CORE's best big air kite just got even better! The major improvement with this release are lighter struts, a new canopy material and subtle changes to the wing profile. These have resulted in an 8% lighter, faster looping, higher jumping kite. 4 of our team riders have been in the photoshoot in Cape Town and Mexico with this kite for the past few months so we can tell you first-hand how the XR7 performs.
Major upgrades
CORETEX® 2.0 TRIPLE RIPSTOP CANOPY: Improved durability and UV protection.
EXOTEX® LIGHT STRUTS: Super tough yet lighter than the original.
What we like
The XR7 is 8% lighter than the XR6, making it turn faster and catch faster after kiteloops. Our team riders who have been participating in the photoshoot in Cape Town can attest to this.
This kite makes big air, old school and high-performance big air such as that seen in KOTA more accessible to ordinary riders. For this reason, we've seen this style of kite, and this kite in particular, growing in popularity. You've got everyone from weekend warriors, right up to big air shredders like Janek Grzegorzewski ripping on this kite. Needless to say, the high demand for the XR6 also makes for great resale value!
Kite design
The 5 struts make for a rigid wing, ensuring it maintains an aerodynamic shape even when you're lit. Flatter kites like this are characterized by power on demand (aka sheet in and go), long hangtime, a large wind range and great ease of use. The bridles and pulleys give the kite more possible angles of attack into the wind, which is what gives the kite its high jumping performance, but the trade off of this is less direct steering. This may take some getting used to for C-kite purists, but the rewards are massive once you've got a feel for the kite.
Jump report
We've found the XR7 provides a more vertical take off and even more lift than the XR6. Incredible sheet-in-and go makes reaching big heights a breeze. It's no wonder the top 6 of the top 10 WOO jumps were posted on an XR.
Loop report
We love looping the XR7! The 8% weight savings and faster turning make it catch faster, so we've been able to push the limits even harder on the XR7 9m and 10m. Although you've got to know what you're doing to get the 10m to always catch you, the loops become extremely fun and high-performance from the 9m down. That being said, you can loop any kite if you're high enough. When Janek Grzegorzewski gets lit on his 12m you'll see him throwing massive kiteloop backrolls- something that simply wasn't possible with the kites we were riding 4 years ago. The great thing about looping is the XRs is that it's so much easier to get the height required for a kiteloop than some more technical kites, like the GTS6 or Nexus 2. This makes your jumps more consistent and thus your kiteloops consistently safer.
Unhooking report
As Steven Akkersdijk says, "I'm in love with the 17 and 15 for unhooked. I guess the 13.5 down to 11 can still be quite fun. Smaller than that the feeling on the bar gets hard for wakestyle and so does the pop."
It feels like
Easy. There is quite a lot of bar-pressure, which makes it easy to know where the kite is. It's got quite a lot of grunt, so be prepared to put your back into the harness to keep it down, such as when performing exit loops after slides.
This product is made for
Big air, old-school and freeride. It excels at these disciplines, whilst still being a beginner friendly kite. We don't recommend this kite for foiling or wave-riding.
Quality report
The only flaw we have found with the XR7 is that the pigtails on the kite wear out a bit faster than we would like. To avoid this, we recommend you make sure there is no sand between the knots when securing them.
Weapon of choice for
Janek Grzegorzewski, Giel Vlugt, High Mike, Maarten Haeger, Josh Emanuel
Woo record on this kite
We'll soon find out!
What's included
Kite
Premium backpack
Repair Kit
Manual
Bar and Pump sold separately
Warranty
12 months
