Win Search Subscribe Contact SBC Kiteboard Home   |   News Wire   |   Kiteboarding Gear   |   Travel   |   Instruction   |   People   |   Videos   |   OPED   |   Interviews   |   Snow kiteboarding

2008 SBC Kiteboard Buyers' Guide by Shane Thompson The evolution of kite design continues at a rapid pace, with no sign of stopping anytime soon. Two years ago kite performance was revolutionized by increased levels of depower and safety. Usable wind ranges of a given kite size improved substantially. For 2008, the bow, SLE and hybrid kites that fueled this revolution continue along a path of performance refinement. Click for more. 2008 Board Reviews  2008 Kiteboard Tests Overview In this round of testing, the SBC team’s quest was to decipher the riding traits of an assortment of boards that accommodate a mixture of riding styles, conditions and skill levels. We are happy to report that this year’s boards show...   2008 Kite Reviews  On-water Kite Tests and Reviews This fall, the SBC Kiteboard test team was hard at work in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Our bodies were battered, bruised and abused on countless ocean and sound kiteboarding sessions. The kite test results are here to help you sort through the...   Trade Secrets  Desmond Walsh's dream job Ever wonder what it’s like to be a full-time gear tester? We caught up with Naish tester Desmond Walsh to find out how on-water testing really works. John Bryja: Tell us a little about your kiteboarding background. Desmond Walsh: I...   New Gear  2009 RRD Passion freeride kite A new line of hybrid Delta kites that evolves from the rest. Specifically designed with lightweight features in mind, these kites are juts a pure surprise. Stable, powerful, very easy to re-launch and very easy to de-power. Will make anyone feel...   2008 Board Reviews  Cabrinha S-Quad Style: Directional waveboard Size: 160 cm Construction and components The S-Quad is constructed with good weight-to-strength ratio. It has an X-48 EPS core, which is laminated in multi layers of glass and combined with a...   2008 Kite Reviews  Liquid Force HIFI Size Tested: 12 m2 15 m2 / Style: Five-line hybrid / Dealers: 59 / Warranty: 1 year / Price: $1,580 / Wind range: 12-28 knots; 10-26 knots / What’s new: The HiFi is a new-school, five-line hybrid that combines the wind...   2008 Kite Reviews  Lightwind Bliss: The SBC test team looks at lightwind gear The days of cursing the wind gods and sitting on the beach praying for more wind are over. The lightwind gear scene has exploded, as both kites and board models enlist performance that ups the fun factor in the less-than-ideal wind conditions we...   2008 Buyers' Guide  Buyers' Guide Overview The evolution of kite design continues at a rapid pace, with no sign of stopping anytime soon. Two years ago kite performance was revolutionized by increased levels of depower and safety. Usable wind ranges of a given kite size improved...     Oct 5 2007 02:25 PM - Airush at Surf Expo Clinton Filen talks about the DNA and Converse. Oct 3 2007 11:38 PM - Best at Surf Expo Thomas Gaehwiler Managing Director R&D at Best shows off the new boards for 2008. Dec 19 2007 01:40 PM - Dakine King Pin Designer Chris Gilbert talks about the Dakine Tabu harness with the new King Pin system. Oct 4 2007 01:46 AM - Flexifoil at Surf Expo Jason Furness and Flexifoil's new Atom kite. Oct 11 2007 05:13 PM - Freak Dog Kites at Surf Expo Scott Polera talks about the Unleashed and Vicious kites Oct 5 2007 02:40 PM - Girls of Surf Expo Jason Slezak and Davey Blair explore Surf Expo. Jan 10 2008 10:47 AM - Liquid Force HIFI The new 2008 Liquid Force HIFI. The HiFi is LF’s new flat water, wave, competition oriented kite. Read to full test in our Buyer's Guide issue. Oct 5 2007 02:33 PM - Pat Rawson at Surf Expo Pat Rawson and Liquid Force's new Project Rawson series of boards. Oct 5 2007 02:22 PM - Litewave and Globe kites at Surf Expo Dave Turner and the 2008 Globe VSonic, and Litewave Boards. Oct 11 2007 06:31 PM - Monkey kites at Surf Expo Steve Gottlieb talks about the 2008 Griffin kite. Oct 5 2007 02:35 PM - Naish Sigma at Surf Expo Robby Naish and the new Sigma line of kites. Dec 11 2007 02:56 PM - North Evo Kite Here is a sneak peak at the new North Evo kite. Oct 3 2007 10:00 PM - North's John Amundson at Surf Expo John talks about surfers getting into kiting and the new line of North Rocketfish boards. Oct 4 2007 11:24 AM - NPX at Surf Expo A new line of rubber is hitting the streets. Oct 4 2007 11:59 AM - Ocean Rodeo Rise at Surf Expo John Zimmerman talks about the new Ride kite. Oct 5 2007 02:29 PM - Ocean Rodeo Zen at Surf Expo John Zimmerman and the new 2008 Ocean Rodeo board lineup. Oct 5 2007 02:37 PM - RRD at Surf Expo Jeff Finn talks talks about the new Hyper 2 and Type 9. Oct 4 2007 08:21 AM - Surftech at Surf Expo Pro surfer and kitesurfer Josh Mulcoy talks about his TL2 pro model board.

Equipment 2008 SBC Kiteboard Buyers’ Guide Compiled by the SBC Kiteboard editorial staff, this is the most complete gear guide available anywhere on the planet. Kiteboarding Trends SBC Kiteboard test editor Shane Thompson takes a look at the year’s top trends. Frequently Asked Questions Are today’s kite designs safer? What size should I get? Do kites really change that much from year to year? How can I maximize my money while building a quiver? Gear Selector Find the perfect fit. Find the right board and kite for your riding location. Brand profiles Biggest news, new technologies, team designed product, women's specific, different rider abilities, warranty info and more. 2008 Kite Tests The most experienced testers in the business, SBC Kiteboard’s test team puts the newest ’08 kites through their paces. Airush DNA, Airush Flow, Best Nemesis HP, Cabrinha Switchblade 3, Cabrinha Revolver HD, Freak Dog Unleashed, Freak Dog Vicious, F-One Bandit, Flexifoil Atom, Globe Vsonic, Liquid Force HIFI, Liquid Force Session, Naish Cult, North Vegas, Ocean Rodeo Rise Previously Tested: Cabrinha Contra 3, Cabrinha Crossbow 3, Liquid Force Havoc, Naish Helix, North Rebel, Slingshot Rev. New Gear 2009 RRD Passion freeride kite Oct 7, 2008 A new line of hybrid Delta kites that evolves from the rest. Specifically designed with... Victory KoreDry Oct 6, 2008 Playing at the beach has never been so comfortable with the release of surf shirts and rashguards... RRD 2009 Fatal Wave Sep 30, 2008 The 2009 RRD Fatal Wave line is a new collection of surfboards developed and shaped having in... Cabrinha Convert IDS 2009 Sep 18, 2008 Cabrinha have released information about their new Convert IDS kite due to be in shops later... Airush Flow FT Sep 4, 2008 Airush has been quietly going about making some of the most innovative kite designs in the... Cabrinha Overide IDS is Back Sep 4, 2008 Due to overwhelming customer feedback, Cabrinha  are reintroducing their popular Override... F-One Bandit Dos Aug 29, 2008 F-One has launched a new Flash based website dedicated to the new F-One Bandit Dos. Be sure to... Caliber & Sync: Designs for the Evolving Kiteboarder Jul 29, 2008 When the Cabrinha development team got together in Hong Kong last August to pour over feedback... 2009 Cabrinha Switchblade IDS Jul 23, 2008 The new Cabrinha Switchblade launched this week. "The industry leading kite for wakestyle... 2009 Naish Cult Jul 23, 2008 Naish Kiteboarding is proud to present the 2009 version of the Cult. Building on the success of... [1] [2] [3] [4] > »