Best Roca 2nd Impressions with Rygo

Putting the 17m Best Roca to the test.

• Rider Weight:179lbs
• Wind Speed: 13-15mph
• Board: 144 Cabrinha Custom CBL with RAD Bindings

Wind forecasts can be fickle, to say the least. With this knowledge in hand, it’s rare that I'll go to the beach without a full quiver from our demo fleet stuffed in the back of my Jeep. I pulled up to our local slick and checked the wind forecast one last time. 11 to 13 knots - steady, but light.

The time time had finally come for me to take a crack at the  17 Best Roca. I’ve had one other experience on the 14 Roca a few weeks prior, you can read about that here.

When you've ridden a lot of kites, you begin to test with some expectations. The first few moments on this kite rocked me back on my heels. It was a candid reminder that working at MACkite means it’s important to maintain objectivity. I try to always ask myself, 'Who will is this kite for? Who is this kite not for?'  Before I form any opinions, I prefer to get a few sessions under my belt, especially in varying conditions. Going in, I imagined the Roca to be akin to a Slingshot Turbine or a Cabrinha Contra - heavy bar pressure, unmatched upwind ability, efficient with massive boosting capability.

What I found was a light playful freeride / frestyle machine. 

Much like the previous kites mentioned, the Roca is exceptional at a handful of things. Let's start with the relaunch. If you look at the top photo in this blog, you can see that nice jetty behind me. If you have been riding for a while, you know a jetty like that casts a nice wind shadow. This makes for great flat water sections, but can also make for difficult relaunching. In years past, I've undoubtedly had a few sessions that turned into a cold swim back due to this phenomenon. Granted, that was on older kites or C-kites, but not the case with this Roca. I had no trouble whatsoever! With my newfound confidence in the relaunch, I started attempting more difficult tricks. I'm still impressed with how well this kite unhooks, despite the fact that it's not a freestyle kite. Remember, this is in lightwind conditions on a board with a lot of rocker and boots! The pop was explosive. Upon landing, the kite was beyond stable. I decided to up my style and try a few unhooked down loops, which isn't something I had ever tried on a 17 before. Again, the Roca did not disappoint. The boosting was more or less pull-and-go. Of course, with a little timing, you can improve your height. What I loved about this kite was how predictable, stable, and smooth the boosting was.

In contrast to my Best TS, I will say the TS still takes the lead. Better upwind ability, better boosting, better unhooked capability. So, we return to the inevitable question I must always ask myself. Who is this kite for? Darn near anyone, especially new riders on a budget. The Roca will foster growth for anyone looking to improve their riding in any disciple. Between the easy relaunch, the stability, the smooth boosting and the surprising un-hooked ability, this kite will cover all of your bases. The kicker? This kite comes in at an insanely competitive price point! So, who is this kite not for? High level freestyle riders should look to the TS, as well as riders who have spent an extensive amount of time riding a kite like the Switchblade or Rebel. If that sounds like you and your looking to mix up your game, I would urge you to try a  Best TS, a Cabrinha FX or a North Dice.

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