Republished with permission from Fractured Axel.

The Miró is the big brother of the Mondrian, not a rescale of that kite but certainly speaking the same design language and with many of the same build features. At 2.6m the only current kite that compares would be the Transfer XT.s. It’s a big kite that’s aimed at pairs/team flying.

The main build difference is that it ditches the yoyo stoppers for a yoyo line (à la Fury) and adds a fourth bridle leg connecting the tow point to the centre of the LE. Both of these are adjustable via knots in addition to all other bridle legs so if you enjoy bridle fiddling this kite is going to be heaven for you. If you don’t…. then just don’t bother. With built in leaders as well the kite carries a lot of bridle that can be a pain when putting the kite away or taking it out.

Framing is necessarily beefed up with P400 LEs and the oh-so-sexy Nitro’s for LS’s. A chunky frame means that the minimum wind speed is quoted as 10km/h (6mph), although this is conservative. At that wind speed the kite is flyable without legwork, if you’re prepared to break a sweat then a little less is usable.

Again the sail is reinforced heavily where it needs to be. And again the fine details are a pleasure.

My flight time so far has been restricted but it comes across as quite a different beast to the Mondrian. If you enjoy a yank-’n'-spank approach or are used to kites that go out of their way to make you look good and hand out the moves, you may be in for a shock or a lesson. The kite needs a deliberate approach to make stuff happen – setup, action, recovery. Miss any step out or go at it half-arsed and you’ll be disappointed. Big inputs needed too with plenty of arm and no little footwork. On the few occasions that I did manage to string it together properly I got absolutely textbook moves as my reward. When I didn’t (ie; most of the time) then not so much.

The Miró flies and tricks pretty slowly at all times. Whilst OK on 30m lines it enjoyed 35m+ even more, given more room to breathe. Pull isn’t massive but even in moderate winds I might be reaching for some heavier lines and brakes (and not be flying on a frozen lake either).

I’d definitely call this a kite aimed at those who already know what they’re doing. I enjoyed the heck out of it when my flying was at the level it demanded, the size and slow pace of the kite really emphasised what was going on but when I wasn’t quite there it became a bit frustrating. It’s not difficult to fly but it is a challenge to fly well, both physically and mentally.

Once I get home I’ll put more time on it and have a crack at the bridle. If I owned one I’m not sure just how often I’d reach for it at the start of a session but it might be the one I switch to if my brain’s in gear that day.

I’ve been trying very hard to love the Miró. It hasn’t quite worked out. I suppose there were faults on both sides….

I think part of the problem is that it is highly adjustable. You’re not presented with a completed, here’s-the-kite-now-go-learn-how-to-fly-it piece of kit but (pun alert) more of a blank canvas for you to create your perfect kite experience. The kite’s never bad by any means but after a bit of fiddling I came across a really sweet setup – it all gelled together and life was good.  But then the wind changed a smidge and…. it all went away again. So it was back to knot sliding to try to find The Door Into Summer* and it being about as elusive.

When the kite is together it’s bloody marvellous . You need to adopt a very full movements to avoid Not-Quite-There Axels and 450° Flat Spins but if you concentrate and fly it like it needs to be flown you’re rewarded with textbook flight. It really is great. A big kite moving steadily (it’s never a fast kite) through a trick properly makes for a happy flyer.

Then it isn’t. And it’s so frustrating. Not that it becomes unflyable just… where has the wonderfulness gone to and can I have it back, please ?

• It’s never an especially impressive Precision kite whatever I did with it.
• I preferred it almost always with the heavier (17g.) tail weight.
• 30m lines were about the shortest I could live with.
• I simply got no line snag problems, which is very welcome.
• The huge bridle is only a problem in proximity to the kitebag.
• You’re not going to upset this frame no matter how hard you try.

Overall…. I wish I liked this kite more but finding that sweet spot and keeping it drove me up the wall. If you could spend some time with it and feed it lab. grade winds then it’d be a lot more attractive. Maybe I never did find the completely right setup.

Many thanks to Challenger Sails for the demo of the Miro.

-Mike.

* waddyamean you haven’t read it ?