Cabrinha One Strut Review

The Contra One Strut is a new kite for 2021. I find it funny that Cabrinha chose the name Contra as this kite feels quite different from the original 3-strut light wind specific Contra kite. The Contra One Strut feels and performs like most one strut kites with the typical Cabrinha bar feel. It's fast, pivotal, and simple.

The one area where I found the Contra One Strut stands out is its stability and high wind performance. I had heard the kite was actually fun and performance-minded in stronger winds and that people were even doing loops with it. Honestly, that seemed a little silly to me so I decided to give it a go myself.

I demoed the 9 in extremely gusty and overpowered conditions. The kite had no more flutter than any other kite on the water and was extremely stable. Typically this style kite gets overpowered very fast, and the Contra will as well, but I will say it performed far better than I expected from previous experience on this style of kite. While I still don't recommend riding lit on it, I do find the Contra One Strut is more performance-minded than expected and gets my approval in this area.

For the foil and light wind surfing, it's as good as it gets with one strut designs. It's fast, not super powerful, and stays in the air when the wind is light. Honestly, it's a simple design so I don't have too much to say. If you are a Cabrinha fan and you want to add a kite for hydrofoiling to your quiver, this is a great pick that will also get you by on a twintip if you want, and will work well in light wind surf situations for lighter riders.

Ryan (Rygo) Goloversic

Many people dream of quitting their job, traveling the world and pursuing their passions. Rygo is one of those people who pulled the trigger. A few years into his career, he decided to change everything and travel as a kiteboarder, freelance videographer & writer. His mission is to share the stoke & help people put the boarding into their kiteboarding. Get outside and kite!

#Instagram

Producer of: Ride with Blake I Sessions I Versus I Destinations I Foil Fridays