http://videos.f-onekites.com/Videos/_Antandroy

F-One’s goal was not to offer just a versatile kite but the best kite for each discipline and every style of rider whether you are just a beginner or pro athlete - the F-One Bandit 5 (V) is for you!F-One set their goals for the F-One Bandit 5 (V):

Range:

To further increase the Bandit 5’s range, F-One needed both a kite that you could easily power up in the low end anda kite that was even more forgiving in strong and gusty conditions.
Lightness:
In order to improve its performance when under powered, and add to the ease of use at the bottom end its lightness was a priority.

Handling:

To immediately position the kite where you want it, to precisely manage its rotation during a kiteloop, and to have the most responsive kite in larger sizes, its maneuverability is crucial. This is why we have focused our attention on this particular aspect.

If you like to jump and hang in the air for eternity the 2011 Starkites EXA is  THE kite for you.  I kited yesterday in 13-15mph side on shore winds with the 11m and had tons of power to work with.  The kite has a solid pull like larger 15-17m kites offer in lighter winds.  The jumps were just amazing, and hang time was superior to many other kites I have flown.  The kite loops very quickly so its great for people that want to learn kite loops and not worry about too much power through the range.  Self launch and landing is simple and safe.  The power/depower strap is very easy to use and extremely smooth and effective.  The one-pump system is perfect.  If you want to demo this kite let me know, I will arrange a time for you to try it out.

We are currently selling a great package deal for the EXA Kite, Bar/Lines, Pump, Board.  This is a complete kitesurfing package and a great deal.  Click here to check it out and please call or email with any questions.

“Robinson Hilario (F-ONE, DOM) was also riding extremely well executing a variety of difficult tricks against his opponents such as a Front Mobe 5, 315, and an Indy Grab double 313 pass defeating Tjin Van Esch (Advance, NED) in the first round as well as Alex Pastor (Airush, ESP) in the second round who executed four switch tricks which would not be enough to surpass Hilario’s cleaner executions and variety of technical tricks. Hilario went on to eliminate Marc Jacobs (Switch, NZL) in the third round where the competition came to a halt due to the fierce rain and thunderstorm weather conditions, which moved into the area rather quickly.”

Freestyle Single Elimination Results:
MEN
1. Youri Zoon (Slingshot, NED)
2. Luis Alberto Cruz (Star Kites, DOM)
3. Alberto Rondina (Cabrinha, ITA)
4. Robinson Hilario (F-ONE, Cosmicites, DOM)

Freestyle Double Elimination Results:
MEN
1. Youri Zoon (Slingshot, NED)
2. Alex Pastor (Airush, ESP)
3. Luis Alberto Cruz (StarKites, DOM)
4. Alberto Rondina (Cabrinha, ITA)
5. Robinson Hilario (F-ONE,Cosmickites, DOM)

Robinson Hilario (F-ONE, DOM) hailing from Dominican Republic had an awesome heat against Youri Zoon (Slingshot, NED) today but in the final seconds before the end of the heat he required assistance due to what it seemed like as a serious leg injury. Hilario was transported to the hospital and treated for his minor injury and is now doing well.

In the men’s freestyle single elimination division it was a successful day for Dominican rider Alex Soto (F-ONE, D.R.). Soto eliminated Austrian rider Stefan Spiessberger (North, AUT) as well as Sebastien Garat (RRD, FRA) in the first set of heats but was later eliminated by Youri Zoon (Slingshot, NED)

Lets see how they do in the next events!!

VOLT:

New reinforcements on the leading edge. Allows the leading edge’s seams to not damage the spi fabric when the kite rubs on a hard surface. In navigation, the VOLT gives you confidence because it provides an early and progressive traction during the first meters with a constant power that you can kill at any time. Controlling your speed and keeping your trajectory is excellent. The VOLT fits all wind conditions and has an exceptional range. Thanks to its three struts, the kite is light. The bar control is precise in order to feel the kite tension and its position in the air, but it’s also very forgiving to riders mistakes.

Because of its Delta C-Shape concept, the navigation is fluid with a predictable flight behavior. It’s also very stable and offers a fast and efficient auto-relaunch.

- 3 struts
- Lines setup identical to Bandit 4
- One pump
- Shorter EVO bridles to optimize relaunch and safety
- Reinforcements

NEXT

In sizes 135cm 140×40cm and 140×42cm

The NEXT is the ultimate freeride board. It adapts to all conditions of wind and sea. Comfortable and forgiving, it offers a quick and fast planning but then retains a reasonable top speed. With its ability to go upwind and always under control, it is suitable for all freeride riders as well as beginners.

The large sizes 145 and 150 are specialized boards for ultra light wind. Excellent for quick planning and performance you’ll be the first on the water!

With the Unibox fins system and their Response fins, gliding and edging is natural and effortless.

lens: Hege Holt/Dreambuz

Name: Robinson Hilario

Nickname: Rob Hila (Robzilla)

Birthdate: 27/02/1993

Occupation: Kiteboarder, Student

Sponsors: F-One kites, Cosmickites.com, Airbound

Current equipment:

13m & 10m F-One Bandit III, F-One Trax 5 134, and F-One Acid 3 132

lens: Hege Holt/Dreambuz

Best results in competition:
2nd Heinekken Regatta Puerto Rico 2010; 7th PKRA 2007 Cabarete; 3rd Master of the Ocean 2006 Cabarete; 2nd, 3rd DR Championship;

How long kiteboarding?
4 years

What made you want to kite?
I was fascinated by what I saw on the beach in Cabarete and when I tried it, I knew why!

Favorite spots: Kite Beach, Cabarete, Dominican Republic; La Boca, Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico!

Future spots to visit: Brazil, California, and the Cosmic gang in NYC this summer.lens:

Number of days of kiting: 365 if I could

Favorite Move: As many spins as I can do before I hit the water.

Riders you look up to improve: Kevin Langeree, Youri Zoon, Alex Soto

Move you are currently working on: Front flip one handed and Park Riding

Goals: I would like to be able to travel the world and kite.

Other hobbies: spearfishing.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000846426557&ref=ts

Name: Alex Soto

Birth Date: 20/11/1986

Occupation:
Freestyle Kiteboarder

Sponsors:
Cosmickites.com, F-One, Airbound Apparel, HyperFlex, Dream Buzz media

Current equipment:
13m & 10m F-One Bandit III, F-One Trax 5 136, and F-One Acid 3 132

Best results in competition:
1st Heinekken Regatta Puerto Rico 2010; 4th KPWT 2008 France; 2nd KPWT 2007 Brazil; 4th PKRA 2007 Cabarete; 4th 2006 PKRA Cabarete; 1st DR 2006 Championship; 1st DR 2005 Championship; 4th PKRA 2005 Cabarete; 7th PKRA 2005 Germany; 1st DR 2005 Championship

How long kiteboarding?
6 years

What made you want to kite?
Initially, it just looked like fun, and when I finally tried it, I got a huge adrenaline rush and I was hooked!

Favorite spots:
Kite Beach, Cabarete, Dominican Republic

Future spots to visit:
Egypt

Number of days kiting:
Every day there is wind

Favorite Move:
Back move

Move you are currently working on:
It’s a secret

Goals:
I would like to finish in the top 3 at the PKRA Competition in Cabarete in June and just travelling in general to see the world and kite

Other hobbies:
I like to take old motorcycles and repair them and rebuild the engines to make them better. Also, I enjoy spearfishing.

Youtube, Vimeo page for videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8WRDUZRyJk

Straight out of the bag we are totally impressed.  The same high quality workmanship to be expected from Fone.  Super light weight as kite is only 3 struts (lighter, faster to pump up and session).

In the air the kite is just amazing.  We were wondering how Fone could possibly beat the Bandit III, but Rapheal and crew nailed it again.

Super stable

Simple relaunch

smooth smooth bar feel

fast and solid kite loops

In the water it was a park and ride kind of experince.  Kite just sat there and pulled me with no issues.  I did not have to work the kite at all to get going and wind was only marginal.

Cant wait to get back out there and ride again.  This kite will be our hottest seller in 2011 and we are really stoked on it.

Thank you Fone for doing it right, AGAIN

1. Why a new concept?

The reason kiteboarding is my passion and my job is because of its incredibly large spectrum of potential uses, making the sport far more diversified than windsurfing. I have always dreamed that one day we could kite with a small boat that would be small enough to fit in a car. For several years now, it’s been difficult to find non extreme beach toys like windsurfing was in the early 80s. It’s rather unfortunate, because people are limited to Stand Up Paddle (SUP) or more extreme sports like kiteboarding for example. Why is there nothing in between? When I first saw a SUP, I immediately thought that its shape would ideally resemble the small boat I was thinking of; meaning big enough to support one or two riders onboard and small enough to fit into a van or on top of a regular car. In addition, if there is no wind at all, you could go out paddle surfing or just go for a ride! To sum it up, the concept is simply about being able to go on the water no matter how poor the wind conditions are. This is also a much more “family” oriented concept. Let’s make our favorite sport less of an individual sport. After “All We Do Is Kiteboarding”, we are moving on the “Ride Every Day” concept.

2. Who are we targeting?

The first target is everybody who ever wanted to kiteboard but was hesitant to. This large population should see in this new concept a much more accessible, multipurpose and family oriented sport.

The second target is current SUP riders, who now can also use their favorite toy when it’s windy. Getting out with your SUP against even modest wind, can be quickly exhausting and make the sport far less fun—10 knots is already too much. These SUPers already own a board and know how to handle it. They just need to learn how to fly a kite.

The third category is kitesurfers wishing to ride with wind ranging from 6 to 12 knots. I have developed this concept to overcome the summer’s typical low wind or any spot where the wind is present but always modest. Summer often brings low wind and yet these are the times when the general weather and temperature are ideal to go to the beach…

3. An alternative in light winds?

Winds ranging 6 to 12 knots are really difficult to exploit and gear like foils can maybe help you ride but are not that easy to use. Riding a SUP with a kite is great. In fact, feeling this big board taking off and floating above the water is really cool. Jibes provide a great feeling because they are done unhooked with constant pressure, much like doing a bottom turn. Most of the riding on a SUP is easily done unhooked and strapless, techniques that are reserved only to advanced kiteboarders. Cruising and long distances are also a possibility especially during summer when it is sunny and warm, including all the tricks such as going backwards and doing 360s on the board and many others. For a kitesurfer, this is the board and the kite for summer months with the advantages of also being able to practice SUP separately… This new concept has two sides: it can either be thought of as a hobby or a more radical sport. During the final stages of the SUP kite development, I handed over some proto to regular kiteboarders for casual testing. It was surreal to see the look on the face of a kitesurfer returning to the beach saying he was overpowered in 9 knots with a 17m ² SUP kite and that his arms were sore as in a strong wind day!

4. The return to the SOURCE?

Yes, the concept goes back to the source of the sport with the similar gliding feeling we felt 10-15 years ago. However, by coupling it to a SUP we go beyond the early days of our sport. It has never been easier to surf and catch waves with a SUP. Surfing, the king of all watersports, has now attracted thousands and thousands of new riders thanks to the introduction of SUP so why not doing the same with our favorite sport? This new concept modernizes the basics of our sport to offer a new riding experience. What is really funny is that if you happen to remember a windsurfing board from the ‘70s, you would be very surprised by the resemblances to a SUP. Since I started windsurfing in ‘76, I am definitely going back to the SOURCE!

5. The SUP kite, what a strange idea?

This is not new; some riders have already experienced kiting with a SUP. The novelty is to have a kite uniquely designed and dedicated to ride with a SUP board. The speed and the power of the SUP kite are adapted to the speed of the SUP boards as well as its stability and the consistency of its traction. A SUP kite needs the most constant traction possible. The most important point is that on a SUP, riders are already up, so there is no need for power to get you out of the water and ride. This is the big difference with our current sport making “supping” with a kite far more reassuring.

6. Why returning to Two-Line kites?

We needed to create a super stable and lightweight kite that could easily fly under 10 knots, be very simple to use, less expensive, and safe. What could be better than a two-line kite? Since we need a lot less power, depower capabilities are not needed, especially in light winds. Rethinking a two-line line kite was a new challenge. In fact, it has been a year since we started our research and development; and a simpler kite does not necessarily mean something easier to do. We had to redesign a brand new bridle in order to obtain great maneuverability without the need of 30-inch long bars like in the old days! The kite sizes were the most astonishing part of the project. We started by producing a 9m, then a 11m, followed by a 13m to finish with a two-line 17m set on a 55cm bar! Something we could never have imagined before! For instance, the high-end wind speed for the 17m is 10 knots! This means that you are overpowered with only 10 kts of wind, a dream. Regarding the safety system, the bar is equipped with a wrist leash attached to a back line, so if you drop the bar, the kite loses its power. We will also offer a version with a 3rd line which facilitates tilting the kite to the side for an easier relaunch, similar to what a 5th line system could do.

7. Could we use other supports than SUP?

Do you wish to pull catamarans or boats? What’s nice about a two-line kite is the ease in modifying the line lengths. I have sailed with 9m lines and with up to 40m. Extremely short lines such as 9m give a completely new feeling to the sport, making it easy while sailing straight but more challenging when jibing or carving. This new concept could be exploited with other supports, yet we still have a lot to work on with the SUP…

8. Is this going to change how we teach kiteboarding?

Yes, this will modernize how kitesurfing schools teach their students for two main reasons. A two-line kite is much simpler and faster to learn how to handle, it goes left or right with no depower system and there is no chicken loop. In light winds, the typical bar handling mistake can totally slow down a four-line kite and oversheet the kite, something that can’t happen with a two-line kite. The second reason is the volume of the SUP board which lets you stay up at all times and reduces greatly the need for power. You just need enough power to keep your balance on the board, not to mention that you can even control the kite by sitting down! This practice is much more reassuring because it can be done in very light wind conditions and flat water. The training period with a SUP kite will be shorter because learning is faster. It is also possible to learn the handling of the kite on the ground and in the water and the control of the SUP behind a boat or a jet ski. The cost of an introductory course will be more affordable, which in turn will enable a wider audience to experience kiteboarding. For kite schools, teaching with only 6 knots is a big leap forward and will certainly attract new clients that could be turned off by regular kiteboarding, which is seen as a more extreme sport.

I have NEVER flown a kite and loved it the first time.  There is always a learning curve on new equipment.  I just pumped this kite up, hooked up my lines, and BAM, i was skying huge airs.

The bag is great, tons of room for kite, bar, pump, and some extra stuff you may trek down with you.  No one pump (slightly disapointed), but got over it right away when i realized this 12m only has 3 struts (amazing).  Took no time to pump up kite, nice clean shutoff valvles at all struts and LE.  material and workanship is top quality.

LE bridles are barley bridles at all.  they are attahced to 3 points on LE but so small and out of the way its a great design.

In the air kite was just perfect.  great amounts of power in not much wind, fast turning, direct feel, big floaty jumps.

If you are new to the sport or a pro, this kite has to get in your hands for at least one session.  I am so stoked i tried this kite which I knew nothing about at all.

Thank you Wainman for a quality product that we are stoked to ride and stoked to sell our customers.