Friends new 2013 8m Razor ..maiden voyage today…Crissy Field 10/10/2012
I was on my 10m Cypher…one of those days were anything from 7m to 12m on the water.
Something the pictures do not capture well is the very shinny finnish and pearlesent white color.

I have to say 2 things..
1; very nice looking Razor
2; I have to admit I’m Jealous..

Though being the owner of a 9.5 Prodigy for months I have only just become the keeper. The weather has been so determined to prevent me becoming the kite land interface that it was only yesterday the connection was made.
I hear over the pond our cousins are spending loads of spondoolies on publicising themselves as the greatest leader of the free world ( If it a free world why do they spend so much)
so is the Razor or the Prodigy the next great leader of the kitting world?
Well one side has a power house quick and agile.  Though in true Republican style will give you a good beating if you upset it.
On the other a gentle responsive and altogether a mellower kite which works with you and caresses your every move.
The Razor is for those who know where they are going and want to get there and do things.
Going big or “dolly dangling” The Razor urges you on the next move .  Power , come on stay with me.
The Prodigy well you will get where you want to be with ease but not stress . If you go up you float Rise style down . Ride a wave the kite just waits for you
it you crash, it takes off. The Prodigy is just so easy.
Which would I vote for.
Impossible I have only flown 1 prodigy
On initial trial
12m Razor for speed and bottom end.  Small Prodigy for ease and slower speed in strong winds.
Crossover point yet to be decided but I can see the 9.5 being my go to kite.

I have a question about FST.  Why not a straight LE section angled a touch more forward from where the last strut ties in to get your front line attachment point where you want it instead of the complexity of a zig zag section?

Thank you Ocean Rodeo !
My new 2013 razors have arrived, Red 10m, Orange 8m.

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Mucho Gracias

Hi Brent,
We actually tried that on some sample Razors and they didn`t perform as well as the zig zag version. The testers all preferred the zz.
  Ross

Yeah, my new 10m Razor just arrived, has anyone received a Fusion bar yet? Any pics/details? Just wondering if any changes were made with the depower line/center hole, a couple of kiters around here are asking.

Pics of the new 2013 Ocean Rodeo freeride kite bar.

Hard or soft plastic…hum….hum…medium plastic ?

No more size adjustable, but most did not use that option apparently.

Also the lines are back to old school material.

Looks like the bungee line keeps are beefier, and the quick release bungee is stronger too.

The bar end horns are bigger and easier to wind up the lines.

The velcro for the oh-shit handles on the steering lines are redesigned so they do not come loose.

There is now a ball on the trim line between the slider and the bar.

Further observations on the new bar, the pulley now is protected by a stretchy neoprean cover makeing it easier to replace the trim line, before it was protected by hard heat shrink plastic. Also the trim line is about 8 inches longer than last year.

1956kiteboarder - 10 November 2012 08:23 PM

Further observations on the new bar, the pulley now is protected by a stretchy neoprean cover makeing it easier to replace the trim line, before it was protected by hard heat shrink plastic. Also the trim line is about 8 inches longer than last year.

i just cut off the black plastic, then you can clean the pulley as well.

Yeah, I just got the new Fusion bar, is there any reason for the new hard plastic ends? I’m just wondering if there’s advantages I did not think of. The lines look stronger, and the middle hole appears to be bigger but I’m not positive.

Any other design details on why things were changed?

ajones - 04 December 2012 05:22 PM

Yeah, I just got the new Fusion bar, is there any reason for the new hard plastic ends? I’m just wondering if there’s advantages I did not think of. The lines look stronger, and the middle hole appears to be bigger but I’m not positive.

Any other design details on why things were changed?

+1
I would like to know it as well

Do not freakout guys, I too was aprehensive when I first looked at the new bars, But after using them in some crazy storms comming through made me realize how much nicer they are to use, with many sutle improvements that ad up to a great kitebar. The longer you look the more changes you will notice.

Yeah I used the new Fusion Bar for the first time yesterday, here’s my pros/cons:

Pros
1. Bar/Grip Contours
2. Lines seem stronger, or at least they don’t tangle as easily.
3. Clean, simple design as usual
4. Bungees are holding the lines on, the curving on the bar ends is more effective holding the lines when packing up.

Cons
1. The stopper ball just gets in the way, I like having the the stopper piece that is typical, that’s pretty much a requirement with the freeride/fusion bars, but I don’t see a lot of added value in the stopper ball.

2. The hard plastic ends I could see smacking someone in the head in a wipeout. Pretty unlikely to happen, but if it does, or if one of the bar ends gets your eye, it’s going to hurt.

3. The middle hole needs a sacrificial piece so that it wears out instead of the depower rope. This makes sense, because once that inside hole gets a tiny scratch or imperfection in it, it’s like a razor on the depower line.