Nobile 50Fifty 10m Review

At A Glance

The 50Fifty is a totally new kite from Nobile, designed with help from the pro rider Mike “the knife” Blomvall. This kite is a strong nod towards the recent resurgence of the C style kite. It is an unashamed freestyle machine designed for the rider who is looking for the ultimate in performance. It utilizes 4-line set up, with a bridle attached to the kite. The bridle helps to support the leading edge, which is very thin to give the kite a more aerodynamic profile. As usual the build quality is up there with the best of them and there is a new webbing strap feature near each of the struts to prevent the bridle catching. This should ensure no matter how much you crash it that it will always be ready to come up for more.

The Bar

The Nobile KISS bar has always been a staff favorite, comfy to hold and well thought out it utilizes some clever ideas that are both functional and easy to use. The chicken loop release is simple and releases easily under load, there is an above the bar trim system that uses a webbing pull set up and the lines can be attached to the outer, or inner attachment points on the bar to increase its effective size should you desire.

On the Water

The 50Fifty is a purposeful kite that flies around the window with some pace. The thin leading edge when allowed to penetrate the air generates a lot of power when it does so. The wind range isn’t as big as you would expect from a flatter arc kite, but the speed of the kite means that with good flying skills you can get a decent low end range from the kite. The top end is excellent and the kite seems to have a limitless upper range to it. It flies fairly far forward in the wind window, which allows it to tug you upwind with ease, great for staying in the same spot when you are busting out the freestyle moves! The pull from the kite when you unhook is very consistent and it behaves well when you load up the edge, not drifting too much. This means the rider can forget about the kite and concentrate on getting as much pop as possible. Relaunch is OK, if you know how to relaunch a C Kite then you will be fine, but this isn’t a kite for beginners so that shouldn’t prove an issue for anyone buying the 50Fifty. Jumping the kite is aggressive, pulling the rider up off the water with some pace; kiteloops generate a medium power band, which means you can definitely get radical when you want to.

For

Great looks, well built, freestyle machine that has an impressive wind range and near limitless top end.

Against

Not for beginners, but then that should be obvious, relaunching is not automatic, you need to put a bit of effort in, just like the good old days!

Overall

If you want a freestyle machine for your riding then the 50Fifty fits the bill really well, coupled with the excellent bar we think it is a definite contender.