2014 North Evo review (in comparimsment to the 2013 Fuse)

[Caesar]

Westozzy, what's your weight?

We are celebrating Australia Day today, so Mr. Westozzy is most likely in bed already and snoring his a** off. His weight is 135KG (after today's food and drinks). hehe
Just kiddin...

Happy Australia Day!

Cheers
Caesar

[surfboy1968]

No was referring to the Evo which is far more prone to over sheeting. Leave the dice on its factory setting...it will fly forward even when pulled all the way in...it's set up to unhook without touching the trim. Hence why I actually shortened the back lines on the dice until I got enough front line stretch now it's on the factory setting again...but that's because I do more freeride, wave riding, hooked in powered freestyle. Although been getting a ton of flat water sessions lately so unhooking a lot, so I need to trim it just a touch.

When we first had the Evo out it flew like a bag of sht. All four of us were like wtf! Then I realised we had the Evo on my quad bar, back lines shortened one knot up from the factory. So we put them back, vast improvement. Then the wind on the 9m hit upper twenties, and we had to pull some more trim in to get those back lines right.

Listen you cannot get away from the profile design of these three kites!!!

Yes the Evo can be unhooked, it can be looped (but you better be proficient), of course you can handle pass, even ride waves.....and we found this in the first hour or so. But once warmed up we then quickly started to reach a 'limit' to the kites ability to do the things say a dice can do. It depends on how advanced you want to push the other styles. The design profile will cause a certain 'wall' that only the very best can handle. Same thing with the rebel in the waves...man we were getting some serious height and hang time on the rebel...such wonderful smoothness that the new Evo does not have as yet, give it time though it's only a first gen incarnation. The rebel also was working early on in the waves.....but then we pushed it. Big sets, aggressive take offs in critical sections and it hit a wall, wasn't intuitive in the waves like the dice or neo. There is a limit.

On the the flip side, the dice to reaches a point with hooked in jumping. We have it now to a point that we can get relatively high and some decent hang time on the dice, but it takes a really honed technique....you have to be really dialed in and have lots of water time to extract this....but again it reaches a point where the rebel and Evo will kill it in this department, no matter how advanced your technique is.

Be honest where you are at with your riding and how far you want to push each area of your riding.

But one kite is not better than the other, it all depends on where you are at and how hard you want to go in each area.

For us the dice is a better choice. It's an obvious intuitive kite for a beginner/intermediate, but it takes a good rider with good technique to really suck out its potential. The Evo and rebel are more 'obvious' kites and will reward you much quicker......to start with ...

I am sure every kite does have its limits...Maybe I didnt give the Dice a real push as I only tried it about 6 times, mainly the 12m...I like doing big jumps, hooked in popped tricks and transitions, and waves. I do the basic unhooked stuff, the Dice unhooks with ease, and I am 57 so not sure how hard I can keep pushing it .. I would like to improve in waves and the Dice was seemed to fit the bill and my local buddy says its money in the waves..I just didnt like the way the leading edge deformed in the gusts...maybe I will get a 10m Dice and give it another go...

[max]

I would like to improve in waves and the Dice was seemed to fit the bill and my local buddy says its money in the waves..I just didnt like the way the leading edge deformed in the gusts...maybe I will get a 10m Dice and give it another go...

I am guessing you had it on 5 lines . . . my 2 cents follows.

i have tried the 7m on both 4 and 5 lines and much prefer how it flies on 4 lines.

Only had it for two days, one on 5 lines and the other on 4 lines. The wind was not as gusty on the day i used the four lines though.

It seems to drift a bit better on 5 lines but still drifts well on 4. It deformed for me on one occasion under heavy load when on 5 lines. To me, when i look up at the kite, the wing tips sit better on 4 lines.

[surfboy1968]

I would like to improve in waves and the Dice was seemed to fit the bill and my local buddy says its money in the waves..I just didnt like the way the leading edge deformed in the gusts...maybe I will get a 10m Dice and give it another go...

I am guessing you had it on 5 lines . . . my 2 cents follows.

i have tried the 7m on both 4 and 5 lines and much prefer how it flies on 4 lines.

Only had it for two days, one on 5 lines and the other on 4 lines. The wind was not as gusty on the day i used the four lines though.

It seems to drift a bit better on 5 lines but still drifts well on 4. It deformed for me on one occasion under heavy load when on 5 lines. To me, when i look up at the kite, the wing tips sit better on 4 lines.

Nope on 4 lines.....

[max]

Nope on 4 lines.....

Hmmm . . . am not much help to you then.

[gismal]

Anyone else about north evo 2014. What about this stability issue? I want to change my 2010 north fuse with the evo 2014.

[Pierrot]

I'm interested about it's "instability" as well... Hard to believe that north would put a kite on the market that is not stable in it's high wind range...
BTW i had not realized, but the Evo is the kite (ok it was in good hands, but they all were...) that owns the record of the highest jump at the king of the air!!!

[grey 2864]

Hi have the 7m and 10m 2014 Evo for about a month now and have used the 7m on some seriously squally storm conditions here in the Uk lately on the Quad bar 24 m lines and have used the North Rebel for years .and at its very top end i.e I got caught in a squall gusting to 50 mph not recommended and it was jerking / surging to the front of the window and not good but then again its way way beyond it quoted wind range ,and nothing you wouldn't expect , but I safely road out the squall without cutting away . I personally think for a non loaded fifth line kite the stability and performance is very good , both low end , high end and jumping and hang time , but not as good as the Rebel , but I have been looking for a 5 line replacement kite , personally haven't used a duff north kite.

I have only used the 10m once at its very bottom end and in very gusty overpowered conditions on the same session , so yet to really see what its like. the bar pressure on Medium setting does really increase at the top end of its wind range. so going to try the soft setting next time .

[gismal]

iksurfmag says that there is a little flex in the tips, but as a rider you don't notice. Anyone else? Can this affect how the kite flies ? Are there any other reviews ?

[Billy B.]

iksurfmag says that there is a little flex in the tips, but as a rider you don't notice. Anyone else? Can this affect how the kite flies ? Are there any other reviews ?

I have a few days on the 14m evo, and just yesterday a 6,8,11 showed up at my door. I have flown almost all of the North line up except the 2014 Dice and Neo.

The Evo is for sure different then years past and it does have some tip flex but not that is noticeable in bar feel but only while staring at the kite while looping, in my experience. So far I am very happy and have done some s-loops, and multiple glide loops and it loops like a much smaller kite with great pull and rise to the zenith.

It may not have the low end of the same size rebel but, not by much and nothing a few pumps of the kite doesn't change. It has plenty of high end and I have been out on the 14 in about 25-30k and and although I was lit I was not scared. In this hills we start off under powered at the bottom and find ourselves lit at the top, the nice thing is if the kites is uncomfortable you can just go down, with the Evo, I just keep trusting it.

Like any kite jumping is up to the rider, I have no problem boosting with confidence, and like how some of the delta aspects of jumping has been replaced with a more familiar c-kite style input with bow kite results, very rewarding if you like to send it. And once you are up there, the kite has great over head manners and input back to the bar. I did find the lightest bar setting seemed to have a vague feeling while flying (gliding of hills) but not enough to notice in jumping, and for sure a personal preference "trimming" item, I was more then happy with the medium setting.

As always build quality is amazing, and the new valve is simple easy, I feel like a kid again I can pump the 14 with out a "rest" and I have not had a problem with any of the 2014 valves, It seems the new Evos have a new version that close in the same direction as the screw on cap to stop any contact between the cap and the valve from cause leakage like the first generation, I only read about this happening on kiteforum.com I never personally experienced it with the old valve, but understand how it may if you had sand or dirt in the "cap".

I am more then happy to answer any questions, and can share more info as I fly the kites more. I ride race gear, twin tip (boots and straps), surfboard(strapless), and skim style boards, aleia, wake skate etc. I also snow kite (ski and board) so I am under gear year round. I am also a North athlete so I am a little baise because I love my gear!

Last year 2013 I flew the rebels, and the evos, and dynos and fuse and vegas. This year 2014 I have flown the rebel and Evo so far.