- A Moment for Life -

Ruby

Vida

Kite

A high performance foil kite for racing and airstyle

Minimalistic bridle layout
Morphing aerofoil
Chord Cut Billow (CCB)
ALULA - Simulation Software

Specs

	TEN	FIFTEEN
Flat area (m²)	10	15
Glider weight (kg)	2	2.5
Number of main lines (A/B/C)	3
Cells	51	59
Flat aspect ratio	6.6	6.9
Root chord (m)	1.6	1.9
Flat span (m)	8	10
Wind range foil racing / twintip freestyle (knots)	15 - 32	12 - 22
Wind range foil freeride (knots)	8 - 22	7 - 15
Recommended line lengths - freeride (m)	17 - 18
Recommended line lengths - racing (m)	10 - 12

Info

The wind is an unpredictable traveller. It’s in constant evolution, in constant fluctuation, yet here we are, chasing its perfection. Training our acuity, refining our tools, in the hopes of understanding this transient energy on a deeper level.

The Vida is a product of patience and meticulous attention to detail, capable of redefining your connection to the elements and finding true pleasure.

A glide of meditation, a buttery soothing sensation of pushing the limits of speed. A moment that will stick with you. A moment for life.

– Dorian LeBihan

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Tech

Minimalistic bridle layout

A huge number of structural simulations were performed in order to minimise line consumption and reduce the number of attachment points. As a result, the kite has the simplest bridle line layout of any foil kite for it's class. So the lines do not tangle easily and you will be up and ready in seconds.

Morphing aerofoil

The shape of the kite's aerofoil is designed to change when it is powered or depowered. As a result, the power to depower ratio is exceptional. Powered up, a high-camber aerofoil provides all the lift you need; Depowered, the aerofoil turns into a low-lift, super stable reflex profile, so wyou can have absolute confidence when overpowered, even in the worst conditions.

Chord Cut Billow (CCB)

Chord Cut Billow technology has been developed to improve the form friction, glider stability and overall performance of our kites. Two seams run chord-wise across the top panels of the leading edge to accommodate the panel ballooning that happens when the wing is inflated. Up to five centimetres of excess material is created on the sides of an inflated flat panel bending over a wing profile. Cord Cut Billow technology absorbs the material with a 3D panel resulting in fewer ripples and improved rib profile shape and stability.

ALULA - Simulation Software

The future of kite design depends largely on simulations. Instead of designing and producing prototypes one by one, we can now accurately simulate hundreds of kites using our own unique structural / aero simulation program. In effect we are now able to test virtual prototypes using this program and on our kites we make over 200 virtual prototypes. Analysing these involves over 500 thousand iterations of the structural / aero calculations for each simulation!

Three Piece Diagonals

Our kites are designed with a complex internal structure using 3 sliced diagonal straps. This is done to fine tune the load distribution for the line attachment tabs to the sail, maximizing the chord-wise stiffness to overcome gusts. This also means the cloth is not loaded in the bias, which increases the durability of the kite.

Target

The VIDA is a high-performance kite for racing and airstyle. It has the agility and performance to satisfy the most demanding of riders and seasoned pros. Because of its stability and ease of use, it is also an accessible competition kite for riders just starting to get serious.

The VIDA is built for performance. It is a hybrid 3 / 2 liner with a high aspect ratio and thin lines. It has an incredible power range – the pull when it's fully powered up, compared to depowered, makes it very easy to use for its category. It means riders will feel in total control, and trust in the kite when out racing. You can put it where you want it, and the VIDA will stay on target in broad reach conditions.

Because it has no fibreglass rods, the VIDA is easy to relaunch and also easy to pack.

Foil-freestyle pro Maxime Desjardins loves the great pop and massive hangtime – this kite will make you fly!

Size 15 is available, size 10 will be released soon.

Not IKA registered

Designer Notes

At Airwave we design kites we want to ride. Tom designed the Vida for hydrofoil racing, as none of the existing options were exactly what he was looking for. Tom says:

When I started hydrofoil racing my dream was to push my own limits in the most difficult conditions, but none of the kites on the market quite did the job: the classic 3-liners were easy to handle with good power, but they lacked the depower to withstand strong gusts; the 2-liner kites had the depower, but, because of the fibreglass rods, they did not have enough power to water-start in light winds. They are hard to relaunch, and much harder to handle in general.

My super-computers started running at full capacity with one goal in mind – to get the best of worlds! The power and ease of use of 3-liner kites and the depower of 2-liner kites, without fibreglass rods. I also worked extensively with foil-freestyle professional Maxime Desjardins to test and validate its freestyle capabilities. Its longer lines and shorter brakes, with the great depower and performance really made it also amazing for airstyle!

Riding Level / Style

Material

Internal structure	Porcher Skytex 40g/m² Hard
Top surface	MJTex 32g/m²
Bottom surface	MJTex 32g/m²
Pulleys	Ronstan/Harken P18 pulleys
Top lines	Edelrid Magix Pro 8001U
Middle lines	Edelrid Magix Pro 8001U
Lower lines	Edelrid Magix Pro 8001U