Sizes Available: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.5, 15, 17, 19m
High Wind Test Sizes: 5, 7m
Core Says:
Meet the new XR5 and experience the latest iteration in CORE performance, the kind of performance only achieved after a decade of incremental and innovative improvements. We build a power delta bow kite that unleashes pure freeride awesomeness. As a member of the Universal+ series of kites, the XR5 is designed to perform in all conditions and disciplines. Like the gusty conditions typically found on big inland lakes, or fast oceanfront beach breaks. A Universal+ Series kite is also designed to excel in one area, for the XR5, it’s power freeriding, a catch-all that includes huge airtime and hooked-in freestyle mastery.
Visit for more info: www.corekites.com/us/kites/xr5
TKB Says:
The Core XR5 is a well-heeled cruising animal that delivers excellent range and easy upwind ability. The XR5 is one of the few 5-strut kites in our high wind test this year and utilizes a delta-shaped canopy with pulled back wingtips. The XR5 offers three settings on the front bridle with three pulleys (per side) and three settings on the wingtip to adjust between what Core calls a “medium” to “super easy” setting. For kite line connections the XR5 has loops on the front bridle pigtails and knots on the wingtip pigtails. Core uses a proprietary large diameter inflation valve that simply uses the female end of a standard pump hose. Just insert the hose without an attachment and twist to lock. When you are done you take the plastic finger that’s attached by a line near the middle strut and place it inside the valve to open it for deflation. Beware most of the new high volume pumps coming with other brands have a new style female fitting on the hose that is too large to fit Core’s valve, so keep a regular hose on you at all times. The XR5 features light to medium bar pressure with a very predictable middle of the road steering response. The XR5 turns at a nice medium pace and while it doesn’t create a ton of power during the pivot turn, it does offer an incredible amount of range along its throw when it’s moving across the window. The XR5 feels like it flies forward in the window and goes upwind extremely well. In addition to being super stable, it has a sheet and go feel with a ton of depower but also a ton of grunt when you need it. These types of kites with the pulled back wingtips don’t park on the side of the window without constant bar pressure on the upward wingtip, but that’s a small adjustment when shifting to pulled back Delta-shaped designs after riding C-shaped SLEs. In terms of user-friendly and predictable flight with some mind blowing range, the XR5 is highly refined freeride cruiser that can’t be beat.
We tested the XR5 with the Sensor 2S bar which features a dual adjustable length bar (46/52 cm) with 24m length lines. It comes equipped with a spectra sheeting/throw line, replaceable plastic insert, no sliding stopper, non-molded non removable donkey dick, double center-line safety depower, high V, above bar depower custom Clam cleat with a Velcro tuning handle to keep the depower control toggle from tangling and a twisting quick release with auto swivel that doubles as a quick release guard and integrates ceramic bearings for longevity. With knotted center lines and outside loops, the length of sheeting/throw can be adjusted for varying arm lengths of kiters or the type of riding. 
The non-molded foam floats are connected to the bar ends with the tips of the bar being hard. Overall, the diameter of the Core bar is fairly slim and feels good in the hand, while the outside leader lines allow riders to adjust the length of the outside lines for stretch or tuning. The Team praised the bar’s simplicity with medium plush stamped grip and its small but sufficient bar end winders with non-retractable bungees.
Visit for more info on the bar: www.corekites.com/us/bars/sensor-2s
