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The idea behind this video is to work your way into powered, stylish Butter Slides. These are an easy trick, but they do take a little leg strength. That means your first Butters will be low and quick. Over time, your legs will get stronger and you'll find the perfect approach. Nothing feels better than a kiteboarding Butter Slide Step One - First Attempts Keep the kite at 45 and get good speed. If you go slow, you will sink. Go slightly downwind and lean back. Put your weight behind your …

The North Flare is a wakestyle / parkstyle board. It's made for kiteboarders who are looking to ride powered, do unhooked tricks and grind things. In spite of the fact that wakestyle is pretty underground right now, I wanted to do a review on this board. I've used almost every wakestyle board to date, so I have a good idea where this one stacks up behind the kite and in the cable park. Performance My first impression is the simplicity of the design. The board has a good outline for speed and …

Tye's first kiteboard pick is an unconventional choice at best. His situation is different because he comes from a snowboarding background and has a specific goal in mind. We wanted to illustrate that modern wakestyle kitesurfing gear can be used to learn on as well. The Gambler is a high rocker board with a grind base. It has the largest range of size from Duotone's board lineup. This has a lot to do with what Duotone's team riders who use the Gambler prefer. The funny thing is the larger …

What up guys. Today we're going to break down another half loaded pop video. We just covered the tail grab with Chris Bobryk. Next up, we're going cover one of the most stylish and easy grabs, the Tuck Knee Indy. It's a half loaded pop where you tuck your back knee and grab the board with your back hand between your feet on the toeside edge. Later we'll do a more advanced version with Chris where you take it to blind or wrapped. This is a fun and easy one that can be used as a transition or …

Tuck Knee Indy to Blind or Wrapped The Indy Grab is the easiest of all the grabs in boardsports. You grab the board with your back hand on the top side edge between your feet. The Tuck Knee variation takes this basic and makes it look stylish. You can see the difference in the two photos here. The Straight Leg Variation The Tuck Knee Variation I just did a simple tutorial on the Tuck Knee here. But the key is to first learn how to load your lines and pop with the kite at 45 degrees witho …

The aim of this video is to help you decide if the Duotone Jaime is the right kiteboard for you. What kind of kiteboard is it? Freestyle Freeride  Fast  Pop-you-off-the-water feel Will fit most levels Who is this kiteboard for? The Jaime is a freestyle board but it is a good fit for almost everyone. From the older rider who wants a fun poppy gentle board to the advanced freestyle rider looking to push it on the water. I know, I know, that is such an overused statement in kiteboard …

The Duotone Click bar is the choice of almost all their team riders. Its a premium kiteboarding control bar that looks simple and is effective. Tye chooses this bar because he appreciates all the features that come with it. We’ve done a ton of content on this bar so writing this does feel a little redundant. That said, I wanted to help everyone get to know our newest rider Tye and share why he chooses the gear he is using. The Click bar is loaded with features from automatic un-swiveling …

We're kicking off a fresh series of trick tips with Chris Bobryk and myself. We'll be covering the lost art of kite low line tension tricks. In an era of sent jumps and big air, it seems many have forgotten all the other aspects of the sport that make it unique. Kite low line tension tricks are the friendlier version of unhooked freestyle. We actually covered a lot of line tension tricks in our Ride with Blake series, but we never put the emphasis on keeping the kite low and not sending the ki …

The Back to Revert, aka Backroll to Toeside, is actually a very natural and easy trick. In this video, we'll break down how to do this powered with the kite low, so no sending the kite to noon. It will stay at 45 degrees and you will use board speed and edging to load the lines. This is the same loading technique as an unhooked freestyle trick Keep the kite at 45 and come in with good speed. Come off your edge and quickly ride downwind to go even faster. Now lean back like you are sit …

Should I use kiteboarding boots? This is a common question among new kitesurfers. After all, most of the pro riders use boots. Funny thing is, it's not that common on the beach. This is because shops are hesitant to recommend boots to a new rider. This is for good reason; it is best to learn in straps. That said, for some making the switch boots might actually be a fun idea. For example, Tye is a semi-pro street snowboarder and a decent wakeboarder making the crossover. I was surprised to he …

The aim of this video is to help you decide if the Duotone Rebel is the right kite for you. What kind of kitesurfing kite is it? Performance Freeride / Old School / Big Air Lofty Massive wind range Rip-you-off-the-water feel Easy to use Who is this kite for? The Rebel is one of the most unique-feeling pull-and-go kites. It's aimed at strictly hooked in riders who want an easy-to-use kite that feels aggressive. You can expect the Rebel to rip you off the water and be extremely lofty. It's a …

This video is for riders who have experience with basic loops and are looking to take things up a notch. Remember to start small and underpowered when learning loops. You might spend months practicing these or longer, slowly working your way up. These tips should help those of you who want to take your loops higher and harder. The first step is to watch Shaun's advanced jumping tips video. To summarize, the key is to load your edge and sheet out a little so you can load more power into the b …

When I first started kiting, unhooked freestyle and strapless surf were king. Athletes were pushing the sport forward at an incredible pace. We started to wonder what it would be like if athletes from other sports took notice. Would world-class surfers pick up a kite? What about wakeboarders or snowboarders? As things panned out, some did but never quite on the level we hoped for. Tye is the rare example of a pro crossing over from another sport and excelling at kite. The only other pro snowboar …

Chris Bobryk, aka "The American Sledgehammer", needs no introduction. He's one of the original North American riders from the second wave of freestyle and an innovator of the sport. He's even claimed a few NBD (Never Been Done) tricks in kiteboarding. He's still touring the world and chasing the kite dream. Most recently he's posted up in south Florida teaching lessons and riding as much as possible. While he is an innovator in freestyle, his freeride game is on fire. Check out this edit fr …

The North Atmos Carbon is a pretty specific tool and a fun option for a kiteboarder looking to get as much upwind performance and pop as possible. I've had this board for a few months now and I think I have a good feel to break down everything you can expect. I've been using the 139 Atmos, and for perspective my personal go-to is a 147 Slingshot Refraction. The 139 is super small for me but the speed, rocker and outline allow this board to ride upwind as well as, if not better than, my 147. …