The second generation of Airush’s muscular freeride weapon!
This test first appeared in #Issue 85 in January 2017
TEST TEAM NOTES:
When it comes to power, you’re not going to go far wrong with the new Airush Union. Packing much more of a punch than last year, if you’re looking for American muscle car style riding, this is it. Pull the bar in for the first time and the transfer of energy is dramatic. The bar pressure is firm but isn’t ‘heavy’ and when a kite packs lots of power, you need the good talk-back connection that the Union has.
The later Varial-X kites (which the Union replaced last year) were quite soft in terms of power. Last year’s Union was stiffer and injected more power, but we feel that this 2017 model has moved into a realm where, as a rider, you need a good base level of confidence. The better your edging technique the more you’ll be rewarded. Airush have turned the dial up and as soon as you put the kite up you can feel its eagerness in your hips. Bully has observed that the members at his club who have this 2017 Union are able to ride at least a size smaller and still have more power, and these guys are bigger than Bully. (He notices this sort of thing; it makes him question whether he’s spending enough time in the gym!)
The standout feature of the Union is the instant translation of power into superb jumping and hang-time performance. The bar naturally sits around three-quarters of the way up the throw when you’re riding, which can be quite a reach for smaller riders, but as you then sheet in there’s stacks of power on tap for riders looking for maximum juice. If you’re familiar with turbo diesel engines then the Union is much like that; providing lots of traction early on and shifts up through its gears really quickly. Although there’s lots of power on tap, the delivery is smooth and well measured with fantastic flight control at the bar, offering accurate piloting around the sky.
Slightly higher aspect (a bit thinner and longer looking in the sky) than many of the rounder hybrid all-round freeride shapes that we see on the market today, the Union punches nicely forward into the window, tracks well upwind and offers incredible potential as a kite for foiling as you can use a smaller, more manoeuvrable size that delivers lots of early planing potential. Equally, size down and get on a small kite with great low end and reaction for waves, but be ready to change down once it gets to 60% of its range as the grunt will then be unsavoury for performance wave riding. The Union’s standout ability is that it blends the sort of jumping and powered performance that higher-aspect wings provide, but sits just a little further back in the window than those shapes and is therefore also more manoeuvrable and reliable around the bottom of the window during a loop. Although the Union rolls into action quite softly, the hoik and bite you get as it passes through 6 o’clock and beyond is very satisfying and higher-aspect specialist boosting kites just can’t provide that.
Within this spectrum of performance freeride kite, the Union feels more powered up which can be an alarming sensation as you steer the kite into its loop, but if you can gather the confidence, then the reality is that the higher you are the better chance you have of the kite getting round and catching you for a softer landing. And the Union is reliable in that regard. For the freerider looking to push their levels of jumping height, it’s very well equipped, but you should just appreciate that it’s more of a handful than you might be used to. What you’re sacrificing to get that extra 20% low end performance and jumping ability is comfort at its top end. You can’t just sheet out, turn the power off and take a break. The canopy can handle the wind, but you’ll need good edging skills to manage the power as you can’t just rely on the sheeting range to slow you down at that point. The Union does trim heavily of course, but like most kites, it’s not the same to be riding round with a heavily trimmed kite all the time.
For unhooked riding the Union is able in lighter winds with some trimming. Once you sheet the bar in beyond halfway, it delivers lots of drive, which is ideal for getting going and boosting, but requires some management when unhooking. Airush’s load frame throughout the canopy has proven itself to be very strong over the last few seasons, eliminating rips across the entire canopy should they occur. No complaints at all throughout the design in terms of construction and it’s very user-friendly in terms of set-up. The Airush bar is one of the few that still uses a tab pull-pull trimming system (though there is a cleat option too), but the entire design is clean and very reliable. We’ve never had any issues with an Airush system, it’s always robust, comfortable, very reliable, easy to use and fully featured with a very smooth quick release. The below-the-bar swivel may be smaller to grip than other systems, but it works relatively easily.
SUMMARY:
The Union is a very juicy all-rounder. Fantastic at providing high-performance drive in relatively light winds and superb power on tap in the first 60% of its range, once you push the Union beyond that it’s going to pack more juice than less experienced or lighter riders might be comfortable with. However, if you’re ready for it, the Union offers enourmous boost and hang-time performance per size, more like a high-aspect specialist jumping kite, but the Union goes beyond that and manages to combine good manoeuvrability for looping. Size down and it’s also very adept in waves, too.
KW LIKED:
Poised and perfectly geared for boosting and long flights with good connection to the rider, the Union also manages to go beyond what a typical boosting kite can offer for the progressive all-round, highly-charged rider.
KW WOULD CHANGE:
Not much. Smaller riders will find it a handful quite quickly unless they size down dramatically, but that’s just the character of the kite.
UNION BALANCE POINTS
Inflation: Mid-sized Boston valve
Build quality: 9
Full package: 8
Low end: 9
Top end: 7
Steering speed: 7
Turning circle: 5
Bar pressure: 6.5
Water relaunch: 8.5
Drift: 7
Boost: 8.5
Hang-time: 9
Unhooked: 7
Crossover: 7
Ease of use: 7.5
SIZES: 16, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7 and 6m
This test appeared in Issue #85 of the magazine. Grab a copy of the latest mag for the most in-depth reviews out there!
