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There’s a brand-new concept just come out of Cabrinha HQ – ‘Design Works’, a new program for their highest-performing products using the most exotic materials and construction methods. The Moto X is the first kite to launch in the Design Works series, and we hear all about it from James Boulding who took rider Stijn Mul to Mykonos to shoot these photos.
New product launches are always exciting times for any brand and their customers – polished imagery and video is released of flashy new kites, featuring fresh graphics and shiny materials, being put through their paces by excited team riders frothing on any extra performance gains they can find due to new design philosophies, materials or a combination. Cue the Moto X Design Works kite and Vapor APEX twintip from Cabrinha, two products that have just launched focused at the Big Air sector in kiteboarding. The Moto X Design Works is the latest evolution of the Moto X, a freeride kite that is now front and center of Cabrinha’s freeride offering. Its three-strut platform offers exceptional versatility and ease of use, with agile light steering allowing riders to really maximize their performance no matter their level. This supercharged new Aluula design is the next evolution of the popular Moto, with Cabrinha boasting ‘our biggest ever boosting kite’, thanks in part to the ultra-light, stiff Aluula frame.
But let’s back things up a little and explore the journey and philosophies behind products like these on their way from concept to launch. There are thousands of hours of input from the product development team, designers, riders and commercial side. The Moto X Design Works is the first kite to launch in the ‘Design Works’ series, Cabrinha’s program for their highest-performing products using the most exotic materials and construction methods. With a no-holds-barred approach to materials and development techniques, the team are allowed to explore opportunities which are not achievable within normal development or budget constraints. The developments have a trickle-down effect into the normal in-line products, but in the case of certain projects there is such a large potential for the customers, that full access gets granted to the products that normally are just reserved for the test team.
Having a designer like Pat Goodman, with 25 plus years of kite design experience under his belt and numerous King of the Air winning kites to his name, adds real clout and he was in charge of spearheading the design phase of the new Moto X. Pat was tasked with an initial challenge: to take Cabrinha’s Big Air international team to all new levels, and thus the Design Works kite project started. With a blank canvas ahead, Pat had carte blanche to choose what materials and what design to use, and the first Aluula five-strut kites were created. An early prototype took Stijn Mul to the sky during King of the Air, and since then development has been at a rapid pace in order to bring this product to the market. Pat explains: “The objective in the beginning was to actually make an Aluula version of the Nitro. We built quite a few prototypes and we were finding that the stiffness was so incredible. So we thought maybe we should remove a couple struts and check it out and see how much stability we lose. We found that there was still plenty of structure and support in the canopy going with the three struts because Aluula is so stiff and there’s so much less deformation. This gave us an advantage in the steering from the weight savings because two struts can weigh a lot.”
Numerous iterations and feedback from the test team and key international riders like Stijn Mul (Stino) refined further three-strut designs that had the style of a Moto in the handling. Stino has had a hands-on approach throughout, using various prototypes during Big Air competitions over the 2024 season, and says: “It’s a big boosting machine with incredible light bar pressure. The Aluula frame and seven bridle attachment points make it insanely stable. This is especially useful when riding in overpowered conditions. One thing I love about it though, is just how easy it is to fly. I gave it to Ruben Lenten on a recent trip to Tarifa and he performed his first ever double loop on it within 15 minutes of using it, crazy!”
The ease of use to ride is a key ingredient that will see the “everyday Joe” benefit, especially in the bigger sizes in lighter winds. The 12 has had special attention paid to it, an area sometimes forgotten by some brands when prototype testing often happens in the 9m size and team riders search out 35+ knot conditions. When Big Air and seeking to eke out every inch on jumps is the main objective no matter what the wind is blowing, attention to detail is key in the design of every individual size.
Pat adds: “The kite has amazing steering which is light and fast. It’s also quite wide and flat compared to some of the other kites that are out there in the same genre, so it gives you amazing hangtime and glide. The kite evolved through development into something that is surprisingly easy to fly and it’s not anything that a regular kiter would have to be afraid of. So even if you’re not really a pro level rider, you can hop right on it and feel the difference straight away. It performs really well in a wide range of winds and because it’s fast, you can throw it around and get good jumps in moderate conditions as well. You really notice though, that as the wind picks up, you don’t have to run in to change your kite.”
Fast forward to today and we’ve just seen some of Cabrinha’s Big Air team putting the Moto X Design Works through its paces in Gran Canaria. Stino just looks at home and so comfortable on the setup. His infectious energy is so easy to enjoy and feed from. Ultimately it’s all about having fun and sending jumps is probably the reason 99% of kiteboarders got into the sport. It’s often said the best person on the water is the one having the most fun. It’s an exciting time to be a kiter with such choice of products to get you out on the water and enjoying yourself. So here’s to going big with your buddies and having fun!
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