North Kiteboarding Fuse 14m 2013
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Fuse has evolved in the North line up to become much more than a 4-line version of the Rebel which was its initial design remit. It still mirrors the aims of the Rebel in the sense it is an all round kite for many applications, but it is entirely unique in it’s design and profile. The larger sizes of the Fuse have been specifically designed to excel in light winds, the 14m, which we have here and the 16m and 18m are all designed to be fantastic freeride kites when there isn’t much wind about. It’s a 5 strut design with Adaptive Tips that give you the opportunity to tune how the kite feels in terms of bar pressure and turning performance. As usual the build quality is outstanding and you won’t be disappointed when you get the kite out of the bag, the attention to detail is phenomenal.
The Bar
The Fuse is designed to be flown as a 4 line kite, although there is a 5th line tucked in a pouch on the leading edge so you can ride it with the 5th Element set up if you like. The features of the bar are identical apart for the safety system. Instead of the 5th line for the safety the 4 line Trust bar has a red safety line that runs to the front lines of the kite. When you pop the excellent Iron Heart Safety System it engages this safety line and the kite is attached by the two front lines and depowers. Otherwise the bar is the same as the one we raved about last issue. Neat simple and very effective it really is a great piece of innovation and engineering.
On the Water
We’ve been a fan of the Fuse ever since it was first launched, and this year is no different. The 14m has ridiculous amounts of power, enough to get you up and riding in the lightest of breezes on a decent sized twin tip or surfboard. Couple it with a raceboard and it really flies. The kite is very stable in the air, there is hardly any fluttering on the canopy at all and the power delivery is smoother than hot butter melting on a jazz record. The wind range on the 14m is fantastic, you can hold it down in quite a bit of wind and in about 12 knots it really starts to get going for a rider of average weight. Unlike some larger kites the responsiveness of the 14m in turns is really impressive. Bar pressure is fairly light, enough to know where the kite is at all times without it being taxing. This is important as when the wind is light you will need to steer the kite a lot more so this characteristic is welcomed. The Fuse attacks the edge of the window well and literally flies upwind, jumping is fun too, even in light airs the Fuse will put a smile on your face.
Overall
A great kite with top of the range build quality, the Fuse is suited to the freerider looking for a fun kite with a great low end range, that won’t get blown off the water too quickly.
Videos
This review was in Issue 38 of IKSURFMAG.
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By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
