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The North Reach is the do-it-all kite from North's range. Now, considering that almost all kitesurfing kites, to a fault, are do-it-all these days, what does that even mean? It means the 2022 North Reach is balanced perfectly for all disciplines while other kiteboarding kites tend to favor a specific niche. The Reach is a bit lighter than, say, the North Orbit, which was built for extreme and overpowered conditions. Now this doesn't mean the Reach isn't durable. It means it' …

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 …

I have had over 300+ sessions over the past two years on North kites and the Reach is what sold me on the “new” North brand. I would like to share the top 3 characteristics of the Orbit and Reach, do a comparison, and why both should be in your quiver. The North Reach is a one-kite wonder. It truly does it all very well. Medium to light bar pressure that delivers a direct and intuitive fast flying kite. Loops very fast and can be directed with very little bar input. Light 3 strut constr …

Hey guys, I'm Ewan Jaspan and today I'm going to be going over the board that I mostly use for big air these days, and that is the Naish Drive.  Naish Drive Kiteboard I ride it in a 138cm, and I really like that size because it's not too short. I'm not really a fan of short boards so I can still get in a super hard edge. It's really light, which is nice on your feet for some big air tricks, and it helps in the lighter wind as well, to get going easily and have a …

Today we're going to review the new 2022 Cabrinha Contra. The Cabrinha Contra has always been one of my top two favorite light wind kites. I've been using it on and off for probably a good five years now, bouncing back and forth from the Turbine, and I had some sessions on the Eleveight RS 17 meter. I think there's some really good things about the Contra. With the the latest iteration, there are some things that I don't care for as much, and we'll break down everything you need to know in t …

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 …

Is the Manera Halo the future of kitesurfing / kiteboarding harnesses? We think so. It's modular, serviceable, and combines the benefits of hard shell and soft harnesses into one supportive, flexible, and comfortable kiteboarding harness. In this video we discuss the construction and benefits of this unique and forward thinking design.

Okay, I think we all can admit that 2022 has been another weird year and the weirdness hasn’t been limited to just current events. Over the last year or so we have seen some funky products start to pop up in the kite market from new travel accessories, safety gear, and even some new foils.Let's take a dive into some of these new kiteboarding accessories and see if you might need to add any to your arsenal of accessories. Eleveight Revo Kiteboard HandleWe’ll start this out strong with an interes …

  The Cabrinha FX, in one word – fun – smooth - full of energy - just plain enjoyment! Ok, that was way more than one word, but those that know me know I never have just one word for anything. Recently rode the 12m FX in the warm waters of Jupiter, FL. (lighter winds 16-17 knots) and then again in the chilly waters of Michigan (21-23 knots) a few days later. Simply put, I love the feel of this kite. Completely responsive with a smooth forward drive at both the low-end and high- …

 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 …

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 …

The all-new Duotone Juice D/Lab is an ultra-light, 3-strut freeride kite, good for light wind riding and foiling. The frame of the Juice D/Lab is made from Aluula, which reduces the overall weight of the kite by 30%. As well as offering a much higher structural stiffness and greater tear resistance. The moderate aspect shape offers tons of lift, a crazy amount of hangtime, and some pretty decent upwind ability as well. Available in sizes 13m and 15m, the all-new Duotone Juice D/Lab is cer …

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 …

Hey guys, welcome back. This is Jake with At a Glance. Today we're going to be talking about the Ride Engine HF impact vest. This is the Defender vest from Ride Engine and it's meant for foil use. You're going to notice right away this isn't cut away like a lot of other impact vests, so it's not going to accommodate a harness quite as nicely. What's the point of this vest? Really, it's to protect you from the foil from the board in those higher impact situations. When it comes to fitment, …

Hey guys, welcome back. This is Jake with MACkite. Today's At a Glance video is going to be some vest fitment. So when you're buying an impact flotation vest, every manufacturer varies slightly and they tend to fit pretty tightly, so I'm going to go through and show you how some different vests fit on me. We're going to start with the Mystic Block vest. This is a very basic vest but also super functional. Just to overview real quickly, a reason you'd go with some of these vests is threefol …