2011 Liquid Force Envy

REAL Review By Matt Nuzzo REAL Rating (5 Star Max) Durability - 5 stars Low End - 4 stars High End - 3 stars Stability - 4 stars Versatility - 5 star Jumping - 3 stars Relaunch - 4 stars Ease of Rigging - 5 stars Value - 5 stars Pros: Max Flow; Forget about your kite stability; CPR Bar is clean, simple and works; High quality bag and accessories; Smoothest power output of any kite on the market; Feels the same hooked in or unhooked; Everyone loves the Envy Cons: Center line swivel does not work that well; Pretty mellow jumper; Not fast enough turning for some people I have had the opportunity to test the 2011 Envy over the past few months. I have ridden the 9m and 12m extensively in a variety of flat water and wave conditions. This kite was compared back to back against the 2011 Naish Park, 2011 Slingshot Rally, 2011 Liquid Force Havoc, 2011 Best Taboo, 2010 Cabrinha Switchblade, 2010 Liquid Force Havoc, 2010 Liquid Force Envy, and 2010 Slingshot RPM. 2011 Liquid Force Envy Tech The 2011 LF Envy has a bunch of new tech features. Some are very easy to recognize and other are just there. The one that stands out the most is the introduction of Max Flow. This is as big as an improvement to kites as One-Pump was when it came out in 2004. Why? It makes kiteboarding easier. The Max flow allows you to pump up your kite in half the time and you can get the kite a lot harder with less effort. Deflating with this system is significantly easier too. I didn't think Max flow was a big deal until I started using it. Now I don't want to ride a kite with out it. In conjunction with Max Flow, LF has really improved the Union Inflation System to be a lot cleaner and much easier to change bladders. Delta Hybrid Shape.The 2010 Envy was the first kite on the market that could claim the Delta Hybrid Shape. This truly has the benefit of low end power and relaunch that delta kites have, but it still gives you the full wing tip and consistent power that you want from a fuller wing tip kite. Other kites like the Slingshot Rally and North Rebel are trying to compete in this class of kites, but they don't even come close to the versatility of the 2011 Envy. I have seen a lot of kites in the last 10 years. Better yet, a lot of poorly made kites. The 2011 Envy is NOT one of them. The Envy has attention to every last detail. The quality of manufacturing is significantly better than anything else on the market. We have been beating the tar out of the 2011 Envy that we have, and they show no stress or wear and tear. This kite is built tough and will last longer than anything else on the market. Oh yeah they look bad ass too. Great job to LF on their graphics and color choices for 2011. CPR Bar.
The CPR is back for 2011. This is the same reliable bar that we saw in 2010. They have changed the grip, and they have added a center line swivel. Like most center line swivels, it does not work that great, but it is there if you need it. How does the 2011 Envy ride?
This is the important stuff. The most notable thing that I noticed on the Envy is that it had the smoothest power output of any kite I have ever ridden and unmatched stability. Ronald Tremblay tested the Envy back to back to a 2010 Cabrinha Switchblade, 2010 RPM and 2011 Liquid Force Havoc. His comment to me was that the Envy is just "so so smooth". He was tripping out because it was a gusty day and the Envy just ate the gusts. The other kites were a bit of a challenge to ride in those conditions and when he rode the 2011 Envy he could just relax and ride. The kite has the same feel hooked in and unhooked. In surf conditions, I slacked the lines and rode way under the Envy. When I came up out of the white water with slacked lines, I looked up to see the kite slowly drifting back into position. Any other kite would have fallen out of the sky with out a question. Water relaunch is better than average. It has the sweep in the wing tips which make it roll right over. With the wider wing tip it does not roll all the way over on to its trailing edge either. I did not have to think about relaunch on this kite. The turning speed was quick, but not so fast that it would get a beginner in trouble. Due to the fat body and full wing tip this kite has really clean power through the turns. I felt that the Envy has the right turning speed on the kites I tested. Other testers that liked a lightning fast turning kite like the Naish Park will find this kite a little slow. The only thing that I could find that other kites did better was speed through the wind window and boosting. It did both of these fine, but other higher performance kites like the 2011 Naish Park of 2011 LF Havoc seemed to have better hang time and allowed you to have more speed when riding. How does the 2011 Envy stack up compared to the 2010 Envy? Visually the 2011 Envy is light years past the 2010. The full Dacron wing tips, Max Flow, sick graphics, new Union Inflation, and new bag design show that Liquid force is ready to do some damage this year. The 2011 Envy is the highest quality product on the market right now. Where a lot of companies are stripping their product line of anything to save a buck, LF is investing a lot into making the best quality product in the market. As far as the ride, the 2011 Envy has a much smoother power output, more of a direct feel, better relaunch, and it is more stable than the 2010. Basically all the areas that the 2010 Envy excelled in, got a ton better with the 2011. If you liked the 2010 Envy you will love the 2011. If you hated the 2010 Envy, you will probably love the 2011 Envy. I have been hard pressed to find someone to give me a bad review on the 2011 Envy. Who is the 2011 Liquid Force Envy for? The 2011 Envy is a state of the art kite that anyone can ride. As a first kite, the consumer will love the wind range, relaunch, durability, and high tech features. The advanced kiters that are into wave riding or wake style will be the other group that will freak on this kite. The only person that might not like the 2011 Envy would be the person that wants the highest boosting fastest turning kite on the market. The consumers that didn't love the Envy(which was very few) still were amazed at the smooth power output and the quality of the product. If you want a no bull shit 100% reliable kite, the 2011 Liquid Force Envy will be a no brainer. Rock solid stability, directional float, pivotal turning and effortless re-launch highlight the Envy’s “beyond delta” design for all around performance. This ultra lightweight three strut platform gives light, responsive bar feel with impulse pivotal turning. The Envy’s flight characteristics blend to produce a distinct “set it and forget it” feel. This makes it the perfect kite for everything from your first ride to kite low freestyle domination. Land a jump a bit too hot, under run the kite in a bottom turn... forget about it! The Envy’s lightweight design allows the kite to float directionally, enabling you to forget about the kite and concentrate on the important issues: riding the board, making grabs, spotting landings and reading the wave for perfect down the line performance. The 2011 Envy is truely the kite that you can learn on and never out grow.