I've just had a session on new Switchblade and was astonished by its performance. I can jump with it higher than with my current North Vegas 2007.
I think it's time for upgrade.
I'm looking for high boosting kite for old-school jumps. I don't do unhooking and all that crazy handle-pass tricks. May be I will go for wave riding someday and it's quite difficult to select kite, which is suitable for waves and for high jumps.
I've noticed that 2009 kites are for sale now with 500-700 AUD discount compared to 2010 kites. Do new 2010 kites justify their prices?
I'm trying to choose from the following kites:
Cabrinha Switchblade IDS (actually wakestyle kite, but I like light feeling on bar compared to Crossbow)
F-One Bandit III
Griffin (are they good?)
Best Nemesis
North Rebel
I'm 85kg, 137cm board, riding now North Vegas 12m, 18-28 knots range.
Also I've noticed that new kites tend to have more power, should I look to downsize to 10? I think I will stick with only 1 kite in my quiver.
All ideas welcome.
a kite i was actually impressed by in the jumping/ hangtime devision... which i really wasnt expecting was the ocean rodeo rise, its got a lot of float in the jumps and throws u pretty high... i dont boost much so i dont care about buying a kite thats good at boosting n stuff.. but yer just throwin it out there that you should give it a crack... suprised i dont see them around more
One kite i have been suprised how well it jumps is the Wainman rabit 9m jumps high and really floats well with a heavier ridder and is mainly designed for surf. definatly worth putting on your list of kites to try. Probaly wont jump as high as a nemi but will definatly float more giving you more air time.
^^^^Kites dont jump riders do. I dont think your rhino will out jump anything on it's own. Keep your balls in your pants though....
Hey ciscoexpert 
If you want a fast turning seriously high jumping kite, go for the 2009 10m Eclipse Thruster. I like big arse jumpin and when your kite height & a 1/2 in the air on flat water (big wave jumping makes it too easy), there aint much old school about that ! The kite was designed specifically for advanced comp riders wanting big air jumping but still fast for any new school combo tricks you may want to do 40 feet up which you dont see anywhere unless the pros are out.
Surfriding & jumping - these days they are too different kite designs just as there are surfboards and twin tips - though any kite will do both averagely though the sales speil will say excellently (they call it marketing 101) you should know that by know 
You may be lucky enough to get one brand new 09 (stock clearance) for $650 delivered to your doorstep if still available, Check out the website for yourselfhttp://www.thekiteboardingshop.com.au/kites_09/kites.htm
Just make sure that you have at least a 100m clearance forward and 60m down wind as most kiters dont know what they should do when your paragliding way up there and they sometimes will go downwind in your flight path 
common sense is the key here...
Hot lookin kites too
cheersz clay
clay,
Id like to see a pic of you 'a kite height & a half' in the air.
whats that, 30m in the air on short lines???
pfff, stop claiming
Tim
Next time the wind is 25 + you are more than welcome to come and see for yourself on flat water then we'll go out in the surf same day if the swells running
The latest part of yesterday when it cranked & I could barely hold the board down, there were a lot of people takin photos - someone must a caught one of the big jumps that will speak for itself
Please feel free to contact me on 0412678792 and we'll go out for a big jump day
Cheers Clay
common sense is the key here...
if i were you id hit up google and do a bit of research on eclipse before i'd waste my time.. was a lot of rabble and crap going on with them last time i heard..
cisco
Just send Ralph (owner)an email at the website - he may be able to organise something for you or know someone in your area...
Remeber any kite will jump fairly high with a 100% committment from a good rider - combine it with a jump specific kite and then huge jumps are the norm, Im sure you remember what the Rhino's were legendary for.
Charles
Yes it was to with 09 'late' delivery dates , which is old news now ...
There was never any doubt about the kites performance at all + kites are delivered to your doorstep in 5 days from ordering, just ask 'anyone' who has bought one.
Yep STW is right another Eclipse kite arrived at my door today 
(12mtr Kima and yes I paid full list price for it).
The company may have been having some issues but Cisco doesn't want to buy a company he wants a "high boosting kite" and the Thruster definetly fits the bill in that respect.
Hey STW,
Post a photo of one of these 30m+ jumps when someone snaps one of you. 100ft high is a fair old effort.
yep, 100ft would be enough to make me sick. post foto if anyone can get their hands on it
btw,i have never tried one but i have always heard that the ozone edge has been one of the top kites for big boosting
I second the Ocean Rodeo Rise. According to many reviews, it jumps great and in some magazine it was also awarded the biggest boosting kite.
I fly Rises as well and really like their low bar pressure and how they jump, however I have not flown many other kites so I am not an expert.
2010 models are supposed to have even better hangtime thanks to the additional strut.
According to reviews and magazine tests, the Zeeko Notus is supposed to jump very well also. Once I was out on a light day and could barely stay upwind (about 12knts on the beach) and a fairly big guy jumped around on the beach on a 12m Notus.
. post foto if anyone can get their hands on it
Ha frigin ha - Im busted with the huge 3m wingtips on the ground jumps 
Seriously though - its quite hard to find someone to is prepared to sit around the beach & take photos at a moments notice if the wind comes through strong enough on any given day !!!
Its interesting how people are scared to jump very high, yet there attached to a paraglider and the ones who usually do all the bagging are the ones inside a snug room watching. When the few of us are out goin large in do or die weather. The video says it all - doesnt it !!!!
As soon as I can get a pic it will appear, then you's can choose some other thing to bag that you cant Or wont do yourselves HTFU 
TL & STW aren't sh!ttin about the Thruster.
I have the 12m and it boost soooo easily with good float and very nice landings. I end up using the 12m as my lighter wind kite, which is not really ideal as it doesn't have amazing bottom end grunt (like any higher aspect kite) but as soon as any kind of wind above 15kts comes along it does super boosts. The 12m turns very nicely but the 10m would be super sweet and fast. They rock upwind really raelly well also.
Only downside is the relaunch is very fiddly compared to a fatter aspect kite.
I saw STW pull some very impressive boosts on Sunday and yesterday, easily the biggest anyone at Pelican was throwing
I let go of my Cabrinha the other day and it still hasnt come down... Beat that....
& go sick! WoW
