Nitro City To Host 1'st PKRA Stop of 2014

Nitro City in Panama will be hosting the first PKRA tour stop of 2014!  Somehow I made it on the poster?  haha.  Should be a fun change for the freestylers though!

With a Kite

Super excited for this project to drop!  A look inside of Kiteboarding and the story of some of the Tripple S Invitational riders.  Watch for a premiere near you at you favorite Kiteboarding destinations!

2014 The Kiteboarder Buyers Guide

The Kiteboarder Magazine 2014 Buyers Guide is not out!  Few shots ran in it from the North product shoot.

2013 Russia Rail Masters Edit

Fun edit Konstantin Bobovike put together from the 2013 Rail Masters event in Blaga, Russia!

BeeKiteCamp / RAIL MASTERS 2013 from Naoba2 Motion Pictures on Vimeo.

Vegas Shoot / US Episode Media Starting to Roll Out... KiteLife

Lots of media coming out from our product shoot this spring!  We shot in Cape Hatteras and Texas for the 2014 Vegas kite and Gambler and Team Series boards.  First off is an article in KiteLife Magazine...  it's in German so good luck reading it!

On the Road... Russia, Florida, Hood River, Great Lakes and Back to Brazil!

Last few months have been pretty hectic.  Super busy with lots of stops and lots of flights... 

I flew out to Russia which turned out to be quite the adventure... I had a nightmare of a time trying to get in and out of the country but the time spent there on the Black Sea was pretty well insane!  Who would've thought that Russia would have the best kiteboarding park in the world and a kite community and a park riding level from the locals like I've never seen before...  I was there for the Rail Masters contest and managed to win my first two heats but then ended up in 4'th out of the 6 man final behind Aaron Hadlow, Sam Light and Tom Court.  I could go on and on about this trip but I'd spoil the feature coming out in the new issue of the Kiteboarder Magazine.

After Russia I was home for a few days and then straight to Florida for the Surf Expo and some laps at the OWC cable park.  I was nominated for AWSI Kiteboarder of the year and North had a booth where we would release most of our 2014 line to North America.  Surf Expo took what I thought a trade show would be like and flipped it upside down.  The US always seems to do things big but this place was pretty crazy with a stand up paddle lake, skatepark, shapers booths, media centre ext.  Every major surf, skate, wake, kite, stand up paddle company was being represented and the booths were off the charts! It was definitely a good time and fun talking shop with all the clients and consumers coming by to check out the North Kiteboarding booth!

Craig Cunningham - AWSI Kiteboarder of the Year from Craig Cunningham on Vimeo.

After Surf Expo I headed out to Hood River for some shred sessions with some of the NA Blend crew as well as a friends wedding so that was fun, we built some tubes, we sessioned, we partied and then I went home to the Great Lakes.  This was much needed two week stop in Port Dover to get my life sorted for the upcoming winter travels... sorting contracts, visas, , meetings and catching up with family and friends! 

Also managed to grab the front page of the local newspaper!  The time flew by and before I knew it, it was time to head back out for another season in Taiba, Brazil!  Back on the grind in kite paradise...

North Kiteboarding US Episode is Online

BOOM!  It's live...  The latest episode from North Kiteboarding!

North Kiteboarding US Episode Teaser

Super excited about this!  Definitely the most fun and highest production video I've ever been a part of!!!  The latest episode from the North Kiteboarding International Team from our shoot this spring.  Watch the NKB crew get loose in the US... throwing down some crazy freestyle, greasing up the park and jumping off aircraft carriers!

iKSURFMAG Double Page Spread

Really like this shot Toby Bromwich took during the 2014 North Vegas shoot!  Just ran in the latest iKSURFMAG.

2014 North Kiteboarding and Ion Catalog

The 2014 North and Ion Product Catalogs have been released... Here's a few shots I scored in them! Check out all the new products at www.northkites.com and www.ion-products.com

2014 North Gambler Product Video

Really happy with how this board came out for 2014!  Deeper channels, more rocker, thicker through the center and thinner in the tips with a new core layup giving it an amazing flex.  Definitely the first kiteboard I'm happy to ride at the cable!  Check out the product clip and an interview with Kiteworld for some more info about the board!



North Gambler 2014 product clip from North Kiteboarding on Vimeo.

North 2014 Vegas and Gambler Released!!!

North just released the 2014 Vegas and Gambler!  These are the main two products I'll be riding for the next season and couldn't be happier!  The Vegas has some small tweaks that help performance but the handling feels similar to the 2013!  The Gambler has been totally redesigned and is definitely the best kiteboard I've ever ridder in the park.  It features deeper channels, new thicker construction and a stiffer flex pattern which offers the perfect flex for rails with thinned out tips!  Really stoked on how both of these turned out for 2014!  Check out the Vegas product video below...

and the new website at www.northkites.com

Squence Spread in the New Kitelife

A shot Vincent Bergeron took last fall in the Magdaline Islands just got ran in the new KiteLife magazine!

Nitro City In SBC Kiteboard

The new SBC Kiteboard just ran a spot check I wrote on Nitro City from my trip out there with Colleen Carroll, Eric Rienstra, Chris Bobryk and Claire Lutz!  Check out the article... this place is insane!

West Coastin'

Been a while since I updated this... been pretty busy working on some projects and traveling lots! I was out on the west coast earlier this summer and as always it was a blast!

Besides the obviously awesome Slider Project park, great food, great friends, mountain biking and SUP adventures in Hood River I was also able to take a quick trip with North West Coast rep Dan Schwarz and his family for a demo out in Squamish, BC!  Colleen Carroll and myself hopped in Dan's new Mercedes Sprinter van and headed North!  What a place!  I had heard lots about the "Spit" in Squamish before but had never made it out... they had an amazing setup with flat water, a huge round pipe slider, a kicker and definitely the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen at a kite spot!  Snow capped glaciers on one tack and on the other a huge waterfall... I had never been so content just cruising around!

  

Looking through these photos I'm definitely excited to get back out to the west coast next month!

The Kiteboarder Winter Travel Guide

Also scored two reviews in the Kiteboarder magazines fall/winter Travel Guide!  Get the full travel guide here!

NITRO CITY, PANAMA

PRANBURI, THAILAND

The Kiteboarder 2013 Buyers Guide

This has been out for a while now but I never have had a chance to look through it!  2 Shots from the Magdaline Islands from Vincent Bergeron in the Vegas and Team Series write reviews!

Interview in the latest Kiteshow.TV Episode!

The latest episode of the Kiteshow.TV is out!  I have the video thumbnail and a little interview in there with Sam Medysky about the SSS Invitational!

http://www.thekiteshow.tv/index.php/the-kite-show/item/199-triple-s-kiteboarding

Contents Page Spread in Kitesurf Magazine

A shot from last fall in Brazil was used for the Contents page in the recent Kitesurf Magazine!  I love the Taiba lagoon and this was from an early morning shoot there with Jason Brook.  Colleen Carroll is buttering on by while I pop a trip flip of the sandbar in front of Jason!  

COVER!!! The Kiteboarding Tricktionary!

Was surprised to see the cover of the Kiteboarding Tricktionary when it came out!!!  The hard book will be sold worldwide and will be available in 6 different languages!  Get your copy here... http://kiteboarding.tricktionary.com/en

Magdaline Islands in KiteLife Magazine

KiteLife a German kiteboarding magazine just ran a double page spread of a shot Vincent Bergeron took out on the east coast of Canada this past fall on the Magdaline Islands!

Nitro City, Panama Spread in Stance

Issue # 54 of Stance just came out!  Scored a nice double page spread with Josh Pietras from a session in the Infinity pool at Nitro City Action Sports Resort in Panama!

Sesitec Wakeboarding Banner

Not sure how but I made it onto the facebook banner for Sesitec with a shot Dave Sanford took at Boarder Pass in Port Colbourne last year!  Pretty nice surprise though as Sesitec is the biggest company in wakeboarding with their System 2.0 popping up everywhere as well as their full 6 tower systems!  Stoked thanks Sesitec...

NA BLEND Crew at Nitro City, Panama

Not sure how this slipped my mind because it was one of our biggest projects of the winter!  Back in late January I headed out to Nitro City, Panama to meet up with Eric Rienstra at the new Action Sports Resort on the Punta Chame peninsula in Panama created by the Nitro Circus crew!  If you have ever seen the MTV show or the movie you know Nitro is known for balls out, no rules ridiculousness and the luxury Nitro resort is no different!  You'll see a family enjoying fresh sushi in the restaurant while 5m away a group of friends is getting crazy and beer bonging their night away!  After a few weeks of settling in at the resort the  rest of the crew started trickling in... Colleen Carroll, Claire Lutz and Chris Bobryk were now all on site and with the arrival of our media man Josh Pietras as well it was time to put on our gnar boots on and crank the dial up to ten!

Here's what we got into...

NA BLEND @ NITRO CITY from NA BLEND on Vimeo.

Thanks to Hayes, Walter, Ana and the whole Nitro Crew!  You guys are animals!

Kiteboarder Australia Spread

More spreads!  Just found out this photo Vincent Bergeron took in the Magdaline Islands ran as a spread in the new Kiteboarder Australia!

2013 SSS Invitational Wrap Up

The 2013 SSS Invitational was fun as always but a little different than in years past.   With over 25G's up for grabs the new format was introduced changing the event from a brodown jam format to heats with a scoring system and a panel of judges. This turned up the pressure on the competitors, who now had to not only throw bangers but throw them consistently. 

In SLIDERS the riders had two runs through the park, taking a score from your best hit on each feature. I was in a stacked heat #3, along with Aaron Hadlow, Andre Philipp, Rick Jensen, BCS, Chad Worrall, Davey Blair and Joby Cook. Only three riders would advance through and unfortunately I didn't put down the run I was hoping for and was slightly edged out of the finals by Hadlow (5x World Champ), Chad Worrall (pro cable rider) and BCS (local legend).

Mens SLICKS was another tough heat for me with some really strong riders in heat #3 again...  8 tricks, 4 get scored and only 3 people would be advancing into the finals. With some major tricks going down from everyone it was close but I was super excited to hear I managed to make it through with Aaron Hadlow and Rick Jensen to meet Sam Light, Sam Medysky, Billy Parker, Alex Fox, James Boulding and Ewan Jaspan in the finals!  Pretty stoked with being in the top 9...

Here's a little highlight video from my heats... more video from post SSS will be coming shortly!

2013 Triple-S Video Highlight / Craig Cunningham from REAL Watersports on Vimeo.