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A lot of you probably don’t know this but in Michigan, during the winter our beaches get a decent amount of shelf ice along the coast. This weekend, we had a bit of a thaw, some sunshine and some decent weather for kiteboarding. Some of our shop riders like Logan Armstrong and Marc Hoesksma  put some time in at our local slick. It got me thinking about how hardcore some riders can get just to get a session. Kiteboarding can seem overwhelming when it’s warm out but going out in …

Lightwind kites have come a long way in just the last 5 years really. I’ve said it before, if you’re not taking advantage and kiteboarding in the sub 12 knot days, you’re really missing out. This week, we’re breaking down two of the longest standing light wind kites in our shop. The Cabrinha Contra Vs The Slingshot Turbine. Their both built with the same purpose and rider in mind but they do have some pretty distinct differences. Let’s start with the Contra. There …

Are you one of those people at the beach, endlessly watching the kiteboarders and thinking to yourself, “hey—I wonder if I could do that?” Yes, you can go kiteboarding. One, are you physically able to get up and walk around the block? OK, it’s a little more demanding than just that, but I don’t want to over complicate things either. People tend to associate kiteboarding with having a higher level of physical exertion than what’s actually required. Kiteboardin …

Last week, we did a video on Light wind vs Strong wind and how currents and tides come into play. Contrary to what I expected, it seemed to be well received. So as I said, I’m going to elaborate further and talk about conditions a little more. I know these conditions videos are a little beginner centric so for any experienced riders who watch this series for gear reviews I’ll get back on track with another gear video next week. That said, you might find some of the points in this …

This week I’m going to a compare two kites that really fall into two different categories.  Two kites built for similar but different reasons  The Juice is North’s go to lightwind freeride kite while the Mono is their Freeride and foil kite. With that said, these are two very different kites built for different reasons but they do have crossover applications.  So where do we begin? Let's start with the Juice. The North Juice has many of the characteristics one can ex …

Tucker Talks Foils with Slingshot's Tony Logosz When was Slingshot founded? Slingshot was originally founded in 1999. Started in ‘95 and officially launched in ’99. So going on 18 years-ish. Wow, that is basically the entire lifespan of kiteboarding. When did you start to see Hydrofoil's becoming part of the sports Slingshot represents? When did you start designing your own products for that purpose? We were influenced by the original kite-skiing that started here in the Columbia Go …

Part three in our kiteboard comparison series. Wood and fiberglass boards.  These tend to be heavier but more, durable, and damp. What I mean by damp is that they absorb the vibrations from chop much better than their carbon counterparts. This means you’re going to have a more comfortable ride even in those locations with choppier water. The response and feel of the boards is obviously going to vary from brand to brand and model to model however, there are some basic concepts to con …

The last few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with topics deviating away from kite comparisons but I haven't forgotten that they are they bread and butter of our Versus series. It’s been quite busy around here, with that said, I’m making a point to get ahead on these videos. On top of that, I’m trying to escape the cold and log as many hours as possible on all the gear we carry so I can produce these for you guys. Next week, I’ll be heading down to Mexico to star …

This week, we’re going to break down the difference between flat boards and rockered kiteboards. Last week, we got started with our first kiteboard comparison. We broke down small boards vs large boards, as well as choosing the right size. This week, we’re going to get a little more tech and break down the difference between flat boards and rockered boards. We’ll also finish up this series next week by breaking down construction materials like wood boards vs carbon boards. Le …

North has redesigned one of the best freeride kites on the planet, and now it's available to you. Introducing the 2018 North Evo! Historically, there were too many similarities between the North Evo and North Rebel. Many riders used to make the decision between the two by whether or not they wanted to fly with 5 lines or not. Of course, they were more different than that, but it seems like line configuration was a big deal for many riders. In 2018, North has increased the gap between thes …

Hey guys, Blake from Mackite here. This week we are going to go over kiteboarding grabs and give you a board grab guide. We'll eventually cover every grab from beginner to advanced so stay tuned.  Why you need to start Not only does adding grabs to your jumps/tricks feel great but it actually helps you control the rotation and adds style. Adding grabs to your tricks is the next step in progression after learning the basics. Once you have a trick or jump dialed in and feel comfortable it …

We’ve been getting a surprising number of requests for C-Kite comparisons. The North Vegas vs the North Rebel, The Cabrinha Chaos vs the Cabrinha FX. With that said, I’ve decided to first do a video focused specifically on all C - Kites in general and who they are for. There are three types of people riding C-kites right now. Riders who have been using them since the early days of the sport when they were the only option. Riders who are competing in the PKRA and making a living off …

This video covers how to perfect your kiteboarding stance as well as some of the basics concepts such as heelside, toeside. Goofy foot vs regular foot. Riding blind and riding wrapped. If you need help putting your footstraps together for the first time give us a call and we'll walk you through it. 800-622-4655 This may seem like a simple one but in reality when do you ever learn how to set up your board? They don’t teach you this in a lesson. I’ve done it myself where the footstra …

The North Neo Vs the Cabrinha Drifter. Both of these kites are kitesurfing kites in the same vein. On paper, they don’t look that much different but once you get on them water it’s clear that they are very different kites. If I were to define each in a paragraph, I would describe the Neo as controlled, powerful and constant. The Drifter, I would say playful, well-rounded and aggressive. When it comes to deciding which one is for you, it really comes down to what sort of feel you&rsq …

The North Neo put a smile on my face the very first time I flew one a couple of seasons back. And it's only gotten better with time. New for 2018, North incorporated what they call, "flex segments", into the leading edge of the kite. This allows the kite to have a more pivotal turning characteristic. I thought it was great before—now it's even better. The low-end power is by far one of the best in the industry when compared, pound-for-pound, with other surf kites. You can definitely fly …