Mugenkites “Ziggy” STD/UL Review by Alex

 

P1000848

Construction

The build quality corresponds to a boutique kite standards. Quality dacron for leading edge with precisely cute holes for APA fittings. Bisonyl nose material, mylar and dacron reinforcement for trailing edge. The custom standoff connectors (modified HQ screw ones) are excellent. The quality of the stitching is very good. The only thing that I’d preferred in the test kite is the reinforcement material (kind of soft dacron) for standoff area instead of light mylar in a production version. But its not critical for me, more like matter of choice.

The yo-yo stoppers remind me of the Kitehouse ones and I like them very much, they work better for me and prevent any failure with unrolling during a long freestyle session. As for the panel layout ? Well the Ziggy hits a home run there, separating itself from the field with its cool asymmetric design.


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Framing

The STD is framed in Skyshark Nitro, the UL in Nitro lite, top choices for very solid and durable frames. The upper spreader is 6mm structil for the STD, 5mm for the UL, both kites use mini APAs which look cleaner in my opinion, than the fat ones needed for 6mm ones. This change has no effect in flight, the fade is bit stable on STD.

The 3 point bridle is a good choice. It works as expected for tricks and precision as well.Tail weight more than enough for fast yo-yos and 360 one pop backspins.

In Flight

Good feedback on the lines. Tracking and carving are much easier than on most any modern freestyle kite with constant medium to moderate pull.

The wide wind range of the STD extends from low to high with no apparent risk to the kite. The UL has a very nice medium pull even in medium to strong wind which makes its a very versatile kite. The Ziggy handles bumpy, turbulent winds well, reminding me some precision kites. The G tech inner standoffs help the kite to track precisely in such conditions and help slow the kite during wind gusts.



Tricks

Here is the good news, mostly all tricks are in. Crazy copters are great. The kite excels at Taz and Cometes. .Jaccobs Ladders are easy and the Multilazy is ok. Rotations are not so flat, but for a kite with a such a radical shape they are more than acceptable. The Lifting backflip is nice, Axel Cascades are marvelous on UL, with STD needing more tending of the lines, but I like them all the same. Ground work tricks are all there such as Tipstand to taz or comete. Two points are precise and easy for any intermediate pilot.

Really, this kite feels like a modern full size competition rather than a mid size freestyle. Yoyos both one and two pop are easy and look graceful, I really like two pop on Ziggy. The fact that basic tricks and transitions easy to do which makes the Ziggy appealing for fliers of all abilities, beginners to advanced.

There are some quirks and traits though. The fade is pretty tricky, not so stable in variable winds with the STD. The UL does much better. As with other kits with deep sails, flic flacs can be a chore. Backspin cascades need a stable fade to initiate and then careful slack management for good results. None of this is a big deal for advanced fliers and I have a lot of fun doing all those moves.

Conclusion

The Ziggy has become one of my favorite kites and a fixture in my everyday kite bag. It fully covers my flying style and trick selection. Its wind range and ability to handle bumpy conditions mean I can enjoy it at the beach or inland at a field and year round.

This is a great, versatile kite. Fun for trick pilots and yet smooth and precise enough for a ballet routine. It’s top notch construction, from the best materials and will a killer graphic. What more could you want from a kite ?

Many thanks to Gabor for making these great kites, it’s a pleasure to fly Ziggy each and every time.

-Alex