Nexus, X-Lite and Section come together
The all-new Core NXS is a pretty interesting addition to the Core range.
Rather than being a completely new concept, Core has taken the best bits of the Nexus, X-Lite and Section and combined them into one kite designed to do a bit of everything.
And they’ve even stolen a little of the Pace secret sauce along the way.
The result is a kite aimed at riders who don’t want to be locked into one particular style.
Freeride, boosting, waves, foiling — the NXS is designed to handle all of it.
We’ve spent time riding the new NXS to see how it actually performs on the water and whether it really can be the one-kite quiver that does everything.
Watch Our Full Review
So, What Is The NXS?
The easiest way to describe the NXS is versatility.
It’s designed to be intuitive and easy to ride, while still giving you enough performance to keep things interesting as your riding progresses.
If you’ve ridden the Nexus before, you’ll probably feel pretty comfortable on the NXS straight away.
But there are noticeable differences.
It’s cleaner and more refined, with a lighter feel on the bar, quick steering without becoming twitchy and a really nice balance between performance and ease of use.
And that’s probably the biggest thing that stood out to us.
The NXS is just easy.
Put it where you want it and it tends to do exactly what you’d expect.
What’s Changed?
Core has completely redesigned the platform for the NXS, using its latest materials and airframe development.
The result is a kite that feels lighter in the sky and sits further forward in the window.
That forward position gives the NXS plenty of drive upwind while also making it feel efficient through the window.
It’s quick without feeling nervous, and the power delivery is smooth and predictable.
The kite also has a good amount of range, which is important for something designed to cover so many different styles of riding.
How Does It Fly?
This is where the NXS starts to make a lot of sense.
The steering is direct, but it doesn’t feel aggressive.
You can throw the kite around when you want to, but it also settles down nicely when you’re just cruising.
The power delivery is smooth and predictable, making it easy to control when the wind gets stronger or more inconsistent.
It also has plenty of boost.
It’s obviously not designed to compete directly with the XRX if your entire goal is maximum height, hangtime and big air performance, but there’s more than enough lift here to have some serious fun.
And then you can turn around and take it into the waves or onto a foil.
That’s where the versatility really starts to show.
Freeride
For everyday freeriding, the NXS is a really easy kite to like.
It has plenty of power, good upwind performance and enough steering response to keep things fun without constantly demanding your attention.
You can jump it, cruise it, carve it and just generally get out on the water without needing to think too much about what the kite is doing.
For riders who don’t want a highly specialised kite, that’s a pretty compelling combination.
Waves & Drift
The NXS also carries some of the DNA that made the Section such a popular kite.
It has good drift and doesn’t constantly want to race back through the window when you take the power off.
That makes it much more comfortable in waves and when you’re riding more powered by the board rather than the kite.
It’s not a dedicated wave kite, but if you’re someone who likes mixing up your sessions, the NXS gives you plenty of options.
Foiling
This is another area where the NXS makes sense.
The lighter bar feel, quick steering and predictable power make it easy to use when you’re riding a foil.
You don’t need to constantly fight the kite or make huge steering inputs.
There’s enough responsiveness to move it around the window while still being forgiving when you’re learning or progressing.
Again, it’s not designed specifically as a foil kite — but that’s the point.
You can use the same kite for a foil session in the morning and then go boosting in the afternoon.
NXS vs XRX
This is probably the comparison we’re going to get asked the most.
The XRX is the big air machine.
It’s all about massive sheet-and-go power, hangtime, stability and making big jumps easier.
The NXS is much more of an all-rounder.
It’s lighter, more playful and more versatile, with better drift and a broader range of disciplines.
If you primarily want to go as high as possible, we’d point you towards the XRX.
If you want one kite that can handle almost anything you throw at it, the NXS makes a lot more sense.
Who Is The NXS For?
The NXS has a really broad audience.
It’s a great option for:
- Freeriders
- Riders progressing their skills
- Riders who want to jump
- Wave riders
- Foilers
- Riders who don’t want a specialised kite
- Anyone looking for a versatile one-kite or small-quiver setup
It’s also a really good option if your riding changes throughout the season.
One day you’re boosting.
The next you’re riding waves.
Then the wind drops and you grab the foil.
The NXS is designed to handle all of those sessions without needing to change kites.
Our Take
The NXS might be one of the most interesting kites in the new Core range because it’s not trying to be the absolute best at one particular discipline.
Instead, it’s trying to be really good at almost everything.
And that’s exactly what we think Core has achieved.
It takes the versatility of the Nexus, some of the drift and wave characteristics of the Section, the lighter and more refined feel of the X-Lite, and adds a little of the performance DNA from the Pace.
The result is a kite that’s easy to ride, quick without being twitchy, light on the bar and capable across a huge range of conditions.
If the XRX is the kite you buy when you want to go big, the NXS is the kite you buy when you want to do everything.
Want to check out the new Core NXS? Head into Kite Republic or get in touch with the KR crew and we’ll help you find the right size for your riding.