Dane’s Review: 2008 North Rebel 08
Kite Tested: 2008 North Rebel 08 9m
Board Used: 2007 North Jaime Pro 125cm
Date: August 22, 2007
Location: The Sandbar - Hood River, Oregon
Conditions: 18 mph (14-24 mph) wind with chop and some swell
Rider: Dane
Gender: Male
Height: 5′5″
Weight: 135 lbs
Skill: Advanced
I managed to squeak out a quick session on the 2008 North Rebel the other night before the wind shut down, and it was certainly enough to leave a lasting impression. The Rebel 08 has very little bar pressure and rides quite effortlessly, but it does offer enough feedback to let you know where the kite is at in the window. It rigs on North’s 5th Element bar system, making it backwards compatible with North’s five-line bar systems from previous years. What’s more, since North uses the same 5th Element bar on all its kites it is incredibly easy to mix and match kites (Rhinos, Rebels, Vegases, etc.) within your quiver or trade kites with friends.
I found the 2008 Rebel to be incredibly snappy, and it responded quickly to bar movements. Even in light wind, the 9 meter Rebel was so responsive at times that I felt like I was flying a 7 meter kite. The kite is a bit of a paradox, however, in that while it’s super snappy and responsive, it moves more slowly through the window. This results in a reactive, high-performance kite that is still forgiving enough for entry-level riders.
The Rebel handles very well when making transitions, and is easy to keep powered up through your entire carve. Since it travels through the window at such a moderate speed, it gives you plenty of time to react and make adjustments while staying on a plane. Frequently I found myself coming out of a carve expecting to yank the kite out of a speedy collision course with the water, only to discover that the kite was already perfectly positioned in the window for riding.
The 2008 Rebel has a cleaner canopy profile that maintains tension extremely well and hardly flutters at all. North eliminated the “elbow” joint that the 2007 struts had where they connected to the leading edge, so the new struts are flush with the canopy for the entire length of the kite. They also added an elastic bungee to the wingtips to hold the lines in place, vastly improving relaunchability. These bungees hold the lines beneath the kite when it’s down in the water, keeping them from wrapping around or otherwise getting tangled in the kite as you recover from your crash and move to relaunch.
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