Keahi's take on the 2019 Surf range

The new 2019 Surf Collection is out, reason enough to ask multiple Kitesurf World Champion Keahi de Aboitiz to review the boards in the range.

The X:Breed and Cutlass entered the surfboard range this year, what are your thoughts on each and how will you use them?

I think the X:Breed is a great new addition for someone looking for a small wave/strapless freestyle board. The parallel rails allow you to ride a much smaller board than normal while still having great upwind ability and control. I think this one will be a go to for me over the summer as it’s the best way to have fun in small mushy conditions and strapless freestyle! The X:Breed foil also allows you to mount the new Hi:Rise collection to it.

With a flatter rocker, the Cutlass is an extremely fun board that carries a lot of speed and has great upwind ability. Being relatively short, it’s still a fun option for strapless freestyle and really excels doing some big carves with speed in clean waves.

You have been riding foils on all sorts of boards for a few years now, how are you getting on with Hi:Rise collection and what do they enable you to do with a kite?

Foiling has become a huge part of my water time lately and has been gaining traction for good reason. Although the first time is a little difficult, once you figure it out, it's such a unique feeling that’s pretty hard to beat. It’s awesome to see a couple different foil options from Cabrinha with the Hi:Rise Lift freeride foil and the Hi:Rise Speed foil.  My favourite would be the Lift as it is the perfect tool for getting out and exploring. Being a little lower aspect, its nice and manoeuvrable for cruising around and carving turns and still has amazing upwind ability to get you wherever you want to go! 

What set up are you using throughout the year in competition and in different conditions? 

Once again I’m back on the Drifters as it’s hard to find a better setup for the waves and they still work great for strapless freestyle with the recent changes. It's just a solid kite that lets me focus on riding the wave without having to worry about it. Board wise, the X:breed is my go to for the strapless freestyle events and the S:Quad in bigger, more powerful waves.

What are your plans and goals for the rest of the year? 

My main goal is to take out the 2018 GKA world title. After a couple years with injuries and missed events, I wanted to put in full year on tour  and seeing if I can bring it home. I’m also doing a few strike missions and chase some mysto waves. It’s always fun exploring new spots! 

THE 2019 SURF COLLECTION

S:QUAD

X:BREED

CUTLASS

SPADE

DOUBLE AGENT

X:BREED FOIL