Back for its third iteration, the North Rebel is expected to continue to be our bestselling kite. We have had some time in Hood River to put the '09 Rebel through the paces and we're certain it is all you could hope for in a kite. Marketed as a surf kite due to it's forgiving flying characteristics and quick turning, this kite is more of an all-around performance oriented kite that will work for powered, unhooked wake-style, old school big dingle-dangle airs, as well as the quick turning, down-the-line surfing for which it is famous. Throughout testing it was always exactly where you expected and wanted it to be. Forgiving enough for a beginner to be comfortable, this kite can definitely deliver all you'd hope for. The biggest change from last year's version is in the turning. While the '08 disappointed some '07 fans due to the fact that it stalled easily through loops and aggressive riding, the '09 is back to the powered turning of the '07, yet retains the slightly faster turning speed of the '08. This improves the bottom end as you can maintain full power without stalling, makes freestyle looping the kite more fun, and improves the surfability as you can use powered downloops to maintain your position on the wave. Bar pressure, also, seems to be a compromise of the better parts of both '07 and '08. Slightly lighter on the arms than '07 with a bit more feedback than the '08, the '09 is a responsive kite that can be ridden for hours without arm fatigue.