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Aaron Hadlow - About the Original Dice and in comparison to the Dice SLS.

Today we are speaking to a rider who needs no introduction, considered by many as the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T,)  5 times world champion and multiple King of the Air winner AARON HADLOW about his impressions on the DICE. Aaron works on the development team for the Dice and he recently chose the Dice during the Cold Water Hawaii games in Denmark.

Hear the Full Interview

Hear the Full Interview

Hi Aaron, could you give us your impressions on the new Dice, what aspects have changed and what do you like about it?

Over the last few years, I have been lucky enough to help with my input and development on the Dice to get it where it is today. It’s one of the great all-around kites and the feeling gives me confidence in all conditions. Something you can grab out of the bag and get straight into the session. I’ve always gone to the Dice for my big air sessions, it’s been my go-to kite for the King of the Air and for when I want to go huge! It’s been slightly refined this year, we’re always trying to develop things like the build construction, but the solid base of the Dice is there and has been for a few years now and it’s really working well.

I’m loving the Dice, I like to use it in more aggressive conditions, stronger and more gusty winds. The SLS material is very stiff and solid whereas the classic construction is a bit more forgiving and a little more mellow and easy to use, so loving the new Dice and it’s definitely part of my quiver.

What kind of conditions and riding styles do you choose to ride it in over the Dice SLS?

The conditions I ride the Dice has to do with how the kite was built and the materials used in it. I’ve moved over to the Dice SLS for real high-performance lofty winds, somewhere like Cape Town with good kickers where you can really extract that potential. With the Dice, with the standard Dacron materials, I’ve been using it in smaller sizes like the 8 meter where the wind tends to be super gusty and very aggressive. Sometimes in Europe on a cold day with high-density wind, I find this kite to be a little more forgiving and handles the gusts a little better. Both kites have their place, I definitely sway towards the SLS in the big air performance category, but sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of confidence and have that solid Dice feeling with the Dacron construction. I have both the SLS and Dacron Dice in my quiver and have been experimenting with what works best for me in differing conditions.

You have all the kites in the range at your disposal, could you tell us why you chose the Dice, over the Dice SLS at the Cold Water Hawaii contest in Denmark?

In that recent competition, we had some extreme conditions, autumn wintery conditions and changeable conditions throughout the day. When using my 9 meter I was generally using the Dice SLS and that was working great when the conditions were a bit lighter, it was still very strong but not when compared with what was to come later in the day! (Unto 60 knots!) When it picked up I changed to an 8 meter Dice, as I mentioned previously, it’s a little bit softer, more forgiving. I found I could get a bit more feeling with it and feel the gusts a little less aggressively, so that was the reason behind choosing this kite. It’s hard in a contest environment when the kites are new, you don’t want to be testing both right before a heat so I had to decide on that. I think the SLS still has some great performance and would have worked, but at the time when the pressure is on, I wanted to go to a kite that I was very used to from the past in those extreme conditions.

What riders and riding styles are suited to the Dice and who would you encourage to give the dice a try?

The Dice is really aimed at a wide range of people. I think it's a really great kite if you want to do a bit of freestyle, a bit of big air and a bit of wave. It really merges together and works as something for all. Not having to take lots of different kites on a trip. It’s just a good go-to kite, especially when you are trying to up your performance. It has a really nice progressive nice steering and progressive loop and it really jumps huge too. It has a good bit of pop if you want to do some handle passes and don’t want to take a Vegas with you. It really depends on your style of riding.

I see a lot of young kids riding it and it’s their kite when they start to progress in those areas. I’m in Cape Town right now and this kite is ideal. I can jump on a surfboard, but then use that same kite for big air discipline and training for the King of the Air and at the same time I see a lot of Dices out on the water for people just having a good time on the water so it’s just a really good all-round kite.

What would you say is a common misconception about the Dice?

I think the most common misconception about the Dice is that it’s used by some of the big air riders and that it may be too heavy or difficult for most people to just jump on, but the reality is the kite has good de-power, the turning is really nice and predictable. You have really good bar feedback so it’s a really good kite for all levels and anyone who’s looking to progress and jump higher, learn some loops or maybe unhook a bit. If you are at an intermediate level and looking to progress, I think the Dice is really good. You can jump on it in multiple conditions and feel comfortable right away and use it in multiple disciplines. The Dice is really an exceptional kite in the range.