| Peak Feature |
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| Review |  |
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Introduction
The Peak from Didak is a low cost entry level 2.06m kite aimed at fliers new to Freestyle. This marketplace has become increasingly crowded recently, with the Addiction and offerings from Prism and Flexifoil. Like many kites in this price range the Peak is a package coming with a good zip up bag and a set of dyneema lines - but unlike many kites in the entry level bracket it has a full 6mm carbon frame, which marks it out as quite unusual.
Construction
Didak kites are made in the Far East, and over the years we have seen the quality improve. The rip-stop nylon sail is stuck and stitched together for the pleasing curved panel layout. The relevant points are reinforced, although the sewing is not always very straight. The single stand off shaped sail is deep, although has a slightly flattened nose section compared to some modern kites. The frame is 6mm carbon tube which is a refreshing change in this part of the market. The fittings are fairly cheap and chunky, but they work well.
The Peak has a reverse turbo bridle and a dynamic trick line. The trick line is W shaped, so it is brought in close to the standoff points to aid lazy susan type tricks, and has elastic in the centre which gives it quite a lot of movement. The lines supplied with the peak are reasonable quality dyneema, although as is often the case with packaged line-sets one was a little longer than the other.
Overall the Peak is constructed well for a kite in this price range. The quality is still behind that of Prism and some other kites made in the East, however it is quite acceptable. Furthermore there are some nice touches like the dynamic bridle and trick line that you don't tend to find on less expensive kites.
Style
The peak has a sail design that stands out, and is in tune with the curvy panel layouts of many freestyle kites. The usage of dacron on the tail really balances the black nose panels nicely.
The Peak is available in two colour schemes, and overall looks like a professional bit of kit rather than a toy. Neither does the Peak look over styled like some of the offerings from Prism.
Flight
Didak claims a minimum wind rating of about 1bft for the peak, but we found that in light winds the Peak could be quite difficult to control due to over-steer. However as the wind picks up the Peak becomes far more solid and quite suitable for a new flier. The 6mm frame really helps out here - the Peak does not flex or bend when flying - and it is quite possible to fly and perform tricks with the Peak in 20mph of wind. The frame is hard wearing, crashes did tend to result in the lower spreaders popping out which is better than a broken spar, but can be frustrating for the intermediate flier - of course a bit of tape would solve this small problem.
Moving
on to freestyle the Peak is certainly capable of all the basics. Axels, half
axels and cascades could be found with very few problems, although the Peak
lacks the crispness of modern polyvalent freestyle kites.The peak belly-outs
well and can be flic-flac 'd without great difficulty. The fractured axel
and flic-flac can be brought into a solid fade helped by the reverse turbo
bridle. From the fade backspins are possible but not easy, they need to be
timed as the kite sits with its nose high in the fade position. In light winds
it is certainly possible to yo-yo the Peak, although this is beyond the capabilities
of most fliers the kite is aimed at. The same with the comet, which just evaded
us, although I am sure could be coaxed out of the kite. Flat-spins and 540's
provided us with no problem rounding off the basic freestyle tool kit - except
for one area. Although the trick line is in-cut we found lazy susans very
difficult on the Peak, as the active element tended to spring the whole kite
rather than just one wing. Removing the trick line would probably help. In
the end we found the Peak was happy doing top of the window gentle old school
style lazy susans rather than the snappy kind.
The flight characteristics of the Peak are great for a kite in this price range. It really is a 6ft freestyle kite rather than a starter kite that happens to do a few tricks.
Conclusion
The Peak's unique selling point is definitely the 6mm carbon frame. It beats the Flexifoil Pulsar on price and the Addiction on rigidity, even those those two kites probably pip it to the post on overall freestyle capability the addition of a trick line on the Peak will aid the new flier in learning the basics. The Peak is also larger than the Prism Nexus. The Peak has come into a crowded market place but it certainly holds its own, especially with its good high wind performance.
In conclusion we were impressed by the Peak, if you are looking for an entry into freestyle then this one is certainly worth consideration.
