Latest News, Blog & Videos
Dakine Compression Bags for Kiteboarding and Wing Foiling
Today Aaron takes a look at a product he's been using for a long time, the Dakine Compression Bag. They used to come in multiple sizes for your different kite sizes, but now it's one size fits all. What does Aaron think about that and, more importantly, will these bags let him fit his entire quiver of three North Carves into a single Carve bag?Dakine Compression Bag FeaturesThe bag is made from a heavy duty nylon that holds up surprisingly well as a daily driver. It's a simple bag with o
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10th Apr 2024
2024 North Navigator Short Throw Kite Control Bar | On-Water Review
Kristen Cooper is back with a look at a new offering from North that shorter riders, women, and kids may find interesting, if not long overdue. The 2024 North Navigator Short Throw bar is out, and Kristen has had a chance to ride it in the Florida Keys. If you have ever had trouble reaching the bar when it's fully sheeted out, this may be worth a look.Who's It For?
In addition to shorter riders, it's also a nice bar for beginners. It can be frustrating and even intimidating to have
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29th Jan 2024
Ride Engine Air Box Electric Pump for Kiteboarding and Wing Foiling
Jeff and Tucker are excited to share one of their favorite accessories: the Ride Engine Air Box, an electric pump.
...Wait. They're excited about an electric pump? Are they really that old?? Perhaps, but that's not why they're willing to forego the traditional pre-session warm-up. Here's what's great about this magic box and why you might want one, too.
Accessories
Let's first dive in to what you get with your pump. Tucker's favorite accessory that comes with the pump is the c
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18th Jan 2024
2023 Cabrinha Moto X | Session Impression
This is Dustin and Cado here with the all new Cabrinha Moto X. We just got off the water with it, and we're going to do a quick session impression with beginner vs. advanced viewpoints on the kite.Dustin: It was a windy day, and I was out on the 12m. It was blowing a pretty sustained 25-ish knots. It's a super boosty, lofty kite with jumbo jumps. It feels like an old Vector, for the people who've been with Cabrinha forever. It's a tuned-up Moto, and an unbelievable advancement for Cabrin
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26th Dec 2023
Reedin HyperModel vs. Duotone Evo D/Lab
The Reedin HyperModel and Duotone Evo D/Lab are both freeride kites made with the premium Aluula material, but is one better for you? Pat and Dustin rode both 9m kites on the same day in order to see how they compare.
Dustin: As soon as we swapped kites, I immediately noticed that the Reedin bar pressure was so much lighter than the D/Lab.
Pat: I thought the exact same thing. When I got on the D/Lab, I thought the wind had ticked up because the bar pressure on the Evo was that muc
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19th Dec 2023
The Aluula Kites Breakthrough | Who Should Make the Switch?
Dustin and Pat take a look at some kites made with Aluula. What is it, and is it worth the hype? Is it right for you?What is Aluula?Dustin: Aluula is a step up from your normal kites. It's like the carbon bike of the kite world.Pat: Absolutely. It's that carbon fiber frame mountain bike in the kite industry. Is aluminum or steel good for most people out there? Yes. Do you need carbon? Probably not, but is it a nice upgrade and do you get some performance benefits from it? Absolutely.What
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29th Nov 2023
2024 Naish Pivot NVision Review
The 2024 Naish Pivot NVsion is here. What's special about this version of the Pivot? Pat and Dustin got some water time with it and are ready to share some insights.
Dustin: We got the all new Naish NVision Pivot, and it's pretty sick. It's the Ferrari of the Pivots.
Pat: Yeah, it's the Aluula version of the Pivot. It has slight tweaks to the same Pivot we've known and loved for last couple years, but has been brought to the next level with the Aluula material.
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29th Nov 2023
2024 Duotone Rebel SLS | An On-Water Review with Pat and Dustin
On-the-water review with the MACkite boys, Pat and Dustin, after their Grand Haven session on the new 2024 Rebel SLS from Duotone Kiteboarding.On-the-Water Impressions
Pat: The kite feels like a Rebel. It's a five-strut, higher-aspect design with pretty good low end power. It's probably about 20, gusting to 22. I'm on a 12 meter and I'm about 200 pounds. I'm pretty happy with the kite so far in the first couple tacks on it. The kite looks phenomenal in the sky. The new colorway is
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6th Sep 2023
2024 North Reach Kite Review with Kristen
Kristen chats about the 2024 North Reach: what's new, what's different, and what you can expect to feel familiar.
It's a beautiful day in Muskegon, Michigan. It was a north wind, which tends to be a little bit gustier up and down. It's about 70 degrees and the water temp is warm, and I just had a great session on the 9m North Reach. It is a really fun kite!
New Logo, New Material
On the kites you'll now see the North Sails logo being rolled out for 2024. North has also been work
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14th Aug 2023
2024 North Code Zero | On-Water Review
The Code Zero is back again with a little bit of a redesign for 2024, and it's actually quite nice. It feels fairly similar to the Slingshot UFO, but with a single strut.How Does the 2024 Code Zero Fly?It's a bit lower aspect shape compared to the 2023. That makes it a little sharper and quicker in the turning radius.I also feel like it drifts quite a bit better. They definitely made it more of a dedicated foil shape this year. Last year's worked pretty well as a foil/surf crossover. I
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28th Jul 2023
2024 North Orbit Kite Overview
What's Old Is NewWe have the 2024 North Orbit here. North is going in a new direction with their branding, and I am excited about it because they're bringing back the old school North Sails. A lot of you who have been in the sailing industry for a while know that North Sails goes way back. I'm dating myself, but when I got into the sport in '82, North Sails was prominent. So that's something new you're going to see on the North lineup for 2024, and all of their North Sails gear is going
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25th Jul 2023
2024 North Code Zero Review
This is Jeff at MACkiteboarding.com, and we've gotten our hands on the brand new 2024 Code Zero V2 from North. I was able to take it out in very light winds on three days now.The New North
As a brief aside, I'm excited about what North is doing this year. They're rebranding back to their North Sails (NS) roots, and I love that. It reminds me of when I was windsurfing back in the day. North's products have always been high class and well-thought-out.First Impressions
While I'm on
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24th Jul 2023
2024 North Reach Overview
What Is the North Reach?
Today I have the all-new 2024 North Reach. This is a kite that I was fortunate enough to test at the North dealer meeting in Portugal, and I ended up falling in love with it. Granted, it is my kind of kite: a three strut, all-around, do-everything canopy. It's going to be similar to kites like the Duotone Evo, the Slingshot Code, the Reedin Supermodel, the Cabrina Moto, and the Naish Pivot. They're all in that three strut, "do everything a little faster wit
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24th Jul 2023
2023 Reedin Supermodel HTF Review
Shop Reedin Kite, Wing & Foil Gear.
Today, Pat and Aaron chat about the new Reedin Supermodel V4 HTF kite. Read on to find out what's new, what's great or not-so-great, and who this kite is for.
Pat: I've got the brand new Reedin supermodel HTF 9 meter. A big shout-out to Nick Baines for getting this sent up here. I've had one really good session on it so far. I was powered up on the 9 meter, but it was a little gusty so I was a bit all over the place with the kite. But it's
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17th May 2023
Duotone Rebel SLS 2023 - What's the Magic Sauce?
Aaron: Do you want to learn more about the Duotone Rebel SLS? Let's join Ben from Duotone and find out what the magic sauce is.
Ben: You know the history of the Rebel: it is one of the world's best-known kites, and every single year we somehow improve it. Last year when we came out with the Rebel SLS, everything went to a whole new level for that particular kite. It used to be the best-selling kite for a number of years, but then the Neo took over because everybody starte
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10th May 2023