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North News:

The new Trust Bar 2013
The North Trust Bar is legendary in the kitesurfing industry and amongst the riders; we have developed it, tweaked it and refined it for many years. The Trust bar 2013 once again stands for unmatched safety and reliability. As with all things at North Kiteboarding, if we do something new, we do it right, this year the bar has been completely reworked, updated and redesigned! The new bar for 2013 is the culmination of years of development, testing and competition winning success.

http://www.northkites.com/products/bars/5th-element/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZg53KK1TH4

I have to admit after all my ranting about the depower line wear, that is a very nice bar, with some ingenious changes and sensible changes at that. Looks like a fantastic piece of equipment. We will see I suppose.

That is a well put together product video.

A lot of the ideas are good - some are unnecessary.

The method of switching the bar length is something I wouldn't want, because I am paying for something that isn't necessary. A short piece of rope through a hole with a knot on each end does the same thing.
Same with changing the steering line lengths - I'd rather just move a larks head knot to another knot on the leader line.

ronnie wrote:That is a well put together product video.

A lot of the ideas are good - some are unnecessary.

The method of switching the bar length is something I wouldn't want, because I am paying for something that isn't necessary. A short piece of rope through a hole with a knot on each end does the same thing.
Same with changing the steering line lengths - I'd rather just move a larks head knot to another knot on the leader line.

I think the same...

And on top of that, the plastic caps on the side, and the width adjusters are probably a weak spot on the bar. It looks very nice and sleek, but I wonder how long it will survive with all the sand, salt and crashes.

Bit unneccesary if you ask me, but I can understand North wants to be one step ahead of other manufacturers.

Yeh this did cross my mind I must admit. They do over engineer in general I feel. When I put my Vegas next to my new airush VX, this thought came to mind. The bloody Vegas is built like a German tank, reinforced to buggery, the VX was no where near the same spec, but it is also so much lighter, and really is it all necessary? Maybe freestyle crew would say yes as they would crash their kites more pushing the boundaries. Also their entity straps, and pads, bloody comfortable and adjustable but my god takes a while to work me out.

Westozzy wrote:Yeh this did cross my mind I must admit. They do over engineer in general I feel. When I put my Vegas next to my new airush VX, this thought came to mind. The bloody Vegas is built like a German tank, reinforced to buggery, the VX was no where near the same spec, but it is also so much lighter, and really is it all necessary? Maybe freestyle crew would say yes as they would crash their kites more pushing the boundaries. Also their entity straps, and pads, bloody comfortable and adjustable but my god takes a while to work me out.

I fly a 10m VX this year and have also put the NTT straps on my board and love them. Only problem I have is that the metal ntt badge on the side of the strap is rusting. Doesn't look like the 2013 straps have them, so sounds like an improvement. I'm not totally happy with my airush bar, been looking at other bars to replace it. North bar looks very slick, but I agree with Faxie, that the plastic bits on the end will probably be the weak spot.

Ok, so on the new bar.

Dont like that white colour is on the right. I think White and red should be on the left and black and grey on the right.

Wonder if that stopper is actually going to stop the bar from sliding. My Airush stopper looks the same and does not hold the bar pressure which is the reason I'm looking at other bar at the moment.

Shame that they dont have the microloop anymore either.

Looks like they finally have a slick bar!

like the new vario cleat!

WildDuke wrote:

Westozzy wrote:Yeh this did cross my mind I must admit. They do over engineer in general I feel. When I put my Vegas next to my new airush VX, this thought came to mind. The bloody Vegas is built like a German tank, reinforced to buggery, the VX was no where near the same spec, but it is also so much lighter, and really is it all necessary? Maybe freestyle crew would say yes as they would crash their kites more pushing the boundaries. Also their entity straps, and pads, bloody comfortable and adjustable but my god takes a while to work me out.

I fly a 10m VX this year and have also put the NTT straps on my board and love them. Only problem I have is that the metal ntt badge on the side of the strap is rusting. Doesn't look like the 2013 straps have them, so sounds like an improvement. I'm not totally happy with my airush bar, been looking at other bars to replace it. North bar looks very slick, but I agree with Faxie, that the plastic bits on the end will probably be the weak spot.

Ok, so on the new bar.

Dont like that white colour is on the right. I think White and red should be on the left and black and grey on the right.

Wonder if that stopper is actually going to stop the bar from sliding. My Airush stopper looks the same and does not hold the bar pressure which is the reason I'm looking at other bar at the moment.

Shame that they dont have the microloop anymore either.

Like the VX? Yeh the stopper is a prob on the smart bar, also don't Ike the stupid two handles for power depower. Just one thing to pull thanks. Stupid idea. Be aware though the Y on the front lines is built for the quick release to pull the kite down gently and roll forward on its leading edge.

Westozzy wrote: Like the VX? Yeh the stopper is a prob on the smart bar, also don't Ike the stupid two handles for power depower. Just one thing to pull thanks. Stupid idea. Be aware though the Y on the front lines is built for the quick release to pull the kite down gently and roll forward on its leading edge.

Yeah, love the VX! I'd prefer it if there was slightly less bar pressure, but that's what I say about all kites. Not sure you are correct about the Y on the front. The 2013 smartbar doesnt have a Y, it has a V and it said to be completely compatible with older kites.

I wish the north bar had a V on the front lines. It would be easier to fix lines if kite inverts. Also, I think 5line is dangerous. I will never own another one. I was kiting a downwinder from one atoll in the south pacific to another, when I kited into a partial wind shadow produced by coconut trees and some higher terrain on the island behind me. My kite fell from the sky and rolled through itself. If I had a 5 line kite, it would have been game over. I was a couple of km's from the atoll that we were going to and floating in shark infested waters. Luckily I was flying my 4 line kite and able to relaunch and kite myself back to our meeting point. But that's beside the point.

i have no love for North but the 5th line thing is not that big a deal. Unless you are in the waves it is not hard to unwrap a 5th line wrap if you know how and have practiced a bit. Quite doable except in a rush in the impact zone. And the Iron Heart QR is a nice piece of work, releases easy no mater what which is the most important part of a QR and never has released by accident which is the second most important part, to me.
Having said that, the rest of the bar seems way over-engineered and flash without substance. No real need for most of the gizmos and i will not fly their kites for other reasons as well. So, i may have to find an old QR and use it without any of the rest of their stuff. Only use the part that works for you....