MACkite Rides: Aaron w/ the 2016 North Mono Kite

2016 North Mono...Shop Tested, Aaron Approved

So, a 2016 North Mono 12M showed up at the shop today. I walked in just as it came off of the truck and Jake offered first dibs. Bam; I’m out the door.

Gear Used & Riding Conditions

Kite: 2016 North Mono 12M

Conditions: Side-onshore around 13 knots

Rider Weight: 190lbs

Years Riding: 16

Board: 6’0” Surfboard

Experience Riding the Mono Single Strut Kite

There was already plenty of buzz about the 2016 North Mono, well before it arrived at our shop this morning. I just happened to be Johnny-on-the-spot when it hit the showroom and was given first dibs on a session with it.

Pumping up any single-strut kite is simple, no matter what pump you’re using. With the WMFG Tall Pump, it only took 40 strokes to top the kite off around 7 PSI. Is that going to make the sale for someone who’s comparing the Mono to any 3 or 5-strut kite? Probably not, But it is pretty cool that you can be rigged faster than most.

I rigged up with the  2016 North 5th Element Bar, on 24M lines. I prefer that bar for a light-wind relaunch and for self-landing when it’s absolutely nuking. Off to the side of the window for the self-launch, and up she goes. What a noticeably simple design this kite has. The leading edge curve reminds me of the North Evo, while the depth and wing-tip shape has the North Neo written all over it. Given that the Mono and Neo are touted as having more pound-for-pound power than most other kites in the North line, I decided to have a go. Normally, I would have pumped up my 2016 North Juice 18M and been done with it. But this Mono 12M had me curious. After a quick “power check” of the wind strength, I grabbed my 6’0” Rusty Dwart and took off.

My first thought, when on the water was, “Wow, this thing is really fun!” The Mono has moderate bar pressure, quick turning response and a surprisingly stable feel. I had anticipated at least some amount of instability or canopy distortion with this being a single-strut kite, but that was not the case. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I only heard the Mono 12M flutter for a brief second during a down-loop transition. I played around in the knee-high shore break for a half an hour or so, before heading in. The winds were doable, but I would have preferred just a couple more knots to be plenty powered. With that said, under similar conditions, I would have normally grabbed a Juice 18M. So given that I was able to stay upwind and play around for a bit was totally unexpected with a 12M kite.

My first impression?

The  2016 North Mono kite is for anyone that likes simplicity and ease of use. What do I mean by that? By simple, I’m referring to the single-strut, quick rigging, highly compactable design. Ease of use, to me, means that any rider can open up this kite, pump up and go put a grin on their face right away. Maybe I’m just mixing my North Kool-Ade really strong these days, but I swear that there is no learning curve with this kite. Just grab it and go. Fun is in the bag.

Thank you for reading about my first impression of the 2016 North Mono 12M kite. I’ll be sure to update again after I’ve had it out in more powered conditions. I’m thinking that this kite is really going to shine in the surf!

Thank you, good winds and rock on with your bad self!

Grab a Mono Today!