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Over the last few years we’ve been testing all the hydrofoils extensively- with the kite, behind the boat and in the waves. In that time, most of our staff has progressed from complete beginners to advanced riders. We’ve noticed that as we progressed there were different things to consider when choosing which foil to learn on, which foil to progress with and which foil to use for different sports. With there being so many options and styles on the market, we wanted to make your life a l …

The Front Roll Stalefish is the trick that inspired this entire playlist we’re working on. Last summer I started riding more with our local legend and original MACkite team rider Marc Hoeksema. I noticed no matter how bad the conditions were, how gusty the wind or choppy the water, Marc always looked stylish and fluid on the water. I started to pay attention and break down all of his tricks. I noticed his signature move was the Front Roll Stalefish. This is the easiest grab to pair wi …

The foot drag is an entry level hydrofoil trick that feels amazing and doesn't take too long to learn. If you know how to sit on your foil, you're already halfway there.   We recommend you download the attached PDF on your phone. Check it before your next session! Step 1 – Practice getting low Just like our sit on a hydrofoil video, you'll want to work your way into it progressively. You can start by building muscle memory and squatting while riding. In fact, this is the exa …

Today, we’re doing an in-depth review of the 2019 Duotone Neo. In years past we’ve often touted the Neo as more than just a wave kite but also an awesome freeride kite. While this is true, it occurred to me that we’ve almost done this kite an injustice in regards to its surfing capabilities. This year, I’m committed to going the extra mile with these reviews. We’ll be diving in to everything you might want to know about the 2019 Duotone Neo, the good the bad an …

Duotone Rebel Vs The Duotone Dice  There are two kites in the Duotone kiteboarding lineup that share some characteristics yet, appeal to completely different kiteboarders and riding styles. The Duotone Dice and the recently redesigned Duotone Rebel. Both offer explosive pop, both have a direct raw feel and both appeal to more advanced riders. Yet, while they share these traits, they actually couldn't be more different. If you’re that rider looking to take your kiteboarding to th …

Front Roll Nuke The nuke grab is considered one of the most advanced grabs but if you watched our last video, you know there is a trick that makes it easy to do, You’re probably thinking, that the front roll nuke must also be a difficult trick. While it is an advanced trick, it’s surprisingly easy to do. Blake was actually doing these before he was landing the standard nuke grab! The reason is because of the way he was rotating his front rolls. By doing an off-axis roll and throwin …

This trick is really awesome, it’s tons of fun, it keeps you blasting upwind without losing any ground, and it’s also going to lay the groundwork for some more advanced tricks such as the duck tack with a stance change, as well as carving 360s. Those are some of my favorites; they’re tons of fun, and are always a crowd-pleaser. This is going to lay the groundwork and build some skills for that. The prerequisites for this trick are found in some of our previous videos. You& …

Your one stop kiteboarding video travel guide.  WIND BY SEASON The best wind in Le Morne is from May-October, which is winter in Mauritius. You'll be riding in comfortable, warm water with sideshore to onshore conditions depending on the launch spot. Wind blows most days and speed ranges from 15-35 knots. Bring a range of kites, but make sure your small kites are in good, working order! ADVENTURE SCALE Getting to Mauritius is an adventure in itself because of its remote location. …

Kiteboarding West Michigan & Northern Michigan  I hope you enjoyed this episode of sessions. This Rv trip was an absolute Blast! Blake and I have been talking about doing a “Ride with Blake” Road trip for two years now and it was more fun than we could have imagined. No doubt we’ll be doing a longer trip next spring working on a fresh playlist! Like most of our sessions videos, we’ll be doing some gear talk on this episode. Normally we focus on our featured r …

Nuke grab The Nuke Grab is one of the more advanced grabs we cover in this playlist but it's not nearly as difficult as you think. There is a trick to doing this with ease and you can progress into it fairly quickly.  For episode two of our jump with style playlist we'll be buildup up to our next trick in this series. The Front Roll Nuke Grab. Most of the tricks we cover in this series are very simple and while this is not the most difficult trick it does take a bit of time and commitment …

The Gybe with a stance change is the second transition you should work on in your hydrofoiling journey. It's not the most difficult transition but this one is going to take some practice on your end. Don't get to discouraged and have fun with this one. As with all hydrofoil tricks, don't try to recover from a fall. Go with it and commit to the fall.   Before you try you should... Nail the heel to toe and toe to heelside transition - see previous videos Ride both natural and unn …

How to Jump with Style  So you want to learn how to jump with style? You’ve come to the right place. In this video and blog, we’ll break down five practices to implement into your kiteboarding every session. Regardless of your level, adding these concepts to your riding will give you something fun to try and it might turn a few heads or two when you seemingly upgrade your style overnight. For season three of Ride with Blake, we wanted to take things up a notch or two. Blake and …

This video will kick off a new series of videos showing some foil trick tips that you can look to learn in your beginner and intermediate stages of kiteboarding. We will be trying to drop one of these every week or so for the foreseeable future. So... keep an eye out.... and get ready to progress through some basic techniques and tricks. The Heelside to toeside transition  This week we are going to start with a familiar obstacle for new foilers...your first tacks. I speak with new …

Heads up, this is a special edition. If you've been following our bi-weekly "How to Jump with Style" videos, stay tuned. We’ll be back on our regular schedule with these next week. So you want to become a kiteboarder? Maybe you’ve seen it on your local beach and now you’re curious what it takes to get into an adventure sport like this. This video and extensive blog should break down the steps you need to take, and breaks down in detail many questions you might have. We’ …

You know those kite spots that you hear about over and over from friends that have been and can’t stop raving about it?! In today's edition, we're covering one of those spots. In the Northern California Delta is a kite spot whose reputation precedes itself; Sherman Island. Only an hour from the busy Bay Area city of San Francisco is a kite spot where the wind blows throughout the summer. This unique kite destination is as much about the quality wind and flatwater as it is about the vi …