Latest News, Blog & Videos
2022 Cabrinha Contra Review
Today we're going to review the new 2022 Cabrinha Contra.
The Cabrinha Contra has always been one of my top two favorite light wind kites. I've been using it on and off for probably a good five years now, bouncing back and forth from the Turbine, and I had some sessions on the Eleveight RS 17 meter. I think there's some really good things about the Contra. With the the latest iteration, there are some things that I don't care for as much, and we'll break down everything you ne
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10th Mar 2022
Interview with Sensi Graves I Being a Pro kiter & Learning to Wing
Hey, what's up guys? I'm Rygo.
I'm Sensi.
And today we're going to do another interview, and we're going to chat with Sensei Graves here. So it's been kind of a big year for you, a lot of change, a lot of things happening. You just got onto Slingshot. Do you mind sharing about that experience?
Represent, yes! I actually was on Liquid Force for eight years prior to this. They went out of business, I broke my wrist shortly thereafter, and so I wasn't stressed at all about findin
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17th Nov 2021
Hooked in Back to Wrapped
The backroll is possibly the most popular trick in kiteboarding. It's usually the first move everyone learns. From there people progress to the back to toeside or the double backroll. The back to wrapped, however, is by far the most stylish and technical first variation where one can pair a roll with a flat rotation. Usually this trick is done by unhooked freestyle riders, but it can be done hooked in easily enough and will make you stand out on the water!Step One - Kite Low
This is a rec
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26th Apr 2021
How to Master the Kiteboarding Front Roll Tail Grab
The Front Roll is usually the second trick everyone wants to learn right after the Back Roll. It's a simple trick that always looks good, especially if you add a grab to it. The easiest grab to start with is the tail grab.
This is one of my go-to tricks every session because it just feels so good.
For this video, I'll break down the freestyle pop technique. This can be done hooked in, and you can actually do this with a sent jump. This technique will help give more power to your p
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23rd Mar 2021
How to Choose a Wetsuit in Cold Climates
Choosing a suit can be as complicated or as simple as you want to make it. There are a ton of options, including high end suits that are soft, warm, seal out water, drain any excess or even block the wind. Ultimately it comes down to your budget and your threshold of cold. If you get cold easily, it's worth it to invest in a high end suit. I've used budget suits in the cold and it's never worth it in my opinion. It's fine in warmer water but I've always regretted it in the winter.
The firs
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24th Nov 2020
How to hit a rail kitesurfing: 50/50
This is the most basic trick and is derived from skateboarding. It's also the easiest because you can basically ollie or ride up in the same direction you were traveling. Eventually you can take this to a nose press or try to spin into it or out for more technicality and style.
This is the first move you should try and it's going to open a whole new world of kiteboarding for you. Let's get to it!
Prerequisites
You should be able to do all the basic unhooked tricks comfortably.
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23rd Nov 2020
SLS NEO REVIEW
The Neo SLS performs a lot like the old Neo, but it does have some advantages.
The real question is whether these changes are worth trading in your old Neo. I had the chance to try this kite in some light wind and some stronger wind with onshore and cross-shore onshore conditions. I've had loads of time on the original Neo, and after trying the SLS I do have an opinion on whether the trade up is worth it. Let's break down what you can expect and then we'll get into whether i
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17th Nov 2020
3 Mistakes Every New Kitesurfer Makes
After years of riding, I've made a lot of mistakes along the way. The funny thing about kitesurfing is no one wants to show themselves riding bad or crashing. It occurred to me I can think of hundreds of mistakes I've made along the way. I'll be dropping these mistake videos along the way and I may even start intentional filming the right way vs the wrong way in future videos. This is going to be a fun one so lets dive right into it.
Mistake One - Riding Overpowered
Kitesurfers ofte
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2nd Nov 2020
Momentum review
The Ride Engine Momentum is a unique soft-shell harness. It comes with the classic ride engine fit and lumbar lock yet its soft and flexible and allows for completely unrestricted movement for the rider.
This year Ride Engine has 3 flex patterns in their line up and it's a smart call. Not everyone enjoys the feel of a true hardshell myself included. I prefer something with some torsional give and support like the Saber. Some want the absolute stiffest harness like the carbon Elite.
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26th Oct 2020
Kitesurfing: New Rules of Navigation
This video has been on my mind forever. I know it's going to drive some of you crazy but it must be said. Different Rules of Navigation should be observed in flat water spots. Like a slick behind a sandbar, an island or a jetty. A buddy of mine Leo Chen put it best. It's not about possession of the spot. It's about thoughtful use of a rare resource.
Flat water is hard to come by and sought after for riders who are pushing their progression on the water. Love or hate this idea, I think we c
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22nd Oct 2020
Ride Engine Saber Vs Mystic Stealth (Saber Review)
This week I’m going to do a review on the Ride Engine Saber harness. To help you understand what this harness is like, I’ll be making a comparison to the Mystic Stealth Harness. This is more a review of the Saber than a full comparison but doing a small comparison will help the review be more in depth and hopefully help you decide if this is the harness for you. So if it sounds like I’m leaning too much towards the Saber in the review, don’t be mistaken. I used Mystic for three years straight
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16th Oct 2020
2021 Slingshot Sentry Bar Review
The new Sentry bar is a welcomed upgrade for Slingshot. I’ve been using their bars since 2013 and while they were making welcomed changes, like above the bar depower and a functional swivel the core design of the bar hasn’t changed all that much.So What's New?
Softer Bar
The new bar is soft. This really stood out to me. We now have soft molded ends, a soft grip, coated center lines. The older bar was cool because it was so simple but there was a lot of hard plastic. I found in
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14th Oct 2020
Frontroll Kiteloops - The Fastest Way
The Frontroll Kiteloop is one of the most exciting and scary tricks in kiteboarding. The key to learning this move is to start doing kiteloops… a lot of them! Thing is, those are kind of intimidating too! The trick to learning this is to start in extremely light winds. I'm talking about the kind of conditions where you're riding and the wind gets so light you can kind of stay upwind, you can kind of jump and you're ready to put up a bigger kite or get off the water. When this happens, you can
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14th Oct 2020
My Kitesurfing Gear & Why
Choosing the right gear when you are a new kiteboarder is easy. Go for an all around kite and you will be set for years to come. Choosing your second quiver of kites can take a bit more work depending on what you want out of the sport. You have to ask your self some questions. What kind of kiteboarding do you like to do? Do you prefer once discipline over the others? Do you want to focus on hangtime, kiteloops, unhooked performance or wave? Different kites even in the all around category usua
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30th Sep 2020
Three Tips for Better Kitesurfing Pop
Kiteboarders are obsessed with getting more air, more height and more power into their tricks. At the end of the day, there are no shortcuts to improving skill on the water, only practice. That said, there are some things you can do that over time are going to have a huge impact on your riding and your pop.Tip One - Ride Finless
Take the next 2 - 4 months and commit to riding without fins on your twintip. At first, everything is going to be more difficult. You'll find that you can't stay
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24th Sep 2020