ISSUE 53
In issue #53 we expose the full glory of kitesurfing around Cape Town in South Africa. There's a reason (actually, there are many!) why so many pros and amateur riders head there in the European winter time. The weather is fantastic, the scenery is some of the most stunning on the planet, but for us, as kitesurfers, it's the dozens of world-class spots and phenomenal wind stats that make it such a wind sport heaven. We reveal the heap of reasons why those who've chosen to make Cape Town their home, and why people who've travelled all over the world looking for the best kite spots find themselves returning to put themselves at the mercy of the Cape's awesome Cape Doctor sou'easter time and time again. 
Cape Town is actually one of kitesurfing's most important hubs in terms of gear development, with many brands spending all or part of South Africa's summer season putting their prototypes up against the regularly testing conditions. Airush relocated their operation to Cape Town a year ago and have now developed a fully in-house working system that includes everything from R&D and innovation to design and art. We paid a visit to their new HQ in the Muizenberg suburb of town with a particular focus on their Active surfboard construction system.
Mark Shinn thought he was onto something pretty special when he came up with the SuperShinn, which was released in August. A high-performance twin-tip packed with an unusual level of user-friendliness, he invited Jim Gaunt to take it for a spin in the choppy, real world waters of Tenerife and to see what he was making such a fuss about ahead of the product launch in August

It's that time of year again – a van-full of 2012 gear landed in the office earlier this month, including the RRD Obsession, Cabrinha Switchblade, North Rebel, Airush Lithium and Varial-X and the Slingshot Rally. We get to grips with these new offerings to get your late summer season off on the best footing.

Crammed in elsewhere are ride guides to Saunton Sands in the UK and Cape Hatteras in the USA, plus our regular standard of stunning images, travel and technique advice and comment, columns and headline news.
 
Save your legs and let us deliver the world's biggest kiting mag six times a year.

ISSUE 52
Issue 52 is loaded up with bundles of energy, literally. Take in that cover! Imagine the forces involved in a wave being able to pitch like that, and then the balls it takes to stand right in its path! We get the scoop from Ben Wilson and co's incredible sessions at Cloudbreak, Fiji in May.
We also take a look at the work being done by some kiters who are using their sport to promote the green benefits of wind and a more ecological lifestyle before dishing some tips on how to control your strapless surfboard as it writhes against all that moving water.
Racing is now one of the fastest growing sides of kitesurfing, at least at event level in terms of the numbers of participants. We chat to the North team and check out the way raceboard shapes have drastically changed over just a few years and we suggest some ideal boards for first timers and those looking to take things more seriously.
As well as ragging up and down the coast on a handful of raceboards, the test team also delve into the realms of non-race-specific lightwind gear, including the Ozone Zephyr and Blade Fat Lady 17m kites, the RRD Addiction 16m and the North Dyno 16m as well as the RRD 10Knots twin-tip. The team also reports on the latest batch of regular 2011 gear.
Plus all your usual favourites, including tips on the popped indy grab, the strapless back loop kite loop, riding toe-side and much, much more!

ISSUE #51
New school freestyle is really starting to take shape. The race for the next move has slowed and been replaced with a journey towards incredibly stylish, but still technical, moves. Even tricks on the PKRA are becoming more and more familiar and we're reaching a stable trick list that is allowing for riders to put more of their own individual stamp and take on a trick, rather than constantly chasing the next seemingly incomprehensible handle-pass. We set top freestyle photographer, Ydwer, and ace move-maker Bas Koole the task of capturing the art of freestyle at its best. Their results from freestyle heaven in Brazil are incredible.
Surely it's everyone's dream to build a home to their own specifications right in front of their favourite break. We go back to the building site with Bertrand Fleury and Tuva Jansen who've set up home right in front of “the longest kiting break” they've ever seen.
Ever wondered how a kite is made, how long it takes to construct each individual kite, how many people it takes, how much material is used and why they are put together in such a way? We get a tour around North's kite factory in Sri Lanka and reveal all.
There have been some epic Sessions around the world the last few months, and we have the full glorious image details from Hawaii, Norway, Ireland, the Alps and more.
Issue #51 will feature many more gear reviews from Cape Town, plus a handful more that we put the boots and hoods back on for this month in the UK, including gear from Cabrinha, Ozone, North, Best, CrazyFly, Blade, Shinn and more!
All that plus the usual columns, favourites, technique, news, travel and we reveal the secret behind holding onto that pee in your wettie!

ISSUE #50
Kiteworld Magazine was started by Hugh Miller in 2001 to reflect what was happening in kitesurfing at the time. There was a need for an independent international magazine to help establish the fact that kitesurfing was a sport in its own right, not an extension of the windsurfing industry. 49 issues on and kiting has boomed across the world, but we're still just trying to make sure we portray the true essence of the sport as we see it. No hype necessary – this is kitesurfing; just the word alone makes hearts race with excitement and anticipation.
In issue #50 we talk to those that started kitesurfing as early as 1995, those that took part during the early conversations of how the sport could progress, those that saw the potential early on, dared to dream and stuck to their guns to help transform their early hair-raising sessions into the amazing, diverse thrill that it is today for riders of all ages.
Expect images and highlights from the last decade in the sport from our favourite photographers, anecdotes from the legends and tales from the top.
Plus all your favourite regulars, just glammed up slightly for the half century party.
All that plus the usual views, news and kite schmooze.

ISSUE #48
We're usually very proud of the standard of photography that we feature in Kiteworld. We work hard to present the sport's top photographers in the best format possible, but issue #48 is really special in terms of optical delights.
Reo Stevens, John Amundson and photographer Stephan Fournet discovered a cracking spot in the Indian Ocean and returned with some spell binding shots. Globe trotting freerider and ex-World Cup rider Gabi Steindl loves nothing more than finding insane kiteboarding in the most remote places. Her report from Papua New Guinea will inspire, while the shots from Jason Pini will leave a tingle down your spine. On top of that we have galleries from Ozone's Australia shoot and F-One in Mauritius and we catch up with Aaron Hadlow to see what he's been up to and what's new with the Hadlow Pro brand.
We've also managed to get our mucky testing mitts on some more brand new 2011 gear. This issue we feature North's consistent performers, the Rebel and Vegas kites, Naish's Bolt and the infamous Torch and Cabrinha's Nomad and Crossbow. We also get on a few choice surfboards and will also reveal more surfboard offerings from all brands in our annual surfboard guide.
As well as keeping you abreast with all the most important tour updates and conclusions, world news, views, comment and gossip, we'll also be spilling the secrets on one of Ian Alldredge's incredible top turns and get you used to your first sessions at attempting to ride unhooked.
All that plus much more shmutter than we have space for here!

ISSUE #46: THE WORLD IS OURS
Everyone has a favourite spot. If you're lucky, it's your home spot, but more than likely it's the perfect conditions you found on your holidays that you keep dreaming about. Pro riders get the luxury of spending half their life travelling to new spots as well as old favourites. Jeremie Tronet and Linn Svendsen have made a career as travelling kiteboarders, taking beautiful pictures and keeping notes of all that they find. This issue they present their top five spots close to Europe, and continue next issue with their top five closer to the USA. If you can't decide where to go next, these two have all the answers for your freestyle, wave and freeride questions.
William Milne has been Aaron's personal videographer for the last few months and Red Bull have just taken him on under contract to film On The Loose, a docu-soap following the lives of Aaron Hadlow and Ruben Lenten. Trailing them everywhere, the show will be aired on national TV in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Webisodes will be available in English. Will used to be our assistant editor as well as an editor over at Fatsand, so he's been around a bit in a short time. We catch up with the sharp shooter to see what it's like Shooting Hadlow.
As well as the usual technique know-hows, our global trottings take us on the wave mission of our lives in Indo, charity working and slider hitting in Kenya, sun soaking in Florida and our popular Sessions feature continues to uncover adventurous sessions from around the world via minimal words and stunning photography. Plus Shannon Best tells us his These Things I Know. Judging by his Tweets, we may have to expand that feature!
In terms of gear reviews, we have a little something for everyone, whether you're a sophisticated freesrider, hardcore freestyler, part time wave rider or light wind desperado, plus we've reviewed our first Girls board from Crazy Fly. Here's the list:
KITES: Blade Trigger, Gin Zulu 2, Ozone Catalyst, Best Waroo, Epic Screamer, North Evo
TWIN: Xenom Rayo, RRD Poison, F-One TX3, Crazy Fly Girls, Shinn Luigi, Best Armada LIGHT WIND: Ozone Zephyr 17m kite, Flydoor XL twin, Shinn King George XL twin and Airush choptop 5'3 surfboard.