As a member of OR Crew for the last 3-4 years I think we should get a much better bar than the 2012!!! The CL is too small for unhooking (or hooking back in after the trick) and if you pass the big ring of the safety inside the safety strap (... so that you get a deadleash) the CL gets too bulky! Except that, the plastic part of the CL, under the bar, that sets the CL straight for hooking easily, it tends to wear pretty soon! I would like to see some aluminum part there! The soft bar ends of the previous models are absolutely necessary and really helpful for kiteloops so I want them back, as also for the original OR curved bar with e better center hole that dont let the ropes hurt you! The grip should change, to be softer for many hours kiting, and personally I prefer no “fingers” because I have small hands and I cant hold the bar wherever I want! After that I think OR should consider changing the position of the swivel at the freestyle bar because at kiteloops the ropes crossover one each other at that exact position and they cause inefficient swivel and possible tangling of one of the back lines at the swivel ends and of course rope wearing!!!
Last but most important of all above is the quality of the ropes! I really envy slingshot bars for that reason and is the main reason that make me wanna buy another brands bar to set up my 7m and 10m lovely Raors!
Hope my desires ring some bells to the technical team of OR so that the 2013 bars are a lot better ...and not just a little better than the previous models!
With much love for kitesurfing..John!
Greetings from Greece!
