Flysurfer were good enough to send a couple of the all new Outlaw depower kites over to Foilzone to review, demo and get some footage with in the Uk.
Until now Flysurfer have focussed heavily on the kitesurf and closed cell water market leaving the open cell depower market to be heavily dominated by the likes of Ozone with the Manta and Frenzy range. With the Flysurfer team beginning to dominate Europe in the competition scene, it makes sense to have a kite designed 100% for a hard surface.
After having the Outlaw for a couple of months, flying on the beach and inland I only have good things to say of it. It comes in around the same as Ozone in terms of pricing, sitting between the Frenzy FYX and Manta 2 (II 09)
The kite comes in one colour option per size and comes complete with the standard Flysurfer Pulse 2 bar which is rigged with a 5th line. On setting up the kite you notice how light they are, this definitely complements the kites low end wind ability and I would imagine its a huge bonus whilst snowkiting.
Once in the sky the kites are VERY stable, after flying the Flysurfer Speed 2, Pulse 2 and Psycho IV closed cell kites I wasn't 100% sure what to expect but was surprised how well it would sit overhead eating gusts and holding its shape (those jet flaps must be doing the job)
The Bar pressure is relatively soft yet progressive and you can always feel what the kite is up to which makes focussing on getting airborne or pulling tricks much easier. The kites do like to be flown and I would compare it to an Ozone Manta in the sense of having to build speed and edge against the kite to get maximum pop and hangtime.
As far as safety goes the 5th line works very well. Originally I was not sold on the idea of 5th lines on foil kites but have learnt to love them! I will generally ride on suicide when practising new unhooked tricks due to the large amount of depower the kites have as standard, if the wind turns nasty or I become very powered I will swap my leash over to the 5th line which leaves a hardly any pull from the kite once released. To reset I walk my way back to the bar (there is a stopper a few metres up the lines) and walk back up wind, as the lines begin to tension the kite unfolds, the 5th line becomes taught again and the kite relaunches with ease.
The kites in both sizes I have flown (8m and 10m) have been very smooth unhooked - trimming is required for this above the bar on the standard factory setting but once the trim strap is pulled in there is no stall in the kite but a constant grunt waiting for you to whip the kite into a loop. The 10m is not as fast as the 10m Psycho 4 but is not far behind - again, very impressive for an open cell kite. This is definitely a faster model kite than the Fyx and Mantas I have flown.
So far, extremely impressed with this real first open cell freestyle performer Flysurfer have given us, I cant wait to get some long summer session hanging under this kite!