Latest News, Blog & Videos

Since this was a special edition this article will be a little different. We will repost the initial question followed by our initial response in Youtube to the user. I will then add any additional information below that to round out the knowledge. Stas Firer: What category does the 2018 Naish Thrust KS1 fall into and do you guys plan on doing a review on it? MACkite:  Hey Stas! We think the Naish Thrust KS1 fits nicely into the "Performance Freeride" or "Powered Freeride" category. We'l …

Foilboarding is the newest and fastest growing aspect of kiteboarding, without question. The rapid advance of riding styles and equipment is a hard thing to keep pace with. As a result, we get a lot of questions. Since most of the people getting into kiteboard foiling are already kiteboarders, a popular question is, “How will my kite(s) work for foiling?”;  A legitimate question!  The kite you have/choose will have certain advantages and disadvantages for your riding and …

5 Best Kites for Foiling Hydrofoil kiteboarding has been on fire lately at the shop. I cannot remember the last time where every employee was so excited about one aspect of kiteboarding. Every employee from our young guns to shop legends caught the foil bug. As a result, we have seen a dramatic shift in the kite quivers chosen by our staff. Our quivers were dominated by large freestyle kites like the Cabrinha FX; now, we are switching to kites that compliment the unique challenges of foilbo …

Welcome to the beginning of our knowledge center. While we're building out this new category on our webpage, we'll be pairing our Foil Friday videos with these extensive blog posts. If you have any questions, be sure to let us know in the comment section of the video.   Have you ever seen a pelican soaring inches above the water? Smoothly cruising the shorelines, unaffected by the choppy waters below, pelicans are a frequent sighting at many beaches. If you have ever seen one, you h …

Surf Hydrofoil Choices Choosing a Surf Hydrofoil Choosing a surfboard foil can be a difficult decision. Luckily, we have the gear and knowledge to help anyone choose the gear that will expedite their progression. Some of the variables that may influence your choice of foils are weight, wave height, board choice, ability, and riding style. The path to choosing the best foil can be a convoluted one; as a result, we encourage new foilers to reach out to us for a personal recommendation. If you have …

Differences in Hydrofoil Sports Foilboarding has recently exploded in popularity within the kiteboarding community. With a remarkably efficient design, hydrofoils allow riders to cross into that sub-10 knot threshold while still having a ton of fun. The same logic has been applied to surfing, SUP, windsurfing, and wakesurfing. Riding above the surface of the water, a foilboard gives you the illusion of what can only be described as floating. For kiteboarders in light wind areas, or other wave ri …

Tucker Interviews MHL's Co-Founder & Head Engineer Nick Leason Hey Nick, Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today! No worries. Let's jump right into this. When did MHL start? We started in 2010. And when did you get on the Hydrofoil train? How did we get on the train…. The first composite foil out there for a commercial market was the Carafino. I met Carafino in 2008 and fell in love with hydrofoiling. I started learning and working on my own gear right away. It turn …

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 …

Surf Hydrofoils: Carbon vs. Aluminum. Whats best for you? In the  foil board game, there are two basic construction techniques: Full carbon and Aluminum Hybrid. Carbon is the lighter, less durable, and generally more expensive technique while Aluminum tends to be heavier, more durable, and less expensive. Which construction method is best for you comes down to a few considerations. The first consideration for most newcomers is often the price. Getting into a new type of riding can give peop …

How to Learn Hydrofoil Surfing So you want to learn to hydrofoil surf? Congratulations! We too have caught the foil bug for all of our board sports. Surf foiling is truly a one of a kind experience that makes even the most marginal days into magical sessions. Aside from the silent, smooth, and effortless glide, surf hydrofoils tap into the most powerful part of the wave just beneath the surface. This allows you to keep momentum and connect sections on the smallest wave. Step 1 – Learn to S …

Gary Siskar Talks about Liquid Force Foiling Hey Gary, thanks for taking the time to talk with us today! When did Liquid Force get into the foil game? We got into the foil game because we fell in love with foiling...it is that simple. Short story for you: Brandon headed to Maui in 2013 to shoot and test future kites with Julien. Before the trip he bought, yes bought a hydrofoil, mounted it to a wake skate and set off on the trip. All of us sort of chuckled and wrote it off. Couple weeks later, …

An Interview with Nils Rosenblad from Naish Kiteboarding So Naish has been in the game for a long time. When did Naish start making gear? When did you join their design team? Robby has been making his own boards since forever - thinking late 80s - under the Naish name, but Naish as a standalone brand really started in the mid 90s with their windsurfing sails. I've been with them since 2005. And when did you guys start to develop your hydrofoil program? We started experimenting with them when Kai …

What do you grab? Kites for Hydrofoiling Edition. 4-9 knots: HQ Matrixx Foil Kite We choose the HQ Matrixx for extreme light wind conditions for one reason...Weight. In sub-10 knot conditions most inflatable kites will not stay in the sky without major babysitting from the rider, The Matrixx weighs only a fraction of a similar sized inflatable kite and has been specifically designed for flying in a whisper of wind. The Matrixx is an efficient kite that delivers great power and speed. Howeve …

Let's Chat: Tucker's Explanation on How to Get Into A Front Zip Wetsuit Getting into front zip wetsuits is all about technique. I can get into my front zip 6mm just as quickly and easily as my 3mm back zip wetsuit (maybe faster since I can find the zipper easier). Even if it takes you a little longer until you get the hang of it, the benefits of front zip suit far outweigh the negatives. Back zips leach cold water in and warm water out, they also limit the stretch of the suit.&nbs …

The Dakine Option spreader bar is an awesome option for kiteboarders looking for more freedom in their riding. The option spreader bar is a new offering on the market that combines the benefits of a rope slider bar and a hook. You will have the option to choose between the two.  Riding with the hook  Using the hook is similar to a traditional hook and will work very much the same way. The only real difference here that that it will rotate up and down. You can also remove a nylon stra …