Which is better, Coke or Pepsi? People prefer certain brands sometimes. I stick to Coke products, but Coke has never done anything for me. No worries there. I know I can rely on a product with their name on it.

I am loyal to kite companies who don't screw me with half-assed gear and who step up to the plate when stuff blows up before it is supposed to, in the sense that I will always recommend their stuff.

Whatever brand of kite I choose to ride from year to year, I plan to ride a matching quiver from now on because I want the quiver to be consistent from top to bottom. I want to be able to rig each kite the same way, without any confusion when switching kite sizes. Having a strong rigging routine equals less risk of making a rigging error and getting worked.

This year I have Flexis, last few years Norths, year before that Naish kites, but I've also had a 9m Best Waroo, a Cabrinha Black Tip back in the day, Flexi and Quadrifoil ram-air kites. I had one of the first Slingshot OnePumps out in Florida, as well, believe it or not. I've used Litewave, Wipika, Gaastra, RRD, Slingshot, Cabal, and Liquid Force boards. I've used Flexifoil, Wipika, Slingshot, and Cabrinha bars, with the Cabrinha Powerlocks being a long-time favorite, as well as a pulley bar Flexi used to make.

I bet a lot of riders who have been around for 5 years or so will have similar gear histories. It's easier now to stick with one brand because the stuff works now so much better across all sizes of a specific make and model of kite than it did just a few years ago.

Hell, maybe many of us are loyal to kite brands because some our happiest moments involve seeing that logo in the air.