Kitesurfing Kites Reviews
Cabrinha Contra
The Cabrinha Contra has been a stalwart of the range for a long time now, it’s a behemoth of a light wind weapon and has saved many a session over the years. Available in four sizes (13, 15, 17 and 19m), there should be a kite for just about everyone in the range. The kite is aimed at getting you…
Naish Kiteboarding Boxer
The new Boxer from Naish is a big statement from the brand in the one strut kite market. Damien Girardin has been working on this design for several years now, if you remember the no-strut Trip kite which was incredibly light and perfect for travelling the Boxer now fills that brief and then some. By using a single strut, the…
Ozone Hyperlink V2
Ozone have been the brand to watch of late, this dedicated small group of passionate riders have been pumping out incredible products for a long time. In recent years their innovation seems to have taken things up a notch or two. The Hyperlink is a case in point. Launched a couple of years ago, the kite aimed to bridge the…
North Kiteboarding Carve
The Carve from North Kiteboarding is a three strut wave kite; the clue is in the name, designed to offer fast turning, excellent drift and impressive depower. Suitable for both strapless freestyle and waves it’s the kite in the range you want to be looking at if you spend your days with a surfboard beneath your feet. It’s a medium…
North Kiteboarding Orbit
We had seen a few prototypes of this kite being used by the likes of Jesse Richman and Nick Jacobsen at the King Of The Air in South Africa. The Orbit is as the name suggests, is a freeride and big air kite for boosting. It’s a 5-strut design with a high aspect swept wingtip design and a flattish profile.…
CrazyFly Sculp
One of CrazyFly’s longest standing kites, the Sculp is back for 2020 as part of their line up. An all-rounder, it has been designed with freeride, freestyle and foil riding in mind. The 2020 Sculp houses 3 struts, a flat delta shape and a higher aspect ratio for increased forward drive and power delivery. The kite itself is made using…
Eleveight Kites RS
Eleveight’s all-round freeride kite the RS, is back again for 2020 complementing their five kite line up as the freeride/crossover model. Designed for use by a range of people in an array of disciplines, it would suit those riders who do not wish to be locked into a certain style. The RS features 3 struts, a simple bridle, effective 1-pump…
Cabrinha Drifter
Cabrinha have been producing the Drifter for what seems like forever, and it’s long been considered a fantastic wave kite. The weapon of choice for wave seeker Keahi de Aboitiz and the rest of the pro wave team it offers a dynamic flying experience with plenty of drift, the clue is in the name as it were. This year, Cabrinha…
DUOTONE Neo
One of the most successful wave kites in the business is back again, the Neo really needs no , but I’ll do my best anyway. The choice of champions, Airton Cozzolino and Matchu Lopes as well as the rest of the Duotone team the Neo has some pedigree. It’s still a three strut design packed with features like the Trinity…
F-ONE Kiteboarding Bandit S
This year sees the most significant change to one of the most iconic kites in the history of kiteboarding! The Bandit now becomes the Bandit S and the Bandit 2020. In previous years the Bandit range was effectively three kites in one, the smaller sizes were aimed at the wave rider, the medium sizes were all about freeride and boosting,…
DUOTONE Dice
The Duotone Dice has been around for what seems like an eternity, the ground breaking kite of old has evolved into the finely tuned weapon it is now. Billed as a freestyle and wave machine, it's the choice of riders like Tom Court, who's as happy in the park as he is in the waves and can still throw down…
DUOTONE Rebel
The Rebel was the kite that changed the dynamics of kiteboarding all those years ago, and it’s come a long way since then. The spearhead of the Duotone freeride range, for some kiters only a Rebel will do. It’s a 5 strut design that can be flown on 4 or 5 lines, although it’s worth noting Duotone’s shift towards a…
Liquid Force Kites Solo
The Solo has been the stalwart of the Liquid Force light wind line up for some time, while many brands now embrace the one strut design, Liquid Force were among the first. Aimed at the rider looking to get out when the wind is light and for those travelling on a limited luggage allowance, it’s a do it all freeride…
Ozone Edge V10
Synonymous with speed and height, Ozone have hit the stratosphere with the 10th version of the ever-popular Edge. A high aspect ratio LEI kite, it has been the mainstay of the race scene until the recent switch to the more efficient foil style kite. What this has done instead is opened up the kite to the classic kitesurfing draw: big…
CORE Kiteboarding Section 3
The newly updated Section 3 is part of CORE's specialised series of kite, focussing on just one discipline, opposed to their crossover series; Universal +. The Section 3 is a wave riding specific kite, designed to pull you into those monster swells with the confidence to know this kite has your back at all times. Like many kites nowadays, the…
Ocean Rodeo Crave
We've been hearing quite a bit about Ocean Rodeo over the past few months with new advances in materials and designs being whispered about. The Crave is one such a new design, no doubt produced for their alarmingly talented wave team to take on the GKA's best. At its core, the Crave is a 3-strut supported leading edge kite, with…
Slingshot Raptor V1
Slingshots extensive kite line-up has been thoroughly shaken up for 2020 with the inclusion of 3 brand new kites; the Raptor V1, Rally GT V1 and Ghost V1. In these big winter winds, we were lucky enough to be able to put the Raptor V1 through its paces in some pretty memorable sessions. The Raptor V1 has been designed for…
Slingshot RPM V12
The RPM V12 is one of the longest-running kites in the slingshot line-up, focusing on freestyle with an emphasis on new school unhooked riding. It is an open-C design with 3 struts, the classic slingshot bombproof construction and multiple tuning options for both front and back lines. The Fly Line bridal system is compact and utilises the IRS bridal from…
CORE Kiteboarding Nexus 2
CORE's Nexus burst on to the scene a few years ago now and already has a firm following of committed riders. The Nexus 2 keeps to its main ethos as part of the Universal+ series; it is a hybrid kite designed with looping, wave riding and freestyle in mind. Like most in its class, the Nexus 2 houses 3 struts,…
Ozone Zephyr V6
In The Air Having used the previous Zephyr V5, it was noticeable on the first flight, just how refined the new V6 model is. The kite feels tighter, with improved turning response and lighter feel on the bar. The Zephyr V6 was stable to fly and hydrofoil within super light conditions around 8-10mph. Remaining responsive with easy relaunch off the…
Liquid Force Kites NV
Now in its 10th consecutive year, the Liquid Force 2020 NV has a decade of development behind it. A classic hybrid freestyle design of an open C canopy, 3 struts and a short bridle system, it is the go-to option as a racier all-round kite. For this 2020 NV, there has been a complete overhaul of the canopy design. This…
Ocean Rodeo Flite
Most brands have a light wind offering these days, and the Ocean Rodeo Flite has been around for a while. Available in five sizes 8, 10, 12, 14.5 and 17. Those smaller sizes give you an idea of the flavour here. This isn’t just a big light wind kite, it’s a kite that is designed to perform, regardless. The Flite…
Naish Kiteboarding Dash
Naish Kiteboarding have bought out another stellar line up for the coming season with equipment for pretty much every eventuality. The Dash sits in the gang between freestyle weapon, the Torch, and new kid on the freeride block, the Triad. The Dash is a freestyle kite but with the boosting and looping ability we now see on the more freeride…
Ocean Rodeo Razor
Canadian kite brand Ocean Rodeo have a full range of kites, and we have been riding their freestyle specific Razor. The Razor is designed for those more experienced riders who focus almost entirely on high-end freestyle and high-velocity loops. The Razor is interestingly a four-strut kite, which is not something we have seen for a few years. It has a…
Slingshot SST
The SST is one of Slingshot’s key models for the 2019 season. Originally the Wave SST, Slingshot have found this kite to be so adaptive that they have rebranded this model to suit a variety of styles. Now coming to us as the wave, foil, freeride crossover. A 3-strut compact C shape kite with features such as the Slingshot IRS…
Odo Kiteboarding YO
Odo Kiteboarding started in 2014; they set out as a group of wave riders aiming to develop new products for the strapless market. We recently got our hands on their YO kite. The YO is a 3-strut medium aspect kite aimed at excelling in the wave, strapless freestyle and freeride markets. The YO is packed with technology and construction features…
Ozone Reo V5
Building on the success of the Reo V4, the Ozone Reo is back in version 5 (V5) to make its mark once again as one of the top performing wave riding specific kites. The main structure of the kite has stayed the same with 3 struts, large inflate/deflate valve with 1 pump, a pulley-less bridle system and direct line attachments.…
CrazyFly Hyper
An entirely new kite for 2019 from CrazyFly, the Hyper sits in their range as a high performing freeride and big air specialist. This seems to be a new big trend within kitesurfing, and it is great to see brands moving with the wants and needs of the riders. The Hyper is a 5-strut kite, with a high aspect ratio…
Ozone Amp V1
An entirely new kite from Ozone, the Amp has been designed for those dedicated freestyle and park riders who need a tool to help them progress. Featuring 5 struts, a mid to high aspect ratio, both 4 and 5 line options and a C kite shaped design, the Amp has all the attributes to keep you at the top of…
Liquid Force Kites NV v9
With a wakeboarding background Liquid Force make some awesome boards and have some seriously good kites in the stable to compliment them too. One model that has undergone another refinement and update is the NV v9. The NV v9 is a 3-strut high performance freestyle kite that aims to excel at freeride and wakestyle too. For the 9th version the…
DUOTONE Evo
The Evo from Duotone has a long heritage as the go-to all-rounder. First appearing in 2008, the Evo has come a long way since then. Still holding its Delta design, the kite has been refined over the past decade to become a genuine all-rounder for beginners and experts alike. The Evo features 3 Fusion struts, which allows for controlled distribution…
DUOTONE Dice
Just in case you haven’t heard the news, all your favourite North Kiteboarding products are now being produced by Duotone. Same riders, same designers, same team and the same great products, just with a new look and a new name on the fabric. The Dice has been around for years now and has an army of fans who I am…
Ozone Alpha V1
Another genre of kite we are seeing boom recently is the single strut. Single strut kites are a brilliant addition to your quiver, or even replacements for your quiver. They tend to be very lightweight, pack down much smaller for traveling, have huge amounts of depower and many are now performing incredibly well. Ozone have the Uno which is a…
Cabrinha Moto
Recently we have had our hands on some of the 2019 Cabrinha gear. For 2019 we see a few models disappear and some new additions throughout the lineup, one of the most exciting is the new Moto. The Cabrinha Moto is a 3 strut, versatile freeride crossover kite. With many kites in their range targeting certain disciplines, the Moto is…
Eleveight Kites RS
Eleveight have been on our radar for a couple of years, but it is for 2019 where they jump in with the big boys with a full line up of kites and boards. We had the all-round RS on test this issue and, as always, were excited to get our hands on gear from a new brand. The RS is…
Slingshot Rally
The Slingshot Rally is an institution in kiteboarding. One of the longest standing all-round kites, it has die hard fans the world over who use it for all sorts of kiting endeavours. Suited to those who are just beginning in kitesurfing to those who have a decade of riding under their belts, the Rally will do it all with power…