R&D om nye Best TS 2012 + review

Best Taboo var en stor suksess, oppfølgeren TS er snart ventet til landet, men hva er forskjellen?

TS R&D Team Product Interview

The R&D Team have been at the Tarifa Gathering for the past week, hanging out with customers, finding out what they really think of the 2012 gear and enjoying some wind, waves and partying. We catch up with kite and accessory designers Peter Stiewe and Jordi Modolell and test team rider Rui Meira to ask them a few questions about the replacement for the Taboo, the new TS.

Q: Last year we had the TABOO in the line-up as the freestyle/freeride Open-C/SLE kite, why the name change to TS for this season?
JM: There are 2 reasons for the name change. First the TS has undergone major changes and improvements compared to the original Taboo and second there was another water sport product with a similar name. We would have kept the Taboo name if we could.

Q: What has actually changed on the TS apart from the name?
PS: This is quite a long list but here goes. The center strut on the 15m and 17m is now part of the EZ-Pump system, it's wider in circumference and provides more support to the canopy center for relaunching and gives more lift. All the medium and large size kites have now gone over to a 5 strut layout, this stabilizes the main lift area particularly in the medium sizes which are now much more stable unhooked.

We added one movable tow point into the front bridle to give you more reactive steering and better tip to tip stability. Specific sizes have received varying amounts of adjustment to the kite geometry, the placement of attachment points, LE segmentation, arc shape, chord profile and AOA adjustment. These have all been done to bring greater hooked and unhooked stability, enhanced upwind ability and depower and to give you much more low end ability. All the new TS kites have more 'truck' at the bottom end, they require less flight speed to deliver their pull.

Q: How has the performance of the TS changed from last year?
RM: Just looking at the new TS you might not think a whole lot has changed, until you line them up with last year and realize we've adopted a 5 strut layout for all but the smallest sizes. Once you start looking the changes become more evident; there's a bridle slider in the first section of the LE bridle, we've widened the wingtips and adjusted the COE placement within the canopy. There's a lot of smaller running changes as well. Put these all together and the new TS is much better for unhooking than the Taboo ever was. It doesn't back stall when you unhook for landing new tricks and it's much more predictable when unhooked and chasing a wave. When you are facing down a wave twice as big as you are you'll notice the improvements to the TS pretty quickly.

You will also feel more stability straight from the bar, less flutter in the gusts. This improves your comfort and your control. On the largest sizes adding low-end grunt was the goal; to make them even more usable for riders who don't want o have to use a directional in light winds. If sub 10knots is your thing then the new 17m TS will make you very happy.

JM: I think Rui has summed it up. They are more stable in all sizes, deliver more power and depower and are now amazingly solid when unhooked for either freestyle or waves.

Q: Which sizes have improved the most and how?
RM: The biggest changes come in the medium sizes; fortunately for me these are the ones I use the most here in Portugal. The 12m and 10m are great freestyle kites with solid grunt for improved low end and as I said before the unhooking is great. You have the best of both worlds with the TS, a freestyle kite and all the good things of an open C shape delivers, while also having the benefits of an SLE kite, great depower and amazing stability. Out of all the sizes though I have the choose the 9m TS, for wave riding it's just the perfect size, not too fast in high winds, predictable in gusts and the bar feedback allows me to really connect with any wave, no need to think about the kite it follows my moves instinctively.

PS: We've made most progress in the 7-12m sizes; stability handling and control are improved beyond recognition. I still have a soft spot for the 15m as a light wind kite, the new 15m gives me even more extra days on the water with my directional than before.

Q: Who is the TS made for?
PS: The TS is the kite in our lineup that suits pretty much every riding style, there's a TS size for every rider and every style. It is a real crossover kite that suits newschool/freestyle as well as wave riding. It provides high performance in an balanced way. The kite is direct and fast with good power control. For freestyle it delivers direct bar feel letting you know its position. For wave riding it is fast and reacts quickly to your bar input, add in predictable drift and the TS range appeals to everyone.

The big sizes have incredible handling with great low end ability and surprising upwind performance. They really cover the needs of both light wind riders and racers.

RM: I think the TS is made for people just like me, that ride all types of conditions, who want to travel light with 2 or 3 kites but expect the most out of their kit. If you are wave riding you should now try the new TS especially if you want to unhook you'll find this to be the biggest difference between the Kahoona and TS- the TS loves to be unhooked.

Comparing the TS and GP the differences you will find are in the bar pressure and the depower. So unless you are a core freestyle rider you will love the TS for its added comfort while riding; but don't think it's lacking freestyle ability because of that, it's kite loop ability will simply blow you away.

Q: What other kites are out there in the market like the TS?
PS: The TS would position itself in the less swept and less flat kites, that most people describe as open C. But the TS range is covering sizes from 4m to 17m,the big sizes 15m and 17m are made with light wind kiting in mind. Smaller sizes are developed and tested for new school and waveriding, this has formed the TS to be extremely well balanced and versatile compared to other open C's.

Q: What feedback during the Tarifa Gathering came from riders who owned the Taboo last year?
JM: We had a lot of very positive feedback for the TS. A lot of riders tried the Taboo last year but didn't end up buying one as they wanted more stability, better low end and improved unhooked performance. We had a lot of those riders speak to us last week saying they were blown away by the improvements. For them the 'Ride Optimized Geometry' concept has finally come of age. The TS line-up does everything and does it all to a very high level, it's the perfect crossover kite.

Jump over to our Facebook page to check out reviews of the new TS from riders who attended the Tarifa gathering.
TS review from John A
TS review from Leander Vyvey