Tkb Review: 2021 Core XLite

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

Core Says:

Say hello to the foiler’s foil kite. Not that kind of foil, but a serious LEI (Leading Edge Inflatable) foil kite that won’t hold you back. The all-new XLITE from our Specialized division is a one strut foil kite that performs exceptionally well with your favorite hydrofoil. Why? Because our development team fused the power of our fantastic Nexus allrounder and the drifting of our unbeatable Section wave kite into a package that’s an honest 20% lighter.

Mass reduction isn’t easy. So, we experimented with new leading edge materials, bridles, and one strut designs. After exhaustive R&D, our designers zeroed in on CoreTex for the canopy and new ExoTex Light for the leading edge. CoreTex adds support and power to the one strut canopy. ExoTex Light brings similar strength as our current ExoTex leading edge dacron yet is more than 10% lighter. We developed thinner, anti-snag bridles that further reduce weight and improve water relaunching. No detail was too small to lightweight. In the end, we hit our 20% mass reduction target.

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

TKB Says:

This year the XLite is back and part of a bigger foil lineup that includes two hydrofoil platforms and two new foil decks. But the truth is that the XLite is more than just the perfect foilboarding kite; it is a super light airframe with great power and feel packed into an impressively lightweight package that travels easy and with its CIT bridle options, it can play ball with just about every kiteboarding discipline.

Inflation Valve: Standard pump hose without adapter
Flying Line Attachments: Center bridle: Larks head / Wingtip bridle: Knot
Centerline Split: Low-V
Front Bridle Options: Three options

Design and Features
The XLite has a medium to slightly higher aspect airframe that features a single center strut and plenty of construction details, like Core’s ExoTex Light Dacron that balance both durability against performance light weight. The front bridle pigtails end in a larks head and the wingtip attachment points end in knots (you get two knots for tuning power). The front bridle is fairly short to reduce tip-snag and uses two pulleys and a slider to adjust the angle of attack and comes with three settings on the leading edge to adjust between ”˜Wave, Allround and Freestyle’ (CIT points) with the stock position in the middle ”˜Allround’ setting. The trailing edge uses a double ripstop construction and features four battens, two on each side of the single strut. Inflation happens through Core’s proprietary valve that requires a normal size pump hose without an attachment on the end to be inserted into the valve and needs to be rotated to lock. With the large size aperture, the kite inflates very quickly and the valve stays closed until you insert the plastic deflate finger at the end of your session.

Impressions
The first thing that hits our minds when we ride the XLite is how responsive the turning is with Core’s relatively narrow Sensor foil bar. Its steering feels incredibly crisp and the steering input is quite direct. Watching inputs transmit into the leading edge, you can see the XLite’s lightweight airframe initiating tight pivotal turns, oftentimes without a ton of bar pressure, making its turning response and speed two of the highlights of this design. The kite’s bar pressure rings in at a very comfortable light to medium feel””it doesn’t put a lot of tension on the front lines, yet the bar feel is very casual with just the right amount of pull to have a direct impulse kind of feel. The XLite drifts incredibly well, its lower weight components helping it float back into the window. You can carve directly at the kite and its float will suck up the lack of line tension. It feels as if the Xlite just wants to hang there while you focus on completing your maneuver. The bar also seems to offer longer throw and a fairly large angle of attack adjustment that allows you to sheet the kite completely out. This is really helpful for maintaining flow/lift in the canopy even in the lightest wind conditions. The battens help control the trailing edge during depowered moments and the canopy feels sufficiently stable enough for all but the most heavy-handed riders that like to ride a size or two overpowered.

The XLite nails dead on the formula for an easy-going foilboarding kite with its user-friendly power delivery and depower, but it does it with such precision that makes it a solid candidate as a crossover into all kinds of riding. If traveling and simplicity are your things, the XLite with its CIT modes can cover jumping and wave riding quite easily with handling that covers most casual riders. Foilboarding is its niche, but when you have a perfectly balanced kite you will find that it is capable of delivering good performance across a broader spectrum of riding styles.

Featured Control Bar
The XLite is often paired with the Sensor 3 Pro control bar, which is offered in three different sizes, the middle being labeled the ‘Foil’ bar. 2021 is a big year for the Sensor line of bars with major revamps of both the bar chassis and the quick release.

The Sensor 3 Pro Foil bar features the same basic chassis design as the Sensor 3/3+ bars, but instead of plastic it uses carbon composite construction to save some weight. The big upgrade is the Tectanium Vario lines with their extra strength and super think low windage efficiency. 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 QR comes with the standard loop, but you can also get a stainless rope slider and a Pro Loop which is larger for unhooking.

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