The Wave and Strapless Freestyle Team reviews the 2020 NEO

Seb Ribeiro

“I’m one of those guys who’s always trying to push limits in light winds and the 2020 NEO is really incredible in these conditions.”

I really notice a difference when riding the larger sizes, such as the 11m2 and Pro Fish, as the design is powerful with a lot of depower and excellent drift. I use the S Click Bar when riding 5-8m2 sizes and the bigger bar on anything over 9m2.

The lighter materials this year make it super comfortable without affecting bar pressure, unless you want to, which you can do through the tips settings. I generally leave these alone but they are there so you can personalise the NEO to how you like it.

The 2020 NEO is for all levels of wave riders and freeriders. It’s super comfortable with great low end performance, depower and awesome drift. It’s everything I need.

Matchu Lopes

“There’s so much harmony in the 2020 NEO and it allows me to step outside my comfort zone, especially in the waves.”

It motivates me to carve harder, hit a more critical section on the wave, go bigger, get barrelled, go strapless, ride in strong offshore and light onshore winds. It’s a world tour performer and nothing can compare to it.

The first time I flew it on the beach I closed my eyes, steering the kite from left to right. I noticed how light the kite was and could believe how smooth it was through the movements.It’s lighter and faster than last year and the bar pressure is on point, not too hard or soft. I could say so much about it but the bottom line is you can forget about your kite, where it is and what it’s doing and just do what you want. It’s what the NEO is all about, allowing you to focus on the line ahead.

Duotone Kiteboarding Click Bar 2020 Matchu Lopes

If you have ideas the NEO will take you there. From World Titles, your search for the next wave, inspiring video clips, whatever you want to achieve I believe you can do it with the NEO.

The changes in material and new Trailing Edge pattern makes the 2020 NEO lighter overall and therefore better in lighter winds. There’s a lot of power in the kite and depower in the bar, it’s stable, fast, smooth with zero flutter.

I know I’m talking a lot about pushing the limits and going for next level things, but the NEO is all inclusive not only for waveriding, but for everything in-between. From foiling to big jumps, causing and downwinders it’s the 4x4 of the kiteboarding world, ready to take you anywhere no matter the water state, wind and elements, it’s going to give you a good time.

I love tuning kites, always have. I’ve learnt that the Blue and Yellow settings on the bridal can have a huge impact on the 2020 NEO. For offshore spots like Ponta Preta and One Eye, the Blue setting is really good. It also makes the kite faster, which is great for freestyle and looping. In side, side-on conditions like in Brazil and Morocco, the Yellow setting helps the kite drift better. I generally ride the M Click Bar on 22m lines which gives me all the options I need without having to switch up the bars.If it’s howling and I’m on a 5-6m2, I’ll use a S Click Bar.

The design this year is completely in the right direction for my goals and the direction we want to take the sport. It makes me want to ride every day and anywhere, even in the worst conditions and most challenging moments. It’s a machine.

Olivia Jenkins

Duotone Kiteboarding Olivia Click Bar Pro Whip 2020

“The drifting capabilities of the 2020 NEO are really important to me, especially when riding at Jaws”

The direct bar pressure means I can feel the kite at all times in-flight. This is so important when I need to focus on finding find the sections I want to hit. I can put my energy into the wave rather than worry about what the kite is doing.

Both the power and depower abilities are exceptional.I like to be powered when tacking on the outside and waiting for set, gain speed into wave, then once on the wave hit the depower and engage the flowy feeling on the shoulder.

Relaunching quickly and easily gives me the confidence to ride harder. The NEO won’t drop out of the sky, but if you crash it, it’s up again before the next set hits. The light materials this year don’t affect the direct bar feel, just minimises the weight of the kite on my back; a plus point for us female riders.

When there’s no waves, the NEO is great for foiling and I love it for strapless freestyle too. My visional and goals are to ride bigger waves and be more comfortable in them; the 2020 NEO is a huge part of what set’s the stage for that and it’s the only pure wave kite on the market that I trust.

Patri McLaughlin

“I need to trust my kite or I’ll end up in some really sticky situations. The 2020 NEO is the only kite I trust riding big waves.”

The 2020 NEO is super stable and drifts really well. It also has a really direct bar giving it an intuitive feel in the sky. We’ve gone through hundreds of prototypes to get the NEO where it is today. The material combined with the arc and profile of the kite gives it a really rigid stable feel.

Even though the Neo is a wave kite, the stable nature of the kite combined with its easy relaunch and consistent power development make it a great kite for all riders. Many kite schools choose to use the Neo and guys like Airton are jumping and getting incredible hang time with it. I hope to kite the biggest wave ever ridden, and I hope to do it on the Neo.

Play with the settings and see what you like best. When I get my new kites I immediately change the rear pig tails to the blue hard setting. It’s totally a preference thing though.

This year we’ve changed the Trailing Edge to cut off a bit of weight. The Trinity TX canopy material is also super durable. The Neo can take a beating in the white water and spring right back into action.

James Carew

“The 2020 NEO is a lot lighter, quicker around the wind window and has a more reactive which means you can get around the wave quicker than you could before.”

We need the best materials in order to push our limits. I’m in Mauritius now and feel like I’m kiting better than before. I’ve noticed some change in my kite movements and everything is different, in an amazing way through. It’s opened up a new perspective for me and already bringing my riding to a new level. It also looks really cool in the air. It’s simple and suites the shape of the kite which is more boxy this year.

In offshore conditions where there’s a lot of resistance, I’ll change the back lines to the softer setting as hard bar pressure makes top turns even more difficult. In all other conditions I ride hard settings as I want to feel everything The Neo is lighter, not lighter on the bar pressure, just lighter in the sky.

The NEO is super durable. I typically bash my kites around a lot and put them through a lot of punishment, nothing happens to them. Obviously if I get dragged down the reef things can happen, but nothing major. I’m stoked on them overall and the lighter, more durable material is amazing.

It’s really stable and fun to fly around in any type of wind. On the wave, strapless freestyle, unhooked on a surfboard, wherever you want to go the 2020 will take you there. Everyone will enjoy it. I’m all about pure waveriding and strapless freestyle. The 2020 NEO is the one, there’s no other kite like it on the market. It supports where I want to go and where I see the sport going. It really suits me.