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2021 North Kites Overview This is a good look at the 2021 North kites compared to the 2020 North kites. We'll be taking a look at what the changes are and how it will impact you as a rider in this blog.  The Orbit  The ORBIT changed the game when it came to big air kiteboarding. It's one of the most successful kites at KOTA. With swept wingtips and a flatter canopy you get a very unique kite. It has the turning possibilities of a freestyle kite, but the flat canopy allows you to …

Once in a while, I come across some gear that its difficult to deliver a neutral review on. I've been using these boots for the past year and I'm hooked. In this video I will explain why these are my favorite boot but I will make a point to give a detailed review of what you are getting and the considerations. Form and function  Right out of the gate, Vadatek is a smaller family owned company. These boots are made by a kiteboarder / wakeboarder who is passionate about making the best boot …

Quick Reference Guide Pro Voke - Best for Strapless Freestyle Pro Fish - Best for Progression & lightwind Pro Whip - Best all Around Pro Wam - Best Surf Feel and Wave Variety Pro Session - Big Wave Performance The Voke is as good as it gets with strapless freestyle Pro Voke The Voke is unique in the sense that it rides more like a high volume twintip. It has a wakestyle board outline and is made to pop hard, stay on your feet and not boot you during hard landings. The board stays locke …

This week we're going to cover a popular trick that everyone wants to learn: the Darkslide! We've done a few videos on this, but I wanted to do a concise and to-the-point tutorial focused on doing the trick via bar feedback. You'll want to try this one with a little bit of power, but not overpowered. You can be a little underpowered, but you will have to go fast. Come in with decent speed and start to send the kite up like you would for a small jump. Pay attention to your bar. Right when y …

This one is for those of you that know how to do basic front roll but want to take it to the next level. This is going to be a shorter one, but we'll cover a lot of ground. So first things first: you should know how to do a basic front roll. This can be with a sent jump or with the load and pop method. Once you are airborne, look over your back shoulder and pull your front knee into your chest. As you come around for the roll, pay attention to the axis of your rotation. Are you doing more o …

The goal of this video is to inspire you to try some more transitions and mix up your kiteboarding. You can really add a lot of flow and energy to your riding by mixing in very basic tricks into every transition. This week, I'll break down three of my favorite transitions from beginner to intermediate. Transition One - Beginner Half Loaded Melon to Toeside with a Downloop This is a mouthful but it's super simple. You can do it hooked in or unhooked for extra style. Just get a bit of speed …

Do a pros and cons right away in the description.... to add to the conversation  This video has been done before but its a topic that comes up daily here so I thought it would merit a fresh video for the year. I’ll try to get as detailed as possible with the differences, what you can expect, why you might like either and which I prefer. Reno Romeu using the standard Trust bar Line Lengths and Bar Widths The Click bar comes with adjustable line lengths thanks to stock removable …

We’ve had a lot of requests for a video on my favorite boots and the difference between boots and straps. The truth is kiteboarding is a diverse sport and what works for one person might not be best for another. Boots and straps have their place and are here to stay. It’s funny, in the early days, the first kiteboarders were actually wearing wakeboarding boots and building features. Just check out films like Auotofocus with Andre Philip and Jason Slezac. Or google Lou Wainman from the earl …

This is part two of the master your kite and board videos. Last week, I covered a new angle on how to control your kite with the edge of your board. I’m going to expand on this now, and help you really get control of your board and riding position. Kiteboarding is funny because unlike other board sports we have a lot more going on with controlling the kite. The thing is, It seems like a lot of kiteboarders never learn how to ride a board properly and it actually holds back their p …

Today, we’re going to do one of the most important videos we’ve ever done. 3 tips to master kite control. This is part one of two, I’m going to do a second video on advanced kiteboard skills to expand on this next. We're lucky to live in a time where all kites are really user friendly but it came at a cost. It seems like most new kiteboarders don’t know how to control their kite with their edge. Riding in a boarding stance is important In the early days of kiteboardin …

Today we are going to cover a Darkslide Kiteloop Transition. This is an advanced trick and is similar to the hand drag and the 360 video we did in this playlist. In the sense that you will be sending the kite from one side of the wind window to the other for lift and then looping the kite at the edge of the window followed by a second half loop to transition. PDF available Step One - Small Send & Pop Come into this trick with a light pop and be subtle with sending the kite. You don&r …

So you’re looking to pick up your next board. You’ve looked around and heard good things about the Duotone twintips. Supposedly they are lighter, snappier and unique on the water. You went online, did some research and came across a few models. They all look good but you’re just not sure what one is the right choice for you. As you run through all the product descriptions you’re bombarded with words like high performance. The ultimate pop, unmatched torsional flex. …

This is the last video in the fundamentals playlist for now. Soon, I’ll be filming an intermediate level playlist. This week, we're going to cover the Back to Revert or Back to Toeside. In kiteboarding, I’ve been pushing that all advanced moves are combinations of the basics and this is going to be your first combo. You'll be pairing a backroll with a frontside 180.This is the second progression into the Back to Wrapped or the Backmobe and its super fun to turn into a downloop tran …

I’ll be going over the differences and updates to their light wind kite the Juice and their single Strut kite, the Mono. We've done an in-depth comparison video on these kites a couple years back. Over the years these kites have evolved and there's actually been a lot of changes since that first video. The core design for both of these kites remains the same so much of that original video still stands in 2020. Yet, you can expect the 2020 versions to perform better in some areas an …

This week's tip is going to be short and to the point. It’s a stylish variation of the pop and an important movement pattern that builds on many things for later on in your progression. This will be your first 180, and a good introduction to landing toeside with power. Remember, landing blind is just toeside with the kite behind your back. Aside from that, you'll be learning how to rotate frontside. This is important for tricks like the rally to wrapped or the back to revert. Later on, t …