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Choosing the right gear when you are a new kiteboarder is easy. Go for an all around kite and you will be set for years to come. Choosing your second quiver of kites can take a bit more work depending on what you want out of the sport. You have to ask your self some questions. What kind of kiteboarding do you like to do? Do you prefer once discipline over the others? Do you want to focus on hangtime, kiteloops, unhooked performance or wave? Different kites even in the all around category usua …

We're going to cover the NL & P180 from GoFoil. Here's what you can expect, and what the advantages of choosing one versus the other are. What you can expect NL stands for "next level". They are designed for the highest level riding, meaning if you want to go fast, get the most pumping performance, and are looking to get the most performance out of your high aspect wings, these are going to be a good choice. This is from the P series and the P stands for "pump". If you are into downwind ra …

Kiteboarders are obsessed with getting more air, more height and more power into their tricks. At the end of the day, there are no shortcuts to improving skill on the water, only practice. That said, there are some things you can do that over time are going to have a huge impact on your riding and your pop. Tip One - Ride Finless Take the next 2 - 4 months and commit to riding without fins on your twintip. At first, everything is going to be more difficult. You'll find that you can't stay upwin …

The Raley to Blind is a critical step in your unhooked freestyle journey. It's typically the first fundamental move to be paired with a rotation. In our “Unhooked Fundamentals” playlist, I hammered home the point that all advanced moves are combinations of the fundamentals. This lower intermediate move is the first progression towards the Blind Judge, the Blind Judge 3, 5 and beyond. Once you get comfortable landing this to blind, you can pair the rotation with the Backroll and the …

We were able to get our hands on the  Cabrinha Crosswing X2 for testing this month. Right out of the gate, it's clear this is an upgrade from the first gen Cabrinha wing which, to be honest, was our least favorite. For the second generation, they have done their homework and made a great competitive wing. The wing has a lot of power for its size. I had the chance to test this on a gusty inland lake with lulls of 14 and highs of 25. When pumping the wing, I found there was a lot of cons …

2021 North Kites Overview This is a good look at the 2021 North kites compared to the 2020 North kites. We'll be taking a look at what the changes are and how it will impact you as a rider in this blog.  The Orbit  The ORBIT changed the game when it came to big air kiteboarding. It's one of the most successful kites at KOTA. With swept wingtips and a flatter canopy you get a very unique kite. It has the turning possibilities of a freestyle kite, but the flat canopy allows you to …

My Moses 633 had been my favorite foil of all time until I started riding the FONE Phantom 1080 (no, they didn't pay me to say that but they did give me a free t-shirt and hat)... I kite foiled the Moses 633 for 2 solid seasons and compared every other Moses foil against it. The 633 was always my baby, always my go to foil in sketchy or sub-optimum conditions. I worked thru the gammet of stabilizers for it - starting at the 483 and moving down the 450, 425, 421, 420, 330, 325 and finally ending …

Once in a while, I come across some gear that its difficult to deliver a neutral review on. I've been using these boots for the past year and I'm hooked. In this video I will explain why these are my favorite boot but I will make a point to give a detailed review of what you are getting and the considerations. Form and function  Right out of the gate, Vadatek is a smaller family owned company. These boots are made by a kiteboarder / wakeboarder who is passionate about making the best boot …

I've had the chance now to test these foils back to back and so I offer my opinions to any interested... Housekeeping: Moses 1000 front wing, standard kite fuse, 420 stab, 72cm carbon mast... Fone 1480 stock with 85cm carbon mast Board: fone 5'0" 60 liters wings: fone swings, 3.5, 4.2 and 5m (all used for testing)... conditions: winds steady, 12-25 in river swell I've riden the 1000 extensively and purchased and have been riding the Fone Phantom 1480. Generally speaking these setups are incredib …

Quick Reference Guide Pro Voke - Best for Strapless Freestyle Pro Fish - Best for Progression & lightwind Pro Whip - Best all Around Pro Wam - Best Surf Feel and Wave Variety Pro Session - Big Wave Performance The Voke is as good as it gets with strapless freestyle Pro Voke The Voke is unique in the sense that it rides more like a high volume twintip. It has a wakestyle board outline and is made to pop hard, stay on your feet and not boot you during hard landings. The board stays locke …

The Naish Ultra Carbon Wing/ SUP board started off as a SUP board in previous years. However, it became far more popular with wing foilers. So, for 2021 Naish made some modifications to adapt to this new sport. Including new sizes from 40 liters to 140 liters! I’ve been using the 85L myself. At 195 lbs this is the perfect do it all board for me on. This would be ideal for someone around my weight that wants an intermediate to advance do-it-all wingsurf board. It worlds well for me in a v …

This summer, I’ve been using the 4 and the 5m Airush freewing. These are solid chunky wings with some surprises up their sleeve. They are medium to low aspect wings with a not so large wingspan that makes whipping and flipping them around a breeze while doing more advanced maneuvers. The graphics are basic and clean with a mature look that I think are kind of cool in its own right. The windows are quite large and they sit really far forward on the wing. Windows are not all that useful to …

This week we're going to cover a popular trick that everyone wants to learn: the Darkslide! We've done a few videos on this, but I wanted to do a concise and to-the-point tutorial focused on doing the trick via bar feedback. You'll want to try this one with a little bit of power, but not overpowered. You can be a little underpowered, but you will have to go fast. Come in with decent speed and start to send the kite up like you would for a small jump. Pay attention to your bar. Right when y …

This week we'll be breaking down your first time in the water with a powerkite! Step One - Body Drag Downwind This is a fun and easy step. You'll be in the water without a board and letting the kite simply pull you downwind. Move the kite back and forth across the wind window. This is going to give you a good understanding of kite control in the water and get you used to the pull of the kite. Start to incorporate a figure 8 motion with your kite. These will generate more pull and simulate do …

This is the first blog of the ultimate beginner guide. This is a series meant to be used as a companion to actual kitesurfing lessons. So give this a watch before, during and after your lesson with a certified school. Do not attempt to use this as your sole source of lessons. We've left a great deal out and nothing beats real professional instruction. You will save yourself time, and most importantly you'll be keeping yourself safe and the local beaches in your area open to kiteboarding! Tod …