by Jeffrey Gandee

Picked up an used 10m rebel to compliment my 14m rebel. Colors are blue/awesome color Pink. I weigh 195 lbs, and I ride either a 132 Cesar in the flat water, or a nobile shinn in the heavy-chop/surf.

Upon taking the kite out of the bag, you see the normally quality of a North kite. Not quite as bomb-proof as a Slingshot, but it’s built well. The struts are fairly large by today’s standards, but the taper down to a point at the trailing edge, it will be interesting to change a strut bladder on the kite.

The kites rear pig tails can be attached either forward or aft, and that is the only adjustment available (I flew it on the rear settings). I appreciate the simplicity. I also appreciate the fact that North does not offer a one-pump or two pump with this kite. I hate overly complicated inflation systems. If I blow a bladder, I want to be able to take one out of another kite and do a temporary replacement.

Now for the fun part. The first time I launched it, the wind was likely blowing in the low 20s, I drift-launched it, using the 5th line to keep the kite sitting still while I unwound my lines. I love 5th lines for their safety, and they are also great for drift launching. The kite is super smooth, like North’s usually are. The power was crazy. The kite took off smoothly with a simple rear-line launch, bow-kite style. I often hear manufacturers claim that they’ve milked more power out of an existing design, and I never really believe it that much, but this kite has nuts. It overlaps the range on my 14M rebel significantly, I could easily fly this kite in a steady 18 mph, and I’m no flyweight. I noticed that the outline of the kite is remarkably similar to my 2007 rhino. I’ve often suspected that North uses the rhino brand as a proving ground for their newest ideas, and then incorporates these ideas in more user friendly designs.

On my first jump, I felt the 2007 rhino pedigree, easily reaching 20 feet, with tons of float. I did my first quality grabs, and with the light bar-pressure, it was easy. The kite wasn’t as explosive as the rhino, but it was much smoother. The kite turns quickly when you want to send it, so it is easy to pull the trigger if a ramp suddenly appears in front of you. Upwind was very good, but again, this kite is not as racy as a rhino.

Although the kite turns quickly it is not twitchy. I’ve heard they actually slowed the steering down a bit on the 08 model. This made it easy to pop off chop and do rotations without sending the kite. It won’t unexpectantly loop or dive.

However, I found myself wishing for a twitchier kite on my first kiteloop. I didn’t fishpole the bar, and I paid for it, getting slammed on my back. If you loop this kite, point your bar at the kite, then it will get around plenty fast. My 3rd f-16 was big, and by the time I completed my rotation I realized the kite had already looped, and I was still on my way up. I had to do another rotation before I could land. The loops aren’t as ultra smooth as a c-kite, but they are as close as I’ve seen on an SLE. I will be attempting my first big loops on this kite, as soon as it warms up a bit, anyways.

12m Rebel photo Bruno

Throughout the day the wind was up and down, and the kite showed unreal range. I was never underpowered or overpowered in winds that ranged from a sustained 20 to a sustained 30, with gusts at 35 mph. I could have taken more wind, no problem. In fact, I had the kite fully sheeted in at the cleat the entire time, I never adjusted it once.

This kite would be excellent for any rider who wants to start jumping high, and begin to learn new freestyle tricks, and dabble in a little wakestyle. It would also rock in the waves. The depower is as good as any kite I’ve flown, and throughout the range of the bar, the kite stays stable. Also, the depower doesn’t have that on/off feeling that the rhinos have.

9m 2008 Rebel

 

I have only a couple gripes. The kite includes some kind of bungee relaunch system, and it seems pretty worthless to me. I think it is just dead weight, and I’m prolly gonna remove it. Also, although the handling is really really good, better than any other SLE I’ve flown, I’m still waiting for the day that SLEs can turn like a C-kite. My last complaint, the kite is almost too powerful! I wish I had a 9M instead, because now my 12m JN doesn’t have a place in my quiver.

If you purchase a rebel and love it, I think you could ride in any conditions with a 14M/10M quiver. If you are lighter than me, you could likely go 9/12.

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