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The Cabrinha Switchblade has been a cornerstone in the kiting world, renowned for its performance and versatility. The latest iteration, the Switchblade, marks its 17th year with significant advancements, promising to elevate the kiting experience for enthusiasts around the globe. A Legacy Reinvented: The New Switchblade The Switchblade is not just an update—it's a complete overhaul of its predecessor. By incorporating new technologies and construction techniques, the Cabrinha team has e …

Jeff and Tucker are excited to share one of their favorite accessories: the Ride Engine Air Box, an electric pump. ...Wait. They're excited about an electric pump? Are they really that old?? Perhaps, but that's not why they're willing to forego the traditional pre-session warm-up. Here's what's great about this magic box and why you might want one, too. Accessories Let's first dive in to what you get with your pump. Tucker's favorite accessory that comes with the pump is the car charger. It p …

Not all things are created equally, and neither should they be. We all have different requirements, different points of focus, different needs. For some, they just want to get out there and enjoy mother nature’s finest, for others they are looking for that little bit extra to help them push their boundaries or that of the sport.  As our sports continue to grow and develop, we are seeing that products have to evolve to meet the new demands. In the 03 season we introduced the Apex se …

David is kicking off a new series focusing on big air. He's not an expert in big air, but rather an experienced kiteboarder who's ready to progress his skills. If you're ready to delve into big air yourself, come along for the ride as David shares any tricks, tips, and lessons learned along the way.Kiteloops: The Foundation of Big AirBig air builds on your kiteloops. If you're just getting into kiteloops, Blake has a great intro. Here, I'm going to share what I've learned about kiteloo …

This is Dustin and Cado here with the all new Cabrinha Moto X. We just got off the water with it, and we're going to do a quick session impression with beginner vs. advanced viewpoints on the kite.Dustin: It was a windy day, and I was out on the 12m. It was blowing a pretty sustained 25-ish knots. It's a super boosty, lofty kite with jumbo jumps. It feels like an old Vector, for the people who've been with Cabrinha forever. It's a tuned-up Moto, and an unbelievable advancement for Cabrin …

The Reedin HyperModel and Duotone Evo D/Lab are both freeride kites made with the premium Aluula material, but is one better for you? Pat and Dustin rode both 9m kites on the same day in order to see how they compare. Dustin: As soon as we swapped kites, I immediately noticed that the Reedin bar pressure was so much lighter than the D/Lab. Pat: I thought the exact same thing. When I got on the D/Lab, I thought the wind had ticked up because the bar pressure on the Evo was that much stronger. …

Dustin and Pat take a look at some kites made with Aluula. What is it, and is it worth the hype? Is it right for you?What is Aluula?Dustin: Aluula is a step up from your normal kites. It's like the carbon bike of the kite world.Pat: Absolutely. It's that carbon fiber frame mountain bike in the kite industry. Is aluminum or steel good for most people out there? Yes. Do you need carbon? Probably not, but is it a nice upgrade and do you get some performance benefits from it? Absolutely.What a …

The 2024 Naish Pivot NVsion is here. What's special about this version of the Pivot? Pat and Dustin got some water time with it and are ready to share some insights. Dustin: We got the all new Naish NVision Pivot, and it's pretty sick. It's the Ferrari of the Pivots. Pat: Yeah, it's the Aluula version of the Pivot. It has slight tweaks to the same Pivot we've known and loved for last couple years, but has been brought to the next level with the Aluula material. …

This is Pat with MACkiteboarding.com here to talk about the Manera Magma 5.4.3 wetsuit. I'm going to review the warmth of the wetsuit, the fit, the conditions I was out in, and my first impressions of it.FITI'd say the fit of this wetsuit does run a bit on the small side. I'm about 190lbs and 6'3"; I wore the XL and it was a perfect fit for me. Typically I'm an LT or even an MT depending of the brand of wetsuit, so it can vary quite a bit, but the XL definitely was the right fit for me on …

Aaron has caught up with Daniel Ware from Cabrinha at the King of the Great Lakes Test Fest to chat about some new harness offerings from Dakine. Aaron: Daniel, what have you got for us, buddy? What are we talking about? Daniel: I've got a new product from Dakine that we're really excited about. This is the all-new Connect bar. This is a brand new spreader bar system from Dakine for 2023. It's a fully modular system. The kite bar has a fully molded hook with no welds, so it's super str …

Pat is at King of the Great Lakes with Fred Hope from Slingshot, checking out the new bars for 2024. Fred: Thanks for having me! This year we brought out a whole new bar, and we changed from the white lines to the new SK99 lines. They're a little thinner and a bit stronger. You can really notice it in the air because they have a lot less drag through the air and you don't have that wobbling from side to side feeling like you have with the square lines. These are perfectly round, so it r …

Pat is at King of the Great Lakes with Fred Hope from Slingshot. They're checking out the new 2024 Ghost V3. Fred: The Ghost is our one-strut kite for the new year. You tried it today, right? Pat: Yeah, I got out and had a nice foil session on it today. It's a pretty grunty kite, actually, with good sheet-and-go power. It's really quite fast-turning, and the relaunch on the thing was amazing. I was in really crappy, gusty offshore wind, and the kite just wouldn't stay on the water. Eve …

MACkite's Pat Taylor is at KoGL with Fred Hope of Slingshot, checking out the new 2024 Slingshot foiling lineup. Fred: We've got the brand new UFO for this year. This is my baby: the no-strut kite. It's the weirdest-looking kite on the beach because it just sits flat against the ground, but it's the best-looking kite in the air because of how different it looks when you're flying. There's no skeleton to the frame other than the leading edge, so it makes it really light and responsive be …

Cabrinha Fusion X-Series | The All-RounderThe X-Series MkII hydrofoil offers enhanced maneuverability with refined profiles, a moderate aspect ratio, and a redesigned wingtip shape, making it suitable for various board sports. While maintaining its forgiving low-end performance, the all-around lean profile now provides an extended speed range. The new tip design allows for freeing the tips during turns without worrying about cavitation, a result of research conducted at the SINTEF facility. A …

Pat from MACkite catches up with Kevin Wade at the King of the Great Lakes Test Fest to chat about the new 2024 V7 RS kite from Eleveight Kites. Kevin: It's so good to be here. It's always a good time. It almost looks like the Caribbean out there with the water color. It kind of tricks you into thinking it's tropical, but it's a little colder. It's great weather and I'm stoked to be here and tell you about the lineup. Pat: So you've got the new RS for this year- the V7, right? Kevin: …