Kai Lenny Always smiling, always professional the future is bright for nineteen year old Kai Lenny.
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Words & PHOTOS John carter
At the age of nineteen Kai Lenny has already clocked up more hours on the water than most people do in a lifetime. In the surfing world he has been hallmarked to be bigger than Laird Hamilton, the next best thing to Kelly Slater and in windsurfing terms he has already been tipped as the man to take over from Robby Naish as one of the future legends of the sport. These maybe bold statements but the achievements to date of this incredibly versatile waterman speak for themselves. Kai has already twice been crowned as the SUP Wave World Champion, he rides at a world class level in a variety of water-sports and to prove it has ridden massive waves at Jaws on his windsurf, SUP, tow, paddle and foil boards. This seemingly fearless young athlete is just at the start of his career and with Robby himself as a mentor and the backing from Naish, Oxbow and Red Bull, Kai Lenny could be poised to become a universal icon in the world of water sports. We sent John Carter out to Maui for this long overdue interview to find out more about Kai and his adventures to date. JC: Is it true your middle name is ‘waterman’? KL: Waterman is my true middle name. It was my great grandmothers maiden name and after she had past away there was no one in my family with it so since my parents always thought is was such a cool name they promised themselves to name their first child with it. It just so happened I grew up with the love of the ocean so I’m honoured to carry on the family name! JC: How old were you when you first learned to windsurf and surf? KL: I first learned to surf when I was four years old. I had been on the front of my parents surfboard since the day I was born, so I have always had this deep love and association with the ocean embedded in me. I started windsurfing when I was six years old because I was always at the beach watching my mum and dad sailing and it looked like so much fun! I was also riding motor cross and this felt like my motor cross on the water.
JC: Do you think your dad had a premonition that you would become a full time waterman? KL: Living around the ocean has been a part of my family’s lifestyle since before I was born so I had two choices since the day I was brought into this world. I could either take the normal path of a kid and play in the sand all day or I could go in the water and surf, windsurf, kite, SUP, and push myself in the most athletic way possible. All I can say is that I am glad I made the right choice. JC: What does your dad think of the way your career has panned out so far? KL: My Dad and my entire family are super stoked for me since I am living my dream and getting to live my life to the fullest. I have always been extremely close to my parents so I would for sure not be at the place I am at without them. What is so cool is to see the directions my path has followed and since I have flowed with it like a river headed to the sea everything continues to get that much better.
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Kai Lenny Kai punts an aerial at his home stomping grounds, Ho’okipa Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii.
JC: Is the waterman angle the way you like to market yourself? KL: The way I market myself is just by who I am. It just so happens I am a professional in a variety of ocean sports and my middle name is waterman; that is just the way it is. I love what I do and I hope my passion for the water will inspire others to follow their passions in life. I could argue I am the happiest person alive. You should be too. JC: Do you look after all your own sponsorship deals or does your dad help you out with the business side of things? KL: My Dad helps me with the money side of things and he shows me the way to score the best deals. He is an incredible business minded person but best of all he is a great people person so all of my sponsors love him as well as my entire family. JC: When did you first hook up with Robby Naish? KL: My parents have known Robby way before I was born so I grew up being around him. He was always my hero when I was younger and still is someone I look up to and respect. I have been really lucky to be mentored by someone as professional as Robby. He is also by far one of the funniest people to be around. JC: When did he start sponsoring you? KL: I remember one of the windsurf companies came to our house and my dad told me that these people wanted to sponsor me. I was really happy but I remember not wanting to go with the deal because I wanted to be sponsored by Naish. My dad took the man into my room and all he saw were drawings of Robby Naish all over the walls. One of my earliest dreams as a kid was to be sponsored by Robby’s company. I finally got sponsored by Naish when I was 10 years old. Naish 22
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has been such a major part of my life that being with them feels like family. JC: What is it like hanging out, surfing and sailing with Robby Naish? KL: When I was younger I was always so blown away to have to opportunity to be around him and ride. Nowadays we call each other all the time, whether it’s just about what the surf looks like, or about cars, or about anything for that matter. He went from being just my hero, to my good friend, mentor and my hero. It’s always hilarious and fun to be around him, he is such a funny guy. JC: Is he a cool boss? KL: He really is the best boss. It is super cool to be able to ride everyday with Robby no matter what the conditions are. We go SUPing, windsurfing and kiting together but riding alongside Robby means that I have to sail or surf my very best all the time. JC: How did you score the Red Bull sponsorship deal? KL: I was super lucky. Every year Red Bull would have the annual King of the Air kite boarding event at Ho’okipa and I got introduced to all the top guys. The Red Bull people asked my dad if they could meet with me as they were interested in sponsoring me. I was twelve years old and in our sit down, they had the best Guacamole ever, no one was having any and I thought I was being rude then they told me it was just for me. There is nothing better than Red Bull with chips and Guacamole! At the time, they told me that I was one of the youngest athletes ever to be sponsored by Red Bull; I am so stoked to be on their team.
“ it is all about maintaining the discipline to train for each sport “
JC catches a nice perspective of a Kai Lenny air from behind the wave
JC: Describe a typical day for you when the wind and waves JC: Is it tough trying to cram all of your different sports that are firing in Hawaii? you are into? KL: If the conditions are firing on Maui I usually will leave home KL: It is hard but since my entire life is surrounded by getting in at 6 am and come home at 6 pm. It is near impossible for me the water it makes it much easier. I just do what the conditions to miss any opportunity Maui has to offer on the water. My call for and that is a super easy way to decide what to do. Maui is favourite thing to do is to wake up early and go surf or SUP perfect because it has some of the best conditions in the entire first thing in the morning, then at 11am I will go windsurf until world for all the ocean sports. I am really lucky because I am the mid-afternoon. After I windsurf Ho’okipa, I like to do a sponsored to surf, windsurf, kite surf, stand up paddle and do all SUP down winder. Then for the last bit of sun light I like to go of these different sports so it gives me plenty of time to do them for an evening kite session to end it all. That for me is a pretty consistently. Basically all of the sports that I do have surfing as satisfying day! the foundation and each sport is cross training for the others. JC: Are you still studying or are you full time waterman Up, up and away, it is back right now? loop time in Hawaii. KL: I graduated from high school last June 2011. Right now, I have taken a year off in order to focus on my sports and learn about what I need to do to be the best team rider/athlete I can be. I am looking into starting some on-line college business courses, it will be awesome to continue learning skills that will better help me in my career as a pro athlete. I think it is important to never stop learning. JC: How difficult was it to study on line while also trying to compete? KL: It is super difficult at times but it is also helps push my discipline levels! I felt like it allowed me to not over analyse or over think everything since I was so preoccupied with keeping up with my school assignments. When you are exhausted after a big day of competing the last thing you want to do is do school but it is a great example of what I did not know I learned until now. Which is to be your best you have to be pushing yourself outside you’re boundaries and put yourself or at least for me, myself outside my comfort zone. Studying on line was hard but it forced me to rise to the occasion. JC: What is your ambition with windsurfing? KL: My dream of becoming a world champion windsurfer is still very much alive, but as of right now my competitive focus is SUP waves and racing. Windsurfing is one of the greatest sports in the world because it feels like motocross on water. You have the speed, the power, the dynamics and the colours. It has to be one of the most visually greatest sports! I love windsurfing and I hope to be pushing myself to the next level for as long as I can.
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Kai Lenny
On this massive day at La Perouse on the south shore of Maui, Kai surfed, stand up paddled, sailed and the kite surfed; four extreme sports in one day! Courtesy of Oxbow
JC: Describe the day at La Perouse last year when you did all the different water sports during one of the biggest south swells in decades? KL: That day at La Perouse was the day I realized the reason why I do all these sports. It’s to keep me on the water no matter what and to take the opportunities the ocean has to offer and enjoy it to its fullest. I started off with SUP, then surfing, windsurfing and finally kiting. Each sport I spent a couple of hours doing so by the end of the day I truly felt like I lived the day to the fullest. My greatest feeling was being on a a swell that only happens every few years and taking full advantage of it. JC: If a stranger on a plane asked you what you do for a living how would you describe your job to them? KL: I will usually tell them I am a professional athlete and they will ask what sports I do. Then I tell them about my water sports and they seem to always think it is super cool and it reminds me to be grateful with the opportunity I have right now. I can’t even tell you how stoked I am to be living my dream. JC: When did you first surf and windsurf Jaws? KL: I first surfed and sailed Jaws when I was 16 years old. I have been fortunate enough growing up on Maui to be able to see it break and know the guys that charge out there. While I was growing up, I felt like I knew everything there was to know about the spot without actually riding it. It was one of my life time dreams to go out there and ride among the best big wave guys in the world. I did not think it would happen that fast but I am so grateful to have experienced some of the most exhilarating rides of my life both windsurfing and surfing there. JC: What is the biggest day you have sailed and surfed it? KL: The biggest day I have ever windsurfed Jaws was on Christmas day 2010. The wind was really off shore and the waves were massive. I remember dropping in and feeling like I was hovering over the water the entire ride because of all the speed I had. It was an awesome experience, since there was only Robby, myself, Polakow and Levi out on the water. My biggest day towing was with Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama at Jaws only a few weeks earlier on December 8th. It was my first real day out at Jaws and I must have caught about thirty or more waves. It was an honour to have towed and windsurfed with some of the legends that day! JC: Does the place scare you? KL: The place scares me so much! But it is also my favourite wave and as scared as I may be it will never be enough to stop 24
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“ I could either take the normal path of a kid and play in the sand all day or I could go in the water “ Relaxed SUP session at Jaws, check out the camera on the nose of Kai’s board.
me from riding there. The feeling you get and the reward of being on the wave is more than worth the risk, and as much as I am scared of it, I feel comfortable out there. I am just taking baby steps. I was told by Laird and Dave that it is important to learn every step because every step learned will come back to help you in a situations you would rather avoid. The best way was how Dave Kalama put it; do you want to ride the place for 3 years or 30 years? I want to ride it for 30 plus years! JC: Have you ever had any major wipe outs at Jaws? KL: I have only wiped out once, knock on wood, and it was tow surfing on the left at Jaws. It was probably the biggest wave I have caught out there. The wave closed out and I remember thinking I was going to die. I remember getting pounded but coming up laughing and smiling because I had made it! I am sure I will take much more gas but that is all part of the experience and what you have to be willing to go through in order to have the ultimate ride. JC: What do you do in the summer when it’s flat on Maui? KL: There is no time that I could ever say I have nothing to do. Since I windsurf, surf, SUP, kite surf, canoe paddle, bodysurf and do all of these spin offs I am able to do at least four sports a day depending on any conditions put in front of me. So I am pretty lucky, I always have something fun to do.
Kai Lenny Kai showing off his game at Ho’okipa, a tweaked air for the crowds on the hill.
JC: How much time do you spend on the road each year? KL: Last year I clocked in seven months away from my home on Maui. I love travelling more than anything - to be able to see the world and its endless playground is truly a blessing. Also to meet all these super cool people and see their homes and cultures is priceless. Maui is still my favourite place in the world but it is good to get off the island and appreciate it that much more. It is easy to take it for granted. JC: Do you enjoy the travel side of your job or do you find it a drag carting all of your gear around with you? KL: Carrying around big board bags does not bother me at all, I actually have to tell myself that I should not take as much as I do. I always want to have all my sports equipment at my disposal anywhere I go. I never listen to my own advice. I will usually travel with six board bags and my suitcase. It is sure worth it once I am there. JC: How do you balance doing the SUP World Tour with the Windsurfing World Tour? KL: Last year I remember it being super difficult training for the different conditions. But life is much more fun when you push yourself to that certain place just before the edge and you soon see your best come out. That’s the best feeling and that’s the way I like it! It is getting more difficult as events from the Stand Up World Tour are starting to conflict with the PWA Windsurfing Events. For me it is all about maintaining the discipline to train for each sport and to focus on each particular competition. I try and go to all the events I can do but it is not always possible when there is a conflict. JC: Describe you perfect conditions for windsurfing? KL: I have two favourite conditions in windsurfing. I really like big waves especially clean Jaws because of the lines I can draw and because windsurfing at Jaws lets you explore that wave from such a crazy perspective. My other favourite condition is when Ho’okipa is windy enough to jump on the way out and has perfect bowl sections for tricks. This is the kind of session where I feel tired after one hour because I am not stopping from riding and jumping at 100% from the word go. JC: What sort of windsurf boards are you riding? KL: I am riding all production Naish boards. Currently my favourite size is the 75 litre wave. It works great anywhere in the world. JC: How did it feel when you became Stand Up World Champion? KL: To be two times Stand Up Paddle World Champ is amazing! I had always dreamt of being a multi world champion but I still 26
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have to fulfil my dream of being a multi-sport world champ. JC: Do you think Stand Up will help more people get into windsurfing? KL: I think SUP is a great cross over sport to windsurfing. Windsurfing is so colourful, powerful and dynamic that anytime you are on a SUP you get really comfortable with the idea of throwing a sail on the board and just going. JC: How well are the SUP events organised compared to the PWA? KL: It is awesome to be able to be competing on both tours and I have to say both tours are a real joy, not only because they are organised at a professional level but the different people on the tours are all really cool. The SUP tour is growing like crazy and I hope that the windsurfing tour will too - it would be all time to see the PWA return to Ho’okipa! JC: Which windsurfers have influenced you and why? KL: Robby Naish was always my favourite. I have also been influenced by the raw attacking styles of Jason Polakow and Levi Siver. But to tell you the truth I have so many riders I am influenced by. I like looking at what everyone is doing and take what I really like about their styles and combine them. JC: Do you really feel like you are living the dream right now? KL: I am for sure living the dream. The dream I had when I was a little grom. Once we are living our dream we dream of something else. My new dream is to keep living my dream but to amplify it up and push everything I do to the next plateau and to a place that I could never have dreamt of when I was little. I am having so much fun on this journey toward my dream; I’ll let you know when I get there. JC: What are you ambitions with all the sports that you do? KL: My ambitions for all the sports I do is to be at the highest professional level in each one. To push my riding to places I have never been before and to continue pushing the limits in competition. JC: You must have all the toys you need for water sports by now, what do you ask from your parents for Christmas presents? KL: I do have just about everything I would ever need! And if I do need something I am lucky enough to be sponsored for it. I guess the one thing I ask for is just to share good times on the water with them. JC: Three words to describe yourself? KL: Keeping life fun!z
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SWELL OF THE
DECADE!
K-BAY FIRING WORDS & PHOTOS: John Carter
The Bench at Kimmeridge (or K-Bay) is one of the few reefs in the UK that really has world class potential. Unfortunately this powerful peeling break only conjures up its magic a handful of times a year, usually in the winter and even then it can be closed for sailing due to the MOD firing range close by. Last winter John Carter, Timo Mullen and a few lucky locals were on hand for one of those rare days when the stars lined up and all the elements came together. 28
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The Isle of Portland shimmers in the distance as Timo Mullen drops deep into the pit at the Bench!
“ I was even nervous about shooting. I did not want to bodge up what was potentially one of the best days of the decade“ John Carter
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JOHN CARTER At the end of last summer I recall being on the phone to Timo discussing possible destinations for our Coast series and with pen and paper in hand I jotted down a list of prime targets to score over the winter. Right up the top of the rankings was a big day at the Bench with a note to make sure we actually nailed a massive swell that would truly do this world class wave the justice it deserves. Come mid-December a blip showed up on the swell radar that had all the ingredients to produce something special. The forecast all week was showing north-west winds, combined with a solid swell working its way up through the English Channel peaking on Friday and Saturday. On Thursday Timo had checked with the wardens after sailing on Thursday about the MOD shooting schedule and word was that the shelling would be over at 12.30. When the Red Flags are up sailing at the Bench is strictly off limits so at least we had the afternoon available to capture any action if the conditions were on. Timo reckoned it would only be logo high. I packed all my camera gear and set my alarm for 6.30am. When I woke up I checked the Channel buoy readings. It was reading 14 feet at 13 seconds and was picking up by the hour. I grabbed my camera gear and jumped in the car. It was 11am when we rolled over the hill at K-Bay and nearly drove off the road on first sight of the endless swell lines hitting the reefs. My only worry was that it did not look very windy and what wind there was looked almost bang offshore. A couple of massive sets exploded onto the Bench while we were still a few miles away and they easily looked double mast high. Suddenly the adrenaline was pumping. I was even nervous about shooting. I did not want to bodge up what was potentially one of the best days of the decade at this particular break. We had to wait over an hour before anyone could sail the Bench. While we were waiting I called Guy Cribb and James Cox to tell them to drop everything and get to K – Bay. The reason the Bench is such a quality wave is due to the geological lay out of the seabed. Several layers of smooth stone stretch out some three hundred metres under the shallow waters and then taper off as the reef curls into the bay. This means sailors can ride the wave, which has a peak upwind followed by a second race track section on the inside, and then kick out into relatively calm water and watch the next guy ripping it up from the luxury of the channel. By 1pm Timo was heading out for his first wave while I was up on the cliffs. The temperature must have been about six degrees and even less with the wind chill, so with well over mast high surf this was not a day for the feint hearted. By 4pm the light was fading fast and I headed back for another mile and a half trek round the boulders back to the car park. Back at the van, Timo was already de-rigged and was de-thawing with the heater on full blast, already re living some of those awesome waves. Someone up above must have been looking down on me that Friday as for once, I just made it to the train when we arrived back to Poole and I was back in doors on the Isle of Wight by 6.30pm. As we neared Kimmeridge the red flags were still flying which meant that even if there was wind and waves we would not be allowed to sail Broad Bench until the shooting was over. Then we spotted a couple of surfing buddies of mine coming back from K - Bay in their van. It was the ultimate Mexican stand-off, I did not want to know what it was like for fear of hearing the worst but also I wanted to put my hand down my friends throat and drag the words I wanted to hear out of him!
TIMO MULLEN On arrival at Kimmeridge it was immediately apparent that it was windy and extremely big. We watched some absolute monster sets detonating on Broad Bench. Not only was it huge but it was clean with a long period. 30
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Up and under at the Bench as the inside section walls up for Timo This swell was very special, it was huge. The waves were hitting Broad Bench at the perfect angle and looked like Cape Verde rather than the south coast of England. For the first 45mins I had the place to myself. It was only fitting that I was joined for the biggest and cleanest waves of the day by long time K - Bay regular and ripper Neil. The weirdest part of sailing Broad Bench this big was how far out to sea we were picking up the swells. I sail these size of waves in Ireland but to be sailing this size on the south coast was something unusual. One thing that really stood out to me from this day was the standard of sailing by all the local crew. I did not see anyone shy away from the lip. I had a strange feeling of pride for all the guys, I think they were all oblivious to just how high a level they were sailing. We all sailed until literally we could stand no more, we had all used up our nine lives more than once that day, as the crowd increased and the intensity of the swell dropped everyone was starting to push each other that little bit further. This is the most frustrating part about wave sailing on Broad Bench - it happens so rarely that you almost toy with the wave for the first few hours, scared that if you break anything you will miss the whole day with the hour long walk back to the car park with a broken rig. So often I am left post session reminiscing about how many lips I should have smacked!
GUY CRIBB After some shenanigans at home I was finally driving over the last hill where at the summit I leant forwards in my seat to catch the first glimpse of the bay. I nearly crashed taking in the view. The waves were massive! It was as big as I’d ever seen! I was here during the hurricane of 1987 but this looked even bigger. I chose to go powered up and rigged my 5.1. Did I say mast high? Far from it, these waves weren’t mast high they were mast and three quarters! I pulled onto my first wave and lined up close to the main peak. Normally when it’s this big it’s a bit choppy so you have to wait for the wave to really jack up to clear the chop in front of it, leaving your first turn late. As I was doing this I saw another peak about 50m metres downwind of me rising into a barrel - a throwing lip projected out of the face of this enormous wall and I was the wrong side of it. If I was Polakow I’d of just smacked it, but I’m not. I took a big pounding on my first wave. Actually this is about the best way you can start a session - you realise you’re not going to die so get on with it. My next wave was doubling up so I dropped off the back of it in favour of the one behind that Timo was on. Knowing JC was shooting made it fun to have us both on the same wave so I was shouting to him to let me join him (he didn’t have much choice now as I’d snaked his wave!). I was looking down the line setting
No holding back for Timo
Timo was screaming when we came over the hill to this view of K-Bay
“ The waves were hitting Broad Bench at the perfect angle and looked like Cape Verde“ Guy Cribb
Guy Cribb hanging on for dear life as the Bench explodes behind him
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The low winter sun illuminates the Bench as Timo drops into a mast high monster
“ We watched some absolute monster sets detonating on Broad Bench “ Timo Mullen
The local crew at K-Bay all did themselves proud! up for the first turn when he rushed past in front of me, taking me by surprise as I’d lost my peripheral vision from my new neoprene balaclava. I realised I was in his way posing a serious danger on what was rightfully his wave, and so I pulled off the back. I ground to a halt in the wind shadow and looked behind to see what was coming next. This was what being frightened is. I was properly shitting myself. I had been totally stupid to have pulled off the wave- a golden rule in wave sailing is to stay on the wave face as between swells there’s no wind. I would have been happier to see a rioting mob chasing me. I absolutely crapped myself. Big up to everyone who was sailing that day- everyone was ripping and we all shared some unforgettable visuals of each other. Cape Verde regulars Jim and Chris reckoned it was as good as Ponta Preta gets, and British surfing legend Guy Penwarden confirmed it was the biggest surf he’d seen in forty years.
CRAIG HAMILTON I smiled inwardly as the last wave of the first set passed beneath me, only to see the next set looming on the horizon. I swear they were twice the size! Each wave in turn was bigger than the last and even though we were only yards apart, I lost sight of Russ every time I sailed over the top; with huge amounts of water moving around beneath us, what a sense of achievement it was just to finally make it ‘out the back’! These were the biggest waves I’ve ever ridden in my life; days like these don’t come along often and I wasn’t going to waste it.
RUSS JENKINS Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but all I remember now is wobbling out to the massive line up on the Ledges thinking ‘this is probably not the best way to blow away the cobwebs after two months off the water!’ Big Friday was easily the biggest day I’ve ever been out and it truly was a humbling experience, making me feel so insignificant amongst the masses of water moving about K-Bay. I’ve been in some scary situations, believe me, but it took every ounce of courage to even consider a bottom turn that day. I’m not ashamed to say I was well and truly in survival mode. Every32
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one has a few sessions that are forever etched into their brains... Big Friday is definitely one of mine!
ALEX HENSHER First thing I saw was a blue sail with a target on it being swept through the bay with no rider in sight, not sure if I would use such a sail on a firing range. I sailed the Bench from 2pm to sunset, the first few waves I caught were stormy choppy monsters, battling to keep the board on the water and avoid spin out but and as the afternoon progressed the waves got smoother and tapered in size. That day seemed to be a long time coming but surely worth the wait.
JULES All I can say is it was the most awesome session at the Bench for years, all things came together with the Bench being open, sun out, north west wind and a thumping swell, shared with a handful of local crew ripping it up, even a snapped mast & trashed sail couldn’t wipe the big smile off my face from such a sick day, to sum it up it doesn’t get much better than that, ‘mental’!
Jim Westwood Every now and again a wide set would come through which would provide a very long mast high ride, then sailing back out only to then watch as the other sailors were taking some impressive lines with drawn out turns. Chris and I agreed we would not get off the water until it was dark. We found picking out the waves started to become more challenging as the light faded then a set of mast high plus waves came through and the last remaining sailors were able to have one each before the somewhat interesting downwind leg in the dark to the slipway.
CHRIS SCHIEL Those three hours sailing were as good as it gets, and means us South Coasters can sleep easy with The Bench at K-Bay firmly up there as a world class wave on its day. But what was really special was sailing those conditions until dusk with friends on a beautifully lit late winter evening in arguably one of the most dramatic sailing spot in the UK.
Namibia
Anders Bringdal screaming down the speed strip
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Words PETE Photos Pete/Seb Cattalan
French couple Sebastian “ Luderitz Cattalan and Sophie is a natural Routaboul had a dream speed - to find the best speed sailing spot in the world. strip, with phenomenal They believed they had found it in one of the most winds “ isolated towns on Earth, Luderitz, Namibia. The place is an old mining town in South West Africa on the Skeleton Coast and with a landscape similar to the surface of the moon it would not have been most people’s first choice.
(and in fact it has hardly grown at all). Seb and Sophie were, despite the difficulties and isolation, absolutely convinced it would make a speed sailor’s dream spot, even allowing for the ten hour 1200km drive from Cape Town. The road goes through the dry semidesert area of South Africa’s Northern Cape Province and gradually enters the Namibian desert areas around mid-way. It slowly transforms into an incredible landscape. Luderitz has generated enough wind over the aeons to move all of the desert sand away, leaving bare rock, diamonds and no vegetation. The reason they believed the spot to be so good was down to three essential elements. Luderitz is a natural speed strip, with phenomenal winds that could provide conditions perfect for breaking the outright WSSRC 500m record. The wind in Luderitz blows consistently from August to March every year. The wind is strong and in spite of the surrounding desert is not too hot, which gives a higher density to the airflow. It is accelerated as it comes from the cold Southern Ocean waters over the dry savannah of South Namibia and into the Namibian Desert. It is precisely in Luderitz that the wind, channelled through a range of high hills perfectly shaped to increase its speed, reaches the sand desert, where high daytime temperatures amplify it by creating an additional low-pressure ‘suction effect’. As a result, it benefits from extra strong winds very regular in direction and strength. The right angle needed to reach high speeds in kitesurfing or windsurfing is around 140 degrees to the wind. This is the usual angle at Luderitz. The gentle sloping beach and natural sand bars make the water extremely flat and with a little human intervention it gets even better.
L
uderitz is a quirky town lodged on the least hospitable coast in Africa. It was founded in 1883 when Heinrich Vogelsang purchased Angra Pequena and some of the surrounding land on behalf of Adolf Luderitz, a hanseat (First Family) from Bremen, from the local Nama chief. It began life as a trading post, fishing and guano-harvesting town, but when diamonds were discovered in 1909 in nearby Kolmanskop, Luderitz enjoyed a sudden surge of prosperity. Now the diamonds are mostly found elsewhere and Luderitz has reverted to its former self. Its appeal as a town lies in the fact that little has changed since the early 20th century
The specially dug trench
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Namibia Digging the pit
Namibian wildlife
Mr O’Shea loving SA
Zara Davis having a crack at the speed record
With this unshakable belief in the place, the dynamic duo set out to convince the locals to stage an event there. Even though most of them had never heard of kite or windsurfing they agreed and even put money into the project. Adopting the mind-set ‘if we build it, they will come’ they initially put a lot of their own money in to get the ball rolling. It was a real leap of faith. This money was used to prepare the site and for the WSSRC (World Speed Sailing Record Council) to have a commissioner present. It took over 18 months of hard work, tough negotiating and planning but in September 2007 they staged the first world record attempt in Luderitz. This first event saw a number of impressive performances, suddenly placing Luderitz on the world sailing map in a major way! Sjoukje Bredenkamp, a professional kiteboarder from South Africa, established a new outright record becoming the fastest woman in the world, with 42.35 knots over 500m beating Karin Jaggi’s record of 41.25 knots. Alex Caizergues, Manu Taub and Seb, all French professional kiteboarders, established several new kitesurfing speed records and took respectively the second, third and fourth outright all-time speed sailing records, with 47.92 knots, 46.98 knots and 46.71 knots. Not bad for an inaugural run. With the belief in the site proven, they went on to stage annual events in 36 JUNE 2012
The long and winding road
2008, 2009 and 2010. Rob Douglas from the USA was the first kiter to claim the outright speed sailing record in 2008 with 49.84 knots. Next was Seb who became the first sailor to break the 50 knot barrier in 2008 with 50.52 knots. Alex Caizergues improved this with 50.57 knots the very next day! Alex then managed to better that with 50.98 knots in 2009, just shy of the 51.36 knots outright record set the same year in the south of France, by the boat Hydroptere, a 60ft hydrofoiling Trimaran. In 2010 a short canal was dug upwind from the original strip, to make a better run with a deeper angle and more water depth. This crucially meant it could accommodate windsurfers properly for the first time; the new canal improved the water state and allowed for faster speeds with greater control, this resulted in Seb being the first person to break 55 knots with 55.49, then a few minutes later, Rob Douglas again took the glory and raised the bar with a stunning 55.65. Importantly it did also prove that the site could be good for windsurfing records as well as kites with Anders Bringdal setting a new Swedish Windsurfing Record of 44.65 knots and Zara Davis (GBR) setting a new Women’s Production Windsurf Record. These speeds were achieved despite a wall of sand piled up half way down the course to windward! More windsurfing records were indeed possible and a venue that could rival the legendary
“ It took months to dig out with big earth moving equipment to get it right“
Trench at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mere, which had dominated speed sailing for so many years had been found. Most people would be happy with this achievement and be content with running events every year with minor improvements but the Luderitz event organisers wanted more. The problem with 2010’s canal was it was in an ecosensitive area and kept getting destroyed by the tides. In addition, the sand that was removed was damaging protected species of plants. It was decided to move the canal extensively beyond the reach of the tide (besides spring high which occurs only twice a month) 300 metres inland and have the opportunity to tweak the angle. This new canal has taken two years to finalise and has been a large scale and difficult project to undertake. The newly built channel was completed in October 2011. It only had a short test period in 2011 to make sure it worked and was safe. It took months to dig out with big earth moving equipment to get it right. The run is not for the faint hearted. It is a maximum 5 metres wide. It has a short run up strip at 110 degrees before turning a corner (at 40+ knots) down to the main 500-metre measured distance. A wider area of about 100 metres is all you have to stop before you hit desert. Hair raising stuff! A world record attempt had been called for November 5th 2012 for windsurfers only for the first month then the Kiter’s get their go for two week till the middle of December. The fact that the windsurfers are getting a larger share of the time is a big shift in focus. Most entrants will be there for a month which is a big commitment as it doesn’t blow every day so there is a lot of down time. The confirmed entrants read like a who’s who of windsurfing. Farrel O’Shea and Zara Davis (UK), Anders Bringdal (SWE) and Andrea Baldini (ITA) complete the International Mistral Team. Bjorn Dunkerbeck is also confirmed which will certainly entice Antoine Albeau and Finian Maynard to be in attendance. To keep Zara honest will be her old rival, Karin Jaggi the current women’s windsurfing record holder. Plus many more international riders from all over the world will be descending to this heavily oversubscribed event. For all the riders this new course in this very isolated place offers them the unique opportunity while also keeping the speed discipline in the hearts and minds of the sailing world and repaying the locals by bring much needed tourist income to the region. Keep up to date with the events progress on the Speed World Cup website www.speedworldcup.com or Facebook - Speed World Cup. z
FOTO: JOHN CARTER / WWW.YEARNING.DE
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After landing in Seoul after an eleven hour flight from London, it takes another hour or so by plane to Busan or Ulsan and then a quick transfer to Jinha Beach. South Korea is a fascinating complex nation and a forward thinking country with an insatiable appetite for technological advancement. WHEN May 5th to May 11th 2012
WHERE Jinha is actually a very quiet little fishing resort, a small crescent shaped bay overlooked by the quaint island known as Myeongseungdo. Just up the coast is Ulsan City which provides the source of money used as sponsorship for the event. Home to the world’s largest automobile assembly plant, operated by the Hyundai Motor company, the world’s largest shipyard, run by Hyundai Heavy Industries and the world’s largest oil refinery, owned by SK Energy, Ulsan is the true industrial powerhouse of South Korea.
“ The winds here are extremely gusty so it is always hard for the PWA elite to be on the right kit“
HOW MUCH A massive 55,000 Euro prize fund, with 40,000 allocated for the men and 15,000 for the women.
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JUNE 2012
Antoine Albeau sets the pace with Steve Allen and Ross Williams hot on his heals.
WHO After only one race in Italy where reigning world champion Dunkerbeck stole the show, all the big guns of slalom were on deck in Korea for the second showdown of the season. One race so far this season was hardly enough to show who has the fastest speed so the tension was high to find out who had done their winter homework!
HOW Five rounds of intense racing were planned in the tricky conditions at Jinha beach. The winds here are extremely gusty so it is always hard for the PWA elite to be on the right kit. Too big and the racers are hanging on for dear life while the guys on the smaller boards are comfortable and faster but too small and riders are dogging at the marks where a tiny mistake can cost everything.
BORA BORA Round one saw Bora Kozonaglu of Turkey fly out of the blocks and steel the thunder away from the likes of Dunkerbeck and Albeau. In fact Dunky failed to even make the winners final after finishing seventh in the losers final. Bora was flying high after the first day but unfortunately his event went downhill from there on in. In the proceeding rounds the poor Turk slipped down to 31st overall after a series of crashes, incidents with weed on his fins and general bad luck.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD By the second to last day, the leader board in the men’s fleet saw both Dunky and Albeau outside the top three, with Antoine Questel leading the rankings, Micah Buzianis in second and Ben Van Der Steen in third. After four rounds Albeau was yet to win a race and seemed to be taking chances at the start line resulting in several over early disqualifications. Dunkerbeck was also suffering from a mixed bag of results with one win under his belt but also a sixth and two rounds where had failed to make the final. Indeed Questel and Buzianis were the only sailors showing any form of consistency.
LAST ROUND DRAMA Before the first race of the last round kicked off Dunkerbeck who at the time was back in 5th crashed before the start after having weed on his fin and gashed his foot open on his fin. The cut was far too deep for him to continue racing, forcing him to be rushed off to hospital for twenty stitches and retire from the rest of the event! Back on the race course a sudden wind shift to a more onshore direction meant to course had to be switched before the racers www.windsurf.co.uk
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PWA had a chance to warm up and check the conditions right before the finals. Disaster struck in the semi-final with event leader Antoine Questel leading his heat by a clear margin went sailing off towards the wrong mark. Josh Angulo was also caught out by the shift of the course but luck was in for Micah Buzianis and the rest of the fleet who noticed the mistake and sailed the correct course to make the final. Questel was in a state of despair; he was so close to winning but then let a PWA victory slip out of his grasp right at the last hurdle. The poor guy will no doubt have a few reoccurring nightmares about the moment he realized he had slipped up and left the door open for Buzianis to steel the victory. Sure enough Micah just needed to finish third or above in the final and he sailed his heart out to take second and clinch the event victory in the very last race.
ROSS BACK ON FORM With Questel, Dunkerbeck, Albeau and Ben Van Der Steen all failing to make the last final, Ross Williams finished his week in style by slotting into third and in doing so stealing a third place podium finish ahead of Albeau and Van Der Steen. This was truly a superb result for Ross who had been plugging away relentlessly all week, racing with all his skills and fully deserving the result in front of such tough competition. He will be more than happy with a return to the podium and finally there is some payback for all the hard work and development on the race sails plus plenty of hours in the gym to reduce weight while gaining strength.
NO LUCK FOR FINIAN Finian Maynard had a shocker of an event in terms of luck. Obviously the ‘big man’ from the Virgin Islands was hungry to show off his new Avanti Sails to the world and introduce them to the PWA. In the first round Finian snapped his fin clean off right before the start line and then during the second round of racing more frustration ensued when his boom broke right on the start line. These two setbacks were certainly a blow to Finian’s confidence and he failed to recover only managing a disappointing 23rd overall. Fellow Avanti team mate Peter Volwater fared a little better however and clocked up 16th place after the five rounds.
BUZIANIS TRAINING REGIME As a previous champion, Micah has been struggling to find the form and speed that took him to victory in past seasons. This winter, he parted company with Neil Pryde, switched to Maui Sails and started training with ex world cup racer Phil McGain 40
JUNE 2012
The big guns do battle against the industrial background of Ulsan.
who currently spends much of his time preparing for Iron Man events. Micah went on a strict diet and lost eight kilos since the beginning of the year, while also stepping up his endurance training on bikes and in the gym on top of his race preparation with McGain. A true professional athlete in every aspect you certainly can’t deny that Micah earned this victory with hard work, determination and the perfect focus on competition. Well done Micah!
MICAH BUZIANIS Once back on the beach I just wanted to check with the race director to make sure it was official and once I got the word I went straight to the phone and called my wife Laura and my kids, Lance, KC and Dakotah who were all screaming and celebrating. KC was so happy she fell off the couch but thankfully just laughed it off. I then immediately called Phil to let him know the awesome news. He was watching on line but he had not heard the official news at that time. He nearly broke my ear drum screaming into the phone. I think this was by far the best victory of my life. It comes at a special time in my career. I got to fly home straight away and share the celebration with my family and also my new Maui Sails Team - the only people missing were Martin, Verner and the rest of the JP family!
LUCK ON ARRIGHETTI’S SIDE Moments after Questel had blown his chances of taking his first ever victory, Valerie Arrighetti who was leading the women’s rankings at the time, did exactly the same thing and sailed the wrong course. By the time she realized her mistake it was too late to make amends and had to settle for a spot in the losers final. This slip up potentially left the door open for Karin
Jaggi to steal away a last race victory after Arrighetti had been on dominant form throughout the race series. Unfortunately for Karin she could only manage third in the last final much to the relief of Valerie. Meanwhile Delphine Cousin of France picked up the final bullet which earned her third place on the podium ahead of fellow French racer Fanny Aubet.
CLEAR WATER After two race venues renowned for a lot of litter and debris in the water, due to busy shipping lanes and proximity to major areas of population, I am sure the racers will be looking forward to racing in some locations where plastic bags, lumps of wood and fishing ropes won’t spoil their chances out on the race course. Bjorn should be back on the water in time for Costa Brava barring any complications with his wound but judging from the overall standard this year, winning the world title is going to be far tougher than he may have hoped for at the beginning of the season. This result has certainly thrown a spanner in the works for Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Antoine Albeau and with so many racers challenging this season they are going to have to fight all the way to the bitter end in the challenge for the overall title. It always makes things interesting to have new riders in the top three and this year we might well have a different world champion come the end of the season.z
RESULTS:
MEN 1: Micah Buzianis 2: Antoine Questel 3: Ross Williams WOMEN 1: Valerie Arrighetti 2: Karin Jaggi 3: Delphine Cousin
“ Micah earned this victory with hard work, determination and the perfect focus on competition“
(Left) Micah Buzianis takes the victory. (Right) Arrighetti on top in the women’s fleet.
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