Ride Optimized Geometry: Every size of Taboo is unique. We’ve used a different blend of materials, construction techniques, bridling and 3D geometry to create a range of high performance kites where each model is ideally suited to delivering maximum performance in one advanced riding style. No other kite is designed this way.

Power Strut Design: Light wind racing and riding requires every possible advantage so the 15m and 17m Taboos use a high aspect-ratio/projected area canopy planform that provides maximum power from every square meter of available canopy. Combined with an ultra thin 5th strut design air-frame for reduced drag and faster turning it delivers the perfect combination of power and control for lightwind domination.

New Needle Leading Edge: The leading edge of every Taboo is stitched with a new needle, one needle per leading edge. Replacing the needle for every new Taboo LE ensures a more accurate stitch with smaller needle holes and a stronger final construction. It might cost a little more to do it this way but it’s the best way to build a kite.

Fixed Line Micro Bridles: If you want the fastest turning and most direct feedback from your kite then you need to be as directly connected to it as possible. The Taboo uses an ultra short front bridle with no sliders or pulleys so it gives you all the advantages of a direct connection to your kite and still retains the stability, huge wind-range and ease of relaunch that you’ve come to expect from our SLE kite designs.

EZ-pump: The EZ-pump connectors on the Taboo use a new Xmas tree connector that directly attaches the tubes to the valves without the intermediary connector. Reducing the number of parts in the EZ-pump makes it more robust and easier to use and service.

Hidden Bridle Patch: By placing the LE attachment points on the inside of the kite rather than on the exposed outside of the leading edge we’ve been able to reduce the potential for snagging seam edges and fraying the LE Dacron. For snowkiting and All-terrain riding our even riders who don’t look after their gear it makes the new line-up from Best the obvious choice.

Kevlar Elbows: Kevlar reinforced, abrasion resistant leading edge elbow patches provide greater resistance against handling and launch/land damage; all-terrain use and snow kiting has never looked so attractive.

3D Kevlar Airframe: All leading edge and strut joints on your kite are laser cut, 3D shaped and Kevlar tape reinforced. There is no better way to connect the leading edge to the struts. Our construction gives the lightest and most durable inflatable kite structure available, yielding a kite with exceptional performance and easy handling for riders of all abilities.

Canopy Framing Technology: Crashing your kite is a fact of life. That’s why the perimeter of each canopy segment in every Best kite is supported with a unique reinforcement zone: isolating the canopy from impact and crash loads. CFT now uses an even stronger mark cloth reinforcement directly between the struts and the canopy, enhancing the strength of your kite without adding unnecessary weight. CFT is a unique approach to distributing shock loads, and the effective transfer of TE tension, across the canopy of your kite and you’ll only find it on Best kites.

Kookproof Connections: The front bridle on the Taboo is built with a double ended flying line attachment; this can be removed and flipped to provide either a knot or a loop connection for use with the Kookproof equipped front line loops on the Redline Performance Bar.

ÇLoad Flex Seam: The tip-to-tip leading edge seam on all of our kites is triple stitched with a full length tape closure on the outside. The inside is fully taped with a full length Mark cloth strip for maximum strength with all internal seams being smooth-taped to protect the bladders from any ridges of stitching. The Load Flex seam design provides additional support to the leading edge helping to provide maximum strength and stability to your kite; it is one of the reasons why Best kites are famed for their legendary flying stability.

AB/Custom Tune: AB/Custom-Tune gives you the control to rig your kite to suit your personal riding style and wind condition. With multiple back line positions on the wingtips, you have the option to adjust the depower settings, back line pressure and the turning speed of your kite.

Flat Pack Seams: Our Flat Pack LE barrel seams contribute to the strongest LE construction we’ve ever made. Removing the overlap between segments has created a stronger and lighter LE construction with enhanced stiffness and torsion load handling for even greater responsiveness and durability.

Strut Strings: The strut bladders have a small length of string attached to the head of the bladder. This string passes through the head of the strut casing to allow you pull the bladder tight against the strut casing after replacing a bladder.

Reinforced Trailing Edge: The back of your kite takes as much abuse as the front so we reinforce the trailing edge of all of our kites either with Canopy Framing or our new Dacron reinforcement for even greater durability and the ultimate crash protection.

3D Scuff Guards: The Taboo canopy receives 3D injection moulded scuff pads to provide maximum protection in self launch situations.

Surf Tough: Surf Tough describes how we build-in the absolute highest quality with every kite that we make. There are no short cuts to great performance and lasting durability. We take pride in each and every kite that we make and that’s why you will find Surf Tough features on every one of our inflatable kites.

THE CONCEPT

The Taboo was created using our Ride Optimized Geometry concept where each aspect of the 3D design, material selection and construction techniques were made with the sole intent of creating the most perfect high performance kite in each size based on its intended riding style.

Though each size of the Taboo is unique there are design trends across the sizes in the range that define the limits of their incredible performance; some of these choices are illustrated below.

Wingtip design and center of effort placement:
Placing the center of effort deeper in the canopy of the smallest size Taboo models helps to maximize unhooked performance.

Creating a wider wingtip area and moving the front bridle tow points backwards gives maximum steering responsiveness for faster turning and lighter bar feel.

Modified materials usage:
Materials usage in every Taboo is adjusted according to the intended use of the kite. We modify the Dacron placement across the trailing edge and wingtip area to give the smaller kites even better crash resistance than Canopy Framing can provide and to help ensure that they can survive even a prolonged rinse in overhead waves.

Dacron use in the largest size Taboos is optimized to give the perfect blend of reduced kite weight to enhance lightwind performance while still ensuring that the wingtips are stiff enough to deliver the steering response and handling required by competitive course racers.

Aggressive canopy profiling and tip-to-tip shaping:
To improve power delivery throughout a turn in the medium Taboo sizes, the R&D team adjusted the canopy profile with a more aggressive curvature, this has the secondary benefits of allowing greater maneuverability paired with a lighter bar feel in midrange wind conditions.

Careful LE span shaping in the 10-14m Taboo sizes helps push turning ability while retaining all the stability and unhooked control of the smaller sizes. Improved power delivery and maneuverability in the medium sizes makes them kiteloop machines that retain their pull all the way through any loop making them the perfect new-school kite.

Swept wingtips for reduced drag and faster relaunch:
The 15m and 17m Taboos have a more pronounced backwards sweep to their wingtips compared to the small and medium sizes; this helps decrease drag by reducing the surface area in the wingtips.

The back sweep to the wingtips of the largest size Taboo kites enhances the ability of the kite to roll onto the wingtip area, facilitating a faster and an easier relaunch, even in lightwind conditions

Increased projected area and aspect ratio for maximum lightwind power per square meter:
Lightwind riding and course racing requires maximum efficiency from your kite, not just low end grunt. By increasing both aspect ratio and total projected canopy area compared to the smallest sizes the largest Taboos deliver both low end pull and maximum efficiency helping you ride and win when others cant.

Poly-strut placement helps modify drag characteristic for each intended use:
The taboo range uses 4, 5, and 6 strut canopy layouts to modify performance for specific riding style and kite sizes. The 4m and 5.5m kites use a quad strut layout. This allows enhanced airflow across the center of the canopy which reduces drag. Minimizing drag in the smaller sizes means they can point upwind further than is typically possible with very small kites helping to enhance their all-round usability.

The 6-14m Taboo kites use a 6 strut layout:
this ensures the centre of the canopy remains clear, helping to improve turning speed and jumping ability as well as ensuring that the ideal shape of the canopy is fully supported across the entire kite.

For lightwind and course racing the 15m and 17m kites need to be as efficient and as light as possible. To achieve this they use a new power-strut design where a 5 strut of much reduced cross section is used in the center of the kite. The 5th strut in the power-strut design is not connected to the EZ-pump system and can therefore be inflated separately to much higher pressure to compensate for the reduced stiffness from its reduced cross section. A different strut casing construction has been made to facilitate this higher pressure.

The Taboo introduces a new concept to building the ultimate quiver of high performance kites. Hooked or unhooked, on a wave or high above it, racing ahead of the pack or simply riding on a whisper of wind, each Taboo is uniquely engineered to optimize performance for specific riding conditions.

With a size range of 4m, 5.5.m 7m, 8m, 9m, 10m 12m, 14m, 15m and 17m there is a Taboo for every rider and every riding style.

The Taboo: Be untouchable.