My first North Kite is the 2009 Rebel and I am fairly impressed. It came with a 5th Element 2009 x 20m bar so I bought a 2007 5th element x 25m bar for lighter days which I have only tried once and I think I will need to mess with it to get it to feel like the 2009 bar. I keep hearing the 2008 Rebel and 2009 Evo are better in the waves and I see North already have a 2010 Rebel out so am I missing something and should I be going forward or backward to get a better wave kite?
Hi,
i owned all of them and am waiting for 2010 to arrive my opinion is divided in mid-lowend and highend.
Each rebel has more power than previous year and is more stable and easier to fly (requires less attention), so is better than previous year (08 version the only o e i like is 7m because all others stalled too easy for my taste)
The other good part is that i am using smaller kites each year for the same wind whih is great for wave riding.
The only downside is that at the highend they are more powerfull and none has the highend of the rebel07 7m. Not even the 09 6m.
Lets see how 2010 comes, they say the power is reduced in 15% in 7m and smaller and there is a 5m so it should be great!
I owned a 2007 14m and 9m Rebel and then a 12m 08. I currently have a 2008 10m Rhino (great kite except for the long bridles that tend to drag along the ground when you're walking along with it 
). Before that I owned an 08 11m Ozone Edge2. Had a chance to fly the 12m and 9m 2010 Rebel last week. I was really impressed with the 9m. Wind was borderline for kiting when I took it out, perhaps 11/12ish knots and I was having fun (68kg. and a wide board). Great low end without compromising performance (i.e. direct steering, stable, no stalling, etc.). I had a chance to fly 5 North/Naish demo kites that day and it was my favorite. Well actually the 9m Cult surprised me but not as good low end with the wind we had - sine, sine, sine - awesome fun kite though. Very responsive and rock solid in the sky. I demoed a few earlier Sigma type kites before (2 years ago) and didn't walk away all that excited. Appears Naish have fine tuned the design. I wasn't wrapped with the 12 Rebel but I didn't spend much time with it and I think I've gotten used to flying a smaller kite since the Rhino. Would need more time on the 12 to give an objective opinion. The 9 felt "right" instantly. I think with this years low end grunt a 10m would pretty well cover my weight as a one kite quiver. My 2 cents worth...
We had the North Importer Rep come over and talk about all the new gear to us. We were amazed at all the innovations they had made for this year. Every tiny thing that was wrong with the '09 Rebel has been addressed and fixed for the 2010 Rebel.
North still believe in the concept of having only 4 struts, but there were slight structural stability issues last year so this year they have introduced a "floating" centre strut, which is actually only attached to the kite about halfway towards the back of the canopy. This means you have the advantage of the structural stability of a 5 strut kite, but with the added depower of only a 4 strut kite.
The bar is schmick and the kite looks great, there are heaps of features to list, we will do a full review when we get our demo ones in (should be within a couple of weeks!).
I haven't ridden the new Rebel yet but the reviews have all been very positive, so I'm guessing this will definately be the best kite out of the 3 different years you mentioned.
Cheers
flew the 12 rebel10 yesterday sweet kite to fly impressed with its power and it just sits so steady in the sky quick release is so quick and easy to reload thanks to the person that sat down with his pencil to design that bar its a nice package , kite turns nice an quick to looks like the kite i will be getting this season couldn't jump as had to strap big toe karma got him on Friday i know the nine will be even nicer in those winder days
Today i had a great "revival" session on my "mythical" rebel 07 7m.
I concluded that there are no miracles: the topend of then 07 7m is really impressive but at the cost of power. My 09 6m has more 5knots of lowend than the 07 7m.
It is great to ride in lower wind with a smaller kite but hey, i need a kite for 35++ knots and that is what i am looking for in the smallest kite in the rebel range.
Lets see how the 5m and 6m of this year are in top end depower!
WA Surf
I have never had the mystery folding issue's I keep hearing about, but if the 2010 is better, "what will you give me for the 2009 if I trade to the 2010"?
Rocket
Yes, not everyone experienced the folding. It had a lot to do with how hard you pumped up your kite. And what winds you were using the kite in.
Rocket- I've sent you a PM..
i beg to differ
it had nothing to do with leading edge pressure
was a fundamental flaw in the design, sure didnt happen to everyone and didnt happen all the time, but when it did that was that
luckily airplane designs get checked a bit more rigorously
Hi,
It had to do with LE pressure and how hard you where hit by gusts (wind strength, rider weight ultimatelly instant load on kite).
I weight 83kg and I pump Rebel09s (6m and 9m) hard and ride in high winds in a VERY gusty spot surrounded by rocks.
So this issues worried me. But the fact is that i had no problems in a year of intense use.
The only sign i had of semi folding was when i downlooped the 6m in 35 knots when i was with my ass submerged.
So i have no worries about it and i didn't even get the line that north supplies to fix this issues for the users that have it.
See you!
Yep Wawando is right on the money. It mainly happened in really gusty conditions, or when the kite was moving verrrry quickly through the window and the rider is fully submerged in the water (this obviously creates a lot more pressure on the kite than what it would if you were up on your board).
I hate to disappoint the fold victims but it just hasn't happened with my 09 Rebel 7m and as I have said I have been in positions where it should have if it was going to.
I am just fishing because this is my first North kite and its already 10 times better than my previous kites in waves. I have progressed more last summer than I did in 3 years. I am simply using a forum to see if they have something even better. Demo's the go I guess.
hey getfunky: who's on first base?
Hi guys,
Out of all the Rebel kites we sold last season, I saw two that folded and heard about a third. In all three cases, the riders were 95kg+ and were riding overpowered.
Correct pressure and correct bar and line tuning fixed the problems in most cases. I have had none of the three riders complain. I tweaked the bars and pumped them up a bit harder and sorted the problem then and there for two of them and the other rider was stoked with his kite and I never even knew he had an issue until I asked how his kite was going some way though the season. He just pumped it up a bit harder and sorted it himself.
WA Surf is right, the new range of North gear looks sick, can't wait to try it. Not long now .....
KH
Rhinoman
I recomend you get out and test ride one asap
Hi ,
just to clarify on 2010 Rebel:
What does "floating" 5th center strut has to do with the 4 struts concept/flat center of the kite ? It just does not make any sense .
What does loaded 5th safety line mean ?How can it be contributing to the stability of the kite???
V-connection of the back lines,is it pulleys?
If so the bar pressure should be heavier not lighter as it was stated .
Thanks for any thoughts.
Hi Sasha,
To clarify the points you mentioned :
The "floating" centre strut is attached only at the back 1/2 to 2/3rds of the way back from the leading edge. This allows the front section of the canopy to deform and flutter and backwind (float) which reduces lift and creates drag. Reducing lift creates less power and drag creates resistance to the wind which quickly shifts the kite further back into the wind window where it is more stable and less prone to luffing (Hindenberg). A fixed or completely attached center strut holds the entire section of lift producing canopy (front 1/3rd) in the best aerodynamic profile to always be producing lift and reduce drag. This makes it fly further forwards with less depower and more prone to luffing.
The loaded 5th safety line means the centre 5th line is loaded and shares the load with the other 4 normal lines. Having this as your safety means that the attach point for the safety is on the center of the leading edge which is, was, and always will be, the safest form of emergency depower when flagging to safety.
The 5th line also becomes an integral part of the structural support for the span and curve of the leading edge. This gives the center span of the arc more rigidity when things start to get out of control, which in real terms means stability.
No, there are no pulleys on the back "V" lines. The back "V" attach points allow the kite to pull from further forward or aft along the trailing edge depending upon the angle of attack or stages of power thru back line tension. The load shifts from the more aft attach point at low angles of attack (depower) and as sheeted in, the load transfers to the forward attach point which gives a smoother and more consistent feel to the bar pressure as you sheet in for power. It also gives better and more direct control to the kite when depowered ie wave riding. The back line bungees also keep tension on the back lines as the lines go slack. This also keeps tension on the turning wingtip when the lines would ordinarily be slack. This should be an important feature in a wave kite.
Thats the best I could do without doing drawings to illustrate what I mean. I hope it helps.
The new Rebels will be here in a bit over a week but unfortunately the bars are a further week behind. They should be really something worth a good look at and definately worth a test ride.
I'm amped!
Cheers,
KH
Hi,
I already got my rebels 2010 
Until now i have only ridden the 9m in lowend and i am really impressed by the lightness, speed and response. It is the most agile 9m i used even in the lowend of it. In the past weeks i have been riding some 9m kites (2009 and 2010) and none is like a rebel. The others i tried are spongy on the bar and have "dead spots". Not like this babe. Just let it fly. And it will not fall unless you force it. Very curious about highend.
The kite looks rather small in the beach but has a really, really impressive lowend, definitly very agile even in the lowend.
Bar pressure felt just right. Maybe a little lighter than 2009, but not too light like it was in the 2008 Rebel (for me 2008 was the worse year of Rebels).
I always wonder why people care so much about the construction details. Who gives a rats ass about it as long as the kite is great?
Here is a pic i took where you can see the details of the strut separated in the air.
See you!
Thanks Kitehard ,
now it does make sense.
Using takoon furia,great for waves,but a bit tricky for jumps and tricks< has to through kite agressively backward.
Did try rebel 09,great lift, but a bit slower turning speed,was just about to buy one till heard all that talk on falling....
Just wondering abt rebel 2010 lift,turning speed.
What would be the upper end of 5 m?, i am 80 kg dry,
had furia 7 m in over 40 knt>not fun but manageable.
Thanks again.
Hi Sasha,
I could quote you what's written in the Dealers workbook, but as with all kite manufacturers, I take it with a pinch of salt and don't want to lead you up the garden path.
I'll wait until I get one of the new kites in the air and a bar in my hands before I'll comment on wind range or my ACTUAL flying experience.
The truth is out there ......
Not long now!
KH
completely reduced, unless the safety is pinged.
Kitepower thanks for your input!
It seems to me that the only way to achieve stability of the leading edge and increase the wind range mostly by adding depower ability is to go SLE=bridles.
Just wondering why North is so reluctant to do so.
If they put SLE=bridles on Rebel 2009 it would be the great kite!
Well i think.
After doing more thinking
in regards to loaded 5th line as well as front one...
how can a kite have 2 pivot points???
sounds like nonsense.
Mr Kitepower, you are actually wrong about the Bungy chord. It is a feature designed to have the dual purpose of helping with the possibility of tangled lines when relaunching, and also to create tension on the turning lines when the kite is depowered (which will be very handy in the waves).
Whether is helps or not, whoever rides the kite will find out, but tightening up the steering lines when the kite is fully depowered seems like a good innovation to me help the kite to be more responsive when you still want it to have no power.
