2015 Buyers Guide: MYSTIC

Photo: Justin Nan

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Get full 2015 gear info from 26 brands in the TKB 2015 Buyers Guide.

Mystic is a Dutch brand and was founded in 2002 with the goal of becoming the top water and lifestyle brand for windsurfers, kitesurfers and wakeboarders worldwide. Now in its 13th year, Mystic has established itself as a market leader and continues to refine its line of harnesses and wetsuits and expand upon its various collections including a new line of Diva wetsuits for women. Mystic’s head of marketing, Max Blom Jr. fills us in on the highlights of Mystic’s 2015 products.

Mystic has one of the most impressive lines of harnesses in our industry. What are the biggest changes for 2015? Why change a winning team? Most harnesses have been around for years and are literally the cornerstones of our range. But despite this we made some changes to improve them. The Warrior has been updated and contains a bit more supportive foam on the sides and we changed the inner mold a bit. The Warrior is Mystic’s legacy and we believe it’s the most rock solid and best supportive harness on the market, but we do try and fine tune it every year. For the rest we changed the top women’s harness, the Diva. it’s a bit stiffer than before.

Both the Warrior and Majestic harness lines have been extremely popular over the last couple of years. How should a rider choose between the two? The main difference between the two harnesses is that the Majestic harness is pre-shaped and gives you 360 degree back support. The Majestic also features memory foam in the back panel, which will memorize the curves of your body and give you personalized back support. The Warrior harness is also one of our most supportive harnesses. However, due to the fact that the Warrior does not have the 360 degrees back support, it gives you a little more flexibility compared to the Majestic. Both models are our top selling harnesses and we strongly advise riders try both on before making a choice.

Mystic created the Bruna Kajiya harness. How does it specifically meet the needs of female riders? Our female harnesses are shaped perfectly for the female body. The edges are extremely soft and more curved to fit perfect and give women maximum comfort. The Diva BK model provides you with the right amount of back support to keep you going as long as you want.

When a customer walks into a retailer to test out a Mystic harness, what should they be looking for in terms of fit and performance they can feel in the shop? We always advise to try different sizes and models on and try them with a bar, which should be available in the store. This way, you can feel the difference in size and the differences between our models. Once around your waist and hooked to a bar you can feel the back support our harnesses provide and that helps you decide what you are looking for in a harness. Do you want more back support and less flex, or do you want more flex and less support? That is something you definitely have to feel to be able to decide.

Photo: Hugo Valente

Last year was the first year for the 2Face Harness. How has that out of the box approach to a slider bar been received by wave kitesurfers? The 2Face Wave harness has been a great addition to our range. Many kiters are hooked, which makes us very happy of course. We received a lot of feedback on the harness, made some adjustments here and there, and we believe we have a great harness here. We feel the wave side of our sport is expanding a lot and therefore specialized material is needed. Kite manufacturers make wave dedicated kites but on the accessory side its important as well. In wave riding movability is crucial and therefore we developed the slider bar.

The Legend is the high-end suit in your 2015 line. Walk us through some of its cool tech features. To start off a bit more general, this year we significantly improved our workmanship in the factory. Our high-end wetsuits (Legend, Majestic, diva) are top of the line and can compete with the best suits in the surf industry. Wetsuits have been our major focus and we are thrilled to see the result. Every kiteboarder should check them out and judge for themselves.

The Legend is just Epic. The wetsuit is super flexible and has a windproof panel at the front and the back to protect you from the cold winds as much as possible. In addition to that, this wetsuit has a unique quick dry fabric on the inside, which makes the suit dry faster than any other suit. Perfect if you want to go out for a second session during the day and you don’t want to step in a ”˜wet’ wetsuit.

How does the Majestic compare to the Legend wetsuit and how should customers choose between a front zip and rear zip entry? The main difference between our Legend and our Majestic is the lining on the inside. The Legend has a unique quick dry lining on the inside while the Majestic has a polar lining. Both are extremely comfortable, but a little different. The choice between a front zip or a back zip entry is again something you will have to experience. Most people like the front zip entry because it gives you more flex and freedom of movement on your back compared to the back zip entry. However there are also many people still very passionate about the back zip entry, simply because this style is super easy to get in.

In addition to the harness and wetsuit products, Mystic also offers a big line of clothing, luggage, and accessories. What are some of your favorite products for 2015? In 2015 we have a very cool line of apparel, definitely worth checking out. We have been working with some new styles and new fabrics, so we are pretty excited for that! We have also improved upon our impact vests and also please do not forget our brand new diva wetsuit collection. They are great new flexible suits with killer looks for the ladies.

Is there anything else you’d like to add? We have too many toys to talk about so we can’t wait to show the world our new collections. Next to that we would like to thank our riders, distributors and ambassadors around the globe. Mystic is a collective of so many different people around the world and we all work together to push the brand forward.