Designer: Sascha Treder
Frame: LE, US and spine 4mm structil. LS Avia Skinny UL
Sail: Icarex, LS tunnels Ripstop Nylon, Dacron Reinforcement
Bridle: 3 point, adjustable at US and LS connectors
Dimensions: 180 cm wide, 75 cm high
Intro:
The first time i saw the Sissy was at the TricksParty in Harsewinkel (Germany) in the fall of 2007. It was Sascha's prototype in Neon Pink Icarex (hence the name "Sissy"). Originally designed as an indoorkite, but it flew very well in the almost dead wind conditions that day.
We really liked that first taste and Sascha promised to send another (white) proto to Paul Breddels in Holland. At one of our indoor meetings we tested the kite and allthough it was very tricky it didn't really feel like an indoor kite. It was lot's of "work" to fly it. Later that year, at a beach meeting, we had zero wind conditions and the the only kite in the air was the Sissy. Most of us decided that we would order one when it was available from Kitehouse. Sascha informed us last summer about the fact that thay wanted to do a run of single colour Sissy's for us. About 10 of us ordered one.
Build quality:
Like all kite made by Kitehouse, the Sissy's build quality is really good with near perfect sewing. The kite is build with only 2 panels, one for each wing. Ripstop nylon is used for the (covered) leading edge tunnels and for the nose reinforcement they've fitted lightweight cordura.
The area arround the center cross and the single standoff is reinforced with a layer of dacron. No leechline was fitted in the trailing edge. The 4mm structil and Skinny UL frame feels quite stiff but the ferrule used for the center cross is a bit short and doesn't fit that well which results in slipping lower spreaders occasionally. Yoyo stoppers and tailweight are not included. A very nice detail is the Kitehouse logo on the tail velcro.
Flight:
The Sissy excels in near zero wind conditions. On short lines (between 10 and 20 meters) it flies without much effort. There's a lot of drive and a reasonable amount of feedback on the lines. Inputs for tricks are small and need to be subtle. The kite excels at flatspin trick and trick based on the backflip. 540's and Slots are flat and floaty and Tazmachines are build into this kite. Just a smal pop after the halfaxle rotation is enough. Double Taz's are within reach. The kite sits very deep in the Backflip and lifts very easily. Lazies, Multilazies, Rolling cascades, Inverses, even Cyniques... they are all there. Rolling up is possible but since there are no stoppers fitted Yoyo's are not recoverable. I have not tried fitting them yet. Backspins are possible with a little tailweight (4 gram).
This kite can definitely make the difference between a lost day or a great day, if the wind dies. Perfect for those summer evenings. Should also be great for urban sessions on plaza's or in the park. Great little kite!
