Matthew Camilleri July 30 at 7:04pm
Rider: Weight: 62kg Level: intermediate to advanced
Style: Freestyle
Weather: 12 - 26 knots
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 11/10
Disclosure; team rider for Adrenalin Rush and north

My Comments:
For the last few weeks I have been riding the Vegas non stop in all wind conditions. I was supposed to test the rebel also but they couldn’t get me off the Vagas.

it is a multipoint inflation system but is still quick to pump up and with the multipoint it keeps the kite strong and stable in the air.
On first inspection the first thing you notice is the graphics they look awesome!! It has 5 struts and is a really solid construction. It has battens on the wings and smaller ones in the canopy. They have bumper protection all along the leading edge.

PREFORMANCE: First thing you notice is how fast
this kite is, I thought my f-one DOS 2 was quick but this makes it look sluggish. It has the power of an 11 but speed of a 9. First run couldn’t help myself had to loop it and I don’t regret it the kite drives through the power zone without stalling and catches you for soft landings.

It is a really stable kite it doesn’t flutter or stall, you can swing it to 12 and it wont over fly and drop out. The Vagas has a solid bar pressure but it wont make your arm feel like their gonna fall off; it has a direct feel to it so you know exactly what’s happening all the time.

unhooking on this kite is where it really excels, you get that consistent power feeling and then when you pop it remains stable the lines get that tiny bit of slack in them and you have no tension for all passes. You always feel powered and in control of the kite.
the next day I changed setting to the 2nd setting, the difference between the 2 settings is that the first setting faster and the 2nd setting the kite just sits perfectly for you it has slightly more bar pressure and it really is the perfect freestyle setting and wake style you park it up and unhook and do your trick and it will still be right where you left it.

BAR: the bar is comfortable and the release is out of the road. The depower isn’t to far away to reach and the bar fully out is still close so your not stretching to get it.

SAFETY: the safety system works a treat. Pull the safety and your kite will fall out and turn around so it is still on the leading edge and relaunchable. It doesn’t tangle or invert but give total depower.

RELAUNCH: the 5th line relaunch system ROCKSS!! Just pull the 5th line then a wing tip and done kites back flying straight away in all winds. 4 line kites can struggle in light winds to relaunch but the vagas just pops off the water with ease.

Overall this kite perform above my expectations, I will defiantly recommend that everyone has ago at this insane kite it will make every rider very happy.

Cheers,
Camo

What size kite you on?

Great review Matt, uve got me excited and cant wait till i get my hands on my 2 new Vegas' when they arrive. Ive riden Rebels for years and have gone for the Vegas this year without even trying one. Was a little worried to start with as i really wasnt sure what to expect from the kite but sounds like ive made the right choice.

i am with cwamit WHAT size was it

i'm guessing 10m ? power of an 11 and turns like a 9.....gotta be a 10m

yep its a 10. We have the 10 Vegas and Rebel.

yer it was a 10 sorry forgot to put that in there

Rooboy you have made a very good decision

i tryed to think of the weak points but i couldnt think of anything


you will be stoked with a vegas quiver. they wont dissapoint

So is there any major differences between the 2010 and 2011??

sorry mate i cant comment on the others as i havent really tried them out alot

Yes all 2011 North kites use the Technoforce fabric which was used in the current Fuse. As Technoforce is stiffer than the standard Tejin cloth it allowed them to use less battons. The added bonus is you get a stronger and longer lasting canopy.

That's interesting and it doesn't make it heavier or slower through the air? I heard they had problems when they took a battern out of the 2009 rebel... I hope this wasn't a bad move again!

Hi Sonya

The D2 material by Technoforce which Briskites were referring to is not heavier, it is stronger due to double fibres running through the material & because it is UV stabilized front & back. The 2 fibres in the fabric are also pre treated with UV stabilising. The extra fibre helps to reduce rips should the kite get a small tear or hole. The 2 fibres lock together to stop the fabric going further, similar to rip stop fabrics but twice as strong. The extra fibre also reduces stretch, so the fabric stays in shape for longer, meaning the aerodynamics had to be changed slightly to allow for this reduced stretch. The reduced stretch also meant that less battens were required to hold the kites shape than in previous years. The entire 2011 range has been engineered to allow for this fabrics unique qualities.

The 2009 rebel removed a strut, not a batten & this didn't effect the performance in any size other than the 14, which had to be pumped up extra tight in gusty conditions. Having said that the 2010 rebel had the centre strut put back, but it was floating, allowing it to move (personally loved the 2009 rebel with the missing strut).

Really looking forward to trying the 2011 rebel, the 2010 fuse (which has the D2material) has definately handled really well, with early relaunch & no sign of being slow in the air, along with great durability, so would expect the other kites with D2 to be great also.

I rode Vegas 2010 all season, so my most awaited is a 9mtr Vegas, which I am promised this coming week. Will review once we get it on the water (if we get some wind as forecast, which is why i am on seabreeze not the water today).

Have Fun!
Fiona

oh derr sorry got batten and strut mixed up :P that sounds great, bout time they started maken em stronger. Apart from the stronger material are there any other flight characteristics that differ greatly? I was about to get a 2010 9 or 10m vegas but if the 2011 is miles better..... well

Hi sonya the 2010 are great but according to North the 2011 are crisper in the turns (holds its shape better in turns) and even more stable, apparantly because the material doesnt stretch as much during turns, gusts and jumps. Dont know if this is true yet or not but atleast it sounds resonable, we should know soon hopfully .
have fun
George

What line length are you running? I run my 2010s on 25m lines. The 20m's make the kite faster than I can think and I end up eating **** too often. Looking forward to trying the 2011 stuff. Especially the WAM and WHIP.

I run the 25mtr lines, I find it plenty fast enough with 25mtrs & the longer lines give it a bigger power stroke, so you can generate more power when you need it.

20mtr lines might be ok in the perfect wind & with it set on new school settings when it is a little less responsive in the turns, but have never tried it that way. Might give it a go sometime. My 9mtr 2011 demo should be here this week, hopefully tomorrow cause we are forecast 25-30knot NE winds, yes!

Have Fun!
Cu Fiona

Well guys have had the 011 9mtr vegas out now,(this is going to sound a bit like an advert for vegas) and Fiona is still grumpy that i got to ride her kite before her, its even better than last years had them out side by side.I was realy impressed with its handling fast and smooth, holds its shape even better than i expected ,The day we had it out we had a wide range of wind speeds and every one wanted to try it so no one expect my son had it out for to long ,and he seemed to want to keep it, build looks good, relaunch is slightly better, turning speed was faster and bar pressure seemed a little lighter ( but not much ) .
Have fun
George

Hey camo u forgot to mention wen u unhook it and throw it down wind for ur mate to catch the bloody thing doesnt come back down for a long time

well it likes to keep flying

and it really hard to catch it when you let it go with your hands out stretched right above your head

Shhhhhh!!

How does the 2010 and 2011 9mtr vegas compare to say the 2010 9mtr rebel in terms of speed... The rebel almost seems a lil too fast!??