Evo 09 or Rebel 09, Confused where Evo sits in the range?

[Stylo321]

I’m looking into getting a new quiver. Been kiting regularly for about four years, so want an intermediate kite with good gust handling and good lift / float to allow more time for landing tricks. I also like trying to wave ride so want a good all rounder.
North’s were top of my list, mainly because it is a trusted brand and well made.

I'm in a dilemma whether to get the EVO or Rebel???

But I am confused as to where the Evo sits in the range, the hype says it fits in-between the Vegas and rebel? But I also hear it is/was a beginner / school kite???

Don't particularly want a school kite although there's a lot to be said about a friendly kite!!

Any feedback appreciated.

[Dan-at-Duotone]

The biggest difference between the Evo and the Rebel is the fact that the Evo will fly on either 4 or 5 lines, while the Rebel is a dedicated 5th line kite. Though our 4 line bar is equipped with a top-of-the-line front line safety, North maintains that the safest way to fly the Evo, (and any other kite) is using the 5th Element 5 line safety system. The Evo can be purchased with either the 4 line bar or the 5th Element.

We've been running demos all over the US and the overwhelming feedback that we've been getting about the Evo is that it feels very similar to the Rebel, which, considering how successful the Rebel has been, is a good thing.

Though they are similar, we've noticed a few small but significant differences between them:

The Evo has slightly less depower than the Rebel. But it also has more low end, so you could almost consider them to ride like a 1 sq meter larger Rebel.

The Rebel sits just a little further forward in the window, so it has a slight edge in upwind performance and racing, while the Evo has a slight edge in freestyle/new school performance.

Neither kite is prone to stalling, so both work great unhooked, but the Evo seems a little more stable in the sky, with a bit more pop/slack in the lines, making it slightly better for unhooked wakestyle moves

Either kite excels in the waves. Turning speed is approximately the same. Some people say that the Evo is a little smoother on the power delivery through the window, so they prefer the Evo on waves. Others say the Rebel is easier to control when completely depowered on a wave, so they prefer the Rebel... Again, these kites fly very similarly, so the differences are small and either one works extremely well in the waves.

In terms of the jumping/float ability, the Rebel, without the bridles and pulleys, feels and acts a little more like a "C" kite, with tons of lift. For the last 3 years it's been a great jumping kite, and the '09 is definitely the best yet. The Evo also jumps extremely well, but is notable more for the floaty feel typical of a bridled, lower aspect kite.

For relaunching, the Evo has a definite edge. The kite has been significantly reworked from last year, but one thing that has been maintained is the auto-relaunch feature.

The Evo has maybe a little more bar pressure than the Rebel, but it's really close. Both kites have the positive feedback for which our designs are famous, so you can easily "feel" where the kite is and what it's doing.

As far as the Evo being a beginner kite... Last year was the first iteration of the Evo, and it lacked performance in some key areas, but it was easy to fly and extremely easy to relaunch, so it was seen as a beginner/school kite. The '09 Evo maintains the ease of flying/relaunch, which makes this kite work well for beginners, but it now has the newschool and wave performance that will make it appeal to experienced riders also.

In general, you will be extremely happy with either of these kites. We've gotten great feedback from both lines, and we're psyched to have them both in our lineup.

If you have any other questions feel free to PM me here or get in touch with your local dealer.

-Dan

[Faber]

Hi Dan,
I got 08 9m EVO with a 4 lines 08 bar.
I'm looking for an evo 09 6m to complete my gear. Can I use the 08 bar on the 09 model ?
thank you,
Faber

[North_Wind]

I have owned two generations of Rebel (07 10m and 08 10m). I have some Evo 09s. In my view the Evo is a vastly superior kite, and I would not be surprised if the Rebel is quietly retired before too long.

Evo does not stall/hindenburg like the Rebel does.
Evo does not invert like the Rebel does.
Evo turns faster than the Rebel
Evo still is very responsive to sheeting - good power on/power off for the lazy kiter
Jumping is far more exciting (a C kite like jump) than the gentle but long jumps of the Rebel.

Relaunch in 4 line mode is fantastic.

With the greatest respect to Dan I disagree with quite a lot of his post (above). Dan - have you actually flown these kites yourself? To say that the Evo is closer in jump characteristics to the Rebel than to a C kite (Vegas) is bizarre. It is quite the reverse. I have owned all of North's kites - Vegas, Rebel, Rhino and Evo so I would hope I can judge the differences.


BA

[-wAVe-]

I think it is only fair to compare the 09 Rebel with the 09 Evo.
The 09 Rebel does not Hindenburg (07 Rebel - yes - extra knot in front pigtail helps)
I think invertion is a possiblity with all kite types - I have seen an 09 Evo invert in waves - not a flaw in my opinion.
The 09 Rebel does not back stall (08 Rebel - yes - slightly longer back lines help).

I have flown the 10m 09 Rebel and 9m 09 Evo back to back - I think they turn about the same speed - both fastish. Evo more power in turn - Rebel turns well even depowered.
The Rebel jumps high.

I think the kites are very different. My personal feeling is that the Rebel is a more refined kite than the Evo which has more power and grunt - almost like comparing a high and low aspect kite. For this reason Freestylers would probably prefer the Evo, old school the Rebel and for waves either.

[Dan-at-Duotone]

Faber- yes you can use last year's bar for this year's kite.

North Wind- Those were just my thoughts and the feedback that I've been getting from people on the demo tour. I'm basing my comparisons on all '09 gear, and I think the confusion comes from you comparing the '09 Evo to previous years' Rebels. I haven't heard any complaints about the '09 Rebel hindenburging, stalling, or inverting.
As far as judging the way a kite jumps, I'm no pro, and I'm trying to get away from "dangling", so I am admittedly not the best judge. Again, just reporting my thoughts from riding and from talking to riders at the demos.

wAVe- my thoughts exactly.

[Faber]

Thanks for your answer Dan.
/ Faber

[SimonP]

The Evo 09 is definitely higher performance than the Evo 08 and will suit all but the most dedicated wake-styler. It did lose a little bit at the low-end though.

IMHO flat unbridled 5 line kites such as the Rebel aren't the way to go. If the 5th line length isn't perfect it will affect performance and cause weird behaviour, they are difficult to relaunch when the kite is on it's back, and it's too easy for a rear line to flip over the back of the kite.

Just my 2c,

Simon

[alkiter]

I have an 09 Rebel 10m and 09 EVO 12m. My observations, taking into account the size differences:

Rebel - sports car, EVO - truck

Turning speed: Rebel fast, EVO slower, smoother
Low end: Rebel good, EVO stronger, pulls like a truck.
Upwind capability: Rebel better, flies more forward in the window. EVO have hard time going upwind, sits back in the window, don't have enough bar travel to depower and pulls downwind.
Jumping: Rebel goes higher, probably because faster, EVO has more float
Foating: Rebel floats downwind nicely, stable, EVO about the same
Relaunch: Rebel just about automatic, hits water, sits back up on wingtip ready for launch, EVO good also.

Haven't noticed much difference in EVO handling in 4-line vs 5-line.

[youyou]

Hi guys,

Is anyone can tell me what is the windrange of the 6m and 7m EVO09?low and high end?big difference?
i'm 70-75 kg and i would like to get an EVO 09 in small size for strong winds but hesitate between those two.
i already have vegas 2009 9m.
Any advice?

thx