Kitesoul Magazine #3 Dic-Gen English Edition

THE 1ST Kite Magazine in ItalY

TRIP:TAHITI

BARREL TEST: 2015 GEAR WAVE TECHNIQUE:

#3 W W W . K I T E S O U L . C O M

W h e r e t h e r e´s a W a v e , t h e r e´s a W a y THE NEW NEO W

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A I R T O N

C O z z O L I N O

"The Neo is the Kite which helped me achieve my first World Champion title.

It allows me to do whatever I want on the wave, drifting with me and keeping me safe at all times. Due to its incredible low end performance, I can always ride smaller sizes as it’s a responsive Kite with a lot of power.

The Neo is the best choice for all types of wave; from small beach breaks to the biggest days at One Eye."

Rider_Airton Cozzolino / Photo_Mario Entero

R E L AT E D D I R E C T I O N A L B OA R D s

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N O R T H K I T E B OA R D I N G .C O M – MMXIV – ›CRAFTED WITH PRIDE‹

# N O R T H K I T E B OA R D I N G

Editor Roberta Pala roberta.pala@kitesoul.com Wave Thecnique Editor Mitu Monteiro Freestyle Thecnique Editor Alberto Rondina Thecnical Expert Renato Casati Photo & Video Maurizio Cinti Design Giuseppe Esposito

DECEMBER 2014 - JANUARY 2015 TWO-MONTHLY

Texsts John Bilderback, Renato Casati, Stefano Gentili, Stefano Gigli, Mitu Monteiro, Alberto Rondina, Reo Stevens.

ROBERTA PALA Editor

Photos Alexandru Baranescu, John Bilderback, Christian Black, Pascal Boulgakoff, Gilles Calvet, Mario Entero, Stephan Kleinlein, Josh Pietras, Dave White Cover: Rider Luke McGillewie Photo Dave White Publisher and advertising VISU Media Via Cavour, 20 24030 Ambivere (BG) Amministratore Unico Federico Sugoni fs@kitesoul.com Registration Tribunale di Bergamo n°10/2014 del 15/04/2014.

Periodicità bimestrale Copyright Kitesoul Magazine All content is copyright of Kitesoul Magazine / Visu Media Srl.

RENATO “DR. KITE” CASATI Technical Expert

Sports photographer since 1997, kiteboarder since 2001, she has worked for the most exponential kite magazines for the last 15 years.

A free and wild soul, she has left the luxuries of town living for a life in contact with nature: a sea and wave lover.

Nowadays you can find her on the shores of Capo Mannu, Sardinia, one of the most beautiful spots of the Mediterranean Sea.

RRD Wave team rider. Kiteboarder since 2000, he has been PKRA athlete and judge.

He’s a professional sportswriter for several technical magazines. He lives between Como Lake and Sardinia, but he spends every winter in the waves of Cabo-Verde.

MAURIZIO CINTI Film-maker Movie buff and keen photographer. He’s a skater, snowboarder and wakeboarder, but he actually burns with passion for kiteboarding. He started off with freestyle a few years ago, but nowadays he’s more into chasing big and powerful waves. This is what he loves the most.

FEDERICO SUGONI Publisher

MITU MONTEIRO Technical Editor-Wave Riding

He’s a manager and a businessman.

He fell in love with kiteboarding almost 10 years ago in the wild and amazing North Shore of Oahu (Hawaii). Aside from kiteboarding there is only one other important thing in his life: his baby daughter.

He comes from Sal. Official F-one and Manera rider.

2008 KPWT World Champion and three-time Vice World Champion. He started to surf and windsurf as a kid and but he definitively fell in love with kitesurf as soon as he discovered it.

ALBERTO RONDINA Technical Editor-Freestyle He’s the best Italian rider of the competitive kiting world.

Cabrinha, Neil Pryde and GoPro official team rider and four-time Italian Champion. Alberto has won the 2001 edition of the European Championship and third place in the 2012 PKRA World Championship.

GIUSEPPE ESPOSITO Art director Kiter since he was in the baby pram, he is a rider for RRD Italia and studies Comunciation Design at Politecnico di Milano.

With this assignment, he finally has been able to put together his two passions: kite and design.

KITESOUL MAGAZINE from kiters to kiters

E D I TO R I A L If at the beginning of 2014, you would have asked any kiter if he had heard of KiteSoul Magazine, s/he would have looked at you puzzled, but now, just seven months after its first launch you have a very good chance of bumping into one of our readers.

To date we are the most read kite magazine in Italy (one out of two kiters); in the rest of the world our international version is starting to gain a lot of consensus, especially by the more radical kite community, by industry insiders and pro riders.

This is why, after just a few months, we would like to say THANK YOU to our loyal Soul Riders!

Thank you because you have immediately trusted us, with nearly 8,000 “likes” on our Facebook page in the last few months; because you have followed our online magazine; because you have sent us your videos or your appreciative messages, showing us, you like the work we do every day.

A big thank also to those who pointed out our errors, as they are helping us to improve.

Thanks to the pro riders and the big brands that have decided to cooperate with us, believing in our project and keeping us up to date with the latest market developments, news, travels, new tricks and important events.

Thanks to our staff: real world-kite experts such as Mitu Monteiro (wave-riding), Alberto Rondina (freestyle) and Renato Casati, our super technical weather and equipment expert.

With this issue, the last for 2014, we wanted to impress you with spectacular images from Pipeline; progress with the latest “strapless” tips provided to you by the great Reo Stevens; dream with the colors of Tahiti and, with the winter season approaching, expand your horizons by calling one of the leading snowkiting expert: Stefano Gigli, who wrote an entire section full of useful tips for the practice of this fantastic discipline; an important first step to approach this fascinating winter sport.

Rider: Alberto Rondina | Photo: Stephan Kleinlein

After years of absence in Italy and, after numerous requests from our readers, in this issue of Kitesoul Magazine we have been able to test and review some of the most exciting materials of 2015. You will not find the usual four commercial sentences, as usually seen in other magazines, but real kite-tests conducted on the field by our team. You may ask: who tested the kites? Our editorial staff has drawn in riders of all levels, body size and gender, mostly wave riding and freestyle specialists, including some top-level athletes.

To ensure results were as objective as possible, each tester had to fill in an extremely detailed questionnaire, which allowed us to collect the data in a more “scientific” way that once transposed, would provide us with an objective evaluation of the performance of the kite. In this issue we have used very effective graphics in support of all the evidence gathered, which was also beautifully represented by our Art Director, Giuseppe.

And now, what’s next?

After this successful trial stage, with our bars pulled in and, trusting our popping technique, we will fly with you towards the New Year, trying to catch up, with a good dose of humility of course, the two or three most important international kiteboarding magazines, something we are already doing on social networking sites. In the next twelve months we will come out with six new exciting issues: we will pack our website and related video channel with exclusive content; we will physically follow the most important events of the kite world, and we will create fantastic events in which you, the reader, will be the real protagonist.

All you need to do now, is read this exhilarating number until we meet again in 2015, maybe on the beautiful waves crashing along the Atlantic coast of Cape Town.......

Roberta Pala and Federico Sugoni

SUMMARY

Portfolio

Itw Noè Font VS Sam Medysky

Historical moment Kitesurf in Pipeline

Events

Wave technique

Christophe Tack and Karolina Winkowska 2014 PKRA World Champions

Barrel

Trip Tahiti

SUMMARY

Freestyle moves Indy Glide BS 180

Strapless Moves

Tech

Straight Air

How To Chose the Ideal Kite

Strapless Moves Frontside Reverse

Snowkite

Test

Snowkite Column

Pivot, ManiaC, TS, Chaos, Dice

14 PORTFOLIO Airton Cozzolino

RIDER: Airton Cozzolino PHOTO: Mario Entero

16 PORTFOLIO Niccolò Porcella

RIDER: Niccolò Porcella PHOTO: Jason Wolcott

18 PORTFOLIO Bertrand Fleury

RIDER: Bertrand Fleury PHOTO: Courtesy Bertrand Fleury/Tuva Jansen

20 PORTFOLIO Aaron Hadlow

RIDER: Aaron Hadlow PHOTO: Toby Bromwich

Text and itw Roberta Pala | Photo Toby Bromwich

22 EVENTS Christophe Tack and Karolina Winkowska 2014 PKRA freestyle World Champions

CHRISTOPHE TACK AND 2014

The PKRA tour champions this year were not proclaimed until the final day of the tour: Christophe Tack wins the title for the men’s freestyle and Karolina Winkowska the female freestyle title. Lake Bryan and Katja Roose are the new PKRA slalom 2014 champions.

KAROLINA WINKOWSKA PKRA

24 EVENTS Christophe Tack and Karolina Winkowska 2014 PKRA freestyle World Champions

The last three stops of the world tour have been full of unexpected twists. A car accident that involved Christophe Tack a few days before the Brazilian stop, and the “yellow” card in the final heat in Pingtang between Karolina Winkowska and Gisela Pulido.

During the final heat between Pulido and Winkowska in Pingtan in fact, a trick performed by Karolina but unseen by the jury, almost jeopardized the end result. If the Polish girl won the heat, she would have won the title mathematically. The judges decided to repeat

the heat the next day, but this was not made possible because of an injury incurred by Gisela Pulido. In the end the judges decided to postpone their decision and re-run the heat at the last stop in Hainan. However the IKA got involved reminding that the Racing Rules of Sailing “do not allow any races (or heats) to be held outside of the published competition dates.” Therefore both riders were scored equal position and the Slingshot rider Karolina Winkowska ended up winning her second world title.

Christophe Tack managed to win the world title after a very hot season. The rider worked hard, with modesty and devotion, fighting remarkable opponents, including the young Liam Whaley, his main antagonist in the tour; Marc Jacobs, who had to leave the tour because of an injury; Aaron Hadlow, who is back in the league winning an overall third place; and Youri Zoon who stoked everyone with an amazing performance at the Hainan stop. A stop which saw the greatest number of double eliminations ever witnessed in

a competition.Christophe, the Belgian Liquid Force rider, made his first appearance on the PKRA tour in 2010 but now that he has won his first world title, he is determined to win some more.

26 EVENTS Christophe Tack and Karolina Winkowska 2014 PKRA freestyle World Champions

We interviewed him to capture his emotions after his first world title...

KS_Tell us something about you…

CT_I’m Christophe Tack, my friends call me Mowgli, I’m 21 years old (22 on 29 december) and I’m from Belgium, Ostend. I’ve been passionate about kiteboarding since I was 10 years old.

KS_As is waking world champion?

CT_It’s amazing to wake up and realize that I’ve achieved my biggest dream..

Absolutely. But at the end not much changes, I’m still the same person and I’m still driven to progress. It doesn’t feel like this is the end, just a highlight in my career. Hopefully I’ll get more highlights in the future!

KS_Tell us something about this season PKRA. CT_It has been amazing. A great year, that is for sure! The season started very well. It was unreal, like I was in a video game or so and I got more and more stoked during the season. When I think back about the season it has been a long season, very exhausting too, but it al went very quick. I guess time flies when you’re having a good time!

KS_When did you realize that you could “take home” the title?

CT_After my win in Tarifa I was pretty sure to take home the title. Then Brazil was a setback with a car accident and for a second I lost it.. Feeling like it might not end like I felt 2 weeks before when winning Tarifa. During my train-

ing in Brazil I slowly got the confidence KS_Your favourite spot on PKRA tour back. And it luckily worked out! and why?

CT_Pingtan China, It’s the only spot we KS_About your gear. have whole year with good waves. This CT_I ride with Liquid Force Kites since year was a bit worse than last year, the 2009. I ride the new Hifi X, a kite de- wind was irregular but the waves were signed with my feedback, and abso- pumping again! So much more fun than lutely love it. It does what I want and flat water! react how I would want a kite to react. The feeling is very precise and the KS_Your opponents, Liam has made slack is ideal for my tricks. My board is great heats and moves, the relationthe Liquid Force Element. I ride the 139 ship with the other riders of PKRA? with boots and 1,5” fins. It’s a fast board CT_Liam is on fire! He’s riding is amazwith loads of pop, it has almost no neg- ing and he’s a great competitor with ative flex and makes it easy to land my a good attitude too. He felicitated me latest tricks. Give it a try and see if you directly after I got announced world like Liquid Force kites as much as I do! champion. Something that didn’t happen this year with the girls, haha. Over

28 EVENTS Christophe Tack and Karolina Winkowska 2014 PKRA freestyle World Champions

all we riders come along well, the whole pkra. Even tho everybody is very competitive their is a great sportsmanship between the male riders, which makes our job even more fun!

KS_Your best heat this year?

CT_I’ve got the highest score of the season, it was 40,4 against Liam in China, the heat that would decide if I’ll be world champion or not. I was able to use the conditions in my advantage, do a Heel front 7 and Toe Back 5, Backside 315 and more. All went very well and I was stoked with the outcome!!

KS_The most difficult part of the tour of this year, perhaps after the accident in Brazil? What happens inside of you?

CT_Physically I was fine, besides having very sore muscles, a slightly injured ankle and a blocked hip. But that did change a lot to my riding, I had to stop sessions early sometimes because of pain. Also mentally was hard. I was really hyped that I actually made it out alive and well, but then on the other side you feel like it’s unfair and that you’re going to lose because your body is struggling a bit. I decided to focus on eating health, rest well, try to give everything I could every session. So I would feel confident during PKRA China and have a feeling that ‘I couldn’t have tried more’.. During the small week I had between Brazil and

PKRA China, my osteopath helped me a lot, I felt flexible and great before going to China. It couldn’t went better at the end!

KS_Moves, style, and new moves, what do you think the judges liked more in your style?

CT_I think the flow, When I do tricks I try to make them look as easy as possible and have a nice flow in my rotations.

Also I focus on landing clean and controlled, having Butt checks costs a lot of points. It is a total package you need, good tricks, kite at a good angle, speed in and out of the trick, travel and good landings. Then you need to have 5 tricks from 5 different trick categories! Next year the judging criteria will change. We don’t know how it’s going to be yet but looks exciting.

KS_Winter training and next season… who do you think will be your greatest opponent next year?

CT_During this winter I’ll go train in Australia. Next season will be very interesting. Loads of changes in the pro kite tour, and the level will be higher than ever. Alex Pastor and Marc Jacobs will be back, together with Youri who is on fire, Aaron Hadlow is training hard too and then you have Liam who was been showing his skills past 2 seasons. I think we have 6 potential winners next year.. the fight will be on!!

KS_The name of the mag is KiteSoul, your vibrations, your emotions during a session?

CT_When I kiteboard I just focus on the present time, on the moment it self and I try to get a flow. I focus very hard on each trick I want to do and I try to step up my game every single trick. Go a bit bigger, try a bit harder trick, add a grab. I just do what feels right at that moment.

Kiteboarding is the best, it’s about now, and you don’t need to think about past or future feelings but just enjoy the moment itself...

FREESTYLE MEN 1-Christophe Tack – PKRA World Champ 2-Liam Whaley 3-Aaron Hadlow

S

FREESTYLE WOMEN 1-Karolina Winkowska - PKRA World Champ 2-Gisela Pulido 3-Bruna Kajiya WAVE MEN 1-Keahi De Aboitiz - PKRA World Champ 2-Pedro Henrique 3-Mitu Monteiro

WAVE WOMEN 1-Moona Whyte - PKRA World Champ 2-Kirsty Jones 3-Jalou Langeree SLALOM MEN 1-Bryan Lake - PKRA World Champ 2-Julien Kerneur 3-Oswald Smith

SLALOM WOMEN 1-Katja Roose - PKRA World Champ 2-Annelous Lammerts 3-Bibiana Magaji

2014 PKRA World Champions Christophe Tack (BE)- Men’s Freestyle World Champion Karolina Winkowska (PL) Women’s Freestyle World Champion Bryan Lake (US) Men’s Slalom World Champion Katja Roose (NL) Women’s World Champion

STR STRIKE AMP Airton Cozzolino wearing

STRIKE SERIES Strike amp 4,5 DL

SURFING ELEMENTS ion-products.com

32 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

Text and Photo John Bilderback

KITESURF IN

PIPELINE In the world of surfing there is only one Banzai Pipeline. It is a spectacle that has been called the greatest ten seconds in surfing. There may be heavier waves in the  world in terms of physics: bigger drops, thicker lips, and shallower reefs, but in terms of the place it occupies  in the surfing universe, nothing can compare. It is the original, the prototype, the alpha.

34 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

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ecause of it’s intimidating shape and tightly focused power, for many years, it simply inspired debate.

Could it be ridden? Could it even be survived?

But then, as Wikipedia recalls, “It got its name in December 1961, when surfing movie producer Bruce Brown was driving the North Shore with California surfers Phil Edwards and Mike Diffenderfer. Brown stopped at the then-unnamed site to film Edwards catching several waves…” Like some royal baby, it’s life in front of the camera began on day one. Today the collection of super expensive, super telephoto lenses you’ll see on any large winter swell is staggering. And with good reason; for surfing imagery it is nearly unbeatable. Even when the waves are large enough to break boards like match sticks, the carnage happens only 75 yards off the beach. And perhaps that proximity is it’s defining characteristic.

When someone gets a horrible beating there, you can almost feel it for yourself. It is well within reach of even a modest amount of empathy.

Unfortunately for Oahu kitesurfers with

a taste for big waves, Pipeline faces directly into the prevailing tradewinds from the East / Northeast which blow straight into the barrel. Even if it weren’t packed with top echelon surfers every single day, the angle of the setup makes it essentially un-kiteable. Once however in 1987, Robby Naish did ride his windsurfer out there, on a strange and brief South Westerly wind. His session only lasted 45 minutes before the wind direction shifted. 27 years have passed now and that event is like a ghost, many people talk about it, but few actually saw it. I was one.

Hawaiian trade winds blow about 250 days a year. They stop when winter storm fronts bring Kona winds, (named for the town of Kona on the western side of the Big Island), which blow in basically the opposite direction. Konas predictably clock around from the South to the West to the North as the front passes, wreaking havoc on the ocean’s surface and they are very often accompanied by rain. This means that most kiters simply sit out the fronts and wait for the trades to return to their usual kiting spots. But the North Shore of Oahu is blessed with so

36 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

many fortunate reefs and such a bounty of  swell that a handful of kiters have impatiently sought out Kona wind kiting options. There was Jeff Tobias, who tackled some large storm waves one winter at Pipe, and Davey Blair who developed a relationship with another big

nasty left called Rockpiles just a few hundred yards up the beach. Both were bold and rode alone, seeing something nobody else wanted in the big, nasty, and transient conditions. Â Despite their efforts, the photographic evidence was unappealing. Choppy, grey, and furi-

“BUT THIS WINTER, MY 29TH ON THE NORTH SHORE, HELL MUST’VE FROZEN OVER.”

ous, the ocean was not her sexy self.

She had an ugly and discouraging look.

But this winter, my 29th on the North Shore, hell must’ve frozen over.

January 25th 2014, was a Saturday.

I had a pro bono shoot on a piece of land we’re trying to protect from de-

velopment with some girls, some cute kids and a dog. I shot and shot, trying to capture the value of the natural beauty and the loss we’d feel should someone pave over this part of paradise. Around mid morning my phone vibrated, once, twice, three times. I try not to be one

38 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

of those people endlessly looking at their phone, but on the ocean I could see whitecaps moving left to right under the sunny skies. This had happened a couple of times over the last few weeks. The jet stream was shifted south and the storms that produced our typical winter swells were nearby and brushing us as they passed. But today the weather wasn’t unsettled, the storm was still two days out. So I took my phone out. Message from Reo Stevens: “Checking Pipeline and I’m about 50% certain its rideable…” That

was about 40% more encouragement than I needed to wrap this shoot. (How many photos can you shoot of a couple of kids and a dog?)

I sped off to find Reo standing at Ehukai, the beach park at Pipeline. He was wrestling with what he’d been watching, a tiny bit flustered. His phone’s battery had died so he was unable to confer with his partner in kite crime Keahi de Aboitiz. I could sense Reo’s isolation on this tourist packed beach.

He’d seen one really good kiteable wave. It was perfect, and it spit, and

then it was followed by fifteen minutes of rubbish. I got Keahi on my phone and asked him to get down here. Reo and I assessed the many variables he needed to consider before committing and grabbing a pump. It looked windy, but was it? The normal pack of surfers was absent, was that a fluke, would they all be paddling out any minute?

Would the lifeguards, professionals in risk management in big surf, just shut him down when they saw what he was preparing to do? Was the current so strong from the left that it would suck

all the power out of his kite as soon as he hit the water? Was that one spitting barrel the only one we’d see all day?

Worst of all, would he be able to walk away - if he didn’t at least try? This was Pipeline after all, this was not pardon the expression, just another day at the beach.

We joked that as soon as Keahi showed up, for sure a perfect wave would come through, and that was exactly what happened. Keahi called it on after all of thirty seconds. They would go. Now as a photographer, the long periods of

40 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

“THEN THE WORLD CHAMP ANSWERED BACK. KEAH HANDBOOK AND GO

HI TOOK A PAGE FROM THE PIPELINE BACKSIDER’S OT ONE FROM DEEP.”

42 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

“AND THERE IT WAS, A LEGITIMATE BARREL RIDE AT PIPELINE ON A KITE. THE BEACH WENT NUTS. I SMILED WRYLY AS I KNEW, NO MATTER WHAT, THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.”

crumbly waves didn’t bother me. I am very well aware that all I need is one good 500th of a second. Hours can pass that make no difference at all. Those could be forgotten. Photos are forever. But as a kiter I also recognized that they’d need a fair bit of luck (on top of their considerable talents) to be in the right place at the right time, and to find the good waves amongst the garbage.

I also knew they’d really be hanging their asses out, not just for themselves but for the sport too. What if, on surfing’s most prestigious stage, in front

of hundreds of spectators, things went horribly wrong? It was easy to imagine all sorts of dire outcomes: a bad launch splattering into a few tourists, a kite falling impotently from the sky, or the possibility of a humiliating ‘no way brah’ from the esteemed North Shore lifeguards. It could end badly dozens of ways, of that much I was certain. But I would back these two riders against the odds any day. I set up my sticks and cleaned my big lens.

Keahi and Reo set to work pumping up kites under the confused stares

44 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

of all manner of beach goers. I wondered what the lifeguard’s reaction would be when the kites took shape on the sand. It bears saying that the lifeguards stationed at Pipeline are above even a shred of disrespect. Being some of the most elite watermen anywhere on earth, they simply cannot be argued with. No one who has seen what they do in the heaviest water imaginable would dare. You’d have to be a complete clown. Their blessing was key in my mind to the boys just getting off the beach.

So not wasting any time, or extending the duration of the dumb looks from every confused visitor staring at them, Keahi and Reo got their kites in the air and their asses in the water. Thankfully, no bullhorn blared from the tower; one hurdle down. Next was the question of the swift downwind current. It was ripping. With too small of a kite, the loss of apparent wind might end

this dream just feet off the beach. But no, they were powered, and headed for the next challenge, the shorebreak at Gum’s. Gum’s is the little patch of sand that sits just to the right (downwind in this case) of the wave at Pipe. Its where you either squeak straight out, or get pummeled by brutal closeouts on the sandbar. From years of swimming out at Pipe, I can tell you that Gum’s can break your spirit before you’ve even gotten a chance to get your ass kicked with some dignity up at the peak. Once you’re passed that though, you’ll have a relatively easy time getting to the real action at Pipe. Its all about timing. They set out, climbed some foam, bore off downwind and then bam, they were outside! Now I was getting excited. This might actually happen! Working their way upwind, feeling their way onto a few peaks, each moved closer and closer to the lineup. Within minutes the first proper fade and bottom

46 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

turn sent cheers though the crowd.

You could feel the support of the previously uncertain audience. Whatever these strange guys were up to, the crowd liked it.

After several tacks, Keahi was the first to get to the bottom of a big one, on his

backhand. Reo followed immediately on his forehand. This looked promising, the wind was cooperating. Now it all came down to wave choice. The barrel at Pipeline comes from a combination of the wave hitting the abrupt reef and the trade winds holding up

the lip as it throws out. Today the unusual wind was not providing that kind of assistance, so if the wave were going to tube it would have to be from sheer horsepower. Most swells came in, stacked up, and bowled as the boys came off the bottom, but then failed

to get round and hollow.  But after a half an hour of shopping, Reo found a good one. He came from way behind the peak, did a cutback stall as he got to the bottom, and pivoted onto his inside rail. He put his weight firmly onto his  back leg, dragged his hand in the

48 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

face and tucked under the lip. And there it was, a legitimate barrel ride at Pipeline on a kite. The beach went nuts.

I smiled wryly as I knew, no matter what, this was a little bit of history. Maybe it wasn’t the biggest or the most perfect wave, nor the gaping gutter we all know Pipeline can be, but after having seen Reo’s mentor Robby Naish put his mark on the place almost three decades earlier I knew this moment was to be savored.

I high-fived the people around me, for

him. I knew right then it would be a big night… Then the World Champ answered back. Keahi took a page from the Pipeline backsider’s handbook and got one from deep. He pulled up high, grabbed his rail and stuck his butt into the wave face. The lip threw out over him, he travelled through the tube, and he’d evened the score. Now the beach was a full on love-fest. Meanwhile, Konrad Bright had driven down from his house at Yards for a look. By now he’d seen enough, and began to pump up his kite. Within minutes he

was out and in hot pursuit of a piece of history as well. When he found a barrel for himself his smile was priceless, I could see it through my lens. Having helped with launches and watching all this go down, Richard Whyte realized he couldn’t watch it any more. He too blasted out through the shorebreak and made his way upwind. The two regular footers, Richard and Keahi and the two goofy footers, Reo and Konrad rotated through the lineup. Each ride seemed to feed the whole group. Once they’d gotten a handle on what it took

to bullseye the short thick barrel, the boys put on quite a show. It became apparent that the long, straight-walled and very fast barrels at Backyards they’d been pioneering for the last several seasons were entirely different to what they faced here, and it was cool to watch them adapting to it. Instead of blazing speed, this required precise positioning and hitting the brakes at exactly the right moment. It was an impressive display of kitesurfing progress. When the session finished, nobody could immediately process what

50 HISTORICAL MOMENT Kitesurf in Pipeline

had just happened. It took a couple of hours, maybe even a day to really think through how lucky they’d been, and how glad they were to have seized the moment.

You must always be alert for unique opportunities, as there can be years or decades in between them. Wikipedia may one day have an entry that you’ll

be proud to show your grandchildren, if you keep your phone charged and your eyes open. In the words of perhaps the greatest Pipeline surfer ever, “You have to pay attention. That’s why we’re here in life - to learn how to properly pay attention.”

Gerry Lopez

52 TRIP Tahiti

TAHITI ...after one year, when i got the mail of Raphael telling me we would have done a trip in Tahiti , i just thought... THANKS!

Text Mitu Monteiro Photo Gilles Calvet

54 TRIP Tahiti

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ahiti has been one of that trip of which i came back different... i brought something of that land with me. I remember when i was there for the first time last year to shoot “Imagine”, the Nuit de la Glise film, my wife call me and ask if I was happy to fly back home, for the first time ever I answered her : “ NO , I DON’T !”

Its countless spots, its warm water, its cozy people had won my love immediately, but when I saw Teauhpoo… I really felt in love !

So now, you can imagine how excited i was when I got the news that I would have come back in that paradise… and that time with all the F-ONE team!

I can say that my second time there has been completely different from the

56 TRIP Tahiti

first one. First because I experienced Tahiti by sea. Raphael had booked two splendid catamarans for the team where we spend the most incredible 3 weeks of my life. Being in the middle of the sea, meant wake up every day with the sun‌ watching thousands of stars at night... swimming with dolphins and sharks, shooting whales just in front of us‌ and sleeping with the incredible sounds of Theahpoo breaking few meters far from me. We were all day around in contact with the nature, that is the thing that I love more.

118 TRIP 58 Tahiti

While waiting for the right swell coming in the master of the spot (Teauphoo ) we have been around in some incredible spots like Ha’apiti, Veaira’o . Some of them were really good for wave riding, perfect and clear waves and while you are descending the wave it is so good the background… big and green hill! I really loved the surf there. Also for strapless we reached some paradise where we shoot unique photos! Ride in the middle of the sharks is just… unbelievable!

60 TRIP Tahiti

On the no-wind days i could get advantage of some amazing snorkeling. The fish there seems to not feel fear! They are coming so close to you‌ I tried to spare fishing (my passion) and I discovered that another quality of those fishes is that they are too smart to be fished ;-) We could also train a lot on SUP. The local guys there are amazing!

Finally one day on our last week a call arrived: Teauhpoo gonna be work soon!

We were in Moorea at that moment and we did the islands crossing at night.

That night the captain, who had got acquainted with me, went for a brief sleep and left me the at the helm.

62 TRIP Tahiti

Such an experience! In the middle of the ocean, only me asleep and the dolphins, nothing around, just the sea! The following morning when I went out of my room and I saw the waves breaking in front of me I felt for the second time that thrills and that adrenaline rush that I had felt already the year before.

Actually the waves were not as big as the previous time, but the wind was better! A funny anedocte, during a session Raph started shaking his hands, trying to showing us something in the water ‌ well, was a big hummerhead shark! Opposed to what everybody could think, nobody went out from the water, on the contrar, we were looking for it trying to watch it closer! Crazy surfer people ;-)

64 TRIP Tahiti

I don’t want to say it has been the best trip ever, becuase also the othe were amazing, but of course I can say it will be an unforgattable one!

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BEACH BAR & RESTAURANT Kite courses, Wave clinic, Down Wind, Surf school!!

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66 ITW Noè Font VS Sam Medysky

VS

NOÈ FONT SAM MEDYSKY Sam Medysky and Noè Font are not just teammates, but also inseparable friends. In the last few years they have been touring the world together, making spectacular videos and comparing their different kiteboarding styles: the former is an expert of kickers and rails, the latter, a superb technical rider.

The “wise” Sam, recently appointed Kiteboarder of the year, confronts face to face the “newbie” two-times PKRA Junior World Champion, Noè.

ITW Roberta Pala Photo Toby Bromwich, Alexandru Baranescu, Christian Black and Josh Pietras

68 ITW Noè Font VS Sam Medysky

First Name: Noè Last Name: Font D.O.B.: 25/12/1998 Years Kiting: 6 Years.

Home Spot: Empuriabrava La Rubina.

Favorite Spot: Brazil and Tarifa.

Wall of Fame: 2x Kiteboarding Junior World Champion.

Sponsors: Bestkiteboarding, Ion and Kitecostabrava.

Other Sports: Surf, Wakeboarding, skate.

NOÈ

SAM

VS

KS_You really are an “odd couple”; how this friendship came about?

First Name: Sam Last Name: Medysky NOÈ_I met Sam in 2012 at the Bestkiteboarding product shoot in D.O.B.: June 5th 1990 Portugal. From there we booth had a Years Kiting: 16 normal friendship since we decided to Home Spot: Sauble Beach, Canada film our first video Generations in Brazil Favourite Spot: Cape Hatteras, last year. I think there is where we got USA. Taiba, Brazil really good friends we spent three weeks Wall of Fame: 5X Canadian Natogether and had the chance to know each tional Champion other pretty well. I think while filming GenerSponsors: Best Kiteboardations is where we became good friends. ing, Woo Sports, DakSAM_I first meet Noe in Portugal during a prodine, Vitaly uct shoot with Best in the Spring of 2012. He was Other Sports: about half the height he is now and had long hair.

Snowboarding, He was almost like a mini me. He was fairly quiet but Wakeboarding, when he did talk he was always pretty funny. We reHOCKEY! connected in Brazil a year or to later. We were both on

the same page as our view on the sport and the direction we wanted to take our ride. Not to mention we have a great time on and off the water together.

M

KS_If you were Noè/Sam, what would you do, first?

NOÈ_If I was Sam I would start helping Noè with his homework more often maybe… Well I don’t think it’s a great idea… And I will probably grow a massive moustache again.

SAM_If I was Noe I’d first start by growing my hair longer..... keep up the beach look for the bikini babes. Then I’d continue training for the PKRA and dominate the competition.

KS_Who is the most popular with the girls?

NOÈ_I guess Sam had more years to perform the art but I got my fans club too ;-) hahaha SAM_I’m going to say I’m more popular with the girls for the moment but I’m teaching Noe my ways. First step for Noe with women is to NOT tell them he’s 15. No girl wants to be known as a cradle robber.

KS_What’s the thing that you more envy from him?

NOÈ_Probably that he has finished school and I’m not. And his driving license.

SAM_envious that Noe is able to do his schooling online and begin traveling and competing at such a young age. My parents are both high school teacher and made it clear that I had to attend class and couldn’t do it online.

70 ITW Noè Font VS Sam Medysky KS_Tell me about one Noè’s /Sam’s fault…

NOÈ_We are booth pretty chilled and quiet never any big troubles between us. Maybe that time when we… Never mind!

SAM_wish he had a driver license so he could be the designated driver.

KS_Fellow riders and teammates, how it feels to be into the Best Kiteboarding team?

NOÈ_Well I think because of that we met each other and also now it’s pretty fun to have the chance to spend more time at the shoots and meetings. We booth have a good relationship with the whole team but it’s always nice to have a good friend in there too.

SAM_Everyone on the team has a unique roll and image with the brand. We all get along and are pretty stoked on the products. Not to mention we have a hell of a good time when we all get together.

72

ITW Noè Font VS Sam Medysky

KS_What are the characteristics of your style?

NOÈ_I think I’m more the PKRA kind of rider with new school tricks and Sam is more involved on the Wakestyle/slider world, which I’m also getting involved now too

SAM_I like all aspects of the sport and have done almost all of them. From the Redbull king of the air to snow kiting in Norway. I’d say what ever fits for the days conditions. I find myself riding on feature and following the wake boarding moment a lot these days.

KS_And what would you want to pick up from your friend’s style and moves?

NOÈ_Maybe pick up his rail skills and some of his grabs.

SAM_Ruben Lenten has a great Megaloop grabbed front roll. Sam Light can spin off the kicker for days.

KS_The most exciting trip, made together...

NOÈ_I think we booth are going to say the same and my most exiting trip made together is without doubt the time we filmed “Northern Fresh” in Canada this summer. In four words “We had a blast!” If you want to see what we were up to there check the link here vimeo. com/northernfresh

SAM_We had a pretty great time in Canada. Noe has never been to North America before. It was fun to show him around. For me its same old be it was pretty cool to introduce a foreigner to my country.

KS_Who is the best one, on park?

NOÈ_Sam by far is the best one on the rails he’s got more experience as for me I’ve only been hitting the cable park since one year.

SAM_Just like women.... I’m older and have spend more time doing it. Noe is young and motivated to learn. He is quickly progressing and hopefully will be competing with the top guys in the Real Triple S this year.

74 ITW Noè Font VS Sam Medysky

KS_What have you learned from your friend, in sport and life?

NOÈ_ I guess that’s the best part of having a travel partner like Sam, he is older than me and has more experience on the kiteboarder life than me so he shows me many times how to do this and that. It’s pretty fun!

SAM_ Beside learning some new freestyle tricks, Noe always brings me back to my roots of why I got into the sports. It’s all about the fun of progression. The best feeling is trying something new and crashing until you finally land it. Riding and life in general is the same. Good things take time and effort. Just like a fine wine.

KS_Tell us about your next projects

NOÈ_We still haven’t planed any new project soon but we have a few ideas about what do we want to do and where.

SAM_We have some projects planned for the future but it’s timing everything around Noe’s schedule with the PKRA tour. You’ll be seeing long from the Spanish Canadian duo.

KS_Tell him something you’ve never even said...

NOÈ_My first ever handle pass was a back mobe.

SAM_Noé your sister is going to be gorgeous when she is older.

KS_Our magazine is called KiteSoul, tell us about your vibrations, your emotions during a session…

NOÈ_When you spend all your time kiteboarding, you always get a bad session in between the good ones, where everything goes wrong. It’s always frustrating and annoying if the spot is too crowded, you cannot land your tricks or tangle your lines, but it’s a big part of the game, as without bad sessions you can’t have good ones. In Brazil I have a very luxury problem: Usually I get very excited when there are good conditions.

But when you spend a longer time here and you basically have the best conditions every day, that excitement starts to wears off. In the end you just have to find your own way to have fun. I get more creative with what I try and progress and therefore enjoy every session because that’s why you kite, right?

SAM_There are always good and bad sessions.

We all want to progress and take our riding to the next level. Some want to compete and prove themselves against the others and some are just in it for the personal satisfaction. I’ve been fortunate enough to make a career from kiteboarding, I have traveled to many places I’d never thought I’d see in my life time, I’ve met ton of people from different back grounds and walks of life.

I’m stoked to have good health, family and friends. Every session is a good one no matter the conditions. “It’s how you feel for a moment in your life when you’re a part of something and if you find that moment, it lasts forever”

76

WAVE TECHNIQUE Barrel

Texto Mitu Monteiro Photo Gilles Calvet/Fone

BARREL Mitu Monteiro

If you are a wave surfer, you yearn for a barrel. The barrel is in the collective imagination‌ thanks to the movies, to the surfer legends, everybody knows what is, but only few will actually be inside it.

Unlike most of the people think, with a kite is possible to do a barrel as in surfing.

78 WAVE TECHNIQUE Barrel

Fundamental, to do a barrel is the wave choice and the timing.

The right wave allows you to perform a proper and long barrel, while the exact timing will bring you out of it safe.

The take off is very important, descending the wave you must keep on controlling how the wave is rolling behind you. According as it is closing faster or slower you will have to regulate your speed. For example, if doing the take off you realize that the wave is closing too slow, you should descend as much as you can pressing on the back foot for reducing your speed and approaching the impact zone.

Once you are in the impact zone,

you must bend as more as possible, almost sitting down on the board, to make your body like a little “ball� on the board to fit in the barrel.

Sometimes you may feel to be too fast compared to the barrel formation. In this case you need to loose speed to wait the barrel. To do so, if you are in frontside, you can just place your back hand in the water and pushing on the back foot.

On the other hand, if you are backside, you need to place your hip in the water and grap the board with your front hand .

If you feel that you are too much inside the barrel and you prefer avoid to be smashed in, you must move as fast as your weight on the front feet. This will make you gain velocity and going out before it’s too late!

In off shore condition, pay attention to the lines, as soon as they touch the water they gonna push the kite to the opposite side and in few second your kite will fall in the water. To avoid this inconvenience, you should compensate for the other side and come out from the barrel in the shortest time, always moving the weight forward .

BaRREL

mitu monteiro

80 STRAPLESS MOVES Straight air

STRAIG

Text and Courtesy Photo Reo Stevens

GHT AIR Everything must have a beginning and the beginning of strapless freestyle tricks starts with the straight air, as this trick is the start to all other tricks. Having the ability and being able to recognize when the board is secure to your feet without straps is essential to progressing your strapless abilities.

82 STRAPLESS MOVES Straight air

1.

Like any jump, whether it’s strapped or strapless, to leave the water you must load up the kite and board by setting a rail and edging against the kite. This creates added tension in the lines that you will use to lift you off the water.

2.

As you load up your board, turn the nose of the board slightly into the wind, just enough so as you leave the water the bottom of the board is faced into the wind.

You may point the toes of your feet to help you do this if you feel necessary.

3.

Though out the air, make sure to keep the bottom of the board facing into the wind; if the upwind rail goes low enough for the wind to hit the top of the board, the board will fly off your feet.

4.

Spot your landing and land like you would a normal strapped jump.

Tips

*

Take you back hand off the bar, it is easier to rotate your body to a position that allows you to get the bottom of the

board up and facing the wind.

*

Use the chicken loop to speed up or slow down to stay connected with your board in the air.

*

If possible, time your take off with a ‘kicker’ such as a small wave or chop to help you initiate your jump.

84 SNOWKITE Snowkiting column

SNOWKITING COL The winter season is here, so it’s time to get your equipment ready by following our simple tips. Snowkiting is a beautiful and charming sport very close to kiteboarding.

Being towed by a kite, sliding and gliding on the snow in uncontaminated places, far away from ski slopes, can give you that elusive feeling of freedom for a few hours.

Snowkiting is reasonably widespread nowadays and practiced all over the world from flat backcountry tracks to the steep mountains of the Alps for fascinating uphill and downhill freeride sessions. The new equipment allows you to practice the sport safely without sacrificing the fun and adrenaline inherent to kite-flying.

Text Stefano Gigli Photo Pascal Boulgakoff e Courtesy Ozone kites

LUMN

86 SNOWKITE Snowkiting column

You can use a standard inflatable kite or a dedicated foil kite, but if you want to make the most out of this truly fascinating discipline, below there is some advice.

To practice snowkiting you need good skiing or snowboarding off-piste skills, so before you start packing your gear, I recommend you spend a few hours or days at a ski resort to get confident with sliding on snow and acquire some offpiste experience.

Off-piste riding can be practiced on flat or steep terrain but we must always remember that the snow can change in quality, quantity, compactness and has hidden obstacles; just like kitesurfing on flat, chop or waves on the water.

However the wind in the mountains can sometimes change intensity and direction, being overall less constant than at sea. The mountains deflect the wind

path, sometimes accelerating its intensity, other times slowing it down or even creating turbulent vortexes downwind.

Below are a few important tips to make your session will be as safe and fun as possible: We recommend the use of dedicated freeride skis and snowboard, a good helmet and a back protector for your jumps because landing on snow is not the same as landing on water. Note that the snowpack does not often exceed 50cm of fresh snow, quite the opposite: the wind shapes the surface of the snow compacting it, and making it hard as ground.

In terms of bindings, once again we suggest you use backcountry freeride bindings with climbing skins, in order to walk on the snow without sinking and facilitate your movements.

If you prefer using a snowboard, you

should invest in some good, light and practical snowshoes.

These simple tips are critical for the practice of backcountry snowkiting and will prevent you from getting stuck in fresh snow ;-) If you prefer snowkiting on flat land, maybe next to your car, this equipment is surely excessive, but I always suggest you use freeride skis or snowboard.

Choosing a kite for the snow is quite easy and can be split into two simple choices: a Foil Kite (especially designed for the practice of snowkiting) or a Leading Edge Inflatable Kite (LEI kites which are the same used on water).

Foil Kites:

Foil kites are the ultimate expression in terms of performance and safety for power kiting. Their sophisticated construction technology is based on the design of the best paragliders on the market, making it the forefront of safety.

In the mountains we often experience sudden changes in weather conditions so swapping or packing down the kite should be quick and easy.

Recent traction foils have achieved excellent flying characteristics from smaller (4mt) to larger sizes (18mt). There are two types of foil kites: Light wind kites (very elongated profile and a high aspect ratio of 7) which are a lot of fun on the flat for long distance sessions and Backcountry Freeride kites, which are more compact and come in sizes from 4 to 12 meters.

I recommend using kites for intermediate fliers like the Ozone Frenzy size 7 and 12 or 6 and 10 (depending on the weight of the rider and whether you use skis or a snowboard). Remember that skiing is more versatile than snowboarding when flying a kite. Skis have the advantage of

being able to move your feet and allow you to reach incredible speeds, making it more fun than snowboarding. With snowboarding you need to use a bigger size kite as the board will generate a greater friction on the snow. If you want to climb up a mountain you need to make sure you backpack 2 kites: one for climbing up and another one for when you reach the top and you ride on the flat. Once again foil kites are the best choice in terms of safety when riding in mountains: just release the chicken loop and the kite will land without power allowing you to retrieve it easily so that you can pack it down on the spot and put it in your backpack in almost no space.

It is also very difficult to break a foil kite but, should that happen during a session, in the repair kit of the kite you will

88 SNOWKITE Snowkiting column

find some Teijin adhesive ripstop for emergency repairs. Your kite will continue to fly without problems.

The only time when the functionality of your kite could be compromised is if you break one of the attaching bridles. This could happen if your kite drags on the ground against some hard or sharp obstacles.

The Ozone foil kite also has a handle that connects the two back lines. The handle, when pulled, allows you to park the kite where you want and without any danger. It is also useful for when your kite lands upside down. By operating this handle the kite will take off vertically from an inverted position (upside down) BUT will then turn itself round and continue to fly.

Securing a foil kite to the ground is quick and easy: just place some snow on the upwind tip and it’ll stay there forever.

Launching a foil kite does not require a kite buddy; you can launch and land your kite independently.

The weight of these kites including bar, does not exceed 5 kg so, carrying two kites of different sizes in your backpack does not require a special effort as the backpack will not weigh more than 5 kg (remember that you use one kite and the other will be in your backpack ready to be used). Remember that foil kites are packed down with their bar and lines attached, so there is no need to connect and re-connect.

Why we do not recommend LEIs (Leading Edge Inflatable Kites) Snowkiting with a LEI is not totally contraindicated as long as you bear in mind these few tips.

The kite is heavier and to inflate it, you need a kite pump. Temperatures in the mountains are often below freezing

point and the plastic valves used to inflate the kite will harden very easily. I’ve often witnessed valves or pumps breaking, cutting your session short or preventing it altogether before it had even started. A LEI kite is definitely much easier to manage in gusty conditions as its semi-rigid structure can better absorb the gusts, however when you crash you have to remember that the terrain in the mountains is not as smooth as water, but presents obstacles (rocks, trees or ice ) which can break and puncture your kite. And when you break a LEI the game is usually over. Re-launching a LEI kite when inverted (upside down) requires a very large space (at least 25mt). The kite has to rotate with the LE rubbing on the snow until the edge of the wind window, and you need to be lucky enough not to encounter any obstacles on your way. You cannot improvise a backcoun-

try hike either because, if your goal is to reach the summit of a mountain, the safety system of these kites does not allow you to land where you want to, and does not ensure that the kite will not break during impact with the ground.

On the bright side you can make stunning jumps and glide off a slope, something which however we advise against as a kite is NOT designed to fly like a paraglider. In the mountains when you jump off a slope you can easily lift up more than 15mt off the ground, so if you do not have great piloting and flying skills, landing on top of an obstacle is the most common thing I’ve seen.

In addition both the chicken loop and harness are not designed for flying off slopes: you are hooked in only to a piece of plastic which, if accidentally released, could leave you hanging helpless at 20 meters off the ground. Riders who fly

90 SNOWKITE Snowkiting column

kites in the mountains use mountaineering harnesses and place a snaphook (karabiner) over the chicken loop for safety reasons, others even lock the CL with a hook but in my opinion this is not recommended as there are safer and more suitable “toys” if your kick is to fly off a mountain. Taking off and landing on the snow with a LEI kite always requires the help of a buddy, who might not be always in the right place at the right time. These kites also weigh more and take up more space: taking along two kites and a pump might not be that easy. Remember also that attaching your lines in the mountains is not as easy as by the sea. Imagine walking in fresh snow for 25mt with the cold wind blowing.

The last technical advice in terms of safety, for all those who want to learn snowkiting and the discipline of backcountry, is that we should practice this sport with extreme respect for nature and for your friends: remember NOT to leave anyone behind!

Anyone who seriously wants to practice this sport should remember to add a few more tools to his/her quiver: a shovel, a probe and an avalanche transceiver

(Arva). Failing to bring any of these safety tools with you during a snowkiting session, could put your life and that of others in serious danger.

I personally prefer to go snowkiting alone with the necessary equipment rather than taking with me someone who is not equipped, as to avoid endangering other people’s lives.

Remember, a kite cannot save your life in case of avalanches: you cannot jump your way out of it.

Of course there are schools dedicated to snowkiting with professional guys who will give you the right advice in just a few lessons. Make sure you take lessons with a qualified snowkiting instructor, this way you will be able to enjoy the freedom of this great sport in just a few hours.

Even if you’re a kitesurfing god and one of the first human beings to fly a powered kite, remember that there is always something new and interesting to learn, especially from someone who knows the mountains better than you do and as such can give you some very useful advice.

For my part, I have been practicing this sport and I have been working in the

I suggest you follow the list below if you want to seriously get into this new and exhilarating sport:

+ Check the wind forecast for the day. the snowpack, precipitation and weather + Check pattern for the past 7 days. + Always tell someone where you are going. + Make sure you have a GPS. your safety equipment: shovel, probe and + Remember avalanche transceiver (ARVA). along a kite repair kit and include a + Bring screwdriver, knife and scissors. + Water and energy food. + Helmet, mask and gloves. charged phone (remember that in the mountains + Aoften the phone does not have coverage, that’s why you should always tell someone where you are and where you plan to go).

skiing, I recommend you invest in a good + Ifpairyouofarealpine/freeride skis with telescopic poles and climbing skins.

are snowboarding you should wear a good pair + Ifof you light snowshoes and compact telescopic poles. + A good camera or a GoPro to capture your session. kiteboarding business for many years; I am also a ski and sailing instructor and I like to climb volcanoes with the sole traction of a kite In all these years I have learned a lot but I think I still have so much to learn and share.

See you in the mountains.

Stefano Gigli - Ozone Italia Country Manager Snowkite schools in Italy ABRUZZO - SnowkiteRoccaraso MARCHE - Bigday TRIVENETO - SnowkiteTonale, Kite4Freedom To go out for backcountry freeride - Stefano Gigli

92 FREESTYLE MOVES Indy Glide Bs 180

FREESTYL

INDY GLID ALBERTO Text Alberto Rondina Photo Roberta Pala

In most of the Boardshorts, simple tricks are also the most stylish and difficult ones. Backsides 180’s are perhaps the most common tricks you seen in a wakeboard, skate or snowboard competition. For sure the 720’s, 1080’s etc are very hard to land, but being able to land a big 180, maybe with a grab, shows the control and coordination you have in the air… it also gives u that extra touch of style, that not many people have!

In the kicker tricks these are the most seen, but also in the air tricks same as at the cable, blind landings are really common and not easy at all.

As a matter of physics, when the rear leg is stretched out and away from the kite, the easier movement to go for its a frontside rotation. So as an example with this trick, from an indy glide it comes much easier to land toeside or wrapped, instead of backside, so landing blind.

LE MOVES

DE BS 180 RONDINA

94 FREESTYLE MOVES Indy Glide Bs 180

Per una questione di fisica, quando la gamba posteriore é stesa, e lontana dal kite, il movimento più facile e rapido, é la rotazione in front side. Quindi, per fare un esempio, con questo trick, l’indy glide viene molto più automatico atterrarlo in toeside o addirittura wrapped, rispetto al backside e quindi atterrare blind.

1

2

3

With the kite at 45’ degrees, get ready for a strong take off, push hard with the back leg and bend up the front leg to pull up the nose of the board and get some height.

Leave the back hand from the bar straight away, to go grab the board on the toeside rail, in the position that comes more natural for you, I really like the indy or crail.

To keep the kite in the same position, you must have put the front hand right in the middle of the bar, with a finger or even too (if you are on a small kite) on the other side of the depower line.

When you reach the grab, move your eyes to the water underneath you, to calculate the timing of your jump, how long you can hold the grab before letting it go and start the backside rotation.

INDY GLIDE BS 180

4

5

6

To start the backside 180, turn your head over your rear shoulder, and push your board forward, in the direction of the kite, so that you are balanced and have the board right underneath you.

The most common mistake is not turning enough downwind with the blind landing, so turn as much as possible, even more then 180’ (like I do here in the picture).

In this way, the kite is gonna barely have any power, the lines are gonna be slacked so that the bar is gonna be close to your hip and really easy to pass behind the back.

Bend your knees to cushion the landing and ride away!

Ciao!

Alby

96 STRAPLESS MOVES Frontside reverse

FRONTSIDE THE FRONTSIDE REVERSE REPRESENTS ONE OF THE BASICS IN STRAPLESS FREESTYLE , WE CAN DESCRIBE IT IN 3 KEY POINTS, POP, AIR ROTATION AND SLIDE ROTATION.

Text and photo Stefano Gentili

E REVERSE

98 STRAPLESS MOVES Frontside reverse

POP 1.Focus on a target as a small chop, you need a

good speed, then pop your board trying to keep it more vertical than a normal pop air, this will help you to do your 180째 air rotation.

AIR ROTATION 2. Push your board tail dow

your back leg and bending y tion is started prepare to lan from a leg to another.

wnwind to you, extending your front leg, once rotand switching your weight

SLIDE ROTATION 3. After your landing you need to start a new 180째

rotation which will be in slide mode, push your toeside rail allowing the fins to grab water , this will help you to rotate successfully, follow your board rotation turning your shoulders, taking your control bar in front of your body pushing it far away from you. This will help you to coordinate.

100 TECH How to choose the ideal kite

HOW TO CH THE IDEAL Text Renato Casati - Photo Courtesy RRD

Which is the best kite for you? Can you spot all the different

kite models at first glance just by looking at their shape and understand what they have been designed for? Can you classify and understand the basic features of your kite?

The availability of kites on the market is rapidly expanding. Every year manufacturers come out with new models to meet the fast growing needs of new riders; increasing with the growth of this sport. Over the years the development and construction of kites has evolved massively. Looking at a modern kite, one really wonders how

we could ride those old construction kites, which today we wouldn’t even fly to have a laugh.

On the market today there are more than thirty kite companies and each produce a vast range of models to meet the ever growing riders’ requirements.

FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND The variables for the average user are way too many, and often only generate confusion even for those working in the field, let alone beginners.

To simplify we can say that there are kites which have been designed to give the best possible all-round performance

HOOSE KITE WAVE

RRD - Religion

(FREERIDE), and which are safe, have a wider wind range and they are ideal for the beginner to intermediate user. Then there are kites which are more difficult to handle because they have been designed with a specific purpose in mind. In this category we find RACE, WAVE, FREESTYLE and WAKESTYLE kites. The choice becomes even

more complicated if we consider that there are also hybrid type of kites: for example there are some freeride kites which are designed to be faster, as to better surf waves, or race kites with a lot of hang time designed for pulling Big Airs, freestyle kites designed for jumping big or wake-style oriented kites. Without getting too

technical (C-kites, Bow, SLE, Delta, Hybrid‌), before choosing a kite you should ask yourself a few simple questions‌

102 TECH How to choose the ideal kite

FREESTYLE

RRD - Obsession

WAKESTYLE - POWERSTYLE RRD - Obsession Pro

1.

2.

3.

WHAT DO YOU PLAN USING YOUR KITE FOR?

COMPARE MODELS AND MANUFACTURERS

READ UP AND TEST!

Wave, Race, Freeride, Freestyle or Wakestyle riding?

Once you have identified your riding style you can start looking through the manufacturer’s catalogues and choose a dedicated designed model.

Once you have identified your needs you should examine (on dedicated websites) the product specifications of the different models offered by each manufacturer and choose the kite which comes closer to what you have in mind. For example, if you are looking for a wave style kite and you like to ride strapless you should buy a kite with good “drifting” (please check definition below). On the other hand, if you like to ride strapped in or strapless with full on power, you need a faster kite with less “drifting”…

Once you have identified the right model for your style, you should read the comments and reviews of the kite/s on dedicated kite forums and, if possible, you should test the kite before buying it. Testing a kite on the water is very important: only this way you can try those unique sensations which are essential to create a feeling between the rider and its equipment, sensations which cannot be standardized.

ALLROUND RRD - Vision

FREERIDE

RRD - Passion

4.

ESSENTIAL PARAMETERS TO CONSIDER Each kite has different characteristics, but which are the essential parameters to consider when assessing a kite?

In the graphs below we have tried to summarize, approximately, some of the most important parameters which are calculated on the AVERAGE performance of the available kites on the market.

This way you can spot at a glance, the BASIC characteristics which your ideal kite should have.

Please remember that it is usually the rider and

RACE

RRD - Addiction

not the kite which makes the real difference on the water. This said, having a kite which was designed for the purpose intended is certainly a plus.

104 TECH How to choose the ideal kite

FREERIDE/ALLROUND Aspect ratio 4.0 /5.0 Shape short and large

tart

stab

ers wat

ility

WAVE

upwind

Aspect ratio 3.5 /4.0 Shape: short and large

stab

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um

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ed

m

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All parameters with the same color refer to a specific macro-area (freeride, freestyle, race, wakestyle, wave). This division is designed to highlight the distinction of each macro-area.

top/

top

imu m

ility

FREESTYLE

r

Aspect ratio 4.0 /5.0 Shape: well balanced

stab

art

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freeride/allround

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For each parameter we assigned a value ranging from low to top through three intermediate sizes. The filled part of the graph represents the top value, whilst the empty part, represents a low value.

106 TECH How to choose the ideal kite

WAKESTYLE

Aspect ratio 5.0 /6.0 Shape: long and narrow

tart

stab

ers wat

upwind

ility

GLOSSARY OF TERMS A.R. (ASPECT RATIO) The numerical proportion between the length and the width of the kite.

All the following characteristics are a direct result of this rapport.

KITE SHAPE A direct consequence of AR. You can guess which kind of kite you have in your hands and its characteristics just by looking at its shape.

COMFORT How manageable your kite is. The manageability of a kite is a direct consequence of all the different criteria ... windrange, speed, depower, drifting, upwind capabili-

RACE

Aspect ratio 5.0 /6.0 Shape: long and narrow

stab

art

erst

ility

upwind

wat

ties, hang time etc.

WINDRANGE The low and top wind range sustained by your kite. For example, a 9mt kite can have a wind range of 15 to 25 knots, whilst another model could have a lower range of 18 to 23 knots...

DEPOWER The ability to reduce your kite’s power. It is measured in percentages. A kite with 100% depower will fall off the sky, 90% depower means the kite has no traction etc. A kite with a lot of depower is

useful for better managing the gusts and surf waves but it is not ideal for riders who do not want to lose too much power when jumping (greater hang-time is needed in this case).

RELAUNCH The shape of the wing determines how easily we can get the kite back into the air from the water. Remember that 5th line kites are in a league of their own.

SHEETING (IN & OUT) Changing the angle of the kiteboarding kite relative to the wind. This is done by pulling the bar towards you to gain power (sheeting in) or pushing it out (sheeting out) to lose power and stop.

DRIVE How precisely and directly the kite responds to your commands.

LOOP ABILITY The propensity and facility of performing a kite loop, delivering a smoother and constant power through the turns,

108 TECH How to choose the ideal kite

without pulling the rider too much.

HANG TIME The amount of time spent in the air whilst jumping, also known as buoyancy… The lift is the ability of the kite to “jump high”.

Kites with low AR jump really high but make you fall just as quickly. Kites with high AR jump less but have more buoyancy.

DRIFTING The ability of the kite to “follow” the rider when the rider is surfing. This is fundamental in onshore and side onshore wind conditions.

STEERING (Overpowered) How fast the kite reacts to the pressure of the depowered bar (sheeted out, hence with slack back lines) when turning.

STEERING (Reactive) How fast the kite reacts to the pressure of the powered bar, so with a lot of backline tension.

the arms, when pulling the bar. This pressure, for some brands, can be changed by altering the back lines setting.

STABILITY How “predictable” your kite is when flying, without unwanted and unexpected behavior.

For example during gusts or when moving from one wind window to the other.

KITELOOP SPEED How quickly the kite rotates on its axis.

UNHOOKED POP The ability of the kite to react rapidly and float during an unhooked jump.

POWER RELEASE DELAY The ability of the kite to delay the loss of power once the bar is depowered.

HIGH BAR PRESSURE How much pressure is perceived by the rider, on

KITELOOP POWER How much power is delivered through a kiteloop.

UPWIND The ability of the kite to sail close to the wind direction, outside of the wind window. Kites with a high AR go upwind better vs. kites with low AR. LOW END The power delivered by the kite in conditions of low wind, devised for that specific kite size.

Renato “DrKite” Casati Technical Expert RRD Wave team rider. Kiteboarder since 2000, he has been PKRA athlete and judge. He’s a professional sportswriter for several technical magazines. He lives between Como Lake and Sardinia, but he spends every winter in the waves of CaboVerde.

110 TEST Kitesoul test 2015

KITESOUL

TEST 2015

UP W

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*

The infographics have been based on the average values expressed by different Kitesoul testers.

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FREESTYLE

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WAVE

NAISH-PIVOT NORTH - DICE CABRINHA - CHAOS WAIMAN-MANIAC BEST-TS

112 TEST Naish Pivot

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WAVE

The Pivot is the newborn kite from Naish, an all-around freeride/wave kite. A new concept and design: three bladders, four lines, a kite born to fill the gaps of the

Hawaiian company.

Our team tested the 6 and 10 sq.m. for wave riding on small waves, and for freestyle on flat water, in various wind conditions, from 12 to

30+ knots.

His name, Pivot, was rightly chosen because of its ability to pivot on a small axis of rotation.

The kite certainly has enviable wave riding

NAISH, PIVOT Avalaible sizes 5 - 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 14 sq.m. www.naishkites.com

114 TEST Naish Pivot

performance, with excellent drift, good upwind capabilities and a huge depower. The kite immediately felt easy to use: low bar pressure, responsive and fast, the 10 sq.m. is indeed very fast. In wave conditions around 4-5ft, our riders mostly appreciated its speed and the drift felt in the bottom turn. The kiteloops felt strong but constant, allowing the rider to recuperate traction when loosing speed. Relaunch was immediate, thanks to the reinstatement of the ABS front bridle, it also has huge and immediate depower capabilities and it is not prone to backstall; even if, in very light wind conditions, one of our riders reported some back-stalling.

The kite was also tested for freestyle on flat water and with strong wind.

We can say that it has a nice lift and pop, ensuring excellent freeriding performance.

The bar has also been changed: new colors

but most important new useful features. Notwithstanding the “below the bar “trim, positioned next to the chicken loop, and not liked by many of our test riders, the bar has the usual ultra-comfortable grip and totally different colors: gray and yellow. The trim of the back lines is internal, where adjustments can be made no longer under the side bar floats, but in a practical housing situated in the bar ends. On top of this with a simple movement, you can change the position of the “horns” of the bar, with a range of plus or minus 5 cm. On the tip, there are still three attachments for the back lines.

The graphics are attractive as usual; the bag has a new insert for pump storage; an oversized valve, in line with other kites on the market: one pump (octopus) system like all other Naish kites (no external tubing, but with internal valves between the L.E.

and the struts); and neoprene cover-valves to prevent damage to the L.E.

The opinion of our team A kite designed for wave as well as free-riders who want excellent performance, good lift and nice looping. The pure freestyle dedicated Naish kite, is certainly the Torch, whilst the highly successful Park is a good choice for freestylers and wave riders. The Pivot fills the final gap, positioning itself between a versatile freeriding kite and “dedicated “wave riding toy.

116 TEST Naish Pivot

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RACE RACE

NORTH, DICE

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ALLROUND ROUND ALL

FREESTYLE

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WAVE WAVE

Launched last year by North Kiteboarding, the Dice is the ultimate kite for those riders who love freestyle as well as wave riding. The Dice immediately became a top

seller between those riders who appreciate a simple and lightweight all-round, four line, three struts, kite. Well received also by industry insiders, by athletes but espe-

cially by users, the Dice has gained a new market of its own. Nevertheless this second edition has been upgraded to further raise the performance: a deeper and

NORTH, DICE Available sizes 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 mqù www.northkiteboarding.com

118 TEST North Dice

more open profile, gives, to this new version, a more consistent pull and greater hang time; at the same time improving its light wind performance; the kite has also been made lighter, with beneficial effects on the kite’s reactivity. The bridle system has been modified to provide greater shape stability, whilst the profile of the wing has been totally redesigned for the larger sizes (9 to 13 sq.m.).

We tested the 7 sq.m., for wave riding, in 4-5 ft waves; and the 9 sq.m., for freestyle, on flat water, both strapless and with a twintip kiteboard.

The kite was fast, stable and responsive thanks to its profile shape, very similar to a C kite. In the waves, it was able to follow the rider, reacting quickly to commands, flagging out when needed, and showing a great depower. It is especially during wave riding that the differences between the Dice and its cousin Neo are more evident:

the former is constantly “on the move”, pulling the rider and always delivering the best performance, whilst the latter can be “parked” when surfing with excellent drifting, delivering its full power as soon as the kite is recalled. It must be said that drifting, which was already very good, has been enhanced further in the latest 2015 version. The feeling on the bar is great: the bar pressure, in fact, has been increased to achieve greater responsiveness. Its upwind and light wind performance, already very good in the 2014 version, have also been improved upon.

It was only by switching the surfboard with the twintip that we discovered the double soul of the Dice: an engaging but not too aggressive freestyle kite, not a specialist like the Vegas; but the ideal choice for riders who are into mega loops like King of the Air style.

The loop is, in fact, fast and easily manageable,

with the ability to deliver a constant power throughout its radius. The other most important qualities for freestyle, lift and pop, have also been further enhanced compared to last year.

There are two back-line settings on the wing tip for trimming the kite. The bridles on the front have been equipped with a new pulley and there is a small Y shape accessory bridle towards the final part of the leading edge.

The bar is lightweight, practical and functional, with a soft grip and decisive colors. The sensible integrated backline adjuster, has been carefully designed and is easily accessible, as it is located inside the bar ends.

The length of the bar is also adjustable and you can vary it between two measurements through a simple rotating mechanism located in the bar ends.

The kite has a simple One Pump system with an oversized valve, which allows you to inflate

the kite quickly and with limited effort. The deflate valve is located near the tip-end, to achieve a quick and complete deflation when rolling the kite up.

The graphics, as most North kites, are simple and catchy with a good choice of colors, nothing excessive, sober and quite pleasing to the eye without being too fussy.

The opinion of our team This new version of the Dice, after his great success in 2014, did not fall short of our expectations confirming its qualities and improving them further. The more open profile has increased its stability and speed. This kite is the ultimate choice for many pro-riders and for many “normal� kiters who are into wave riding. Nevertheless its versatility makes this kite part of a wider market, ensuring excellent performances for freestylers and freeriders overall. We recommend this kite to most riders, but especially those who, while practicing different disciplines, want to have one set of kites which can deliver 100% satisfaction in most situations.

120 TEST Cabrinha, Chaos

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The Chaos is the top of the range kite from Cabrinha: a bridled four line C-shape dedicated to freestyle/wakestyle.

Compared to last year only a few small refine-

ments were made, given that the product design was already very successful. The Chaos had been designed to have the best unhooked performance for extreme

maneuvers and powerful kiteloops, which is why it is used, with much success, by all Cabrinha PKRA riders.

Our team tested the 7 square meters and the13

Cabrinha, Chaos Available sizes 5.5 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 11 13 mq www.cabrinhakites.com

122 TEST Cabrinha, Chaos

square meters in slightly choppy water conditions, with winds around 30 knots (7 sq.m.) and 12 knots (13 sq.m.). The most striking feature of this kite is its super loop: such a powerful pull that literally gets you off the ground, whilst at the same time, providing a soft landing. However, if you want to make the most out of your pop and achieve the best performance with the Chaos, is important to be very fast.

The kite is definitely more physically demanding than other models, like a proper C kite should be; this said the sensation when riding unhooked is fantastic. The Chaos, in fact, gives you the most satisfaction when riding unhooked, being able to fill the needs even of the most aggressive freestyler: a reactive, stable, backstall-free kite, with a flawless “slack” for easy bar passes. Its flying is very fluid and the feeling on the bar is ideal. The larger sizes are faster this year, the smaller si-

zes slower: an intentional adjustment to achieve the best freestyle/ wakestyle performance.

Another improvement of this latest version is the low end power: usually considered the “Achilles’ heel” of C-shape kites.

The depower is also quite generous for this kind of kite, increasing its wind range. On the not so bright side, in some cases, it took a little more time than normal to water relaunch the Chaos.

Cabrinha bars are usually well built and full of features: from the depower system with two separate adjustments (to power or depower the kite) which can be activated by pulling two adjustable straps of different color (red and black), to the quick release system which can be easily rearmed with two fingers: an indispensable feature when arming your kite in the water. For the purpose of our test we used the adjustable Overdrive 1x bar where the bar size can be altered from 48 to

56 cm, simply by sliding the two bar ends.

The inflate/deflate system is accessed through a single oversized valve, as it has been custom for the last few years, which allows you to rapidly inflate the kite with minimal effort.

The Cabrinha graphics, as usual, are very catchy, with intense colors and pleasing patterns; the equipment is complemented by a functional good quality bag.

The opinion of our team The Chaos is the ideal kite for those who want to have the best obtainable performance by a C-shaped kite, especially when riding unhooked, in order to accomplish explosive wakestyle maneuvers. With its flawless slack for easy bar passes and its powerful, but soft landing, kiteloop, it is considered to be the ideal kite for those demanding freestylers who want to make the most out of those aggressive flat or wakepark sessions, or maybe want to compete. Not surprisingly it is the kite chosen by Liam Whaley and Alberto Rondina for their comps. Last but not least we should remind riders that this kite, whilst having a very specific vocation, can also be appreciated during more relaxed freeride sessions and, wanting to exaggerate, we can say that it shows a discrete behavior even when wave-riding: a good all-rounder companion afterall.

124 TEST Waiman, Maniac

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WAVE

After a long wait, finally Wainman has unveiled its first C kite: the ManiaC. There had been rumors about the coming on the market of a pure C kite by the Hawaiian

company and freestylers have finally seen their wish come true this year.

The ManiaC is a freestyle/wakestyle C kite, four lines and five bladders, no bridles, projected and

designed to meet the needs of experienced riders.

Our team tested the 9.5 sq.m. both hooked and unhooked, in flat as well as choppy water condi

Wainman,ManiaC Available sizes 6.5 – 8.5 – 9.5 – 11.5 – 14 sq.m. www.wainmanhawaii.com

126 TEST Waiman, Maniac

tions. The opinion shared by most riders is that the maniac is a kite dedicated to an expert user; nevertheless it is quite easy to manage because of its smooth power delivery. When riding, the kite is quite physical, but, for being a C kite, it has good upwind capabilities, and good light wind

performance. The kite is very responsive, with optimum bar feedback.

The kite is equipped with numerous leading edge attachments, three for the front lines and four for the back lines, so you can change the trim, according to the wind conditions and the personal feeling desired.

Water relaunch, a sore point for many C kites, turned out to be easier than expected in strong wind conditions, but also excellent with light wind, a feature that was very much appreciated by our riders.

When riding hooked in, the kite felt quite hard work on the arms, whilst

The opinion of our team A kite designed for freestyle/wakestyle maneuvers, dedicated to the riders looking for a powerful C kite, with wide radius loop, a nice pop and unhooked performance with flawless slack for easy bar passes.

the feeling when unhooked was incredible. It floats in the air very well, allowing for a very fluid passing of the bar, it has a nice pop, and is reactive on the bar. The loop is deep and with a wide radius, as is to be expected by a pure C kite.

The bar is simple, without too many features

as it should be for a C kite, light and functional.

The clamcleat is on the front lines, and it has a removable finger on the chicken loop.

The graphics are very effective and the colors aggressive. One pump system, with the standard two valves’ system to inflate/deflate. A large

backpack, with a separate compartment for the bar and several additional pockets.

128 TEST Best, TS

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WAVE

The TS has been the most sold kite, by Best Kiteboarding, of the last two years. It is an open 4 line bridled C shape kite, an all-rounder, so versatile and efficient that

Alex Neto decided to use it as his main kite during the latest PKRA circuit.

Compared to last year the kite did not undergo major changes as the design was very succes-

sful in the first place.

However a few structural changes were made: less dacron and lighter ripstop made the kite lighter; a gradual switch between the ripstop and

BEST, TS AVAILABLE SIZES 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 12 mq www.bestkiteboarding.com

130 TEST Best, TS

dacron on the trailing edge ensured a lower wear and tear.

The bridles are shorter compared to last year, making it more responsive with excellent bar feedback.

We tested the 10 square meters in light wind and flat water conditions, and the 8 sq.m. in strong wind and choppy sea.

When riding, the kite has proven to be very stable and light on the bar, easy to handle even when overpowered (with the bar completed sheeted out and slack backlines).

Noteworthy was also the exceptional lift and upwind qualities.

We deliberately forced all maneuvers to check the responsiveness of the kite and bar; and we can confirm that, even in difficult conditions, the kite is solid and has a huge depower.

During testing, the kite proved to be very responsive with excellent bar feedback even in conditions of very light wind, and with good

power delivery. The kite loops quite well: smooth with a medium-large radius. The feeling when unhooking was also great.

As already stated above, the kite’s front bridles are shorter this year, and there are two backline attachment points. The bar has a very linear design, it is very comfortable, light, and is available in three sizes 47-52-57 cm.

The chicken loop is equipped with a simple and reliable quick release safety system, whereas the depower cleat is on the front lines as usual.

The opinion of our team The TS has been the most appreciated kite, between all tested, by our team-riders: it has been proven to be extremely versatile, being able to meet the needs of freeriders, the average wave rider, up to the more aggressive freestyler. Riders mostly appreciated its upwind qualities, the great depower and its excellent light wind performance. Last but not least it is exceptionally responsive. A very positive result for this all-rounder which, because of its mix of versatility, ease of use and high performance, can be the right choice for riders of any level and style.

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