Takoon eNova 2 9m 2008
Reviews / Kites
7,177
At a Glance
Takoon can lay claim to being one of the original brands in the kite industry, with a huge following in France. Here in the UK they have been in the dark somewhat over the past couple of years as the distributorship changed hands several times. Ultra Sport EU have just taken over that dealership and with their past track record at distributing major brands expect to be hearing a lot more from this great French brand. Whilst they may have struggled with the support here in the UK one thing is for sure you cannot ignore the brands pedigree or its track record of making great kites. In the early days Takoon kites were always known for their huge depower. Remember this was at a time when depower was an afterthought on a 4 line C kite! They have always believed firmly in the safety of kitesurfing and promoting that. One of the pioneers of the original bow kites they have always been at the cutting edge of kite design. The eNova2 is an entry-level kite with a difference. Designed to be super stable and easy to fly it has also had a load of performance built in so as you improve you don’t end up having to change your kites. A simple 5 strut design which is very lightweight, (another characteristic of the Takoon kites of old), there are reinforcements where you would expect them and also lots of different options to trim the kite to any sort of settings you could imagine. The new bar is very impressive, easily one of the lightest bars we have ever felt, moulded totally from carbon fibre it uses a one line safety system for the ultimate in ensuring you lose all the power in your kite should you need to. There is also a big chicken loop grab handle for releasing the safety and you can see that Takoon have beginners in mind with this kite.
In The Air
With so many trim options its easy to get the kite set up wrong, so spend a bit of time on the beach deciding which set up suits you best. Once in the air the kite flies off the front lines quite a bit and has a light feel on the bar. It is very quick to turn though and the steering is very direct and responsive. The kite is very simple and easy to fly with good stability in the air even when over sheeted. This will lend it well to the beginners out there that want something that isn’t going to fall out of the sky all the time. Whilst it has some great characteristics suited to the more novice riders out there though it also masks a great deal of performance for the rider looking for that something extra. Jumping is great fun and the jumps are big and floaty as you would expect from a modern style kite. It also has some balls in the kiteloops and you can easily scare yourself if you want to. Unhooked it is very stable and it sits well in the window. We especially liked the simple depower system which was really easy and simple to use, even in super windy conditions where some cleats get stuck the Takoon set up worked effortlessly. Upwind the kite is great too and the kite will make your progression in the sport easy and simple without you outgrowing the kite as you improve. If you are looking for a forgiving kite that is going to make your first steps a breeze, but at the same time still make you look good in a few years then the eNova2 could be it.
For
Easy to fly, simple and has performance waiting for you when you need it
Against
We know the kite has safety in mind, but if you want to ride unhooked you may find the chicken loop a little busy.
In Short
A great brand with a great pedigree has turned out yet another great kite, heaps of control, loads of depower and so easy to fly. Yet when you want to pull the trigger it will fire on all cylinders.
This review was in Issue 8 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit TakoonRelated
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!
