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Jeff wants to make sure everyone's in the loop about a small but mighty product that will make your life easier on and off the water, especially if you're a winger. The name is a mouthful for its size: PKS Quick Connect Pigtail with Stopper Ball. You get four of them in the pack, and that's a good thing because you'll find so many ways to use them. What's a Lark's Head Loop? Before you can use these, you'll need to be familiar with making a lark's head loop. While it's not as exciting as …

Jake's back with a quick follow-up to add some more details about the Limited Edition Evo D/LAB, specifically the blue Aluula material. Why Is the Blue Aluula Really a Limited Run? Initially, the guys thought it was a limited run due to cosmetic issues with the first run of blue Aluula. They could see some lighter areas that looked like crease marks and took those to be a flaw in the manufacturing process, but it turns out that's a common trait of Aluula and not a defect at all. It's pres …

If you subscribe to our newsletter or follow our YouTube channel or blog, then you know that there's been a bit of hype about Duotone's new blue Aluula (which we've taken the liberty of dubbing "Bluula") Evo D/LAB kite. Dustin and Jake both finally got a chance to get a session on it to get a sense of how it flies and who it's for. What Is the "Bluula" Evo D/LAB? The blue Aluula isn't just a new color; it's actually a limited run of the latest version of the Aluula material called D/TX. …

If you want to take a good kite and make it even better, replacing the frame with Aluula is a great place to start. That's what Duotone has done with the Evo D/LAB, but you could be forgiven for not recognizing it right away. We've grown so used to seeing that bright yellow, but Duotone has released the first limited edition Blue Aluula fabric, or "Bluula", as we at MACkite like to call it. This kite is only available in the US, so you may want to preorder if you plan to rock this special …

Fans of Dustin, rejoice! He's returned at long last from a back injury he sustained in October. It was a long road to recovery from a herniated L1-S5, but he's back in the saddle- er, harness, that is. He wasted no time getting out on the water and taking the new North Code Zero Pro for a spin with a foil. The white canopy with a black leading edge makes a good first impression with its clean and sharp look, so how does its performance stack up? What's New on the 2025 North Code Zero Pro? …

David is staying in a Cometa Home in Egypt and has a new board-off tip for us. Doing a fin grab board-off is not that much harder than doing one from the handle, even though it feels more intimidating. Holding your board further away from your body looks even more impressive, and you can get some great POV shots from a camera mounted to your board. Smile! Step-by-Step Trick Breakdown: 1. Get a Grip As you approach the peak of your jump, reach your back hand down toward the back heelside cor …

You've got jumping down pat and can even style it out with a tail grab in your sleep. Then you mastered one-footers. Ready for your first board-off? Yep, completely bare-footed while you wave your board in the air like a trophy and somehow get it back on your feet before you go swimming. Sound fun? Of course it does! Thankfully, Dave has some tips to get you there with only minimal swimming. Practice Makes Perfect We'll start simple. This board-off involves grabbing your board's handle, rem …

Jeff from MACkite had a chance to meet up with Kevin Langeree of Reedin in Cape Town, South Africa. Aside from the beautiful weather and scenery, Jeff was there to get an early look at the WhisperModel, Reedin's new light wind kite. Although the wind isn't usually lacking at the Cape, Kevin recognized that this isn't the case in many places and felt that was a problem he could solve. The WhisperModel was developed with Damien Girardin and Ralf Groesel of Brainchild and is a kite for people w …

Shop Latest Ride Engine Releases. Jake here from MACkite, I recently got my hands on the new Ride Engine Hyperlock harness line, and spoiler alert—I’m impressed. Ride Engine, the OGs of the hard-shell harness game, are back with a vengeance, and this time, they’ve added a ratchet system that’s as satisfying as clicking into snowboard bindings. I’ve always liked Ride Engine harnesses—except when they jabbed my ribs like a cranky toddler. But the new Hyperloc …

As you can tell from its "V14" designation, Airush's Lithium kite has been around a while. It's a staple of their lineup as an all-around kite, and after this many versions, it's become quite refined. Rather than release a new version with minimal changes every year, Airush takes their time to develop a Lithium with impactful and meaningful changes every two years. Kristen is familiar with the V13 Lithium and has spent some time on the new V14, so she's got some insights to share about what …

We all know about the basic gear you need to get out for your session: a kite, a board, a harness, and a wetsuit if it's chilly, but what else might you want out there, and how essential is it? Dave is here to share his top 5 items that he uses for most, if not all, sessions.Sunscreen This one is a must. Even if you're in a full wetty, you'll still want to protect your face, as well as your hands and feet if you're not using gloves and boots. Some people like the zinc ones because of the …

Have you ever considered traveling to northern Perú for a kite trip? Up until a couple months ago, I hadn't either. I'm Cole from MACkite, and I'm going to share my experience kiting in Perú and give you tips on how to get there, where to stay, and things to do outside of kiting.When to GoNorthern Perú is an epic spot that you're definitely going to want to put on your list. The kiting is good from about April through December, with the most consistent wind coming in August through November …

A few weeks ago, we highlighted F-One's commitment to sustainability, so it should come as no surprise that they've teamed up with Brainchild to produce their latest kite, the Trigger. Its bold look is matched by its big air ability, but that's not the only reason to love it. It also makes full use of Brainchild's eco-friendly technologies.What Is the Trigger?Legendary kite designer and Brainchild founder Ralf Grosel is responsible for this kite that is ready to visit the clouds. Although i …

With Andrea Principi back on the water to defend his crown and the first-ever Women's Division being added to the event, the 2024 Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town was one for the history books. A crowd of 7,000 lined the beach, with thousands more joining the livestream to watch the event unfold. Day 1 brought light morning conditions, but that all changed in the afternoon. Epic wind ushered the competitors onto the water, where they displayed some incredible tricks. In a bid for a bac …

The third and final stop of the GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup tour in 2024 could hardly have been more exciting. Maxime Chabloz from Switzerland was leading the rankings, but not by much and faced stiff competition from the other board leaders. Adding to the uncertainty was a less-than-perfect wind forecast for the normally reliably steady spot. The finals were held at Fuwairit Kite Beach on a lagoon that opens to the Arabian Sea in Qatar. Typical conditions offer mirror-flat waters an …