Rygo’s Review of the 2016 Best Roca Freeride/Freestyle Kite

First Impressions with the 2016 Best Roca

Rygo's Riding Conditions & Gear

It was a cold 40-degree morning, with the water ranking in at a not so balmy 30 degrees. Not exactly what comes to mind when you think of a quality session. Of course, this is a reality for most of us during the winter months. A quick session before work, in frigid water. Whatever it takes to get it in right?

• Rider weight: 179 lbs.
• Wind Speed: 16-17 mph
• Kiteboard: Cabrinha Custom CBL - 144 cm with Rad Bindings
• Kite: 2016 Best Roca - 14m

Riding Impressions With the Roca

The first thing that struck me was how light the kite felt in my hands. Looping the 14-meter was effortless and consistent. What stood out the most though was the Rocas absolute refusal to Hindenburg or back stall. In case you don't know what Hindenburgring is, imagine out running your kite mid-jump. Upon landing, you find it behind you with no tension in your lines. This almost always results in the kite crashing down. I attempted to Hindenburg a few times only to watch the kite drift back to where it needed to be. With this in mind, I'm curious to try this kite in the surf. I suspect that it will perform well due to its fast turn speed great drift ability. 

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

I have heard this kite is mind-bendingly stable from friends at Best and I found this to be true to my experience. Of course, the wind was light and stable that day. No doubt, I have some more testing to do before I have a solid opinion on that. 

Speaking of testing, what would a session be with unhooking? For being a free ride kite, The Roca was surprisingly fun. It's no TS but it is predictable and consistent. Hooked in boosting felt controlled and stable as well. With the wind being on the lighter side of the spectrum my air time was much bigger than I had expected. This will be a solid and forgiving kite for new riders with aspirations in any discipline.

This is, of course, my first impression and is subject to change but as of now the low end was not what I had anticipated. Take this with a grain of salt as I was using a kiteboard with an aggressive rocker line. In case you don't know, rocker makes riding upwind less efficient. Riding in boots doesn't help the cause either. Regardless, the Roca struck me as a kite that performs better at the top end than the bottom. I am yet to put it to the test in higher winds but I suspect you will be less likely to get pinned on this kite. In regards to the low end, I did witness Jake ride upwind at 16mph. This is significant as he weighs in at 250 lbs.

We both tested the relaunch in the most difficult conditions I know of. We had a wind shadow on the water due to the jetty behind us. On top of that, the spring winds tend to be lighter on the surface here. With all that going against us the relaunch was on point and effortless.

I will check in later after more extensive testing. To sum up, I am still ecstatic about this new contender from Best. As far as freeride kites go this is a solid option at a solid price point. New riders will enjoy a forgiving kite. One that allows for balanced development in all disciplines. While Experienced free riders will enjoy a light playful dependable kite.