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Ryan Hooker from MACkite and Matt Aiken from North chat about the North Sonar Foil System for wing foiling, surf foiling, and kite foiling. Find out who it's for and what's new for 2024. Ryan: I've been riding this system for the past six months or so, and a few things that I've been liking about it are that it's a really solid setup. It's one of the stiffer foils that I've been on. The mast goes all the way down to the connection of the fuselage. You also have the option of the full ca …

What's the appeal of wing? There seems to be a lot of interest, and Tucker, Ryan, and Jeff explore why people feel drawn to it. Tucker: It's growing so fast, and I think part of the reason is because it appeals to other avenues that people are already committed to. Surfers already know the appeal of being in the water and riding a wave. Windsurfers, kiteboarders, and sailors already understand the appeal of riding on wind power and and being on the water. I come from a background that's really …

Today Mr. Jeff is in the "Pick 5" hotseat with Tucker. Jeff is constantly on the water with a wing and a foil, and his Subaru is a virtual demo room with about 30 pieces of gear to choose from, so it's going to be interesting to see how he whittles his choices down to just 5. Jeff: Before I choose my 5, I want to set the tone for this. There are people from all over in different riding locations and different conditions. My 5 are for the Great Lakes based on our wind and the water c …

Join us for another episode of "Wing Wednesdays", with Tucker and Jeff. Today, we'll be diving into the burning question on everyone's mind: How much wind do you actually need for wing foiling? While pros likely have this figured out, our focus is on the beginners. There's a noticeable number of newbies heading out in wind conditions that are either unsuitable or excessively challenging. Our aim isn't to criticize but to help you optimize your wing foiling sessions. Seeking That Sweet Spot Ev …

Blake from MACkite here! My apologies for the lack of updates over the past few months. I've been dealing with some injuries and recovering from a torn ACL meniscus. I've been traveling all over, and then I ripped my nose off after passing out from exhaustion and traveling too much, so I'm excited to get back to it! I'm in Sardinia, Italy, and I'm about to go for a Mistral heavy wind wing foil session with my friends Gregor from Holland and Chiara from Italy. I'm heading to the beach to meet up …

Tucker and Jeff chat about the new Sky Series Wingboards. You may be familiar with these as the Fanatic Sky boards, but they've been rebranded to Duotone for 2024. Find out what else is new besides the name change. Tucker: There are quite a few models in the Sky Series, but there are some changes that are universal, including the change of their brand name. While it's always been under the same parent umbrella, now they're bringing it all under Duotone to simplify things, and, of …

On-the-water review with the MACkite boys, Pat and Dustin, after their Grand Haven session on the new 2024 Rebel SLS from Duotone Kiteboarding. On-the-Water Impressions Pat: The kite feels like a Rebel. It's a five-strut, higher-aspect design with pretty good low end power. It's probably about 20, gusting to 22. I'm on a 12 meter and I'm about 200 pounds. I'm pretty happy with the kite so far in the first couple tacks on it. The kite looks phenomenal in the sky. The new colorway is a nice bl …

Why Dry Your Wing? It's a best practice to always dry your wing before packing it away. With the thrill of winging sports, it's common to come off the water with a wet wing. Sometimes due to a hurried schedule or unexpected downpour, immediate drying isn't feasible. In such cases, roll it up loosely and place it in its bag. However, once home, ensure you hang it from its front handle in a ventilated area to drip dry. The Ideal Drying Scenario After exiting the water, the first step is to find …

Reasonable Expectations Most new Wingers (including strong athletes) require at least 20 hours before getting extended flights in a straight line with their wing and foil board (transitions will require more time). 5+ hours with wing and paddleboard (no foil) 5+ hours with e-foil or foil board behind a boat 10+ hours putting the skills together Unreasonable expectations always lead to frustration. All of your surf, kiteboard, and/or windsurf experience will not magically change this. When Y …

Tips for making your landing safter   Releasing your back hand when jumping makes the control bar/handle pull on your front arm, keeping your board and body position lined up straight for a smooth landing.  Release your back hand and stretch the arm behind you over the tail of the board, or better yet, grab the tail.  Tail Grabs compact your body making it easier to control yourself flying through the air, they also add style points, but the best style is a smooth l …

The Unique Design of the Triton X1 Monofoil The Triton X1 Monofoil is not your typical foil. Unlike traditional designs which have a stabilizer and a fuselage, the X1 is a monofoil. This means that it’s composed of a single wing, with the stabilizer built into the wing shape itself. The wing’s curvature provides an upward drive from the back end, similar to the design of a B2 bomber airplane. A New Foil System Triton didn’t just stop at redesigning the wing. The mast has also been re-eng …

Most of you got into wake foiling because you can drop back a wake. This really separates wake foiling from wake surfing, and here I'm going to break down exactly how you can learn how to drop back a wake on your wake foil. Prerequisites Make sure that you have some familiarity with pumping. You don't have to be an expert, but you want to at least be able to pump a little bit before you try this trick. You also need to be able to surf the wake without the rope pretty comfortably. Steps to Drop …

Hello, everyone—Kristen here! We've had the pleasure of spending time with the 2024 North Pulse, and we're thrilled to share our insights with you. Let's go!The New Logo First up, let's discuss the new aesthetic change. North has unveiled their new logo which is making its appearance in the 2024 collection. This isn't just a mere update, but a symbol of the brand's commitment to innovation. The North Sails logo will be incorporated into all their gear.Reduction in Weight For those who h …

Kristen chats about the 2024 North Reach: what's new, what's different, and what you can expect to feel familiar. It's a beautiful day in Muskegon, Michigan. It was a north wind, which tends to be a little bit gustier up and down. It's about 70 degrees and the water temp is warm, and I just had a great session on the 9m North Reach. It is a really fun kite! New Logo, New Material On the kites you'll now see the North Sails logo being rolled out for 2024. North has also been work …

Jeff and Tucker are excited to introduce Ozone's Flux V1, a brand new wing in the lineup. They've had some time on it in the water and are ready to share their first impressions. A New High-Performance Wing Tucker: It's a really exciting time to do a review on an Ozone wing because, let's be honest, the lineup has been a little stagnant for the past year or so. They had the Wasp V2, which is a great step up from their V1, but the V3 was just a slight modification of the V2. It's a great wing …