Features

Recent features from the print magazine...

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #64

I’m on It: Core Xr Pro 2

September saw Zara Hoogenraad crowned the first women’s Red Bull Megaloop champion. She achieved this success on the CORE XR Pro and her boyfriend, Giel Vlugt, reached the semifinals at the same event using the newest version of this kite, the XR Pro 2. Time to find out more from them about this latest release from CORE. Photos Nikola Bagarov

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #64

Tech and Materials: Airush Ultra PE / Lift

For 2026, Airush is rolling out a brand-new Team Series range. Every kite in the lineup now features an H2 Ultra PE Air Frame, and the Lift Team takes it one step further with Ultra Bond Welded Seams as the showcase technology. Design Director, Clinton Filen, gives us the lowdown on Ultra PE and how the brand has worked with it over the years, plus what riders can expect from the latest materials. Photos Nomadicsea

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #64

Tell Me About It: Harlem Kitesurfing Customisation

If you’ve ever dreamed of having a unique kite with your own design on it, or would like to promote a brand or product on your kite, it is now an easy option with Harlem, thanks to their use of digital printing. We found out more from them and from team rider Scott Barendsen.

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #64

Tell Me About It: North Atmos Ultra

The brand-new Atmos Ultra is the lightest board North have produced yet. We gave the team a shout to find out more about this high-performance freeride twintip. Photos Andy Troy

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #64

Tell Me About It: RRD Religion Y31

How do you improve upon a long-standing, popular kite? RRD talk us through the process they went through to release the latest version of their Religion wave kite. Photos Samuel Tomé

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #61

Behind the Clip: Red Bull Winds of Sinai

Jhon Perez from Columbia headed to Egypt to compete in the Red Bull Winds of Sinai event. Filmmaker Marco Bergonzi joined him to capture this video of some extreme Big Air action in a beautiful setting.

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #61

My Beach: Mondsee

JN Kites, founded in 2003, have been at the forefront of aerodynamic design for innovative features such as the “Perfect Round Arc Shape” and the “Floating Batten” that are now found on many modern kites and wings. They have won numerous podiums over the years and have also been one of our test team’s favorite brands, so we’re excited to get them back in the mag after a few years’ gap. We hear from one of their riders, Andi Parhammer, about his local spot in Austria.

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #61

Insight

A near death occurred upwind of the recent High Five short-line competition in Cape Town. Thanks to some quick thinking and life-saving skills the kiter in question survived. Jett Bradshaw and Ruben Lenten reflect on why learning CPR is so important, especially when it comes to our potentially dangerous sport, and Ruben gives some insight into remaining safe on the water…

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #61

Baywatch

As the hype from the 2024 Red Bull King of the Air (KOTA) vanished and with no sign of any Big Air Kite League event on the horizon, the competition scene in Cape Town was looking scarce. Camdyn Kellett (pictured here), Stijn Mul and KOTA Judge, Alex Barker tell us about the short-line comp that came to the rescue. And the event wasn’t the only thing that came to the rescue in Blouberg Bay.

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #61

Dakhla Downwind Challenge: A Father-Son Odyssey

“There aren’t many kite trips that can strike fear into my heart. Yet, having participated in the Dakhla Downwind Challenge multiple times, I know how it can push you to your limits. This year, however, was special. My father, at the age of 66, joined me on this grueling mission. Together, we tackled a 500-kilometre journey along the harsh, beautiful Saharan coastline – an adventure neither of us will ever forget…” Tom Court tells all.

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #61

Legends in Sync

What do you get when you combine the GOAT, a multiple-podium-winning champion, and an award-winning photographer? Well, you get a radical idea, beautifully executed and skillfully recorded on camera. Aaron Hadlow and Lorenzo Casati have just accomplished probably the world’s first synchronized kiteloop, with Samuel Cárdenas pressing the trigger, and Antonio Herrera Trujillo there to video it. We found out more from Aaron, Lorenzo and Samu.

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THEKITEMAG ISSUE #61

Slaying Giants

James Carew has a phenomenal drive to win. The multiple World Champion recently kitesurfed the biggest wave of his life at Nazaré, and not many people realize he also rides the colossal waves there tow-in surfing. While he waits to find out if his wave will take the Guinness World Record for the largest wave kitesurfed, Axel Reese caught up with him to find out more about his love of slaying giants.

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