New quiver, evos or Vegas?

[keviene]

Hi there,
I reckon it's high timé to upgrade my kites, right now i'm riding 09 North Evo 12m and 10 Evo 8m,
I'm a little tired of the feeling of being pulled like a truck, most with the 12.
I like the low end, as it get me out very early, but the top end is bad and very uncomfortable.

I see a lot of local riders changing from evos to Vegas and now they are very happy with the change, with the bar feel and all.

Don't know if new evos have improved in the kind of pull and bar feeling and top end.
I really like the Vegas (but i haven't tested properly just in the beach) but I'm it Will be harder to ride as it is a dedicated Freestyle Kite (Also a C Kite...)

I'm not a newbe, but i'm still progressing with the very first tricks. (But mainly i "do freeride").

What do You think?

[Dan-at-Duotone]

All the Evos up through 2013 tend to pull like trucks. If you're looking at 2014 kites you've pretty much described the Dice as the kite for you... It'll work great for getting into unhooked tricks, but it's really comfortable and forgiving if you want to freeride or ride waves.

The 2014 Evo is completely different, much more top end, but it seems to have sacrificed the low end grunt... Less of an unhooking kite and more of a dedicated jumping/freeride kite.

The Vegas will also work. The advantage of the Vegas is that it's really quick and stable, it's got direct connections (no bridle) so you have a very direct feel, and it's our best kite for freestyle or wakestyle. You can definitely freeride on it when set on the freeride setting, but it's not as forgiving as the Dice, so you need to be a little more precise with your kite. Of all of our kites, the Vegas has the least low-end grunt, but it's got really good high end and the low end of the larger sizes has gotten significantly better the last two years running. The only other place where you'll find the Vegas lacking is in relaunch, but if you're in enough wind and/or you know how to use the 5th line to aid in relaunch it'll relaunch well.

As always, try to demo everything you can.

-Dan

[keviene]

2014 kites are out of my budget, so i'm interested in 2013 kites.

As it is a 2kite quiver i'm a bit worried a out the Vegas, i weight 75-80kg and the regular winds here are from 12-35knots (but it's most common 12-25)

Could be 11-8m a good quiver? I'm tired of my 12 Evo as it is sooo slow
Or with 10-7m would i loose a lot of low end?

Tanks

[icebird]

As it is a 2kite quiver i'm a bit worried a out the Vegas, i weight 75-80kg and the regular winds here are from 12-35knots (but it's most common 12-25)

Could be 11-8m a good quiver?

I have 10-8-6 2013 Vegas at 69kg.
I enjoy both the 8 and 10 equally, but sometimes feel an 11m would be better as the gap would not be too big. Only, the 11m might not be as fun as 10m. 10m is relatively powerful, but won't cover you in 12knots. 8-10-12 would be good, but 7-9-12 would optimize range, and 8-11m would be a good two kite compromise - it will handle 25 knots for your weight if it has to be, and will give a decent low end. It's a really good kite that is a joy no matter if you cruise or go hard.

[jant]

i haven't flown a 2013 or 2014 vegas but i flown 2011 and 2012 vegas 12m.
i need almost 15kt to be on the water, i'm 85kg.
I tried a 12 evo and pull like truck. you can compare the same sizes.
You might think in how much days of light wind are in your spot.
if i were you i would buy a 10 or 9m vegas and i keep your 12evo for the lights days

[icebird]

It's been a long time since I was on a 2011 or 2012 Vegas 12m and it didn't feel that powerful, but friend who has a 2012 12m Vegas recently tried my 2013 10m said the 10m pulls about the same as his 12m. I guess he was about 85kg as well and had the 10m in perhaps 15knots or less well powered. So there is a lot more buttom in the new Vegas, and also more powerful loops.

I tried the Evo against Vegas, and Evo pulls but Vegas goes just as fast and upwind without that pull. But that is for lighter riders I guess.

I can take the 10m down to fairly light wind with a larger board also becuase it upwinds quite well, picks up apparent wind and generates good power when sining, but ultimately the Vegas is not a light wind kite due to its weight.

[Mike27]

Is there any difference in bar feeling between the new 2014 vegas and the 2013 one bar pressure etc...?

[Miltsface]

The 2014 Evo is completely different, much more top end, but it seems to have sacrificed the low end grunt... Less of an unhooking kite and more of a dedicated jumping/freeride kite.

Dan-

It sounds like the 2014 Evo will be more Fuse-like. There's been some speculation here about that previously, but sounds like you just confirmed it. How far in that direction will the new Evo move? Will it be the Fuse with an Evo nameplate, or somewhere in-between?

[Dan-at-Duotone]

Miltsface-

We've shuffled our lineup considerably this year. There was some overlap and confusion in the lineup the last few years, and in an effort to clean up the whole line, we've had to make some changes. Most notably, we've dropped the Fuse and added the Dice. Almost as notably, we've completely redesigned the Evo.

It is an oversimplification to say that the Evo is a Fuse with a new name... The 2014 Evo is designed by the same design team that has always done the Evo, it has evolved from the shape of the Evo, and it will have a similar feel to previous Evos. That being said, it has gone the way of a freeride kite, as opposed to the all-around freestyle/freeride/wave/unhooking/hooked in kite that it's been in the past, which brings it right into the category that the Fuse has always filled; a 4-line, 5-strut freeride kite. The 2014 Evo seems to have much lighter bar pressure, jumps better, turns quicker, and has better high end than the 2013, most of which again seems to suggest Fuse, but the feel (in spite of the lighter bar pressure) and look are definitely more Evo. We only have one sample 2014 Evo here, and only a few people have tested it, but they all seem to be saying what I said above. Hopefully we will hear more as we get more samples/testers in coming months.

-Dan

[Miltsface]

Thanks for clarifying, sounds like the new evo will be somewhere in-between, which is a kite i'd like to try.

btw, we've met. I did a downwinder from viento with you and BillyB a year+ ago.