Feyd
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Registered: 1-3-2009
Location: Norther New England
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HQ Matrixx III. Hardwaterkiter.com First Impressions.
Hey all,
So we've been playing with the Matrixx III a bit here and so far I have to say it's looking pretty darn sweet. I was a bit apprehensive a few months
back when I was told they were already making a new version but having spent a little time getting familiar with it I think it's going to be a great
kite.
Faster, cleaner profile, a bit more lift.
We did a quick preliminary review if you want to read more about it.
http://www.hardwaterkiter.com/kite-and-gear-reviews/2017-hq-...
Chris Krug-Owner @ Hardwater Kiting. Authorized Dealer of Ozone, Flysurfer, HQ kites.
www.hardwaterkiter.com 603-986-2784
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gemini6kl
Posts: 279
Registered: 8-1-2010
Location: queens, NY
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link dosent wrk.
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Feyd
Posts: 2956
Registered: 1-3-2009
Location: Norther New England
Member Is Offline
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Try again
Chris Krug-Owner @ Hardwater Kiting. Authorized Dealer of Ozone, Flysurfer, HQ kites.
www.hardwaterkiter.com 603-986-2784
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Feyd
Posts: 2956
Registered: 1-3-2009
Location: Norther New England
Member Is Offline
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Details:
Kite: 2017 HQ Matrixx 3
Size Range: 9,12,15,18
Target User: Intermediate-Expert
Location: Northern New England
Surface: Grass/Dry land
Tester Skill: Expert
Winds: 5kts-15kts
MSRP $1149-$1699 KO.
About the 2017 Matrixx III. HQ does a great job of producing a kite model and sticking with it for a few seasons before they offer a new version.
Regular updates and improvements are always welcome but it can be frustrating from a consumer point of view and for the dealers. But HQ tends to stick
with stuff for a bit before any major changes. For example the original Matrixx was around for a while before the Matrixx 2 came out. The Matrixx 2
was a considerable jump in design and performance over the original and an absolute joy to fly and came out a few years after the original.
This year however, counter to HQ's normal product release cycle, they have already come with an updated version of the Matrixx and we now have
a 3rd version. After some production issues with the Matrixx 2 series HQ now has a new design being produced in a new factory.
Though the kite looks very much like the Matrixx 2, the Matrixx III has had some changes made to enhance it's performance and optimize it to make it
more compatible with rapidly growing and popular foil boarding segment of kitesport. How do these changes benefit those of us on snow? Only time will
tell. But even in the short amount of time we've spent playing with it, it is clear that the new kite offers a very similar comfortable feel that we
loved about the Matrixx 2 but with a bit more perfomance.
Picture
Characteristics:
Handling : Like the Matrixx 2 in experienced hands the new kite launches easily without any pre-inflation. Riders less experienced will benefit from
some amount of pre-inflation but really, with a little practice, it launches pretty easy right out of the bag. A little extra back line tension as
you launch is helpful. The intakes on this kite have been repostioned to help improve inflation and maintain internal air pressure and from what we
saw they do a very good job. The Matrixx 2 inflated very well and this kite is even better.
Once in the air the Matrixx III feels a bit more "sporty" than the Matrixx 2. Turn rate is faster and it feels more lifty than the Matrixx 2. This
could simply be a byproduct of the shorter turn response or it may actually be generating more lift. My feeling is that it is a little bit of both.
Until we really get out with it and put the kite through some proper paces, I really can't say for sure.
But I can say that I like the feel and the snappy but smooth power delivery.
Even in the erratic winds I've been flying this kite in the last few days (4kt-15kts) I felt comfortable snapping the wing around, sheeting in and
getting some low but floaty static boosts. At speed I would bet the Matrixx 3, especially in the 12 and 9m sizes, will be a crowd pleaser for those
who want to send it to the moon.
The kite is uber stable. Being a closed cell it has some advantages in light shifty winds as it resists collapse and and is able to power through
holes in the wind. Some major shifts that caused the kite to fold in half, the internal air pressure helped maintain shape and greatly increased your
chances of recovery. The same collapse on a kite like the Zeekai or other open cells would be less likely to work out. One thing that we noticed is
some tendency to overfly in gusts when sitting at the zenith. Nothing drastic that couldn't easily be offset by sheeting in slightly or
re-positioning the kite but it was noticeable compared to the Matrixx 2. By no means is it a deal breaker or a mark against the kite's stability.
Just something noteworthy to anyone who is familiar with the Matrixx 2.
Given that the Matrixx III has been optimized to make it more foil board compatible, and has a higher AR than the previous Matrixx series, it's not
suprising that it exhibits some amount of overflight tendency similar to other high AR race variants. At a lesser level of overflight than many race
kites but slightly more than you would see from the Matrixx 2. We think that the Matrixx III is beginning to blur the line between freestyle kite and
race focused kites an the overflight that we saw is minimal and within reason given the potential performance benefit. It's worth noting that when
set at the edge of the window the kite was very stable and rock solid, even in gusts and exhibited no overflight at the window edge, which for our
area is important as we rarely can safely sit with the kite at the zenith if we need a break.
Another thing we noticed is a lack of wingtip collapse. Even while hot launching a completely flat kite. Even if you get heavy handed and over bar
steer the via the leader, the kite was solid and resisted wingtip collapse or wrapping around the bridle.
Gust handling seemed on par with the Matrixx 2. When static flying, you really get a sense of how well the kite is handling the gust factor as you
don't have the ability to alter your ride to deal with it. The Matrixx III did very well in the gusts and the depower when needed worked as you would
hope. Turn rate was slightly affected by trimming the kite out completely but it was still good.
The Depower on this kite is great. Static flying you can trim it all the way out and bring it across the window and it is very gentle and forgiving.
Let the trim out and she is a beast. Hard to say how it compares to the Matrixx 2 without side by side comparison but it is good and should instill
confidence.
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One Bar CL
Safety Systems and Bar : The 2017 Matrixx III uses a FLS (Front Line Safety). As we now sell the kite in the KO (Kite only) option, this means that
anyone with a 4 line bar that uses a FLS safety, can mate thier bar to the new kite. Some people may find that some bar tuning is required to get the
best performance out of the Matrixx III but this could be as simple as adding a few pigtails. There is nothing exotic here and the kite should work
fine on most 4 line FLS bars. When the safety, a push away design, is activated the Matrixx III flags out off the front line.
The kite is attached to your lease by a 4.5 line that runs through the CL, bar, a ring on the cleat and then the spinner. When activated the bar
slides down the 4.5 line and eventually to a stopper. Like other systems, the stopper needs to be at least the wing length away from you to flag out
effectively. Which this is. The 4.5 line has an integrated bungee which does a good job of mitigating the shock that can occur when releasing the
kite. It works well and takes the edge off.
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HQ One Bar
Like many FLS systems, the kite can flop around a bit upon release. This might make a mess in the lines while the bar is sliding to the
stopper. If you pay attention to what the bar is doing it is an easy thing to pick up the bar, reset the safety and feed the 4.5 line out until even
line tension and relaunch.
The only "issue" we had with activating the safety system is occasionally one of the bridles would fall behind the wingtip. This is not uncommon with
kites that have long thin bridle assemblies and it is easily remedied by rolling the kite over, leading edge down, and reverse launching.
Picture
The FLS is the "end all" means of bringing the kite down. Otherwise, depending on the bar you use, a stall handle is likely your primary means
for landing the kite. The bar we are using on the Matrixx III is the HQ One bar and it's the nicest bar HQ has ever offered. The only "downside" to
it is that they have gone to stall/reverse launch balls on the back line leaders. Similar to what you see on other brands. Generally we install stall
handles on if it doesn't affect the function of the safety systems. Stall handles are easier to grab with winter gloves and we will be installing
them on our Matrixx III demos.
Build Quality: Like the Matrixx 2 from last season, It has the same super thin low drag bridles that we saw on the Matrixx 2 but it almost seems to
be less bridling. I'd have to compare them side by side to be sure. Stitch work seems great and there were no indication of any issues. The new
vents are completely different. New rectangular shape and placed in strategic locations to ensure faster inflation rate and consistent internal air
pressure. There are no odd panels cut for the sake of graphics and the kite is covered with sublimated graphics.
Picture
The new vents are completely different. New rectangular shape and placed in strategic locations to ensure faster inflation rate and consistent
internal air pressure. There are no odd panels cut for the sake of graphics and the kite is covered with sublimated graphics. All the bridle points
look solid, the rear zip is the same as years past and includes the lycra bit to cover the zipper and keep it from snagging. The dust outs work well
are big enough and have the blocking flap to allow you to fly with the dust outs open incase you need to vent water, sand or snow. The kite
flies very well with the dust outs open.
The Matrixx III has a higher cell count than the Matrixx 2 did. The cell counts are the same throughout the entire size range.
Bottom Line: As I type this review the snow is finally falling and in the next few days we should have conditions worth riding. Once
we get to use the Matrixx III in motion it we will have a better idea of the kite's personality and performance. Obviously static flying isn't going
to expose all the traits of the kite to us but it does let us know a lot about it. If the kite can fly well in choppy winds and be managed while
standing still in most of it's wind range, it's a well behaved wing. At this point we're pretty excited about the Matrixx III. I have confidence
that it will be as great a kite as the Matrixx 2 and a good option for anyone that want's a kite that can do a bit of everything and do it well while
not killing off their bank account. As we said last year, HQ is really producing some great kites and the Matrixx series is really worth considering
if you are in the market for a new wing.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this review which will be posted as soon as we can get out and really ride!
Chris Krug-Owner @ Hardwater Kiting. Authorized Dealer of Ozone, Flysurfer, HQ kites.
www.hardwaterkiter.com 603-986-2784
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