Rider: 75kg, advanced
Style: Freeriding, Surf, Freestyle
Weather: 12-22 knots
Build Quality: Won't bother answering, as we're a shop, we're not going to say 1/10 are we??? North are always awesome 
We just got back from our Shark Bay Trip, where I managed to get a ride in on the 10m and 8m 2010 Rebels. We had about 3 days of decent wind up there, and all in all it was a super fun trip for all who came. A few of us managed to get in a wicked ride at Coronation Beach on Friday, when the storms were up.
First of all, improvements:
Even though you should have simply PUMPED YOUR 2009 KITE UP NICE AND HARD, so it doesn't fold, the 2010 Rebel will never have that problem, with the centre strut put back in, but in a "floating" form. This allows for greater structural stability but still with the awesome depower that the Rebel has become well known for.
I'm sure a lot of you had the problem where you crashed your kite hard and connections between the Leading Edge and Strut may pop off and subsequently deflate your whole kite. This year the connections are super strong (The North Rep said at the conference they were stretching the rubber tubes across the room and the connections still weren't releasing!! 
)
The kite seems to fly through the window better than last year. When you are working your kite in light winds it no longer stops and pivots (causing you to lose power) but now flys and turns with speed and in a fluid motion that allows you to get a bit more bottom end power out of your Rebel.
The bar- we haven't got it yet (coming this week) but trust me, it's awesome!
Summary:
Once again it has a lot of Dacron on the trailing edge, which makes it very durable.
I rode the 10m in Little Lagoon in Denham, in very gusty conditions, and I was boosting a lot bigger than everyone else and managing to stay upwind a fair bit easier. I rode the 8m at Coronation Beach, Geraldton, in 1-3m surf, in about 15-22 knots, and it boosts MASSIVE just like last year, with awesome hang time.
I'm really impressed with the amount of R and D North but into their kites this year. All of last year's minor problems have been addressed, and the result is an excellent kite that's a joy to ride.
Pictures of the gear coming soon...
We have the 8m, 10m, and 12m available 7 days a week, ANYTIME, so come down to Safety Bay and try it out for yourself, and make up your own mind.
The 2010 Kontact and Wam are also in store for Demo, we are allowing "take-away" demo's down to Secret Harbour (or any other closeish wave spot) so you can try out the Rebel and Kontact/Wam in their preferred conditions!
Cheers
My local told me they where supposed to be around this week or next.
Had a look at the new Freestyle Fish and the WAM nice boards.
Hey Ben,
We were supposed to get them while we were up in Shark Bay, but there would be no one to recieve the order, so they are arriving tomorrow 
Want to help me unwrap all the boards and strap them up
Yeah I had an awesome ride on the Wam two Wednesdays ago, down at Avalon. Much better than last year's Quad-Fin Bullet. Really easy and fun in the onshore slop, and there were some decent waves as well that were easy to carve up. Can't wait to test out the Freestylefish, should be in tomorrow as well.
i found the 2010 7 meter a totally different beast to the 09 7 meter which i rode for past 10 months as an almost one kite quiver from 15 knots to 25 knots.
if you didn't like the 09 rebel then try the 2010 as it fly's differently in my opinion.
i wasn't going to buy a new 7 meter as was so stoked on my 09 model but then promised the misses she could have it because the bar pressure is so light and easy for her to ride longer sessions than her cabrinha convert 9 meter, so i figured was a good excuse to upgrade for a new crispy kite.
i personally think the 7 went backwards a little from the 09 model for my ridding style....
bar pressure is considerably more than the 09, after an hour in the waves riding one handed as i like to throw the kite around a fair bit on a wave my arms where getting fatigued.
it doesn't track upwind as well as last years, i think its to do with the extra weight with the new reinforcements and center strut making it sit further back in the window.
i think the jumping is the same as last years , they are not super high jumping kites but more long floaty jumps at least compared to the vegas and my other kite brand i now own (gastra)
there are improvements though on the 2010 from last years... relaunch is the easiest yet with the rebel this year.
there is truth about the power being more smooth although i think its also to do with the extra bar pressure all along the power/depower stroke.
speed, the kite really kicks in with apparent wind for nice fast runs on flat water (as i did in exmouth) i even started to race a couple of the poledancers (at least in my mind) at sandy bay.
i think the kites a great beginner kite , easy relaunch, very stable - like last years model .
i also bought the 10 meter rebel, this kite is different again from the 7 meter, less bar pressure is one big difference. i have come to enjoy this kite which considering i had been ridding a 7 meter says allot about this kite as it being a bigger size.
i was out on this kite 3 to 4 hour sesions with little fatigue. loops and downloops are a cinch to do , great for anyone wanting to learn these tricks as it turns with very little pull , as well as other basic tricks because of stability and not super fast for bar input mistakes.
the bars are all clean and well laid out, but do need some trimming i found to get a nice comfortable bar throw length and not over sheeting back lines.
i bought my two rebels from kitehards store and very happy with the service.
it might not be worth upgrading from the 09 model to this year for most people but there are still major improvements from the 08 year model regarding ease of relaunch, stability and none backstall issues.
loving the 10 meter
didnt feel the love of the 7 meter as i did for the previous years model.
