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The Switchblade vs The Rebel  The aim of this video series is to remain as objective as possible.That being said, we made sure to get opinions from our entire crew. Rygo and Lucas collaborated to communicate the group consensus to you, and you can expect more videos to come soon. So, you're debating between the Cabrinha Switchblade kiteboarding kite and the North Rebel. Not an easy choice, but this should give you plenty of insight when making your decision. Both of these kites have been a …

North Kiteboarding - 2017 North Evo The Evo is the arounder of the range—best suited for free riders at home at all disciplines. The five-strut design, combined with the new Dacron frame 3-D shaping and updated strut-tip design intern an even cleaner profile and faster turning than the previous years. The Evo works on four or five lines, depending on your personal preference. When hitting the waves, the Evo wants the rider to use a proactive riding style. If you want to boost, you can take …

Lucas on the 2017 Slingshot Rally The 2017 Slingshot Rally - what's new this year, who will benefit from it, and why. The Rally is Slingshot’s all-around freeride kite, but what does that even mean? If you’ve been researching kites, by now you know most kites can “do it all”, in a sense. The differences present themselves in that every kite will do certain things better than others. For every benefit, there is usually a tradeoff. Fortunately, a kite that excel in each as …

Jake on the 2017 North Rebel So you're Interested in the Rebel. We're imaging some of the questions you are asking yourself...What's New this year, and what type of rider will benefit from this kite? Well this overview should square that up for you. The Rebel is North’s long standing big air freeride kite. In years past people have turned to the rebel looking for that efficient user friendly kite that will jump huge, ride upwind better than your average kite and minimize shake in the bar …

Jake on the 2017 North Dice The Firecracker! or as you might know it. The 2017 North Dice. What's new, and what kind of rider will benefit from this kite. What is great about the Dice is it really has something to offer anyone. Whether you are into unhooked wakestyle/freestyle. Hooked in riding with some serious flair, waves or kite loops. This kite loops especially well! The Dice is North's answer to riders willing to sacrifice a little wind range for an exceptionally high performance all …

Jake on the 2017 North Neo The Neo is known as North's go-to wave kite but in all reality, it is much much more than that. What most people don’t know is with a slight tweaking of the bridle it becomes an excellent free ride kite. So What’s new with the Neo in 2017? This year North didn’t want to fix what's not broken. For 2017 you can expect incremental improvements in the turning speed, the de-power and a more direct feedback and bar feel. Order your 2017 North Neo today! T …

Ryan on the 2016/17 Airush DNA The DNA is Airush’s answer to new kiteboarders who are on a budget, yet aren't willing to compromise on performance. As the head instructor here at MACkite, I find the DNA offers quite a few advantages to new riders as well as intermediate riders looking for a user-friendly kite to help progress. The DNA is based off the Lithium, Airush’s all-around freeride kite.  It’s a slightly stripped down version of the Lithium, although we find that i …

MACkite's Aaron on the Surf-Fur Original Water Parka So far, this fall has been exceptionally warm—but we know that will change. Speaking of changing, the good people over at Surf-Fur© have developed a changing parka to help you comfortably get in and out of your wetsuit when the weather turns cold. What’s so special about it? The Surf-Fur Original Water Parka is: Windproof Waterproof Full-length Hooded And it features: Thick, warm polyester fleece Snap closure “H …

Hey guys, it’s Rygo from MACkite and today I want to give you my first impressions on the 2017 North Click bar. Initially, I was really hesitant about this bar. I envisioned an overly complicated control bar that was trying to fix something that obviously wasn’t really broken. When I got it in my hands, that notion couldn’t have been further from the truth. The bar is actually incredibly simple, not only in function but in aesthetics as well. The funny thing is that I was using a prototype click …

Let's Chat: 2016 Cabrinha FX The Cabrinha FX is a kite that we're super stoked about, and that's because it fits the bill as a great freeride/freestyle kite. To us, the FX positions itself in between the competition C-kite Cabrinha Chaos and the all-time favorite Cabrinha Switchblade freeride kite.  Order your 2016 Cabrinha FX Today! The blend allows you to have a great all-around kite with a nice wind range as well as have enough freestyle performance to progress to an advanced skill. W …

The head honcho himself took the new 2017 Cabrinha Fireball system for a spin the other day and has deigned to pass along his insight. I first flew a Wipika 2-line 5 meter kite back in October of 1999. Over the years, kiteboarding gear keeps improving by leaps and bounds, but there have been very few moments when I have seen a new system or product that I feel will really change a complete segment of gear. The Crossbow / Switchblade release in 2006 was definitely one of those moments. Sling …

One of our good customers recently took the time to review his Fireball/Apollo 14m setup and give us his first impressions. First Impressions with 2017 Cabrinha Apollo 14M and Fireballby Shawn EwingI've been kiting for 16 years. My first session with the 2017 Cabrinha Apollo 14M and the 2017 Cabrinha Fireball Control Bar w/ Trimlite was amazing. My friends and I spent the weekend at Sherman Island Beach Park in the California Delta. The usual strong winds at Sherman didn't happen. I'm gl …

2017 Naish Kites Unleashed Like kids in a candy store, the MACkite crew clings to the windows of the latest kiteboarding gear. This year, we're impressed with Naish and their ability to transcend the industry.  Innovations abound, Naish has been able to introduce Quad-Tex, the strongest canopy available on the market.  Not only that, but we've also become intrigued with the new Torque control system that are filled with function. If you're looking for some new gear, perhaps it's tim …

Hey guys this is Jake for MACkite and today I’m going to talk to you about the new 2017 North Click Bar. We’re going to talk about all the cool new features on this bar and figure out if it’s the right control bar for you. Over the past few years that have been all sorts of innovations in the kiteboarding world, some of them albeit a bit gimmicky. When we first heard about this click bar most of us here at the shop or rather skeptical; however, after getting our hands on it we …

2017 North Click Bar Overview Sky Solbach engages audiences globally with the latest in North Kiteboarding technology. This time, he's introduced what can be described as the "game changer",  properly known as the Click Bar. Is it truly a revolutionary control bar? Let's break down the big differences that makes the Click Bar stand out. Trim Unit Only control bar available on the market that allows you to trim your lines from the back lines, not the front. This technology is integrated in …