Flysurfer ERA2 Kite

The ERA² is Flysurfer's most advanced tube kite and the brand does not hide who it is for: big air and radical kite loops, intermediate to professional. A beginner has no business here, and that is printed on the label.

The headline change in the second generation is a more swept-back outline. The reshaped wingtip curve creates a second lift during downloops — the kite adds lift at exactly the moment you are coming down, so landings after a huge air stay controlled. That is the feature people change kites for.

Aspect ratio went up from 5.1 to between 5.5 and 5.9 depending on size. More hangtime, better vertical lift, a longer and more efficient flight path. The arc is steeper with a pronounced C-shape, which is where the precise steering and clean power delivery come from.

Materials are Dacron and Teijin D2, with fewer panels than before. Fewer seams means less weight and smoother airflow across the canopy. Attachment points and reinforcements were redesigned around high-wind loads.

The kite accelerates in gusts and flies closer to the edge of the window, which gives you both speed and precise timing for take-off. Turns initiate at the wingtips immediately and hold a consistent arc.

Who it is not for. This is not a first kite or an only kite. For waves and playful freeriding Flysurfer point you at the STOKE; for learning, the INDIE. You buy an ERA when jump height has become the goal rather than a side effect.

Picking a size. Seven sizes from 6m to 14m. Weights: 2.42 kg on the 6, 2.90 on the 8, 3.32 on the 10, 4.32 on the 14. Aspect ratio climbs with size from 5.1 to 5.9. Lines are 23 m across the range. FUSION bar: S-M on the 6 and 7, M-L on the rest; FORCE: 47 cm up to the 9, 55 cm from the 10.

The kite was tuned in Cape Town, where 40 knots is a normal afternoon. If you want that in Mui Ne, tell us your weight and level and we will say where to start. Official Flysurfer dealer, worldwide shipping.