SBC Kiteboard Magazine's 2008 Ocean Rodeo Rise Review Words by Shane Thompson, SBC Media (read the online review here)
The clever Venturi technology is yet another innovation from Ocean Rodeo that sets this company apart from the competition.
Size Tested: 8 m2, 10 m2, 12 m2
Style: Four-line SLE / Dealers: 120 / Warranty: 1 year / Price: $1,249; $1,359; $1,439 / What’s New: Venturi panel lets wind through the canopy to stop stalling and back flying
The Rise is Ocean Rodeo’s SLE kite that offers well-rounded, freestyle-oriented performance over its flatter-shaped freeride kite, the One. Easy relaunch and easy flying make the Rise ideal for intermediates and beginners.
Bar setup and safety system
The four-line bar sets up in a 1:1 configuration with no pulleys. The soft EVA grip is contoured and colour coded with a stainless-steel and widened centre hole. Pre-stretched and wound, colour-coded and kook-proof flying lines come standard. The safety leash attaches to a below-the-bar integrated chicken and trim line. This trim and chicken line run through the clam cleat and up to a roller pulley at the frontline V. A non-mechanical stopper-ball system can be positioned to prevent the bar from traveling the super-long length of the trim line. The quick-release trim loop is easy to engage and can be reloaded on the water.
Key kite features
The Rise is packed with OR’s robust build features and industry-leading design technology. Features include single-point inflation system, shorter convertible bridle system for tunable performance, Dacron 3-D framing for durability, and the Venturi system for a more forgiving and efficient kite.
On-water performance
Ocean Rodeo has designed a kite geared toward the freestyle rider, but its tunable performance caters to a range of skill levels and conditions. With two front attachments and two rear on the wingtips, you can access different levels of bar pressure and steering speed. The more sensitive the steering, however, the more likely to cause oversheeting, back flying and stalling. Fortunately, OR designers have come up with a solution to mitigate this common SLE phenomenon. The Venturi panel, made of breathable mesh material, is located toward the canopy’s trailing edge. Air flows through this narrow pane, which reduces turbulence in gusts and hinders back flying by reconnecting the air flow through the kite. Regardless of what features improve this problem, the kite’s performance impresses us. There is fantastic low-end power, good, direct feel and awesome range. Our favourite of the three sizes is the 10 m2, which has as much low end as our old 14 m2 C kites. The 10 m2 has one of the broadest wind ranges on test and the biggest sweet spot for boosting massive air, with plenty of pop and smooth steering for unhooked riding. Beginners will appreciate the easy relaunch. The kite can also be tuned to have more stability and less-sensitive turning, more suited to beginners.
Reality check
The Rise doesn’t fly backward when oversheeted, but in the most sensitive steering mode, it still stalls and requires trim-line tuning when doing powered unhooked manoeuvres.
Bottom line
The Rise is suitable for almost any rider because of its great tunability features. It has loads of usable depower and safety for the beginner and tons of performance to satisfy any new-school rider. The clever Venturi technology is yet another innovation from Ocean Rodeo that sets this company apart from the competition.
