Latest News, Blog & Videos

Marc Hoeksema on Ice For those of us who may be coming off of a long, hard winter, it's time to lay out and inspect your kiteboard and wing foil gear for your first springtime sessions. There's nothing worse than waiting until you get to the beach to find out that you've got a hole in your kite or wing canopy. Let's be smart and take care of it now! Lay Out Your Gear and Check It Over I like to lay out my kites and wings, and pump them all up to make sure I don't have any bladder leaks. Take a …

When I first came across kite compression bags, I didn't immediately see the value in them. After several years of using them as my daily driver, I have a whole new respect for how they improve my kiteboarding and wing foiling experience. Compression bags offer upwards of a 50% savings in your gear space, deter would-be thieves, and keep the "Accounting Department" at bay. I'll explain. Kite and wing compression bags are typically made of lightweight nylon with a draw-cord closure and …

Kiteboarding kites come in a wide variety of sizes. Which size kites are best for you? Let's take a look at your riding style, your gear budget, and find out how many kites you'll want to have in your quiver. Step 1 | What Kind of Kiteboarder are You? First, let's figure out what kind of kites you'll want to invest in. Are you an all-around, freeride kiteboarder who likes a little bit of everything? Do you want to focus on kitesurfing in waves with a surfboard? Maybe you want to get …

Downshifting With the Duotone Click Bar The Duotone Click Bar offers an easy and measured depower that's always well within your reach. If you like the thought of depowering your kite with the simple click of a button located right on the end of your bar, then the Click Bar might be for you. When the Click Bar hit the market a few years back, I thought to myself, "No way, man—that sounds overly complex and totally unnecessary." While I do agree that it may not be the right control bar f …

People tend to fall into one of two different groups when it comes to kiteboarding. Those in the first group are usually interested, and excited to watch kiteboarders on the water jumping and having fun out there, but could never imagine doing it themselves. The second type is the person who gets hit right between the eyes by the hammer of stoke and immediately begins researching about how to get started. Welcome—that would be YOU, my friend! Let's get you on your way to becoming a kiteboarde …

    Should You Use a Wing With or Without Windows? Safety and visibility are a couple of top priority issues for wing foiling. If you will be riding in a popular area with lots of other people in the water, you should probably get a wing with windows. The last thing you want to do is crash into another wingfoiler, kiteboarder, kitesurfer, surfer, or paddleboarder and wreck their day. If you’re riding in an area where you aren’t dealing with many other riders out there on …

The 2022 Duotone Neo SLS and Dice SLS are two very amazing kites, and they’re both a lot of fun for kitesurfing in waves. Yes, they are very different in design and have different strengths and weaknesses. Here are some of our thoughts regarding:  Overall power Turning speed Upwind ability Downwind drift Downloop transitions Relaunch The Duotone Neo SLS is More Powerful. When it comes to overall kite power, the Neo SLS is the winner. I have yet to find a wave kite th …

Let me guess—you’re brand new to wingsurfing and wingfoiling and you want to get the smallest board you can possibly ride? Board volume is your friend. No matter which way you slice it—beginner wingsurfers, wingfoilers, and wingboarders will almost always appreciate more board volume than less. More volume equals more stability, which leads to quicker success on the water. Wing Board Volume and the Learning Timeline As with any new pursuit, we naturally want to get righ …

Welcome to the amazing world of wing foiling. In this article, we’ll try to address some of the basic questions that you may have as you’re getting started. Will it actually make you a better person? That part is up to you, my friend—but we certainly think so. Is Wing Foiling Right For Me? Wingfoiling is much more accessible than some other wind sports like kiteboarding, kitesurfing, and kitefoiling. Because of that, we’re finding a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts gett …

OK, I’ve officially found my favorite kite-surfboard of all time, and it only took me 18 years. Ha!Nah—seriously though, you’ve got to have a look at the NEW 2018 North Pro Whip CSC. This little blaster will have you grinning from ear to ear the first time out. I’ve spent a bit of time on the North Nugget and the North WAM, but the Pro Whip is my jam!The first thing you’ll notice is how light the board is. North utilized bamboo and carbon in this board and it really shows. The next thing yo …

If the calendar says you're past your "expiration date", but you're still feeling a bit spry, maybe you should try some basic unhooked tricks! What is riding unhooked?  This means that you disconnect (or unhook) your control bar from your harness. Don't freak out—it's all about technique. Yes, you will be getting out of your comfort zone. Yes, you will be crashing more. Yes, it is totally worth it! If you're a wakeboarder or a snowboarder, then riding unhooked is an obvious choice fo …

I used to profess this simple concept back when I was a kiteboarding instructor and I know it to be true today. Kiteboarders are simple creatures. We like windy days, good people to share the stoke with, and a good feast afterward. Easy enough.         Hey, new guy—just show up with some pizza, introduce your self, and be humble—it'll be all good!"Seriously though—here's how you break into your local kiteboarding scene and be welcomed into the fold. Decide which beach/area yo …

Many years ago, pro rider Chris Bobryk and I were kiteboard instructors here at MACkite. Our lesson center was right on the sugar-sand beach of Pere Marquette Park, in Muskegon, Michigan.We would ride as much as we possibly could before and after our lessons and I can remember Chris just hucking himself constantly. He was sending it on every tack. He was absolutely consumed with progressing his kiteboarding ability and it paid off for him in his pro career. I, on the other hand, did not have pro …

There are a lot of different travel bags out there for kiteboarding and kitesurfing. North offers the "Combi Bag" and "Team Bag Surf", while ION has the "Gearbag TEC". Here's the breakdown from Ben Skaggs, our North and ION Kiteboarding rep from Hood River, Oregon.North Combi BagColors: Black and BlueAvailable sizes: 140cm155cmSurfboards up to 5'6"Surfboards up to 6'2""This is a lightweight travel bag that uses the method of “use your gear and clothing as padding to save weight” for protecting y …

As any dedicated wind-chaser knows, it can be challenging to balance work, life and kiteboarding. Sometimes, we just can't get enough time on the water. Here are 3 simple tips to help you out! Subscribe to Wind Alerts via iKitesurf.com. Keep your gear with you at all times. Communicate with your significant other.   The Alert iKitesurf.com is one of the most important sites/apps for kiteboarders who want real-time wind data from around the world. Not only can you access wind speed, di …