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What is the Raptor? The all-new Raptor from Slingshot for 2020 is their new user-friendly big booster, capable of taking you to heights you've never achieved! According to Slingshot, the Raptor is their dedicated high-performance freestyle/freeride crossover kite, tuned for big boosts, lofty airs, and aggressive performance. We tend to agree with this - it's a five-strut jumping powerhouse! The Raptor, although excellent at jumping, tends to really lean its focus in that direction and f …

Two freestyle kites that at first glance look similar, yet are noticeably different on the water... the long-standing Cabrinha FX and the even-longer-standing, yet new to the category Liquid Force NV. If you’re looking for a kite to take your kiteloops or unhooked riding to a new level, these will get it done. The question is, which kite is right for you? Today we’ll break it all down and dive into everything you need to know. Let’s dive into some common attributes between these kites. …

Last time on Sessions we explored Key West and the Canary Islands with our team rider Blake Olsen. We were filming for our  kiteloop playlist and just enjoying the islands with good friends. It was so much fun visiting what has become one of my favorite cities for kiteboarding in the USA. The only downside was that I had just injured my knee snowboarding and I had to sit out on most of the riding on both of these trips!  Testing the Liquid Force NV V9 Getting back on the …

Freeriders, foilers, jumping junkies, take note.... Newly released from Cabrinha for the 2020 season is the new Freeride kite, the AV8.  It is designed for maximum power and efficiency in a user-friendly kiteboarding kite.  Taking lessons learned from Cabrinha's previous powerhouse kites such as the Contra, Crossbow, Velocity, and Apollo, the AV8 kitesurf kite is a two decade long pursuit of easy-to-use power combined with cutting edge hydrofoiling concepts. With a 5-strut, du …

A complete review of the 2018 and 2019 Liquid Force NV  In 2010 the Liquid Force Envy led the charge with a bold new three-strut hybrid design. It was faster than the standard bow kites of the time. It bridged the gap between the heavy freeride kites and the fast performance kites. It was something special as it was user-friendly and performance oriented, something hard to find in one kite back then. In 2019 we have two versions available, the V8 and the V9. The NV led the charge wit …

A review of the 2019 Slingshot RPM Slingshot is hyping up the new RPM hard and their videos are hilarious. However, they do leave some questions at hand. Namely, what can you expect from the new RPM, and how does it differ from the original? More importantly, are they fixing something that's not broken to get it back on your radar? We'll cover all of that and more in this complete review. If I had to sum up the new RPM in three words it would be, "smooth, consistent and grunty", but tha …

Full breakdown of the 2019 Slingshot RPM, including how to set the kite up for different conditions, what pigtails to use, how hard to pump your kite... Additional clips: https://www.instagram.com/as_the_dodo_doPick up your new 2019 RPM …

The Cabrinha Chaos vs. the FXThe Cabrinha Chaos vs. the FX The northeast of Brazil has long been a destination for freestyle kiteboarders chasing perfect wind, flat water and warmer temperatures. It's just one of those locations where conditions always deliver. While it's not the easiest place to visit, it's well worth the effort. I've always had fond memories of Taiba as it's where I got my start with video and kiteboarding. Back in 2012 I left my career to help my good friend Chris Bo …

Today, we’re doing an in-depth review of the 2019 Duotone Neo. In years past we’ve often touted the Neo as more than just a wave kite but also an awesome freeride kite. While this is true, it occurred to me that we’ve almost done this kite an injustice in regards to its surfing capabilities. This year, I’m committed to going the extra mile with these reviews. We’ll be diving in to everything you might want to know about the 2019 Duotone Neo, the good the bad and why this may or may not be t …

Duotone Rebel Vs The Duotone Dice There are two kites in the Duotone kiteboarding lineup that share some characteristics yet, appeal to completely different kiteboarders and riding styles. The Duotone Dice and the recently redesigned Duotone Rebel. Both offer explosive pop, both have a direct raw feel and both appeal to more advanced riders. Yet, while they share these traits, they actually couldn't be more different.If you’re that rider looking to take your kiteboarding to the next l …

2019 Duotone Dice Review  So you’re thinking of crossing over to the Dice? I get it, explosive pop, forgiving slack, powerful loops and a kite that loves side and side off shore waves. After all, if you’re an intermediate or advanced rider it’s fun to upgrade to an advanced kite. There are some things to consider before making the leap. I’ve done quite a few videos on the topic of freestyle kites now. I’ll include a link to one of those videos  in this blog so you can dive in …

The Rebel is a kiteboarding kite that’s been around forever, pretty much has a cult following and last year was completely redesigned. Purist lost their minds, new riders loved it and everyone else is still trying to sort it out. We’ve had this kite for well over a year now and we’ve been testing. So, do the new changes actually make for a better kite? Can you expect the same classic Rebel feel? And the big question? how does the new Rebel actually stack up? Getting some air on the new Re …

Rider: Steve Age: 56 Weight: 215 Winds: 17-20 mph - flat water Setup: 14 meter Moto with Fireball, 141 Ace with new H2O straps My first ride on the Moto was way back in June in light winds on a big board at the Cabrinha dealer meeting. The kite turned nicely and was a decent ride, but I spent my time trying to ride upwind. Not a great test, all in all. I got my first nicely powered session yesterday and was super happy with the overall ride. I normally ride a Switchblade or D …

Last year, the Drifter became one of our most popular kites. Not only for kiteboarders who love to ride the waves but for advanced riders looking for a more reactive kite.  The Drifter came on the scene a few years back and didn’t change to much over the years. In 2018 we saw noticeable improvements and in 2019 the kite remains unchanged from 2018.This year we’ll be giving an in depth review behind this popular wave kite.The Drifter is a dedicated wave kite that somehow caught t …

In 2019 Cabrinha has two kites that both fit into the same category yet take different approaches to meet the same end. The long standing Cabrinha switchblade and the new three strut Moto. You might be asking, why make two freeride kites and which one is better? With the Switchblades long standing history how doe the new Moto Stack up? This week, we’ll break down everything you need to know and do a back to back review. Let’s Dive into some common attributes between these kites.Wind Ran …