Ralf Groesel Interview (Part 2): Have We Reached the Peak of Kite Perfomance?

The Brazilian Brothers are back for the second part of their interview with Ralf Groesel to pick his brain about kite design. As one of the industry's leading designers, Ralf shares his insights on where the sport is headed and what is currently driving performance.

What's Holding Kites Back: Materials or Design?

According to Ralf, it is both in an equal way. You have to have the knowledge about kite design and the experience to be able to judge new materials. A new material changes the flight characteristics in an intense, extreme way. If you have to understand how design changes affect the materialare; if you can't do that, you will not find the right balance. For example, a hard material needs to have a different structural frame — that's where the design expertise comes into play.

What Has Revolutionized the Rider's Experience?

Looking back at the last decade, new materials have influenced design in a way that has changed it forever. Laminates and Penta TX material, which was first introduced on the Evo SLS, are major milestones.

It does not matter if you are an expert rider, a medium rider, or even a beginner; you are able to feel that there is a difference. The goal is always to improve the ease of use and make kites more accessible. With these new materials, kitesurfing has made a massive step forward in kite design.

Have We Reached a Ceiling in Kite Performance?

From an aerodynamic point of view, there is definitely a point where the ceiling will hit because otherwise, phsyics would need to be bent.

However, Ralf compares kite design to Formula 1. Every year, the track times get faster and faster, not because of one single revolutionary change, but because of the little bits and pieces — the dials and screws you can adjust. It comes down to having more captured knowledge and tweaking things in a more precise way. A change of just 5mm here or there is going to affect the overall performance of the kite.

This performance isn't just about how high you can jump, but how easy it is to jump high. That ease of use helps everyone from intermediate to professional riders push their limits.

A perfect example is the Evo D/LAB. It was never intended to be a big air kite, but team riders realized they could push their limits further because the kite feels easy and not difficult to ride. With good design work, there are still improvements and added value for people to come back in the next few years.

Why Does Wind Density Change How Kites Fly?

The difference between riding in a place like Brazil versus Cape Town comes down to the density of the wind itself. Cape Town has very dense, cold wind. In Brazil, you have a lot of wind, but it is extremely hot and warm, meaning it is not as dense and does not "carry" you the same way. In Cape Town, the wind is more punchy and aggressive.

A kite that is primarily designed in Brazil or Egypt under warm conditions will most probably not work as well for the general market. In warm wind, you try to make the kite very "racy" to get the right feeling. If you take that same racy kite to Cape Town, it will stress you out. It will bring you to your limit extremely fast and can actually be scary. When you are 30 meters up, you start questioning if it was a good idea to be that brave.

In those moments, it is all about kite control and the connectivity between you and the kite through the bar. Because of this, Ralf prefers to design products in cold, dense conditions like Cape Town or the Baltic Sea rather than in warm climates.

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