Hey guys, havn't posted a review for a while - but for those who don't know me, I'm a shop guy who posts pretty honest reviews on gear, I'm not really afraid to talk about a kites bad points because they all have 'em!
We've had an 11m Core GTS2 sitting in the shop for a little over a week now but no wind to test it out - we took it up the coast with us to Rainbow beach over the weekend and it sat in the back of the hilux... Meanwhile everyone pulled out the cabrinhas, the bests and their own stuff... And the Core sat under the pile. Still in it's bag... Anyway - after i'd got everyone organised, I went to pick up what I thought would be leftovers in the ute - normally i'd get stuck with last years model school kite or something but HEEEELLLOOOO!!!! There was the GTS2 tucked nicely under the old kites, anyone would think I hid it from the others ;-)
So I pumped it up, and noticed that Core have fixed those really tight valves from last year. The cap just slid right on, clicked into place and held air nicely.
I didn't adjust anything, left the bridles where they were, rear lines in the middle and self launched it over the sand no problems. It just rolled up like any other kite an depowered well through the window.
Like all C-Hybrids, there's always a section of the depower line that's useless. The last 1/3rd usually just makes the back lines slacker and slacker without giving you any less power. The GTS2 does the same, but thanks to Core's shorter than usual throw (Ozone do the same thing) you really don't have that much extra on the end. It's nice to be flying on the stopper again - haven't done that in years!
For those of you who have flown Cores in the past - you'd be used to raw, grunty things with a lot of bar pressure. You could tune it out, but that would be at the expense of basically everything else - not cool. So I was surprised to launch the GTS2 and find that it had the same bar pressure as the Ozone C4! This is a big step for Core, and I think one that will make the freestylers take a bit more notice. The kite feels light and snappy, really crisp I guess.
The power was pretty light on for a Core. On par with the other C-Hybrids around at the moment. 15 knots and I was on the bottom end with a surfboard. I weigh 75kgs.
I ventured out into the run-out tide to get some juice, and the unhooked performance is fantastic. Lots of slack, In fact I'd had a go on the 2013 Airush Razor a couple of days before, and I think the GTS2 actually had a nicer feel as you hit the top and went for a pass. The new Sensor bar allows you to go one handed and hooking in is easy. I also like the fact that the bar is quite small, and very light. I think this has a little to do with how nice the kite feels when you're rotating.
Back to the waves, and the GTS2 performed nicely with plenty of drift when unhooked and snappy turns while hooked in. I tried a few good boosts off the swell and was happy with how it jumps. I'd say it's equal to the old GTS and XR2. Not As high as an Ozone Edge, and not as low as the Cabrinha Drifter...
I didn't kite loop it... I know they say that's what it's designed for... But loops just aren't my thing. And i didn't hand it to any of the kids to try, because I was having too much fun.
So - the big one... Is it BETTER than a C4? Is it BETTER than a Cabrinha Chaos? Short answer, maybe. Compared to a C4 the GTS2 isn't as soft. It's closer to a C kite and that comes across strongly in the way it flies. Plus it turns faster.
Compared to a Chaos, the bar pressure is far lighter. The Chaos feels like a Cabrinha, the Core feels like... An Ozoney RPM or something. If you are coming from a Cabrinha kite already, you're going to like the Chaos more because of this. If you don't like Cabrinhas or heavy bar pressure, then I think you'd be better off choosing the GTS2. Or at least riding it and having a go.
It's really a step in a different direction for Core, so if you've been tainted by Cores older models, or you just don't like their early attempts at a freestyle kite - Do yourself a favour and test out this new one. It's really different. And I think it's going to change the way Core is seen by the younger generation of riders this year.
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so it drifts nice you say ,dose it fly foward of the window , is it a wave kite or more a free style .
I'm pretty sure it is a freestyle kite, that may work in the surf...what rock have you been hiding under?
Anyhow nice review man I actually got a good idea of how it flies by your descriptions and yes I am one of those that moved away from core. Good to see, they have a good product again - well they were always good, I just think they confused the hell out of the market.
thanks eppo , i have been hiding under a windless rock but it is all coming good by what is forcast i have looked and demo cores but the truck pull and armstrong steering that was needed i was put off them for what I like to do with my kites "horses for courses" it looks like they might have sorted them out a little have to get and demo one .
I ride C4's and demoed a Gts2 10m the other day, I flew it on direct feel (heavy bar pressure) and medium speed.
Even on the heaviest setting bar pressure was super light, lighter than my C4's but it was hard to "feel" the kite (probably due to the pulleys). Also the kite seemed quite twitchy on medium speed, I run a shorter bar and usually slow speed on my C4's but the Gts2 didn't sit as nice when unhooked. But I'd need to fly them back to back for a better comparison.
Kiteloops had smooth power delivery but were super tight, I think the C4 pivots more around the wingtip. I think the Gts 10 would loop about the same speeds my 9 C4.
I hadn't ridden my twintip for a while so my pop lacked timing, especially in the chop so can't compare the slack between the two kites.
All in all it's a good crossover kite, but I prefer how stable my ozones are and think for me they they have a better feel.
