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Learn how to Pump Your Foil There are a lot of new skills to learn with foiling but the most frequently asked about is, “pumping”. Videos online show talented athletes pumping back out to the lineup, off docks, and around boats; pumping certainly draws some attention to the sport as well as lots of questions. Everybody wants to pump it up, but how is it done? The short answer is, “technique, practice, and/or immense talent”. Let's take a look at some ways to “pump …

Over the last few years we’ve been testing all the hydrofoils extensively- with the kite, behind the boat and in the waves. In that time, most of our staff has progressed from complete beginners to advanced riders. We’ve noticed that as we progressed there were different things to consider when choosing which foil to learn on, which foil to progress with and which foil to use for different sports. With there being so many options and styles on the market, we wanted to make you …

This trick is really awesome, it’s tons of fun, it keeps you blasting upwind without losing any ground, and it’s also going to lay the groundwork for some more advanced tricks such as the duck tack with a stance change, as well as carving 360s. Those are some of my favorites; they’re tons of fun, and are always a crowd-pleaser. This is going to lay the groundwork and build some skills for that. The prerequisites for this trick are found in some of our previous videos. You& …

The Gybe with a stance change is the second transition you should work on in your hydrofoiling journey. It's not the most difficult transition but this one is going to take some practice on your end. Don't get to discouraged and have fun with this one. As with all hydrofoil tricks, don't try to recover from a fall. Go with it and commit to the fall.   Before you try you should... Nail the heel to toe and toe to heelside transition - see previous videos Ride both natural and unn …

This video will kick off a new series of videos showing some foil trick tips that you can look to learn in your beginner and intermediate stages of kiteboarding. We will be trying to drop one of these every week or so for the foreseeable future. So... keep an eye out.... and get ready to progress through some basic techniques and tricks. The Heelside to toeside transition  This week we are going to start with a familiar obstacle for new foilers...your first tacks. I speak with new …

The best “do it all” foils Hydrofoils have effectively entered most action watersports these days. If you, like most of us at the shop happen to partake in multiple watersports, choosing the right foil can be a difficult decision. Some of our hydrofoils are useful for a specific purpose while others seem to blur the lines between sports to make a truly excellent jack of all trades. Let's take a quick look at what makes a good “do it all” foil. What wing size is ri …

The printable steps are at the bottom of this blog  So you want to learn to hydrofoil surf? Congratulations! We too have caught the foil bug for all of our board sports. Surf foiling is truly a one of a kind experience that makes even the most marginal days into magical sessions.  Aside from the silent, smooth, and effortless glide, surf hydrofoils tap into the most powerful part of the wave just beneath the surface. This allows you to keep momentum and connect sections on the smal …

The printable steps are at the bottom of this blog  Learning to sit on the foil is one of the first tricks everyone wants to learn. It's not that intimidating, it looks awesome and its really fun to try and incorporate this into transitions later on Step 1 – Practice getting low  This isn't a trick you want to just dive into. You'll want to work your way into it progressively. You can start by building muscle memory and squatting while riding. Simple bring your knees to your ch …

Best 2019 Hydrofoils For You  With the explosion of hydrofoil sports and new designs for 2019, even experienced riders are left with some questions. In this blog, we’ll go in-depth covering the differences between foil options, and discuss how to choose the best foil for you. I’ve done my best to title each section appropriately so you can skip to the point if you are in a hurry. There is a lot of info here so you may want to bookmark it for later reference. Weight and Price Wei …

Let's Chat: 2019 Slingshot Hydrofoil Wings 2019 is an exciting year for hydro-foiling. The variety and abundance of choices in the current market are sure to have a product for every circumstance and budget. However, that also means that the dizzying confusion of product names, measurements, and uses makes choosing one a confounding affair. Slingshot, for instance, has two foil platforms for 2019 with a combined 10 wing choices. Hover Glide Wings The least expensive of the platforms is the Hov …

The Story Behind "Sessions" Welcome to "Sessions"! I'm just a dude from a kite shop making videos and testing all the gear, one session at a time. A year ago, I started working with two talented individuals, Blake Olsen and Crystal Veness. The goal was simple: put out the most thorough and relatable kiteboarding trick-tips online and produce the most informative and useful kiteboarding travel guide on YouTube. One year later and we're working hard and having a lot of fun creating useful content. …

Working at MACkite has some unique benefits. Working with friends in an industry that we are passionate about makes most days feel less like “work”. The huge amount of demo gear available is also well appreciated by our staff. However, it is hard to monetize the value of our “Board Meetings”. Our "Board Meetings" are not the typical drudgery that is associated in most workplaces. Rather, it is a meeting of employees where we can go play and test gear during work hours. …

Since this was a special edition this article will be a little different. We will repost the initial question followed by our initial response in Youtube to the user. I will then add any additional information below that to round out the knowledge. Stas Firer: What category does the 2018 Naish Thrust KS1 fall into and do you guys plan on doing a review on it? MACkite:  Hey Stas! We think the Naish Thrust KS1 fits nicely into the "Performance Freeride" or "Powered Freeride" category. We'l …

Foilboarding is the newest and fastest growing aspect of kiteboarding, without question. The rapid advance of riding styles and equipment is a hard thing to keep pace with. As a result, we get a lot of questions. Since most of the people getting into kiteboard foiling are already kiteboarders, a popular question is, “How will my kite(s) work for foiling?”;  A legitimate question!  The kite you have/choose will have certain advantages and disadvantages for your riding and …

5 Best Kites for Foiling Hydrofoil kiteboarding has been on fire lately at the shop. I cannot remember the last time where every employee was so excited about one aspect of kiteboarding. Every employee from our young guns to shop legends caught the foil bug. As a result, we have seen a dramatic shift in the kite quivers chosen by our staff. Our quivers were dominated by large freestyle kites like the Cabrinha FX; now, we are switching to kites that compliment the unique challenges of foilbo …