Visit our on-line shop, the

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND

The Ozone FRENZY is described as a "freestyle" kite with "pop" and it has been available for a few years. Development has resulted in a kite which is VERY stable and has plenty of lift. Even the larger 06 Frenzys handle superbly and turn quickly for such large kites. Pulling back on the bar in a good wind rewards the flyer with that "pop" - instantaneous power and lift which feels great! One of the beauties of the Frenzy is its safety release system which I can say is VERY. VERY effective and reassuring. The kite can also be launched and landed unaided and in safety which is a major advantage.

So.......where does the ACCESS fit in? Ozone designed the Access basically for snowkiting where high lift is NOT a priority but smooth safe handling with depower is!! It shares many features with the Frenzy such as the safety release systems, stability, ease of use and of course the EXCELLENT quality which we've come to expect from Ozone. The MAJOR difference between the Frenzy and Access is LIFT. The Access develops LOW lift in comparison. There are one or two minor detail differences, for example the Frenzy has a depower adjuster strap and the Access doesn't and it uses Ozone's own developed fabric (as used on the Fury). The access bag is "interesting" - the best way I can describe it is an eskimo papoose so its useful for carry small kids around if necessary (No....DON'T try that at home please!!)

SET-UP

Set up is quick and easy. The lines are pre-attached to the bar and numbered to its a question of running them out, attaching the kite and we're ready. The primary safety release should be attached at the bar. There is a grab handle between the two lower / brake lines and this can be used to hold the kite down. An optional wrist leash is supplied and is an additional safety system if the kite is used WITHOUT depower i.e. without hooking into a harness. The main flying lines can be adjusted at the end of the primary release system on a series of knots - this dials in more or less depower (The Frenzy has a fully adjustable strap here).

A quick word of caution: Having flown both the 10m and the 6m kites, if the kite is held down using the grab handle (e.g. with a ground stake), in a highish wind the kite does have a tendancy to bounce around and gets in a bit if a flap. Its not so bad in a lighter wind. However - if the primary release is attached and the chicken loop is carefully hooked onto a harness, the kite wants to launch immediately so BE CAREFUL. I can state that this does NOT happen with a Frenzy. Even when attempting to land the Access, the BEST way is to release the primary safety with the chicken loop hooked in. This seems to bring the kite down positively whereas simply trying to rely on the grab handle causes a great deal of flapping about as if the kite wants to reverse launch. Once down, remove the chicken loop from the harness and pop it over a ground stake. This method WORKS !!!
FLYING

Once set up as described above and launched the Access flies very well indeed. As it accelerates up to the zenith its immediately apparent that the Access feels "tame" compared to a Frenzy. Whereas a Frenzy has plenty of grunt , the Access simply flies. Pulling back on the bar does increase the power / lift but its not "powerful lift"

So, you might ask, what's the point? Well, we have to look at the intended use / market for the Access - to "access the back country". the lower lift provides good traction without overpowering or feeling intimidated and I can see that it would be superb on a long off-piste run! The general handling characteristics are actually excellent. The stability is wonderful with no luffing whatsover and in fact the 6m flown in 17-19mph winds could lift me quite easily for some short hops. Its worth noting that pulling on the bar of both the Frenzy and Access provides both lift and some forward speed so you do end up a few metres further down the beach whereas something like a Peter Lynn Venom provides mostly vertical LIFT and tends to be more "floaty".

BUGGYING

The low lift of the Access is particularly useful for both landboarding and buggying!!!

I've tried the 10m and a 6m with a buggy and can report that the Access is surprisingly GOOD, in fact the 6m's performance in the 17-19mph wind was very interesting. Firstly, its dead easy to fly and quite relaxing compared to handles. I was impressed with the upwind performance and was able to make ground at a very shallow angle to the wind - certainly much, much better than 45 degrees and I could maintain speed up to about 25-30 degrees. The kite was great crosswind too - very fast! The turns were executed with the kite on full depower then by pulling on the bar the buggy did speed up! Taking up a more downwind course the Access did feel noticeably slower than a standard "foil" kite such as the Samurai or Yakusa and didn't pull particularly hard. As suggested the upwind and crosswind performance made up for this. The pull is definitely stronger on full power and once some forward speed was achieved the bar could be pulled back even on an upwind course to maintain traction.

Overall quite an interesting experience and to be honest very enjoyable. The ability to depower was great in the turns and to simply cruise along. The same can be said about the larger 10m kite. Although its slower through the air, the 10m pulled the buggy well in winds between 5 and about 12mph. In low wind speeds it was nice to simple trundle along, however when the wind picked up the larger kite was still very good upwind and crosswind.

CONCLUSIONS
A superb "allrounder". The Access would work very well for static flying, landboarding and buggying where you DON'T want to be dragged over or out. Easy and comfortable to fly and confidence inspiring safety release systems. The Access is also priced competitively for a depowerable and its ability to be used for a number of kiting activities makes it well worth considering. The kites on test were the 6m at £408.25 RRP and the 10m at £482.20 RRP. Good value for money i'd say and certainly a viable option to a fixed size kite.