Advance Offroad

Advance Offroad

This is a review looking back on 18months of hammering the Advance Offroads – it relates to the 2.4m, 3.8m and 5.4m. The characteristics are the same for these sizes. There is also a 7.1m (I’ve not flown it) and a mighty 10m – but that really was an experiment in light wind power, and we should steer clear.

The Offroad is what you may call a freeride kite – like the Ozone Access or FS Rookie2 – but remember this was all happening with the Offroad over two years ago.

Designed to work with handles or depower bar, the Offroad promised a safe, versatile traction engine for exploring backcountry snowkite areas. Its ease of use and lack of lift hinted at the potential of the kite to take the rider places suggested by its name…

Build Quality

This kite was designed by Robert Graham, the legendary paraglider designer that now works for Gin Gliders. This is a man who enjoys meticulous attention to detail. Remember this kite was made back in 04, the canopy is Porcher Marine Fabric – paragliders stake their lives on this stuff – and the leading and trailing edges are trimmed with rigid, shiny, Mylar. The bridles are sleeved in groovy Neon fabric but remain very supple with a superbly streamlined profile. Machinework is faultless – even the holes on the kites internal cell ribs are stitched.

The bar set up is solid and simple. The chicken loop is a webbing type that larksheads onto your spreader bar – it works and requires no donkey stick to keep it in place. The safety sits between this and the bar, and is very easy to reassemble. The Spectra leader ends all have nice stitched ends rather than cheap tied and melted knots. Lines are coated, pre stretched, with stitched sleeves. The bridle pulleys are the same as those used on the new GK Sonic. The wrist leash is a sign of the times and works off the two back lines. The whole package is satisfyingly finished off with the discreet Advance logo stitched in many different places.

In flight – general

The Offroad is very easy to fly. It’s easy to feel the smoothness of flight after only a few seconds, but it will still hold your attention many sessions later when you have become too familiar with it. It has the ‘favourite’ kite quality. Put it where you want it in the window, and control it with the brakes – this is a four line kite. Launching and landing are a doddle.

Rather than a general run down of the pros and cons, I have selected a few sessions from memory that really sum up what owning an Offroad is all about.

Test 1 – Buggy

Various South West Beaches, January 05 (on sand)

Wind speed – usually very smooth 15-20knots

With the depower set up, I learnt more in the buggy over one month than in the rest of my buggy riding put together. The Offroad is great for surface tricks in the buggy, the bar makes it very comfortable in big winds, and the power up option is great for speed runs. Predictable smooth pull and gust absorption perfect for backwards riding, spins, two wheelers and generally shredding. Still my favourite choice for the buggy.

***** for being a smooth, powerful, competent buggy engine

Test 2 – Kitesurfing

CrantockBeach, March 05, (on water)

Wind speed 25knots plus Venturi effect from dunes.

Was very unsure about the wind conditions so used the Offroad for a solo Kitesurfing session in shallow water. Depower bar set up. Got up and riding for a while, kite was easy to turn to get over waves. Upwind ability not great, lack of depower when getting board on made it a bit of a struggle. Crashed the kite once and it actually relaunched (!), more of a novelty factor than a serious option – but didn’t stop me from trying again. Kite pulled very hard on wrist leash when safety pulled after a hell squall took me from the water. Self launch and relaunch very easy, though lack of lift not suited to water. Use LEIs and ARCs for water now, but still waiting for that perfect day to get out on the Offroad again…

** for the sight of a foil above water

*** for going beyond the call of duty and flying while soaked

Test 3 – Landboarding

Blue Ridge Mountains, USA, Jan 06, (on grass – elevation 2500ft)

Wind speed – 0 – 20knots, with severe updrafts and variable direction

The most outrageously gusty spot I have ever flown a kite in, and the second tightest (see Hammet St.). Used the handles to pacify the kite in the swirling eddies – it actually worked. The wind was blowing vertically up the mountain, and felt safe enough with the back lines fully tightened (kite wouldn’t overfly!) to hit a few jumps. Even when double gusted under power, the lift was ‘capped’, and spare trousers not needed. Kite retained its characteristics in the most marginal conditions, was usable enough to go back the next day.

**** for direct control in gusts

**** for delivering forgiving flying characteristic when needed most

Test 4 – Body Surfing

Thailand, Various Islands, Dec 05 (water)

Wind speed – 3-8knots, weak thermals

The missus used these kites on several uninhabited islands in Thailand. With the winds to light for the board, she would set off in boat and find a launch. Using the handles, the kite looked quick to turn and the luff control made sure it never hit the water. If there was enough wind to get the kite to zenith, it would develop enough power for body surf – impressive

for a low aspect number. Staved off insanity on otherwise tedious sea passages.

**** for being so durable and not tearing over coral when so far from a kiteshop

***** for lightwind performance - fantastic

Test 5 – Kite-O-Skate

Hammet Street Ind. Est, USA, Feb 06, (on concrete)

Wind speed – 0-8knots, wind spoiled by close proximity of buildings and trees

First time landboarding on concrete, used the Offroad on handles. Gusts and lulls from the surrounding environment easily absorbed, and lack of lift reduced chance of being pulled from a board with no bindings. Predictable pull fundamental for concrete kiting – the Offroad could be put anywhere in window and allowed for some real exploration of the area, much to delight of workers on industrial estate. Enjoyed several great days concrete kiting.

***** for being a safe, non lifty companion when checking out alien terrain

**** for tight turning radius allowing smooth toeside carves

Conclusion

After18months of hard flying I’ve not found as much as even a stretched line. The kites’ fabric is still crispy and light, no tears, wear, bridle problems, stitching issues…These kites are just the same – the colour hasn’t faded, and they have resisted dirt ingress.

The Offroad is not a high performance upwind lift machine, its an all round versatile good guy, and if it were an animal it would be a big friendly aardvark – we’d all like one but they are quite scarce and we don’t know where to buy them from.

When you fly this kite back to back against a Bullet, Crossfire, Beamer, Blade, Rebel, Radsail, Samurai, Little Devil et al (group test – not just my opinion) you can instantly feel the smoothness of flight and precise positioning around the window. It wont out-lift and out-uwpind ALL of the above, yet if I had to fly a kite for 24hrs straight the Offroad would be it.

Although the bar doesn’t unlock the true potential of the kite, it works brilliantly in smooth winds and lets you get all experimental with unhooked riding. The Offroad obligingly does as it is asked when on handles – making the most of some pretty foul winds, and still manages to look great in the sky thanks to the sublime build quality and design pedigree.

It’s unlikely that many more of these kites will find new owners in today’s busy market place. The Offroad is not a new kite, and is now ‘lost’ among the competition – no longer conforming to the zeitgeist of what we are told we need from a kite.

But if you have a space in your bag for a travelling companion to see you through the best and the worst of times, a kite that responds with grace to whatever challenges you throw at it and still brings a smile to your face, I can’t think of a better place to start looking.

Author : Skyhooked