International Kitesurf Magazine awarded Cabrinha with the best kite manufacturer of 2016. The award was based on considering the kite’s performance, build quality, range and overall quality. The Cabrinha Switchblade has been Cabrinha’s flagship kite for over 15 years, and continues to be one of the top performing kites on the market. The Switchblade is a kite we can teach new riders on, as well as a kite pro riders can go out, throw massive kiteloops on and do handlepasses. Cabrinha’s kite range expands far beyond just the Switchblade with kites like the FX, Contra, Apollo, and Drifter.
Kite Quality
Quality has remained at the forefront of the Cabrinha brand for many years. They pay attention to rider’s feedback as well as do their own extensive testing on their product. For 2017, Cabrinha has incorporated low stretch bridling on their kites so that years later, they will maintain top performance. They have also incorporated a new airlock connection system between the leading edge and struts that doesn’t use neoprene so the pieces are stronger and last longer. The double ripstop used in the canopy is the highest end fabrics woven specifically for kitesurfing to reduce stretch. One of the experiments Cabrinha continues to do to test their durability is slamming their kites repeatedly to find the weak points.
Kite Performance
Each Cabrinha kite is built for a specific reason and is designed to excel in performance by integrating innovative technology. In 2016, Cabrinha began using Pure Profile Panels on their kites to create kites that are more efficient. Pure Profile Panels are strategically placed panels on the kite that result in a clean and smooth profile entry. The kite arc is smoother resulting in a kite that flys quicker and has a broader range in performance.
The ability to tune your Cabrinha kite gives it that much more control over the performance. For example, a beginner may want to keep their kite on the “A” setting on the wing tip. The A setting provides lighter bar pressure and an easier to fly kite. A more experienced rider may want to use the “B” setting, which provides greater steering impulse, more bar pressure and a kite that’s more difficult to stall. The Cabrinha Drifter incorporates an “Onshore” and “Offshore” tuning option for the riders that are more specific in the performance.
Kite Range
No matter what style you ride, there’s a Cabrinha kite within your range. The Switchblade is a great all-around kite with features that will quickly take you from a beginner kiteboarder to an experienced rider who can boost big airs. While the Switchblade is like an automatic car, the FX has a much more raw feel to it. The FX is a hybrid C profiled kite that delivers an explosive vertical boost, smooth turns, and lighter bar pressure. For 2017 the Contra provides quicker turns, greater wind range and a new 19m size. Advanced freestyle riders will enjoy the unhooked performance with the Chaos kite. The Drifter is a smooth and fun kite for surf style riders or foilboard riders. And finally, the Apollo is a brand new kite for 2017 that has the highest aspect ratio of any LEI kite on the market today.
Watersports West Demo
All of the Cabrinha kites are available to demo through Watersports West. Throughout the kiteboarding season in the Tampa Bay area, we team up with pro rider Damien LeRoy to bring demos where all kites are available to try side by side. Specific kite demos are done with Anthony Franchi and can be scheduled around your schedule. If you’ve never flown a Cabrinha kite or have only flown older models, send us a message or come out to one of our demo days to see for yourself why they won best kite manufacturer of 2016.
