Latest News, Blog & Videos

The Slingshot Asylum is the board I was using when I first started progressing in kiteboarding. If you watch older reviews, you know I used to rave on Slingshot kiteboards. In recent years I've branched out and covered many other brands, but I always seem to come back to Slingshot. They have been making kiteboards and wakeboards for over 20 years! Needless to say, they know how to build them properly. The Asylum is a freestyle board in the range, but that shouldn't scare big air riders or …

The Contra One Strut is a new kite for 2021. I find it funny that Cabrinha chose the name Contra as this kite feels quite different from the original 3-strut light wind specific Contra kite. The Contra One Strut feels and performs like most one strut kites with the typical Cabrinha bar feel. It's fast, pivotal, and simple. The one area where I found the Contra One Strut stands out is its stability and high wind performance. I had heard the kite was actually fun and performance-minded in s …

Five mantras you can use to optimize your time where it matters most. I woke up this morning and made a hot cup of coffee. While sipping it slowly in the warm glow of my sunroom, I began to reflect on question I get regularly from my good friends, ““How do you continue to balance your time between family and work, and still ride as much as you do?” The idea of balancing my work passions with my life passions is something I work hard to achieve. To give you a little context, I am a ADHD Gen. X …

The North Fix boots are kite specific and a good option for kiteboarder looking to add some power to their riding,  They have a clean simple look that can be seen throughout the entire North Kiteboarding lineup. I had the chance to demo a pair for most of the winter and I was able to log loads of sessions in with these on the kite and in the cable park.  Here are my thoughts.  Flex The Flexibility on these are perfect for kite. The are stiff and supportive on the ankle with a …

The Crail Grab is the least common grab seen on the beach, mostly because it's not one you would think to do often. Taking your back hand and reaching for the nose takes some flexibility and core, but it looks epic paired with rolls and rotations. For this video I'll cover the most simple variation. If you want to see the more advanced version, check out this video by Rygo and Blake. They accidentally called it a Nuke Grab, but this video breaks down more variations of this grab. Step O …

One of the most common requests I get is to compare the Cabrinha Moto vs. the Duotone Evo. I was always hesitant to do this comparison because, while there are overlapping elements, these kites are aimed at different disciplines and different kitesurfers. Like the Evo, the Moto is Cabrinha's all-around, 3-strut freeride kite. Where it differs is that it was designed for the waves and hydrofoiling. This means the Moto is going to have some wave characteristics. For example, the Moto ha …

The backroll is possibly the most popular trick in kiteboarding. It's usually the first move everyone learns. From there people progress to the back to toeside or the double backroll. The back to wrapped, however, is by far the most stylish and technical first variation where one can pair a roll with a flat rotation. Usually this trick is done by unhooked freestyle riders, but it can be done hooked in easily enough and will make you stand out on the water!Step One - Kite Low This is a recurri …

All-Around Kites Freeride kites, sometimes called all-around or do-it-all kites, are a popular choice, especially for new kiteboarders who do not quite know what they want out of the sport yet. They are balanced right in the middle to do most everything. They are a jack-of-all-trades and master of none.Wave Kites The thing is, with modern gear, even specialty kites are technically all-around kites that excel in one particular area. That means if you live to surf waves, a wave kite will be sig …

Mistake One With social media on the rise, I've noticed a lot of misinformation being circulated in kite groups, especially when a new rider asks questions. The most common myths I've seen in this arena are that kiteboarding is 90% learning the kite and 10% the board, or that skills from other sports like wakeboarding or surfing do not matter. While these statements are not entirely wrong, they're out of context. Even I've told students that kite control needs to come first. When you are a ra …

The small North Navigator kiteboarding control bar comes in 38 to 43 cm. As a female, I’m always on a smaller kite than all the guys out there. The reason I like a smaller bar is it slows down and gives me more control of the smaller kites I am using.  Small kite control bars slow the kite down.  This is great because it prevents accidental loops and more control in wild conditions. The other reason I like it is because the bar is plush and soft. I have used some harder and mor …

Step One - Kite Basics First you need to know how to do a proper air transition. Your kite will be at 12 for the entire trick. Once you complete both bankrolls, you send the kite hard in the opposite direction. You want to come into this one with low to medium speed. If you have too much speed it will be difficult to stop your momentum and go the other way. Step Two - The Rotations The first rotation will be a flat 360 similar to your first backerolls. Your feet are underneath you and you …

The Cabrinha Moto is coming back for the second generation. If you are not familiar, it is Cabrinha's 3 strut do-it-all kiteboarding kite. Fast, light, and playful is the best way to describe it. The Moto is a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. It's fun for freeriding, good for hydrofoiling, and useful in the waves. At a Glance The Moto has light bar pressure and a light feel in the sky. Some riders love light bar pressure, but the drawback is that sometimes it is difficult to feel …

Kiteboarding stance is a subjective thing. Ultimately, it comes down to comfort. People ride a wide variety of stances from wide to narrow. You can also adjust the angle of stance. In the '90s and early 2000s, wide stance was popular. In recent years, with jibing rails becoming more popular in boardsports, narrow stances are popular. Neither is actually superior, albeit personal style comes into play. Most important is addressing your body mechanics and preventing injury or pressure points …

Chris rides for Eleveight Kites, so naturally his kite choices will come from their lineup. That said, they have a few models to choose from, so we'll break down his kite choices and when he uses them. Hopefully this will help you understand the kite lineup and which kites would be a good choice for you and your riding style. Bobryk's Kitesurfing Quiver Chris has 3 models in his quiver: the 10, 12 and 14 FS for Freestyle, the 10m one-strut OS for light-wind foiling and surfing, and the 17m …

The Front Roll is usually the second trick everyone wants to learn right after the Back Roll. It's a simple trick that always looks good, especially if you add a grab to it. The easiest grab to start with is the tail grab. This is one of my go-to tricks every session because it just feels so good. For this video, I'll break down the freestyle pop technique. This can be done hooked in, and you can actually do this with a sent jump. This technique will help give more power to your pop and help …