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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. …

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 …

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 …

All wakestyle is freestyle but not all freestyle is wakestyle. This is a video I’ve been meaning to do for a long while now, but I’ve put Versus on hold the last few months. It’s a common question I hear and there are a few opinions floating around on the topic. Kiteboarding borrows from a lot of sports! There are plenty of crossovers, from surfing and wakeboarding to snowboarding. And of course there is the unique big air aspect of our sport. It’s one of the most …

Duotone Rebel Vs The Duotone Dice  There are two kites in the Duotone kiteboarding lineup that share some characteristics yet, appeal to completely different kiteboarders and riding styles. The Duotone Dice and the recently redesigned Duotone Rebel. Both offer explosive pop, both have a direct raw feel and both appeal to more advanced riders. Yet, while they share these traits, they actually couldn't be more different. If you’re that rider looking to take your kiteboarding to th …

We’ve been riding a bunch of different styles behind the boat, so we’re going to get a bit boat-focused on this episode of Foil Fridays because we’ve been getting a lot of questions like, “what board is right for me?”/ “which size is right for me?” and we’re going to help you break down the two distinct categories. It’s easiest to separate them into a “big board” vs. a “small board” and what that means for you and y …

At first glance, the Moto and the FX might look comparable. They both have three struts. They offer an alternative to riders who want to upgrade their original quiver. And intermediate riders have been gravitating to three strut kites in droves. All that said, these kites are significantly different and they each have attributes that make a big difference on the wate Wind Range The Moto and the FX both like to be flown on the higher end of their respective range but are similar. You will get …

In 2019 Cabrinha has two kites that both fit into the same category yet take different approaches to meet the same end. The long standing Cabrinha switchblade and the new three strut Moto. You might be asking, why make two freeride kites and which one is better? With the Switchblades long standing history how doe the new Moto Stack up? This week, we’ll break down everything you need to know and do a back to back review. Let’s Dive into some common attributes between these kites …

Last week, Nathan Brad and myself decided to take some of the 2019 slingshot foils out to film and test. We promised to start doing some versus videos on our Foil Fridays series a while back and now it's time to really dive in.  We'll be doing kite reviews, surf reviews and wake reviews on many of our foils. This week, we wanted to test the wake applications of these three foils. Part of doing through reviews here is taking notes on our sessions  Here are our first impressions.&nb …

When it comes to kiteboarding Harnesses Ride Engine really shook things up when the came out with their first hard shell harness. It wasn't long before every brand had some form of hard shell or another. There really are a lot of  great options out there but currently there are two favorites among the staff here at MACkite.  The  Classic Ride Engine, and the Mystic Majestic X. We're divided pretty evenly here and rightly so as there is no right answer here. When it comes to …

We’ve had a lot of requests for a solid review on the 2018 North Evo and how it compares to the 2017. I can’t say I’m surprised there is very little content beyond the basic brand notes on the 2018 Evo. I’ve been really curious to compare these two kites myself, but it definitely took me some time, to say the least! The reality is that this kite has become a completely different animal designed to meet the same end, yet with a new approach. It’s rare for a kite to …

So if you’ve watched the last few videos, you might have caught Freeride Kites vs Freestyle Kites where we talked about how most kites that undergo years of development slowly get so well rounded that they cross over into all-around territory. The Cabrinha Drifter is one of those kites. While it is a surf specific kite, it is a great contender as an all-around freeride kite. It’s even decent at unhooking. So the first thing to consider would be the most obvious, and that is where t …

So you’re looking to go big! One of the most fun aspects of kiteboarding is going all out at full speed and just sending it. On those days where the wind is so strong that the beach is empty except for a hand full of wind junkies. Your heart is pounding, all you hear is the constant hum of the wind in your ears and the shouting of your friends as you set up. Cars line up to watch the show, people venture out to the pier to see what's going on. It’s one of the most exciting and eye- …

Kiteboarding has come a long way since the early days. What was once an extreme sport is now only as intense as you’d like it to be. Whether you want to experience the freedom of sailing and exploring, you want to wakeboard without a boat. Maybe you want surf in any conditions or you want to get 40 feet of air and push the limits. Best of all it’s an all season, all terrain sport. Basically, kiteboarding is freedom. It’s gravity, it’s your lift pass for life. All the hy …