Tag Archives: cabrinha

2015 Cabrinha Tronic and Ace Twin-Tips

Big Winds offers a number of really fun twin tips for 2015, a couple of stand out boards from Cabrinha are the updated Tronic and new Ace.

The 2015 Tronic is a really fun twin tip for boosting and riding in surf and swell. Its updated shape this year is quite noticeable from the years past with the new Parabolic Rail offering a stiffer feel under foot, allowing for a very responsive tip and tail. If choppy waters are an issue in your riding venue, the new Tronic provides one of the smoothest rides with the deep V and quad concave bottom contour. 2015 Cabrinha Tronic at Big WindsThe softer curved tips and rounded rail means no more tip spit in your eyes and allows you to turn on a dime! Available in 3 sizes, my preference is the mid size at 141/42cm (I’m 5’10” and 165 lbs).

Cabrinha offers a completely new design with the new Ace twin-tip. A combination of the ever popular Custom and X-Caliber, the new Ace implements the same Parabolic Rails as the Tronic, but has a quad concave to quad V bottom. 2015 Cabrinha Ace at Big WindsWith slightly less rocker than the Custom, but a bit more than the X-Caliber, the new Ace gets up on a plane quickly, and provides a very fast and smooth ride. This Freestyle/Freeride twin-tip is certainly going to be a big hit for people riding in a variety of water conditions and experimenting with a variety of riding styles.

Both the Tronic and Ace are built from a vertically laminated Paulownia wood core with a new volcanic basalt laminate offering both vibration resistance and added durability. The new Hex Flow fins are another unique addition to the 2015 line-up, with a dimpled pattern over the surface of the fin comparable to that of a golf ball. The hex pattern helps to create a boundary layer assisting in the laminar flow over the fin. New rails, new construction and new fins all add to a very new feel in the twin-tip category for 2015.

-TJ

Click to go to bigwinds.com

 

 

 

Big Winds

207 Front Street

Hood River, OR 97031

888-509-4210

www.bigwinds.com

2015 Cabrinha Radar / Spectrum Package

We are offering a great kiteboarding package including the new Cabrinha Radar kite and Cabrinha Spectrum board. The Radar, coupled with the new 2015 Overdrive Control System, may be one of the most user friendly kites and bars to operate to date.

2015 Cabrinha Radar at Big WindsThe versatility of the Radar is amazing! Great for freeride, works in the waves, exceptional for foil, but more so, incredible for the beginner kiter. What makes this kite such a good entry level option is its incredible relaunch capabilities! Simply put a bit of tension on one of the outside lines, and the kite rocks onto its side and lifts off the water. Whether down on the water off to the edge of the window, or directly downwind, the Radar is the closest thing to an auto relaunch we’ve tested.

With a full bodied canopy, the Radar has exceptional low end power too. I have ridden the 10m Radar with a foil board in 9-14 mph winds and was amazed on how it stayed in the sky. The 3 strut simplicity adds to the light weight feel of the kite, giving it a very nimble and lively feel.

If you are looking for a great value in a new twin-tip kiteboard, the 2015 Cabrinha Spectrum is it. The new Spectrum board comes complete with bindings, fins, and handle for only $639, but when coupled with the Radar and Overdrive bar, the board comes out to only $240! It comes in a variety of sizes, 132/40, 136/41, 140/42, 144/43, and 148/44. It is made up with a very forgiving paulownia wood core for a very smooth ride, even in choppy conditions. The new textured top and bottom sheet adds to the overall durability and the new graphic is made up of the 3 colors the Radar kite is offered in: red, yellow, and teal.

2015 Cabrinha Radar - Spectrum Package

This 2015 Cabrinha package is the best price point entry level value we’ve seen, offering you a solid kite and board, along with the market’s easiest to operate control system. If you choose to upgrade to the Switchblade or Drifter for your second kite, the bar will work with any of the Cabrinha kites offered in the 2015 range. Give us a call to secure your Radar/Spectrum kiteboard package today, or check out our website for package pricing.

–TJ

Click to go to bigwinds.com

 

 

 

Big Winds

207 Front Street

Hood River, OR 97031

888-509-4210

www.bigwinds.com

2015 Cabrinha Secret Weapon

The Cabrinha surfboard line up got a complete makeover for 2015. A great choice for Gorge conditions, or swell/small wave conditions elsewhere, is the Secret Weapon 5’2. The Secret Weapon is Pete Cabrinha’s take on the fish surfboard specific for kiteboarding in small waves and throwing directional freestyle tricks.

Being fairly wide (19.7″) makes it extremely stable and an easy platform to both stand on and land on. The tail keeps a lot of the width for early planing in light wind and high top-end speed. The fair amount of rocker and the rounded swallow tail allow for fairly nimble, precise turns.

2015 Cabrinha Secret Weapon at Big WindsWhile billed as a great board for light wind, I have found the Secret Weapon to handle high wind conditions like a gem. The quad fin set up plays a big part in this, giving you great bite with the fins when you are flying at full speed on a reach. The nose is also scooped up for a board in this class, making it very forgiving in large chop and also preventing you from pearling (digging in the nose) when going down a steeper wave face.

Durability is a huge factor when considering a new surfboard and the Secret Weapon (as with all the 2015 Cabrinha surfboards) is bomber. After taking this board through the ringer, I can say that it is the strongest production board I have ridden in a long time. Over an EPS core is a bamboo sandwich for strength, with a layer of cork to help dampen rough water.

Secret Weapon at Big Winds

The Cabrinha Secret Weapon comes with front and rear pads and the hexagonal pods in between to keep weight down. Fins (Futures Fin compatible box) and straps are sold separately. I have experimented with different fin configurations, and highly recommend Futures Fin F4 Quads for a great blend of drive, hold and maneuverability.

–Jason

Click to go to bigwinds.com

 

 

 

Big Winds

207 Front Street

Hood River, OR 97031

888-509-4210

www.bigwinds.com

2015 Cabrinha Drifter

After several years of using this kite, I can personally attest that the 2015 Drifter is a kite that, first and foremost, DRIFTS! I define drift simply as a kite’s ability to travel downwind without being worked (stroked or looped). The big advantage of a kite drifting is keeping tension on the lines as you ride at the kite, helping prevent the kite from stalling and falling out of the sky. For a seasoned wave kiter, good drift allows you to charge down the line without having to worry about outrunning your kite, allowing you to focus on riding the wave. For a beginner through early advanced level kiter, good drift is super helpful in allowing you to perfect transitions, jumps and toe side riding without having to always be as focused on maintaining perfect line tension.

2015 Drifter at Big Winds

The Drifter is also a great kite due to its extremely easy re-launch. It has great wind range, nearly as much as the Cabrinha Switchblade, and more then almost any other kite on the market. Its Double Ripstop build is industry leading in durability and does not become silky over repeated uses. The Sprint inflation system, with its direct connect valve, also makes pumping it up a breeze.2015 Drifter at Big Winds

Now in its fourth generation, the structural design of the Drifter has stayed nearly identical since its inception. The only change was in 2014 (continuing on in 2015) when they reduced the number of pulleys in the bridle from six to two. Fewer pulleys create a more direct feel between the bar and the kite, and increasing overall turning speed. All in all, the Drifter is a must have for wave riders, and a great option for anybody looking for a top of the line, but forgiving, free ride kite.

Overdrive 1x Bar

The Cabrinha bar has gotten a big rework this year. The new Quickloop chicken loop/safety release system is extremely effective at killing power when pulled and it is insanely easy to put back together (even one-handed!) on the water. The floats have been expanded substantially and the trim adjustments have been brought seven cm closer to the bar, making adjustments easier for shorter riders, while still allowing easy, nearly 100% depower when sheeted out. The Overdrive system returns, allowing you to easily adjust the bar from 48-56 cm, as does the 1x single line flagging safety system.

–Jason

Click to go to bigwinds.com

 

 

 

Big Winds

207 Front Street

Hood River, OR 97031

888-509-4210

www.bigwinds.com

Review: 2014 Cabrinha Contra

We had a nice light westerly wind here in Hood River last weekend allowing for a perfect time to test the 2014 Cabrinha Contra 17m kite. The average wind was right around 12 mph, gusting to 15, lulls below 10. The Contra is a 3 strut kite, available in two sizes, 15m and 17m. The 2014 Overdrive Bar it is flown with is a 57-65cm adjustable control system, and the 17m test was flown on the 65cm setting.

2014 Cabrinha Contra

TJ under the Contra at the Event Site.

After watching the only other guy on the water come in on a 13m, having difficulties staying up wind, I launched the 17m and felt the immediate power this canopy provides. Within the first down stroke, I was moving, reaching forward to pull depower in the trim strap. The Contra is fast turning for its size, playful, easy to maneuver and quick to down loop. It may fit the freeride/freestyle category best — not a race kite — but a playful park and ride kite. There is plenty of power in this 17m. For that size canopy, it has a feather light feel due to the reduced diameter struts and light weight bladders.

2014 Cabrinha Contra

2014 Cabrinha Contra

Here in Hood River, it’s not essential to have a kite this big. The 15m Contra would be about as big as we need to go. For those outside of the Gorge, though, the Contra 17m is a great choice to get off the beach and out on the water. Coupled with a directional board, or light wind twin-tip, the Contra 17m will get you up and moving in the least amount of wind providing a fun filled session. If you’re taking a vacation to a lighter wind area of the world, the Contra 17m packs down small and light (15 lbs w/ bar and bag), offering a great guarantee to be on the water when many may be watching from the beach. It’s like buying wind insurance! Feel free to give us a call any time with questions regarding the 2014 Cabrinha Contra: 888-509-4210.

–TJ

www.bigwinds.com