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Taboo Review Submission Page.
Review submissions for ther Taboo review competition will be posted here daily. Click to view rules page. You can vote for your favourites by 'liking' them on our Facebook page, remember there's a Taboo to won for 'liking' the winning review as well.
Richard H Taboo 15sqm review-
Conditions 12-15 mph side shore wind
Rider: 2 Years experience, 215lbs
I have been kiting for about 2 years now, mostly in the lakes in Texas. Unfortunately in the summer time the wind is pretty light so I have been trying to figure out what gear I would be using this summer. Mostly I fly Kahoona, but since the biggest Best makes is a 13.5 (GREAT KITE), I also have a 15m Bularoo v2.
My first impression of the kite is that it is made of a munch lighter material than my Kahoona V3, and the struts are very small. After I pumped up the kite is so light. In about 12mph winds I was able to go out on my 137 Armada, which was very surprising to me. The first thing I noticed while flying the kite was how fast it turns. I would say it turned about as fast as my 11.5 Kahoona, this allows you to build up the apparent wind and then Park the kite and ride.
I rode this back to back with my Kahoona 13.5 and a Spleene door and I would definitely recommend the 15 or even 17m Taboo for anyone trying to get more time on the water when the winds dies down.
Richard
Karol Taboo 9sqm review-
While on domo a 9m2 SLe taboo from best in great flat conditions it's the perfect jumping machine, Huge lift and hangtime along with the great design makes it the perfect SLE for me. Fast and versatile.
Relaunch is not that hard when compared to other kites like my other kahoona v2 (7.5m2)
Awesome depower, I was confident that I would not die due to the big depower, I like that !
Anthony Z Taboo 12sqm review-
The Taboo is a game changer simply put. This year I was looking to find something new that's going to help me progress faster in wake style and surf. Pumping up the 12m Taboo I was amazed by how strong this kite was built. The Kevlar Elbows and Airframe combined with a Reinforced Trailing Edge give this kite the ability to take beating after beating.
On the water this kite preformed like no other. Kite loops are a breeze the Taboo feels like it has the speed of a 9m. And when the gusts were reaching the limits of what I could be out in the Taboo stayed rock solid! When it got light losing power was never a problem, the Taboo can turn so fast and generate so much power that you can still get upwind while working the kite. And when i went down Re-launch was simple and quick, the Taboo re-launched as fast as I could reach up and pull a back line.
The Taboo out performs any other kite I've ridden and is the kite I've been looking for. After the session I had I can wait to get one. Thanks Best Kiteboarding!
Anthony Zarnick
Detroit, Michigan
keegoaz@yahoo.com
Dennis Taboo 7sqm review-
kite tested flat water paros 25knots to 35 knots 1 week and in waves 1m waves north wind 26knots israel rishon beach 1 day-- rare conditions for isreal
bar: Small compact bar smooth on hands color coded built in swivel to unwind too many down loops .the quick release punch out system perfect.and to finish off has elastic bands on ends to keep lines in place after winding up lines probably the best bar in the market to day has all the features.
kite itself Beautiful color black and purple -a lot of dacron in the frame and i mean a lot!!! leading edge looks bomb proof super stiching infact the whole kite looks bomb proof one of the best built small kites if not the best i have used. bridle small no pulleys so no mess minimal hassle here.back lines 2 placement areas i only use ist as i like fastttttt!!! and oboy is this kite fast one pump system with isolation of struts so you can leave kite half pumped up and put it in its simple kite bag. the kite bag is simle and light loved it.
kite on flat water: Has huge boost for its size and offers very soft landings i go for old school stuff so dont go unhooked so cant comment on unhooked. when in air bar pressure enough so you know and feel where the kite is great feed back.
on the wave i surf only strapless : quick to down loop and light to response kite seems to follow and wait for you gives you time to enjoy and surf the wave and suddenly when you need power you find it waiting for your command - its incredible definetly my ist choice for wave kite but then again most 7m kites will work good in waves as small kites do.
To sum it up if the 7m taboo is this good i am going to take the 5.5 as well with out even testing it.
enjoy kiteing
Dennis
Hagen Taboo 15sqm review-
Well after a long time of flying my Waroo 11m which I loved. It was time to replace it with a new kite. With so many new kites on the market it was very hard to make a decission. Know the Best brand for quite some years now I felt comfortable with the new Taboo kites. As I live on a small Caribbean island in the Dutch Caribbean it is very hard to get to try new kites. So research is needed and a lot of reading from reviews of other riders is very important.
I finaly made my choice on the Taboo 15m as our wind conditions fall in the range pracekt for this kite. My prefered discipline is course racing and this kite was created just for this in mind.
When the package arrived, I could not wait to open it up and check out the new kite. It certainly looked like it had been very well fabricated and stiched to a very high level of quiality. Unraveling the kite on the beach and feeling the crisp material you could not help but get excited about flying this kite. With a one pump system incorporated into the kite it was real nice to pump this baby up for the first time. The center strut is slightly smaller in diameter than the other four struts which helps with reducing the weight of the kite but still maintains the over all shape once it is in the air. Using the simple clips to shut the air to the struts, this Taboo is ready to launch. BR>
It has three knotts on the trailing edge which will help in either light wind conditions of stranger wind conditions. I opted to put the lines on t he center knotts as the wind was running at 15 - 16 knots at the time.
The lines are standard 20m lines with the option to add 3m extentions which I did. The bar feels nice and comfortable and the very nice design on the de-power system makes this a safe kite especially when the wind will pick up.
Launching this kite for the first time felt so nice and easy. The kite came to life and felt easy to handle. The lines were perfect in lenght and moving the Taboo left to right on the beach, it was easy to tell that this kite would move quickly if it had to without giving you the 'over pwered' feeling.
Grabbing my North Race board I took to the water and sent it for the first time. With very little difficulty it lifted me out of the water and I was soon reaching my plaining speed. I did not feel that I was using such a large kite as I used to ride large kites before, and with every little gust of wind you would be pulled forward. The Taboo 15m did not give me that feeling at all, infact to the contray, I felt I had complete control of the this kite and could pull back on the bar and feel the power it was generating.
I made two 30 minute runs of about 20 km on each run. My collegue joined me on one of the runs. His prefered kite is a Flysurfer and we both had the same size kite. To his amazement we were running neck and neck reaching a top speed of 60 kms/h on the water. I was very impressed with the run as I used to always lag behind him. So now it will come to wind conditions and experience, race board and sheer guts to see the out come of our long distance racing around Klein Bonaire.
Thank you Best Kiteboarding for designing such a beautiful kite whic i recommned to anyone whoc wants to be driven by the wind.
Hagen
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Morne Taboo 8sqm review-
I have been flying Best kites for almost 4 years now, always Waroo and then more recently the Bularoo. I loved the latter so much that I sold my Waroos! But then came the Taboo and in a nutshell you can now stop making kites!
After trying it out for about two hours I just could not fly my Bularoo anymore, I had to have that Taboo. I live in Cape Town where we have strong South Easters and sometimes very gusty winds. I was flying 9sqm kites but then moved down to a 7, much more fun and great for loops. I decided to get a 8sqm Taboo because I find the kite is a little bit heavier because of the stronger material which is fantastic because I can't see my kite getting a tear now. The 8 is a fantastic in between kite, not to small not to big.
One of the first things I picked up with the Taboo is how well it handles the gusty winds, it really is like moving from a 64 VW Beatle to a brand new C-class Mercedes, it is as smooth as silk, really astonishing. The stability of this kite, right from the first second I knew exactly where this kite was in the air, it's a very quick kite with the longer bar but extremely stable, very easy to correct if you make a mistake. Looping this kite is so easy, once it comes through the bottom it just picks you up with ease and never ever do you feel out of control, no matter how strong the wind.
It really is a fantastic kite, it's smooth, stable, quick, great for looping and can take a lot of wind. When most people are out on sixes I'm still there with my 8, just move it to the first knot, I think the stability plays a big part in this because I never feel over powered.
All in all, 10 out of 10, well done to the designers this kite is here to stay!
Morne Oosthuizen
Roman 17m Taboo, Winds Tested- 20+ and 8-12mph
Just like my women, I like my kites fast and small. When I saw the 17m Taboo in the sky it seemed a bit "big boned" for my liking and I was reluctant to try it. The fact that it was blowing 20mph also kept me from taking it seriously. That all changed when someone threw it onto my harness! In overpowered conditions it was still smooth with very little bar pressure, it turned as fast as my 13m Waroo and made me feel comfortable the entire time. I know what you're thinking, 20mph anything feels good. You might be right other than the fact that I also had the pleasure of riding the very same kite in 12mph with three different boards.
Race board- Wow this kite fly's at the edge of the window, I felt like I was pointing straight into the wind. Smooth power delivery even in the lulls.
Land Board- On a North South beach and a ENE wind, I had to ride straight at the kite on the downwind run with the kite overhead. It just floated with me never even hinting at back stall or listing to either side.
135x47 Twin Tip- The wind had actually died down a bit and at 180lbs I wasn't sure that it would work. It did! I was going upwind a good 10 degrees more than another experienced rider on a 135 and 21m Flysurfer!
This kite turns so quick that jumps in the smallest of breeze can be done and it still generates pop for tricks. Over all I never believed in anything bigger than a 13m, the Tooth fairy, or fat free yogurt, but the 17m Taboo has changed my mind.
Romann Chavannes
Marvin -Cabarete Taboo 12m
I am an intermediate kiter, so you are not going to get a super technical review here. I got a chance to try a 12m Taboo while in Cabarete in Feb 2011. After flying Flysurfers for the past few years, I felt it was time for me to try inflatables again as I really missed the direct feel. The Taboo is excellent!
I tried many different kites while in Cabarete and the Taboo was my favorite. It was super stable, but yet quick to turn. I couldn't get it to over fly and dive despite my best efforts. On the majority of my falls (trying simple tricks that I'm not competent enough to pull off) the kite would easily fly right up to the zenith and sit there. Of course I had to steer it there a bit, but I could always feel where the kite was which made it easy to do. It seemed to go there naturally. The kite crashed hard on the water once and I was a little worried that it would rip. I was also worried because I was in the surf and thought I might be swimming back after retrieving a ripped kite which got rolled over by a large wave, but there was no ripping and it relaunched very quickly before the next big breaker with little effort. Note this was the day after I tore a Bullaroo in the surf, so it's proven that I'm perfectly capable of destroying kites.
The best performance feature for me was how smooth this kite was. I'm average size and weight and most people were on 10m kites while I was on the 12m. I was out for about 6 hours and when I started the wind was a bit lighter. When it picked up the gusts were easy to handle and you could harness their power without feeling like you would get ripped off the water. While it wasn't a grunty kite and you did have to work it a bit in the lulls, it's smooth feel more than made up for the bit work. The kite went upwind easily and jumped well too! Overall I'm very impressed with the kite and if I don't win one, I'll be buying one.
Happy flying!
Marvin
Fabrice Test Taboo 15, utilisation plutôt Race
Rider : 68kg
Planche: Race Spot-Z, 175/52, twin 130/38
Vents : de 9/10 nds à 18/20 nds
Spot : Breizh 29N ; Porsguen, Tréompan, le dossen
Présentation
Exit le conditionnement sac de " voile " c'est une jolie boîte stylisée indiquant clairement les couleurs et taille du kite. Dedans une housse chaussette en toile de spi contient la " précieuse ". La première idée venant " comment je vais remettre une 15 la 'dans ? " Pas de stress ça passe, il faut juste un peu soigner le rangement et rouler l'aile proprement un plus pour les voyages… Une fois dehors, le kite sur le dos en attente d'un petit coup de pompe ça claque déjà pas mal, finition soignée, one-pump sauf sur la latte central de tenu de l'extra dos, très fine elle se gonfle à l'ancienne avec valve anti retour du coup tourner la valve vers le sol, pour faire descendre la bille avant de retirer l'embout de la pompe. Un autre coup de pompe et hop voilà c'est confirmé…ça claque, finition au top, bord d'attaque fin, soucis du détail même le galon du bord de fuite est aux couleurs Best. Plus de pouli, plus de croisement du bridage SLE à vérifier avant la nav…du simple, facile et toujours les nœuds sur les arrières permettant un max de réglages, incidence et maniabilité.
La barre de contrôle
On retrouve la même barre sur la gamme Taboo la largeur change et c'est tout. Le grip est bon, le diamètre est bien adapté à une prise main franche et confortable. Le système de sécu est facile à saisir, un peu de couleur rouge sur la bague de déclenchement peut être…Les lignes sont livrées avec rallonges. La barre a bien évolué du côté de la sécu et coulisse bien sur le bordé/choqué offrant plus de liberté de mouvement quand on a besoin de recaler le kite.
Décollage…
Toute seule comme une 12' …première session dans un petit 10/12 nds, caler en bord de fenêtre, une oreille juste un peu dans le vent reculer ça bascule et décolle nickel…le kite monte vers le zénith, on a vraiment pas l'impression de piloter une 15, la barre n'est pas lourde, elle tourne très bien et va très loin dans la fenêtre.
Sur l'eau…
On ressent très vite l'orientation Race, la présence est bonne la remonté et la vitesse dans la fenêtre hallucinante, l'aile demande à naviguer pas trop bordé avec la barre assez prêt du corps ne pas hésiter à faire un réglage de la butée mobile et des arrières pour avoir un petit fond de puissance qui stabilise le kite en plage de vent vraiment basse. Au largue la bonne répartition de la puissance entre les avants et arrières permet de caler le kite assez facilement. En utilisation twin tip la portance et surtout sa mobilité dans la fenêtre permet de bon envole ce qui fait également de la Taboo un bon complément passe partout ou d'un quiver deux kites pour un gros gabarit.
Un bon mix'…
Pour conclure les Taboo 2011 en 15 ou 17, semblent être un bon compromis des :
- waroo 2009 en 13 pour sa stabilité et fond de puissance
- nemesis pour sa vitesse, mobilité et finesse des boudins
- un petit air de kahoona pour le redécollage
Sans comparaison par contre pour la qualité de fabrication permettant d'obtenir un kite léger, rigide et tolérant à la fois, les trois qualités d'une aile de light wind.
Fabrice
Rob - UK Taboo 8m
To be fair this will be probably the most biased kite review that you will read for a while, apart from companies own reviews. This is because I already liked the kites before I got one due to some previous testing through my local shop.
Anyway..the Best Taboo 8m was tested at Heacham near Hunstanton last weekend. The wind was slightly off-shore at 25mph with the tide heading out creating some nice flat, knee deep water. I am 12st, ride a 137cm board and I was fully powered on the 8m. Since using the Best Kahoona and now the Best Taboo I can see and feel a real benefit to not having a central strut. The kites turn so quickly and smoothly. The turning speed, helps with flying the kites in less wind (if needed) as you can really work the kite in to the power zone to create the power. The smoothness also makes a big difference on the bar. I think that you get a solid feel to the bar with enough constant pressure to always know where the kites are. This is because the air is allowed to flow through the canopy without any obstructions. As I have said in previous blogs, I have had a Best Kahoona out in wind that a friend had a 14m up and I was only slightly under powered. Another 5mph and I would have been cruising.
The build quality on the Taboo is 2nd to no other kite that I have used or seen over the last 12months, including Slingshots, Cabrinha's, Epic's and Blade's. The canopy feels rip proof and the tail edge reinforcements give it that extra "bomb proof" feel where Best have really beefed up the materials used. One part of the kite that I was a little unsure about was the bridle system. There are no pulley systems on either the front or rear lines and I was not sure how this would feel. However, there was no worries with it. The no pulley system adds to the great feeling on the bar allowing you to feel where the kite is. After unfortunately needing to ditch the kite after a failed back roll from toeside, the kite got covered in the notorious Heacham/Hunstanton clay. The swept wingtip allows for a real quick relaunch though, so the kite would be suitable for most skills and abilities. Although, beginners may want to adjust the speed of turning on the wingtip. Jumping was given a nice feel by great floaty hangtime allowing plenty of time for spotting your landing.
All in all.. a great kite but do not take my word for it, try and get a Best Taboo on demo and I am sure you will be raving about it as well.
Rob
Andreas - Europe Taboo 10m
Hi, I am an inexperienced kite surfer and I only own a 13m WAROO 2009. I haven't tried many kites yet except from a couple of different other brands but still at about the same sizes 15-12m kites. Sometime ago I had the chance to try a 10m Taboo which a friend of mine owns. It was a nice day with about 15knots and just a little gust but it was perfect for my 13m waroo. When I asked my friend to try his new kite he hesitated a bit but since he had owed me a favor he couldn't say no. I have to say that I didn't try anything beyond my skills but I was amazed with its power. I couldn't believe that such a small kite could have almost the same power as mine, had more time in the air (even though I didn't jump sky high I could feel that it took longer to land) and it was able to turn much faster of course. Unfortunately I only rode it for about 15 minutes with only trying a couple of jumps but it was enough to realize that I need a new kite.
I only have one kite because I am windsurfing as well and so far I've been riding my windsurf from 6m sails and smaller and it is a good combination with the kite I am now using. The thing is, that ever since I tried that 10m I am thinking of getting myself a 10m or smaller as well and windsurf only with my 5.4m sail and smaller.
Regards, Andreas
Brynley - Grand Cayman Taboo 17m
Newbie Review of the Taboo 17m
What you won't find in this review is how the taboo 17 made me fly like a bird or travel at something just under the speed of sound. Not because I don't want to but because I am a relative Newb to this whole game. What you will hear is that the Taboo 17 is great fun to fly and even for relative newcomers to kite boarding it is easy to get to grips with. Just got in from my first session with the kite and I can honestly say it was the most fun I've had while kite boarding.
I started kiting a few months ago in January of this year with the help and extreme patience of Jhon, Paul and Sinclair at Kitesurf Cayman. While the windy season was going I bought an 11.5 V2 Kahoona and moved from the safety of lessons to the excitement of going it alone. When the wind is blowing hard in the winter season the 11.5 Kahoona is a perfect kite for a Newbie like me and when I started talking to Jhon about a light wind kite for the summer his immediate reaction was the 17m Taboo. I was initially wary of this advice as I had just removed my training wheels, was quite happily tracking up wind and was beginning to learn how to turn without stopping. All in all I was very new and pretty green. Wasn't the Taboo for advanced riders only?
So there I am today looking up at this massive kite hovering above me while I lay back in the warm blue waters of South Sound here in Cayman and I got wondering what was going to happen when I pushed this huge kite down. Was it going to pull me out of control across the water because it was so high performance or was it going to be a damp squib and leave me sitting there like an unwanted beached whale because I had overestimated how good it really was. The answer, of course, was neither. It turned faster than I was expecting based on the horror stories of large kites you read about on various forums but before I knew it I was up and running and well in control. The wind was blowing between 9 and 17 knots today and although not strong it was the occasional gusts which I was afraid of. How would a big kite deal with the gusts? Again the kite surprised me as I found it both responsive in how it communicated a change in wind speed but also forgiving in the range of latitude in bar pressure and the amount of weight I used on the loop. I have no idea of all the technical terms that would be used by more advanced riders but the kite was comfortable and stable to use without being unresponsive. In fact it was very responsive. When I needed it to move, it did and when I parked it, it just sat there soaking up the wind.
After a bit of experimentation of going downwind and getting away from the boat and the sandbar that we were using today I decided to head back upwind and what a ride it was. It was like taking my Kahoona and adding some kind of high torque jet engine onto it. On this my first outing I was not interested in breaking speed records but trying to find out how far upwind I could push it whilst keeping up a decent speed and the Taboo did not disappoint. I was impressed by the range of power that it had to keep me going when a much smaller kite would have failed. You could tell how much fun I was having by the enormous grin on my face which went from ear to ear.
Being a Newbie I managed to push things too far a few times and the kite ended up in the water. I was nervous about the horror stories you hear about large kites refusing to relaunch. Again the kite surprised me as it came round to the window pretty fast and just sat there waiting to be relaunched which turned out to be effortless.
Another thing I loved was the fact that it seemed a lot more comfortable in the turns than I was expecting and in some ways better than the Kahoona. As an 11.5m kite my Kahoona turns faster than the 17m Taboo but the Taboo was super smooth, predictable and the speed of the turn was not a problem. In fact by the time I had done half a dozen turns on the water I was really appreciating the raw grunt which allowed me to keep my momentum going even when I got the board turn a bit wrong.
By now it was 4.45 and I had been out on the water for over an hour and a half. I had scared a couple of Eagle Rays and myself as I had sped over them just inches below and had achieved my goal of getting comfortable with the kite. The wind was beginning to die down to about 8 or 9 knots and I was having to work harder. It was time to call it a day and here I hit the next problem with having a great light wind kite…… there was no one on the beach to help me land the kite. They had all gone home when the wind went below 12 knots. There's a first time for everything and after attaching the loop to a sturdy pole I easily retrieved the kite. If you are going to self-land your first kite it might as well be a big one!
I can only speak from my very narrow experience but I am super impressed by this kite and it has been getting rave reviews from the different people who have borrowed it and certainly know a lot more about kite boarding than I do. As a new customer I am happy that I have made the right investment in my equipment which will see me using it well into the future. However more than just a good investment I am most happy that this kite is really fun to use. I had a ball yesterday and am really looking forward to the remainder of the light wind season.
Brynley Davies
Stephen - Spain Taboo 8m
I like the idea that a company wants you to try their kites and let everyone know about it. It is even better when they offer you the chance to win one for those words.
Last week two friends and I camped in Tarifa. We were blessed with 3 good days of wind and 1 day of Fukushima wind. Jorge has a new 8m Taboo and it was just perfect for the high winds when we arrived. Sand was blowing up around our knees; we knew it has to be 30 knots.
I will not pretend to you that I was comfortable with the thought of riding a completely new kite in such high winds, even brave riders like to get in comfort zone. Jorge and Poli helped with my launch and I immediately jumped in my straps and rode out through the small waves. The wind was gusty maybe 25-35 knots, I trimmed the depower for most comfortable riding. It is nice to know the depower range can cover such gusts. Riding a small board helps control the power.
Quickly I was happy with the feel of the kite. Light bar pressure is good and I could feel the lift from the canopy even as I made small transitions, a quick flick of the bar would send me skywards. In the lulls I could point the kite downwards, nose towards the kite and race off a broad reach. Even small 8m Taboo accelerates so fast, it could be a great speed kite, very solid in air, forgiving of gusts and fast, fast, fast. It was too easy to get carried away and make a mistake, I do not want this- I have 4 days of holiday left.
Jorge takes the 8m for a ride, he is 15kg heavier than me and comes back smiling, he likes it. 'Jump' I tease him and he rides back out with a face for business. I do not expect the next thing I see- I turn back to see Jorge's board, where Jorge should be. I look up to where I can hear a girl screaming, there is Jorge. He is high, he has no board on his feet. I do not suspect this landing to be easy, he is in shallow water and the 8m is a small kite and Jorge is not a little rider, he is 85kg.
'Vamanos' shouts Jorge, he is 6 metres high. Then he does something that I have not seen him do with his board on his feet, he starts to loop the kite, he is looping it towards the beach. This is not good, he has little insurance. Jorge's new 8m Taboo loops down before Poli and me, it continues away from the beach and then back up into the sky. Jorge follows his looping kite, he has no impact vest, or helmet and does not take the upwards trajectory as his kite.
Jorge hits the water, as his kite reaches 12'O'Clock. He is very lucky not to lose 'his little man' as he hits the water with open legs, he is only wearing a legless wetsuit. He loses control, his kite hits the water as he drags backwards, he drops the bar. A long time later he appears from the water, he is smiling and holding the leash. He does not look damaged. 'Where is my board?' he is OK, stupid, but OK.
The Taboo 8m is a nice little kite, we ride it many hours over the next 3 days. It has high stability and forgives mistakes, even large ones. It can jump high and it will loop very quickly for even someone with no board and a small brain. If I win I would like a 15m. The 15m would be a sensible choice.
Antonin -France Taboo 10m and 12m
Translation:
This year Best have come up with a completely new kite, the Taboo, each size is designed differentyl specifically for the conditions and riding styles it will face.
For example one can see the differences between the shape and build of the 8m and the 10m. The 8m is more compact, tougher, more solid as you would expect for a true high wind kite. The 10m Kite, expected to be used in lighter, intermediate windspeeds is built with a softer approach.
After waiting several weeks for the Taboos to arrive, i could finally test them in the superb spot of jerba in Tunisia. The wind allowed me two days to put them to the test.
The 1st day we had 15 knots avergae wind, I found that the 10m had a familiar feel and I quickly got used to it. Manoeuvrability was perfect, the kite responds quickly and kiteloops easily. Even unhooked the bar presure is light and well balanced. It is an extremely quick kite that turns on its wingtip. it flies like an 8m and delivers power like an 11m kite.
When sending my first few jumps I was suprised at its speed, I had my jumping dialed on this new kite in minutes.
I tried some handlepasses with the kite, pushing some Mobes, it seeemed funny to be landing them with just one hand on the bar, in comfort. The Taboo doesn't go completely slack once you pop, like some kites can, it retains a smooth feel on the bar, there's just enopugh feedback to know where the kite is at all time and alwasy with a light bar feel.
On the 2nd day we had 20-25 knot sof wind and I decide to take the 12m Taboo out to see how it performed at the top of its wind range. I was surprised at how tolernat the kite was of gusts, shrugging them off and swallowing their power without pulling me off balanced or jerking the bar.
The 12m provides an elevator like jumping experience. It jumps high and long. Better than the way it lifts you up is its hangtime and smooth glide, making it easy to throw in a handlepass before you land.
The 12m also performs well in light wind, flying quickly and responding to small bar inputs to generate power by being sined. This makes up for the fact that it isn't a grunty kite- it comfortably flies in as little wind as a normal 13m
Cette année je peux dire que best a encore fait fort en créant un type d'aile (la Taboo) ou le Shape, la fabrication de l'aile diffère suivant les tailles pour que l'aile soit adaptée aux conditions qu'elle va affronter.
Par exemple, on peut voir sur une aile comme la 8m, qu'elle ne sera pas conçu de la même manière que la 10 m car elle n'a pas la même utilisation ,la 8m sera plus particulièrement utilisée pour le vent fort donc elle se doit d'être beaucoup plus solide qu'une 10m qui doit être solide mais aussi légère pour un vent intermédiaire.
Après de longues semaines d'attente j'ai pu enfin essayer la Taboo 10m sur un superbe spot de Djerba en Tunisie, où je suis resté une semaine malheureusement, le vent était au rendez-vous seulement 2 jours.
Le 1er jour : 15 nœuds réguliers, je découvre ma Taboo 10m une aile que j'ai adoptée immédiatement. La maniabilité été parfaite, pas une barre mole ou l'aile tourne quand on lui demande, mais aucune sensation dans la barre ni une barre ou au bout de 10 relance d'aile on a les bras en compote. Non une maniabilité parfait, l'aile extrêmement rapide je dirais qu'elle tourne sur l'oreille. Elle m'a donné l'impression d'avoir une 8m dans les mains mais avec la puissance d'une 11m.
En envoyant mes premiers sauts je me suis même fait surprendre par sa rapidité, mais au bout de quelques minutes ça devient un jeu. Après mes passages de barre sur les mobes je m'amusé à descendre mon aile avec une seule main, pour avoir l'aile à ma hauteur avant de replaquer tellement l'aile était maniable. Mais cette aile ne vous lâche pas après le moment de power mais elle ne continu pas non plus à vous arracher elle à juste cette pression qui sert à se rééquilibrer en l'air et à se poser avec de la vitesse et de la portance aile basse. Le 2ème jour : 20 à25 nœuds je suis sorti en 12m pour voir ce qu'elle donnée dans du vent fort et encore une fois je fus surpris par la tolérance de l'aile dans les rafales, la barre remontée et l'aile avalée littéralement le surplus de vent et elle me faisait gagner en cap sans avoir une position débutant.
Bien toilé, la 12 a un effet ascenseur qui vous fait monter haut dans les sauts aile haute. Mais mieux elle vous fait redescendre en douceur et n'a pas ce gros effet de relâchement juste de quoi passer un handle pass aile haute sans forcer.
La 12m a aussi eu le droit à la rapidité de ses petites sœurs, ce qui aide énormément dans le vent faible en maniant un peu l'aile sans forcer, ce qui compense la faible puissance en plage base de ce type d'aile, et permet rider aussi tôt qu'avec une 13m.
Hans - Holland Taboo 15m
I got a chance to try the Taboo 15 m2 from someone who was at the beach. I'm not that experienced that I can tell about all the little details as hangtime, pull etc. ... I'm more a guy that just feels what the kite is about ... I own Kahoonas V2 (7.5, 9.5 and 11.5) ... and was always advised not to go bigger than 11.5 because of slowness of big kites.
Let me tell you what I felt with the Taboo 15 ... it feels light, it doesn't feel slow, it react fast, I could jump, it was a day where my 11.5 was a bit too small, but the Taboo 15 was fun riding, a lot of people where wasting their day talking at the beach, but I was having fun on the water ... so to review the Taboo 15 in one word, it's a "fun extender".
Greetz.
Hans
Marko -USA Taboo 12 and 15m
Hi,
O.K. I just got back from the incredible Kite Expo in Pismo Beach. I got to ride both the Taboo 12 and the 15. When I took out the 12 the wind spontaneously died, so hard to say much about how it rides, but it felt good in the air, turned fast and had comfortable bar pressure.
I had more luck riding the 15, it was rock solid, with good power and grunt just what I want for a kite that size. I was way upwind of the entire event in a few tacks, it felt good on the down winder back, and the jumping with incredible. I felt that the kite turned just a tab slower than I liked, but when I got back to the beach Trisha noticed and pointed out that I was riding the kite on small bar, so the bigger bar should solve that problem.
All in all very solid kite.
Thanks Marko
Stefano -Italy Taboo 10m
I have been kiteboarding since 2005 and by far this is the BEST kite I have purchased. I owned Waroo's 2006, 2007, 2009, and now the Taboo. I loved the Waroo Pro's hangtime and big air, the Waroo 2009 turning speed, and the Waroo's 2006 simplicity. The Taboo has it all! I have not rode waves too many times, but I rode the Taboo in 30kts wind and 4ft waves. The Taboo is the kite for waves too!
What I love most about the Taboo is the low and high end. The 10m is rideable in EVERY condition. Light wind and big board, strong wind, and still the same, the Taboo 10m is the perfect size. It flies just at the right power window position and it delivers the perfect power in every condition. Unhooked, the Taboo sits where you want it to sit and is stable. Be aware to pump it as the manufacturer suggests, or the kite will stall and fold. Inflated at the right pressure, it will blow your mind and your style.
As a flight test engineer, I have pushed this kite to its limits. Get a Taboo and you will never look back.
Stefano
Gareth - UK
As some folks will already know Im a Best Local Hero, meaning that I get some support from Best, but not free kites. But I'll give you an unbiased review from what Ive found out so far. My skill level is riding for almost 2 years, kite flying for 9 and just started freestyle. On delivery the kite comes in a nifty little box that makes use of the bags carry handle. I can see this being of great use to the local shops that are mailing out stuff to folks so they don't have to worry about boxing it up. All 2011 kites will come in their own box.
First thoughts on the carry bag were that I would give them a try before ordering a rucksack or messenger bag. No massive printing on the bags and each one tagged with the kite size and space to write your details on the tag. On turning over was pleasantly surprised to find a small pocket with a KiteFix Repair Pack. Way better than Ive had from other companies.
The kite itself I went for a 14m and 10m to cover most of the wind ranges Ill be kiting mostly, now saving for the 8m to finish the package off. Out of the bag the kite looks great to me an others have commented they like the colour scheme. No massive amounts of crepe paper, just 2 bits of foam around the main valves.
One pump works great for a 14m and I don't see having similar problems of valves splitting, from another make as the valves protrude very little from the struts. Construction is up their with other top kites, EVA bumpers on the leading edge and no white there either, great for Hunstanton beaches.
First time out I had to do a self launch as I was the first down the beach, which I didn't get quite right (user error) and the kite started to roll back down into the wind window. The Taboo then caught the wind and went straight up with virtually no pull which gave me great confidence in its depower.
Riding it with a 50cm bar in 14-19knts the kite reacted great for me on a first time out. The Taboo turned quickly for a 14m which I loved, as Id previously sold a 15m Havoc due to its slow turning. None of the turning the kite 5 seconds before you need to even with a smaller bar than recommended. Stability was very good and behaved at the zenith without user input. I even tried unhooking on the beach for the first time and while powered up was easy to control and hang onto.
Power from the kite was real smooth and predictable as to where the kite was in the window at all times. Jumping is way different to the Nemesis HP as you feel a smoother transition of lift compared to the rip you off the water. I found this to be alot more forgiving to the small mistakes Im making in attempting all my tricks and jumps.
Relaunch was just as awesome as I found with the 2010 Bularoo, with the kite moving so fast across the top of the water and not needing as much work as the thin LE f the Nemesis requires. Upwind riding Im finding that I can ride upwind alot better with this kite as its always trying to push forward when sitting at the edge. With this I feel I can be much more aggressive with my lean and edging.
I have since used the kite a couple of times more and it gets better each time and the kite does handle better on the 55cm bar, but still more than capable of flying on the 50cm.
For tricks Im finding that I will have to set the stopper down the line a bit which I found a problem with my previous Nemesis in gusty conditions. The Taboo just takes this in its stride and I have yet to feel uncomfortable with were I have set the stopper. The kite has gone straight downwind of me and either landed Leading Edge down, or even tried to half invert on me. But with a couple of pulls on the steering line there was never a problem with recovery and relaunch here.
I lent the kite out for 45 minutes to another local rider who had been interested in changing from another brands 2011 kites. His weight is similar to mine being around 16st (100kg) and they didn't have a bad word to say about the Taboo. "The kite turns nicely for a 14m", "The Taboo jumps great in ligher winds and with practice will boost big". He also couldn't believe the ease of relaunch and power generated as Id taken a wind reading of 14knt straight after they wiped out.
Local rider back in from riding the Taboo after not even unpacking his RPM due to light wind
Back to the bag, its simple, actually does keep all the bits of sand in the bag not your car boot. They seem small for the kite but its easy enough to get in there and helps space saving in the boot.
If anyone is down at Hunstanton or Brancaster and would like to demo the Taboo in 14m or 10m- so you can write your own reviews feel free to approach me on the beach or email cowboy@rodeo-world.com to see when I'll be down as I work shifts. Whatever you ride have fun and stay safe.
Gareth