Latest News, Blog & Videos

In season three of Ride with Blake we decided to focus on producing themed playlists. Blake and I took an RV road trip along Michigan's west coast to produce a "Jump with Style" playlist. Our aim was to teach kiteboarders how to improve the way they jumped and to help them develop a large bag of easy, yet awesome-looking kiteboarding tricks. For season four we decided to build on that idea. We'll be producing the ultimate kiteloop playlist- a progressive kiteloop playlist starting with t …

The kiteboarding back roll with style  The Back Roll is often the first trick new kiteboarders learn. The thing is, as exciting as they are, at the end of the day, they don't look that great on their own. Now, add a grab. The Tail Grab is the easiest grab to pair with your Back Roll. It's also one of the better-looking grabs. For this playlist, our aim is to help you add a bunch of safe, good-feeling, easy tricks. These will improve your riding and style fast. These are non-inv …

The roast beef is arguably the best looking grab you can pair with a back roll, especially if you follow the tenets of style from our first video in this playlist. It might look like a difficult grab, but it’s actually really easy if you learn the muscle memory of the grab first. This is a trick you can master hooked in and cross over to your unhooked riding if you really want to up your game. The secret to making this trick look good is keeping the kite low and letting it pull you through …

The Front Roll Stalefish is the trick that inspired this entire playlist we’re working on. Last summer I started riding more with our local legend and original MACkite team rider Marc Hoeksema. I noticed no matter how bad the conditions were, how gusty the wind or choppy the water, Marc always looked stylish and fluid on the water. I started to pay attention and break down all of his tricks. I noticed his signature move was the Front Roll Stalefish. This is the easiest grab to pair with an …

Front Roll Nuke The nuke grab is considered one of the most advanced grabs but if you watched our last video, you know there is a trick that makes it easy to do, You’re probably thinking, that the front roll nuke must also be a difficult trick. While it is an advanced trick, it’s surprisingly easy to do. Blake was actually doing these before he was landing the standard nuke grab! The reason is because of the way he was rotating his front rolls. By doing an off-axis roll and throwing his …

Nuke grab The Nuke Grab is one of the more advanced grabs we cover in this playlist but it's not nearly as difficult as you think. There is a trick to doing this with ease and you can progress into it fairly quickly.  For episode two of our jump with style playlist we'll be buildup up to our next trick in this series. The Front Roll Nuke Grab. Most of the tricks we cover in this series are very simple and while this is not the most difficult trick it does take a bit of time and commi …

Heads up, this is a special edition. If you've been following our bi-weekly "How to Jump with Style" videos, stay tuned. We’ll be back on our regular schedule with these next week. So you want to become a kiteboarder? Maybe you’ve seen it on your local beach and now you’re curious what it takes to get into an adventure sport like this. This video and extensive blog should break down the steps you need to take, and breaks down in detail many questions you might have. We’ll also include a num …

How to Jump with Style So you want to learn how to jump with style? You’ve come to the right place. In this video and blog, we’ll break down five practices to implement into your kiteboarding every session. Regardless of your level, adding these concepts to your riding will give you something fun to try and it might turn a few heads or two when you seemingly upgrade your style overnight. For season three of Ride with Blake, we wanted to take things up a notch or two. Blake and I thought it …

While not incredibly exciting, trimming your kite is important. It is imperative if you unhook, and it does help you jump better when your kite is set up correctly. Let's be honest, no one likes it when their kite isn't flying right!  Most importantly, a properly trimmed kite will prevent back stalling.  Step One: Find Some Space Find somewhere safe to park your kite, ideally over water or a large beach. You don't want any obstacles downwind of you or solid objects that you migh …

The Butter Slide is hands down the easiest trick I’ll ever teach you. Just remember to come into this with good seed and power. The rest will sort its self out.  Once you learn the butter slide, try to incorporate into tricks you already know like transition or even front rolls!Step OneStart Small Come in with good speed on your heel side edge, kite at 45. Ride slightly downwind lean back your your tail and put most of your weight on the back foot. At the same time, pull up with your f …

If you can do a transition and jump, then you are ready for this trick! 4 Printable Steps for the BeachStep One: Start Small The smaller you go at first, the easier this trick is. It should feel similar to a regular transition except your doing it a few inches or feet off the water. This is going to help you build a good foundation to progress this trick into bigger variations that require more height and time. Step Two: Pop Hard & Early  You will want to stomp your back fo …

If you can do a backroll and you know how to pop toe-side, then you are ready for this trick! 4 Printable Steps for the Beach Step One: Pop Harder You are going to want to edge a little harder so that you can pop harder.  Fly your kite a bit higher (around 11 - 1 o'clock) for this as well. This will help offer you a little more time in the air to finish that full 180* rotation into a back roll.  Make a tight, arching, smooth, carving turn and pull in on your bar right as …

Yes, These are the rules...but you should know that not every kiter follows them or knows what they are!   If you see someone who doesn’t seem to know what they are doing, just kindly inform them of what you have learned from this video.  Safety is Key!  Don’t expect other kiters to get out of your way.  You can tell by watching their kite movement as they approach you, if they are going to give you respect or not.  If you have any questions, give us a call …

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 the …

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 riding …