When people ask me why Rid'Air carries Ozone for kite and wing, my answer is always the same: because it's a brand built by riders, for riders. That's not a slogan slapped on afterwards, it's literally their motto — "riders building kites for riders" — and you can feel it in every stitch. Coming from paragliding, I look at wings with a slightly particular eye: I check the fabric quality, the tidiness of the lines, the logic of a range. Ozone ticks the boxes I expect from a serious manufacturer.
This article isn't the brand's paragliding page — for that, head over to our shop. Here we're talking about the kite and wing world: where Ozone comes from, how their philosophy runs through the whole range, and why that coherence makes a real difference for you on the water.
Who Ozone is, in a couple of clear words
Ozone is a New Zealand brand whose team is based in Raglan, a legendary surf and wind spot on the west coast of the North Island. That's no folkloric detail: being based there means having the test ground right outside the workshop. The people designing the wings fly them themselves, in real conditions, all year round.
Ozone's great distinguishing feature is its dual technical origin. The brand's R&D comes from both the paragliding world and the foil kite world (cell kites, the ones that inflate from the wind and have no leading-edge bladder). That dual culture is a goldmine when you move into wingfoil: the mastery of wing profile, light fabric, line management and rigidity comes straight from decades of free-flight experience. Few watersports brands have that aeronautical background.
"Riders building kites for riders": what it really means
That motto could sound like marketing. But once you compare the products, you get it. A brand run by accountants makes compromises on the fabric, on the finishing, on the details you can't see in a photo. A brand run by riders stays focused on what matters once you're on the water: how the wing behaves, its sturdiness, its lifespan.
In practice, that means products designed to last and to behave well in real life — not just in a perfect test under steady wind. It's exactly the kind of philosophy I've always stood for at the CEM: the gear should serve the pilot, not the other way around.
A coherent range: kites, wings, parawing
Ozone's real strength, to my mind, is the cross-range coherence. You find the same design logic, the same care, the same DNA, whether you pick up:
- a kite for kitesurfing — all the brand's foil kite and fabric expertise;
- a wing for wingfoil — a clean profile, intuitive handling, build quality;
- a parawing — that new hybrid object somewhere between the wing and the mini-paraglider, which Ozone is one of the natural pioneers of given its background.
That coherence isn't just a logo thing. When you move from one Ozone product to another, you find your bearings: the way the wing reacts, the quality of the materials, the reliability over time. For a pilot who rides several disciplines — and more and more people are getting into both kite AND wing — that's a real comfort. You don't start from scratch every time.
If you want to explore for real, take a look at our kites category and our wings category: the up-to-date specs, available sizes and prices are always reliable there, unlike anything I might write here in an evergreen article.
The parawing: where the Ozone DNA makes complete sense
If there's one object that sums up the Ozone philosophy, it's the parawing. It's a wing with no bladder, handled a bit like a soft kite and stowed in a tiny bag. To design it, you need to master the line setup, the soft profile and the light fabric — exactly the brand's paragliding and foil kite know-how. Ozone offers a parawing (the Pocket Rocket family) that nicely illustrates that lineage.
The parawing is the new wave, and it's shaking up quite a few of our habits. I've dedicated a guide to it if the subject tickles you: the parawing, the new wave. It's exactly the kind of innovation that a riders' brand, with genuine technical background, is able to bring out before the others.
Why Rid'Air carries Ozone for kite and wing
We don't list a brand by chance at Rid'Air. My criterion is simple: would I recommend this gear to a CEM student or to a mate? For Ozone, the answer is yes, and for several reasons:
- Build quality: fabric, stitching, finishing — it holds up over time, and gear that lasts is money saved.
- Range coherence: you can kit out a pilot from kite to wing to parawing with real logic, not a patchwork.
- Technical background: the dual paragliding + foil kite culture produces wings with healthy, intuitive behaviour that's reassuring as you progress.
- Value for money: we're among the cheapest on the market, and that goes for Ozone too. No reason to pay more elsewhere for the same product.
Ozone sits alongside the other brands we've chosen for wingfoil: Vayu on the wings and boards side, and Appletree on the carbon boards side. Each has its own personality; my job is to steer you towards the one that fits your programme.
My old-timer's advice
Don't choose a brand for its logo. Choose it for what it brings you: a healthy, reliable wing that helps you progress without nasty surprises. Ozone is a safe bet precisely because it's practitioners who make the calls. If you're starting out, go for healthy, forgiving gear; as you move up a level, the range follows. And in both cases, the after-sales service, the workshop and the advice behind it all count as much as the wing itself — that's where we make the difference in Oderen.
Want to be pointed in the right direction? Browse our kites and our wings, or get in touch for personalised advice: we take the time to understand your level, your spot and your programme before recommending anything. And if you don't need to change your gear, we'll tell you that too.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Ozone brand come from?
Ozone is a New Zealand brand whose team is based in Raglan, a renowned wind spot on the west coast of the North Island. Its R&D comes from both paragliding and foil kite, which gives it a solid aeronautical background applied to kite and wing.
What does "riders building kites for riders" mean?
It's Ozone's motto: it's practitioners who design and test the wings, not decision-makers disconnected from the field. In practice, that translates into fabric, finishing and behaviour choices geared towards real-world use and the gear's lifespan.
Does Ozone make kites, wings and parawings?
Yes. Ozone offers kites for kitesurfing, wings for wingfoil and a parawing (the Pocket Rocket family). The same design logic runs through the whole range, which ensures real coherence from one product to the next.
Why does Rid'Air carry Ozone for kite and wing?
For the build quality that lasts, the range coherence from kite to parawing, the healthy wing behaviour inherited from paragliding and foil kite, and value for money among the best on the market. It's gear we recommend with confidence.
Is Ozone suitable for wingfoil beginners?
Yes, as long as you choose the right model in the range. Ozone's know-how produces wings with intuitive, forgiving behaviour, ideal for progressing with peace of mind. Ask for advice to target the size and model that match your level and your spot.
Fly safe,
Cyrille MARCK and the Rid'Air/CEM team
