Testing, Testing, 1...2...3...

Lake Chocorua

I've held off on writing my observations of the Peter Lynn Chargers until I could get a few hours flying time in. Today I put them to work and really got more of a feel for how they handle in a variety of conditions.

We've had the new Chargers for a couple of weeks now and we've had the opportunity to fly them in some pretty mundane conditions with winds blowing 10-15mph and 4" soft snow.  Sure it was some nice flying and good for getting a basic feel for the Chargers but not really conditions that would really bring the Charger's abilities to light.

Until today.

I got to Lake Chocorua about 3:30.  The wind was blowing out of the NW at approximately 15-20mph gusting to 30ish.  The Lake surface was orange peel textured "boiler plate"  and about 6" thick.  This was the first day I'd been out on Chocorua for the season and I was pretty psyched about the surface conditions.  Good and fast but textured so the fact that I hadn't touched my edges since last season shouldn't be too much of an issue.

The wind conditions were prime for testing out the 10m Charger.  So far the 10m has been my favorite.  This kite turns so fast and has such a huge power range that I can fly it when Mike's 12m Syn is pulling him at a moderate pace at best.  It out turns any Arc (Peter Lynn design) that I've ever flown even the Scorpion and the Synergy.  Pepijn (the kite designer at Peter Lynn) said that it was a considerable jump in performance from the Syns to the Chargers.

He was right.

Lets take a step back to a few days back when I took the 15m out for my first ride on the Charger.  Umbagog, light winds, 4" soft snow.  My initial impression is this....The Charger has MUCH better low end than previous Arcs.  Low end has always been an issue with the Arcs but Pepijn seems to have worked that out at some level.  The 15m pulls better than  the 19 V2 in light winds. I always thought the V2 had the best low end of all the Arcs except maybe the 16m Scorpion. Turning rate is equivalent (on the long bar) to a size down in the Syn and 2 sizes at least in the Venoms.  In other words the 15m Charger turns like a 12m Syn or a 10m V2.    To add a little more excitement the Charger has an un-godly amount of lift.  I'm working on perfecting my jumping skills because these kites will send you if you're not careful.

The Charger is a fast kite.  I mean fast turning and across the window.  She sits just  a little forward of the center and justs likes to accelerate there.  I'm not sure which, either the 10m or 12m, but one is going to help me beat my PB and maybe even bag 80mph. 

Back to today. 

I launched the 10m in about 15mph and shot out to the center of the lake. Just past the sandbar the wind kicked up to about 25-30 and the 10m really let it's true self show.  Let me say at this point I usually like a long bar regardless of the size kite.  The 10m definately warrants using the smaller bar.  It's so damn fast it can get you out of some amzing situations but it gets you into trouble just as fast.  The short bar would limit that a bit.

First run out I hit 58.2mph before I ran out of room. After that the wind was pretty stable for about 20 minutes and I never broke 55mph.  Lots of low 50's but that was it then the winds crapped out.  I limped the 10m back by sining and switched to the 15m.  The wind was starting to pick up and I was wishing I had the 12m but the 15 or 19m were my only options at the time so I went with the 15m.

I went back out and about 10 minutes into it the wind went nuts. It would die then spool up to 25+.  One second you're working to keep the kite in the air and next second you're trying to keep from getting dragged onto the highway.

Perfect testing conditions.  I'd bring the wing around and trim it out.  The new trim is unbelievable.  So much depower I couldn't believe it.  I tried the depower before at Umbagog but there wasn't enough wind to really reap the benefits.  I had that kite trimmed and heading upwind about 15deg. of dead straight.  I've never seen anything like it.  My ice shavings were flying almost directly behind me as I headed up the lake.  The trimming barely affected the steering and if you felt it start to get unstable you could just pull the bar in a little bit and it felt awesome.

I'm confident that I can ride the Charger in about the broadest wind range of any kite I've ever been on.  I'm not worried at all about being over powered on it in changing wind conditions. She has the power range to get me back in one piece as long as I commit. You just have to keep in mind that there is A LOT of trim on this wing.

She handles gusts just as you'd expect from a Peter Lynn.  Maybe not as well as the Syn or V2 but it's hard to tell when you're on Chocorua.  That lake has some of the meanest, punchy, dirty winds you'll ever want to ride in.  Ask anyone who was out there on New Year's Day last season and expirienced the carnage.  If you can get good at flying Choco you can fly in anything.

So far the kite has been incredible.  Rumor was that the Charger turned like an LEI and from what I've seen it's damn close if it isn't there already.  I'm leary of the lift and the extra power they have after just getting used to the Syns. I haven't even had the 19m out yet.  I'm so impressed with the low end of the otheres I'm a little nervous especially on clean ice with spent edges.  I'm sure it will all come together.

I'll write more later when I have more to report.  I know this one is a little spotty but I'm still working it out in my head a little bit here.  I want to cover the new Navigator control bar next and  my new spreader bar which after the first ride I'm convinced it's the best spreader for skiers ever.  Kicks the hell out of the Dakines.  More on it later.

I gotta give you a reason to come back!

If you want to check the specs on the Charger line click on the Charger at the right of the screen.