THE ALL-TIME CLASSIC HIGH PERFORMANCE FREERIDE KITE, BENCHMARK IN BIG AIR SUPERIORITY AND STUNNING HANGTIME.
WHAT DID YOU SET OUT TO ACHIEVE FOR THE 2019 DUOTONE REBEL?
We spent an enormous amount of time on the 2018 Rebel in order to make it four-line capable. Whilst the 2018 model performed similarly to the 2017 Rebel, it was in every respect a totally new design. For 2019, we tried to address the small weaknesses that some riders had mentioned. By focusing on small tweaks, we were able to gain improvements in one quality or another, without affecting existing ones.
WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
We went through 25 or 30 prototypes for the 2019 Duotone Rebel. One goal was to improve backstall resistance, so we tried something that worked on the latest Mono. By flattening the Leading Edge arc in the center we were able to give the canopy a lower angle of attack, also in the center. Ultimately this worked, but as one can imagine, making exactly the same adjustment to a 5-Strut kite that was initially designed for a 1-Strut kite doesn’t work, so we needed to dial in the right arc curvature gradually and over several prototypes. We also wanted to fine tune the Leading Edge diameter which took a while to get it right.
