Tkb Review: 2019 CORE Nexus

Sizes Available: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.5, 15, 17m
Sizes Tested: 8, 9, 11m

Core Says:

Meet the multi-talented Universal+ Series Nexus with fully customizable handling. An athletic kite that is never too cool to learn a new trick. Whether it’s on your favorite surfboard or twintip, the Nexus brings exceptional versatility to wave and freestyle riding.

Our latest design is a product of the phenomenal Section 2, the indomitable GTS and fourteen years of intensive kite development. An allrounder that instantly endeared itself to our wave+ prodigy, Willow and megaloop rockstar, Akkie.

Amazing things happened when we spliced the genes of the GTS4 and Section 2 into the Nexus. Take for example the Nexus’ CIT, the fancy acronym behind the kite’s adjustable handling modes. It lets you finetune the kite’s power and turn radius. Akkie likes his megaloops big and powerful, so he selects the CIT’s freestyle setting whereas Willow prefers the wave mode for tighter loops (on his bottom turns). The wave mode also makes the kite turn faster, increases depower and doesn’t pull you off your strapless board. We can’t forget to mention the CIT’s standard setting. In allround mode, the Nexus pulls a little more, increases hangtime (woohoo!), and turns a little slower. Perfect behaviors for newer kiters, and anyone who prefers a more relaxed riding style.

The all-new Nexus inherits many of CORE’s best innovations including its linear power delivery, three strut frame, and Radical Reaction Tips from the GTS. It also acquired the incredible handling, huge wind range, and Surf Profile from the Section 2.

Visit for more info: www.corekites.com/us/kites/nexus

Our Testers Say:

“Well built kite, turns fast for that ”˜jack of all trades’ feel with adequate pulling power for its size that excels across all.” // Jeff Waldberg

“Easy to fly, fairly quick turning speed, medium bar pressure and very friendly kite even when overpowered. It had good power without a ton of grunt.” // Kristin Vincenzo

“So fun and fast, the bar pressure felt heavier and the boosts very smooth. The loops of this kite were fast and distributed the power evenly and didn’t feel overpowered. Amazing boosts that loft you to the sky with easy landings and the bar feels great in your hands.” // Chris Myles

Meet Our Testers

TKB Says:

The Core Nexus is all new for this year and features a low to medium aspect canopy with three struts and fairly sweptback wingtips with battens on the trailing edge. The Nexus features Core’s proprietary inflation valve that requires a normal size pump hose without an attachment on the end to be inserted into the valve and rotated to lock (it’s worthy to note that some pump hoses such as the stock North hose or aftermarket pumps like WMFG have a female fitting that are too large to fit Core’s valve, so keep a regular hose on you at all times.). With the large size aperture the kite inflates very quickly and a valve stays closed until you screw in the stopper. When it’s time to deflate you pull a 2.5 inch plastic finger (hidden in a pocket of the center strut and attached by a small tether) into the valve to allow the air to deflate. The wingtip features three settings which are labeled as ”˜super easy, easy, medium’ and the front bridle features three settings to adjust between wave, all around, and freestyle. The front bridle pivots on three pulleys and the center lines end in a knot and the outside lines end in loop. We tested this kite on the stock setting at the edge of the wingtip, ”˜super easy’ and the leading edge ”˜all-around’ setting in the middle. The bridle uses two pulleys and a slider to change the angle of attack. One of our main goals was to understand the difference between the Nexus and the GTS5. The concensus was that the Nexus in its stock settings has a little bit more bar pressure than the GTS5,. That said,  our test group agreed that it had very comfortable medium bar pressure. The Nexus features noticeably sweptback wingtips and has a little bit more of a progressive power delivery, with a little bit more of that ”˜sheet and go’ feeling compared to the GTS. Where the GTS5 had a more of a wakestyle pop and slack or load and release kind of feel, the Nexus has a more constant pull type of feel. The turning style was significantly tighter, and very responsive with a little bit heavier bar pressure. The Nexus felt as if the kite was initiating the turn a bit quicker and the turning path was a tighter pivot-style turn. The Nexus feels like a very active kite; for someone that’s a very aggressive kiter, the boost was impressive on this kite as well as the hangtime, making this a really fun kite for someone looking for bigger air/freeride performance. The Nexus felt like it offered a little bit more range than what you would find on the GTS5 and overall,  its water relaunch ability was probably a bit faster as well, mostly due to the sweptback leading edge profile. The Nexus with the front bridle attachment moved forward is also an excellent option for the surf, with its direct steering, pivot style turn and solid depower. Overall this is a really fun kite that the beginner to intermediate+ rider will enjoy if they are looking for a cross between the XR5/Section and the GTS5. With the three bridle settings on the leading edge you can cover a lot of ground from freeride to surf, but the Nexus’s meat and potatoes is all around freeride boosting and cruise riding with some surf sessions thrown in on the side for good measure.

The Sensor 2S is the middle of the Core range of control bars. The 2S is a dual adjustable length bar (46/52 cm) designed to control all size kites with its standard 24m line length with the center lines ending in knots and the outside lines in loops. It comes equipped with a double PU-coated spectra sheeting/throw line, replaceable plastic insert, no sliding stopper and a non-removable donkey dick. The Sensor 2S  features a single center-line safety depower with a high V, above bar depower and a custom clam cleat with a Velcro tuning handle to keep the depower control toggle from tangling.

Core bars have long been known for their twisting quick release with auto swivel ”˜S-System’ that doubles as a quick release guard and integrates ceramic bearings for longevity. As we have said before, it’s an effective system if you practice with it and is less prone to accidental releases. Yet, it is immensely important that riders new to the system should dial in some muscle memory so they’re ready to address any problems in a pinch. 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. While the outside leader lines allow riders to adjust the length of the outside lines for stretch or tuning (by choosing between two knots), the bar ends are easily swapped between 46/52cm by changing to a separate knot on the bar end. The bar’s center insert has a Core logo on one side and a stop logo on the other to prevent you from grabbing the bar backwards. One of the most noticeable aspects of this control bar is that it weighs close to nothing yet you get all these features.  The Team praised the bar’s simplicity with a medium plush stamped grip, commented on its fairly narrow diameter and its small but sufficient bar end winders with non-retractable bungees. It’s an amazingly very feature rich bar designed into a compact and lightweight package.

Visit for more info on the bar: www.corekites.com/us/bars/sensor-2s