North CARVE KITESurf / Strapless Freestyle2023

Longer Travel for improved drift and smoother response

The pressure gets higher as you bring the bar closer to your body. This helps the kite feel smoother and perform more responsively throughout the full depower range. Using the full length of travel helps improve the drift and ensures when you sheet out, it will still react. We’ve sacrificed a little on the light bar pressure for better drift and more responsiveness, so you generate less speed in your bottom turns and can ride closer to the pocket of the wave. The Carve provides an extremely direct feel in both bar pressure and steering initiation, with intuitive feedback from the bar in both directions, so you'll always know where your kite is.

New durable lightweight 2-ply canopy reinforcement

This re-engineered construction adds strength and elongation control, protects the lighter inner canopy, and allows the kite to be more responsive in the steering and depower. Using a lightweight 2-ply canopy reinforcement improves the Carve’s static balance and light wind performance, without affecting the strength and durability. The lighter weight helps with the drift and behaviour of the kite and reduces any tendency to front stall in lightwind conditions.

Improved wind range with more high-end stability and more hangtime

Strapless freestyle riders will love the improved hangtime and catch, which lets you stay in the air for longer, kiteloop with ease and land softly. Because the Carve has such impressive power and efficiency, we still recommend going a size smaller for wave riding. So, when everyone’s on a 7m, you can pull out a 6m. A smaller kite means even less weight, faster steering and better drift.

Lighter bladders in ALL sizes

It also improves the overall static balance of the wing by reducing weight in the front of the kite. Bladders make up a bigger weight percentage than any other material used in a kite. The new bladder material is 17% lighter than in previous bladders.

Smoother power delivery

For 2023 we’ve slightly reduced the leading-edge diameter to provide a smoother power delivery. The still-large diameter intentionally produces more drag and helps the rider sit deeper in the pocket. It also allows us to thin out the actual profile in the canopy itself. With less curve through the main body of the canopy and a larger leading-edge design, you end up with less canopy movement or deformation as you ride the kite at lower attack angles or sheeted out. The kite sits a little further back in the window, so that it will run with you as you steer towards it, rather than stop moving or flying forward and front stalling.

Two-stage arc with direct pivot steering

As the arc shape becomes narrower the kite uses less of its projected area, giving it a smaller turning radius for tighter turns, and less pull or power in turns. The Carve, a narrower span kite, is fast in flight, with less power overall.

Highest quality low-drag, no-pulley bridle lines

Refined aerodynamic profile transition panels

This creates a smooth transition from the segmented leading edge to the curved canopy, so the profiles are more uniform throughout the entire wing. The panels reduce inconsistencies in the profile, resulting in a smoother, more efficient kite, with more aerodynamic airflow, drive and stability.

Fast-launching swept leading edge design

This puts a lot of the usable area in the center of the kite, rather than in the wing tip. So even though the Carve is lower aspect, it is still efficient for its size, and more importantly, the relaunch is super-quick. With less leading edge on the water it doesn't lay flat, so for fast relaunch in most cases you don't have to pull the rear line, simply rotate the bar. This really helps if you're riding waves and need to relaunch your kite quickly when a set’s coming.

DuraLite seam protection

3x personalised performance tuning options

Use the attachment point closest to the wingtip for a lighter, more forgiving feel. If you prefer a more direct steering and shorter depower travel, you’re able to move the lines forward on the wingtip for more bar pressure.

Kevlar reinforced strut system with bridle deflectors

HyperFlow rapid single-point inflation

Go Green Recycled PET kite bag

Generously sized to fit your packed-down kite easily, with corrosion-free zippers, stash pockets and air-vents in the bottom and sides of the bag. The kite bags also have an external Control System pocket, Kite Pump attachment and ergonomic shoulder and chest straps.

N-HTRS High Performance high tenacity ripstop canopy