Brazilian Brothers Try Big Air on the Harlem Thrive

We've been seeing some exceptional kites coming from brands collaborating with Brainchild, so the Harlem Thrive has got the Brazilian Brothers excited to do a review on it. It excels at freeride, wave and the Brothers' favorite, big air, so they took it out to test its jumping and looping ability, as well as to figure out just who this kite is right for.

What Is the Thrive?

Like other kites made in Brainchild's facilities, the Thrive takes advantage of Proweld technology, which ultrasonically fuses the leading edge panels. This uses less stitching and allows for a reduced leading edge diameter, resulting in a much lighter kite. Brainchild's digital printing also uses less dye, further reducing weight and opening up infinite options for graphics.

The Thrive also has very light bar pressure, no matter how much wind you've got. That's good news for your elbows, and you won't feel as intimidated when learning new tricks. You'll have longer, more productive sessions, meaning you'll progress faster. Even in overpowered conditions, the Thrive remains light and lively.

The Thrive's depower is incredible. When you sheet out, you'll immediately lose power, giving you a lot of control. In overpowered conditions, you can dump power and get a nice edge for a vertical takeoff.

How Is the Thrive for Looping?

The Thrive absolutely shines when it comes to speed. The 6m size is the kite of choice for Lorenzo Casati thanks to its incredibly fast loops. It's the fastest kite the Brazilian Brothers have tried, and yes, you can double loop it.

The Brothers had the 8m and it was a looping machine. In fact, it looped so well that they could even see heavier riders looping with a 10m.

The loops are fast and reliable. You can feel confident that this kite will catch you. And if you crank the bar, the kite has virtually no pull since it's so fast.

If you don't crank the bar all the way and sheet out a bit during the loop, you'll get a nice, explosive loop out of the kite, which can be really fun if you know how to handle that power.

How Does the Thrive Jump?

The Thrive will reward good jumping technique with an explosive vertical lift. However, finding the sweet spot can be challenging due to the kite's speed, so intermediate riders may struggle to achieve the full jumping potential of the kite. But when the stars align when it comes to your pop, you're going to get a really good boost.

Who Is the Thrive For?

This is a high-performance kite. Its speed makes it a great choice for kiteloops, but it does increase the technical level, and the average rider may struggle with that. It's going to be harder to find the sweet spot on jumps, and it's not very forgiving when it comes to steering. If you're doing a backroll and you pull the bar a bit too much in one direction, the kite will react and you won't be able to get dialed in on your rotations, especially on the smaller sizes.

If you're an advanced rider, you're going to love this kite. It's got light bar pressure, fast steering, and a ton of depower for those high-end conditions.

The Brothers are stoked on the Harlem Thrive and all the innovation that Brainchild is bringing to the kiting world. If you haven't tried it, they highly recommend that you give it a shot because it is unlike anything you've flown before.

Shop Kiteboarding Kites

MACkite Subscription Links:

YouTube  |   Instagram  |   Spotify Oddcasts

Contact MACkite Below:

800.622.4655  |   Kiteboarder@MACkite.com  |   LIVE Chat Messenger