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The slingshot Crisis is a mid-range / entry level twintip kiteboard from Slingshot. In my experience, the board rides similarly to other boards in this category: it has a medium flex, mild rocker and takes the middle of the road in every aspect. It's aimed at new kiteboarders, but has some performance that experienced riders would appreciate. The board has a wood core and lacks upgrade features like channels or carbon stringers. It doesn't have as much pop as, say, a freestyle kiteboard …

The Cabrinha Switchblade has been around longer than most have been kiteboarding. It went though a good deal of research and design up until about 2016. Built by legendary designer Pat Goodman, it's still one of the best kites out there, in my opinion. The past 5 years have seen a huge change in the market. Riders demand lighter, faster kites aimed at big air. The thing is, for some, the Switchblade is still an amazing choice. It's not the fastest kite—it's not the lightest kite. It is …

The Eleveight OS is another one-strut option designed for foil enthusiasts and light wind waveriders. The simple design is fast and, like all one-strut kites, it's extremely lightweight. The swept wing tips are designed to relaunch in light wind as well. This is a bit of a must for light wind hydrofoilers pushing threshold winds to the limit. My least favorite aspect of foiling, personally, is swimming back. On the Hydrofoil The OS is drifty, fast and powerful. The range is quite good fo …

The Formula V1 kiteboard is an exciting addition to Slingshot's lineup. Their kiteboards have long been known to be heavy duty and provide a distinct damp feel on the water. The Formula couldn't be further from the rest of their kiteboards: extremely light and snappy with a race car like feel. The Formula V1 is a completely different animal. A Kiteboard with Speed and Snap The Formula V1 kiteboard is so snappy and poppy you just want to jump as soon as it hits the water. I hate making …

The Slingshot Asylum is the board I was using when I first started progressing in kiteboarding. If you watch older reviews, you know I used to rave on Slingshot kiteboards. In recent years I've branched out and covered many other brands, but I always seem to come back to Slingshot. They have been making kiteboards and wakeboards for over 20 years! Needless to say, they know how to build them properly. The Asylum is a freestyle board in the range, but that shouldn't scare big air riders or …

The Contra One Strut is a new kite for 2021. I find it funny that Cabrinha chose the name Contra as this kite feels quite different from the original 3-strut light wind specific Contra kite. The Contra One Strut feels and performs like most one strut kites with the typical Cabrinha bar feel. It's fast, pivotal, and simple. The one area where I found the Contra One Strut stands out is its stability and high wind performance. I had heard the kite was actually fun and performance-minded in s …

The North Fix boots are kite specific and a good option for kiteboarder looking to add some power to their riding,  They have a clean simple look that can be seen throughout the entire North Kiteboarding lineup. I had the chance to demo a pair for most of the winter and I was able to log loads of sessions in with these on the kite and in the cable park.  Here are my thoughts.  Flex The Flexibility on these are perfect for kite. The are stiff and supportive on the ankle with a …

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 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 …

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 …

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 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 …

The aim of this video is to help you decide if the Duotone Jaime is the right kiteboard for you. What kind of kiteboard is it? Freestyle Freeride  Fast  Pop-you-off-the-water feel Will fit most levels Who is this kiteboard for? The Jaime is a freestyle board but it is a good fit for almost everyone. From the older rider who wants a fun poppy gentle board to the advanced freestyle rider looking to push it on the water. I know, I know, that is such an overused statement in kit …

The Duotone Click bar is the choice of almost all their team riders. Its a premium kiteboarding control bar that looks simple and is effective. Tye chooses this bar because he appreciates all the features that come with it. We’ve done a ton of content on this bar so writing this does feel a little redundant. That said, I wanted to help everyone get to know our newest rider Tye and share why he chooses the gear he is using. The Click bar is loaded with features from automatic un-swiveling …