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I will be the first to admit when I make a mistake. I recently criticized the price of a few brands increase in pricing from 2012 to 2013, the North products I have tried for 2013 definitely justify the increase in price. You just cannot compare their new straps and pads to normal mortal ones. Also the bar is really really nice. So I was wrong, I was wrong all the way across the chalkboard and all the way down. The new kites I saw are definitely worth the difference in price if you kite alot. I can kite probably more than 300 days a year where I live my equipment must last. I only have a set of pads and straps as of now but will definitely give their kites and bars a thought when I purchase my next ones. I currently ride RRD kite. I have no affiliation.

different strokes for different folks

the Iron heart is a great piece of kit
the new bar is becoming over-complicated with lots of movable parts
there are better cam cleats out there
and the kites are about like ever one else's as far as quality goes

use what you like

Always felt that way, just wanted to correct my opinion about a few things, for sure there is more simple kit. So nice there are so many different brands.

knotwindy wrote:different strokes for different folks

the Iron heart is a great piece of kit
the new bar is becoming over-complicated with lots of movable parts
there are better cam cleats out there
and the kites are about like ever one else's as far as quality goes

use what you like

Awe what a buzz kill!! Why you gotta be a hater in someone elses Stoked on product thread???

The New bar is super sick I spent the weekend a hundred feet off the ground hanging on to it! It may have movible parts and such but it is strong as f***!

The New lines are also fucking awesome, I can streach a out side line 2 feet longer then the fronts doing kiteloops out of glides in about a hour on any one elses lines. The new lines have hardley streched at all, I am amazed...

And as a snowkiter that see kites bounce of the ground covered with rocks and sage brush, My friends with north kites seem to have their kites in the shop alot less then other brands. They are made in there own factory using different materails for the canopy ( D2 fabric that they invented with terjiin that everyone else is trying to use now), leading edge, and trailing edge then other brands, They also use differnt pulleys, bridles and conection points to the kite then any other brand....... anyone who doesn't have the skill to understand what a difference these materaials makes is uneducated.

When I choose to ride North Gear it is becuase I can die if I f*** up or my gear fails..Hows that for a choice based on quality.... I choose north gear cuase I feel less likely to die...Thank you NORTH your product quality crushes other brands and makes me push harder and that is pricless to me...

Jbrooks I am glad you checked out North stuff, So many people on this forum will just flap their mouths with out even riding a product. Thanks for sharing you opinion good or bad!

Awesome that you found something you like. Have you compared the gear to other brands though? I Mean at the pads etc. how does it stack to other current comparable brands? That is a salient question.

..but hey I agree that they put out a great kit

billy b
1st if it was a riding stoke i would have joined in but it was just a partial gear stoke

and i never said a thing about hating the stuff
love some of it, some just average

he said he got pads and straps and liked the look of the bar
i said i like some of their stuff also but the bar is just OK

then you jump in and tell me their stuff is the best ever for every one no matter what because you bet your life on it?

imagine, people disagreeing on a forum!

knotwindy wrote:billy b
imagine, people disagreeing on a forum!

lol

Jbrook wrote:I will be the first to admit when I make a mistake. I recently criticized the price of a few brands increase in pricing from 2012 to 2013, the North products I have tried for 2013 definitely justify the increase in price. You just cannot compare their new straps and pads to normal mortal ones. Also the bar is really really nice. So I was wrong, I was wrong all the way across the chalkboard and all the way down. The new kites I saw are definitely worth the difference in price if you kite alot. I can kite probably more than 300 days a year where I live my equipment must last. I only have a set of pads and straps as of now but will definitely give their kites and bars a thought when I purchase my next ones. I currently ride RRD kite. I have no affiliation.

no, you were not mistaking at all. everybody should criticize increase of the price!

now, how they make for example the bar or pads more expensive? do they add some diamond dust or gold flakes in them? no, they just make them different, but not 100%. so, components which were good enough already in the previous models don't need improvements and additional R&D cost.
only the portion of crappy parts of the previous model needs improvements. those same crappy parts on which supposedly they (quote)"spend vast amounts of time testing, refining and tuning their kites"
so in fact they spend less on each newer model of kiteboarding equipment.

just read this:

Quality means a lot to North Kiteboarding. For this reason we have focused our efforts on the best quality management possible over the last few years. We expect lasting performance in a wide range of conditions from our kites. We expect to design kites that fulfill and surpass the wishes and demands of our customers. To ensure we can attain this goal, quality begins at the very first stages of kite manufacturing. We know that a product is always only as good as its weakest detail, which is the reason why all details in construction and production methods have been and continue to be analyzed and optimized over the years. We like to simply call this design and quality standard Progression Q. In this ongoing process, we continuously work on improvements, but the basic idea remains the same: By standardizing details in construction and design across our entire range it has become possible to optimize production processes and to use materials more efficiently. The result is products that are all automatically at the same level of quality at any given time. Both of our kite designers work together closely so that each kite model in our range automatically benefits from every new idea or experience. Pro Q represents durability, timeless performance, and the highest possible quality control standards.

seams like only things on which they spend more money are senseless marketing texts and colorful promotional videos.

i have no affiliation either, so all mentioned above suits other brands as well

knotwindy wrote:billy b
1st if it was a riding stoke i would have joined in but it was just a partial gear stoke

then you jump in and tell me their stuff is the best ever for every one no matter what because you bet your life on it?

imagine, people disagreeing on a forum!

Yup what a ad right, Dont fail or I die....! Dude I am not talking directly to you when I say their shit rips but to anyone on the forum...You can ride any gear you like, I hope you have a great time.. I choose north gear, thats all.

Just trying to put the stoke back in the thread! Woo hoo North gear for me!

I of course under... Dissagreeing about proforamance is one thing but looking ar fabrics and construction technigue there are a few companys that lead the way...North is one of them in my opinion..The materails used to make the kite are top notch and thats my point to everyone...Not just you..

It also seems to me that the OP rode some other north gear not just pads and straps and was just stoking the brand on the forum cuz in the past he has felt it was overpriced???

BB

North is firing on all cylinders this year.

The 2013 Vegas is improved in low-end and unhooked but kept the solid Vegas feel. This was my only gripe last year, that they did not quite have the right pop unhooked unless you set them up a certain way. I love the improved low-end; as I get older, my kites have to pull around more of me.

The bar is much lighter, which makes travel easier; time will tell if it is more prone to break or not with the replacement of the metal pieces with plastic.

The Gambler looks similar to the 2012, but they got the spacing correct for boots so that you can use the entire width on the stance. The pads look better. They moved out the hard plastic pieces that I has hitting the arch of my foot on when I landed really hard and I hope they made the heal pads out of a more resilient foam (but only time will tell on this as well) which were my only gripe from last year.