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Hey guys, Kristen here with MACkite. I'm currently in Arizona picking up a new-to-us RV. I'm really enjoying it here, enjoying the desert scenery, the mountains, getting some good hiking in, and we're about to head to Florida. We want to get some videos out, and a good one that we wanted to touch base on is how to choose a board for the ladies or for your girlfriend. Let's get to it! Oftentimes I see ladies put on really, really small boards, and I think that we could benefit from riding the …

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 …

How did you size your harness? I am 6’2 175 lbs with a 32-33” waist. I wear a medium harness as it provides the perfect amount of adjustment to securely fit with a 1mm wetsuit top to 5mm wetsuit. I find the 25cm spreader bar is perfect as it extends just before my hip bones so the harness wraps properly around my hips.Why do I ride the Dakine Renegade? Its simple minimalist design provides the perfect balance of support, stability, and comfort. My lower back never hurts or gets sore after h …

It’s a question we get quite often: what’s new for this model year? Well, color, obviously. Maybe some new canopy material, and there’s probably a bridle tweak somewhere in there. What else? Well, you see… errr…We look forward to 2022 to the trends we expect to see in the kiteboarding industry. 1) Lighter Canopy Materials for Kites and WingsThe biggest innovations in recent years have come in lighter materials – first with the Ocean Rodeo Aluula and then the Duotone SLS. We expect this to conti …

 If it's your first time picking out a harness (or your fifth), the age-old question always comes to light. “Do I go with a seat or waist harness?” Usually, the best answer is to come in and try it on and feel it out, but if you’re like most of our awesome customers and don't have a kite shop locally accessible, this article should point you in the right direction: upwind. Beginner Kiteboarders Will Appreciate a Seat HarnessSeat harnesses draw a lot of attention to a wide range of riders …

 Picking a harness might be one of the most important decisions of kiteboarding that many people often overlook. It’s not a cut-and-dry decision, especially with so many different brands, fits, and features. Looking at all the harnesses on the market, you’ll see two major separating factors—soft shell or hard shell. Adding to the options we now have on the market, we have hook and slider spreader bar options as well seat and shorts harness. For this blog, we’re going to focus on soft and ha …

 Everywhere I go the question comes up, “is Aluula really worth the extra cost?” Well, cost aside, let's focus on the performance and then you make the call.I got the chance to test two of my favorite kites the other day, the 14.5m Ocean Rodeo Flight. What’s that you say, “wait, he said two of his favorite kites.” To clarify I did test two kites, both were the 14.5m Ocean Rodeo Flight, but I got to pit the A-Series (Aluula) directly against its brother from the same mother, the HL Series (H …

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 …

These past 9 months, Kristen and I have had the opportunity to travel to kite spots while living out of an RV. In the spring we linked up with some old friends, and made some new ones along the way. We went hard filming and making fresh content. Best of all, we were able to learn and share more insights from the top riders in the sport. Few have the experience in so many disciplines from big air, freestyle & park to surf and foil as Ewan Jaspan of Naish kiteboarding. We sat down for an extensi …

Hey guys, Jake here from MACkite. Today I'm here to talk to you guys about packages. Next: wetsuit, booty, gloves, beanie, hood, etc. When you're kiting in cooler environments, these are really, really important. Even when you're in a warm environment it can be nice to have a wetsuit. The big reason for that is when you're learning, you're spending the most amount of time that you're going to in the water. So you're learning how to body drag, you're learning how to boardstart... that's a l …

Hey guys, Jake here from MACkite. Today I'm here to talk to you guys about packages. We got the kite covered, now let's go on to the board. Most boards are going to come with the board and the fins. From there you have to add a set of straps, and most straps are compatible with most boards. For example, we have the PKG board right here and I have Cabrinha H1 straps that will mount just perfectly to this thing. An easy way to figure out where your stance is, is to set the board in front of yo …

All-Around Kites Freeride kites, sometimes called all-around or do-it-all kites, are a popular choice, especially for new kiteboarders who do not quite know what they want out of the sport yet. They are balanced right in the middle to do most everything. They are a jack-of-all-trades and master of none.Wave Kites The thing is, with modern gear, even specialty kites are technically all-around kites that excel in one particular area. That means if you live to surf waves, a wave kite will be sig …

The small North Navigator kiteboarding control bar comes in 38 to 43 cm. As a female, I’m always on a smaller kite than all the guys out there. The reason I like a smaller bar is it slows down and gives me more control of the smaller kites I am using.  Small kite control bars slow the kite down.  This is great because it prevents accidental loops and more control in wild conditions. The other reason I like it is because the bar is plush and soft. I have used some harder and mor …

Kiteboarding stance is a subjective thing. Ultimately, it comes down to comfort. People ride a wide variety of stances from wide to narrow. You can also adjust the angle of stance. In the '90s and early 2000s, wide stance was popular. In recent years, with jibing rails becoming more popular in boardsports, narrow stances are popular. Neither is actually superior, albeit personal style comes into play. Most important is addressing your body mechanics and preventing injury or pressure points …

Should I use kiteboarding boots? This is a common question among new kitesurfers. After all, most of the pro riders use boots. Funny thing is, it's not that common on the beach. This is because shops are hesitant to recommend boots to a new rider. This is for good reason; it is best to learn in straps. That said, for some making the switch boots might actually be a fun idea. For example, Tye is a semi-pro street snowboarder and a decent wakeboarder making the crossover. I was surprised to he …