I used to ride a Wipika classic 6,5. And in 1999 a Wipika FreeAir 7,1 Once you had the bridle dialed it was a great kite. I made a pulley bar with a strap and 20mtr lines, but it was much better on just two lines. The bungy effect of two lines is hard to beat. There was only a handful twoline-wacko's: Lou, Elliot, Chris Caltrop, Flash, Mauricio Abreu and myself. And of course Nicolo Porcello LOL!! Later came the Wipika Inferno. The 6 and 9 (8,6 and 12sqm flat) were very good. Naish had the Virus, I rode the 9 (which was 9sqm) The virus was so-so but had a great carbon bar. I took my chit to Cabarete in the early days. Awesome. Edge hard, keep the kite low and depower it by edging like mad. The raileys were all balls-out. "Four line ga*shit" is what Nicolo called the Naish and Cabrinha kites and the new moves bored my eyes out!
Omg Matt what a drama queen! I’ve watched you do ballet on those things and I thought it was the most amazing thing I’d seen. You taught us on the two line setup and it was far superior for learning compared to the four line versions of the day. Even with four lines most kites had very little depower so in a hard gust you had no choice but to let go of the bar. The safety system caught it half way up the lines and you had about a 20% chance of untangling on the water. I recall many, many evenings under the house in the driveway in hatteras with a six pack working to untangle. The two line wiping never did that. You just grabbed the bar and got back on the board. The only downside was what I called the ‘slide of terror’ if you didn’t have time to let go of the bar in a big gust. Zero depower. Those were the days!
Love the retro video. I had the Wipika Freeair 8.5 back in the day. This video did a good job showing how kiting was a bit of a team sport back in the early days. Next time let’s see it in 2 line mode!
I still have my old AIr Blast sitting in my basement. I remember the big decision between learning on the four line AB or the two line Free Air. The AB had a bridle that was supposed to make it so you could reverse launch the kite-usually right through the power zone if it worked at all. Most removed the bridle altogether. I had forgotten about the bar conversion with the pulley. Kiting was quite an adventure back in those days. We were all sort of teaching ourselves and figuring it out as we went. Instructors were few and far between. I took one lesson on a sail boarding trip to OBX (pre Real) and spent the rest of the summer teaching myself. Got pretty good at the walk of shame.
I remember those days and I owned those kites. I learned on Cheney and Wilson Lake in the middle of Kansas and a neutral kite position meant an elevator ride strait up in a gust. Good stuff! lol
Wow thanks for the demonstration 👍 I had only heard about this kite before. Respect for the guys and girls riding it back in the day. Guess most people kiteboarding nowadays wouldn't with a kite like that...
Owned em. Those like me, who also owned em will be very familiar with the term “jellyfish”. Had a flashback of some of the bars we owned. Remember the carbon fiber ones called Longhorn? Awesome bars. Still have one or two in an old RobbyBox of mine
people need to remember that those came from stable-windy conditions and there kites were small. Clearly noone would fly a 12m wipika somewhere with constant luls and gusts. it's really the bow kite which made the sport accessable outside mawi and sylt.
I used to ride a Wipika classic 6,5. And in 1999 a Wipika FreeAir 7,1 Once you had the bridle dialed it was a great kite. I made a pulley bar with a strap and 20mtr lines, but it was much better on just two lines. The bungy effect of two lines is hard to beat. There was only a handful twoline-wacko's: Lou, Elliot, Chris Caltrop, Flash, Mauricio Abreu and myself. And of course Nicolo Porcello LOL!! Later came the Wipika Inferno. The 6 and 9 (8,6 and 12sqm flat) were very good. Naish had the Virus, I rode the 9 (which was 9sqm) The virus was so-so but had a great carbon bar. I took my chit to Cabarete in the early days. Awesome. Edge hard, keep the kite low and depower it by edging like mad. The raileys were all balls-out. "Four line ga*shit" is what Nicolo called the Naish and Cabrinha kites and the new moves bored my eyes out!
Omg Matt what a drama queen! I’ve watched you do ballet on those things and I thought it was the most amazing thing I’d seen. You taught us on the two line setup and it was far superior for learning compared to the four line versions of the day. Even with four lines most kites had very little depower so in a hard gust you had no choice but to let go of the bar. The safety system caught it half way up the lines and you had about a 20% chance of untangling on the water. I recall many, many evenings under the house in the driveway in hatteras with a six pack working to untangle. The two line wiping never did that. You just grabbed the bar and got back on the board. The only downside was what I called the ‘slide of terror’ if you didn’t have time to let go of the bar in a big gust. Zero depower. Those were the days!
Agreed. I’m a total drama queen.😂 I’m going back to two line and 30 mete lines!
Love the retro video. I had the Wipika Freeair 8.5 back in the day. This video did a good job showing how kiting was a bit of a team sport back in the early days. Next time let’s see it in 2 line mode!
I still have my old AIr Blast sitting in my basement. I remember the big decision between learning on the four line AB or the two line Free Air. The AB had a bridle that was supposed to make it so you could reverse launch the kite-usually right through the power zone if it worked at all. Most removed the bridle altogether.
I had forgotten about the bar conversion with the pulley.
Kiting was quite an adventure back in those days. We were all sort of teaching ourselves and figuring it out as we went. Instructors were few and far between. I took one lesson on a sail boarding trip to OBX (pre Real) and spent the rest of the summer teaching myself. Got pretty good at the walk of shame.
Love the vid, I started on a wipika airblast! Death machines compared to modern kites 😂😂😂
Haha nice one Matt! Mega throwback!
I remember those days and I owned those kites. I learned on Cheney and Wilson Lake in the middle of Kansas and a neutral kite position meant an elevator ride strait up in a gust. Good stuff! lol
amazing, please make more of these videos!
Wow thanks for the demonstration 👍 I had only heard about this kite before. Respect for the guys and girls riding it back in the day. Guess most people kiteboarding nowadays wouldn't with a kite like that...
Owned em. Those like me, who also owned em will be very familiar with the term “jellyfish”. Had a flashback of some of the bars we owned. Remember the carbon fiber ones called Longhorn? Awesome bars. Still have one or two in an old RobbyBox of mine
Ohh thats why video from the past kitesurfer looked tense and rigid. Lol
Soo cool to see that thing flying!!! 😂😂 you have some pair of balls 🥜
Are these ball valves? And if so how does one pump it without the air leaving before I can close the valve!
This is so epic!
people need to remember that those came from stable-windy conditions and there kites were small. Clearly noone would fly a 12m wipika somewhere with constant luls and gusts. it's really the bow kite which made the sport accessable outside mawi and sylt.
That thing is super sketchy.
So sketch!