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How to Ride Upwind in Light Wind - Ride with Blake: Vlog 16 For some, riding in light winds can be a little challenging. How can you ride upwind? Blake goes through the "Blake Necessities" on how to ride in lighter winds. 1. Get a big board or a foil Look for something flatter with little rocker. Good suggestions are the North Spike, Cabrinha Stylus, or Liquid Force Overdrive. 2. Shorten the wind window in strong winds - keep within the power zone 3. Perform S-turns with the kit …

In this Vlog, we’re going to be covering how to pack your kiteboarding bag. The first thing to talk about when packing a kite bag is what kind of bag do you have or do you want. Why a golf bag?  A lot of people who are kiting will go with a golf bag or a bag that can be disguised as a golf bag. Namely, because airlines don't charge for those. Some airlines charge $200 for kiteboarding equipment, which seems very unreasonable. So the bag I chose is pretty simple,  …

Conquering the First Foil Session 1st Session / May 16th, 2017 I’m not an early adopter for many new things, except for kiteboarding. When kite foilboarding first hit the market, I was pretty neutral about it. Didn’t hate the idea—didn’t like the idea. It just was. This morning, I had my first session on a foilboard, and wow—I had no idea how much fun I was missing. Winds were around 15 mph, which was plenty for a North Neo 12m to haul my 190 lbs around o …

We've all been there. You've just learned how to kiteboard or you are in the research phase. You find yourself asking a lot of questions. How much wind is too much? What are the safe wind directions? Is it too cold to go kiteboarding? What size kite do I need for my weight? There really is a lot to take in. Fear not, this episode I break down almost everything you need to know about kiteboarding riding conditions.   Last week I was working in San Fransisco and I payed a visit to Crissy fie …

Cable parks have been around since 1959. Since their inception in Germany. They have been popping up all over the world. In fact, there's a good chance you’re just a short drive from one yourself. The cross over from cable to kite is undeniable. Whether you're an absolute beginner or a seasoned rider working on that next trick. Here at MACkite, we have been doing lessons almost as long as the sport of kiteboarding has been around. In 2010, the first 2.0 cable wake boarding system opene …

Amazing Kiteboarding Video Shots This is quite a gorgeous compilation of kitesurfing shots from the past few years. All shot by drones, we're seeing videos from Cabrinha, North, and other brands in the kiteboarding industry.  From ice caps to sunny shorelines, tranquil water abounds, making it perfect for kiting.  If you're in the mood for a relaxing video to take you away from the woes of the real world, this is it. Enjoy! Video Synopsis: The best video compilation of ki …

You've take a kiteboarding lesson and mastered the Waterstart that's awesome! However, there is one little problem... How do you go back the other way? Fear not, I've broken down the kiteboarding transition into five easy steps. The next time you hit the water give these a try and see if they help! Step one Practice on the beach with a trainer kite. Visualization goes a long way with learning anything. If you can get your hands on it that's even better. I recommend taking a day or two m …

Spring is here and we all know what that means. Warm weather, wind and good times with good friends. We’re officially kicking off our kiteboarding lesson season for 2017. This marks our 16th year teaching kiteboarding. In that time the gear, as well as the sport have changed drastically. With all that change there still remains one universal truth for new kiteboarders. That is the thirty hour rule. Ten hours on the kite, ten hours on the board and ten hours to put it all together. Now, we …

In this episode we're going to be talking about what kiteboarding is, how you can get started, and how learning to kiteboard will impact your life and your travels.  What is kiteboarding  Kiting brings together a lot of different sports. From board sports, to watersports, to knowledge of wind. So if you're a snowboarder, a wakeboarder, a sailer, a para sailer, a surfer or even a skateboarder, you absolutely have what it takes to become a kite boarder. Even if you are none of those th …

Slingshot Foil Academy: "Taxi Stage" Like with many of you, the kite foilboarding bug has bitten me as well. And as you may already know, the Slingshot “Foil Academy” is a great place to get started. Thanks to Alex Fox, and his team, the online tutorials are well thought and easy to follow. The Slingshot Hover Glide foil system is easy to assemble and disassemble. I was able to switch from the full-size mast to the 15” mast in just a few minutes. After assemblin …

With so many friends coming to visit recently, I haven't been working nearly as much as I should. The last week I've mostly logged a lot of hours at work. That said, I thought I would talk about a really fun event that takes place in Key West. The Havana Classic, a Hobie cat race from Key West to Havana Cuba. Last year a few close friends and myself followed the racers quite a ways out. We didn't make all the way to Cuba but it was an incredible experience non the less. One of my long term goal …

My name is Crystal Veness, and I’m living the dream. I’ve been traveling full time for more than two years, with no home base and nothing but a kite bag, a carry-on suitcase, and a backpack in tow. This journey has spanned 5 continents, 19 countries, and created more than 1,000,000 memories, and the journey continues today. I’ll be honest, my bank account isn’t exactly growing, but I have accumulated an indescribable wealth of experiences, wonderful connections, and sk …

Get your pump on The WMFG is the largest pump we've ever seen. Chances are if you need this pump, you need everything to be fast!  Well, I have great news. Every Monday morning you can catch brief, cheeky and fun gear reviews from our very own Jake M.  

Aaron's Journey Being the "New Foil-Guy" April 20th, 2017 Sitting on the sidelines watching everybody else having all the fun is NOT fun. No matter what it’s about. Those goofy guys with their kite foiling boards. Who do they think they are, out there having all of the fun? I’m over it—can’t watch one second longer. I’m diving in now! Committing to learning something new can be challenging. Plus, no relatively experienced kiteboarder or kitesurfer wants to revisit t …

How to do a transition on your foilboard! It's Friday so you know what that means. Another episode of Ride with Blake. The last week was incurably fun as some old friends from MACkite came to visit. Ryan (Rygo) Goloversic, Steve Lee and Chris Bobryk. There is nothing like kiteboarding with friends and having some adventures. Like when we helped some F-16 pilots get a session and they were quick to reciprocate by letting us fly in their in single engine plane. It's amazing what life will bring …