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With so many friends coming to visit recently, I haven't been working nearly as much as I should. The last week I've mostly logged a lot of hours at work. That said, I thought I would talk about a really fun event that takes place in Key West. The Havana Classic, a Hobie cat race from Key West to Havana Cuba. Last year a few close friends and myself followed the racers quite a ways out. We didn't make all the way to Cuba but it was an incredible experience non the less. One of my long term goal …

How to do a transition on your foilboard! It's Friday so you know what that means. Another episode of Ride with Blake. The last week was incurably fun as some old friends from MACkite came to visit. Ryan (Rygo) Goloversic, Steve Lee and Chris Bobryk. There is nothing like kiteboarding with friends and having some adventures. Like when we helped some F-16 pilots get a session and they were quick to reciprocate by letting us fly in their in single engine plane. It's amazing what life will bring …

Aaron's Journey Being the "New Foil-Guy" April 20th, 2017 Sitting on the sidelines watching everybody else having all the fun is NOT fun. No matter what it’s about. Those goofy guys with their kite foiling boards. Who do they think they are, out there having all of the fun? I’m over it—can’t watch one second longer. I’m diving in now! Committing to learning something new can be challenging. Plus, no relatively experienced kiteboarder or kitesurfer wants to revisit t …

Blake Olsen will be covering a variety of topics including trick tips and the basics behind foilboarding for the first time. Foil boarding is beyond fun Many claim it's akin to snowboarding in endless powder. That said it can be intimidating for first timers looking to get on the water. I have a few tips to make the process easy and reduce those pesky crashes. Tip One Keep your weight centered over your front knee. This is as simple as keeping your shoulders lined up with your front knee. …

Richard Branson vs. Barack Obama: A Kitesurfing Story I know, it sounds crazy, right? Perhaps it sounds like something you would read in one of the tabloids you casually glance at while in line at the grocery store. Believe it or not, the former first couple, Barack and Michelle Obama, were enjoying a well-deserved vacation, and Barack Obama took the leap of faith to learn how to kiteboard.  Image by Jack Brockway // Source: Virgin It's not every day you catch a former POTUS learning an a …

Deciding Factors for Foilboarding Hydrofoils are being ridden for more than simply racing and are now accessible for most riders. For goodness sake, Kai Lenny is riding them without a tow on waves.  What was once a simple choice has now become a convoluted but potentially beneficial choice. Like eating at a cruise-ship buffet the right choice can leave you smiling and satisfied while the wrong one leads to a feeling of sickness and regret. With over 50 foil/ board combinations in our catalo …

MACkite Foil Showdown: Who Wins? If 2016 was the year of the foil (according to the ancient kiteboarder zodiac calendar), then 2017 is the year of foil refinement. Hydrofoils are being ridden for more than simply racing, and are now accessible for most riders. For goodness sake, Kai Lenny is ridding them without a tow-in on waves.  What was once a simple choice has now become far more convoluted. However, with more options comes the opportunity to get something that better fits your riding …

An Inflatable Kiteboard? Yes, you read that title correctly. This is the real deal; finally, a product that will let you ride but also be able to pack everything down conveniently. No more packing nightmares here!  Not only is the Brunotti RDP Glider a twin tip kiteboard, it also serves as a foilboard. A foilboard that can foil in either direction? Color us intrigued!  Information is still coming soon about this product. It seems that any information we try to obtain is pretty m …

Nathan's Fireside Chat: 2016 Slingshot Foils With foiling taking center stage lately in the kiteboarding world, a few companies have either started to include foils to their lineup or expanded their current offerings. For Slingshot in 2016, we've been introduced to a program that will take you from true beginner to advanced, and everything in between. Slingshot's "Learn to Fly" Program Slingshot's "Learn to Fly" program features the all-new Hover Glide aluminum-masted foil aimed at tho …

Learning to Foilboard Using Slingshot's "Foil Flight School" Foilboarding is an experience unlike anything else in kiteboarding. No matter your riding or your style, there is nothing like gliding silently and efficiently across the water (in fact, it's almost addicting). But learning how to foilboard can be a difficult experience, and it can take months or years to become proficient in riding. To some, it can be intimidating, painful, and frustrating. Sometimes people do not take the plunge due …

2016 Liquid Force Foilboard at 2015 Surf Expo Gary Siskar talks The Kiteboarder Magazine through Liquid Force's lineup of 2016 foilboarding products.  As a recap of the 2015 foilboard, the Liquid Force Foil Fish, was the first foil "for the people". Easy to learn, ride, expansive, and affordable donned the characteristics of this 2015 foil. Check out Siskar's overview of the latest foilboarding gear. 2015/16 LF Foil Fish A continuation from their successful predecessor, this  …

Damien LeRoy's Foil Freestyle with the Cabrinha Double Agent When it comes to foiling, we consider ourselves pretty proficient. Now, Damien LeRoy has taken foil freestyling to a whole new level, and we're impressed. The song "Cheerleader" is appropriate as the background music for this video because that is exactly what we're doing - cheering Damien on as he tumbles and flips over the water like a barrel of monkeys.  What is the Cabrinha Double Agent? "The Double Agent is a performanc …

Designer Notes - Cabrinha Double Agent The all-new Cabrinha Double Agent has taken the foilboarding industry by storm. Now, one of the most well-known kiteboarding companies has created a board that conveys two functions: a foilboard and a wave, directional board. While jargon may be shown throughout this video, no words can describe our utter fascination and excitement over the Double Agent. Why we're stoked about Cabrinha's Double Agent: The Double Agent has a twin tip constru …

Final Liquid Force Hydrofoil Tutorial: Turning and Jumping You've dominated the waters on your foilboard with the techniques given by the sultry-voiced Siskar and Sensi Graves in their first foilboarding instructional video. You've mastered commanding your board as seen in the second Liquid Force tutorial. Now you, the ever-vigilant-watcher-of-all-things-how-to, can check out Liquid Force's final installment of how to foilboard using the LF Foil Fish (it's sad, we know). This tim …

Liquid Force's How-To Foilboard Tutorial - Video #2 Have you checked out our blog post on Liquid Force's first video on how to foilboard, featuring LF's Foil Fish? If you have, and you're thinking, "Hmm..this is great, but I need to learn more about improving my footing to really make that foilboarding a sick ride." Well, rejoin Liquid Force's Siskar, Sensi Graves, and other LF team riders on a journey to advance your riding technique. Liquid Force's video will give you some tips for pr …