Bandit 2014 – ALL NEW
Update-Mar2014 the Bandit has once again been crowned king of kites in the global poll of kitesurfing, iksurf poll. Unanimous, both years there has been a poll its been Bandit kites that win the title.Its a well deserved accolade for the finest kite out there. Few bandit riders were surprised as of course we know it’s the best, but its remarkable when taken in context that it is the one kite F-one offer as the solution for all disciplines at the highest level. Unlike every other company that compromise some qualities for some supposed gain, a flawed approach as shown by Bandits beating everyone for the crown. The F-one philosophy translates as why compromise with specific models when actually for freestyle / wave / speed / everything, the core qualities of the kite to perform perfectly in all conditions and feel brilliant and intuitive like an extension of your body is the same ultimate goal. You want upwind, depower, smooth sensation yet acceleration and boost on demand, plus of course direct response and fluid handling no matter where, what or how you ride.
F-ONE BANDIT 2014 from F-ONE KITE on Vimeo.
As Big Bruci says “Best kite ever eh”
To achieve this ultimate success and build such kickass kites, F-one stuck to their guns and kept refining their inventions of DeltaC, dual pulley and the most rigorous and proven testing regime in all of kitesurfing. No other company manages to match the stamina and experience of F-one’s team to this end. Hundreds of prototypes and tuning tests, countless hours on the water from 5 – 50 knots. The singular most tested and most proven design on the global market. Amply re-inforced by winning the kite of the year award. Now F-one could have been forgiven for taking an easy route this year, simply reworking such an incredible kite, and although a cursory glance might give that impression the reality is completely opposite. It is in fact a brand new design in every aspect.Upon completing the B6 F-one then took the risky and radical decision to change everything, to start again from scratch. A new designer (Robert graham), entirely new design file in new software and a new fabric – technoforce by teijin. The theory was that the B6 was like a renovated kite, altered and added to each year, and that to achieve the next big improvement F-one would demolish then build afresh giving the most opportunity for the biggest gains…As it turns out implementing technoforce fabric to an existing design does not deliver anyway. Cloth characteristics are integral to the end result, so it was in the end the only right decision to clean the slate for the new much more rigid and durable cloth. Japanese made Teijin technoforce double ripstop is the most impressive cloth ever used in kitesurf kites. A bold move from the boldest kite company. But yes it has paid dividends.
As Kuba says “Feel sorry for the poor riders not on this kite”
Nobody was demanding a new design because the previous bandits were such cult classics, so it was comfort to see from afar the new Bandit looks deadest similar to the B6 apart from the big, bright and classy diecut F logo. And of course great new graphics. But in the end any perceived similarity in the shape of the kite is just because F-one had already found the best basic platform. 3 struts DeltaC, likewise the dual pulley front (EVO) and direct connect backlines give the lightest most responsive and direct handling of any formation. And the split strut, force frame construction. To fully realize the DeltaC shape advantages 2 front pulleys per side are better than 1 and to fully realize the technoforce cloth construction advantage, new flatseam adhesion with zero warp/stretch was paramount.Also when observing the B7 next to the B6 the wingtip profiling jumps out as a big improvement. Where the B6 was one panel, the B7 gets a lazercut multipanel formation which is amongst the many innovations all contributing to the amazing feel and performance of the Bandit 2014. Attention to detail and fine tuning are F-one strongpoints. There is no more dedicated tester than Raphael Salles the head honcho at F-one. Together with the team they tested for 8 hours a day, months on end to develop this entirely new Bandit. And it shows. Every size is peak performance, power and range in class. So crisp, so clean, so cool. They look and go better. Right down to the machinecore monolith bar, the strongest, most rigid and direct control bar ever made. And the simplest most functional too ! Every detail is as good as it gets.
Watching the team tear it up on the Bandit 2014 it was clear that the Bandit 2014 is phenomenal. Every style, every type of board and every mood, the kites were shown to be indomnitable. From massive surf fluidity, biggest jumps, right through to unbelievable light wind flatwater performance the B7 kites are a revolution. You have to try it to see how far advanced they really are.
We came to the F-one global launch to see the Bandit 2014 kite and measure it up against all others. The concensus amongst all who have tried it is that Bandit 2014 conquers everything.
As F-one says “get on this kite and it will get under your skin, you can’t fight it”
· Biggest windrange, mindboggling speed and upwind, and best feel of any kite.· Durability and and presentation beyond anything else on the market today.
· Focus and commitment to provide the ultimate cross disciplinary kite.
Bandit 2014 – available Australia in only the good stores.
