Libre Pantera 9M

A few weeks ago Libre sent me a Pantera 9.0 to try (I also fly Libre Radicals besides my beloved Frenzy 07 10 and my Access XC 6.0).

The kite came in a blue bag. The bag is big enough to fit in two kites (or drink, fleece, sandwiches, helmet etc.), which is convenient. Pity is that there is no separate pouch to put your keys and wallet in. Also the bag had no handle so you have to carry it on your back.

Oh well, those are just minor gripes. Overall quality seems decent enough.

The kite itself is blue. Very blue. I actually hoped for the Very Orange one, but this is very beautiful too. In fact: the blue makes the kite seem very light, whereas the orange colour would have made it heavier on the eyes.

The kite is very well made, as to be expected from Libre. It doesn't have the edges of the inlets reinforced with mylar, but I find that it keeps its shape
well without. The material used is the usual ripstop nylon. The stitches, bridles, the pulleys, everything seems of decent quality and well thought out.

Also the bar seems all right, allthough I would have preferred it not to be 100% black. I like one side to be another colour.

So: out of the bag, into the sky!

First flight was on a beach with decreasing wind. Since I am used to a somewhat larger kite I was amazed at how well it pulled me on my ATB. After a while though the wind almost died and I tried my Frenzy instead. I had problems even getting that up in the air, so I back again to the Pantera, only to find that that still flew very well. It didn't manage to pull me along in this faint wind (4 knots), but it flew and kept its shape pretty well! It almost didn't luff and when it did it was easily recoverable too. No bowties of any kind!

Next flight was in winds around 15 knots. Again: I love the smooth handling of the kite! You can feel the power coming and going as you fly it, very predictable and also gusts don't seem to bother it much. Due to the high grass we rode on the road. We went fast, as you can imagine, but then I never ever felt out of control! Many friends that day flew the Pantera and everyone simply loved it.

Third session was in winds between 8 and 13 knots on a large field. Again it pulled me along quite well and I could keep up with the larger fixed bridles easily.

This is a kite that immediately feels safe! I would give this to any depower newbie. It is simply a stable, predictable kite. But don't underestimate it though! It does give back what you put in it! Work it through the window and it will deliver even more power! And little lift does not mean no lift at all!

It does have lift and nice floaty landings too, although it is no freestyle kite (it is not meant to be). Resort to the Libre Radical if you are into that
stuff.

Neverthless I made pretty high pendulum jumps with it, flying statically.

But what I really like is its low end, a known flaw with depower kites. Last session with the kite we started again with lowish wind and although my Frenzy flew, it resisted to really pull me along. The Pantera however, although a little smaller, did!

This in my opinion is a true competitor to the Ozone Access! It is a kite that I trust and recommend to anyone looking for a powerful sail that just does the job (and does it well). It is easy, but still performant! Exellent value for money!

Well done Libre!
 

By : jesse