Finally managed to get our hands on one! It was a 10m in the bronze colour scheme. The first thing that will strike you about the Bularoo is the EZ pump system. It is awesome. None of those silly tubes running all over the place, no clips to lose and no messing about with stopper ball valves. All in all the EZ pump system is very clean as it uses internal one way valves between the struts and leading edge bladders. There are zipped openings to each strut to make it easy to replace struts.
To set up you simply roll out the kite, plug all the valves on the struts, screw on the pump attachment on the leading edge inflation point and get pumping. The struts don't start to inflate till there is some pressure in the leading edge. Its a pretty fast process, and the inflation valve seals perfectly. Make sure to pump hard remembering you need to squeeze air to the tips of the leading edge and the struts. For Waroo flyers this is the same old, we all know to pump till hard.
The leading edge is covered in scuff pads. These will help the bladder take the punishment of rolling around on the beaches and snow etc. They are neatly stuck down in order to prevent lines getting stuck on them. It is hard to tell if they grip the sand to aid rolling the kite over to relaunch, but it makes you feel more comfortable knowing the bladder is well protected. The seam on the kite is a lot tougher than last years too.
Next difference you will notice from the Waroo 07 is the direct rear line bridle. No pulleys, just like the rear bridle of the 06 Waroo. This makes turning tighter and gives the kite a more direct feel. Time to launch. The kite flies fast, smooth, and turns tight. Its hard to make a comparison with the Waroo as there is no practical way of measuring. Lets just say the difference is minimal. Where there is a noticeable difference is the amount of grunt.
The various battens give the kite that same solid feeling the Waroo 07 has. This is one of the most important changed between the 06 and 07 range. We have lost the flutter in the sail which a lot of people used as a major criticism of the 06 kite. Together with the canopy framing technology, which protects the edges of the canopy, and can be seen clearly in the photo of the kite eclipsing the sun, the 07 Bularoo really looks like a kite built to last and handle tough terrain.
Although very similar to the 07 Waroo, it is important to note that it is not just a rebranded Waroo. The kite is a different shape, it feels different in the air, and thought has gone into making it more suitable for snowkiting and landboarding. For landboarding the key difference is the leading edge protection. For snowkiting, there is the one pump system which reduces the amount of time you need to take your gloves off. The lack of stopper balls in the valves on the struts makes deflating so much easier, again letting you keep your gloves on. The potentially life saving loops over the pulleys to act as a backup in case of pulley failure.
Now onto riding. It would seem that the technique for jumping on the Bularoo comes more naturally, yet perhaps doesn't boost quite as high as the Waroo, by no means does this mean the kite doesn't boost high though! This is a 10m so it would fit between the 9 and 11m Waroos. The Bularoo has the agility of the 9m but feels more solid and stable and less twitchy. This is probably a result of its larger size and lower aspect ratio. Its a very easy kite to get the hang of and it is always where you expect it to be. Even on the gustiest days when you could see the kite was getting pummelled by the wind I felt confident the kite could handle it and still perform.
I immediately felt more comfortable on the Bularoo than on the Waroo. It is obviously a matter of personal preference, so its great Best have catered to a variety of different riding styles. More importantly its the first time a kitesurf company have created a kite with land based kiting in mind (that isnt a mediocre foil).
To set up you simply roll out the kite, plug all the valves on the struts, screw on the pump attachment on the leading edge inflation point and get pumping. The struts don't start to inflate till there is some pressure in the leading edge. Its a pretty fast process, and the inflation valve seals perfectly. Make sure to pump hard remembering you need to squeeze air to the tips of the leading edge and the struts. For Waroo flyers this is the same old, we all know to pump till hard.
The leading edge is covered in scuff pads. These will help the bladder take the punishment of rolling around on the beaches and snow etc. They are neatly stuck down in order to prevent lines getting stuck on them. It is hard to tell if they grip the sand to aid rolling the kite over to relaunch, but it makes you feel more comfortable knowing the bladder is well protected. The seam on the kite is a lot tougher than last years too.
Next difference you will notice from the Waroo 07 is the direct rear line bridle. No pulleys, just like the rear bridle of the 06 Waroo. This makes turning tighter and gives the kite a more direct feel. Time to launch. The kite flies fast, smooth, and turns tight. Its hard to make a comparison with the Waroo as there is no practical way of measuring. Lets just say the difference is minimal. Where there is a noticeable difference is the amount of grunt.
The various battens give the kite that same solid feeling the Waroo 07 has. This is one of the most important changed between the 06 and 07 range. We have lost the flutter in the sail which a lot of people used as a major criticism of the 06 kite. Together with the canopy framing technology, which protects the edges of the canopy, and can be seen clearly in the photo of the kite eclipsing the sun, the 07 Bularoo really looks like a kite built to last and handle tough terrain.
Although very similar to the 07 Waroo, it is important to note that it is not just a rebranded Waroo. The kite is a different shape, it feels different in the air, and thought has gone into making it more suitable for snowkiting and landboarding. For landboarding the key difference is the leading edge protection. For snowkiting, there is the one pump system which reduces the amount of time you need to take your gloves off. The lack of stopper balls in the valves on the struts makes deflating so much easier, again letting you keep your gloves on. The potentially life saving loops over the pulleys to act as a backup in case of pulley failure.
Now onto riding. It would seem that the technique for jumping on the Bularoo comes more naturally, yet perhaps doesn't boost quite as high as the Waroo, by no means does this mean the kite doesn't boost high though! This is a 10m so it would fit between the 9 and 11m Waroos. The Bularoo has the agility of the 9m but feels more solid and stable and less twitchy. This is probably a result of its larger size and lower aspect ratio. Its a very easy kite to get the hang of and it is always where you expect it to be. Even on the gustiest days when you could see the kite was getting pummelled by the wind I felt confident the kite could handle it and still perform.
I immediately felt more comfortable on the Bularoo than on the Waroo. It is obviously a matter of personal preference, so its great Best have catered to a variety of different riding styles. More importantly its the first time a kitesurf company have created a kite with land based kiting in mind (that isnt a mediocre foil).
