Now days there are so many different styles of kites to choose from. Flat Bows, Delta, Ramair, etc etc.
I'm curious to know why the standout guys tend to still be riding C style kites?
Is it because they are harder to use? Like strapless/strapped boards.
Kn hell!! Here we go!!
COVER!!!! 
(in before lock
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EDIT:
They are great fun BTW - they do everything but just don't have anywhere near the range of deltas/bows/box kites.
Like anything there are poxy shabby C kites out there too. Don't assume C kite means ace. I had great 2005 C kites that i loved to bits (literally) and bought a 2006 C kite from same company. Didn't like it at all.
All kites work and if your a noob it may well be 1-2 seasons before you even know what YOU like, so don't sweat - get out there on your box kite and enjoy. 
Watch the friction light up the C kites/strapless like nitro.
Er.. also - note that I picked my 2005 C's up super cheap coz no-one would touch a C with a bargy in late 2006. Ba ha ha ha, I love fickle marketing driven kiters
BTW, I now ride bows of sort (but prefer my Cs a tad) and picked them up cheap - partly - because everyone wants Cs. Ba ha ha ha ha, I love fickle marketing driven kiters.
Thanks you're most helpful.
But why do good riders tend to use that style?
Is there something secret about the performance?
I am nuttin spesh as far as skill levels that's for sure, but they do teach you how to be a better pilot I reckon.
You have to learn to edge like a mutha at times and must have your wits about you more than bows etc.
Any gumby can get by on a bow/delta, hence so many total peanuts out there that would otherwise be eating through a straw after a month on a C kite of old.
because they work...
1. They are more direct thus provide better feedback on kite position.
2. They have no silly bridals to break or tangle.
3. They provide a consistent pull.
4. They provide better slack in the lines during handle pass moves.
5. (I actually like the way they waveride better to)
As has been said there are some bad C-kites around, but for the most part new C-kites depower nearly as much as a lot of Hybrid kites out there. There is only so much useable depower in a kite anyway, yeah old mate might be able to take his 10m crossbow IDS EXT GTR out in 40knots, but... What is he going to do with it? nothing. You still need to have the correct size kite up to unhook and do anything worthwhile doing, so what's the point of having 100% depower when it is un-useable?
In summary, good riders use C-kites because they are the best kite you can get for advanced purposes. Maybe if more people actually tried a newer C-kite there would be a lot more people out there riding them... Unfortunately most people are falsely trapped in the belief that C-kites are dangerous. In my opinion kooks thinking they can rig up there bow kite in any wind because it is "ultra safe with 100% depower" is far more dangerous.
The only thing Rowdy is EVER serious about is C kites.
Good points he makes young padawan.
Select to expand quote[That would have to be to most informative and sensible peice of advice i have ever seen posted by you Rowdy
quote]sir ROWDY said...
because they work...
1. They are more direct thus provide better feedback on kite position.
2. They have no silly bridals to break or tangle.
3. They provide a consistent pull.
4. They provide better slack in the lines during handle pass moves.
5. (I actually like the way they waveride better to)
As has been said there are some bad C-kites around, but for the most part new C-kites depower nearly as much as a lot of Hybrid kites out there. There is only so much useable depower in a kite anyway, yeah old mate might be able to take his 10m crossbow IDS EXT GTR out in 40knots, but... What is he going to do with it? nothing. You still need to have the correct size kite up to unhook and do anything worthwhile doing, so what's the point of having 100% depower when it is un-useable?
In summary, good riders use C-kites because they are the best kite you can get for advanced purposes. Maybe if more people actually tried a newer C-kite there would be a lot more people out there riding them... Unfortunately most people are falsely trapped in the belief that C-kites are dangerous. In my opinion kooks thinking they can rig up there bow kite in any wind because it is "ultra safe with 100% depower" is far more dangerous.
They have consistenly had brighter colours.
Do not under estimate the importance of this.
I have to agree with rowdy on this.
I would love to ride new c kites every year, but because of peoples perception of them they can be hard to sell at the end of the season. Kites like Hadlow pro's and fuels are awesome but just don't have a big second hand market they will eventually sell but can take time. SLE's and Deltas seem to sell well because some learners dont want new gear for there first kite. Once the growth of kiteboarding slows down, so will the second hand market and no matter what you fly every one will be in the same boat.
One good thing about the C kites is they don't change much year to year, you are mostly buying a tried and tested formula that will last you at least 2-3seasons before being outdated. SLE's and Deltas change dramatically every year trying to get you to upgrade.
So the Question why do the top guys ride C's? Because they are sick, the riders are more concerned with ridding than looking good with the latest revolutionary kiteing gear. They just use what works
Wow excellent tips fellas, especially from an experienced point of view.
That is a handful of great reasons to stay away from the few options I had in mind.
Its great to hear a point of view from real kite surfers and not the usual suspects talking it up in the gear review section.
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C Kites give direct feedback to bar as there are no bridals.
Like Rowdy said, they give more slack when popping as the bridals don't change the angle of the kite and power the kite as quickly.
No bridals to tangle.
Bit more stable so landing blind or wrapped is easier.
Kiteloops are that little bit more powerful but the new short bridal kites are catching up in that respect.
They are hard to sell on as the market is small though.
Excellent question, thanks for asking...
If someone is on an old style C kite these days they have generally been kiting for a while and generally got to be at least ok. Most folks buying new style c kites have come from old school c kites so the same is true.
People coming in to the sport these days pretty much always get bows, because that's what dominates the market and are "learner friendly" (it is in inverted commas for a reason), hence why most noobs are bow riders (by the weight of numbers)
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Is this really SB??????? Is everyone agreeing
There has got to be at least one brand pimp that can tell us who doesn't use a c kite in the PKRA.( but probably wish they did).
I remember when Dre rode c kites, Sick. But not much has changed with his riding, he is still sick on a SLE.
Don't trust that Funky guy, cant even agree with himself. heheheeee
CLICK!
Flame suit on..
It's gonna get hot in here.
C kites don't drift..
Strapless riders lack traction
I'm not a great rider but I recon C kites are better because they tend to stall less. The wing tips have a good angle of attack to the wind in all parts of the wind window. Hence grunty biting turns, which is actually desirable for all levels of kiteboarder. The wider tips seem to glide well, fly straight when depowered and give good feed back on the bar during different flying maneuvers. From my brief experiences I find a bridle of any sort radically effects the trueness of a kite.
For sure some kite designs have better bottom end than others. Amazing isnt it....The simplest solution to deal with low bottom end power kites is better board technique. (Level the board out, let it run! Stop the board stalling wasting your speed, Speed=Power) Learners don't have much board technique for the first 20 hours. That's why grunty kite designs are liked by schools and beginners.
Rule of thumb, terrific bottom end will mean less top end wind range. I've seen people totally wind ranged/T bagging on sizes they should easily be able to handle in C kites Im familiar with.
crawling back into my cave now.
was fully out of contol on my 12m X2 compaired to my 12m 2010 torch last summer, who'd have thought?
There are only a couple of guys that ride c's around Sandgate and Redcliffe all the time and in good wind are awesome to watch. I guess because they have been riding for allot of years and know there **** when it comes to using these kites. I guess any competent rider could get on a c and fly it but understanding all the benefits of them comes with experience.
It because the C-kites are more versatile than the bows etc.....
In my experience with the bows, my biggest hate is you get constant pull, you unhook, and it gives you constant pull, the depower when you are unhooked, doesn't ( with alot of them ) allow you to maximise your speed, to create big pop... because it's allways pulling the same, so it's hard to load up, when the kite is allways loaded up like a para-glider..
Just look at cabrhina's new C kite - Nomad? .. Y did they go back?
Also, the jumps are like floating on a paraglider... and involve different skills in kite placement, that give you unpredictable results sometimes compared to C-kites.
That Nomad is NOT a C kite. Their claim not yours I know chopper, but their kidding themselves.
O.K. so I won't turn this into one of those lame arguments that this place encounters so much, but I've never seen a C kite with swept back tips and an outline like that. Check out photos of Fuels, HiFi Comps, Hadlow Pro etc if my word isn't enough.
We will have to agree to disagree. Completely in this instance.
It is my superior opinion that a true C-kite shouldn't need a bridal or 5th line to fly... otherwise it's a hybrid.
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