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One of the most common requests I get is to compare the Cabrinha Moto vs. the Duotone Evo. I was always hesitant to do this comparison because, while there are overlapping elements, these kites are aimed at different disciplines and different kitesurfers. Like the Evo, the Moto is Cabrinha's all-around, 3-strut freeride kite. Where it differs is that it was designed for the waves and hydrofoiling. This means the Moto is going to have some wave characteristics. For example, the Moto ha …

The backroll is possibly the most popular trick in kiteboarding. It's usually the first move everyone learns. From there people progress to the back to toeside or the double backroll. The back to wrapped, however, is by far the most stylish and technical first variation where one can pair a roll with a flat rotation. Usually this trick is done by unhooked freestyle riders, but it can be done hooked in easily enough and will make you stand out on the water!Step One - Kite Low This is a recurri …

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 …

Mistake One With social media on the rise, I've noticed a lot of misinformation being circulated in kite groups, especially when a new rider asks questions. The most common myths I've seen in this arena are that kiteboarding is 90% learning the kite and 10% the board, or that skills from other sports like wakeboarding or surfing do not matter. While these statements are not entirely wrong, they're out of context. Even I've told students that kite control needs to come first. When you are a ra …

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 …

Step One - Kite Basics First you need to know how to do a proper air transition. Your kite will be at 12 for the entire trick. Once you complete both bankrolls, you send the kite hard in the opposite direction. You want to come into this one with low to medium speed. If you have too much speed it will be difficult to stop your momentum and go the other way. Step Two - The Rotations The first rotation will be a flat 360 similar to your first backerolls. Your feet are underneath you and you …

The Cabrinha Moto is coming back for the second generation. If you are not familiar, it is Cabrinha's 3 strut do-it-all kiteboarding kite. Fast, light, and playful is the best way to describe it. The Moto is a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. It's fun for freeriding, good for hydrofoiling, and useful in the waves. At a Glance The Moto has light bar pressure and a light feel in the sky. Some riders love light bar pressure, but the drawback is that sometimes it is difficult to feel …

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 …

Chris rides for Eleveight Kites, so naturally his kite choices will come from their lineup. That said, they have a few models to choose from, so we'll break down his kite choices and when he uses them. Hopefully this will help you understand the kite lineup and which kites would be a good choice for you and your riding style. Bobryk's Kitesurfing Quiver Chris has 3 models in his quiver: the 10, 12 and 14 FS for Freestyle, the 10m one-strut OS for light-wind foiling and surfing, and the 1 …

The Front Roll is usually the second trick everyone wants to learn right after the Back Roll. It's a simple trick that always looks good, especially if you add a grab to it. The easiest grab to start with is the tail grab. This is one of my go-to tricks every session because it just feels so good. For this video, I'll break down the freestyle pop technique. This can be done hooked in, and you can actually do this with a sent jump. This technique will help give more power to your pop and …

The idea behind this video is to work your way into powered, stylish Butter Slides. These are an easy trick, but they do take a little leg strength. That means your first Butters will be low and quick. Over time, your legs will get stronger and you'll find the perfect approach. Nothing feels better than a kiteboarding Butter Slide Step One - First Attempts Keep the kite at 45 and get good speed. If you go slow, you will sink. Go slightly downwind and lean back. Put your weight behind y …

The North Flare is a wakestyle / parkstyle board. It's made for kiteboarders who are looking to ride powered, do unhooked tricks and grind things. In spite of the fact that wakestyle is pretty underground right now, I wanted to do a review on this board. I've used almost every wakestyle board to date, so I have a good idea where this one stacks up behind the kite and in the cable park.Performance My first impression is the simplicity of the design. The board has a good outline for speed a …

Tye's first kiteboard pick is an unconventional choice at best. His situation is different because he comes from a snowboarding background and has a specific goal in mind. We wanted to illustrate that modern wakestyle kitesurfing gear can be used to learn on as well. The Gambler is a high rocker board with a grind base. It has the largest range of size from Duotone's board lineup. This has a lot to do with what Duotone's team riders who use the Gambler prefer. The funny thing is the lar …

What up guys. Today we're going to break down another half loaded pop video. We just covered the tail grab with Chris Bobryk. Next up, we're going cover one of the most stylish and easy grabs, the Tuck Knee Indy. It's a half loaded pop where you tuck your back knee and grab the board with your back hand between your feet on the toeside edge. Later we'll do a more advanced version with Chris where you take it to blind or wrapped. This is a fun and easy one that can be used as a transitio …

Tuck Knee Indy to Blind or Wrapped The Indy Grab is the easiest of all the grabs in boardsports. You grab the board with your back hand on the top side edge between your feet. The Tuck Knee variation takes this basic and makes it look stylish. You can see the difference in the two photos here. The Straight Leg Variation The Tuck Knee Variation I just did a simple tutorial on the Tuck Knee here. But the key is to first learn how to load your lines and pop with the kite at 45 degre …