Cabrinha Kites is the brainchild of kite surfer legend, surfer and windsurfer Pete Cabrinha. Cabrinha was one of the first surfers to move across the sports gaining respect from other athletes and industry insiders for his contributions to each activity he took part in.
Cabrinha helped influence professional windsurfing for almost twenty years by throwing in his own personal style of surfing which led to him actually winning a world title in the surf competition. As a sponsored rider you'd have thought Cabrinha would have been happy with the kit he was being given but his inquisitive nature and desire for ever better surfing kit led him to design his own boards and other kit, originally working from how backyard. Initially he made board shapes before moving into other designs as time went on.
As time went on Cabrinha got back in touch with his surfing roots hooking up with a crew of similar riders who would all use friendly competition to push their boundaries further and further. Professional surfers nearing the end of their careers they were looking for that little bit extra, something that just hadn't been done before. From that crowd came the advances in strapped surfing and tow ins, pioneering the use of jet skis and other water craft to get out to the really big waves that were previously inaccessible. Known as The Strapped Crew you've probably seen the famous video clips of them pushing the boundaries around Hawaii.
One of these waves was known as Jaws, a huge 70 foot wave at Maui. Pete Cabrinha got towed into it, got himself into the Guinness Book of Records and the rest is history.
With that done Cabrinha discovered inflatable kites and found himself suddenly at the beginning of a new sport for the third time in his career. Using his surfboard shaping skills and business accumentCabrinha started Carbinha Kites. As one of the early respected brands Cabrinha Kites was incorporated by Neil Pryde into the Pryde Group and has risen to be the leading kite surfing brand selling well in over 40 countries throughout the world.
Currently Cabrinha Kites have got five kites in their range to satisfy the needs of all types of kite riders.
The Cabrinha Kites Vector is one of the easiest kites to ride in any condition with an ease unseen anywhere else. Cabrinha Kites made it to fully simplify kiting for beginners – it's got easy steering, solid relaunching, easy handling and Cabrinha Kites own IDS – Intuitive Security System. These designs put the Vector in a class all of its own – for someone looking for a kite that will let them dial in their kite skills in a safe and sure way the Vector is a kite they should be looking at first.
For a more versatile kite Cabrinha Kites have got the Switchblade in its range. Its predictable nature and reliability are just two of the reasons that it is so good as an all round freestyle kite as well as a high performance wakestyle kite. Actually its known as the top choice for wakestyle riders around the world, probably because it offers a stable power source and when airborne it steers with such little effort the rider really doesn't have to worry about where it is going. If you're riding unhooked or hooked then its going to be the Cabrinha Switchblade either way.
For more surf oriented users Cabrinha Kites have got a kite that hides the bulk of its technology behind its apparent simplicity. With a minimal three strut design the Cabrinha Drifter is a durable but lightweight kite aimed squarely at surf yet still usable for freestyle, wakeskating and flat water freestyle. Surfing is great due to its slack line drift so that even when the lines are soft the kite will still stay airborne giving you more time to check the waves rather than your kite.
For those with an interest in pure freestyle Cabrinha Kites offer the Nomad Kite. With benchmark turning speeds already in place the next step was to take it another step further resulting in a highly tuned kite with a consistent forward flying speed. Offering a steady pull no matter what you are doing when its time to loop the Nomad easily handles it. So well regarded is the Cabrinha Nomad that its the professionals choice on the world circuit for freestyle competitions.
Finally we have to mention the kite that has contributed more to the sport than any other kite. The stand out leader in efficiency and performance the Cabrinha Kites Crossbow's bow kite platform (hence the name!) is at the root of its range and incredible power. At races you'll often find the Crossbow getting the winner's prize but at the same time its engineering makes it easy for a fun level rider to experience the power of an out and out racing kite.
All in all Cabrinha Kites have got something for everyone. For more information check Cabrinha Kites website at http://www.cabrinhakites.com