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Jeff and Tucker have presented awards to their top 2023 picks for wings, wingboards, and hydrofoils, but they'd be remiss if they left out those unsung winging heroes that make our sessions better in so many small but important ways, the accessories. So without further ado, we present our top wing foiling accessory picks.1. Best LeashThe Kaohi Double Coil harness leash is our favorite. This is not the calf or ankle connection, but rather a MACkite exclusive harness connection that we w …

Jeff and Tucker are excited to share one of their favorite accessories: the Ride Engine Air Box, an electric pump. ...Wait. They're excited about an electric pump? Are they really that old?? Perhaps, but that's not why they're willing to forego the traditional pre-session warm-up. Here's what's great about this magic box and why you might want one, too. Accessories Let's first dive in to what you get with your pump. Tucker's favorite accessory that comes with the pump is the car charger. It p …

Tucker and Jeff have gotten all dressed up for the 2023 MACkite "Best Of" Awards. ...Okay, well, one of them did. The other got dressed.Any product released in 2023 is eligible for nomination. MACkite crew who have ridden the gear vote for their top pick, and then Tucker and Jeff announce the winners in each category. Let's get started!1. Best Light Wind WingThis award goes to the North Loft Pro. We've talked about this a lot in some of our recent videos and blogs, and it's such a grea …

A lot of wing riders appreciate a boom for the fine control it gives you over the wing. But how do you attach a harness line to it so that it's secure? 1. One end of your harness line has a loop. Push the line through that loop to create an adjustable loop. 2. Slide your new loop over one end of the boom and into the position where you want it and tighten it up. 3. Take your small connector piece and create a loop with it by pushing the end with the black tab through the loop at the other en …

The Duotone Unit is now available in the Aluula construction, known as D/LAB. How is it different from the standard Dacron construction, and is it worth it?Benefits of Aluula If you compare a 5m standard Unit with a 6.5m D/LAB Unit, one of the first things you'll notice is that the leading edges are very similar in diameter. This isn't because they stay the same across the range; the D/LAB material is so strong and stiff that it becomes possible to reduce the diameter of the leading edge …

The 2024 Take Off is a fresh design that applies what Starboard has learned from past versions. What's new, and how does that translate to the real world? Tucker has ridden it and has some insights to share.IntroductionThis board has kind of an alien shape. Starboard wanted to make the experience better without going with a standard shape. They're pushing the limits of design and construction to give you a unique model, and there are some cool advantages to this unique shape and some of th …

Pat is at King of the Great Lakes Test Fest with Ty from Slingshot. They're checking out the new V4 Slingwing for 2024. Pat: Ty, what's new this year? Has there been a bit of redesign? Ty: I love the Slingwing V3 and think it's an amazing wing, but for V4 we narrowed the profile down a little bit, which tightened up the canopy. The marketing term we use is "high tension high performance", and you feel it when you pump because there's so much more efficiency in this tight canopy. However, …

Longer Front Handle Design The 2024 Duotone Unit Wing has a new, unique design feature. It still has the rigid handles, but now the front handle is a lot longer than the back handle. Although you don't necessarily need all the real estate in the middle, it allows you to fly one-handed, almost like it's a boom. In fact, there is only a very small gap between the front and back handles. Duotone has positioned the front handle in just the right spot to really choke up on it and get a bit of …

Pat is with Kevin Wade at King of the Great Lakes Test Fest, checking out the new 2024 GT1+ Wing from Eleveight. What does the "Plus" mean, and is it right for you? Kevin: We have the Plus Series now, including the RS+ kite and the Process and Master C+ twintips. We're building out a comprehensive upper echelon line to highlight which products have a little bit of extra special sauce and higher quality materials. If you're looking for the top of the top in terms of performance, the Plus …

What's the appeal of wing? There seems to be a lot of interest, and Tucker, Ryan, and Jeff explore why people feel drawn to it. Tucker: It's growing so fast, and I think part of the reason is because it appeals to other avenues that people are already committed to. Surfers already know the appeal of being in the water and riding a wave. Windsurfers, kiteboarders, and sailors already understand the appeal of riding on wind power and and being on the water. I come from a background that's really …

Tucker and Jeff chat about the new Sky Series Wingboards. You may be familiar with these as the Fanatic Sky boards, but they've been rebranded to Duotone for 2024. Find out what else is new besides the name change. Tucker: There are quite a few models in the Sky Series, but there are some changes that are universal, including the change of their brand name. While it's always been under the same parent umbrella, now they're bringing it all under Duotone to simplify things, and, of …

Jeff and Tucker are excited to introduce Ozone's Flux V1, a brand new wing in the lineup. They've had some time on it in the water and are ready to share their first impressions.A New High-Performance Wing Tucker: It's a really exciting time to do a review on an Ozone wing because, let's be honest, the lineup has been a little stagnant for the past year or so. They had the Wasp V2, which is a great step up from their V1, but the V3 was just a slight modification of the V2. It's a great …

Welcome back to MACkiteboarding Wing Wednesdays with Tucker. Today I'm going to talk about an exciting new wing for the 2023-24 season, the CWC Strike V3. This is the third version of this wing, and there are a lot of differences versus the previous versions. I'll tell you about some of those changes, give you some advice on sizing, and then I'll have my personal review.Stronger and Stiffer FrameThe first thing I noticed when pulling the wing out of the bag is that it's clearly a heavier …

We finally got our hands on the Ocean Rodeo Glide AA all-Aluula wing. Aluula is a very light and strong material, and this is definitely the lightest 5 meter I've ever flown, by far. Obviously, a full Aluula wing is going to come with a price tag, but it's very light.How Does It Ride?The outline is pretty flat, which makes it very powerful. This wing is speedy with a lot of drive. It does have a sweet spot that you have to find, so I would consider this to be a technical wing. It likes t …

Lighter. Stronger. Recycle-ready.Ocean Rodeo has worked with ALUULA Composites to develop the first full Aluula wing. The result is a truly multi-discipline wing that's ultra-light, strong, and tear-resistant. And if you know anything about us at MACkite, you know we're especially stoked that it's recycle-ready. So don't chuck it in the landfill when you eventually replace it. Give ol' Mama Earth a big hug instead.Want to hear more about this new offering on the wing market? Here's the sco …