Although I know many Candians and Ontario riders have already been out on the water a bunch this year (including days where people were on the water and snow on the same day), April 4th was my first session on the water.  The spot: Port Weller, St. Catherines. 

 The wind:

So this graph pretty much sums up the situation.

Click below to read more!

Watch as Dre, Clarissa Hempel, Damien LeRoy, Julien Fillion, and Jon Modica ride the glassy flats of Shippagan New Brunswick with the crew from Club Wind and Kite.  Nice Acadie slider build!

Want windy and flat waters?  Want a great bunch of people to meet and session with?  Maybe you should check out Shippagan instead of going too far south...

[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPp_k2mD0lc]

Mt. Etna in Sicily, Italy is the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy and is highly active.  I was lucky enough to have a chance to be on this volcano's summit during its summer months and to see the destruction this thing is capable of is breathtaking.  

For the first time ever in history, take a look at this video of Chasta shredding the volcano covered in snow with solid winds (and keep in mind there were some decent sized eruptions back in November 2008!).  The first video is documentary style showing the experience with Chasta and the cameraman kiting the summit.  This volcano is 3339m high and these guys were riding right up there!

[video: http://vimeo.com/3129909]

The second video below is

Here's Ruben Lenten showing Hood River how its done, Dutch style.  Really cool scenic shots in this one while he goes huge!

[video: http://vimeo.com/3060102]

Take a look at the introduction to snowkiting given by the Al Jazeera network and Flysurfer!  They give some background on the sport, show some of the pros and even show what it takes to learn the sport.  Check it!

 [video: http://vimeo.com/3172748]

The 2009 SBC Kiteboard Magazine test team has been in Hatteras, North Carolina for the past few days reviewing countless numbers of boards and kites and we are submitting daily updates on to SBC Kiteboard's website on a daily basis.  Keep an eye on the SBC Kiteboard website's News Wire for the latest updates, video and photos.

Update Day 1

A few weeks ago, I had the luxury of test riding the new Wainman Hawaii 12m Boss from the Rabbit series of kites.   This was a weekend where for once, I went to the beach without any gear, so I had no choice but to ride other people’s gear.  What a great way to compare kites! 

Click the link below to read more of the review and see the pics of the gear and Shawn Richman riding in Canada.

I had the option of moving to the Dominican Republic for afew months to focus on kiteboarding in between a career change.  I sent out a slew of emails to various kiteboard schools in the Dominican along with a few in Costa Rica, and by the next morning, I received a phone call from J.P. at Hotel Tilawa in Costa Rica insisting I come down to check out their legendary wind.  I knew that Cabarete, D.R. was a famous kite boarding mecca, but I was drawn to the idea of Costa Rica for what I didn't know.  It turned out to be the right choice as I had a fantastic adventure.

Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, Highway 12. Hearing these words conjure up visions of countless sessions for those of us who have visited this area and kited the waters on either side of this 320 km long barrier island. Whether you are a beginner or expert, wave, or flat water rider, the Outer Banks is definitely a kiteboarder’s paradise. For those who haven’t been to this giant playground, let me introduce you.

Located on the eastern seaboard on the United States, the “Outer Banks“ describes the huge, thin sandbar jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, separating the ocean from the Albemarle Sound and the Pamlico Sound. Running down the middle of the Outer Banks is Highway 12, a single lane road through sand dunes and small towns. The actual “Cape”, is the midpoint of the Outer Banks that extends furthest into the Atlantic.