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With 2025 North closeouts hitting the sale rack, we asked Jeff, Tucker, and Ryan to weigh in on the wings they'd personally build a quiver around. From Jeff's decades-long connection to the North brand to Tucker's appreciation for the consistency and polish across the lineup, this isn’t a spec-sheet rundown. It’s a look at what we believe actually works on the water, why it works, and who each piece makes the most sense for. Jeff's Go-To For 2025 North Wings North Sails and I go bac …

F-One has officially introduced the biggest structural update to its foil system in six years. After a week of riding in La Ventana alongside the F-One crew, customers, and the MACkite team, one thing became clear — the new T2 connection is not a cosmetic tweak. It’s a foundational shift in how the front wing connects to the mast. If you’ve been riding F-One for years, you already know the Titan T1 system has been incredibly reliable. Many riders have put serious miles on i …

The Reach is a three-strut all-around freeride kite by North. It's been the do-it-all kite in North's lineup for a few years now, so the Brazilian Brothers were excited to see how the 2025 version performed from a big air perspective. What's New with the North Reach? There are two big improvements to the 2025 Reach. The first is that the leading edge now uses N-MAX 2. This material allows for a leading edge with a reduced diameter, which not only makes it lighter, but more aerodynamic as …

Choosing between the North Reach and the North Orbit is one of the most common questions riders ask when building or refining their quiver. On paper, both kites come from the same design DNA, share North’s build quality, and cover overlapping size ranges. In practice, they are built for very different riding styles, wind ranges, and priorities. This comparison breaks down how each kite actually performs on the water, where each one shines, where each one falls short, and how to spend y …

F-One sent the Brazilian Brothers a Trigger TEC to try out, so they headed down to the beach in Prea where Rubens geared up, pumped up, and launched, excited to see how it handled and whether he could get some good jumps in the 25 knot conditions. What Is the Trigger TEC? Available in sizes from 6-12m, the Trigger TEC is a 5-strut high-performance big air kite that shares its DNA with the Trigger Brainchild, but is more intuitive and forgiving. Its leading edge and struts use CODE-TEC, a …

The Peak is a big air/freeride kite from Harlem, and there was quite a bit of buzz around its release when Lorenzo Casati pulled off the highest kiteloop in history with a prototype. Of course, he's a pro rider, so what does that mean for your sessions? Rubens of the Brazilian Brothers has the breakdown on the Peak's performance. What Is the Harlem Peak? Like all Brainchild designs, the Peak was developed by Ralf Groesel, and he brought his years of experience to the table. Here's what t …

In Part 1 of our interview with Pat Goodman, Pat compared Cabrinha's kite lineup, breaking down the Drifter, Switchblade, Nitro, and Moto X, and what each design is really built to do on the water. From wave riding to big air to all-around performance, he shared how Cabrinha approaches design and why having the right tool for the job still matters. In Part 2, Brazilian Brother Rubens shifts the focus to design. Pat dives into advanced topics like Aluula and other high-end materials, the e …

Foil Drive riding has pushed board design in a very specific direction. Efficiency, foil feel, and clean integration now matter more than ever, and few brands have leaned into that reality as effectively as Appletree Surfboards. After riding both the Appletree Zapple and the Appletree Zapple S back-to-back for a full season, Ryan and Hunter from MACkiteboarding break down where these two boards overlap, where they clearly diverge, and, most importantly, who each board is actually for. This i …

This episode brings together three purpose-built five-strut big air kites and one of Brazil’s most exciting big air talents, Josue “Baby Shark” San Ferreira (Instagram @josuesanf), for a true side-by-side comparison. No hype, no marketing spin—just real feedback from a rider throwing powered tricks in challenging, gusty conditions. The Brainchild lineup: Reedin MasterModel F-One Trigger Harlem Peak All three are five-strut designs aimed squarely at big air riders wh …

Few things are more confusing for riders than navigating a kite lineup, especially when every new model promises to jump higher, turn faster, and do it all. To cut through the noise, Brazilian Brother Rubens sat down with Pat Goodman, longtime designer at Cabrinha, for an honest, no-hype conversation about what actually matters on the water. In Part 1 of this two-part interview, they dig into Cabrinha's core freeride, wave, and big air kites, break down who each model is really for, and s …

Foil Drive has opened the door to a new category of riding—one that blends the accessibility of e-foiling with the performance and progression of traditional hydrofoiling. To make that leap even easier, we have curated a turnkey setup built around proven North hardware: the Foil Drive North Boost Foil Drive Package. In this breakdown, Ryan from MACkiteboarding explains why this package works so well for first-time foilers, experienced wing and kite foilers, and anyone looking for a hig …

At MACkite, we love anything that will help us get up on foil. You've probably seen us gush about Foil Drive's mast-mounted propeller. Now there's an exciting new take on the foil assist concept: the FLITELab AMPJet. As you can probably guess, it uses a jet instead of a propeller, and it's lodged right inside the board for a completely clean and drag-free foil. Jeff caught up with creator Chris Reynolds at AWSI to chat about what the AMPJet is, who it's for, and what went into developing …

The Brazilian Brothers from MACkiteboarding got their hands on the Eleveight Kiteboarding RS Pro V2 and wasted no time putting it straight into real conditions for a true first-impressions session. With winter wind delivering a rare January opportunity, this was a chance to see how Eleveight’s flagship freeride kite feels right out of the bag, before any long-term tuning or familiarity sets in. This session focused on setup, build quality, bar feel, jumping, looping, and overall usabil …

If you've been around big air riders or have watched some videos, you may have noticed that some people use oversized handles on their boards and wondered why, and whether you need one. Known as "extended handles", these can bring some benefits, particularly for board-offs, but they might not be for everyone. David has used them for a while now, and he's ready to break it down for us. What Are the Benefits of an Extended Kiteboard Handle? Once you start taking the board off your feet in …

Riding the Foil Drive Max opens up an entirely different way to approach foiling—especially in a place like the Great Lakes, where conditions can swing wildly from glassy summer days to fast-moving, overhead windswell. In this discussion, Ryan and Hunter break down how they think about foil selection based on real sessions on Lake Michigan, covering everything from one-foil solutions to full quiver setups. Rather than chasing theory, this guide is rooted in what actually works when you …