TEST TEAM NOTES:
CHRIS: This kite has a really good range of depower, but the toggles for depowering/powering-up the kite are quite fiddly to grip with your finger ends. Would be difficult to operate on-the-fly in the cold. The depower is within easy reach though, the stopper works very well and releases at a certain pressure for peace of mind.
NEAL: The bar is comfortable and grippy, but it has quite a small attachment for the leash.
CHRIS: I found it needed a bit of a kick-start in the turns. Because of all the power on demand it is great for boosting and once it’s turning it kite loops very well actually, which I didn't expect from a bow kite like this. Definitely a twohanded looper though with the pressure. It's definitely not an all-out unhooked freestyle kite, but hooked-in its freestyle capabilities are excellent and you don't have to be a really good rider to have a lot of fun on this kite. The only fault, for me at least, was the slightly lazy steering on the bar – it's absolutely spot on steering speed for intermediates though. The power delivery is really smooth and predictable and there are a lot of options on the kite for set-up.
NEAL: Yeah, a great kite for intermediates – goes upwind very well. I like the way it just sits in one place and you can just get up and go. No need to worry too much about what the kite's doing, which is great for riders looking to improve their board skills without having to stare at the kite all day as it doesn't respond too quickly to any accidental bar input that intermediates tend to make when learning tricks. It’s very stable and I think they've really hit the intermediate kite nail on the head with this. Wave-wise, I can only really see it being a wave kite if you want to go down-the-line with the kite still and just sheeting in and out on the bar.
CHRIS: You can tell we're into the third generation of bow kites now – there are none of the old problems any more; the kites are very refined in their feel and not just lumps in the sky. This is definitely up there for intermediates– well done Cabrinha.

SUMMARY: Cabrinha have hit the jackpot as far as what an intermediate rider is looking for from their kite with the third generation of their Crossbow line. Solid, stable, nice and boosty with good hang-time, an upwind rocket and sure in the sky - riders can rely on this kite to aid their progression.