Having given us their fantastic low-down on the Code V1, next in line for the Kiterboarder test crew was our unique, super lightweight single strut kite, the Alpha V1
TKB Says:
Ozone’s new single strut freeride kite brings a new standard to the lightweight minimalist genre of travel and foilboarding kites. The first thing we noticed about the Alpha was its packaging, wrapped in a papoose-style pack bag that gives you the sense you could pack an entire quiver into just a small portion of your normal travel bags without coming close to your weight limit. The Alpha comes with a high flow Boston valve that requires the larger inflation nozzle and uses a single-setting fixed bridle that utilizes no pulleys and a single wingtip setting. The Alpha doesn’t offer any kite handling adjustments, instead it focuses on being incredibly light and agile in the air. As with all single strut kites there is a tradeoff — you do have to think about the amount of flutter that you get with a canopy that is supported by only one strut and two wingtips, yet the Alpha does an excellent job of keeping the canopy under control…
Ozone released the new Contact V4 control bar this year which is a 4-line bar that has received significant updates from Ozone’s previous bar along with one massive upgrade in the quick release department. The Contact V4 features Ozone’s new ‘Seat Belt’ technology which offers a completely new quick release design that features a groundbreaking mechanism that allows you to effortlessly reconnect your trim loop after a safety release by simply pushing the loop into its recess and it automatically clicks closed…
Quotes from the testers:
“Loved this kite! At 5’8”, 160 lb.s and 60+ yrs old on a twin tip, I found this kite predictable, not too fast, not too slow and it handled gusts well fully powered and went upwind well.” // Jeff Waldberg
https://www.thekiteboarder.com/2019/03/tkb-review-2019-ozone-alpha-v1/
