WHAT WE TESTED:
KITES
What we tested:
For our 2020 Ultimate Test, we tested the biggest range of kites to date to bring you the best back-to-back kite test yet, with 47 kites tested in total!
We tested kites from NAISH, SPLEENE, SLINGSHOT, CABRINHA, DUOTONE, TAKOON, GIN, RRD, OCEAN RODEO, FLYSURFER, CORE, F-ONE, NORTH KITEBOARDING, CRAZYFLY, ELEVEIGHT & HARLEM, covering multiple kite models across these brands.
Along with extremely detailed information on each kite, we've also added a 'Best In...’ category section at the end, allowing you to see a snapshot view of the best rated as well as the 'standout' kites in each category.
BOARDS
What we tested:
When it comes to boards, we tested 55 boards in total for this year's Ultimate Test.
We tested boards from INOBO, GOOD BOARDS, NORTH, TAKOON, SLINGSHOT, HARLEM, NOBILE, DUOTONE, F-ONE, NAISH, CORE KITEBOARDING, CRAZYFLY, BRUNOTTI, ELEVEIGHT, OCEAN RODEO, STRYDER, SPLEENE, CARVED, FLYSURFER, LIEUWE, RRD & C6 BOARDS.
We tested each board for its carving ability, spray, directional stability, rail grip, planing speed/light wind ability, upwind ability, pop, smoothness of landings and ability to cut through the chop.
We then selected our category winners in the following categories: Freeride, Crossover, Premium Crossover, Freestyle and Light Wind, listing our verdict in the 'Best In…’ category, as well as the 'standout' boards.
FOILS
What we tested:
In this year's Ultimate Test, we not only tested kites and boards, but a range of foils as well.
We tested foils from CRAZYFLY, DUOTONE, F-ONE, SLINGSHOT, ALPINE, NORTH, NAISH & RRD.
We selected category winners for the Freerace and Freeride categories, as well as the 'standout' foils in each category.
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Thank you for checking out our latest Ultimate Test Guide. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed testing all of the kit, and putting the guide together!
This was our second Ultimate Test Guide and we’re planning another one for later this year. The guide came about because – although we have always tested a lot of gear in the magazine – we never really got to do a lot of ‘back to back’ testing with a big crew of riders. This is mainly because different brands release gear at different times, and brands wanting their latest equipment tested as soon as possible made this a challenge.
So we thought: let’s get all the kit together at a set time of the year and do the biggest test in the industry. And that’s what we have now done for two years, and it has become the go-to resource for kiteboarding gear tests and those who want a very in-depth look at kit before they go out and buy.
What we also love about the test is that it really is independent… We have a big crew of riders (14 in total this year) with different skills and experiences and they give their very honest feedback. People often complain that magazine tests aren’t always entirely accurate, but through having all of the kit on the beach at the same time, and through having a test team who are independent from TheKiteMag, we come as close as we can to an entirely independent assessment.
So, we have worked super hard to bring the guide to you, and we hope you enjoy it and, hopefully, you can use the information inside to help you choose the best gear on the market that's right for you.
It's been an incredible journey so far; myself and the entire test team truly had a blast, and it feels awesome to be surrounded by so many amazing people within the kitesurfing world.
Happy reading.
Cheers
Alex
(And the entire team here at TheKiteMag)
).
