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Damien Girardin’s legacy of kite development spans back to the formative teenage years of kiting, and the Reedin brand he co-runs with Kevin Langeree has quickly established itself amongst the big players in the industry and is now an instantly recognizable product line.
Like most kite designers over the last 18 months, Damien has had plenty of time on his hands to do some product development and has fine-tuned the Supermodel V2. The key technical updates are in the airframe structure. The leading edge seam placement has been revised, and more internal reinforcement has been added between the segments. Both of these enhance stiffness, allowing the diameter to be lowered. The struts have also been on a diet to gently increase the amount of twist and improve turning response.
These relatively subtle changes aggregate into a dramatic effect to the kite’s performance and make for an instantly more responsive and efficient kite. One of the original Supermodel’s prime attributes was its playful, light handling and this has been retained and improved upon in the V2. It comes out of a turn with a predictable climb and pulse of power, and always seems eager to initiate a turn, even when you’re running downwind with slack lines. This is particularly noticeable in a wave scenario where the kite gains a decent upgrade in its dynamic turning and efficiency. You’ll also notice it creeps upwind more effortlessly, and the bridling has been tweaked for a more uniform feeling throughout the sizes in your quiver. On a slightly tedious, but practical level, for those hanging out on kite staining and sometimes muddy European beaches, there’s now a new colorway in grey which minimizes the amount of white canopy.
It’s an exceptionally balanced, forgiving and performant kite, and is amongst the front-runners industry-wide as a multi-disciplinarian. It seems to thrive in gusty conditions where some kites can feel more sensitive, and if you’re an ambitious rider it’s going to allow you to flourish in realistic conditions. In the top end, for straight up boosting, there’s an enormous amount of height and control available, providing you with plenty of confidence for more technical Big Air maneuvers. This is where that excellent handling becomes all the more important; at the apex of the jump you never feel disoriented. With a hydrofoil in the low end, the agility and power delivery shines again, the eagerness to climb and progressive whip out of the turns making it entertaining and playful, and the level of precision available feathering power on the bar makes it a superb kite to progress with.
What’s also quite obvious due to the enormous logo on the kite is that Reedin are now working in conjunction with surf brand O’Neill, with the kite being available through their distribution channels alongside their normal soft goods. This is also good for convincing your fellow riders you’ve now got a wetsuit sponsor…
As the Reedin brand matures into its second generation of kite, the Supermodel has gained some sensible tweaks to make it even more universal, user-friendly and dynamic. The V2 is far more than a graphical makeover and sits as a perfect kite to span disciplines, exceling in most. It has a balanced, engaging and playful nature, which will suit a broad spectrum of riders. The V2 crisps everything up and turns it into a precision multi-tool.
