Liquid Force Envy (2010)

AT A GLANCE

The Envy is a 3 strut design that Liquid Force dub’s as a Delta Hybrid. It keeps the diamond wingtips of the Havoc and the same USB 2.0 bridle. The build quality of the Liquid Force gear has always impressed us. In the past they have always paid lots of attention to the detail and the Envy is no exception. There are some really great touches in the design and layout, little things that make you realise they have thought about the final product. Black on black print on the struts is there purely for your pleasure. One-pump is standard and the kite is well made with plenty of reinforced stitching in all the usual wear points.

THE BAR

In a nod to their wakeboard roots the CPR control system is about as simple as you could make it. While simple though, it retains all the features you would need - they are just in a very tidy package. Oshit handles for added safety, a centre line safety and the all new CPR chicken loop. The loop is great, fully moulded with no moving metal parts it simply snaps on and off. One of the best systems we have seen so far it inspires confidence in your set up. There is also a sliding stopper ball and the whole bar is colour coded to ensure you set it up the right way.

IN THE AIR

The Envy is a real powerhouse, it has loads of deep down low end power; the lower aspect ratio obviously helping to deliver some grunt. Bar pressure is minimal, just enough to give the rider good feedback as to where the kite is in the air. Steering is fairly direct, it isn’t as snappy as a direct connect rear line, but the bridle doesn’t hinder the experience too much. The instant depower that you get from the bridle set up is a welcome aspect and the diamond wingtips obviously help give the kite its range. The canopy was pretty solid, even when heavily depowered and the pull through the air was very smooth. The Envy has a tendency to sit a little further back in the window; this means that while it has lots of low-end power it is hard to get it to cruise upwind at the bottom of its wind range. Once the wind picks up a little this ceases to be a problem. Unhooked performance is great and the kite is very well behaved when you initiate moves. Jumping is impressive and the kite delivers plenty of boost when you send it back through the window. It is a fun kite that is easy to fly and lots of riders will get a great deal out of the Envy. If you are a heavier rider it definitely works better in the middle and towards the top of its wind range.

FOR
Welt built all round freeride kite which will come alive when the wind gets up. Jumping and unhooked riding is really impressive.

AGAINST
White it has lots of low-end power, it comes at a cost of upwind ability in light airs.

OVERALL
A well thought out and welt made kite that will appeal to lots of riders. The low-end power will excite wakestyle riders, it works well as a park and play kite. At the same time if you enjoy a freeride blast then the kite has plenty to offer you.

The Envy is brand new for 2010 and is designed as a Delta hybrid. It combines the popular delta shape with previous Liquid Force technologies to produce a ‘beyond delta kite that has alleviated all the previous problems that deltas suffer from.

The Envy is designed to excel in all aspects of kitesurfing, it has huge continuous depower, the trusted USB bridle and Liquid Forces bomb proof build quality using the best materials available on the market, including Tejin ripstop for the canopy. After using and observing many kitesurfing kites over the years, the Envy is the best built I have seen, all the seams and joins are glued and triple stitched and the leading edge has triple layers of Dacron on crucial joints to avoid ripped stitching causing blow outs. There are also double layers of Dacron along the leading edge attaching the Tejin canopy giving maximum strength and durability as well as double layers of triple and glued stitching.

The quality construction is also present on the rest of the kite: there is Dacron along the whole trailing edge, on the wingtips and strategically throughout the canopy for maximum strength and rigidity to reduce damage and make the kite solid, stable and responsive in the air. There is also Dacron concealed in all of the strut joins to further increase the resilience of the kite. All of the leading edge seams are protected with bumper strips to stop any wear of the stitching.

When you look closely at all the graphic work you see all the attention to detail, there are small logos on the ends of the struts and the main graphic is reciprocated on the centre strut and as a shiny gloss design that catches the sun on the outer struts and ends of the leading edge, the kite looks great. I really like the main illustration graphic that is used on the Envy, it really fits with the kite’s fun personality.

The kite has a 3 strut lay out to reduce the weight, it is about 20% lighter than most SLEs and even in larger sizes it’s still solid and responsive due to the solid build, I thought it would be a little floppy but it is not at all. This weight loss is solely due to the removal of the 2 struts and so the overall construction has not suffered at all. The reduction is weight is really noticeable, much more than I thought it would be, the kite is extremely stable in very light winds and just won’t fall out of the sky, it just sits above you and drifts about, this is perfect for when you are starting out and keeping the kite at 12 a lot when trying to put the board on. Being light the kite climbs really fast and is very reactive, back stall is minimal, probably the least I have seen on any kite I’ve used, this also helps the kite drift really well. The other benefit of having just 3 struts means the kite is very quick to inflate and the struts are very thin making it even easier, this also reduces the kites profile through the air so adds to its speed and responsiveness.

Having a Delta inspired shape the Envy is powerful for its size, I used a 10m and it was nearly as powerful and my 12m Hifi which itself is a very powerful kite. Although it is powerful it is very easy to manage due to is smooth, progressive and large depower. The Envy used Liquid Force’s diamond wingtips and USB 2.0 bridle to improve on the usual delta shaped design. Having the diamond wingtips gives the kite a less swept back shape which stops instability due to being nose heavy as well and making the kite less susceptible to the common centre tear as the whole leading edge impacts at once spreading the load. Other deltas hit down nose first then wingtips creating a massive deformation and causing huge tension in the trailing edge. The diamond wingtip also makes the wingtips wide producing a large lever and so fast turning. The USD 2.0 bridle gives the kites its smooth depower as well as supporting the whole leading edge allowing it to be thin so it can cut through the air making the kite fast through the air.

Giving the kite to a complete beginner can really test its stability and how easily it backstalls. I used the 10m in a lesson in around 10-12 knots, I really was amazed, it never backstalled and climbed up well even on the very edge of the window, another school had to give up because their 12m rebel would not stay in the sky. The re-launch is very easy due to its delta inspired shape, it comes up quickly and easily even in rough seas. At the end of the lesson I (70kg) did a few short runs and was able to stay upwind on a 140x43cm board, it was still only 10-12knots.

A few days later I was able to test the kite properly myself, I usually don’t like flying bridled kites due to the mushy feel but I I found the kite to have a great feel, very direct and responsive, similar to my Hifi Comp it was great! The wind was about 15 knots so I test its unhooked performance, as you would expect from Liquid Force is was perfect, didn’t require any trimming, zero back stall and solid when popping against. As a 10m I thought it would be quite slow but it was really fun to use and much faster than I thought it would be, easily fast enough for kiteloops both hooked and unhooked, it loops really well, constant pull and comes up nicely., it turns around it wing tips like a C kite rather than spinning around its centre like other SLEs. Went and had a play on the waves and the kite worked so well, it just drifted with me as I carved up and down the wave. Smaller sizes will be awesome to chuck around in stronger winds and bigger waves, 6m should we amazing. After that I thought I should test its jumping, wow, I was surprised, most deltas are not really good at jumping but the Envy was brilliant due to thin profile giving it its fast air speed. Smaller sizes will be boosting and mega loop machines.

Now for the bar system; this year Liquid Force have massively upgraded their bar to produce one of the best out there. The new release is massively improved and it is a push release and can be released with either hand from the back or the front of the bar and is really easy to re-set. The release is non mechanical and had not metal parts so it won’t corrode and releases even when filled with sand and grit it pops off easily. The new bar also has a below safety line to which you attach your leash, this runs up to one of the front lines so when the safety is released the kite is flagged out to give you 100% loss of power. The trimmer cleat is below the bar and he depower rope is now thinner allowing easier cleating and also a much smoother throw, it also made of a stainless alloy to stop any corrosion but can be replaced separately if it does wear or become blunt. The chicken loop is just like previous years being very large allowing very easy hooking in and out but it can be adjusted with the simple movement of 3 screws. There is also now a small piece of plastic on the top of the chicken loop which fits into the hole in the bar to align the loop to face you so you do not have to look down to hook back in. The donkey dick can easily be removed with just one screw for easy hooking in and out.

Overall the kite has fantastic build quality; it is extremely stable, responsive and is great in all areas of kitesurfing. It is suitable for all levels: we are going to use it in our school but it is also used my many pros, Chris Burke is already using his and loving them, definitely go and have demo on one, they are fantastic, the best bridled kite I have ever used.

If you would like to demo an Envy in the UK, come to The Kitesurf Centre at Camber Sands any day of the week.

The Envy is a delta SLE hybrid that combines an ultra light three strut SLE design with the super huge wind range of a delta.

The complete package of the new 2010 Envy paired up with the new LF CPR control system makes for an all around killer package. The Envy is a kite that will not only allow a new kiteboarder to comfortably get on the water for his/her first time but will allow the top LF riders, like Moe Goold, to push the limits at spots like one of his home waves, Teahupoo.

Check out below what some of the REAL Team has to say about the 2010 Liquid Force Envy.

“The Liquid Force Envy is a great new addition to the LF kite line for 2010. The Envy light and stable, with its three strut design, and performs in a amazingly wide variety if conditions. The light weight construction of the Envy make it work well in light winds and the increased depower of the bridle helps it out on the high end. I personally enjoy the envy in the surf and have had some fun slider sessions on the Envy as well! Try one out at REAL and experience the Envy for yourself.” – REAL and Liqud Force Team Rider Jason Slezak

“Stoked on this kite! Seriously the most stable kite I have ridden. Killer unhooked wave kite with mad wakestyle pop, this is THE kite for 2010.” – REAL Coach Patrick Duca

“Incredible balance of easy relaunch, depower and high performance. The 2010 Envy is definitely going to be one of our go-to wave kites this season.

I am excited to teach my Beginner and Intermediate students on this kite and encourage them to make Envies a part of their quiver. It is going to give them a ton of confidence and still perform for them throughout their progression.” – REAL Coach Joel Schneider

“The 2010 Envy steps into the Liquid Force kiteboarding line up as the do anything for anyone kite. This stable 3 strut kite has been a favorite of the REAL Coaching Staff for the consistant pull that allows the end user to not get yanked around by gusty conditions. Comboed up with Liquid Force's new ultra-safe CPR bar, the Envy is a 2010 kiteboarding kite that will make you a better kiter.” – REAL Co-Founder Matt Nuzzo

“The Envy is a nice change from the Havoc offering a bit more bar pressure that many people were looking for. Along with the very easy relaunch and great stability in the air the 2010 Envy proved itself as a great kite for your 2010 quiver.” – Bryan Elkus

“The Liquid Force 2010 Envy is hands-down the best kite I've ever ridden: extremely stable, tons of low-end, and effortless handling. With the Envy, I could teach a beginner lesson, ride unhooked in the Slick, or session the Southside... all on the same kite.” – Eric Nelson

“While all of Liquid Force’s kites are amazing, the Envy is by far the front runner for 2010. The 3 Strut setup not only makes the kite lighter, but makes it the most stable kite I’ve ever ridden. The Envy retains the Liquid Force SLE standards of easy re-launch, depower, moderate bar pressure, and speed. And it doesn’t hurt that the graphics are really fun.” – Laura Vroman

For more info or to order your new 2010 Liquid Force Envy, call us toll free at 866-REAL-KITE or 252-987-6000.