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As any dedicated wind-chaser knows, it can be challenging to balance work, life and kiteboarding. Sometimes, we just can't get enough time on the water. Here are 3 simple tips to help you out! Subscribe to Wind Alerts via iKitesurf.com. Keep your gear with you at all times. Communicate with your significant other.   The Alert iKitesurf.com is one of the most important sites/apps for kiteboarders who want real-time wind data from around the world. Not only can you access wind speed, di …

7 Steps to Becoming a Kiteboarder Have you seen someone kiteboarding while on vacation or at your local beach? Or maybe you saw a video on YouTube and were like, "what is that?" Your next thoughts were probably "how do they jump so high and land so soft", followed by "I want to do that!" For those of you that want to get started in the sport of kiteboarding but are not sure how, listed below are seven steps that will take you from watching on the beach to riding on the water. 1. Trainer kite Th …

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- …

With so many freeride kiteboards on the market, it’s hard to choose between them all, right? The 2018 Liquid Force Legacy is one of those all-around freeride kiteboards that bridges the gap for a wide range of riding styles. Freeride, freestyle and waves. Even hook up some boots and get your wakestyle on! Big jumps? Yup. Freeride Freestyle Big-Air Wakestyle Stokestyle (I just made that one up, but it fits!) Rider, Jason Slezak and shaper, Jimmy Redmon have combined their many years of k …

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 …

The two leading performance kites that bridge the gap from freeride to freestyle. Both appeal to intermediate to advanced riders looking to push big air, kite loops or unhooked freestyle. Often, when I review kites there are a lot of trade offs and the differences are very clear. Between these two kites, the water can get a little muddy. All that said, I hope to clear this up for you. These kites are designed to fill the gap between C-kites and user friendly Freeride kites. What’s awe …

Kiteboards are often treated as an afterthought next to kites but that's a huge mistake. There are a ton of variables in every kiteboard and it makes a huge difference on the water. As far as kiteboard construction goes, Slingshot has been on top of the game since the very beginning. From their hand-crafted construction to their clever shapes. In 2018 they have a solid line up with each kiteboard catering to and crossing over into different styles of riding. It can be a little confusing sortin …

How do you go about carrying all of your kiteboarding gear? ION has a full-featured line of “golf-style” travel bags that will surely put a smile on the face of any traveling kiteboarder. Whether it’s a trip around the world or just a day-trip to your local spot—ION has you covered.With the ION Gearbag series, you have a choice between the Core and TEC models. Both will get the job done for you exceptionally well. Build quality, features and capacity are spot-on!The Gear …

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 …

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 …