Contender Magazine No.1

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Welcome to Contender. We are an international men’s magazine based in New Zealand; focused on fashion, sports, culture, grooming and technology.


Contents: Nº1

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RACING We talk to Ed Knowles about his band Racing.

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BOXED IN Men’s Fashion Editorial.

03 Cover: Pro Kitesurfer Annabel Van Westrop

SUNIKA Y-3 Footwear.

RE-DEFINED Men’s Grooming.

Damien Van Der Vlist Creative Director, Photographer & reluctant writer Florence Noble Writer & occasional Photographer Vlad Tichen Fashion Editor Ian Ferguson Graphic Designer & Art Director Larissa Van Der Vlist Retoucher Sheridan Hampton Copy Editor www.contendermag.com

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EASY RIDER Men’s Fashion Editorial.

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SKY’S THE LIMIT We meet professional kite boarder and all round great chick, Annabel Van Westrop.

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GENERAL ELECTRIC The new KTM electric powered Mountain Bike.

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FOILED The elite new sport of hydrofoil surfing.

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G Photography Damien Van Der Vlist Interview Florence Noble Styling Vlad Tichen Assistant Ayza

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RACING are a four-piece rock & roll band from Devonport, Auckland, comprised of Izaak Houston (Drums), Ed Knowles (Vocals), Sven Pettersen (Guitar) and Dan Barrett (Bass) Their sound is hypnotic and groovy, laced with a dance-sensibility that often extends their live sets into the A.M. RACING’s front-man Ed Knowles talks with me, my mother & my American Airbnb guest, Ayza.


RACING

7 OPENING , ABOVE & OVER: ED WEARS: VINTAGE TWEED BLAZER - STYLIST’S OWN, CROSSLEY WAISTCOAT, CROSSLEY JERSEY BAND COLLAR SHIRT, D. ALESSANDRINI CORDUROY PANTS - ALL FROM EDIT., DR. MARTENS BOOTS - ED’S OWN. DAN WEARS: CROSSLEY JERSEY BAND COLLAR SHIRT - FROM EDIT., SAN FRANCISCO CORDUROY PANTS, MESSAGERIE SILK NECK SCARF - ALL FROM EDIT., COTTON ON WHITE T-SHIRT, DR. MARTENS BOOTS - DAN’S OWN. IZAAK WEARS: DEVEAUX LIGHTWEIGHT TRAPEZE COAT - FROM EDIT., COTTON ON WHITE T-SHIRT, WRANGLER DENIM SHIRT - STYLIST’S OWN, LEVI’S JEANS, DR. MARTENS BOOTS - BOTH IZAAK’S OWN. SVEN WEARS: COTTON ON PATTERNED SHIRT, COTTON ON WHITE T-SHIRT, SAN FRANCISCO GREY PANTS - FROM EDIT., DR. MARTENS BOOTS AND COWBOY HAT - BOTH SVEN’S OWN.


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“I like to make people feel something. To feel something that’s not regular, something that feels strange.�

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Mother: Why did you call the band Racing? Something about the word always appealed to me. I have tried several times to weave it into lyrics. It has a nice shape and is balanced somehow. And I like the meaning of it. It’s an exciting word that feels loaded with momentum. Ayza: I know nothing. Is this your first band? First band was called The Checks, we were together for ten years from when we were fourteen years old. And that was a good time. We learnt how to write songs, how to perform. I couldn’t play or sing or anything at the start of it. I just liked the idea of being in a band really. But slowly learnt how to play guitar and piano, enough to write a song at least. Lyrics were always something that was more of a natural thing for me. The guys in The Checks helped me so much because they were naturally talented and already pretty competent. I was so lucky to have those guys, in a musical sense, and for them to carry me as a performer. Ayza: So when you were fourteen and you were like - ’I wanna be in a band that looks so dope’ - Who were you looking at? It was The Strokes. The first album came out when we were in the third form. The clothes, the music, the energy. I remember Sven brought their CD around to my house and we looked through the artwork, they just seemed so cool. It was the first time I thought ‘this somehow relates to a part of me I’ve never had an outlet for.’ And then it spread into The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who and The Doors and this whole web of music. Bob Dylan. Pink Floyd. Ayza: Obviously these are quite a highbrow group of artists, do you have any secret shame music that you listen to? Like an Ariana Grande playlist or something? I do like that Ariana Grande song ‘No tears left to cry.’ Anything with a little earworm or hook, I get suckered into all that stuff. And I don’t have any shame. I don’t have any set cultural parameters - it’s not a very fertile way to live in my opinion. I think there’s more to be gained by being open to whatever. Florence: What did you do after The Checks broke up? I was working in advertising already, as a copywriter. I went to ad school whilst I was in The Checks so I just carried on. Although immediately after I went to a Thai kickboxing camp for six weeks and got taught a few lessons...


RACING

11 ABOVE, OPPOSITE & OVER: IZAAK WEARS: BOX HOUNDSTOOTH JACKET AND PLEATED SLACKS , DNL BAND COLLAR SHIRT - FROM EDIT. , DR. MARTENS BOOTS - IZAAK’S OWN. ED WEARS: LARDINI UNCONSTRUCTED WOOL BLAZER, SAN FRANCISCO NAVY CHINOS - BOTHE FROM EDIT., ORIGINAL VINTAGE JERSEY SHIRT - STYLIST’S OWN, DR. MARTENS BOOTS - ED’S OWN. DAN WEARS: VINTAGE TWEED BLAZER, LEVI’S DENIM SHIRT - BOTH STYLIST’S OWN, COTTON ON WHITE T-SHIRT, SAN FRANCISCO NAVY TEXTURED CHINOS - FROM EDIT. DR. MARTENS BOOTS - DAN’S OWN. SVEN WEARS: T. MATTEI GREY SHIRT, P. PECORA LEATHER BELT - BOTH FROM EDIT., LANVIN VINTAGE WOOL BLAZER, VINTAGE DRIES VAN NOTEN TROUSERS - BOTH STYLIST’S OWN, DR. MARTENS BOOTS, COWBOY HAT - BOTH SVEN’S OWN.


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RACING

Florence: You are modest and calm in person. Are there many similarities between you and the performer we see on stage? Sometimes I’ve met people after a show and they tell me that I’m not who they expected to meet. Because I’m not the person that people see on the stage. Well not in a day to day sense. But, I don’t think that’s very uncommon. A lot of performers are like that. Maybe I’m more of an introvert in real life. A lot of performing, I think, is reading an audience and giving them a series of shocks, keeping them guessing. And I think reading people is something that introverts are quite good at because they watch people rather than talk in social situations, so they learn about people. I like to make people feel something. To feel something that’s not regular, something that feels strange. Florence: Sometimes it looks like you’re on something... Yeah but I’ve never been into drugs. I love music. Even when it just comes on in the car, I stop being able to concentrate on what people are saying to me anymore, I tune into the music. When it’s loud, live and you’re a part of it, you fall into it completely. I draw a lot of what I perform from the music. If you go a little bit wild it gives other people a license to do the same. If people come into the show holding their drink, standing in the corner, feeling tense, but after the show, they leave loose, covered in sweat and relaxed. They get a chance to let go. If that was my job in life, then I’d be happy with that. Florence: You like clothes don’t you? I do. Mother: What are your favourite shoes? I’ve been looking at Loake’s recently.

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Florence: What was the first song you wrote? I do remember being very young and always thinking about how people wrote songs. Like, how could there be no song and then all of a sudden ‘a’ song. The first song I wrote was when I was fourteen, it was called Not a Man of Music. It was two chords that Sven or Callum had taught me. It was about me not knowing anything about music, but somehow still participating in it. Florence: When did you start writing music for Racing? Pretty much straight after The Checks. We never really stopped writing, Sven and I. That’s kind of why we started Racing so we could do something with these songs. We weren’t sure if it would be a live band or if it would just be music that we would make as producers. But we had so much experience playing live that we were drawn back to a band format. Maybe you just gravitate to what you know. Florence: What would be the highlight of your music career? Getting better at writing songs is really exciting, but in terms of actual events, it would be all the bands we opened for over the years. Watching Oasis from the side of the stage was pretty bonkers. Muse. Playing with The Hives in Japan. Hanging out with REM. Meeting all those bands and playing with them night after night. Florence: Does being a frontman in a band change the way people behave with you? Now I just don’t mind. If they do or don’t, I’m not bothered. I think when it’s the first time around and you’re younger, you think more about it, but I don’t really buy into any of that any more. I just want to do the work really.


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Mother: Why haven’t you bought them? Because every time I go in, I don’t seem to like them as much as I like the idea of them. They are quite serious... Mother: But will they make you very happy? Well, that’s the thing with jackets and shoes and things, you think they will. You are sure they will. But they don’t really. In fact, its usually just the well made functional clothes that make you the happiest. Mother: Do you think it’s the contemplation of getting these things that’s the best part? I just want stuff that hangs together well, whereas when I was younger I was looking at things like “This is going to change my whole character...” when really it’s the jacket you wear on the inside... that is the one you need to get tailored. All: Ohhhh!!! Ayza: You really dug in with that one. Yeah, sorry about that. And how do you tailor that metaphorical jacket? Hard exercise I think. Exhaust yourself, and it might give you enough clarity to see what the next step is supposed to be. Also, don’t watch too much TV/Videos. Get outside and step outside your little world as much as you can. Ayza: What do you do to exhaust yourself? I did a half marathon recently. I liked it because it’s almost hallucinogenic in some ways. It puts you into a dream state when you’re running for that long. And I think it’s quite good for you. Walking is good, it’s peaceful. Running and boxing is... Liam Gallagher says “It shuffles the deck.” Mother: Where do you see yourself in five years? Being on the festival circuit, I think and having a follow-up album to Real Dancing that’s being formulated now. Mother: In New Zealand? As a home, I think New Zealand is a really great place to write music, for sure. Doesn’t mean you can’t tour everywhere. Do you think you’re a genius? Ha. No. Doesn’t really matter what I think. Racing updates, gigs and Spotify can be found here: Facebook Instagram Spotify

“I like anything with a little earworm or hook, I get suckered into all that stuff. I dont have any shame. I don’t have any set cultural parameters - it’s not a very fertile way to live in my opinion.”


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BOX E D


IN Photography Damien Van Der Vlist Styling Vlad Tichen Hair Greg Murrell @ Ryder using Original & Mineral Retouching Larissa Van Der Vlist Models Moby @ Red Eleven Models Denver @ Clyne Models

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BOXED IN

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OPENING & OPPOSITE

MOBY (LEFT) WEARS: YSL VINTAGE GREY/BLUE BOMBER JACKET FROM PARLOUR, SHADOW WHITE T-SHIRT - FROM AS COLOUR, BASEBALL PURPLE CORDUROY CAP, NYLON RUNNING PURPLE PANTS - BOTH FROM CHECKS, ADIDAS X RAF SIMONS PEACHTREE STAN SMITH SNEAKERS - FROM EDIT.

DENVER (RIGHT) WEARS: YSL VINTAGE RED/ORANGE BOMBER JACKET - FROM PARLOUR, SHADOW WHITE T-SHIRT - FROM AS COLOUR, NYLON RUNNING NAVY PANTS, BASEBALL SAGE CORDUROY CAP - BOTH FROM CHECKS, ADIDAS X MISSONI ULTRABOOST CLIMA TRACK SHOES - FROM EDIT.


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BOXED IN

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MOBY (LEFT) WEARS: ONE-PIECE OVERALL NAVY SUIT FROM TICHEN ARCHIVES, BRETON STRIPE WHITE T-SHIRT - FROM COMMONERS, ADIDAS X RAF SIMONS BLACK LEATHER CHROME DETAIL SNEAKERS - FROM EDIT. MOBY (RIGHT) WEARS: DEVEAUX ZIP OVERSHIRT, ADIDAS X MISSONI ULTRABOOST CLIMA TRACK SHOES - BOTH FROM EDIT. LOVE EVERYONE WHITE T-SHIRT, JOGGING NAVY PANTS - BOTH FROM CHECKS.

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DENVER WEARS: NAVY PILOT JACKET WITH DROPPED EPAULETTES - FROM TICHEN ARCHIVES, WIRE BLUE AND WHITE STRIPE T-SHIRT - FROM AS COLOUR,


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PREVIOUS (LEFT)

MOBY WEARS: GLOBE TIE DYE HOODIE - FROM CHECKS, CELLAR DOOR KHAKI CARGO PANTS , ADIDAS X RAF SIMONS PEACHTREE STAN SMITH SNEAKERS - BOTH FROM EDIT., NUBUCK OLIVE BACKPACK - FROM MAHI

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MOBY (LEFT) WEARS: MONITALY L/S MOCKNECK PULLOVER, ADIDAS X RAF SIMONS BLACK LEATHER CHROME DETAIL SNEAKERS - BOTH FROM EDIT. BLACK WAISTLESS TROUSERS WITH SIDE TRIMS - FROM TICHEN ARCHIVES DENVER (RIGHT) WEARS: DEVEAUX HOODED SHIRT, ADIDAS X RAF SIMONS GREY LEATHER CHROME DETAIL SNEAKERS - BOTH FROM EDIT. SHADOW WHITE T-SHIRT - FROM AS COLOUR, OVERSIZED BLACK TROUSERS - FROM TICHEN ARCHIVES.

OPPOSITE

DENVER (LEFT) WEARS: BRITISH ARMY TP T-SHIRT - FROM ARMY AND OUTDOORS, OLIVE DRAWSTRING TROUSERS - FROM TICHEN ARCHIVES, BUTTERO LEATHER SNEAKERS - FROM EDIT. MOBY (RIGHT) WEARS: SIDELINE MOSS GREEN CORDUROY JACKET - FROM CHECKS, SHADOW WHITE T-SHIRT - FROM AS COLOUR, DEVEAUX TOMMY LODEN WIDE CORDUROY PANTS - FROM EDIT., BATA BULLETS IVORY CANVAS SNEAKERS - FROM THE ICONIC


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SUNIKA Photography Damien Van Der Vlist Styling Vlad Tichen

Y-3 Kaiwa (Japanese for ‘conversation’) symbolises the always open dialogue between Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto on all fronts. Here minimalist design complements sporty street style. This turquoise/black/white colourway version is distinctive without being too bold. Features include a high-cut embroidered Yohji tongue, chunky midsole, leather upper underlined by a subtle suede heel. Y-3 Kaiwa - available from Edit.


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Offering the look and feel of an athletic white sneaker, Y-3 Harigane II transcends via Yohji Yamamoto's use of new materials and a few other nifty elements. The stand out being the integrated wrap-around laces. Other features include a sleek knit & mesh upper, handcrafted leather heel with a minimal Y3 embossed logo, and the nod to Adidas with their signature embroidered 3 stripes on the tongue. Y-3 Harigane II - available from Edit.


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Photography Damien Van Der Vlist Styling Vlad Tichen Hair & Words Greg Murrell using Original & Mineral Model Harry @ Clyne Models

Speaking about the aesthetics of hair, masculinity has been rigorously re-defined in recent years with many men opting for tightly clipped and more modern nuanced versions of classic 40’s and 50’s styles. Barbershops have offered a uniquely male beauty experience that celebrates camaraderie and community. But with that contract sometimes comes uniformity and less individuality. Once a trend becomes era-defining, the zeitgeist moves on and a movement emerges to redefine it. A question emerges. “What would my hair look like with some more length”? Many men are starting to desire a little more looseness, a little more freedom in their hair. A little insouciance. Less military, less maintenance. As hair grows in length, factors such as hair density, movement and growth patterns combine to create a highly individualized look and feel – a certain Je ne sais quoi emerges. A masculinity aesthetic that says less about power and control but declares itself open to possibility.

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RE-DEFINED


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OPPOSITE: SHADOW WHITE T-SHIRT - FROM AS COLOUR, PALM ANGELS STRIPE DRAWSTRING PANTS FROM DORAN AND DORAN, DEVEAUX CHORE SHIRT JACKET, DNL BAND COLLAR SHIRT, R . L.G REUNION TORTOISE SUNGLASSES, MESSAGERIE SILK NECK SCARF - ALL FROM EDIT. RIGHT: UNSTRUCTURED SEERSUCKER SAGE BLAZER, NAVY CREWNECK CASHMERE KNIT - BOTH FROM DORAN AND DORAN, EREDI CHIARINI WOOL TIE, LIBERTY ROSE PIN COLLAR SHIRT - BOTH FROM EDIT., COLLAR SAFETY PIN STYLIST’S OWN.


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LEFT & OPPOSITE: MONGOLIAN YAK SUEDE JACKET, MARLON ASYMMETRIC CASHMERE KNIT - BOTH FROM DADELSZEN, R.L.G NOMAD SUNGLASSES FROM EDIT.


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EASY RIDER Photography Damien Van Der Vlist Styling Vlad Tichen

Hair Benjamin James Assisted by Sheldon Hadland

Models Brian @ Nmodels Jilly James

Makeup Stacey Lee Ghin using Kevin Murphy

Harley Riders Ant and Ben


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OPENING & ABOVE

BRIAN WEARS: TRANSIT UNSTRUCTURED BLAZER, TRANSIT SHIRT, CELLAR DOOR CORDUROY PANTS - ALL FROM EDIT., COSTUME NATIONAL BOOTS - STYLIST’S OWN

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BRIAN WEARS: SHADOW WHITE T-SHIRT - FROM AS COLOUR TRANSIT SHEARLING JACKET, SAN FRANCISCO CHINOS, GARETH LEIGHT VAN BUREN SUNGLASSES - ALL FROM EDIT.


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EASY RIDER

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BRIAN WEARS: TRANSIT SHEARLING JACKET, SAN FRANCISCO CHINOS, GARETH LEIGHT VAN BUREN SUNGLASSES - ALL FROM EDIT, COSTUME NATIONAL HOMME LEATHER BOOTS, SHADOW WHITE T-SHIRT - FROM AS COLOUR. JILLY WEARS: GREY SKINNY JEANS - FROM COTTON ON, WHITE BLOUSE - FROM ZARA, TOPSHOP BLACK FAUX LEATHER JACKET - STYLIST’S OWN, BLACK LEATHER ANKLE, BOOTS - GILLY’S OWN, GARETH LEIGHT CALABAR SUNGLASSES - FROM EDIT.


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BRIAN WEARS: DROLE DE MONSIEUR SATIN TRACKSUIT - FROM EDIT. JILLY WEARS: DROLE DE MONSIEUR SATIN TRACKSUIT - FROM EDIT.

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BRIAN WEARS: R. COLLINA CASHMERE AND SILK KNIT, CROSSLEY SCARF, SAN FRANCISCO BLACK PANTS - ALL FROM EDIT., COSTUME NATIONAL BOOTS - STYLIST’S OWN JILLY WEARS: R. COLLINA CASHMERE KNIT, DROLE DE MONSIEUR VARSITY JACKET - BOTH FROM EDIT. ZARA TROUSERS - FROM ZARA,


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OPPOSITE & ABOVE

BRIAN WEARS: R. COLLINA CASHMERE AND SILK KNIT, CROSSLEY SCARF, SAN FRANCISCO BLACK PANTS ALL FROM EDIT.


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SKY’S THE LIMIT Photography Damien Van Der Vlist Makeup Stacey Lee Ghin using Kevin Murphy Interveiw Florence Noble Retouching Larissa Van Der Vlist Athlete Annabel Van Westrop Sponsors North & Mystic


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Originally from the Netherlands, Annabel grew up in the Caribbean and was taught to kitesurf by her father when she was 14. She has been at the top of the freestyle world rankings for years, becoming Vice world champion in 2017.


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If you really want to do something, and you have a lot of passion for it you’ll have the drive to do well at it. I’ve always been a really competitive person so whatever sport I touch I try to do it to the best of my ability, and with kiting it was the same.

How often do you kite? As a full-time kiteboarder, you kite a lot. That includes full-time training, healthy living, gym - all that kind of stuff. Where I’m from in the Caribbean it’s windy every day so we’re really spoilt. I can go out whenever I feel like it.

Do you get to see much of the world? You travel the world when you’re competing, but I felt I never actually got to see much of it. We’d just be in one spot where we had the competition, which was usually not the prettiest. Then after the competition, you leave again.

How much wind do you need? 18-23 knots and I’m a happy girl. You don’t need as much wind for foiling. 11 knots and you’re good to go.

How is the progression with learning new tricks? All the tricks I learned I figured out myself from videos and watching other people. Learning new tricks is work. With freestyle, you hit a plateau where learning new tricks get more and more difficult and takes more

How much would you say is practice and how much is raw talent?

“If you really want to do something, and you have a lot of passion for it, you’ll have the drive to do well at it.”

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How did you start kiteboarding? I learnt to kiteboard with my dad. I took a couple of lessons and before I knew it, I was hooked and kiting every single day. Four years later I went pro. My mum started then as well so we’re a kiteboarding family!


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“I definitely need my eight hours of sleep. In the end, you’re the one that knows your body best.” and more time. You have to take a lot of risks, my body has to be really strong for it. Injuries are part of the game. How are competitions judged? With freestyle it’s about height, how low the kite stands in the wind window - it should be low- clean landings, smooth rotations and you just feel it when you’ve got it right. You’re like: “Yes! That was good.”

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What’s your favourite trick? My favourite trick is the heart attack. It sounds extreme but if you land it, it feels

so good! It’s extended front rotation, followed by a 260 handle pass. Are there any diets or regimes you follow leading up to competing? Well staying healthy is a lifestyle, but I also really love food so I’ve never been the kind of person who sticks to a diet. If you tell me not to eat something, it’ll be the one thing I start to crave! But I do try to eat healthily, and I do yoga which counterbalances kiting. I definitely need my eight hours of sleep. In the end, you’re the one that knows your body best.


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Photography & Words Damien Van Der Vlist

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Rider Matt Saunders

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ELECTRIC

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With the fast pace of electric vehicles taking hold on what seems to be every mode of transport known to man, from skateboards to aeroplanes, it has in the last few years made its way into my long term passion of mountain biking.


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“Selected ‘Turbo’ mode straight away of course... at this setting, it’s like you have sped up your go pro footage x2 to impress your mates online, but in real life.” I have recently been bugged on the trails by these fast moving machines whirring behind me, on occasion itching to overtake. I figured, rather than just moaning about them, it was time to find out what the hype was all about. So, I got in touch with the good people at Electrify NZ who were kind enough to let me, and my riding buddy Matt, demo their top of the line KTM Macina Kapoho 2973 full suspension e-MTB. Right off the bat, wow! What a bike. The black and white colour scheme felt somehow made for the forest, thoughts of “Return of the Jedi” speeder bikes came to mind. This bike has a very solid construction and is extremely well thought out. Frame geometry looked on par with every other modern, top of the line mountain bike. Battery and motor integration is seamless. The Bosch controls are easy to use and the motor’s power delivers from mild to insane is generally smooth. Unlike other e-bikes I have glanced over, this bike has high quality components. A unique mish-mash of wheels 29” up front and

27.5” at the back which I am told is something adopted from KTMs Motorcross division, with the idea of having a larger wheel to bite the corners and roll over obstacles, matched with a lighter weight rear wheel. Ok, down to business. I arrived at Woodhill and had to hoist the bike out of the car. Yep, it’s a hefty 24kgs and does not fit on my newish roof bike rack due to the thick downtube (something to bear in mind). Powered it on, and selected “Turbo” mode straight away of course for a little run around the car park. Woah! Now at this setting, it’s like you have sped up your go pro footage x2 to impress your mates online, but in real life. Shifting the power down to “Tour” seemed a little more manageable to start, eco was like…. Eehh what’s the point? Emtb mode is apparently a mode that learns your riding style and adapts accordingly. This sounds cool, but I was not ready for any AI bullshit just yet. After Matt finally arrived in his black and white Mazda (which was strangely matchy-matchy to the KTM I


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“Uphill… What uphill? The amount of effort you have to put in is so non-existent it’s almost criminal. ” 67

just handed him) we set off, with me on my old school 2019 Trek ex7 mountian bike powered by my legs! We set about riding through the trails finding spots to shoot. All the while Matt was following me hardly breaking a sweat. At each jump we stopped to shoot, it was extremely easy for Matt to bomb back up the hills several times to get what we needed. I asked a few times if the weight of the bike was at all noticeable, but Matt didn’t seem to think so. However, after switching bikes we agreed that going from my 14kg to the 24kg did feel quite different from an experienced mountain bikers point of view, somewhat less nimble and sort of reflective of the old-school downhill bikes of the late 90s. But don’t let that put you off. The extra power delivery compensates for this weight which allows you to gain extra speed to bomb through sections and jumps. Uphill …. What uphill? The amount of effort you have to put in is so non-existent it’s almost criminal. There is no burn in your legs that you push through in normal riding. You will not gain that sense of achievement from

conquering the mountain of course- OK unless you go Eco mode- but seriously who’s going to use that uphill? The other thing is, you really don’t have to think about the gears as you do on a normal bike to get the most efficiency out of your body. You can generally just plough through the terrain with this bike on a smaller selection of gears, it’s way more forgiving. So, what’s the verdict? Will it replace my normal mountain bike? Hmm. No, I think not. However, if you can afford it, they are a fantastic compliment to your normal bike for steep touring terrain, getting in another session after you’re spent, or just days you want to do very long rides. It really is just a different and new way of riding.


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Electrify.NZ answer a few techy questions:

What sort of range can you expect from this bike? Well that all depends on the rider's weight, the speed at which you ride, the mode you choose etc. Best way to work it out is to follow bosch range assistant to give you an idea. It can be found here. How long does it take to charge the battery? It comes with a 4 amp charger, so about 4 hours from near empty. Can you explain more about the mid-drive system and why there are no throttles on e-MTBS? Are they restricted on New Zealand trails? Mid-drive systems are essential for serious mountain biking, as they make use of the gearing on the bike and have better power control than hub drive systems. The main e-MTB systems (Bosch, Shimano etc) are all "pedal assist only�. Throttles are not common on electric mountain bikes - there are no specific rules prohibiting them but there is some evidence that throttles on e-bikes may not be good for the trails (although they are fine in other use cases like the city). Bosch is the most popular e-MTB system in Europe, and likely NZ as well. So this emtb mode what's that AI voodoo about? The more sophisticated e-bike systems like Bosch will have shift-sensing technology where they momentarily back off motor power while you shift. In the case of bosch it is emtb mode. You tend not to shift as much on an e-bike, and learning how to use gears in concert with the motor just takes little bit of practice. Do the motors need any servicing and is there more wear and tear on your components? Generally no servicing is required on the electronic parts. However, if you do experience a problem, you want to be confident of getting parts and servicing so stick to brands like Bosch and Shimano which have the support infrastructure in New Zealand. You change gear less, so less wear on shifters, and you have more power going through the chain and cassette, so a little more wear on those which is all the more reason to ensure you're using high quality componentry from good brands.


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FOILED ‘Flying’ above the water at speed on a hydrofoil surfboard. JC enlightens us on the elite new sport of foiling. Interview and photography Damien Van Der Vlist Riders: Juan Cumar (JC) Aaron Candy & Mike Cann


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“It’s 100% trust really ‘cause on the big wave days, if your not there on the jet ski when your partner needs you to be, it could cost your life.”

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“Some people can relax in front of the TV on the weekends, but I need impact, speed and water.”

Thanks for inviting me along to your last few foil surf sessions. It’s certainly a bit of a challenge for me to be on the back of a bloody jet ski, holding a camera in big surf! I’m glad to be here. Pretty brave of you to come out and entrust your life to us. Haha. What’s your background in watersports and tell us how you got into foiling? On the weekends, I’m a water sports fanatic. I grew up in a house on a lake in Chile. My family was really sporty so I was fortunate enough to do all sorts of watersports. When I moved to NZ, I found kiteboarding and really got into it. I couldn’t stop dreaming about it for like 3 years. Foiling made its way into the kiteboarding scene, and I was like “that looks slow and boring,” but once I gave it a go it was absolutely epic. One day we decided to go to Muriwai beach with some friends who have a lot of experience jet ski towing, and one of them took me out on a foil. Had you been out on a jet ski before in big waves? I had been on jet skis a lot in my life, but not in big waves. It was still pretty scary stuff but amazing fun: the adrenaline, the smile on my face wouldn’t fade for days. Did you start towing on flat water then? No, not really. I mean we did a bit of training on flat water on how to rescue each other, but once we decided to start towing, we set up our own jet ski and started going out on the foil boards on 3 - 4 foot days in the surf to get use to it. But now the really good fun is on the 10 - 12 foot days. You really go fast and it gets pretty interesting. So is there any kind of rivalry that you’ve seen between surfers and foilers?

Look I don’t see it directly, when we’re towing, we are normally out the back of Muriwai and there are never more than 3 or 4 jet skis out there. We all sort of look after each other. It’s amazing the sort of brotherhood we have with foilers and jet ski drivers. You’re relying on them to save you if something goes wrong. We have had sketchy times where we have flipped jet skis, so it’s good to have other teams around. But yes, there is a rivalry. First, it was surfers with longboarders, then surfers with paddle boarders, and now surfers with foils. Foiling can be incredibly dangerous in the lineup - if you don’t know what you’re doing, bad stuff can happen. Foils can be sharp, especially the ones you use foil supping, so we tend to stay well away from surfers and find our own space. If you’re experienced, people can see you can control the foil, and get more comfortable with you, that’s when I guess you can be a little more surrounded by others. But yeah I have had a couple of comments before like: “Take the blade away from here!” Ha ha. I did notice being out on the jet skis with you that if you did see a surfer paddle out into the area you were towing in you would immediately move away. Yeah, 100%. The last thing you want to do is hit someone with a foil or even a jet ski. Look we’re out there to have fun, not create mayhem. So you touched on having a good partnership with your jet ski driver, tell us more about that. You’ve got to be really comfortable with your towing partner. If you tow with someone new it can screw up your session as they will tend to not put you where you want to be on wave, and dont understand when you’re comfortable, and when you want to be rescued. It’s 100% trust really ‘cause on the big wave


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“I noticed the wake on ferries coming out of Half Moon Bay, and was like, ‘Let’s go foil that’.”

“Let’s go foil that.” Six months later we had the same scenario and invited a couple of foiling friends, we made a video that went absolutely viral. It’s just the efficiency of foils, you can surf anything, there is very little drag. It’s an amazing feeling. With the size of some of the foils these days they perform amazing on little waves so we started chasing container ships. You can go for miles! You are well away from them, right? Yeah totally, at least 200 metres! Ha, well yeah, we did have a bit of controversy as the first ferry we foiled on, we got a little close. We were perfectly safe, but learnt from it. Cargo ships… You don’t want to be near cargo ships! So this getting up at 6 am on the weekend is it an escape from something? Ha. Nah, it’s not an escape. Some people do meditation (I do this sometimes too), but watersports really are my happy place. My job is really full-on as a partner in a finance company.. I am working from 5:30 am to 10 pm most days, and that’s just the path of my career. Some people can relax in front of the TV on the weekends, but I need impact, speed and water really. It’s just that connection, whether it is on the kite, ski, foil, it just clears my mind, and I am ready for the following week. Well thanks so much for your time and taking me out, I didn’t do too well when I had a crack at the foil, but hey keen to have another go. Haha yeah absolutely. Actually, Aaron my towing partner, on the 3rd time we went out after setting up the jet ski said, “Ah bro I don’t think I want to do this”. I was like, “Don’t be a fucking pussy, jump in the water!” So he did and he was up and that was it. It’s like anything, it’s just practice and if you practice enough, you’re going to be good at it!

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days, if your not there on the jet ski when your partner needs you to be there, it could cost your life. It’s a big responsibility. Tell us about the progression of towing and going out on bigger waves. It’s just one of those things, you’ve just got to do it. I look at guys who do massive waves like Teahupo’o and Jaws, and that to me is absolutely nuts. Because that’s not what I am used to and I haven’t had the chance to practice to get to that sort of level, at least not here in NZ. We get up to 10-foot waves here and for me, that’s doable now. With the progression in foiling, you have to be willing to take some bashing, pain and a little bit of risk. I remember you telling me that you first started further out the back before the waves crests? Yeah absolutely, you’re a bit of a chicken when you first start. The good thing with a foil-board is that you can grab waves from way further back. You don’t have to be on the impact zone. When I first started on a foil and looked at that impact zone I was like, “never”. Whereas today, we are right in there getting eaten by waves. It’s taken us three years, you just get more comfortable and understand your limits. Whether it’s just making a call not to do it, or being safety conscious enough that if something goes wrong, you know you will have someone to back you up or have an inflatable vest to pull you out of the deep ocean. Pushing the limits on places like that, the reality is that you could drown, and you don’t want to drown! So I hear you have foiled the wakes of ferries and cargo ships. How did that idea come about? Ha yeah, the first time we were checking the forecast to see if there was going to be any waves and there was nothing that day, I noticed the wake on ferries coming out of Half Moon Bay, and was like,


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