Well after waiting for seemingly months, i got my 08 bar, and was greeted with a 15-20 kt westerly. Rigged up my new rebel 14 much to amusement of other kiters -thinking i'd be blown away.
Yeehaa.
Ive been a slingshot rider for years but the rebel was insane. Running 1/2 to 3/4 depower was holding it easily in up to 30 kts.(weigh in at 90kg) Went for a jump and WOW.
Biggest jumps I've ever done without really going for it.
Smooth in the gusts, depower when you wanted it, insane boost.
Love it. Best kite I've owned.
Look foerward to getting it into the surf with a nice constant NE'er to really sort it out
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Anyone on the verge of buying on....GO FOR IT!!!

Just bought a 9 and 12 meter, the 9 is a nice kite to fly , only used it once up to now and that was in 20 knot avg winds so had a grin on my face anyhow, Perth water is so warm too!

Will take a couple of sessions to get used to the faster turn speeds and lower bar pressure a 9 meter kite has compared to the 07 10 meter rebel I had been riding - the 9 meter kite feels more twitchy yet is stable than the 10 was when fresh out of the bag - good to see the kites coming ready to ride unlike last seasons issues with having to tweak lines to get the stability, re-launched almost instantly, the bungies do actually work ,on the one occasion where the kite was doing some funky stuff and the lines didn’t wrap around the wingtip and other few times I crashed it face down directly downwind was a no brainer to re-launch, wasn’t found to be an issue on the 07 for me anyhow..

I haven’t had a chance to try the 12 meter yet, but I am most interested to see the bottom end of the two kites.

Glad they kept away from two and one pumps … I always leave struts inflated , I like my kites to be kept simple.
No bridles, no pulleys, just simple and safe 5th line.

08 bars improved too as there where a couple of things I thought that needed the improvements since I am fussy lad!


The stopper slider has improved from last year, ditto with the stopper ball line now being same diameter of the centre line so doesn’t break after centre line stretches. It was a simple system last year that needed tweaking and now it has been!

The cleat works well, grips very tight but had some trouble with adjusting it on the go, that’s where cleats below the bar might have the advantage of being closer to a rigid point (harness hook) ... I just need to harden up a little

QR has improved as well, time will tell how well the lackey that’s replaced the 07 bar spring will last, not directly in the sun so prob will last a few seasons at least, the actual latch system looks to work better and in my view looks all a more cleaner setup with confidence it will work when called upon!

So no complaints about the 9 meter, but have only rode it once so my post needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

As usual the north retailer in Perth looks after their client. Dan pumped up the 12 in shop to make sure it wasn’t one of the faulty bladders of 12 meters that came off the manufacturing line - I didn’t ask him to do it, just part of the service of buying from a helpful and supportive shop!

My verdict so far is, if you like proven 5th line safety and the depower simplicity of kites without bridles all wrapped into in a performance package of a kite that gives solid feedback at the bar then try the rebel as may be your cup of tea too! (that was some pimping on my behalf )

I just bought new superceded 07 and that is still the nuts! Met a guy up at coro's who was loving his '08 too

Finally manage to ride the 12 meter too, notice that the kites can be water re-launched more deep in the window than the 07 did as it wanted to fly more towards the edge of the wind window, deeper launch works for me in waves, don’t care if it’s a hot launch as long as my kite launches out of the waves!

the 2008 12meter has less bar pressure than the 10 meter of 2007 that I used to ride but seems to have almost as fast turn speeds as the 10, felt more at home on the 12 than I did the 9 - still haven’t tested bottom end yet, (hope I wont have to for a long time ), will try the 9 with the steerling lines inside the bar to slow it down a little. (but after i try some kiteloops )

kite boosts well and upwind seems to have improved somewhat as well - was at first riding about 700 meters outbound to tack upwind to attempt a trick on my inbound tack, but found I was going far too upwind on such tacks that I normally do so cut it back to half the distance, less time riding back and forth and more time trying tricks. That works for me!

I know its not good form to compare an 06 kite with a 08 but having a ride today back to back of a crossbow 06 kite (with mod bridle) and then the 12 rebel there is no way in hell I would ride an xbow 06 - my comment is more directed at how much the kites improved over the past few years as I would hope that the 08xbows are the btz nitz too! I can understand why sloth69 sounds so excited when coming off an older kite.

I am happy with the upgrade of the rebel, improvements all round from last years model, cant see myself upgrading again next year, unless the kite looks like a seagull or something I guess

manage to test out the bottom end today , pinaroo pt 14 to 15 knots (taken from ocean reef wind meters on seabreeze) - taking into account the sideways current which may take off another 2 to 3 knots I imagine, I still managed to go upwind for the most part until it dropped off to 13 to 14 knots (the 5pm reading thats when i called it a day) that I couldn’t hold ground that equates to me to a 10 knot wind being the bottom end when taking into account the current, although that’s a warm wind, think back in esperance 10 knots will be my holding ground range. Maybe even lower on the surfboard.

I weigh about 75kgs wet and ride a 132cm by 38cm cardboard.


Bottom end is pretty good for the 12 meter, I would say as good as my 2007 14 meter because of the less weight for better upwind performance,
Got to say though it was boring as bat shyte riding back and forth with only the occasional attempt at a jump , would rather be on the 14 meter if I had it with me for the jumping!

IF you’re an experienced rider - you’re welcome to take it for a spin, it shouldnt be difficult to work out who I am down at pinnas.

hope my postings have given some insight into these great kites! I almost sound like a north pimp!

Good to read your findings cw.
I have the 9 and 12 Rebs and of course since I got them there has been bugger all wind to speak of. Had my best session last Sat. at Wanda in very light stuff maybe 12 - 15kts which is usually way to low for me to have fun on my 06 12M Waroo (a great kite BTW) but for me the Reb was way way better than the waroo at the bottom end. Had to make the occasional short walk but compared to my mate who's normally much better than me upwind he walked about 1Km. I'm 98Kg on a 142cm. The kite works best when its moving quickly. Very forgiving kite for intermediate wave riders like me that make a few mistakes.
Boost and hang is much better than my waroo 06.
Although I got the Rebs it was a close run thing with the Cult - both great kites.

Saw my first 08 bar (I have the 07.5) not sure about it..It doesn't have the swivel (not that you use it much) the release bungie might weaken/fail, rather have the spring. The actual release is very nice and probably much easier to assemble in the water. Jury's out on that one.

We nearly got you big Al , it looks like we have a crew of rebels and cults only thank fark you did not get one of those ozones I never would have heard the end of it from felix.

Danzaaaaa,
Hep nearly had me, the cult and Rebs are such good kites.
Mind you all the kites this year are good.
Nothing wrong with the Ozone's either just the riders are a bit weird....