Can a Kitesurfing Pro Ride a Kite From 1999?

REAL Watersports recently put together a session testing whether a kitesurfing pro can ride a kite from 1999. The crew, including Matt Nuzzo, dug out some vintage equipment to see how it holds up twenty-five years later. They handed Keahi de Aboitiz an original F-ONE Shadow foil kite and a couple of classic directional boards to take out on the water.

The clip covers the full process, starting with a breakdown of the old tech and a look at the lack of modern safety features. Because of how these early kites functioned, it actually takes a four-person hot launch just to get Keahi moving. It is a good look at the zero-depower era of the sport and how a modern professional adapts to gear from the very beginning. The video ends with a debrief on how the vintage setup felt compared to what is on the market today.