Cabrinha Kiteboarding: The Road Down Under

The Road Down Under - Cabrinha Kiteboarding

The 2015 Cabrinha FX Kite has definitely made a name for itself in the past few months it has been available. It's the kite that Cabrinha never had, but the industry had always wanted. The FX is the penultimate design for a poppy freestyle experience. Join James Boulding, Liam Whaley, Alec Sheather, Luke Smith, and Dan Sweeny on a journey through Australia's picturesque kiteboarding locales.

The Missing Kite, a Review by MACkite's Nathan Patterson

Ahh, Cabrinha. Here at MACkite, Cabrinha is a very popular brand - and for good reason! Their brand has a reputation for building some of the highest quality kiteboarding equipment, and stand behind it with amazing customer service. Although their lineup included some of the best kites available for nearly every kiteboarder, they had a bit of a "missing kite" - until now. With the introduction of the new 2015 FX, Cabrinha now has all bases covered. The Switchblade is "everyone's" kite, allowing the rider to progress throughout the beginner/intermediate stage quickly and easily, and dabble in a bit of waveriding and freestyle/wakestyle. The Chaos, Drifter, and Velocity are very dedicated platforms that didn't really have much crossover to other riding styles than what they're built for. The missing link? A performance freeride/freestyle option.

The FX fits in a niche that's been filled by nearly every brand at this point. The Naish Pivot, North Dice, Best TS, Airush Varial X, all fall into the same category as the FX. I found myself asking the question that everyone is wondering - is the FX for me? I took a 14 FX to the water this past weekend to sort this out.

We had a 16-17 knot south wind in Muskegon, with flat water. With a suit on, I clock in around 190 lbs. I pumped up a 17 TS, thinking the wind was a bit lighter than the readings, but quickly found that I was on the wrong kite. I pumped up the 2015 FX 14 and found myself on the perfect kite for the conditions. I quickly jammed upwind, riding the 2015 Airush Livewire 140 with boots. It didn't take long for me to decide that I'd have FX's in my quiver this season. I was riding with Pat (one of our instructors, who weighs a whopping 150 lbs.) who was on a 2015 Switchblade 12 and a 2015 Slingshot Asylum with boots as well. The both of us had nearly the same upwind tack and power - even with the 40 pound difference. If you've got a Switchblade 12, go with the FX 14 if you would like the same power. I put the FX through it's paces, tossing a bunch of wakestyle and freestyle at it. I crashed it a lot. The FX relaunched immediately (even behind the pier, where it's a bit difficult to get a kite up at times). I tried to find fault with the FX, and couldn't.

With the new 2015 Cabrinha FX, the kiteboarder that's been riding Switchblades for years and finds themselves looking for something that's worth the upgrade in performance (besides just grabbing the latest iteration of one of the world's best kites) has a clear choice. The FX flies nearly just as easy as the Switchblade in regards to stability and range. The main difference is in the direct and quick turning FX. It flies slightly further forward in the window, loops with power, and behaves well in gusty conditions. If you're looking for that "park the kite, sit back, and hold on" power of the Switchblade, the FX isn't for you - it likes to by flown a bit more. It has less bar pressure than the Switchblade as well, but that can also be adjusted by the back line setting. I preferred it on the B setting, with more bar pressure and steering that requires more input. Most kiters that move toward the FX will enjoy the A setting a bit more, as it turns a bit faster.

There are two main types of riders that should immediately consider an FX; kiters that have been Cabrinha fans for years, and those that haven't found anything in the Cabrinha lineup that they've enjoyed. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, as I was!

Want to pick up an FX for yourself? Visit the product page to learn more!