Best Kiteboarding TS 9m 2013
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
Best have come a long way since their bold beginnings all those years ago, the equipment just keeps getting better and better. This year the TS v2 incorporates their new material, Double Core RS, this is a canopy material that weaves two high tenacity filaments into the warp and weft of the fabric alongside the other fibres to ensure maximum resistance to tearing and better load handling. In short, it’s a lot better than your standard canopy material. The kite itself has been tweaked from last year to improve the speed and reduce the bar pressure. It is still aimed as a crossover all round kite that can handle waves, freestyle and freeride. The shape of the kite across different sizes changes too, in the smaller sizes the profiling and arc is different to the medium sizes, and the large size kites are aimed specifically at lighter winds. As such you get a kite that performs better in the given conditions no matter what they might be.
The Bar
The Redline Performance Bar v3 controls the TS v2 and this year it has had even more improvements made to it. In fact every moulded part of the bar has been re-engineered. Perhaps the biggest change is the “Sacrificial Insert System” this is a Derlin insert, which offers lower friction over a standard insert. This means the insert goes before the depower line meaning you can just swap it out without having to re thread any lines! Simple but effective, especially if you have ever had to actually change a depower line, it can be a real pain in the ass! The Redline Safety system is the heart of the bar combined with the Pro Cuff Release meaning you can ditch the kite with ease in a hurry and know it will be easy to reconnect should you need to. With no moving parts to get jammed it works really well no matter how badly you treat it!
In the Air
Speed and precision come to mind here; the TS v2 is no slouch when it comes to steering it around the window. The simple bridle and direct connection to the rear end of the kite, coupled with the wide tips have the kite shifting around like nervous girl on prom night. It’s so direct and the feedback is so good to the bar the kite feels like an extension of your arm and certainly not like it is 22m away from you. This lack of steering lag means it is more like a sports car than a super tanker and as such it delivers some blistering performance on the water. Sending the kite back through the window generates a serious amount of power and the TS v2 is a joy to jump with, the canopy shape and profile provides plenty of hangtime when you are up there, and a nice easy float down. Upwind is good, the low profile leading edge allowing the kite to penetrate the wind window and depower is excellent too, we had the kite out in about 30mph of wind and it still felt stable and the steering remained consistent.
Overall
We loved the TS last year, great range and fast, this year the kite steps things up a gear, even more responsive, super direct and very fast. If you want a great do it all machine, look no further!
Videos
This review was in Issue 34 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Best KiteboardingRelated
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!
