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

Core Says:

Choosing between hollow waves with endless shoulders or an adrenaline-fueled freestyle session off super-smooth kickers is tough. New adventures and challenges are often a classic either/or question. A game of uncertainty with unpredictable conditions. But one kite is guaranteed to deliver. The CORE Nexus 2. Be prepared, no matter what the next session brings.

The secret behind the Nexus’ versatility is its highly refined three strut Future-C shape. It combines the proven surf profile of the Section with the progressive sportiness of the GTS. It loves to turn and drift down-the-line with intuitive control.

So, pack your Nexus and go on an adventure. Lean back, relax and indulge in the beauty that Mother Nature has in store for you. And be captivated by the many sides of the Nexus 2!

Visit for more info: www.corekites.com/us/kites/nexus-2

TKB Says:

The Nexus 2 is back as the second iteration of Core’s freeride kite that covers multiple disciplines of all-around carve and jump freeride with crossover potential into surf riding and foilboarding. For 2021, the Nexus 2 received upgraded strut material to a lighter Dacron for overall weight savings, a shorter front bridle and a larger wingtip surface area for slightly different yet more responsive steering and bar feel. The largest-sized kites have been modified with the ExoTex Light Dacron fabric in the leading edge as well as the struts.

The Nexus 2 is a 3-strut platform with a C-shape arc and sweptback wingtips that features a medium-sized diameter leading edge with a small amount of Dacron along the wingtips. The trailing edge uses double ripstop canopy material with a single hard batten on each wingtip and foam battens to keep the trailing edge stable during depower. The Nexus 2 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 worth noting that some pump hoses such as the stock North hose or aftermarket pumps like WMFG have a female fitting that is 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 the 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 Nexus 2 features a triple setting front bridle that uses two pulleys and a slider to adjust its angle of attack. Core calls these settings CIT points which allow you to choose between Wave, All Around and Freestyle, by moving the bridle’s balance point from forward to back. The kite’s trailing edge wingtip features three attachment points, going from Medium, to Easy, to Super Easy towards the wingtip, with the stock position in the Easy position. The front bridle ends in larks head loops and the wingtip attachment points end in knots.

The Nexus 2 is one of those do-it-all kites that offers a nice smooth progressive bar feel with medium bar pressure that gives you really good tactile feedback with a comfortable amount of pressure that keeps your arms happy even during the longest sessions. The action on the bar throw feels smooth and intuitive, offering a little more power delivery when the bar is sheeted in for some extra punchy lift that makes the Nexus stand out for fun jumping. While the power is smooth, it’s not quite as sheet-and-go as the XR series, but for those that expect to fly their kite for power there is a tremendous reward in the power delivery with smooth power generation through turns and plenty of punch when you send it. The Nexus’s steering response feels incredibly crisp and reactive which makes for inspiring precision positioning control during jumps and placement in the waves. The Nexus 2 has a little wider turning radius which seems to really help with power generation during big sends and likes to be flown a little more actively down the line in the waves. The Nexus offers really good power control with impressive pulses of lift when you want it, but also easily-accessible depower at the end of the stroke that makes it quite user-friendly for general freeride and surfing. The Nexus 2 doesn’t offer the same freestyle yank and slack you get from the GTS or the drift and power of the Section for wave riding, yet we found ourselves gravitating towards riding the Nexus in waves– we still wholeheartedly endorse this kite in the freeride category for those that want the perfect balance between user-friendly fun and performance for the generalist that wants to do a little bit of everything.

2021 is a big year for the Core bar line with the addition of the Sensor 3 Pro and Sensor 3+ bars, which feature some fairly large changes to the bar’s chassis and safety system. The Core control bars have always been known for their light weight, clean feature-rich design, and above all else, their unique rotator style quick release that required the rider to rotate the quick release rather than push away, in order to trigger the safety system. While the advantages of rotation have been discussed in infinitum, the ease of resetting the bar with a click-in system is clearly a big selling point, along with a standardized motion for triggering safety across the industry.

We focused our attention on the Sensor 3Pro with its carbon fiber construction and Tectanium Vario lines and the Standard Loop (you can swap that out for a metal slider version and larger freestyle unhook loop). The boldest of the many changes, Core’s new quick release features a minimal shape with molded grooves that do a great job of guarding against accidental triggers but allow you to get a good grip on the trigger when needed. The QR features the new click-in style reset where you just need to insert the end of the loop back into the QR body and it clicks itself close. It’s a very clean design and the key on the end of the QR loop is really easy to find its way back to its target with a very obvious audible click that gives you good confirmation that you are back in business. The power tuning system uses a Cam cleat and a toggle with a bungee built into the tuning line as well as Velcro to keep the toggle in place during riding. The tuning system is both clean and simple as well as very smooth and easy to operate. The above the QR handle swivel has an excellent smooth motion that also acts as a quick release guard and transitions into the double PVC coated throw lines that travel through the bar with a single centerline safety depower that’s routed up one of the lines. The PVC throw lines feature a fairly thin diameter which we noted translated into remarkably smooth movement of the bar during riding; the bar additionally auto untwists your center lines after you do spins. The bar’s center insert has a logo that tells you when you’re holding the bar the right way and on the other side, a red ”˜stop’ sign and a red line that goes all the way across the bar indicates when you’re holding the bar wrong. The bar grip has nice, thin, EVA on it with good texture without bumps or any of the asymmetrical ergonomic shapes. The bar ends got a complete redesign, becoming more streamlined with the bar’s end opening up to adjust the length of the bar by just pressing and rotating a cassette and also creating the crutch needed to wind the lines when you’re done with the bar. The floats are separate from the bar ends and feature hidden bungees for a clean wrap job. Once again, Core has re-imagined their kite bar with some very innovative concepts while keeping the overall product in a nice lightweight, simple and clean layout that is sure to continue to be a cult favorite to riders of all persuasions.

Visit for more info on the bar: www.corekites.com/us/bars/sensor-3-pro


 

Want to view all our 2021 Freeride Gear Reviews in one convenient digital guide? Get the latest product intel on 2021 kites, boards, bars, foils, wings and accessories bundled up in one nice and tidy 178-page digital package HERE. If you’re already a subscriber, log into your account to view our 2021 Freeride Gear Review Guide.