Charlie Railton reports on the North EVO 09!
North took the new EVO 09 to this year’s dealer meeting in Tarifa where I got to give it a spin. I got out on the 10m and the 12m over two days. Winds were gusty and varied in strength.
The new North EVO is changing its position in the North range for 2009, to be pitched between the Rebel and the Vegas under the categories of freeride/freestyle & Wave.
Jaime Herraiz has had a lot of involvement with the development of this kite to ensure that it performs and it really does.
The build is North’s usual high standard with a new rib design that is triple stitched plus even more reinforcement for the tips, trailing and leading edge.
The North EVO retains a centre strut unlike the Rebel and the Rhino 09 and unfortunately the differences continue in that the EVO does not have a 1 pump system.
Again for 09, the North EVO can be used as a 4 or a 5 line kite. The 5th line has no function other than added safety (not the case on the Rebel 09). 5th line usage is a personal choice; North strongly recommend that it is used on all their kites for maximum safety.
The North EVO gives you the choice to ride 4 lines if you surf large open beaches with reliable wind, or to opt for a 5 line bar setup if your local spots have more obstacles and are susceptible to gusty winds.
On the water the North EVO works well. As expected it’s got a great wind range and the bottom end is impressive. The bar pressure is lighter than last years kite and gives you good feedback as to what the kite is doing. I mentioned that the kite fits between the Rebel and the Vegas, this means that it has attributes of both.
It is similar to the Rebel in that is has a larger wind range, meaning a 2-kite quiver is more viable but then its got characteristics of the Vegas such as working well unhooked, producing solid kiteloops and being super stable when you need it to be in those more technical tricks.
North have addressed the needs of every type of rider with their range of 09 kites, the North EVO will answer the needs of many kitesurfers and could easily become the most popular kite in the range, if you are considering the Vegas and don’t want to stretch to a 3-kite quiver then this could be the tool but equally this could be your post IKO/BKSA beginner course kite.
Regards,
Charlie Railton
