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In 2020, the name North Kiteboarding is coming back. While this is a completely new brand, they have assembled top players from across the industry and created a new lineup. In a time when products have become ridiculously over-complicated with a multitude of options, North has taken an elegant, simple, yet masterful approach to every facet of their brand, from form to function. In a way, they are like the Apple of kiteboarding. Now before we go any further, we wanted to clear some things up. Th …

Duotone has really stepped up their Hydrofoil and Foil board game for the 2019/2020 season. Two of our favorite new Duotone hydrofoil products are the Pace and Free foil boards. They both feature a quality design and construction for beginner to advanced riders. In this video blog, we will walk through their similarities and differences and point out how that will affect your foilboard experience. Surfboard or Twintip construction The easiest difference to spot on these boards is the constru …

Today we are going to go over how to do a backroll to toeside with a downloop transition  This is one of the most stylish kiteboarding transitional-based tricks you can do. It's also probably one of the easiest.  You only have to do a half backroll; the loop timing can be modified for skill and the grab comes very naturally. If you watched and learned from our Jump with Style playlist, we filmed a couple backroll videos like the backroll stalefish and the backroll tail grab. We also …

Duotone has really stepped up their Hydrofoil and Foil board game for the 2019/2020 season. They have completely overhauled their foil design for the 2020 season and now offer five new complete foils. Every part of their foil has been re-thought and as a result, nothing the previous years will be compatible. Normally I’d think of that as a bad thing, but it was necessary to improve the design to the level that it is now. Across the whole line, you will find a much stiffer and durable const …

Slingshot went back to the drawing board for 2020 and has brought us two brand-new kites - the Rally GT and the Raptor. Many are wondering - who are these kites for, and what is the difference? We've spent some time on both kites and have developed opinions on what we feel the differences are. In this short comparison, we'll sort out those differences and help you make the decision - Rally GT or Raptor? We'll cover some basic flying characteristics of each kite, broken down by category below. …

The warm water, sandy beaches, and steady winds of Brazil have been attracting kiteboarders for years. With hundreds of miles of beach and so many kite spots to choose from, it's hard to know where to begin. In this edition of Destinations, we're checking out a Brazilian kiteboarding hotspot that is the perfect place to start: Cumbuco. This sleepy fishing village has evolved into a fun, Brazilian beachtown that wakes up when the wind blows. Whether you're kiting in the gentle ocean conditi …

What is the Rally GT? Let's start with what the Rally GT is not. The 2020 Slingshot Rally GT is not the same Rally that you've used before. It's entirely new for 2020. They (Slingshot) went back and forth, deliberating a complete name change and landed on Rally GT (rather than an entirely new name, which could make sense with a kite that is such a far cry from the original Rally design). What is the Rally GT, then? The Rally GT is Slingshot's "Do-it-all" kite for 2020. Every brand has one of t …

What is the Raptor? The all-new Raptor from Slingshot for 2020 is their new user-friendly big booster, capable of taking you to heights you've never achieved! According to Slingshot, the Raptor is their dedicated high-performance freestyle/freeride crossover kite, tuned for big boosts, lofty airs, and aggressive performance. We tend to agree with this - it's a five-strut jumping powerhouse! The Raptor, although excellent at jumping, tends to really lean its focus in that direction and f …

Today we are going to go over how to do a Kiteloop Front Roll. This trick is a fun one. People call it a front roll kiteloop and Ruben Lenten coined this trick as a Boogie loop. I would call a massive mega loop front roll a boogie and an average one a front roll kiteloop. It doesn’t really matter what it’s called because it’s the same thing so call it what you like. This trick feels strange at first because you and the kite are rotating in opposite directions. However once …

Two freestyle kites that at first glance look similar, yet are noticeably different on the water... the long-standing Cabrinha FX and the even-longer-standing, yet new to the category Liquid Force NV. If you’re looking for a kite to take your kiteloops or unhooked riding to a new level, these will get it done. The question is, which kite is right for you? Today we’ll break it all down and dive into everything you need to know. Let’s dive into some common attributes between …

Welcome to Destinations, your one-stop kiteboarding video travel guide. If you have any questions when planning your trip, don't hesitate to reach out. SPOT GUIDE When we think of South Africa, the images that typically come to mind are incredible wildlife roaming the grassy plains or the sparkling city of Cape Town. But only 90 minutes drive up the coast is a holiday haven with a beautiful blue lagoon. In this edition of Destinations, we're visiting Langebaan, South Africa. In South Afr …

Chances are, if you clicked on this blog, you are interested in learning to Wing Surf or Wing Foil. SUP, Foil, Surfboard, Snowboard, Skateboard... whatever you decide to put on your feet, Wing Boarding is the hottest new wind sport. It combines a kiteboard kite-like sail, handheld similar to a windsurf sail, only not attached to the board, to propel you. It requires only basic board skills to start and minimal equipment. In addition, it is simpler and safer to learn, so everyone can have a blas …

Today we are going to go over how to do a heli loop. This is a really great addition to any trick because it maximizes the wind window and allows for you to catch yourself on the way down. Heli loops are used as a tool for soft and smooth landings after a jump. A heli loop is a short loop at the top of the wind window, but is different than a kiteloop because it has no power. Heli loops are pulled after you reach the peak of your jump and, as you are descending, it catches you. A heli loop i …

Expanding the line-up We have been waiting for Cabrinha to add some surfy foils to their program for some time. The new Cabrinha Carve and Cabrinha Varial Medium and Large foils have finally delivered. These wings expand Cabrinha's hydrofoil program to help those riders looking for easy progression, light wind performance, and support for a slower, surfy style ride. Let's start with the platform for these surf foils and go into the differences between the wings. Some highlights for the Cabri …

Last time on Sessions we explored Key West and the Canary Islands with our team rider Blake Olsen. We were filming for our  kiteloop playlist and just enjoying the islands with good friends. It was so much fun visiting what has become one of my favorite cities for kiteboarding in the USA. The only downside was that I had just injured my knee snowboarding and I had to sit out on most of the riding on both of these trips!  Testing the Liquid Force NV V9  Getting back on the wa …