The Cabrinha Contra is Cabrinha’s dedicated lightwind kite. It is a 3 strut hybrid design. The focus is to make lightwind kiteboarding fun no matter your riding style or skill level. This is a kite we personally use and love to teach on for the Tampa Bay area.
Size Tested: 15m
Rider Weight: 160 lbs
Ideal Wind Speeds: 9 – 17 kts
About the Contra
The Contra was in Cabrinha’s lineup during the mid 2000’s and was discontinued for a variety of reasons. The 2018 Cabrinha Contra feels nothing like the old Contra. Todays Contra features the ability to turn quicker, a larger wind range, increased durability, and less bar pressure! The Contra is made to feel similar to a Cabrinha Switchblade, which means you wouldn’t have to adjust your riding style if you have a Switchblade in your quiver.
New vs Old Contra
The Contra was reinstated in 2014 with new and improved qualities such as a pulley-less bridle system and less bar pressure. The two big complaints of the Contra from the mid 2000’s was that it had a ton of bar pressure and took forever to turn. Since 2014, Cabrinha has been working towards making the Contra respond quicker, have more wind range and less bar pressure.
2017 to 2018
The big change from the 2o17 to 2018 Contra is the incorporation of high tenacity dacron in the leading edge. Here are some features of the new material:
- Warp oriented design using ultra high tenacity yarns
- Specifically designed for kite inflated structures
- Firm, long lasting and stable finish with excellent bias recovery
- Multi-direction rip stop pattern for improved overall strength and stitch holding properties
- Low elongation for greater accuracy and less deformation while flying
- Lower absorbency for quicker dry
- Resistant to ultraviolet light damage
- Exclusive to Cabrinha
What you can expect to feel when you fly the 2018 Cabrinha Contra is a more rigid leading edge which will respond quicker, retain its shape better and be more stable in lighter winds. At one of our many Cabrinha Demos, people were able to ride the 19m and 17m when the wind died down to 7-9 kts.
Who’s the Contra for?
The Contra really is a kite for anyone that wants to do any style of riding. It is available in 13m, 15m, 17m and 19m sizes. Here is the wind range based on a 160 lb rider:
For the past 6 months we’ve been testing the 15m and 19m as a 160 lb rider and can say the graph above is accurate. The 15m Contra is an ideal size if you’re looking to get into foilboarding. It has a large wind range and is ultra stable in marginal winds. We’ve been able to cruise and ride upwind in 5/6 kts with the 15m Contra and Cabrinha Double Agent foilboard.
The stable platform of the leading edge helps increase the Contras overall performance in hooked and unhooked tricks. It’s even easy to power this kite up and send it for big floaty jumps. Even in the upper wind limits for this kite it is still maneuverable and easy to handle. When unhooking, you want a kite that retains its shape while loading up the lines as much as possible so that when you pop off the water, you create the most amount of slack.
The Contra has made it easy for many of our students to efficiently learn kite control and achieve their first rides. What makes it such a great kite for new riders to learn on is that it’s easy to relaunch, it responds to rider input and is easy to park and ride. When you’re riding, if you feel over powered, simply hold your edge and sheet out on the bar and you’ll feel yourself slow down. Having a responsive kite with easy power control will help your riding progress quickly and efficiently.
Overview
The 2018 Cabrinha Contra feels similar to the 2017 model. The high tenacity dacron gives the kite a slightly more rigid feel that could increase its wind range and riding performance. If you’ve flown the 2016 or earlier model, you will notice an increase in turning speed with the 2017 and 2018 model. It really does perform like a smaller kite and makes lightwind riding fun!
If you’re interested in purchasing a Cabrinha Contra contact Watersports West (7275177000)
If you’d like to schedule a demo drop us a message
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