Kite - Freestyle

Freestyle kites are designed to generate a lot of pop and slack for unhooked tricks. Slack in your lines is crucial, especially when attempting handle passes. Due to the unique C-shape of freestyle kites, they often have less depower than other kites, making them more direct and slightly more aggressive. In comparison to all-around kites, freestyle kites sit deeper in the wind window, making it somewhat more challenging to gain height.

All freestyle kites are based on a C-shaped design. There are hardcore C kites like the Duotone Vegas and the Slingshot Fuel. These 'true' C-shaped kites lack bridles but have a front and backline on the tips. They are often flown with a fifth line and are not suitable for beginners.

There are also hybrid C kites. These hybrid C kites combine features of both C kites and Bow kites. With a bridle, these kites are much more accessible than 'true' C kites. They offer significantly more depower while still allowing for easy practice of freestyle tricks.

Kitesurfing is a blend of various board sports such as wakeboarding, snowboarding, and surfing. Wakestyle is a form of freestyle that closely resembles wakeboarding, both behind a boat and a cable. Many wakestyle tricks with the kite are inspired by wakeboarding. In wakestyle, it's crucial to keep your kite low and achieve an aggressive, high pop. Wakestyle also includes riding obstacles, such as in a wake park.

Freestyle is prominently featured in events like the Freestyle World Cup, the GKA. Freestyle riders go higher and focus more on the number of rotations and handle passes, while wakestyle riders pay more attention to style and body positioning. This distinction means that wakestyle falls under freestyle, but freestyle does not fall under wakestyle.

Some freestyle kites come with a fifth line or can be converted into a five-line kite. This fifth line is attached directly to the middle of the leading edge. The fifth line enhances the kite's wind range and depower, making it easier for the kite to relaunch. Thanks to the fifth line, the kite feels more direct, and you can easily load the kite for more slack during your unhooked tricks. A significant drawback of the fifth line is that it can wrap around your kite, making it difficult to relaunch, or even tearing through the fabric of the kite.