A password will be e-mailed to you.

Designer’s Corner: Best Nemesis NXG 2010

Originally Published in the October 2009 Issue of The Kiteboarder Magazine

Designer Profile:
Name: Peter Stiewe
Age: Timeless
Location: Traveling, Europe currently
Job Title: Kite designer
Designing: Coming on 10 years
Kiteboarding: Since the beginning

Product name: Nemesis NXG
Product category: SLE (Delta wingtips)
Sizes available: 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 & 14m
Release date: Sept 09

Is this a new design or a next generation on an existing design?
The 2010 Nemesis is a significant update to the existing design.

best_nemesis

How has the 2010 design changed?
I had taken the Nemesis HP design as far as it would go. I simply couldn’t make it jump higher, ride faster or deliver more power, so we had to look at other ways of improving it. The goals with the NXG was to keep as much of the performance of the HP as possible, but at the same time deliver a new kite with better handling, zero back stall and a much broader usable range when riding unhooked. We had so many requests last year to make the HP handle better unhooked, from strapless surfers, freestyle riders and competitors. People loved the power delivery and handling, they just wanted that with better unhooked performance.

What was your biggest challenge during the prototype phase?
The NXG is a completely different kite to the HP. The HP was pure SLE while the NXG is almost C-kite in shape. Trying to make a C-kite deliver power and stability like the HP was not an easy task; it took a lot of prototypes to transition the HP flying feel to the NXG. C-shapes just handle better unhooked, it’s a basic trait of the shape of the kite. What they don’t do is have the huge depower and that limitless stability feel that SLE kites provide. I think we managed to get the mix right in the end.

If you could choose one standout performance or new construction feature to highlight, what would it be?
It has to be how the NXG handles unhooked. That’s the single biggest difference between this new Nemesis and all previous versions. Because of the way the center of effort is positioned in the canopy in relation to the bridle tow points, it doesn’t matter how far into the depower you are when unhooked, the feel remains the same. It has light bar pressure when unhooked and will fly unhooked happily in any trim state. The strapless guys who tested the NXG in big waves also felt that the turning feel when unhooked remained really consistent, with good turn in speed and little pull over the nose. Nearly all my time on the water is spent on a surfboard so getting the handling feel just right was the highest priority.

How does self launch and self landing work on this kite?
The NXG is pretty much C-kite so for launching; just fold and sand a wingtip and you are good to go. For self-landing, it comes down with very little rotation, so you can safely drop it onto the back line leash using the OSR handles.

What are some of the other key product features and performance characteristics?
We’ve kept Twister Tech on the new Nemesis, so turning is as fast and tight as ever, in fact if anything it exceeds the HP’s handling due to the new LE profile. The LE has completely new barrel seams, which help to make the kite more stable tip to tip by increasing the LE stiffness.

{openx:86112}

What style/level of rider will most enjoy this product and how does this kite differ from the Waroo?
It’s a little more edgy than the old HP. We traded a tiny bit of hang time and upwind ability for a whole bunch of pop and unhooked performance. It will still pull you off the water and lay you out horizontally better than any other kite in the 2010 line up, but if you want the best race kite we make then the Waroo is the kite for you in 2010. The NXG is for aggressive freestyle riders and the unhooked surf crowd.

TESTED: Tony Bolstad, Consumer
I rode the 2010 Nemesis NXG on a gnarly, gusty, super windy day in Hood River. Raw power and C-type grunt hooked to an SLE bridle worked remarkably well in challenging conditions. The Twister Tech that was introduced last year helps the kite respond quickly to rider input but the deeper canopy shape and slightly revised back line bridle provide steadiness and predictability for unhooked tricks. While it may not be quite as floaty as the ’09 when jumping, this kite definitely has more yank off the water and will get you high in a hurry. Kite loops result in superman style layouts and major adrenaline rushes. I wouldn’t recommend this kite for beginners but for the intermediate to advanced rider who is looking for quick handling, tune-ability, and a C-type feel with an SLE’s range, the new Nemesis NXG is your e-ticket ride.

Originally Published in the October 2009 Issue of The Kiteboarder Magazine