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This is Blake Olson here at Smathers Beach in Key West, Florida. I'm about to teach you how to do your first starts on a kiteboard. Ben, the person behind the camera, is going to be demonstrating as he's learning. Here are five simple steps for a successful waterstart. 5 Steps to a Waterstart  1) Fly the Kite with One Hand  The first thing you need to do is to practice flying the kite with one hand while holding the board in your other hand. Be sure to grab the bar in th …

Breakdown for two really fun pop grabs that every kiteboarder needs to know: The Mute Grab and the Nose Grab. These are simple grabs that are easily improved and tweaked out as you progress. If you have any questions, give us a call 800 622 4655 We're going to keep these short and sweet. Use these steps to visualize the trick in your mind. If you can see it, you can do it! Printable Steps for the Beach Tips for getting started: Use your thumb for more control on the bar when r …

This week we thought it would be fun to teach you something a little unconventional. While it's not your typical trick tip, giving a piggyback ride with your kite can be pretty fun!  This is a great way to share the stoke with anyone! If you have any questions, give us a call 800.622.4655  Printable Steps for the Beach Step 1 Be Comfortable You're going to get close!  Be confident and comfortable in your skill level before taking anyone out with you.  …

Learning to Foil Behind the Boat What's the easiest way to learn how to hydrofoil? Starting behind a boat! Learning behind the boat allows you to fully focus on the foiling itself, rather than worrying about the kite. It's essentially the trainer kite for foiling. This controlled environment allows you to understand how foils operate based on small adjustments.  Before You Hit the Water You can foil behind a multitude of different watercraft, from a wakeboard boat to a jetski t …

Excellent flatwater trick to start expanding out of your comfort zone all while incorporating other more basic trick skills We're going to keep these short and sweet. Use these steps to visualize the trick in your mind. If you can see it, you can do it!  Printable Steps for the Beach Step 1 Ride Powered. Have a sufficient amount of power to ride while not being overpowered (which will end up pulling you off of your edge if you are). This also works best in flat/sli …

Living in Key West Florida has it’s perks. You know, perks like kiteboarding off  of a friends boat in shallow blue water. In Episode four Blake gives you five simple tips for learning how to pop to blind. Believe it or not, riding blind is a simple progression you can learn once you are adept at riding toe side in both directions. It’s a cornerstone to spice up the landing in literally any trick you can imagine. Best of all you can learn to do it hooked in or unhooked! We're goi …

Kiteboarding Spot Guide Is there anything quite like the feeling of cresting a hill and catching a glimpse of kites in the air as you approach a kite spot for the first time? That first thought, “It’s windy!” and the building excitement as you get closer and closer to the kite beach? This is a kite spot most of us have heard of and one many of us dream of one-day riding…it’s the kiteboarding mecca of Europe: Tarifa, Spain. For those of us who have only experienced kite spots in Nort …

When it comes to kiteboarding Harnesses Ride Engine really shook things up when the came out with their first hard shell harness. It wasn't long before every brand had some form of hard shell or another. There really are a lot of  great options out there but currently there are two favorites among the staff here at MACkite.  The  Classic Ride Engine, and the Mystic Majestic X. We're divided pretty evenly here and rightly so as there is no right answer here. When it …

Keep Your Kite Crisp and Clean Have you ever wondered how some kiters manage to master the perfect kite fold? Courtesy of Slingshot, we've got the easy 5-step process to keep your kite looking brand new regardless of it's age. 5-Step Process: 1. After deflating your kite, fold from the wing tip to the first strut loosely. 2. From there, fold to the middle strut. 3. Roll the remainders of the kite in. 4. Repeat on the other side.5. Fold the rolled kite in 3. You've got no ai …

Hey Guys, Blake here!  This week, were going to cover one of the first tricks you can learn in kiteboarding and one that you can use to add style to your transitions. The Toeside Transition with a pop to toeside, a smooth carve and a downloop. The aim of this progression is to add some serious style and energy to your transitions so pay attention, print of the written steps found at the bottom of this blog and practice!  When to Start Riding Toeside Once you're r …

The Best Kites for Learning Freestyle Hey guys! As I promised I'm going to write about my current three favorite kites for learning freestyle. Now, just because I favor these kites doesn't mean there aren't a lot of other great kites that offer similar benefits. I’m going to write about these as well. As I said, these are the best kites for learning freestyle. I know some of you are going to start shouting about C-kites and I’ve addressed this before. Check out my video on the topic. A …

Today we are going to be learning a really fun, scary and feel good trick. This trick takes it to the next level in kiteboarding, and whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced rider this is a trick you should learn someday. The feeling of going up and then flying horizontally through the air is something you can’t do in any other board sport. It gives you a pure and ultimate adrenaline rush and it’s what pushes the limits in our sport of kiteboarding. I’m sure you’ve all seen o …

Wind by Season The best time to ride in Squamish is during their official kite season - from May 15 to September 15. Outside of this season, the air and water temperature can be quite cold and not kiter friendly. The wind is very steady throughout the summer, and most summer days mean wind of 18-35mph. Wind in Squamish is typically not gusty. As long as the skies are clear, you can expect good conditions for kiteboarding nearly every day of summer. Be sure to check the current w …

We’ve had a lot of requests for a solid review on the 2018 North Evo and how it compares to the 2017. I can’t say I’m surprised there is very little content beyond the basic brand notes on the 2018 Evo. I’ve been really curious to compare these two kites myself, but it definitely took me some time, to say the least! The reality is that this kite has become a completely different animal designed to meet the same end, yet with a new approach. It’s rare for a kite to undergo this much redesi …

How-to Reset Trigger Values Have you bought an Evolve electric skateboard recently? Do you find yourself having issues with the R-2 remote? This can happen when the trigger moves out of position, causing the remote to appear paired to the board but not respond when the user is attempting to use it. Refer to this step-by-step video for a quick fix. Begin by turning the remote on. Once it’s on, access the menu screen by double pressing the power button quickly.  Scroll down to whe …