The Lithium V13 is an awesome freeride/entry level kite built performant enough for the rider to never out grow. What I notice with most entry level/school kites is that after a few months of use the rider tends to outgrow or destroy their gear. The initial purchase of the kite gear might cost the rider more money in the short and long run of things because of higher retail cost, wear and tear, and seeking to upgrade for performance desires. This isn't the case with the Lithium V13. I personally chose to use the Lithium in my school because I believe it's one of the easiest, strongest performing, and most durable kites on the market. Plus, it's a fun kite to ride.
"The Lithium is a confidence inspiring sheet-and-go marvel, with sportive handling and a playful nature. It’s an uncomplicated genre spanning tool that is performant enough to keep even the most seasoned freerider engaged, and sports a wide application of potential use across twintip, wave and foil disciplines." - The Kite Mag
First Impressions
The build quality and stitching of Airush kites is top notch while comparing to other brands in the industry. When first pulling the kite out of the bag, you can feel and see the quality Airush puts into their products. The canopy of the kite feels crispy, smooth, and tough making you feel like it's birthday every time you pull it out of the bag. The kite bag the Lithium comes in is pretty straight forward and has enough room to throw your bar in there for safe keeping. I like that the bag is made from recycled materials and as a brand Airush does a pretty good job of being sustainable. The inflation and deflation of Airush kites is pretty straight forward, using a large Boston two-way valve to do so. (Like an air mattress valve for camping... you know what they say about camping... it's in-tents.... moving along.)
The Tuning Options!
Out of the bag this kite gives you multiple tuning options to customize each and every session to match the conditions or discipline preference. In my opinion the factory settings of this Lithium V13 are perfect for the use of a school or for beginner/intermediate riders because of its easy "sheet-and-go" driven design and turning predictability. "Sheet-and-go" refers to how the rider can pull in on the bar (sheet in) and feel the kite's propulsion increase the more they pull in.
There are 2 tuning knots on the leading edge that controls bar pressure of the kite. When testing on the "Lower bar pressure" setting the kite has a more forgiving and floatier feel which could make it better use in the waves. I prefer the "More bar pressure" (factory) setting because the kite feels more direct and has sharper steering through a sinus. I also feel where the kite engages/disengages on the bar easier to find which is great for students.
On the wing tips of the kite, there are 3 more settings that increase/decrease bar pressure and effect the turning speed of the kite. Closer to the wing tip or to the "Less Bar Pressure" setting will allow the kite to pivot/turn faster due to where the steering lines pull on the kite. The "Medium/middle bar pressure setting" is a great balance of turning potential and bar pressure. The "More bar pressure/slow setting" pulls more from the leading edge which gives more feedback on the bar and pressure. The hard bar pressure setting is my preferred setting for freestyle and free riding because I can feel where the kite is at all times especially on smaller size kites.
Lastly, there are 3 tuning preferences on the steering bridle of the Lithium kite. These 3 knots are where we attach the bar lines to the kite. The "Top/First knot or the knot closest to the kite is marketed to give the kite "more power" which from my personal experience can be confusing to new riders. What the steering knots actually do is change where the kite engages on the throw of the bar when sheeting in and sheeting out. I rarely find myself in a situation where I would use the "first/top" knot on the Lithium because of the issue of over sheeting/over-engaging the kite causing it to back stall. But, I quite frequently use the top knot while riding the "Union" which has a completely different bridling set up.
Ideally, the middle/second knot provides best balance on the kite. When perfectly powered the kite will engage in the center of the throw on the bar giving the rider the perfect balance between engagement and disengagement (powering and de-powering). This is the setting I prefer most on the Lithium.
Furthermore the "Last/Third" Knot on the steering bridle allows the kite to engage on the bar closer to the rider. I prefer this setting when I'm teaching individuals with a shorter arm reach. The benefits of attaching the lines to the "Last" knot gives the rider or student shorter reach to dis-engage (De-Power) the kite. This setting can improve the kite's ability to over engage producing a "back stall". The point to where the bar lines are attach to the steering bridle is furthest from the wing tip, forcing there to be more tension applied to the bar for the kite to engage.
Shooting Y'all Straight... (Pros and Cons)
The Lithium is tried and true. This year Airush designed the Lithium to be pushed a bit further by the rider being able to preform explosive tricks, yet still be forgiving for beginners. The V13 definitely turns faster and moves through the window better compared to its predecessors. The "sheet-in-go" aspect is still easy to find on the Lithium V13, but in my opinion the V11 and V10 models the "sheet-in-go" is actually easier to feel and achieve. The drawback to having an easier "sheet-in-go" is it hinders the turning and movement of the kite. Sure, having a kite that sits at 45 can be great for those riders looking to mow the lawn, but it's my belief that having a kite that can move and generate power is bliss within itself. Airush has done a great job at balancing both aspects in the Lithium V13.
As a more advanced kiter, the worst critique I give to the Lithium V13 is the amount of effort it takes to jump extremely high. Don't get me wrong, this kite does jump very well and the hang time is superb, but it's hard to jump extremely high on this kite do to other attributes that make it more user friendly. The trade off is this makes the V13 a perfect kite for beginners and intermediate riders working on their jumps because the Lithium will not shoot the rider in the sky and then drop them if not piloted correctly. Oh yeah, try not to send proper kite loops on this thing. I could see an 8M doing the trick but here in the Caribbean.... Good luck. The 10m sit there staring at you from the bottom of a loop all the while you're in free fall wishing it would just shoot back up to catch you... Lessons have been learned.
This Is The End...
The Lithium V13 is a marvelous freeride entry level kite that provides enough thrills even for the most advanced riders. After 13 versions of the Lithium, you know you're not getting a lemon of a kite. There's always some reservations when buying something new, because in a logically sense there hasn't been enough time for testing and many designers work out the kinks along the way. That is not the case with the Lithium because this will be the 13th version of this kite in existence. The Lithium is tired and true.
Through my experience kiting and owning multiple kites and quivers, my Airush kites have lasted me years instead of months or seasons. This is a huge selling point for myself and is one of the main reasons I've been riding Airush brand kites now for 6 years. Trust me, buying a new kite every 3-6 months is not something I can afford, so if I'm not getting at least 2 years out of my kites (I ride them hard) its a strong pass. Oh and no, Airush isn't paying me to say this shit, it's just my honest opinion. Well, hope you enjoy the review and feel free to send me any questions you have via Email. radkiteboarding@gmail.com
Cowabunga and until next time!
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