There has been a lingering belief among kiteboarding manufacturers recently, that, in order to have a high performance kite that takes a step forward from their current designs, they must completely re-invent what we have come to know as the conventional C-Kite. North Kiteboarding didn’t buy it, instead charging their own path forward.

Kiteboarding manufacturers attempted to answer the inherent depower problem by creating the "Bow" kite -- a flatter, bridled kite that claimed to solve all the problems of traditional C-shaped kites. Customers rushed to the shops to be the first flat kite owners, buying into the marketing claim that eventually proved incorrect. As more brands jumped on the "bow" bandwagon, ultimately deeming a very bumpy and questionable ride, North decided to focus their R&D on what works.

All of today’s flat/bow kites are based on the same design patent by Bruno Legaignoux, which was distributed to all current Inflatable Kite Licensee companies in early 2005. Most manufacturers started building bow kites in the last year, racing to slightly alter the design Bruno gave them, adding some unique element to claim it as their own. Add increased competition to this pressure to bring a kite product to market in less than a year, and it makes for one messy and confused market of kites.

North built many flat kite prototypes throughout 2005, and found they were not well-rounded enough to put into production.  But they did have extra depower, which has advantages.  So they kept all the strengths of the conventional C-Kite design, and integrated some new technologies that would deliver this extra depower that kiteboarders were looking for. Instead of re-inventing a kite, they evolved their already successful designs. The design innovations on the new 2006 Vegas are delivering kiteboarders everything they wanted in a kite: Exceptional bar/kite response, better hang time, smooth and steady power, and complete depower capabilities.

Safety has been the biggest claim by bow kite manufacturers. However, the bow kite safety claim was tossed out when incidents of the kite inverting, “bow-tying” and tangling within its own bridles became more common. If the kite powers up in these situations, the only safety measure is to release the kite completely, forcing the rider to swim back to the beach without his kite. Bow kites do have great depower and relaunch capabilities, but the inverting and bridle issues rendered all new technology useless, raising questions about the bow kite trend. In a recent test of High Depower C-Kites vs. Bow Kites, conducted by kiteboarding.de Magazine, it states:

North's safety system with its own 5th Element technology has proved successful for depower. Adapted by almost all riders as the most reliable leash landing and recovery depower system, the 5th Element makes for quick relaunch in any situation. Ditch the kite and bar for 100% depower leash safety without sacrificing your kite to the wind.

Bow kites have gotten close to the performance achieved by average C-Kites, but have lost points in many areas. The most significant performance benefit lost in the bow kites is bar feel. Because a bow kite bar is attached to the kite via a bridle and pulley system, the rider loses direct response to the kite.

The Vegas, has the benefit of conventional C-Kite bar feel, but with a light touch. No intense bar pressure here. Light to touch, easy to turn, and easy to feel. In the same kite test as mentioned above, kiteboarding.de offers their own opinion on the Vegas:

North Kite Designer, Ken Winner, might be a little biased about the Vegas, but you gotta hand it to him -- the kite works. In fact, the kite does everything a rider could want in a kite without the worries. Ken gave us a little of his own words on the Vegas versus Bow debate: