JN Mr. Fantastic Dynamic

Established 20 years ago, JN (standing for Jochum and Nesler, the brand founders) have been quietly producing some very innovative products and often ahead of the market, with graphic design that stands well out from the crowd. The Prima Donna 2 was perhaps the most significant example, where they built a beautifully handling swept wingtip future C shape, before the future C shape or the term hybrid was even a thing, and it had a huge flower on it. Other brands emulated it within months.

Here we are 20 years and many different product lines later and they’ve released a completely revised Mr. Fantastic (F) which comes in a couple of different freeride flavors – a mono strut, in the form of the Mr. Air for lighter wind freeride and foiling, and the test subject in question which is a five-strut Mr. F Dynamic. Both share a similar outline with an elegantly swept leading edge and plenty of span. The leading edge is quite unique, as there’s a gentle concave in the center section which gives the kite improved line tension when depowered. Having played around with this quite a bit, we can confirm even with 20/30cm of depower pulled on, the Mr. F doesn’t flap and still steers well, retaining its bar feeling even at what looks like an impossible angle of attack. It’s a kite that feels permanently well-trimmed, and has a huge sweet spot. Materials utilized are long-used and well-trusted Teijin ripstop in a mixture of three and four core, and Dimension Polyant LL 175 Dacron from Germany. It runs on a mid-V front-line split, four-line bar system.

On launching the kite and viewing from underneath, the kite flies quite far forward and is eager to push upwind. It’s got a huge amount of power potential on sheeting, and particularly once you have a little board speed, the power development on apparent wind is quite remarkable. Its turning ability is extremely quick and pivotal for a five-strut kite made from relatively standard materials. The struts are extremely low diameter, perhaps the smallest we’ve seen, and they are beautifully curved and tailored into the canopy which holds the designed profile elegantly, combined with a short and supportive low-drag bridle.

From an application perspective, we’d say the Mr. F has strong wave and foiling potential in the smaller sizes; it’s a powerful little unit in the 8m for instance with plenty of useful projected area. The wind range is wide, really wide, giving the kite a massive range of comfortable use. Beginners can tone down the steering speed with the wingtip hang points, and because of the concave leading edge there is very little suction to the surface of the water when the kite is downed. Relaunch is super easy even in light wind and there’s some little drain areas to prevent water from sitting behind the canopy. For the hooked-in freerider, and even for freestylers, it’s a dream with light playful handling, easy sheet on lift, and smooth and forgiving power delivery; a super easy kite to jump with floaty hangtime and quick enough steering to heli-loop yourself out of trouble. As soon as you sheet out its eagerness to fly forward is exemplary. When it comes to climbing and recovery from a loop, it’s Mr. Enthusiastic, with great catch ability.

The Mr. F Dynamic will defy your expectations of what a five-strut kite should feel like. Its rapid handling and extreme composure through both aggressive turning and a wide wind range make it a very fun kite to fly. In a mature industry that is perhaps starting to homogenize designs across brands, it’s great to see something a little out of the norm, particularly when it’s so effective in practice, and the Mr. F Dynamic is a testament to what a boutique brand can produce with a strong designer and experienced test team.