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The Brazilian Brothers had a chance to hook up with big air legend Baby Shark (Josue San) and see what he thought about the 2026 North Orbit. The wind there in Prea was 30 knots and the kite's purple colorway matched Baby Shark's Astra board perfectly, so Baby Shark was pretty stoked as he headed into the water. What's New with the 2026 Orbit? The Orbit and Orbit Pro have been combined into a single offering, and the shape has been refined into a higher-aspect design that sits further fo …

Helmets are for kooks, right? Real kiteboarders ride with the wind blowing through their hair. Yep, tell that to an increasing number of pros and everyday riders who swear by the benefits of protecting their noggin from a knockin'. There are enough people out there with helmets that you won't look out of place, and it may just save you from a painful concussion or worse. Do I Really Need a Helmet? If you do freestyle or big air, a helmet can protect your head from a hard impact with the …

Choosing the right kite is important, but how you interact with that kite can make a big difference too. The Brazilian Brothers took the North Navigator Pro bar for a spin, and it's got some features they really appreciated, but a couple they wished it had as well. Overall, is it still a bar they'd recommend, or should you keep looking? Get a Grip The brothers feel that the Navigator Pro Bar has one of the most comfortable grips on the market. When they get in the water, they're out ther …

The Brazilian Brothers, Arthur and Rubens, are back with another review. Up this time is the 2025 F-One Trigger BrainChild, and it turns out that it feels right at home in the windy conditions of Prea, Brazil. It's designed for big air, which is the brothers' favorite style, so does it measure up to their standards, and what makes the BrainChild edition special? Pro-weld Technology The BrainChild edition of the F-One Trigger uses the innovative Pro-weld technology, which ultrasonically w …

The Brazilian Brothers use the Cabrinha Nitro as their primary clinic kite and there are some good reasons why, but it's also not a kite for every kiteboarder. Rubens explains why he and Arthur love the Nitro, and whether it's the right kite for you. What Is the Nitro? The Cabrinha Nitro is a big air kite designed by Pat Goodman. If that name sounds familiar, there's a reason. He's also designed kites like the Switchblade and the North Orbit, both kites that revolutionized the kite indust …

There's hardly a better testing ground for the Duotone EVO D/LAB LTD than Prea, Brazil with its consistently strong wind. The Brazilian Brothers are based there and have reviewed the big air capabilities of this Blue Aluula kite for us. How does it jump and loop? And have there been any improvements over the 2023 Evo D/LAB? How Does the 2025 Duotone Evo D/LAB LTD Jump? The previous Evo D/LAB was one of the brothers' favorite kites of all time, so the bar was set pretty high for this year …

The Brazilian Brothers have been putting the Harlem Thrive through its paces, and no doubt about it, this kite is anything but ordinary. Built in collaboration with Brainchild, the Thrive brings some innovative design and construction concepts to the kiteboarding world. Clearly, it's pushing the boundaries of performance and style. Let's break down the performance features, from jumping and looping ability to control and functionality. Harlem Thrive Construction Features The first noticea …

The Brazilian Brothers have broken down the brand-new 2026 North Orbit. They've had early access to the kite, plenty of sessions on the water, and (unashamedly) some big crashes already. In this review, they break down the Orbit's capabilities along with some insight into who the kite is really for. First Impressions: Orbit with Pro DNA The Brazilian Brothers have been riding the Orbit for years. While past versions have gotten small tweaks, the 2026 model takes a step forward. Basically, …

The Reedin SpaceAgency was one of Jake's favorite twintips last year, so he was excited to get on this year's. Much to his delight, not too much has changed, so it's still an absolute ripper. If you liked last year's version, you'll like this year's as well. If you haven't had a chance to try the SpaceAgency, what can you expect, and is it right for you? What Are the Key Features of the SpaceAgency? Not only is this board out of this world, but it's made with space-age tech. The paulown …

There are a lot of nice footstraps out there these days. The North Flex and Cabrinha Source are both great choices, along with Jake's longtime favorite, the Duotone Entity Ergo. For 2025, Reedin has released the Toasties, a binding that prioritizes weight, comfort, and adjustability. How does it stack up to Jake's favorites? What's in the Box? When you open the box, you'll find your two bindings, of course, and a baggie containing just one piece of hardware. Don't panic- that's the spare. …

Jake's back with a quick follow-up to add some more details about the Limited Edition Evo D/LAB, specifically the blue Aluula material. Why Is the Blue Aluula Really a Limited Run? Initially, the guys thought it was a limited run due to cosmetic issues with the first run of blue Aluula. They could see some lighter areas that looked like crease marks and took those to be a flaw in the manufacturing process, but it turns out that's a common trait of Aluula and not a defect at all. It's pres …

If you subscribe to our newsletter or follow our YouTube channel or blog, then you know that there's been a bit of hype about Duotone's new blue Aluula (which we've taken the liberty of dubbing "Bluula") Evo D/LAB kite. Dustin and Jake both finally got a chance to get a session on it to get a sense of how it flies and who it's for. What Is the "Bluula" Evo D/LAB? The blue Aluula isn't just a new color; it's actually a limited run of the latest version of the Aluula material called D/TX. …

If you want to take a good kite and make it even better, replacing the frame with Aluula is a great place to start. That's what Duotone has done with the Evo D/LAB, but you could be forgiven for not recognizing it right away. We've grown so used to seeing that bright yellow, but Duotone has released the first limited edition Blue Aluula fabric, or "Bluula", as we at MACkite like to call it. This kite is only available in the US, so you may want to preorder if you plan to rock this special …

Fans of Dustin, rejoice! He's returned at long last from a back injury he sustained in October. It was a long road to recovery from a herniated L1-S5, but he's back in the saddle- er, harness, that is. He wasted no time getting out on the water and taking the new North Code Zero Pro for a spin with a foil. The white canopy with a black leading edge makes a good first impression with its clean and sharp look, so how does its performance stack up? What's New on the 2025 North Code Zero Pro? …

Jeff from MACkite had a chance to meet up with Kevin Langeree of Reedin in Cape Town, South Africa. Aside from the beautiful weather and scenery, Jeff was there to get an early look at the WhisperModel, Reedin's new light wind kite. Although the wind isn't usually lacking at the Cape, Kevin recognized that this isn't the case in many places and felt that was a problem he could solve. The WhisperModel was developed with Damien Girardin and Ralf Groesel of Brainchild and is a kite for people w …