Mar 19, 2012

Race Board: Quad vs Thruster

A couple of years ago everyone was on twin tips, then going to angled fins with some adding little stabilizers making it a quad. Everyone was searching and trying everything just to get the best performance and angle upwind. 




Here we are in 2010 and nothing has changed. The equipment has continued to evolve but some fundamental questions keep coming back. Now it does seem that over the years the big change has been everyone getting boards and fins. A hot topic right now is fin setup. Which is better, a thruster or a quad? Here is the scoop on the thruster. It is incredibly easy to get the board flat and it actually makes you want to ride the opposite rail going upwind. This seems to be the fastest mode these days. It also gives you more control on the downwind.  


I think the big issue with the thruster is nobody has had enough time playing with it and testing different fin configurations. As for the quad it is what is dominating this year hands down. It is powerful, tracks well in the direction you want it to go, holds it angle well and seems to beating all the competition right now. The quad has a little more drag but if you are powered it doesn’t seem to hold you back. 


[from kiteracing.com]