Just flew the 2012 8m Rebel for the first time today. It was cold and gusty, so it seemed appropriate to put one of the more trust-worthy kites to the test. Just as predicted, the 2012 Rebel stands out as a rock solid, high performance kite. With tremendous pull and a bit less bar pressure than in years past, the 2012 Rebel will be my “go-to” kite when the conditions become unpredictable and gnarly! What do I look for in a kite when it’s not ideal conditions? Stability, re-launchability, and range to get through the gusts and lulls. The 2012 Rebel has all of these qualities, along with one more solid peace of mind. . .5-line safety! When you need to get total, complete depower in half a second, nothing works as well as a 5th line.

The kite cranks up-wind, and pulls smoothly downwind. There is absolutely no luffing and fluttering in the side panels when turning aggressively. With the Rebel’s ability to de-power with 30% less throw than the standard 4-line bridled kite, it makes it nice for toe-side riding, ideal for wave/surf riding. People with short arms (ie: kids and women) will like this short throw de-power too! I had the Adaptive Tips set at the stock “A” position (that closest to the rider). It gives me positive feedback, with heavier bar pressure. If racing, or riding in an overpowered situation, I might move the knot up to the “B” position (closest to the kite) for lower bar pressure and easier turning. All in all, the North Rebel iss a fine tuned, polished kite for 2012.

Kite Demos

We’ve expanded our kiteboard demo lineup. You’re allowed unlimited exchanges all day increasing your odds of finding that perfect fit. Here’s the latest list of what’s available. Just call us and ask for the rental department. They’ll get you hooked up in no time.

• Naish Sol 134
• Naish Thorn 132
• Naish Haze 136
• Naish Fish 5’2″
• North Jaime Pro 132
• North XRide 135
• North Kontact 5’7″
• North Freestyle Fish 5’0″
• North Pacific Tuna Fish 5’4″
• North Pacific Squash Quad 5’7

There are still some high flying deals in our kite closeout section.

Only Big Winds and one other unspeakable outfit has a special limited edition of the Naish 2009 Helix kite. 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the Naish brand. To commemorate this great achievement, Naish is releasing a Limited Edition Helix with the famous Skull logo that was hand drawn by Robby Naish himself back in the 80’s. They’re available only in 9m and 12m.

2008 Windsurf Board Prices

Over on the windsurfing front, the deals on new 2008 boards got a little sweeter yesterday. These boards got their stickers shaved $100 to $200. Crazy.

• Starboard
  • Evo XTV 70, 75, 80 Technora -$200 to $999
  • Evo XTV 62, 75, 80, 90 Wood -$200 to $1199
  • Futura 93, 101 Technora -$200 to $999
  • Futura 93, 101 Wood -$200 to $1199
  • Pure Acid 74 Technora -$200 to $999
  • Pure Acid 68 Wood -$200 to $1199
• Naish
  • Pro Wave US 1111 65, 75, 80, 85 -$100 to $1199
  • Global Wave 83, 87 -$100 to $999
  • All Terrain 95, 115 -$200 to $999
• Mistral
  • Syncro Move 104 -$100 to $799
  • Syncro Move 104 RD -$100 to $999
  • Screamer 104 RD -$100 to $999
  • Syncro Style 84 -$100 to $799
  • Syncro Style 84, 94 RD -$100 to $999
  • Wave 69, 86 RD -$200 to $999

Ladies SUPper Club

The ladies are spanking it pretty hard on Tuesday nights. We’ve posted a couple of slide shows, here and here on Flickr to prove it. Due to the overwhelming response, availability is limited so call Daryl as soon as you can to reserve a board. Or, if you have your own, roll it on down and join in the fun. It’s all free! Scope out the details.

New Virtual Shop Tours

Dr. Pete came in and shot up the store. Where we used to have three tours we now have eight. They’re bigger too. You can drop in virtually and check out all the new stuff for 2009.

With the help of Mac, one of our expert kiteboarding instructors, we just finished giving the royal treatment to the 2008 North Rebel 08. As we did with the Switchblade 3, we extensively detailed and photographed the Rebel and uploaded the results of our investigation to our photo gallery at Flickr.

The Rebel is North’s ultimate freeride kite, designed for all conditions and all riders. It’s forgiving enough for beginners (the Rebel forms the backbone of our kite school) while still offering the high-performance ride that advanced and expert riders demand.

Related Posts:
Dane’s Review of the 2008 North Rebel

Related Pages:
Our Rebel Photo Gallery at Flickr
The Rebel at Big Winds
The Rebel at North’s website

We’ve just uploaded a new photo gallery that meticulously documents the 2008 Cabrinha Switchblade 3. The Switchblade is Cabrinha’s go-to kite for wakestyle riding, with a smooth powerband and a pulley-less bar system that eliminates all but the slightest trace of bar pressure. The Switchblade offers all the safety and depower you would expect from a bow kite, with the familiar feel of a classic kite.

Even if you’re not a wakestyle rider, you still might want to consider the Switchblade. We here at Big Winds feel that Cabrinha pushes the whole “handle passes and rail slides” thing a bit too hard, as there are many experienced kiters who don’t want to pull wakestyle tricks, but would probably love the Switchblade anyway. The kite has very light bar pressure, and thus you get very little tactile feedback for where your kite is at in the window. This is dangerous for beginners, but advanced kiters have already developed that sense of knowing where their kite is located, even without feedback.

Thus freed from bar pressure and any physical effort thereof, the Switchblade offers an incredibly free and open ride when you’re hooked in. At times you hardly notice the kite at all, which lets you focus your attention on other things. If you’re Cabrinha, those “other things” are wakestyle tricks. If you’re Dane, one of our shop riders, those “other things” are carving, carving and carving.

Dane comes from a snowboarding background, and when kiteboarding he loves to slash in just about any conditions, from flatwater to chop to swell. He does his fair share of jumping, but he really gets his thrills from carving back and forth, going heelside to toeside and back again, and pushing the limits of his edge control. Dane could care less about wakestyle tricks, but he’s riding the Switchblade anyway, because he loves how it opens up his riding and lets him focus on carving.

• The Switchblade at Big Winds
• Our Switchblade Photo Gallery at Flickr
• The Switchblade at Cabrinha

Right now, our entire selection of 2007 windsurf boards, windsurf sails, kites and kiteboards are on closeout at some amazing prices! We just finished updating our website to reflect these new numbers, and hopefully you can find something on our table that satisfies your discriminating palate.

• Up to $450 off new windsurf boards
• Up to $200 off new windsurf sails
• Up to $400 off new kites
• Up to $100 off new kiteboards

Enjoy, and let us know if you have any questions!

Reduced Bar Pressure

Bar pressure from the Omega is greatly reduced when the kite is rigged in the 1:1 setup, resulting in an incredible feel and nearly effortless riding. It takes very little work on your part to hold onto the bar and keep the kite powered up, and the kite stays flown even when you eat it huge and completely lose your grip.

The reduced bar pressure means that there’s less feedback from the kite to let you know where it’s at in the window, with is great for advanced riders who want a kite that flies with little input and with more constant power. However, beginners would certainly have a difficult time with it.

The best part is that while coming in after a session, you too can be one of those cool people who flies his/her kite with no hands on the bar, similar to driving your car with your hands behind your head and a knee on the steering wheel.

Snappy Responsiveness

When rigged in the 1:1 configuration, the Omega is incredible reactive. All the mushiness associated with the 2:1 setup disappears, and is replaced by snappy, snappy, snappy response. Subtle movements in the bar can cause some pretty large responses in the kite, so this configuration is certainly not recommended for beginners.

I found that while I was recovering my board after taking a spill, it took a bit more concentration on my part to keep the kite under control. While I have the skills and experience necessary for working with a responsive kite, I can see how this setup would be dangerous and frustrating in the hands of a beginner.

Increased Downwind Power

When rigged in the 2:1 setup, the Omega dumps a ton of power when you move downwind. This is excellent for beginners as it prevents them from getting yarded into rocks or bridges or other kiters, but is far from ideal for advanced riders who need the kite to stay powered through carves and while riding toeside. The Omega stays wonderfully powered up while riding downwind in the 1:1 setup, making it a great kite for nailing carves, and slashing toeside to heelside through flatwater and swell.

Improved Jumping Performance

It’s nearly impossible to pull the trigger and boost on the Omega when it’s rigged in the 2:1 configuration. This is a safety consideration above all else, as the 2:1 controls are intentionally mushy to avoid the twitchy handling, inadvertent airs and yarding frequently associated with learning to kiteboard. Fortunately, since the Omega is so fast and reactive when rigged in the 1:1 configuration, it is suddenly perfect for lofting airs.

Reduced Depower Range

The 1:1 configuration greatly reduces the Omega’s depower, which comes as a huge shock after enjoying the wide range of depower allowed by the 2:1 setup. On one particular 1:1 session I was lit up on my 7 meter Omega with the kite completely depowered at the trim strap, and even with the bar pushed out as far as possible I was still overpowered.

To shrug off the extra power I had to edge hard upwind and bring the kite to the edge of the window, and since I was on an unfamiliar kiteboard my board control was considerably weaker than usual. By the end of the session I was wearing my harness up under my armpits.

I certainly wasn’t surprised that the Omega had less depower range in 1:1 than in 2:1, but I didn’t anticipate that its depower range would be that drastically limited. The unofficial 1:1 modification offers a greater range of depower than the standard 1:1 setup, and thus I currently use that modification on all my Omegas.

Bottom Line

• Greatly reduced depower range
• Greatly reduced bar pressure
• Reduced feedback from kite
• A much more snappy and reactive kite
• Reduced forgiveness for unintentional bar movements
• Increased power for carving, slashing, heading downwind and riding toeside
• Improved trigger performance for boosting

Don’t Miss: Dane’s original review of the Cabrinha Omega

Kite Tested: 2007 Cabrinha Omega HD
?Board Used: 2007 North Jaime Pro, North Pacific Directional
?Dates: May – August, 2007
?Location: The Columbia River Gorge (numerous locations)
?Conditions: Anywhere from 12-35 mph, waves, swell riding, bump and jump, small chop

Rider: Dane
?Gender: Male
?Height: 5?5?
?Weight: 135 lbs
?Skill: Intermediate – Advanced

I’ve been riding the 2007 Cabrinha Omega HD non-stop for the entire summer, and I have finally found the time to put my experience to words.

Areas of Use: I have used the Omega in just about all the conditions available in the Gorge, in nuking winds and light winds and everything in between. I have been in big swell at the White Salmon Bridge and bump and jump at the Spit. I’ve ridden small chop at Lyle and flatwater slicks at the Kiddie Pool. I have spent time at Rufus in huge 35 mph conditions, lit up on my 7 meter kite and freaked out of my mind. Through all of this, the Omega has proven its all-terrain versatility and continues to excel.

Each size Omega covers a huge range, so that matter what the wind is doing I can take out either of my kites and “make it work” in just about any conditions. Simply by adjusting the trim strap, I can ride my 9 meter kite completely depowered and go out in 7 meter conditions, or ride my 7 meter powered up and go out in 9 meter conditions.

The SLE shape of the Omega gives it more grunt than a true bow kite, which is nice in underpowered conditions. When everyone else on the beach is rigging 12 and 14 meter kites, I can go out on a directional board with my 9 meter kite and still have a great time. When it’s greatly underpowered the Omega does handle sluggishly, but it works very well in normal and overpowered conditions.

Handling: The Omega is an extremely forgiving kite that reacts predictably in gusts and lulls, and is tuned to offer as much depower as possible. This is welcome in the Gorge, where we consider 15-30mph conditions to be “unbelievably consistent.” Cabrinha ships the kite rigged in the 2:1 pulley setting, which gives you twice the depower range as you would in a system without pulleys.

You can also convert your bar and kite to the 1:1 setting which bypasses the pulleys. While this limits the range of depower allowed by the kite it greatly reduces bar pressure, which is often preferred by more experienced riders who don’t need as much feedback to know where the kite is located in the window. When rigged in the 2:1 configuration, I’ve found that riding toeside or heading downwind can be somewhat challenging on the Omega, as it easily kills the power in the kite.

Relaunch: The Omega relaunches very well, and I’ve found the trick to making this kite relaunch easily is simply to have patience. All you need to do is pull on an outside line and wait for the kite to do the rest. You may need to pull in a lot of line, up to six feet, but if you just pull on one control line the kite will eventually right itself and relaunch. It’s tough to have patience when you’re bobbing in six-foot swell and your board is already 30 feet upwind of you, but in the case of the Omega patience is all that is asked of you.

Durability: This is where the Cabrinha Omega really shines. Since May I have been out on the water 3-4 days a week on average, which means I’ve probably ridden at least 50 days so far this summer. I have a two kite quiver, a 7m and a 9m Omega, so needless to say these kites have seen a lot of use. Even so, I have had absolutely no problems with the construction of these kites. Zippo. No frayed lines, no shredded kite bars, no torn seams, no blown panels, no busted bladders, no leaking valves.

I did have one experience out on the water where my leading edge was leaking, but after I got back to the beach I realized I had accidentally cross-threaded the main valve on my kite. I left the kite inflated all night after reseating the valve cover, and even after eight hours it didn’t lose any pressure.

PowerDrive 2N1 Bar: Cabrinha has one of the cleanest and most streamlined bar systems on the market. For all their effectiveness and popularity I don’t particularly enjoy the added complexity of five-line systems, and I’m glad to see Cabrinha sticking with four-line simplicity. The bridle on the kite is incredibly clean and nearly impossible to tangle, and the single-point one-way valve inflation system makes it easy to rig quickly and get out on the water.

Update: Read Dane’s follow-up review on the Omega in the 1:1 configuration

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.

Related Posts:
View Our Rebel Photo Gallery

We figured we’d better let ya’ll know that we just put our team riders’ full line-up of 2007 Naish Torch kites up for sale! Actually, we might be obligated to tell our team riders about this as well, but they’ll know soon enough. We like to avoid confrontation whenever possible, so we just “fixed the glitch” with the hope that these things work themselves out. Once their kites disappear they’ll realize that it’s time to start flocking back to graduate school!

But enough about Milton, let’s talk about kites. We’re selling two rider quivers here, spanning the full Torch range from 6m to 16m. Since our riders have done most of there kiting right here in the nuclear winds of the Gorge, our larger-sized kites have barely seen any use and are in incredible condition.

These kites were flown exclusively by the manager of our kite department, and by one of our kiteboarding instructors in his free time. Yup, you heard that right! No lessons were taught on these kites, and they were flown by some of the best kiters we have at the shop.

This is your chance to score a complete kite quiver and save more than $400-700 per kite in the process. We suppose you could buy a single kite, but at prices like these why would you do a crazy thing like that?

For a limited time only, we’re offering some amazing prices on the 2007 North Vegas. This is a great kite for intermediate and advanced riders who love being powered up while riding. The North Vegas is a high-performance C-shaped kite, but its swept wingtips give it the wide wind range and huge depower of a bow kite.

The Omega HD is Cabrinha’s latest addition to their quiver, a true high-performance kite that’s forgiving enough for beginner riders, with a smooth ride and enough nice features to keep even intermediate and advanced riders happy for years. We’ve put together a photo gallery that shows off everything included in the complete Omega package, and highlights some of its best and most distinct features.

Descriptions like “one-way single-point inflation” and “2:1/1:1 bar conversion” and “pull/pull trim system” and “abrasion-resistant panels” sound all well and good, but what do they actually mean? When compared to other kites we are confident that the Omega stands tall on its own merits, so we’ve decided to let the kite do the talking.

Visit our photo gallery for unpacking the 2007 Cabrinha Omega HD »

Over here at Big Winds, we talk to a lot of people who are just starting to get into kiteboarding, and who are completely baffled by the huge selection of kites and kiteboards available these days. Sifting through the near-limitless array of gear can be a daunting task, so we took the time to put together some great entry-level kiteboarding packages for ya’ll.

These packages will be a great match if you’ve taken a few hours of private kiteboarding instruction, and are now looking to get your own gear for the first time. That said, none of these packages consist of purely “beginner” gear. Everything that we carry here at the shop is high-performance gear that we ourselves (experienced kiteboarders and windsurfers alike) enjoy riding, day in and day out. Bea loves her Naish kites, Dane is stoked on his Cabrinha quiver, and Craig is all North, all the time.

While this gear is certainly forgiving and durable enough for beginner kiteboarders, these packages also have what it takes to satisfy the intermediate and advanced kiteboarder in your life. What’s more, if you are indeed a beginner, this is gear that you won’t outgrow any time soon, and will last you through your entire progression in kiting. There are no slouches in the Big Winds catalog.

Oh yes, and the best part is that these packages are discounted from our original price! Coupled with our free shipping offer on all kiteboarding packages, as well as the fact that there’s no sales tax in Oregon, you can get yourself a mighty fine collection of kite gear at a very nice price.

Also, our generosity isn’t limited merely to these packages! If you’ve been perusing our catalog and have written up your own gear wish list, beginner or expert or otherwise, feel free to give us a call. One of our friendly kite experts will be happy to put a package together for you, with your own special pricing. It’s just our little way of rewarding our customers for taking the time to speak with us!

Free shipping on all 2007 windsurf sails

Free shipping on all 2007 kiteboards

Free shipping on all 2007 kites

Free shipping on all O’Neill product orders over $100

Free shipping on all Dakine product orders over $100

In addition, we also offer discounts for windsurfing/kiteboarding packages, and multiple sail/kite purchases. If you’re interested, give us a call and we can put together a quote for you!

* Now for all the gritty details. “Free Shipping” applies only to orders within the contiguous United States (also known as the Lower 48). All items will be shipped via UPS Ground, which takes from 2-6 business days depending on your distance from Hood River. Expedited service (including UPS 3-Day, 2-Day and Next Day Air) is available for an additional charge. Very large items (including Dakine’s 60/40 Split Convertible Luggage, and Dakine’s Single-Wall Windsurf Bag) are considered “oversized” by UPS and cost significantly more to ship, and thus are not included in our free shipping promotion.

As always, please visit our company website for the most current and accurate information regarding our promotions.