When starting the K2 project, Challenger Sails was committed to build the best polyvalent kite on the market and in my opinion they got it right. I was one of those who had the chance to try the K2 STD during the Sprintkite 2009 festival in Cervia and we all struggled to find something wrong with the kite. What I’d like to do now is to talk about the UL version which is slightly different from the STD.
Construction
The frame is typical of a UL kite with Skyshark 3pt leading edges, Skyshark p100 spine, structil 6 mm upper spreader and 3 mm standoff. What’s new here is the Skyshark Black Diamond Nitro 3pt, lighter than the normal 3pt but much stiffer. As a result the kite’s feedback is that of a STD even in very low winds, allowing even those modern/new tricks that indeed stress a classical UL frame. The bridle is a fully adjustable turbo reverse which can be easily converted into a 3 point bridle. The sail is made of icarex (coloured panels), AirX500 (the white panels, same material used in the Cosmic TC Ghost), Dacron on the leading edges, Spinnaker on the trailing edges and micro cordura on the nose. Compared to the STD, the mylar reinforcements are a bit smaller and the tail weight is 12 gr. Overall weight on the UL is 35-40 grams less than the STD. Totally computerised cutting of the panels makes the kite perfectly symmetrical. Stunningly handcraft by Alex Moroni with a very cool CHS rubber logo underneath the upper spreader (I challenge anybody to wear that off !) and logo printed velcro on the tail.
In flight
The kite looks majestic in the air with its 2.5m wingspan; nose and wingtips can be clearly distinguished from 40 meter, which is very important in competition. 6/7 kmh wind speed is enough to fly the kite with a good pull and no need for either legs or arms work. With a bit of effort, 4 kmh is the minimum wind speed required to pull the kite in the air and have fun with it. At the upper end of the range, 15 kmh, the frame works just fine. The kite is very precise, similar to the NSE, and draws very straight lines. Corners are sharp and the kite gets cleanly back on track afterwards. The landing manoeuvre can be performed really close to the ground after a horizontal or diagonal flight. Given its 2.5 m wingspan landing from a vertical requires an input a few meters above the ground. When hitting the tips to the ground the kite stays right in place and does not bounce back.
As well as being very precise and steady, this kite has a great trick attitude, for both old and new school tricks. Flat rotations are stunning. I was surprised that a French style kite could be as good as the Cosmic in this respect but Taz Machine, Slot Machine, 540, Axel and Half Axel are easier and more elegant.
The half axel has a very flat nose-away position resulting in spectacular Cascade and Comete. Thanks to its stiff frame, Comete cascade can be performed at a higher speed than the Cosmic. The kite sits well on its back but the turtle is not deep. Lazy Susan, Rolling Susan, Rolling Cascade, Kombo and Flap Jack are esthetically pleasing and easy. Multy Lazys are extremely flat, slow and well balanced, and in smooth winds are dead simple: you can spin the kite as long as your lines will allow you to. Yoyos are pretty slow, especially compared to the very fast roll-ups of the STD version, and need a bit of slack. Some tweaking may help but a two-pop input will always result in a more precise and cleaner roll-up. Position of the stoppers is correct. The flight is stable even with wrapped lines and the kite is easy to unroll.
The fade is extremely stable and need no particular correction. When a gust or a pilot’s error is making the nose dive down some slack on the lines will put the kite back in place. Pancake to Fade and Flic Flac are easy and the K2 is very forgiving when trying to recover the fade position. Backspins and backspin cascade are also easy. Stalls and side slides are beautiful: the kite can slide all the way across the wind window with minimum hand work.
I couldn’t get crazy copters and yo-fades out of this kite (very easy on the STD though). I’ll let you know if a 18 grams weight on the tail will improve the kite’s pitch. However, I know for sure that with 18 gr weight on a NSE LW I cannot crazy copter or yo-fade either.
I think that’s all for now. As usual this is my personal view based on what I have experienced so far flying many others stunt kites.
Conclusion
The K2 is a 100% polyvalent kite, very precise and accurate in flight with a great attitude to perform all the tricks we know. This is an excellent choice for both the competitive athletes who need to feel confident with their kite and the amateurs who like to have fun and never get stressed with too technical or extreme kites. The K2 could also be an option for those beginners looking for their first top level kite. This is a kite you get an immediate feeling with and has no issue at all regarding the trick learning process.
Challenger Sails have really impressed me with this kite.
-Davide (care of Paolo)
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good job,dave