North Evo 9m 2008 Kite Test

North Evo 9m Test

At a Glance
The North Evo is a totally new kite in the line up this year and it is using a design not previously seen in the North Kiteboarding range. The delta shape is perhaps something we will see more of over the coming years from other brands especially with two of the major brands now using it. The North Evo can be ridden as a simple 4line affair or you can set it up on the North 5th Element Bar for added safety and a slightly more direct feel. The North Evo kite lacks one pump and is aimed at the more entrylevel market as opposed to the top end users out there. All the struts have oneway valves though so it isn’t too much of a hardship to rig up. Funny how we are so used to one pump now it seems a real effort when it isn’t present on a kite! The 4line bar is similar to the 5th Element bar with the same twoway cleat that allows heaps of personal trimming to suit your needs and the improved Iron Heart safety. The bridling on the kite is fairly simple with two V Bridles on the leading edge of the kite and a direct connection to the rear lines. We should also mention the chord depth of the kite, as it is quite low aspect. The chord depth simply is the length of the middle strut a shorter length makes for a high aspect kite and a longer one a low aspect kite. The North Evo kite is easily the lowest aspect 9m we have seen for a while. This should make the kite super stable in the air and also help reduce the chance of the kite stalling and flying backwards when over sheeted.In The AirAgain on this kite ensure you set up the adjustable cleat to make sure the bar is set up not only to your riding style but also your body size and shape. With so much adjustment it is easy to set it up perfectly for the way you ride, it is also easy to set it up incorrectly though so a few minutes spent on the beach during your first session will reward you with hours of fun on the water. Probably the first thing you will notice about the North Evo is the lowend grunt the kite has, with its deep chord depth comes heaps of low end power. The 9m really felt really powerful but it is worth noting that the pivot angle is good, as with all delta shapes, and the kite has a good amount of depower. Definitely the bottom end is more impressive than the top end though. In terms of handling the one word that kept coming up again and again was easy. This is a really simple easy kite to fly, super forgiving and just effortless in terms of getting upwind, jumping, and steering. Plenty of feedback for the rider too on the bar and you can easily feel where the kite is in the window at all times. One thing that is really worth a mention is the jumping, we were expecting this to be fairly basic in the air, but it is actually bordering on insane! Huge boost off the water and immense hangtime once you are up there will leave you with the biggest grin on your face. It is real plug and play enjoyment too. Unlike some kites that take a while to get dialled into the North Evo will be sending your skywards on your first attempt and make timing those landings easy!

For:
Amazingly easy to use, fantastic relaunch ability, huge air and a great lowend

Against:
Is one pump too much to ask? We know it adds to the price but surely it is worth the little bit extra in manufacturing costs…

In Short:
An amazing kite in a surprising package, we really weren’t expecting so much performance with such ease of use. One of the best allround kites we have flown. If you want an entry level kite that you won’t grow out of then look no further.

For more info go to our website www.S2AS.com or call us on 01202 738448 or 01303 854065

North Rhino 2008 Kite Test

North Rhino 2008 9m

At a Glance

The North Rhino is one of the longest running kites in the history of kitesurfing. First appearing way back in 2001 the North Rhino Kite was, for a very long time, the flagship kite in the North Kiteboarding range. Much loved for its low-end grunt and renowned for its big air capabilities lots of riders had at least one size in their quiver! Last year though saw a big change for North kiteboarding and for the first time the North Rhino underwent a complete facelift. Instead of tweaking the usual design year on year the Rhino was sent back to the drawing board and a totally new North Rhino 07 was rolled out. Met with some surprise by the regular North Rhino fans the new 07 Rhino was a flat hybrid style kite utilising a 5th line rather than a bridle. For 2008 it has changed yet again with a flat delta shape that looks very different from last years kite. North Kiteboarding have used far less struts in the construction and interestingly there is no middle strut! Instead two struts straddle the centre section of the kite. The bar has also been tweaked a fair bit with a redesigned Iron Heart release, said to work much better in sandy conditions and also release under less load. Plus an innovative stopper ball system that works really well. We must also mention the new bridle set up, with 7 connection points on the kite the bridle at first does look pretty confusing. But once you get your head around all the lines then rigging up will become a breeze. The North Rhino Kite also comes standard with one pump.

In The Air

First up when you launch the Rhino 08 you will notice the distinctive delta shape the kite has, it looks totally different to last years model against the back drop of the sky. One thing you will want to familiarise yourself before you head out though is the new depower cleat which allows you total control and trim over the length of the depower and the distance that the rider can set the depower cleat from the bar. By adjusting this to your own arm length and personal riding style you can totally trim the kite in a manner that best suits you. Not for the novice out there but then this kite isn’t designed with the novice in mind. The tech heads will love the amount of choice this affords the rider in terms of set up. Once set how you want to ride the kite is impressive in its performance to say the least, a good low end grunt comes coupled with literally huge top end range, the delta shape really allowing the kite to pivot off its front axis and dump power. We were also surprised at the stability of the kite, especially in gusty and windy conditions. Last year the North Rhino relied on an obscene amount of struts to keep its shape. This year the kite is just as stable and North Kiteboarding have utilised different canopy materials and layout to achieve this. Even without the middle strut the kite is rock solid in the air. The North Rhino is also very very quick through the window, with a positive amount of pressure on the bar and a great amount of feedback for the rider you feel in total control in all conditions. Upwind is very impressive and the North Race team are using this kite to devastating effect on the current race tour. Lastly the North Rhino Kite has always been loved for its huge air and jumping capabilities. Will it disappoint this year? The answer is quite simply no, the Rhino has regained some of its glory days from the past, not the most impressive in terms of float, but if you are looking at sheer rocket factor off the water the North Rhino will not let you down, quite literally.

For:

Super stable shape, fantastic build quality, huge air and great upwind ability

Against:Not a kite for the freestyle rider, feels much more comfortable hooked in and kiteloops aren’t as impressive as the more freestyle orientated kites in the line up.

In Short:

A great kite from North and one that many riders will enjoy, if you used to love the North Rhino’s of old because they boosted huge and had loads of power then perhaps now is the time to revisit the range. It definitely has its original qualities back!

Remember Get Kitesurfing Lessons Before you go out Kitesurfing

For more info please visit Our Website http://www.s2as.com/ or call us on 01202 738448 or 01303 854065

Liquid Force Havoc 2008 Kite

S2AS Review the 2008 Liquid Force Havoc 10m

At a Glance
Liquid Force have been around for a very long time, their board making skills have never been in question with over 20 years manufacturing wakeboards you would expect them to have that dialled, which they do. The Liquid Force kites in the past have sometimes been overlooked by some but have always had certain characteristics; low-end power and a solid wakestyle pull through the air. Last year the Liquid Force Havoc was their flagship kite and it won quite a few fans in its first incarnation. This year Liquid Force have tweaked the design quite a bit and adjusted a few things on the kite in an effort to improve it even further. They have increased the flat section in the profile and increased the chord depth to give the kite up to 25% more power and have introduced a slightly more compact bridle system, which incorporates a static pulley on the wing tip of the kit. The wingtips have also changed to incorporate a diamond shape, which gives the direct feel and strength of a square tip whilst offering the high depower of curved tips. All of this combines to give the Liquid Force Havoc 2008 kite increased depower and improved turning speed over last years model. One thing we should mention is just how pimp these kites are getting, heaps of neat little features are present as is a one pump inflation system and some very smart graphics that help make the kite look stunning. The bar set up is super simple too with everything looking very neat and where it should be. They even have a nifty plug system so you can neatly tuck away any excess depower rope!

The Liquid Force Havoc 2008 In the Air
As soon as you launch the Liquid force Havoc you will notice the small bar in your hands. Easily the smallest bar we have seen on a 10m kite for a while and with perhaps good reason. Liquid Force like the wakestyle of kiting and so want a kite that sits and pulls and having a small bar obviously reduces the chance of rider input mid move and throwing the kite off. So you would think that with such a small bar the kite might be slow and sluggish. Well that is where you would be wrong, the bridle set up and static pulley combine to make the kite surprisingly fast. The advantage of this is that if you want to ride wakestyle and keep the kite pulling like a cable then you can easily, but as soon as you want to throw it about, on the waves or just for boosting big air then some input from the rider will have the kite quickly moving about the window with some impressive precision. There is a slight lag in the directness of the response due to the pulleys but this is really negligible. In the air the jumping is impressive but while it may not rip you off the water as fast as others it has some insane hangtime. Once you are up in the air you will be there for noticeably longer than on most kites on the market today. It really is quite incredible. The Liquid Force Havoc has heaps of low-end grunt and power too. At the low end of its wind range the pull is still smooth and consistent. At the top end the kite is pretty stable as well, a good rider will be able to get out in an awful lot of wind conditions with this 10m, possibly if they have a few boards a one kite quiver even.

For
Mega hangtime, low-end power, consistent pull and excellent for freestyle and waves. The S2AS Team also liked the fact it flew right out of the bag.

Against
Not as many trim options as some would like, this is a kite with pure simplicity in mind in terms of set up.

In Short
Possibly one of the best kites Liquid Force have ever produced, definitely one to rival the big boys out there. If you want some hardcore wake style pedigree that won’t disappoint in terms of performance, look no further.

For more information visit our website at http://www.s2as.com/ or call us on 01202 738448