Location: Leighton Beach, Perth

Conditions: Gusty 18 - 25+ knots. Choppy 1.5m swell

Riders: Matt - IKO2 Instructor kiting for 6 years.
(5”10 and 82kg’s)
Craig - Kiting for 3 months (upwind, jumping, back and forward rotations)
(6”3 and 105kg’s)

Atom 2008

Responsiveness

Matt: The kite has a very quick feel to it, as is to be expected with smaller kites. However, what I really liked was the power the kite carried through the lulls. Felt a little jerky in the gusts, but simply sheet out and you cruised through them, easy!

Craig: The kite was fast and easy to manoeuvre. It didn’t have as much feedback as I was expecting. Its speed would punish me for any mistakes I made, but at the same time it was quick to help me get out of trouble.

Jumping

Matt: Lots of hang time here! Felt like I was on a 12m it boosted so well. Once at the apex of your jump and you start droping, sheet the bar in and you literally float down to the water, plenty of time for board off’s, transitions, grabs or simply take in the surroundings!!

Craig: Lots of power, due to the speed of the kite it helps you direct the kite for a jump without too much preparation. The power means you can get nice big jumps.

Unhooked

Matt: Lots of de-power so really easy to hold onto once unhooked. Lots of pop which gives lots of time to throw yourself round the latest handle pass combination, or big railys. This is where the de-power leash comes in handy. Miss the bar let go of the kite and it will slowly float down to the water, land on its back ready to be relaunched.

Bar

Matt: A vast improvement in feel to last years bars, lighter and the grip is softer, made of foam and not rubber. The pull/pull system is very easy to use. Quite light on the feel, but with a bit of practice you get dialled into it and it’s a pleasure to use, especially in the stronger winds. Easy, straight forward quick release system.

Craig: Felt really light, nice and comfortable. A nice length, shorter than what I have used in the past. Very user friendly power/de-power system. Simple, easy to use!

Summary

Matt: Easy to use. Lots of controllable power available. Good de-power making it perfect for the beginner and intermediate, the wave rider or the freestyler! An exciting kite to use, with 3-4 different power set ups, which where very handy in the gusty conditions we had that day.

Craig: Fast, powerful and livelyl! An exciting kite to use. I could see myself progressing with this kite.

Rebel 2008

Responsiveness

Matt: I was quite surprised by the slowness of this kite. To turn the kite quickly you had to hold the end of the bars, much the same as using light wind technique. Very, very stable especially through the gusts. Felt heavy when it was loaded up, but you always knew where the kite was.

Craig: Smooth and consistent feel in the kite. Fairly quick with good feedback

Jumping

Matt: Offered good hang time and nice float. Needed more preparation when going for a jump due to the slow speed of the kite, also needed to be redirected early on for the landings.

Craig: A reasonable amount of power, easy and manageable for jumping.

Unhooked

Matt: A bit too much grunt when unhooked for my liking, which meant I had to put on more de-power which slowed the turning speed of the kite. Wouldn’t be too much of a problem on flat water.

Bar

Matt: A nice soft feel and a bit on the heavy side, as is usual with North bars. Quite long, I guess this helps speed up the turning of the kite. De-power system was a long reach (not a problem for Craig!). Also the de-power strap would get stuck in the cleat often when trying to power the kite up. Safety release system is very straight forward and one of the best out there. Don’t know why North keep putting the small fixed loops on the bar, can be a real hindrance to lesser experienced kiters and in very windy conditions.

Craig: A comfortable bar with a good safety system. Not a very user friendly power/de-power system.

Summary

Matt: A good consistent entry level kite. Good for beginners to early intermediates but after that you will be held back by this kite. It’s a good ‘cruising’ kite with no surprises.

Craig: An easy kite to use with a smooth feel. Nice and forgiving.