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For 2020, Cabrinha has two kites that might interest the same rider. They are both aimed at big air riders who want to jump high and enjoy a kite with good hangtime: the Cabrinha Switchblade and the new AV8. While they have some cross-over characteristics, these are different kites designed for a different purpose and a different kiteboarder. I've noticed some people get annoyed while watching the product videos that claim the AV8 is a boosting machine or that the Switchblade has even lighte …

Today I will review the Duotone Jamie Textreme twintip, going over its strengths and weaknesses, and explain why it’s been my board of choice for the past three years. This June, Hilary, Rygo and I went to Bolonia, Spain for the Duotone distributor meeting and had the opportunity to try out the new 2020 gear. There we met Jaime Herraiz and Manu Manuel, the two masterminds behind my favorite board, and got to pick their brains about what goes into making this product so great. First off, …

The Duotone Dice and Rebel are two kites that are completely different in design, on the water and in their approach to the different disciplines. There are aspects that cross over, leaving people confused on which kite is right for them, like big air, high performance and a "rip you off the water" feel. In 2020 the Dice has some re-designs while, aside from material changes, the Rebel is the same. Rather than doing reviews, I thought it would be more valuable to cover the changes... all the dif …

In 2020, the name North Kiteboarding is coming back. While this is a completely new brand, they have assembled top players from across the industry and created a new lineup. In a time when products have become ridiculously over-complicated with a multitude of options, North has taken an elegant, simple, yet masterful approach to every facet of their brand, from form to function. In a way, they are like the Apple of kiteboarding. Now before we go any further, we wanted to clear some things up. Th …

Slingshot went back to the drawing board for 2020 and has brought us two brand-new kites - the Rally GT and the Raptor. Many are wondering - who are these kites for, and what is the difference? We've spent some time on both kites and have developed opinions on what we feel the differences are. In this short comparison, we'll sort out those differences and help you make the decision - Rally GT or Raptor? We'll cover some basic flying characteristics of each kite, broken down by category below. …

What is the Rally GT? Let's start with what the Rally GT is not. The 2020 Slingshot Rally GT is not the same Rally that you've used before. It's entirely new for 2020. They (Slingshot) went back and forth, deliberating a complete name change and landed on Rally GT (rather than an entirely new name, which could make sense with a kite that is such a far cry from the original Rally design). What is the Rally GT, then? The Rally GT is Slingshot's "Do-it-all" kite for 2020. Every brand has one of t …

What is the Raptor? The all-new Raptor from Slingshot for 2020 is their new user-friendly big booster, capable of taking you to heights you've never achieved! According to Slingshot, the Raptor is their dedicated high-performance freestyle/freeride crossover kite, tuned for big boosts, lofty airs, and aggressive performance. We tend to agree with this - it's a five-strut jumping powerhouse! The Raptor, although excellent at jumping, tends to really lean its focus in that direction and f …

Two freestyle kites that at first glance look similar, yet are noticeably different on the water... the long-standing Cabrinha FX and the even-longer-standing, yet new to the category Liquid Force NV. If you’re looking for a kite to take your kiteloops or unhooked riding to a new level, these will get it done. The question is, which kite is right for you? Today we’ll break it all down and dive into everything you need to know. Let’s dive into some common attributes between …

Last time on Sessions we explored Key West and the Canary Islands with our team rider Blake Olsen. We were filming for our  kiteloop playlist and just enjoying the islands with good friends. It was so much fun visiting what has become one of my favorite cities for kiteboarding in the USA. The only downside was that I had just injured my knee snowboarding and I had to sit out on most of the riding on both of these trips!  Testing the Liquid Force NV V9  Getting back on the wa …

Freeriders, foilers, jumping junkies, take note.... Newly released from Cabrinha for the 2020 season is the new Freeride kite, the AV8.  It is designed for maximum power and efficiency in a user-friendly kiteboarding kite.  Taking lessons learned from Cabrinha's previous powerhouse kites such as the Contra, Crossbow, Velocity, and Apollo, the AV8 kitesurf kite is a two decade long pursuit of easy-to-use power combined with cutting edge hydrofoiling concepts. With a 5-strut, du …

A complete review of the 2018 and 2019 Liquid Force NV  In 2010 the Liquid Force Envy led the charge with a bold new three-strut hybrid design. It was faster than the standard bow kites of the time. It bridged the gap between the heavy freeride kites and the fast performance kites. It was something special as it was user-friendly and performance oriented, something hard to find in one kite back then. In 2019 we have two versions available, the V8 and the V9. The NV led the charge with the …

A review of the 2019 Slingshot RPM Slingshot is hyping up the new RPM hard and their videos are hilarious. However, they do leave some questions at hand. Namely, what can you expect from the new RPM, and how does it differ from the original? More importantly, are they fixing something that's not broken to get it back on your radar? We'll cover all of that and more in this complete review. If I had to sum up the new RPM in three words it would be, "smooth, consistent and grunty", but that do …

Full breakdown of the 2019 Slingshot RPM, including how to set the kite up for different conditions, what pigtails to use, how hard to pump your kite... Additional clips: https://www.instagram.com/as_the_dodo_do Pick up your new 2019 RPM …

The Cabrinha Chaos vs. the FX The Cabrinha Chaos vs. the FX The northeast of Brazil has long been a destination for freestyle kiteboarders chasing perfect wind, flat water and warmer temperatures. It's just one of those locations where conditions always deliver. While it's not the easiest place to visit, it's well worth the effort. I've always had fond memories of Taiba as it's where I got my start with video and kiteboarding. Back in 2012 I left my career to help my good friend Chris Bobry …

Today, we’re doing an in-depth review of the 2019 Duotone Neo. In years past we’ve often touted the Neo as more than just a wave kite but also an awesome freeride kite. While this is true, it occurred to me that we’ve almost done this kite an injustice in regards to its surfing capabilities. This year, I’m committed to going the extra mile with these reviews. We’ll be diving in to everything you might want to know about the 2019 Duotone Neo, the good the bad an …