Ozone Enduro

This is one of the kites we have been eagerly waiting to test. Ozone have pitched the Enduro as a kite that does it all. It has three struts on an open C platform with swept wingtips and a medium aspect ratio which means that it looks like it should be pretty much at home in the hands of all styles of riding.

Out of the bag and, as with all Ozone kites, the Enduro just shouts quality. Build is light but solid and well thought out, and you know there is no unnecessary cloth and that reinforcements are only where you need them. It has a front bridle, and three steering and speed adjustment options on the wingtips, so you know you can really fine tune the Enduro to your riding style. We flew the Enduro on the 50cm Contact bar which is also a fantastically engineered bar with a light, comfortable grip, large chicken loop and solid safety system.

On the water and the first thing we noticed about the Enduro was just how grunty it is. It was a pleasant surprise, and that – coupled with medium bar pressure – makes the Enduro feel very well balanced. If you want to adjust that then you can change your wingtip settings to lighten it up, but for us it felt good from the off. Power delivery is smooth and the depower is progressive – Ozone have really been getting this right over the last few years and it’s great to see them maintain a consistency. Boosting and the Enduro has solid performance – not as much lift as the Edge but impressive for an all-round kite – it gives you a decent pull off the water and the float is good.

What really impressed us in the freestyle department was the kite’s ability to give massive amounts of pop unhooked. Even though it’s a true all-rounder, the Enduro really excels in the freestyle department – it flies forward nicely and gives a bit of slack line for passing. In the surf/freeride department, the Enduro has all of the handling characteristics that you need – the smooth and near-complete depower and the drift will put a smile on the face of waveriders and provide plenty of versatility for freeriders. Upwind handling is also exceptionally good and the Enduro carries plenty of speed. Overall we really found it hard to find any fault with the Enduro and once again Ozone have produced a cracking kite which we’re pretty sure will gain a devout following.

IN A SENTENCE: Don’t be fooled, this is not ‘just’ a freeride kite, it’s an impressive freestyle option, great in the surf, and has that distinct ‘Ozone feel’ as well.