Bandit vs Evo D/LAB vs Reach | Brazilian Brothers x Gray Foster

Rubens of the Brazilian Brothers had a chance to meet up with strapless wave legend, Gray Foster. Gray's been on the Duotone Neo wave kite almost exclusively for the past five years, and Rubens thought it'd be fun to put him on some three-strut freeride kites to see what he thought. Normally Gray looks for a fast, responsive kite for wave riding and a lifty kite with good catch for freestyle, so it was going to be an interesting test to see how the freeride kites stacked up.

Gray Foster gives a thumbs-up as he checks over a kite.

The Conditions for the 3-Kite Test

It was a big 30-knot day in Brazil when Rubens handed Gray the 2026 F-One Brainchild Bandit, the 2026 Duotone Evo D/LAB, and the 2025 North Reach. Gray flew each kite for about a 20-minute session, sharing his thoughts as soon as he came off the water. To keep the focus on the kites, Gray used his own bar and strapless board for all three kites.

Gray heads out with his own bar and board.

2026 F-One Brainchild Bandit

Before heading out, Gray noticed that the Bandit's bar pressure was similar to his Neo's, so even in the powered-up conditions, he felt comfortable right away.

While on the water, Gray mananged a Triple Frontroll. There are only a handful of people who can pull that off, so that spoke well of the Bandit's capabilities.

Gray performs a triple frontroll, a very difficult trick.

Jumping: Afterwards, Gray mentioned that the Bandit felt quite similar to his Neo. The Bandit didn't have quite as much lift, but for strapless freestyle that's not a bad thing so that you don't get pulled off your board during frontrolls.

Looping: He only looped it once because of the massive conditions, but it did catch him and felt like a good loop.

Ease-of-Use: This depends on how you like your bar pressure. It was quite strong in these conditions, which lets you know exactly where the kite is, but that kind of pull can be incredibly intimidating and fatiguing to the average rider.

Gray lands the F-One Bandit after his test session.

2026 Duotone Evo D/LAB

As he was getting ready to take the Evo for a spin, Gray noticed how different the canopy looked compared to his Neo. It also had a bit ligher bar pressure than he was used to, but he was still excited to see how it felt on the water.

Jumping: The stoke was obvious as soon as Gray walked onto the beach after his session. The Evo was super lifty, much more than he was used to. He could downloop and get a nice second lift. He gave its jumping and catching ability top marks.

Looping: While he wasn't able to find a good kicker to pull any kiteloops, Gray did manage to land a new-to-him Backroll Contra Loop.

Ease-of-Use: With light bar pressure and excellent upwind, Gray thought the Evo was a very easy kite to use.

Gray performs a board-off trick with the Evo.

2025 North Reach

Gray's initial impression was that the Reach was quite responsive, almost twitchy, a feel he's actually a fan of. It also had that powered, strong bar pressure he likes, a bit less than Bandit.

Gray is ready to launch the North Reach kite.

He came off the water feeling a bit less enthusiastic, though. The Reach didn't excel in any one area for him, but it did do everything well.

Jumping: It was tough to get power and height out of the Reach. It did jump okay, but it definitely wasn't a strapless freestyle kite.

Looping: The Reach could loop, but it was quite average there.

Ease-of-Use: This is where Gray felt the Reach shone. Becuase it does do everything well and is suitable for a wide range of conditions and disciplines, it's a good kite for the everyday rider who wants to try a variety of things. Not everyone wants a specialized kite.

Gray rides across the water with the North Reach kite.

Which Kite was Gray's Favorite?

The Evo let Gray push it in all his strapless freestyle tricks and always caught him afterwards. The Bandit was a close second, though, and didn't hold him back either.

The Duotone Evo kite flies overhead.

Gray also felt the Bandit would be the best to take in the waves since it's so light and could drift well, while having enough bar pressure to keep track of it.

The Brazilian Brothers focus on big air, so it was a lot of fun getting a different rider's perspective on these kites, and we're glad Gray was willing to take them for a test run while he was in the area.

Gray gives a thumbs-up as Rubens interviews him.

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