Review CORE GTS2 2014

« Return to search results
Riding type: Freeride/Allround
Year: 2014
Brand: CORE Kiteboarding
Size: 05m, 06m, 07m, 08m, 09m, 10m, 11m, 12m, 13m, 14m, 15m
Type: SLE
Share:

Kite

For allround performance a 5 strut C-shaped SLE kite

Designers goals

The new GTS2 is the most radical kite that CORE has ever built. Yet it remains a true All-in-One kite thanks to the revolutionary 'Future-C' Shape.
Simply put, it's a kite that can do everything: big airs, powerful wave riding and radical kiteloops, both hooked and unhooked.
The improvement of the original GTS proved a tough nut to crack for the CORE development team. The GTS2 took over 2 years to develop, and created a new kite concept, the 'Future-C'. This shape intelligently combines all the advantages of both a 'C' and a 'High Depower' kite. Without compromise.

Features

  • Future-C: radical flight characteristics
  • maximum comfort
  • safety & most direct C-kite bar feeling
  • precise turning behaviour
  • More lift,
  • unhooked tricks Customizable from easy handling to super agility
  • Early planing
  • instant-relaunch (just like a delta kite)
  • New Speed-Pump-System
  • Virtual Fifth Line (safety

Sensor Bar

core sensor bar1 | Most direct bar feeling

The unique hollow Unibody construction reduces the weight by 43% whilst at the same time increasing the breaking load. The intelligent mass distribution and reduction of the mass moment of inertia (by 55%) enables a noticeably more direct feeling of the kite. In addition, the leveled bar ends reduce, through improved leverage, the bar steering force.

2 | Revolutionary Safety

The ergonomically designed revolutionary rotor quick-release enables an intuitive safety release with the least amount of effort. In contrast to traditional systems there is no power required against the flow of the water. At CORE the entire safety system, quick- release and the new leash, work together harmoniously. With this the SENSOR-Bar not only exceeds the highest standards, but also sets new levels in safety.

3 | Unsurpassed Comfort

CORE presents the only 100% self unswivelling bar system. The mid-bar grip ability was optimised with a further development of the line guides and a noticeably thinner bar diameter. The low wear adjuster halves the trimming effort required with the new adjuster. The SENSOR-Bar is suitable for all kite sizes – one bar for all. The SENSOR Pro-Leash and Pro-Loop are available for pro riders.

 

Details:

Riding type: Freeride/Allround
Year: 2014
Brand: CORE Kiteboarding
Size: 05m, 06m, 07m, 08m, 09m, 10m, 11m, 12m, 13m, 14m, 15m
Type: SLE
One pump: Yes
Bridles: Yes
Number of struts: 5
Colours: Various
Line length: 24m
Bar length: 45cm-52cm
Bar: 4 lines
Depower: Clamcleat
Safety: Push
Swivel: Yes
Variable bar length: Yes
Oh shit handles: No

There are 8 reviews on this product:

CORE GTS2 2014 09m
Name:
Steven Akkersdijk 
Weight:
86 kg 
Riding style:
wave, big-air, unhooked  
Years of experience:
Personal page:
Water conditions:
big-waves  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 25 knots up to 40
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
09m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
lift
 
GradualExplosive
kite stability
 
UnstableStable
boost
 
SoftStrong
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
kite relaunch
 
DifficultEasy
high end
 
Small rangeLarge range
safety system
 
DifficultEasy
sweet spot
 
ShortLong
kite feedback
 
MinimalGreat
windrange
 
LimitedWide
user friendly
 
PoorGreat
up wind
 
HardEasy
bar pressure
 
HeavyLight
total depower
 
Some pressureTotal depower
glide phase
 
ShortLong
low end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kitefinder.com - 03.02.2014 at 15:52 hour
Comments:
The Core GTS2 is a very quick, aggressive but still forgiving kite. Because of the Future C-shape it has lots of de power, but still that punch that you are looking for in your jumps and freestyle/wakestyle.
Because the kite is so quick it is a good kite for advanced kiteloops, you can steer it down far in the wind window and it will still come up and catch you.
This is a good kite for you if you want an allround performance kite that excels in Kiteloops and Wakestyle/freestyle. 
1 kudos - +

Replys to this review

Be the first one to reply, leave a comment!
Submit your reply Make your own review
CORE GTS2 2014 10m
Name:
Real watersport team 
Weight:
-- 
Riding style:
allround, wave, unhooked  
Years of experience:
+5 
Personal page:
Water conditions:
flat, small-waves  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 12 knots up to 22
Number of test sessions:
+3 
Kite size:
10m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
sweet spot
 
ShortLong
windrange
 
LimitedWide
high end
 
Small rangeLarge range
low end
 
Small rangeLarge range
bar pressure
 
HeavyLight
total depower
 
Some pressureTotal depower
user friendly
 
PoorGreat
kitefinder.com - 11.12.2013 at 20:15 hour
Comments:
What we like:
The GTS2 is a great contender for riders looking to ride waves and do unhooked freestyle. A lot of our team here in Cape Hatteras like to bounce between those two disciplines and we have found that the GTS2 is a great option for those riders. The unhooked performance is better than the XR3 (better pop & more slack in the air) and this kite is also great fun for hooked in tricks and kite loops.

Unsurprisingly, it's speed and performance also make the GTS2 a great option for the waves too. If you need a bigger kite to ride waves in lighter wind - the 12m GTS 2 is a seriously good choice.

What we don't like:
The GTS2 doesn't have the same amount depower or bar throw as the XR3. Controlling the amount of power on offer with this kite also requires solid edge control so beginner riders would definitely be a better fit for the XR3. Overall though the wind range and depower are excellent for a kite that very closely resembles a c - kite.

We found that the standard tuning made the kite back-stall a bit so you may need to retune your gear or pull on a bit of depower to get the perfect tuning.

Why you want the Core GTS2:
Because you are hunting for the elusive combo of unhooked tricks and wave riding and want one kite that can do both. The GTS2 works well for both 
1 kudos - +

Replys to this review

Be the first one to reply, leave a comment!
Submit your reply Make your own review
CORE GTS2 2014 09m
Name:
Jens Dijkhuis 
Weight:
78 
Riding style:
allround, wave, big-air, unhooked  
Years of experience:
Personal page:
Water conditions:
flat, small-waves, big-waves  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 15 knots up to 32
Number of test sessions:
50 
Kite size:
09m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
boost
 
SoftStrong
safety system
 
DifficultEasy
price quality
 
PoorGreat
high end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kite reaction
 
SlowQuick
kite feedback
 
MinimalGreat
sweet spot
 
ShortLong
windrange
 
LimitedWide
up wind
 
HardEasy
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
drift
 
HardSoft
kitefinder.com - 24.09.2013 at 10:08 hour
Comments:
strong, high performance, ideal for freestyle 
3 kudos - +

Replys to this review

Be the first one to reply, leave a comment!
Submit your reply Make your own review
CORE GTS2 2014 07m
Name:
Okke Engel 
Weight:
70 
Riding style:
allround  
Years of experience:
10 
Personal page:
Water conditions:
chop  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 30 knots up to 40
Number of test sessions:
10 
Kite size:
07m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
safety system
 
DifficultEasy
durability
 
ShortLong
kite stability
 
UnstableStable
boost
 
SoftStrong
lift
 
GradualExplosive
glide phase
 
ShortLong
up wind
 
HardEasy
kite feedback
 
MinimalGreat
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
bar pressure
 
HeavyLight
windrange
 
LimitedWide
drift
 
HardSoft
sweet spot
 
ShortLong
low end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kite reaction
 
SlowQuick
total depower
 
Some pressureTotal depower
kitefinder.com - 10.06.2013 at 07:18 hour
Comments:
This is the first kite that's really suiting my needs.
I would recomment this kite for beginners with no fear and riders who like to push there limits in alls styles.

Bigger sizes (>9m) are perfect for unhookd tricks

smaller sites (<9m) are perfect for waveriding and kiteloops. 
2 kudos - +

Replys to this review

Be the first one to reply, leave a comment!
Submit your reply Make your own review
CORE GTS2 2014 09m
Name:
Erik Jensen 
Weight:
93 
Riding style:
allround, big-air, unhooked  
Years of experience:
Personal page:
Water conditions:
flat, chop  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 12 knots up to 24
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
09m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
kite feedback
 
MinimalGreat
lift
 
GradualExplosive
up wind
 
HardEasy
kite stability
 
UnstableStable
high end
 
Small rangeLarge range
sweet spot
 
ShortLong
windrange
 
LimitedWide
drift
 
HardSoft
total depower
 
Some pressureTotal depower
user friendly
 
PoorGreat
glide phase
 
ShortLong
safety system
 
DifficultEasy
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
low end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kitefinder.com - 23.11.2012 at 10:43 hour
Comments:
1st of all I'd like to say that this kite feels like driving a racecar compared to a diesel engine tourer. The kite is quick, precise and the build quality is top notch. They have a special feel that is so smooth, a bit hard to describe.
Ind the high windrange theese kites are f*ing ace! In the lowest windrange I though find them to lack bottom end pull and will need a lot of powerstrokes to get you going. But basically as soon as you can plane, you can go upwind with'em. The solution might be going 1 sqm up in the sizes you are used to, or just accepting that this is normal for c-shaped kites. They are very stable and boost awesome in the upper windrange. And you can trim the kite to your exact wishes. They unhook nice too, especially on the wakestyle setting. The bar is one of the things I'm not too impressed by. The release I think would be a little bit complicated to reassemble in cold water, even though I have never had to use it, and the foam on the bar is easily scratched off. I.e. when you bump it on your board in crashes. And I find that riding suicide with the steelring attached to the chickenloop is the ionly thing that makes sense for me. Oh, and get the bigger chickenloop if you are an unhooker.
Deffinately kites you can buy with confidence on basically any skill level, if you have high demands to your kites. 
2 kudos - +

Replys to this review

Be the first one to reply, leave a comment!
Submit your reply Make your own review
CORE GTS2 2014 09m
Name:
Jens Dijkhuis 
Weight:
75 kg 
Riding style:
wave, unhooked  
Years of experience:
Personal page:
Water conditions:
flat  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 17 knots up to 21
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
09m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
boost
 
SoftStrong
kite relaunch
 
DifficultEasy
lift
 
GradualExplosive
sweet spot
 
ShortLong
windrange
 
LimitedWide
safety system
 
DifficultEasy
total depower
 
Some pressureTotal depower
kite feedback
 
MinimalGreat
up wind
 
HardEasy
drift
 
HardSoft
kitefinder.com - 18.10.2012 at 17:47 hour
Comments:
very nice freestyle kite with a long dead moment to preform your tricks in.
This kite is especially suitable for freestyle  
6 kudos - +

Replys to this review

Be the first one to reply, leave a comment!
Submit your reply Make your own review
CORE GTS2 2014 10m
Name:
Trent 
Weight:
91 
Riding style:
wave, unhooked  
Years of experience:
Personal page:
Water conditions:
chop, small-waves, big-waves  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 14 knots up to 25
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
10m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
lift
 
GradualExplosive
price quality
 
PoorGreat
durability
 
ShortLong
kite relaunch
 
DifficultEasy
high end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kite feedback
 
MinimalGreat
safety system
 
DifficultEasy
user friendly
 
PoorGreat
low end
 
Small rangeLarge range
up wind
 
HardEasy
total depower
 
Some pressureTotal depower
windrange
 
LimitedWide
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
glide phase
 
ShortLong
bar pressure
 
HeavyLight
boost
 
SoftStrong
kitefinder.com - 06.10.2012 at 20:48 hour
Comments:
This kite took a few sessions to really get the feeling of, and its worth experimenting with the settings because they aren't just adjustments, they make a real big difference to kites feel and performance. It's quite different in many ways to previous Core kites, but in a really good way. Previous kites have had that "soft and safe" feel to them, this kite still feels very safe and gives you massive confidence but has amazing explosive pop, and really feels like a C-kite should, fast, raw and grunty - perfect for my freesytle, but has enough depower to go wave riding or wakestyle. The next most noticable thing about the kite is how well it manages gusts for a C. Core are known for their good low bar pressure, but I'm use to flying Torch's so I started on the heaviest bar setting first. On the heaviest setting it has a lot more bar pressure, but not as much as some other kites I've tried. I ended up going back to the medium setting again as I got more use to the kite, as the kite is so predictable that I didn't need the heavy bar pressure to know what it was doing. You can land blind on this kite and go straight into another trick or pop a kiteloop without even looking at where the kite is. It loops on a dime, and is fast enough to catch you on the 10m if you go for bigger loops.

Riding unhooked is a real breeze on this kite. It delivers explosive pop and then gives you enough time to hook back in before racing up wind again. The depower system is really simple and is easy to adjust hooked in or out which is handy and the bar has a really comfortable grip too.

I haven't had a kite-roll or a tangle yet, but I can tell from the 4-line setup than it would be reasonably easy to sort out in the water. Relaunch is super easy, it doesnt try tug you downwind - the kite just glides to the edge of the window and sits on the water for you, which is nice for when your wipeout, you pop your head out of the water, and its just waiting there for you at the edge of the window.

Very impressed with the GTS2. Definately fly it a few times before making up your mind though, it took me 3 or so sessions to get use to it, and then the decision was so simple. It has got a real C kite feel, amazing explosive pop and has really good depower too. 
11 kudos - +

Replys to this review

Be the first one to reply, leave a comment!
Submit your reply Make your own review
CORE GTS2 2014 10m
Name:
stefarius 
Weight:
93 
Riding style:
allround, wave, race  
Personal page:
Water conditions:
flat, chop  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 15 knots up to 22
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
10m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
kite relaunch
 
DifficultEasy
kite stability
 
UnstableStable
high end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kite reaction
 
SlowQuick
lift
 
GradualExplosive
total depower
 
Some pressureTotal depower
windrange
 
LimitedWide
low end
 
Small rangeLarge range
bar pressure
 
HeavyLight
boost
 
SoftStrong
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
kitefinder.com - 18.06.2012 at 13:28 hour
Comments:
First impression Core GTS2 in 4-5 bft. It is a different feeling than al the others Core kites. More aggressive, more lift in the middle of the flightline, but still the stability and control. The Core GTS2 c-kite shape gives it more a freestyle look & feeling. Great pop! But also a fast turning freestyle kite with a short depower range (easy to adjust from hooked in and out). In its high-end (22 knots) great old school performance because its lift and easy of control!
Its a first impression because there are different setting and we noticed already a big difference between all the settings.
 
11 kudos - +

Replys to this review

Be the first one to reply, leave a comment!
Submit your reply Make your own review


Write your own review