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2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

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Toby
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2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby Toby » Sun Aug 17, 2014 6:19 pm

Hi guys,

here my review for the Rebel 18.

I had the Rebel out for two sessions so far.
Winds between 15-23 knots.

Important to know is that the Rebel 18 does not have the low end like the Dyno 2011.
With the Rebel 18 North wanted to continue the character of the Rebels, easy handling, performance and good high end.

The Rebel 18 has a good feel on the bar, not as heavy as the Dyno 2011, but you can feel the kite with no problem.
When jumping the Rebel 18 stays above you, but if you want it to turn, you pull on the bar and the kite moves forward.
Also for kiteloops needed for the surface tricks like Jesus Walks and Darkslides, it loops smoothly and does the job perfectly.

Once the kite has power, it has a very good lift and hangtime. By removing the center strut it adds more hangtime.

I still need to test the upper end, which I think is around 30 knots (warm air). Then I expect to go huge and fly.

I had different protos during the past months. With the ones similar to the Dyno I was at my limit with 25 knots in warm air, while with the proto like the Rebel 18 I was easily riding and going huge.

So, for whom is the kite good for you will ask yourself?

For me it replaces my Rebel 16 from 2010. The 16 turned faster which made me crash with rotating tricks when going big because it steered faster. Now I have the same wind range, 2 sqm more for more hangtime and slower steering.
I expect to fly huge with stronger winds. I will be in Tarifa for the Big Air during PKRA end of August and I hope to fly this kite to show that big kites can go big too! Plus I can do all my tricks with it.
If I take smaller, the risk of an injury is much higher to land the crazy tricks.

A heavy rider can use this kite for stronger winds, if they still want the feel of an 18 to land their tricks.

I think for lighter riders this is their answer to be able to fly an 18 sqm kite to improve their Airstyle tricks, since it handles easier than other 18s and you won't feel overpowered with few knots more.

Since I am a heavy rider, you should try this kite and see what it does for you in your weight.

I am happy to have this kite, since it opens the stronger winds for me and my tricks.

I will persuade North now to do an Airstyle Kite for 2016 with more low end like the 2011 Dyno.
Then they will have a good choice for lighter and heavier riders.

Forgot to mention that I love the OnePump ! 90 pump strokes with the big inflation valve and it is pumped up completely!

I tested the kite on my 2012 bar with 25m line lengths (inner bar connections) and the more powerful setting with slower steering.

I will also try to fly it with 32m lines, maybe that will make a bigger difference for the low end.

Let me know if you have any further questions!
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Re: 2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby Macisback » Sun Aug 17, 2014 6:36 pm

Thank you Toby!

Well, I just bought a North Dyno 2011 18m today :-)
I had to search forever and ever, but now I found two.
If anyone needs one, let me know, maybe the second one is still available.

I will most likely buy the Airstyle Rebel 18 too, just to compare it and see if two 18m kites and a 12 m kite are a good setup for me, or if a Dyno 2011 16m does a better job then the Airstyle Rebel.

Here are my questions:

- Does the Rebel make the same sound cause of the trailing edge as the Dyno 2011 18?
- How is the build quality compared to the Dyno?
- Did you find time to compare it to the Draft 17?
- For a 90kg rider the fun starts at 22 knots or when did you feel the same boost as the Dxno delivers at 18 knots?

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Toby
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Re: 2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby Toby » Sun Aug 17, 2014 6:52 pm

oh, lucky you! Keep the 18s, don't sell yet!

If you have the Dyno 18, the Rebel 18 will be a good addition. I am sure you will prefer it over your 12 (if wind is not toooo strong), given you want to do tricks and not go for max jumping height.

The Dyno 16 is close to the Dyno 18, so Rebel 18 makes more sense.

- no sounds when looping it. Rebel 18 has battens at trailing edge, but I had a proto without, and no problem
- construction looks much more solid than Dyno. Dyno was build as light as possible. The LE should be stronger material and specially at the trailing edge with their new feature it got inforced where the Dyno 2011 got worn out quickly if too long grounded in wind.
- no, too few days with wind to compare unfortunately. Will try if I can whenever I see one somewhere
- hard to say at this point, since we talk about warmer and colder wind.

At 2:20 I jumped with the Rebel proto in about 20-24 knots in Cabarete


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Re: 2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby TonyL » Sun Aug 17, 2014 8:51 pm

I am 195 lbs. I want a kite that has great hang time in the 15 to 20 knots range. When will this kite start performing - 15knots? Lower? Or higher?

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Re: 2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby Toby » Sun Aug 17, 2014 9:02 pm

At this point I don't know. Need to test more.
We have similar weight, but do you have cold wind and what board size?

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Re: 2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby Westozzy » Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:42 pm

Okay Toby so same power as the 16 but turns slower...good.

So As you said the hangtime is much better than the 16 2011 given 18m...

Are you happy with the overall design having no centre strut, meaning if north made a more powerful version for heavy riders would you say this 6 strut open centre design will work?

Do you think more aspect is needed maybe to develop more power as per the 2011?

Is the canopy as stable (the 2011 as you know is rock solid)... Notice any fluttering through that open centre section?

It kind of leaves us with 18s (and a 16) scratching our heads to be honest, especially as I am that lighter rider you talk about.

But all things said and done above, do you think the design WORKS, for what we do? Have they developed a decent airstyle kite or is the airstyle factor a function of it being a big bloody kite...!!

I.e. Are you happy overall with the power deliver, can you load and pop against it given decent winds enough movement in the vertical plain....(it doesn't give up on you at the edge of the window).

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Re: 2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby Westozzy » Mon Aug 18, 2014 1:10 am

Actually you said the new 18m rebel has better hang than the 16m 2010 rebel...

Compared to the 2011 16m dyno??

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Re: 2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby TonyL » Mon Aug 18, 2014 2:52 am

Toby wrote:At this point I don't know. Need to test more.
We have similar weight, but do you have cold wind and what board size?
135x41. In those conditions it would be warm wind

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Re: 2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby s1buell_wl » Mon Aug 18, 2014 3:07 am

"For me it replaces my Rebel 16 from 2010"

So we are still in search for a 2011 18m Dyno... Shit.

Well its an interesting situation we have now. It sounds like this kite comes into it own at around 18kns (Brazil type air). Now not sure if its me but AS is the best done between 15-22kns for my location. Lets be real after 20kns most times the wind starts to get really shitty and not suitable for AS. Really high wind causes all kinds of rotation, drift and board runaway issues.

I'm not really sure why North went for a high wind 18m. That's not what I need for AS. 15-22kns good jump, great hang and smooth power delivery through the loop. How hard can it be???

Back to you Dimi...

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Re: 2015 Rebel 18 Airstyle Review

Postby Macisback » Mon Aug 18, 2014 11:00 am

Haha Buell,

well looks like North has not done their homework fully yet...happens

Dimitri, looks like if you play your cards well, there is a good chance you get into the Airstyle market in time, all you need to bring up is an updated Dyno 2011 like kite. Cant be that hard?

I do think that North will come up with a low-end AS Kite and a microloop/hook 2015/16.

I will just fly a Dyno 2011 18 and an Rebel 2015 Airstyle 18 as a quiver and have a 12m Draft for normal kiting and high winds. The 9m is for teaching only atm.

After some testing I do think it is possible to tune a 12 to a similar feel as an 18.
35 meter lines, small bar, inner settings.
Toby told us, he had a great session on a North Dyno 13m with 32m lines.

When there is a new low-end AS Kite my Dyno will get replaced, if its an Epic kite, cool, if its a North cool too.

@Buell: I checked back for the second Dyno 2011 18, but do not have an answer yet.
I know there is one available that has been on the water 10-15 times, but had the front tube blown up and then they put a new bladder and did a professional repair on it. The pics looked very good.
And there is another that was rarely used, that had the sewing on the middle strut professionally redone/enforced and a small patch sewn of 5x3cm on the front tube.

Would you be intrested in those kites too? Its almost impossible to get a new Dyno 2011 18.
I had to search in Asia before I found the kites!

Problem is, with the insurance and the shipping you end up at 1000-1200 Euro, as they were expensive as import goods and now they dont sell cheap (800-900 Euros) and you have to add insured shipping (80-120 Euros).
Its a bit of a pain in the ass, but for getting a Dyno 2011 18 you nowadays have to go the full length...


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