SIZES TESTED (M): 12, 8 M / SIZES AVAILABLE (M): 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11,12
CONTROL BAR: SENSOR 2S PRO FOIL BAR
SYNOPSIS
A high performance foil kite, with lightning fast turns, light touch steering and amazing low end power.
THE GOOD STUFF
The XLITE is the new foil specific kite from Core and has been designed with high performance and advanced foil riding in mind. Built on a single strut platform and packed with some of Core’s exclusive material and design technology, the XLITE comes in 20 per cent lighter than the similar three strut platforms from Core’s wave and freeride models. Amazing low end power and efficiency, the XLITE feels light and nimble to the touch with great low end power that comes close to rivalling the best of the test. Water relaunch was very impressive, aided by the light weight design and canopy shape that enables rear relaunch capability by pulling in the steering lines. The XLITE was the quickest turning, fastest looping, single strut kite in this year’s test and also had the lightest touch steering and most precision oriented handling. Everything about Core’s XLITE compliments an aggressive flying style and performs nicely with today’s efficient, smooth riding foils. It suits the more advanced kite riders that want more precision and fast reactivity out of their kite. Nice balanced drift, lots of instant depower that kills the kite’s pull but still grants reactive turn initiation at low levels of line tension when riding underpowered or foiling under your kite during transitions. Also available is a foil specific bar set up which features a compact, reduced weight design that’s equipped with lower drag lines for riding with less line tension. Very nice in the hand and so light weight, the Sensor 2S Pro Foil bar nicely compliments the light touch performance handling of the XLITE. While riding toeside on a foil, it’s ideal to be able to flick and turn the kite with one hand, as you carve into your turns or transitions. Having a light weight bar like this combined with fast and reactive kite can help bring your foiling skills and manoeuvres to the next level.
TRADE OFF
Lots of depower built into a single strut with light weight canopy material means the kite canopy will flutter when sheeted out at the edge of the window. The XLITE flutters quite a bit but the performance advantages on a foil far outweigh any flutter, and the feedback is not as turbulent or uncontrollable as many.
GOOD FOR
Intermediate to advanced level foil riders that want the performance they are used to from their fully strutted frames but with the light wind and low line tension performance that single strut designs offer. The XLITE will help take your foil riding to the next level.
