Ozone C4 10m 2015
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The C4 has been in the Ozone line up as their freestyle orientated kite for 5 years and has gone from strength to strength, now cementing itself as one of the top performing freestyle kites on the market today.
The C4 is a relatively High Aspect C shaped kite with a compact pulley-less bridle system on the Leading Edge connecting to the front lines, while the back lines connect directly to the kite, via a few different bar pressure/ turning speed trim options. The kite features 5 struts, both a freeride and freestyle bridle setting, super quick inflate/deflate valve, and also an efficient one pump system.
The entire C4 package oozes quality, from the bag it arrives in through to the repair kit, manual, kite itself and the bar, no single aspect has been an after thought.
Sizes: 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14
The Bar
The 2015 C4 Bar is very similar to the Contact Control Bar, but comes in a smaller 38 or 45cm size, perfect for keeping that kite steady whilst unhooked, and also features a large chicken loop to make hooking back in a breeze after those wild tricks.
The 2015 Bar has had quite a facelift. Still featuring the excellent push away ‘Megatron’ chicken loop release system, it now also features an incredibly comfy ergonomic grip, which also looks the bee’s knees. All Ozone kites are 4 lines, and all can be used on the same bar making things that little bit cheaper if you were to get a few different style kites from the brand.
The safety system on the C4 Bar works really well. A light push of the release and the bar shoots up one of the front lines to the stopper ball dumping all the power. The C4 Bar can be used in ‘suicide’ mode but with the added assurances that the safety system will still work in the exact same way. Any twists in your lines are very easy to untangle with the well positioned ‘Spinning Handle’, and relaunch is a breeze with small stopper balls situated on each leader line showing exactly where to hold the line to get the kite to flip over.
In The Air
We started with the kite how it comes from the factory, on the freestyle setting. Not a single ripple in the canopy from the moment we launched. Onto the water and the speed in the kite is immediately apparent through both the turn and the flight. With these more aggressive ‘C’ shaped kites, the power is apparent from the moment you launch the kite, and without the long throw on the bar these kites are defiantly not for the beginner kitesurfer whose tendency is to sheet in or out to control speed, rather you need to engage your rail and use the board for speed checking.
The C4 likes to be flown, you can just park and ride, but to get the power and response some solid input is needed, and with direct connections to the kite, the feedback received is immense. New school freestyle is where the C4 excels and has been designed to do.
Unhooking is made “oh-so-easy” thanks to the large sized PU Chicken Loop, and the smaller 38cm bar keeps the kite exactly where you want it to perform your freestyle manoeuvres.
The kite itself simply rips you off the water and drops you down to complete that pass with ease, again the smaller sized bar here is a godsend when still perfecting where to grab the bar.
Even in the lighter winds, as long as some good speed is generated, there is still impressive pop and drop from the C4. Relaunch is simple, just pull a back line and the kite flips over and up.
For those advanced riders when the wind is too much to unhook no one can refuse a big air and looping session. Again the C4 does not disappoint. The kite rockets you up in to the sky, though will not keep you hanging around as long as the flatter style kites. As with all C styled kites, a good redirect is essential in big jumps to stop you plopping into the ocean.
Looping is simply magnificent with the C4, starting gentle then gaining momentum throughout the loop to shoot you forward and be caught with ease once the kite is back above your head.
The freeride setting on the kite brings the bridle in towards the leading edge slightly, effectively ‘tipping’ the kite forward. This worked really well in gustier sessions, and also suited more intermediate riders who still wanted the C4 handling also a little bit more user friendliness. This tuning option is a really great feature to enable the kite to be quite varied in its usability.
This is a huge improvement on the 2014 C4, which though still a great kite did not have quite the same usable power as the 2015 version.
For
Power, performance and pristine quality. As with all Ozone products their attention to detail and craftsmanship is on point and cannot be faulted.
Against
Not really anything to fault the 2015 C4, just remember this is a C styled kite aimed at the freestylers out there and you won’t be disappointed!
Overall
If you are looking for a kite to progress to your wildest handlepasses and kite looping dreams, this is the machine for you. Raw power and performance, with extras such as a freestyle specific bar, variable bridle geometry and some cracking graphics make the C4 the perfect partner to any freestyler.
Videos
This review was in Issue 52 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.
