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The Brazilian Brothers caught up with Alessa Mensch right next to the action in Big Bay for a very special interview. From taking her first lessons in Ecuador and becoming an instructor, to entering her first Big Air competition and becoming an established rider for Naish, Alessa shares the details of her incredible kiteboarding journey. If you haven't read part one yet, here is the first Brazilian Brothers interview with Alessa. The First Female Big Air Competition at Lords of Tram Alessa and …

The Brazilian Brothers sat down with South African big air rider Josh Gillitt, diving into everything about Cape Town — the local kiteboarding scene, the best spots, and what it's like growing up in the mother city. Growing Up in Cape Town Josh considers Cape Town his favorite place in the world. Despite traveling globally to various kite spots, coming home is always a special experience. It offers the best conditions, lifestyle, culture, and people. The locals are incredibly friendly an …

Ryan and Hunter have been riding the Omen Capacitor for a while now, putting it through the ringer in a lot of different conditions. This is a dedicated Foil Drive trench board that has been long-awaited, and the team is ready to share their first impressions. Sizes and Construction The Omen Capacitor comes in three sizes to suit various riders and needs. The size featured in this review is the 35-liter, which measures 4'11". It also comes in a 45-liter at 5'4" and a 56-liter at 5'8". These ar …

Tucker has spent some time testing the Duotone Paradox SLS: Duotone's latest mid-length offering. It's most pointed at parawing, but it also serves as a highly efficient winging option. If you're looking for a more efficient board for light wind, faster takeoffs on fast foils, or just a one-board quiver, this shape has a lot of application. You could even throw a Foil Drive or a prone setup on it if you want something stretched out and speedy. Primarily, though, it's designed for the crossover …

Tucker took a break from his normal wing and parawing foil testing to talk about some new apparel with cool applications for foilers: the new ION Surf Shield Wetshirt, also referred to as the Fearless Fiber jacket or sweater. Fearless Fiber Protection The standout feature of this water shirt is the special material called Fearless Fiber. It's cut-resistant to level 4, tested according to the European standard 388:2016. The material is designed to protect you from a sharp foil, a prop blade on …

How to Figure Out Which Screw You Need You just dropped a screw. Well, technically that perfect session wind caught it and sent it tumbling, because you're definitely not that clumsy. And then, even though your lightning reflexes should've caught it, it phased through your hand and wriggled itself deep into the sand. You know it's right there, yet somehow it just isn't. Now there's one tiny screw keeping you from joining your buddies on the water. But which one do you need? You've still got its …

Jeff and Tucker dive into the ever-popular question: what wing is best in light wind? Everyone wants to get up and ride, but not everyone lives where it's super windy. Often, the summer months bring warm water and blue skies, but lighter wind. Over the last three years, the light wind wing market has drastically improved. It used to be that nobody wanted to wing in under 18 knots, but now, the majority of winging hours are happening in under 18 knots. To help you get dialed in, Jeff and Tucker …

Aaron pulled Kevin Wade from Eleveight aside for a few minutes at the KoGL Test Fest to chat about the RS Pro V2. Although the RS has been Eleveight's all-around freeride kite for the company's entire 10-year history, the concept for a pro version is much more recent. So what's special about it, and who is it for? What is the RS Pro? The RS is a do-it-all kite that appeals to a wide range of riders, but what if you want to push the limits just a bit further? The RS Pro uses the best materials …

Rubens of the Brazilian Brothers had a chance to meet up with strapless wave legend, Gray Foster. Gray's been on the Duotone Neo wave kite almost exclusively for the past five years, and Rubens thought it'd be fun to put him on some three-strut freeride kites to see what he thought. Normally Gray looks for a fast, responsive kite for wave riding and a lifty kite with good catch for freestyle, so it was going to be an interesting test to see how the freeride kites stacked up. The Conditions fo …

Sitting right next to the action with some awesome kiting taking place in Big Bay, Capetown, the Brazilian Brothers caught up with Naish pro rider Alessa Sophia Mensch to talk about her progression through the sport and how she turned kiteboarding into a full-blown career. How Did Your Kitesurfing Journey Start? Alessa's entry into the sport is a long, wild story. Originally from the south of Germany, she grew up in a small vineyard village. Up until she was 18 years old, she had never even he …

Jeff and Tucker are kicking off a three-part video series dedicated to light wind riding. If you live somewhere in North America — or anywhere else — where there isn't always a lot of wind, you still want to get out on the water, enjoy the sunshine, and make the most of those light breezes. This first discussion is all about the boards that make light wind wing foiling possible. The Evolution of Light Wind Wing Boards When wing foiling first came out, light wind riding wasn't reall …

Ready to start building your own wing foil quiver? The Reedin Wing Pack was designed from the ground up for exactly that moment. Wing foiling has a reputation for being a gear-heavy sport with a steep learning curve and an expensive entry ticket. Reedin's new Wing Pack is a direct response to both of those concerns. Built around three purpose-built components, it bundles a wing, a foil, and a board into a single, thoughtfully priced package aimed squarely at riders coming out of lessons a …

The Brazilian Brothers sat down with F-One pro rider Josh Gillitt, an international rider who has been pushing the boundaries of big air kiteboarding on the world stage for the past couple of years. Known for his aggressive style and massive sends, he shares the details of his progression, his competitive mindset, and what it takes to ride at the highest level of the sport. Starting Young and Moving to Cape Town Josh's kitesurfing journey started when he was just seven years old. His dad had s …

If you're riding an Appletree board, you already know the quality is there. The construction is dialed, the shapes are refined, and the finish is clean. But even the best gear needs a little love to stay that way. Appletree co-founder Wieger Buurma recently broke down his top board maintenance tips—and they're straightforward enough that there's no excuse for letting your board go to hell. Here's what you need to know. Shop Appletree Understanding the Coat 25 Finish Appletree boar …

The Brazilian Brothers are back for episode two of the Kite Academy. In the first episode, they walked through all the gear you need to get going: a helmet, an impact vest, a harness, a kite, and a board. Today, they're getting into the fun stuff: pumping up the kite, walking through its different nuances, and learning how to handle it, all of which is incredibly important for anyone who wants to be an independent rider. Where Is the Wind Coming From? Before you even pump up the kite, you have …