2012 Freeride Gear Review

Description

For this review, we selected seven average kiteboarders to join us in beautiful and windy La Ventana along with a huge pile of brand new 2012 kiteboarding gear. We trucked 25 different kite models and 28 boards one thousand miles south of the border and spent a week putting it all through its paces. The information here comes straight from our testers’ review forms along with some input from members of the TKB staff.

After struggling for years on the subject of how to come up with a fair and balanced way to review kiteboarding gear, we think we’ve hit upon the most balanced way possible. This test was opened up to all kiteboarding brands, regardless of their status as an advertiser with The Kiteboarder Magazine and there are no kite or board advertisements from manufacturers in this review guide. Each kite review in the guide includes a link to a review video.
The 2012 Freeride Gear Review features reviews on:
2012 KITES:

AIRUSH LITHIUM
BEST KAHOONA PLUS V4
BEST TS
BLADE TRIGGER
CABRINHA VECTOR
CRAZYFLY SCULP
EPIC SCREAMER
F-ONE BANDIT 5
FLEXIFOIL HADLOW ID
GENETRIX ORIGIN V2
HQ MATRIXX
LIQUID FORCE ENVY
LIQUID FORCE NRG
NORTH EVO
NORTH FUSE
NORTH REBEL
OCEAN RODEO CYPHER
OZONE CATALYST
OZONE EDGE
RRD OBSESSION
RRD VISION
SLINGSHOT RALLY
SLINGSHOT Z
STAR TAINA
WAINMAN HAWAII RABBIT GANG 2.0
2012 BOARDS

BEST ARMADA V3
BEST SPARK V3
CRAZYFLY ALLROUND
CRAZYFLY GIRLS
CRAZYFLY GIRLS PRO
CRAZYFLY RAPTOR LTD
CRAZYFLY RAPTOR PRO
CRAZYFLY SHOX CUSTOM
F-ONE SK8
F-ONE TRAX
F-ONE TX5
JIMMY LEWIS MODEL 3
LIQUID FORCE BLISS
LIQUID FORCE INFLUENCE
NAISH MOMENTUM
NOBILE NHP
NORTH JAIME
NORTH X-RIDE
RRD BLISS
RRD JOYSTICK
SHINN SUPERSHINN
SLINGSHOT DARKO
SLINGSHOT MAYHEM
UNDERGROUND FLX
UNDERGROUND STYX
UNDERGROUND TAHEE
WAINMAN HAWAII BLUNT II
XENON LALUZ