earlier and with more stability however do not think of this as a beginner trait, more it will keep you supported through your trick right until you are hooking back in out the other side.
With Ruben Lenten having just been announced as the new Ozone rider and choosing the Amp for the King Of The Air we were expecting it to deliver some good loops. Keep the kite on the kiteloop setting in these kinds of sessions, and you will be amazed at not only the progressive loop with insane acceleration but also the height and distance covered with ease. On this note, in stronger winds fantastic height is achieved in boosts so do not assume a freestyle kite lacks in the big air department!
Relaunching is very easy for a C shaped kite, and in 5th line mode, the kite is super easy to get back up even in those marginal wind conditions.
For
Unsurpassed build quality, impressive customisation, huge progressive loops, and bags of freestyle and park performance available to all.
Against
The new Wakestyle V4 bar is a brilliant bit of kit, but we do miss the locking in chicken loop mechanism of the Contact bar.
Overall
The Amp has bags of usable performance for a huge spectrum of people on their freestyle journeys.
Videos
This review was in Issue 73 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit OzoneRelated
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.
