Kite - Big Air

Welcome to the Kitemana Q&A on Big Air kites. Big Air kites are high-performance kites that are built for one purpose: jump high and far. There are some differences when it comes to steering speed, feedback and lift depending on shape, line length and other factors. We have put together our thoughts and answered the most common questions regarding Big Air kites below. Have a read below and please always feel free to contact us for support. We have English, Dutch and German native speakers in our customer service team, who are experts and happy to help!

What is the best kite for Big Air?
Which features are important in big air kites?
How many struts do big air kites have?
Which big air kite brands does Kitemana stock?
What is the best line length for big air – short lines vs. long lines?
What is the shape of a big air kite?
What is the best kite size for Big Air riding?
Are big air kites suitable for beginners?


At Kitemana we only stock kites from premium kite brands that all perform very well for their intended use. This means that on any kite in our big air kites’ category, you will beat your personal record on your Woo in no time. For quite a while the Woo record holder on the world leader board is Maarten Haeger on his Core XR6 with a whopping 34.8m jump, but also kites like the North Orbit deserve a lot of attention. Straight after the first launch of the North Orbit, Jesse Richman won King of the Air on it and Nick Jacobsen came in second. However, Kevin Langeree is known to always go the highest, first on his Naish Pivot and now on his Reedin Supermodel and the Cabrinha Switchblade has also won the King of the Air before. Therefore, it comes down to your personal preference what is your best kite for Big Air and we will do our best to help you find that kite - just give us a call!

Big Air is all about jumping high and far. Therefore, stronger winds and storms are the preferred playground of big air kiters. All big air kites need to be tough and robust, be stable and handle gusts very well and have a tight profile. This provides you as a rider the necessary control to be able to push your limits. Lift and hangtime are critical features in all big air kites as well. When your take off is perfect, your big air kite will take you upwards like an elevator and when you keep the bar pulled in, your kite won’t let you down anymore – or take you even higher with the next gust!

Many big air kites do have five struts to create a durable, tough and stiff big air kite that is insensitive to gusts. The five struts provide a rigid frame for the canopy with barely any flapping at the trailing edge or bending of the arch of the kite. However, five strut kites tend to be not as responsive as three strut kites. For some riders, a faster and more responsive kite means they can find their perfect take-off easier and therefore go higher or pull more radical kite loops at the peak of their jump.

Kitemana stocks big air kites from all premium brands. You can find out more about each brand following the links below.

Airush: BY INNOVATORS FOR INNOVATORS
Cabrinha: LIVE FREE. RIDE FREE.
Core Kiteboarding: PREMIUM KITES & BOARDS FROM FEHMARN, GERMANY.
Duotone Kiteboarding: TRUE KITEBOARDING.
F-One: ENJOY ALL CONDITIONS, TRY OUT NEW THINGS, OPEN UP YOUR PLAYGROUND
North: FOR THE SEEKERS.
Ozone: INSPIRED BY NATURE · DRIVEN BY THE ELEMENTS
Reedin Kiteboarding: IMAGINE KITEBOARDING #BEYOND
Slingshot: THE ART OF POWER


There is no right answer that applies to every big air kiter! Longer lines in big air kitesurfing, like 24m or 22m lines, will create more lift and a more consistent pull, when traveling afterwards after your take off. When using longer lines, your wind window is larger and your kite is flying higher. This will result in higher jumps. Shorter lines, like 12m, 14m or 18m lines, will provide you with a more direct feel for your kite, a more radical pull, especially if you go for Kiteloops. Shorter lines are definitely for more advanced riders and will result in less high jumps but can be a lot of fun. Our recommendation: give it a try and find your ideal line length!

Most big air kites have a bow shape. This wing profile, jumps very high, provides a lot of hangtime and floaty down loops and makes smooth landings easier. Performing big air is also possible on kite shapes, like Hybrid-C-Kite but this requires a different skill set and most Woo records are set on bow shaped big air kites. For more details on that, you can check our Blog on Kite Design Basics .

The ideal size for your big air session depends on your skill, weight and the wind speed you want to go big in. Choose a size, that you are just able to hold on down and stay in control of. You won´t break your boundaries when being just powered up or slightly underpowered. You need to be lit! However, if you are not on control and wont be able to hold your edge, all that power is worth nothing. Even the professional riders downsize during competitions from a 9m to an 8m kite, when the wind picks up. Smaller kites also travel up faster through the wind window and literally rip you upwards. For most riders a 7m to 9m kite is suitable.

Some big air kites share some features with all-round kites that are suitable for beginners. The four important requirements every beginner kite should always meet are:

Good upwind abilities

Forgiving flight characteristics

High versatility

Easy relaunch
Big air kites offer a lot of performance and overwhelm beginners with their power. Most often, all round freeride kites are more suitable for beginners.