Best 2014 Demo Day, Kitebeach, Saturday 26 October 2013

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Hey kiters!
We will be having our first demo day of the season in Blouberg, straight across from the Best Kiteboarding Africa shop this Saturday 26 October 2013. We will have some of the new models like the Cabo, GP, TS and Kahoona pumped up and ready to fly!

The wind is not looking great, but nevertheless come down to the beach to hang out, and even just view, touch and feel the 2014 kites, or even test out how easily the new Twist Lock pumping system works!

And even if you don’t fly a kite, don’t miss out on the pre-order special – this will be the last day to get 15% off a 2014 Best kite, bar or Kiteboard! We also now have stock of some 2014 Kahoonas, Cabos, very few TS kites, as well as some kiteboards (Armada, Sparkplug and Procreator).
Looking forward to seeing you guys in the beach!

Cheers
The BEST Africa Team
+27(0)21 556 2765
info@bestkiteboardingafrica.com
demo_day

Naish 2014 Park

2014 Naish Park Review

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Steve Bertie-Roberts reviews the 2014 Naish Park

The 2014 Naish Park review was conducted in Table View, Cape Town in good 20 to 26 knot cross shore winds with sometimes heavy 5’ waves on a Naish Global 5’8”.

 

 

 

The Feel

For 2014 the changes to the kite technology are an evolutionary jump compared to the usual annual tweaking we are used to.

One of the first sensations when heading out for your first session is just how smooth this kite feels to fly. Every move it kite makes is seamless and intuitive. The new bar with softer grip and a redesigned frictionless centre hole contributes to the smoother feel.

The Bridle

The biggest technical change is the new fixed bridle which has had the most noticeable effect. Finally the best of that legendary ‘C kite feel’ has been engineered into a bridled kite. Bar input is no longer muted by the action of pulleys and the kite responds instantly. Turning is snappier, and the power ramps up a lot quicker than before over the full travel of the bar. This means a lot more instant power when you need it. This means extra pop and boost. Pre-jumping even the most daunting close outs can now be done confidently with a massive safety margin.

The fixed bridle also gives the kite a more stable solid feel, as the front line attachment points are no longer variable. This means less distortion of the wing when turning and adds to the responsive feel and efficiency of the kite.

The Power The power of the 2014 Naish park

The 2014 Park low end power has improved, bringing with it a whole host of advantages:

  • It has a much wider wind range
  • In lulls the kite just keeps on pulling
  • There is no tendency to back stall when the bar is pulled in to the max
  • The new kite accelerates further forward into the window

The Shape

Too much C kite DNA would of course be a disaster, as typically C kites have very limited depower, especially when accelerating down a wave. Fortunately Naish only took just enough to liven the Park up without losing the forgiving attributes of an SLE. On a sizeable wave the 2014 Park does however gain more dynamic lift when accelerating down the face than last year’s, but this can only be felt in strong conditions. A few cm of depower, and control is regained, thankfully not at the cost of turning response. Handling is smooth and easy and there is plenty of depower to initiate a tight bottom turn. The direct response of the fixed bridle means that minimal bar input needed to keep the kite ahead of your turns. Even at maximum depower for bottom turns, bar all the way out with slack steering lines, a quick flick of the bar brings the Park around facing down the wave instantly in time for your next turn.

Jumping

Almost forgot to mention how well this kite jumps. Higher altitudes can be reached than before due to the C kite like vertical acceleration, along with excellent hang time and control with improved glide. Never got to do any tricks and kite loops etc but there is no doubt the kite will be brilliant in this regard.

2014 naish park glidingGliding

One of the stand out attributes of a C kite is the consistent glide they provide even with the bar at full depower. SLE’s on the other hand, tend to unceremoniously drop you out of the sky if your bar is fully extended. Naish’s sliding bar stopper (optional on the Park for 2014) sits above the bar on the double center lines, and can be engaged instantly in any position when needed. Maximum bar travel is controlled, and the rider can keep the kite properly powered for complicated freestyle tricks where hands and concentration are needed elsewhere for grabs or board offs etc.

 

 

 

 

Overview

The 2014 Park is an excellent all terrain kite for all disciplines. Easy wave riding does not come at the cost of freeride performance. Handling is intuitive and forgiving enough for any level of rider and there is more than enough boost and top end excitement added to the mix to take any rider to the next level.

Pop a comment below if you have anything to add. Will be great to hear your opinions!

Kind regards

Brian from Naish South Africa

2014 naish park beach 2014 naish park shop 2014 naish park top view 2014-naish-park-welcome

 

 

Best 2014 pre-order

Best 2014 Pre-order special

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BEST 2014 PRE-ORDER SPECIAL

Pre-order and pay for a 2014 Best product and get 15% OFF the advertised retail price…but only until 26 October 2013!!

With some amazing new features like the new Twist Lock inflation system, and a clam-cleat depower on the new RP Bar, you can’t miss out on these reduced prices on the latest technology in kiteboarding!

For more info on this limited offer and all the new 2014 Best gear, go to our website:

http://www.bestkiteboardingafrica.com/Promotions.html

Contact us to order your Kite, Kiteboard or Bar before time runs out!

The BEST Africa Team
+27(0)215562765
info@bestkiteboardingafrica.com

demo boards van hunks

Find Your Kitesurfing Board

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How to best demo a kitesurfing board

You are looking for a new kitesurfing board but you aren’t sure which one to buy? Even though you might have an idea in which direction your board should go, there are so many boards out there it can be hard to find the right one for you.

Fortunately, you can find the right board through testing. Almost every kitesurfing shop offers to demo their boards. Take advantage of this opportunity. You never know how a board feels until you have it out in the water.

In this article you’ll find tips & tricks to make most of a product-demo:

1) Minimize – demo one thing at a time

It’s great to demo new gear. However, even if a shop lets you try as much gear as you want, don’t take out more than one piece of new equipment at a time. If you’re testing more than one piece of equipment it will be hard for you to identify what works or what doesn’t.

Even if you’re on the chase for a whole new quiver of equipment, take small steps. Find out about a new board using the kite you’re used to, and vice versa. This way you feel what the new gear does to your riding.

2) Know what you like – or dislike! van hunks kiting

Before even choosing the board you want to demo, ask yourself what you are looking for. There’s no point testing a wakestyle board if you just want to cruise comfortably. There are tons of kitesurfing boards out there, each board is designed for a certain style of riding. Find your style before you choose your-demo board…otherwise you’ll be searching for years on end.

A few questions to ask yourself to find the right category of kitesurfing board:

  • What do you like or dislike on your current board?
  • What’s your riding style? Do you want to improve your current riding style or evolve to another?

If you don’t know at all what you want, take another route.

  • What is it you don’t want at all?
  • Most people know better what they dislike. Exclude everything you don’t like and focus on what’s left.

3) Demo long and thorough!

A board other than the one you’re used to, often feels weird at the beginning. You will have to overcome that to make a decision. Don’t cross the board off your list because it doesn’t feel natural in the first few minutes of your session. Ride around for a while, try different things with the board, and soon you will feel the pros and cons to your own board.

van hunks kitesurfing boards4) Try all your tricks – and again – and again!

The board you demo might be very suitable for one style of riding, but totally suck at another. Try everything you can, over and over again. Before you start your demo make up a little battle-plan in your head what tricks you can pull off and try all these tricks with every single board you demo. You’ll soon get an idea which board works best to perform your favorite moves.

5) Demo all new gear at the same spot – know that spot!

It is hard, if not impossible, to compare two boards with one another if you ride them in totally different conditions. It is equally hard to identify strengths and weaknesses of the demo-board if you test it in conditions much different to what you’re used to.

If possible, test all demo boards at the same spot – possibly even on the same day. This way it will be easy to spot differences between the boards. If you don’t know the spot you’re going to demo a board at all, go out for a short session on the gear you’re used to. This way you can figure which sensations or let-downs are caused by the board and which ones by the spot you’re riding at (currents, wind-holes, etc.).

 6) Adjust your board properly!

Set up the demo board to match your own preferences. There’s not much of a chance you will like the feel of a board if it’s set up in a completely different way than your own board. Make sure the width of your stance and the angle of the pads are similar to your own board. Especially make sure the straps are adjusted correctly.

Lastly, speak to the people in the shops! They have a great interest in getting you the best board possible. As long as they understand what you’re looking for they can choose the best boards for you to demo.

We are looking forward to see you in the Vanhunks Boarding shop to demo our kitesurfing boards!

van hunks anamoi van hunks vortex van hunks panga van hunks orca

 

you still don't kitesurf africa extreme

How to choose your kitesurfing course

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The Best Way to Learn How to Kite for You!

What!? You still don’t kitesurf? http://portageparkdistrict.org It’s about time you start!

You’re planning a trip to Cape town, or you are one of those unlucky locals who still don’t kite?

Get ready for a new experience, Cape Town is one of the best places for kitesurfing world-wide. With more than a dozen kitesurfing-schools – the choice is all yours!

This variety of kitesurfing schools, courses and lessons can be quite overwhelming  when you don’t know what kitesurfing is all about.

Here’s our guide to help you make a qualified choice when it comes to your kitesurfing course:

learn the basics of kitesurfing in two days africa extreme

  1. First of all, evaluate yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? How do you personally learn best? What do you want to achieve during your course? Did one method work better than the other in the past? Consider all these points carefully before you search for a school, course or lesson.
  2. Some people get nervous quickly if they can’t manage a tricky task during a lesson. If you don’t want such pressure during your course, 1-on-1 tuition is the way to go. If you are, on the other hand, getting tired quickly, you better choose a group-lesson as it will give you more time to rest in between exercises. Definitely go for private tuition if you’re impatient or short-tempered. An instructor deals with this better than another client.
  3. Is the goal of your course just to learn how to kite? Then you won’t mind a group course. The other students will have the same goal in mind. Are you looking to achieve a certain skill? Consider private lessons.
  4. How about your past experience? Have you made good or bad experience with either group or private tuition? You know best if either one doesn’t work for you.

get to know the tube kite first africa extreme

Most people assume that a private course is always better. We’ve outlined the valid reasons to strive for 1-on-1 tuition above.

Here’s a little bit why group courses can be more effective:

Don’t even start to think that you only progress while you fly a kite. During your own practice, you will be focused on controlling the kite. It can help massively to watch someone else practice while an instructor analyses their mistakes for you.

The two major benefits of group tuition are:

1)   You can rest your body while the other student practises on the kite.

2)   During that time you have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

Be aware that learning to kitesurf is tiring for both body and mind. If you get tired and loose concentration, you will significantly slow down your own progression.

Once you have evaluated yourself and made a call as to what ratio suits you better, we can take a look on different course-formats. There are tons of formats out there: 1-2 hour lessons, full-day courses or camps and clinics that run for several days.

learn to kitesurf with africa extreme

 

At Africa Extreme we believe full-day courses are the way forward.

  • The advantage is that you can break down the entire progression in different levels and cover one level per day.
  • Most students need about 8-12 hours to be able to get on the board and ride a short distance in both directions.
  • That means for you that it takes you only 2-3 days of full-day tuition to know how to kitesurf.

Why we don’t like 2-hour lessons too much?

Especially if there are a few days in between your lessons, you will have to repeat the skills that you have learned and practised in previous sessions again. Just do the math, you will still need at least 8-12 hours of training. If you take a 2h lesson every day, it will take you 6 days to learn to kitesurf. In the best case scenario.

 

Don’t wait any longer! Book your kitesurfing course now! You could be a kitesurfer tomorrow!

 

kite surfing lessons in many languages africa extreme learn the basics of kitesurfing in two days africa extreme

red bull king of the air eden on the bay

Red Bull King of the Air 2014

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Red Bull King of the Air 2014 – in Cape Town Once Again

Background

Held in 1999, the first Red Bull King of the Air event was a huge stepping stone for kitesurfing, a sport that was then still in its infancy. As the sport gained worldwide popularity, the event became a platform for some of the most talented riders in the world to showcase their skills.

After an 8-year hiatus, Red Bull King of the Air made its return in a brand new location: Cape Town, South Africa.

Cape Town – the Mecca of Kiting

Cape Town is the Mecca of kiteboarding and was the perfect location for the return of this massive competition due to our sick waves, wind and location.

Red Bull King of the Air 2013 

The 2013 event was won by the young Hawaiian Jesse Richman in front of over 5000 spectators (the largest crowd garnered by the event since its inception).

Check out some of the awesome moments from Red Bull King of the Air 2013.

 

 

Red Bull King of the Air 2014

In 2014 the Red Bull King of the Air will return to Cape Town, and promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

The 12 top riders representing 7 different countries will return in 2014 to compete for the title of Red Bull King of the Air. During the event some of the best kiteboarders in the world will attempt their most extreme tricks to be crowned King of the Air in the biggest big air kite event in the world.

The kiters who are confirmed for the event are:

jesse richman

Jesse Richman

Nick Jacobsen

Nick Jacobsen

Sam Light

Sam Light

 

 

 

Gianni Aragno

Gianni Aragno

 

 

 

 

 

Lewis Crathern

Lewis Crathern

Ruben Lenten

Ruben Lenten

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oswald Smith

Oswald Smith

Shawn Richman

Shawn Richman

Billy Parker

Billy Parker

 

 

Kevin De Smidt

Kevin De Smidt

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Langaree

Kevin Langaree

Andries Fourie

Andries Fourie

Are you a King of the Air?

This challenge is not for the average kiter, but if you think you have what it takes there are 12 wildcard entries available. [sign up link] You can sign up here.

With the ever growing popularity of Kitesurfing all over the world, the 2014 Red Bull King of the Air is poised to be one of the Extreme Sporting highlights of the year.

When

The event will take place between the 25th of January and the 8th of February, with a 2-day heads up.

There will also be an opening event on the 24th of January at Eden on the Bay featuring live music and a chance to meet the pros.

Where

Once again Eden on the Bay, Big Bay, Cape Town has been chosen for this prestigious event. It’s the best spot for pro kiters, spectators, wind, waves and access to cold beer, kite gear and great food.

Stay in the Loop

To keep up to date with all the latest news follow @CTwatersports and @Redbullza on Twitter, and make sure to keep track of #RedBullKingoftheAir.

red bull king of the air eden on the bay red bull king of the air ct 2013 red bull king of the air 2013 ct Red Bull King of the air winner 2013