The 2013 North Jaime features a moderate outline, double-V bottom, and a track system that allows you to adjust your stance to your exact preference.

The 2012 CrazyFly Shox Custom features an all-wood core, fiberglass construction, ABS rails, and a double concave bottom shape.

The 2013 Airush Switch features a bottom that is a single concave in the middle and flat in the tips.

The 2013 Vanguard is a well-finished twin tip with a moderately wide outline, quad bottom concave, and a prominent center spine running down the middle of the board.

The 2013 Best Armada is a relatively lightweight and beautifully finished twin tip.

Elevation Kiteboarding's Mark Bavis has been throwing unique tricks while kiting on his skimboard and Elevation is now offering the Beach Dog Kite Skim. A kiteboarding-specific skimboard, the Beach Dog Kite Skim is basically the same board that Mark has been riding.

While in Hood River, Slingshot handed us two brand new 2013 Tyrant surfboards to test. Both boards share the exact same shape, but differences between how the boards ride were very noticeable.

We selected seven average kiteboarders to join us, trucked a mountain of gear 1,000 miles south of the border, and spent a week putting it all through its paces. This is the result.

The Gambler features a very wide outline, double to single concave bottom with molded channels, and a single bump swallow tail. For a wide 5’10”, it’s a lightweight board.

We continue to be impressed with the attention to detail on products from Wainman HI. Boards come with all hardware, a board bag, and even a screwdriver to put everything together.

Once up and riding, the F-One Trax is a fast board that feels light and responsive underfoot. As you edge harder, the Trax feels like it locks in and never gave us any signs that the edge was about to slip or chatter.

We tested the big boy of the 2011 Litewave Wings, the 161. This is a light wind specific board and it stands out when compared to other twin tips. The board features wide tips, a reverse sidecut outline, and a very deep tip to tip single concave. There are two fins on the heel edge and two near the tips of the board close to the centerline. This board has more rocker than last year’s model and is fairly flexible.

The first thing our testers noticed was how easily driven the NHP is. It takes little power to get going and shoots upwind almost effortlessly.

The middle of the bottom of the board is actually convex in the middle (like a bubble) and flows into a double concave out the tips.

The LF Kite Fish is very easily driven and takes hardly any power to get up and going. Once on a plane, it became immediately clear that this board is very loose.