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The article below has been written by The Kiteboarder and is available at http://www.thekiteboarder.com/2014/02/tkb-review-2014-star-taina/
The Taina is for riders who demand performance over the broadest range of conditions; however, due to its incredible turning speed, grunt, and depower, this kite is especially a dream come true for wave riders. The Taina reacts so well that you can steer it with one hand on the bar while surfing the waves. The Taina has great downwind drift with precise steering response and huge depower.
Due to its super easy relaunch and the ease of steering input, this kite is also perfect for kite schools or beginners. Its profile is shaped in a way that makes it impossible to stall, allowing a student to focus on the ride instead of the trimming.
All in all, the Taina is a perfect all-terrain kite with special performance for the waves, using this kite will keep you stoked during your endless sessions.
“Stable, fun, easy to fly, with some grunt but still goes upwind well,” Laird Davis.
“Steers fast in the larger sizes with lower bar pressure and boosts well but the bar could use more attention to detail,” Jonathan Dixon.
“Super solid all around kite, stable in the air, fun to jump with turning speed that is just fast enough so that most riders will be happy,” Marko Bartscherer.
The Taina is a 3-strut lower-aspect kite with swept-back wingtips. The Taina comes with two 9mm valves; the primary is a one-way valve for inflating which required some extra pumps to break-in while deflation was a bit slower through the smallish 9mm dump valve. The Taina has adjustable steering speed/bar pressure settings on the wingtip, longer length front bridles and standard construction features. Testers praised the Taina for its stability, fairly direct steering response and all around turning and jumping performance. Testers felt it had decent upwind performance, good range and fairly easy relaunch. Overall testers recommended the Taina as a capable freeride kite that is fun and easy to fly, ideal for beginner and intermediate riders.
The Taina came with the Nex Bar which features a plastic push away quick release, durable plastic depower/throw line, single center line safety depower, above bar tuning strap, hand operated below bar swivel, and adjustable length bar ends. Testers commented on the bar’s simple no-frills construction and longer throw length, but despite its overall plain look, this bar will appeal to those riders seeking a functional yet lightweight bar with a simple layout.
