What Makes the Air Pro 15m Special?

The biggest difference I notice compared to a conventional big kite is how the Air Pro behaves in the wind window.

Normally, a 15m kite feels like a 15m kite. You get lots of power and a very consistent pull, but you also feel the size of the kite.

The Air Pro is different.

It still gives you that powerful and consistent pull you expect from a big kite, but it turns much faster and moves much further towards the edge of the wind window. This makes it feel significantly smaller and more reactive than its actual size would suggest.

For me, this combination is one of the biggest advantages of the Air Pro 15m.

Extremely Consistent Pull

One of the things I love most about this kite for freestyle is the consistency of the pull.

When you're doing unhooked tricks, you need to be able to predict exactly what the kite is going to do. The Air Pro gives you a very continuous and predictable pull throughout the trick.

At the same time, this doesn't mean that the kite doesn't slack.

It does.

What makes it special is that you can control when it slacks very precisely.

For example, on a Backmobe, I want the kite to lose tension very early. On a Heart Attack or KGB, I want the slack to come later because I still need the kite's pull to help finish or correct my rotation.

The Air Pro gives me the possibility to control this timing while keeping the kite's behavior very predictable.

And that is extremely valuable when you're trying to progress your freestyle.

A Big Kite That Doesn't Feel Big

Big kites are generally easier to use for unhooked freestyle because they provide more consistent power and don't move through the wind window as fast and aggressively as smaller kites.

But the Air Pro takes this a step further.

It travels very far towards the edge of the wind window, which makes it feel much smaller than it actually is.

The first time I experienced this was actually during my transition jumps.

I noticed that I could slow down, ride into the wind and start the transition — and instead of simply jumping upwards, I actually started flying backwards.

It reminded me a little bit of snow kiting.

I believe this is partly due to the very thin leading edge. The diameter of the Air Pro 15m's front tube is roughly comparable to the front tube of my 12m Nexus 4.

This gives the kite a very large performance range across the wind window.

So you get the consistent pull of a 15m kite, but the kite doesn't necessarily feel like a 15m kite.

You can loop it, move it quickly and use it for freestyle without feeling like you're moving a huge kite.

The Importance of the Aluula Construction

Another major difference is the construction.

The Air Pro uses Aluula, which makes it considerably more expensive than an ExoTex version. The material is also more sensitive, so you need to treat the kite accordingly.

But for me, the biggest advantage isn't simply that the kite is lighter or more high-performance.

It's how the construction changes the way the kite reacts to gusts.

The leading edge stays extremely stiff, which allows the kite to respond to changes in the wind much more directly.

This becomes especially noticeable in lighter and gustier conditions.

With a conventional construction, you can see a gust coming across the water. The gust reaches the kite, you feel it, the kite starts accelerating and then you get the power.

The problem is that by the time the kite has transferred that gust into speed and power, the gust can already be disappearing.

The Air Pro behaves differently.

When the gust hits, the kite catches it almost instantly and transfers it directly into speed and power.

You feel it immediately on the bar.

This completely changed how I approach tricks in lighter winds.

Instead of waiting for the gust to reach me, I can see the gust coming across the water and already prepare for my trick.

Then, the moment I feel the power arrive in the kite, I can take off.

That instant connection between what I see on the water and what I feel through the bar is something that makes the Air Pro very efficient.

And this is where the Air Pro becomes especially interesting for freestylers.

Depending on your weight, the 12–20 knot range can be one of the most important wind ranges for freestyle progression.

It's often not strong enough for your smaller kites, but it's still strong enough to do proper unhooked tricks if you have the right setup.

For me, the Air Pro significantly changed this wind range.

It gives you a very large usable range while remaining predictable and reactive.

Who Is the Air Pro 15m For?

In my opinion, the Air Pro isn't only interesting for freestyle riders.

The combination of a large wind range, excellent gust handling, fast reactions and consistent power can be useful for many different disciplines.

But freestyle is where I think its characteristics become particularly interesting.

At first glance, you probably wouldn't expect a kite with this size and shape to be such a good freestyle kite.

That's exactly what surprised me.

It gives you the power and stability of a big kite while still allowing you to position it precisely and react quickly during your tricks.