Stance 15 English issue

BIG PHOTO ISSUE

Deutschland: 14,80 euros - Osterreich: 16 euros - Schweiz: 29,00 Sfr - Luxemburg:17,00 euros

DAVEY BLAIR

They tell us about

Speed world record /Dominican Republic Fins /Polynesia

PHOTOSPortfolio & sequences

& MUCH You’ll MORE see...

T E C H N I Q U E

WE CHAT WITH Guillaume Chastagnol

Wainman Hawaii Rabbit Series / F.One Bandit 02

15

Stance 015

Volume 01 /2009

www.kiteboarding-attitude.com 4 197193 214805

01

Projet1

15/12/08

10:13

Page 1

Projet1

15/12/08

10:13

Page 2

EDITORIAL

Rider: Raphael Salles Photo: Gilles Calvet Cover | Rider: Tom Hebert

Photo: stephane fournet

Stance Kiteboarding Attitude

PO BOX 18586 New Brighton, Christchurch New Zealand Phone: +64 3 21263023 Publisher

Stance SARL EDITOR

Patrice Souvignet | Abre aber@stance.fr

06 | STANCE

6 O 0 08 E DIT S 16 NEW IO 26 L O TF TA 6 P ORCHASE D 3 0 5 E V IT SPQU E 52 N I SIA 64 H C TE OLYN EV Y 76 P V DA E DR 84 IT ES 88 E NC H 5 U C R Q SE E SEA ALL 9 W H T / TH E S NEW

sommaire

rd ey wo ; the k e, and e g n a g an Ch , no ary ch ays is owad the volunt h, like fate etty n t lo it r a ’s p w r e r a l s dea tion e he . The that w campaign e have to ncial institu f collapse, d r o ’s na eo Aw ew tal bama , big fi e edg nmen chang from O ere’s the ate change urers on th of enviro bumpy y t h then t ay out. Clim nt manufac nd a legac track for a rders? n a w ia o , y g s s is , eboa e a p e elly u rgy suppli the world out us kit Kitesurfers b h c ab d ne like mu e! what ling e blaste looks chang dwind o sort out; ange! So share of x and Rob being h f t ir mess cing this c had our fa atman, Ale is feeling o d from C a e h f t t y , r c d e e e e a v v n e id a e le r n lr we h than disco ave a lnerab We h ves better not barrier, eel totally still very vu across a f k ride w thical 50 we could way, we’re ir freighted We’re y a a y. d m in n t a the Bu r gear al industr l to kite chable lems. all ou untou lobal prob ad guilty: etrochemic , we trave so, we e g p le those have to p ed in the anyone els . But even ctivity, a e t and w be is roo more than s it’s in vain w impact ays to lo lo w e ly a g t b l im s il a t e st y be th to ob ing is f the cted ng pr o man traveli ten, and s t kiteboard and one o stay conne t least f a a , very o believe th ustainable cious and we’d like, SCAR s s A to s want ul, almost ecome con as pure a y of the N lace if f n p g b e a r c in l, n e a t e u a t b s e pe th so ent, a e not eab alues y the satisf net. Despit to those v certainly b e environm h r t la the p nitely close orld would nected to on the n w word ovide it’s infi ities. The getting co e h t r d p d e ea absur eople wer are. to spr o offer, and light up is e p s c t t e n , to o has mor fing addic s at Sta n f us, t dream rding r kitesu our missio hat kiteboa eboarding very one o nsform f e t a it One o ic lifestyle tain the k rns inside rain that tr et can t s u rn b s u b e a r s t t t u n a In l o o fa ans t is flame th rations in While the n, we stil e m . h , io e t r t the w lt e a e t a form ical mpu to blo urtur and n hose chem ind starts oarding in s use a co about b t w y keep never the s with kite ldn’t alwa and dream ects of e u u h o f d h w a o s s e r y ny asp m, will e u te an a hat w so ma s, to satura ly believe t ical quirk infiltrated focused te elming g e h g s v lo w n it a r o o h e r n h t v le s tech omputers azine, wit ver an o s fortab it m o and g. C aper mag content, r. Co to force in e v d r e a kitebo s, that a p igh quality more than decided n even , e h a e our liv to deliver ound noise k, we hav towards er g r d rich e c le g a n in b r k v a a t c o r t e a e m h b r b k o y f ig ic r b o m h t , n n he ity a quant e are on t nd evolutio ages with w, and eve ge we n o a p w a that ange h quality 0 pages n t’s the Ch ig 0 wn ch our o r number h oving to 1 DVD. Tha m sic s la c greate ine; we’re p our z maga nd we kee a , soon lieve in™! e can b ASSOCIATED EDITOR

Delphine Ducaruge delphine@kiteboarding-attitude.com ADVERTISING

Delphine Ducaruge delphine@kiteboarding-attitude.com SUBSCRIPTION - DISTRIBUTION

Sofie Braekman sofie@kitebaording-attitude.com ART DIRECTOR

Thomas C. Kræmer tom@stance.fr | www.aliastom.de

VIDEO EDITOR

COMMISSION PARITAIRE

PROOFREADERS

COPYRIGHT

Antoine Marcon | antoine@stance.fr Melanie White, Charlotte Simsar PHOTOGRAPHES

Aber, Tracy Kraft, Alex Reese, , martin Sloth, Erik Aeder, Jody Mac Donald, Tom Court, Susi Mai, John Bilderback, Sephane Fournet, Pascal Boulgalow CONTRIBUTORS

Ben Mayer, Gavin Mc Clurg, Tom Court, Susi Mai, Bob Yates, Reemedia.de, Aber, Alex Bec, dédé, Chasta, Fiona Grubb

1108 K 79993

Copyright Stance Kiteboarding DVD-mag is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher.

STANCE ITALIA

Hi Promotion | Hi Pow 48 Via San Marco, 20121 Milan

STANCE IN GERMANY/DEUTSCHLAND

Sebastien Dumarest sebastian@stancegermany.com STANCE IN SPAIN/ESPANA

Eric André-Benoit eric@fise-events.fr distribution: commercial Atheneum S.L. THANKS TO

Alex, Melanie,Charlotte for their devotion and meeting short deadlines! Special thanks to Melanie for all her hard work !

STANCE | 07

NEWS

NEWS

5X After a tight and keenly contested season, Aaron Hadlow won his 5th consecutive freestyle world title on the PKRA. It was hard to know who it would be on the podium, Aaron or Kevin, and it was only on the last stage of the tour in Chile that it came clear. Due to the lack of media coverage, there was not a lot of public interest in the tour; it was even hard for us to get some good pics, which is a pity as it was a great event season. It was interesting to watch the difference between Hadlow and Kevin in their riding styles, also the girls are sooo good now, it’s insane, and spot the young blood…Congratulations to Aaron for his amazing performance, congrats for continuing to amaze with your great style and dominating in the competitions. What’s the secret to being that good? Is it true, what you read?

POOL GAP It’s an American idea…no surprise! American concept but Canadian designed. Julien Fillon, who designs Liquid Force kites, was looking for innovation and he did take easiest option. He asked himself the question: ”What has never been tried in the kiting industry before?”, and he came up with this answer: “a pool gap over the ground”. After a bit of hammering and few buckets of water, it’s finally ready! A nice structure that he will cross over a couple times, going full speed in a very shallow pool (why waste water!). This concept comes from the best wakeboarding videos where the pool gap is a popular way to have a few drinks and cheer the sexy girls up, but unlike us kiters, they don’t have to worry about the wind.

Congrats on the attempt and motivation and thanks for a very nice photo and good spirit.

Cuts!

Some like Mercurochrome, but the problem is that it tends to dry the cut out. I think in that case, betadine is better. The other option; be tough: a bit of water, a few slaps, and off you go again.

Mauricio is such a girl! He lost his memory, and unfortunately he got better. When you don’t know how to surf, well you just don’t go surfing, and certainly not on the welcoming reefs of the pacific ….who said “adventurous road tripper”!

08 | STANCE

Too much powder…

Water is not the only place to go out for a kite, some riders prefer the snow. In our last edition, we had a bar in a railway power line, here we’d like to share this pic of an Ozone stuck in high tension lines with you. This rider should have been more aware, there were so many poles out there! …I guess it made for some pretty funny pictures!

COME BACK HONEY! It seems that this girl is smarter than the others! I think she’s found the one and only way of luring her man out of the water quickly, and with a smile. The problem is, she probably lures all the other riders out of the water too… Who knows, maybe her man doesn’t mind sharing?

ISAF, WSSRC, IKA, KPWT: MAJOR ADMINISTRATIVE CHAOS We’ve heard a lot about ISAF, the International Sailing Federation, these past few weeks…

The first drama is in speed kiting – three of our athletes went faster than 50 knots and it has to be said they absolutely caned the sailing record.

Well, it took petitions and fights to get it ratified, regardless of the fact that the course and the set up conformed to the WSSRC rules, an organization affiliated to ISAF. Never mind, it’s all good now!

The second ongoing drama is around the two world tours, which have never cooperated. The IKA, (International Kiteboarding Association), has just become officially recognized by ISAF as an organization. Now, KPWT has affiliated itself with IKA, making KPWT contest results and the champions official as well. I don’t want to say too much, you can make up your own mind about it.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t make a huge difference, everyone knows who’s best. The powerful and wonderful media have muddled it up many times already, and as you might have noticed it seems any rider who gets on TV gets the “world champion label” against their name. We don’t really give a shit, but it’s funny to hear the drama around it. I guess the fact is, the sport of kiting and the business/media are sometimes worlds apart. Congratulations to Fred Gravoille (KPWT) for bringing some officialdom to his tour. Will that be enough to bring back the top riders though?

NEWS

An enchanted stewardess Our favorite rider from Quebec, Daphnee La Liberte, has just been elected athlete of the year in the emerging sports category, during the last Gala Maestro in Canada. This is good news, and will help this accomplished athlete to keep on living her passion, especially in this tough world. Daphnee has also found a way to reduce her travel expenses. She just got a job as a flight attendant. If you’re lucky, she might give you a free wine refill on your next flight. www.daphneelaliberte.blogspot.com

All alone Reunion Island is famous for its radical conditions. Although there are some popular kiting spots, like in the lagoon, most other places where you can ride are really extreme, with pretty tricky launching and safety issues. The waves are amazing. Most kiters aren’t that keen to ride the Indian Ocean though…you can see why…

So when I got this pic, I thought I had better reward his daring and share it with you. Conditions weren’t that easy on this day, as there were some 6m sets. The wave is peeling nicely but is fast and the coral reef is shallow. The wave barrels nicely, but it ends in a big powerful bowl. You got to be pretty on to it as the sets move around quickly especially when it’s big, and you’re likely to end up face to face with a monster with no escape. You have to know the spot well and be able to read the ocean. To make it even trickier, there is no wind at the launching spot. Here the wind was a bit light, and a rescue would have been impossible in these conditions. Not only do you need to be strong mentally, but also you gotta have some balls to go out all by yourself like this. Congratulations to Pierre Joris. If you do end up going there, you will see how brave this rider has been.

Crash of the month This flamboyant crash of the month is of Thomas Gillet, who rides for North. It was taken in Brittany, France (crepe – a sort of thin pancake - paradise), in the middle of the French summer. The big swell was taking care of the punters undies and a nice side off shore wind meant they couldn’t cook crepe on the beach! Thomas claims he was attempting an aerial 360. I personally don’t think he was attempting anything. I think he just crashed really hard after really bad timing off the lip. When you try an aerial 360, you don’t end up with your legs wide open in the air!! Just imagine if he had been on his board…that would have looked pretty stylish! The beach break is pretty big though, apparently, Bertrand Fleury was out there (so he can verify this story). One thing is for sure this pic gets me dreaming!

Help needed Stance is growing, growing fast. As you might know, some of our team members are French (quite a few actually!) and everyone knows French people can’t speak English. We often need to translate stuff from French to English. We need help doing this so we’re looking for someone with English as a first language, and speaks fluent French as well. This person needs to be a kiteboarder with a brain and who can write! Too much to ask? Casual work.

Contact us if you think you fit the description. info@kitebaording-attitude.com Associations/shops/schools: free subscription Are you a member of an association? Do you have a kiteboarding school or kiteboarding shop?

Let us know! You might be eligible for a free subscription!

Write to the pretty sofie@kitebaording-attitude.com and give her your details!

World champions Ania Grzelinska left the PKRA (After living and breathing it) and had her debut on the KPWT to win overall and become world champion in 2008. She won in Morocco, the last stage of the tour, after seven stages on the tour. She beat Kristin Boese and Ainhao Garcia.

In the men, the American Jesse Richman is the champion this year, a new face on the tour. It’s been a while since someone other than a Frenchy won!

It was no surprise that the Stance long time favorite, Kirsty Jones won the wave riding title, a clear leader. Aren’t they all beautiful these champions?

All the results: www.kiteboardpro.com

NEWS

PKRA NIGHTLIFE 1. When mums aren’t around anymore yelling at you to tidy up your room, it’s a complete mess. Mike “the knife” Blomvall, is trying to find the rest of his gear.

2. Cesar, showing true Spanish style and Niklas Imaz, the German style.

3. Charles preparing his body for his final race (which he won): a smoke (light I believe), and a cold beer (alcohol-free I think). French touch.

4. two glamorous couples finishing first on the tour; Cesar - Bruna.

5. Feeling good as a name, Gin Kiteboarding.

6. Flo helping out Youri Zoon who is unable to do funny faces by himself. He had no idea of what he had touched with his hands before.

7. They looked at me like that for a good minute. I had to run away ‘cause I am married. Susi, an unknown on the tour, Bruna hiding in the background and Jo Wilson.

8. That’s them, the second super glamorous couple; Tom and Susi.

9. Oliver Camman, a friend of a friend. A good guy.

10. Our champions: Julian Host (twin brother of Kevin), Angela Peral, and the unique and magnificent Flo Daubos.

11. On the right, Seb, Stance Germany, and on the left, a young stranger. Your grandma would be proud your achievements Seb! 12. Seb Garat, quiet for once, and his friend Youri.

13. Tom Court, transformed into a Baywatcher.

14. Bubi alias Sebastian Bubmann.

15. Tom and Youri, at the end of the party. I don’t think they kissed.

13

3 1 2

4

5

6 7

9

8

10 11

12

14

10 | STANCE

15

Projet1

24/10/08

10:33

Page 1

NEWS

way of life

LET’S TALK...

I’ve been trying to find someone to write a regular column in Stance magazine for a while now. I wanted someone who could actually write properly, who didn’t always have a mainstream view of things, something edgy with a hint of humor. While browsing the web I checked out Fiona’s blog, it came to me in a blinding flash that SHE was the man!

So here she goes, Doctor Fiona Grubb, a good friend of mine with a big brain. She lives in a small town in New South Wales, Australia and when she’s not kiteboarding in the waves, she’s busy doing some complicated anthropological stuff…

It’s summer here in Australia, and summer means carnage. This morning I woke to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald (9 Dec 08) telling me that a kitesurfer had «…peeled off half his face» at a beach just north of Sydney. Initially I thought, what’s new? Half the blokes in Sydney have had a face peel; it’s just that kind of place.

But then I read further; the kiter was dragged off the beach and into a fence, and then through a sign. He was very badly hurt, although it should be noted that despite the sensationalist headline, the article went on to state that he «nearly peeled off half his face». This is the kind of irresponsible reporting one expects from the Australian media. There’s a big difference between nearly and actually did. For instance; I have nearly done the dishes. These headlines bring to mind those Women’s Weekly headlines; ‘Thatcher’s joyous baby surprise!’ when in fact, it simply means that Baby Surprise was on the Thatcher’s menu on Wednesday night.

6

Sensationalism aside, I feel quite sorry for the man who nearly ripped half his face off, right after he nearly pulled his release, and shortly after he nearly checked the wind.

An outcry of internet discussion often follows these unfortunate events. Conjecture, moralizing and self important declarations about one’s immunity to accidents flow freely. Here’s the thing; kiting, is, by its nature, a bit sketchy. It is in fact, dangerous. And it pays not to be a dick when doing it. Mr Face Peel might have been following all the «Safe Kiting Guidelines» and still gotten hurt.

Ironically, I blame safety. The early days of kiteboarding ran like a form of medieval waterboarding. It was terrifying. Back then, kiting was so dangerous your face peeled itself in anticipation. You started screaming before you even got out of the car, just to save time. I watched bones breaking, noses exploding, and more than a few cattle stare at the colorful new addition to their paddocks. One memorable afternoon I was staring out at the water and heard a loud crack. I turned to see my friend sitting, quite still, in the car park. He seemed fine. Until we realized we’d just heard his pelvis snap in two as he slid sideways into a post. Traction kiting (as it was quaintly known in those days) was precisely that; designed to leave you in traction.

The quick release was a timely and exciting development in kitesurfing. Suddenly, your chances were improved from «compost» to «gentle maiming». Nowadays, however, kites are safer. Much safer.

12 | STANCE

Bow kites, depower systems, fifth lines and overall stability have improved the usability of kites hugely. Unfortunately, this increased confidence in safety has resulted in some of the crappiest safety releases on the market. It’s not unusual to discover that your safety release doesn’t, in fact, release under load. In the old days, things happened so fast, and so brutally, it was a well-recognized fact that you might not even hit your release. But if you did, then you made sure it worked. Many releases were home-made; if you could get to it, you really, really wanted it to work. Yet, kiters today are spoiled.

They are filled with a sense of security because today’s kites simply aren’t as dangerous or twitchy, and many kiters today are totally unfamiliar with that feeling of being on the edge of a catastrophic f**cking. As a result, many quick releases are now ‘slow release’, like a weak analgesic.

What no one wants to acknowledge about Mr Face-Peel above, is that he may well have become a victim of good, old fashioned spanking.

The kind of spanking that used to happen on a daily basis. The kind of spanking that many kitesurfers, and kite manufacturers like to pretend is completely avoidable. The simple fact is that kiteboarding is a tricky business. It’s not simple to learn. You are hooked up to a machine that can drag and lift your entire weight in the blink of an eye. It’s like wakeboarding, but you’re doing both the wakeboarding AND driving the boat. Normally, if you’re wakeboarding, and the driver of your boat driver decides to open a beer, veering off like a madman, you can simply let go of the rope. With kiteboarding, the guy opening the beer is you. This can come as quite a shock and you almost certainly won’t be finishing that beer.

Kiteboarding is not safe; it’s just safer than it used to be. Pay attention.

Photo : tim-mckenna.com

JEREMIE ELOY

OXBOW TEAM RIDER

T E A H U P O O , TA H I T I W W W. O X B O W O R L D . C O M

place to be

76 | STANCE

place to be

the Dominican Republic

is still alive High chillin’ zone area Text: Tom Court The Dominican Republic; just one of the many islands in the Caribbean chain that offers palm Photos: Tom Court / Susi Mai soaked beaches, shallow blue water and really good rum all year round. However the town of Cabarete and the surrounding waters offer a special place for kiteboarding. Discovered as a destination by the early pole surfers in the 1980’s, it has since been taken over by the kite revolution and has been home to kiters since the beginning of the sport over ten years ago. Since the first world contest there in 2002, the beaches of Cabarete have been part of the kiteboarding competition scene and a popular destination for many years, and despite its popularity it is still underestimated!

STANCE | 77

place to be

78 | STANCE

place to be

For me (Tom Court) it has become a special place, offering a blend of relaxation, friends and kiting that is hard to find. I am out here now to explore the coastline and take a look at some of the local spots and variety of conditions on offer at this time of year, under the guidance of DR local and world number four, Susi Mai. I am also hooking up with another DR frequenter, Ben Meyer, to take us through some of the wave spots and have some fun.

Unlike DR in the summer, a busy, bustling kite town with contests every weekend, at this time of year (November) it has offers something totally different. It’s the off season for the tourists and the unadvertised time of year, leaving the coastal town of Cabarete and all kiting spots, emptied of the kitesurfing buzz.

This isn’t to say there aren’t any kiters around to enjoy it; in fact there is a really good scene but still not enough to crowd the spots. In the evenings the town is far from dead, with parties every night until the early hours, leaving the tourists that are in town to enjoy their hangovers, whilst the wise are up to catch the early morning surf.

Possibly the biggest difference between DR in the summer and the winter, is the swell. Turning an ideal kite town into the perfect all round setup. With the waves ranging from about a 4-6 foot average and a decent hurricane swell hitting every now and then, pushing it up to 8-12 feet, the conditions are perfect for a bit of variety! When the wind hits later in the day, the outer reef along the whole coast turns the perfect surf into prime wave riding territory, producing waves you can do four or five top turns down the line on, and endless fun on down winders.

“at this time of year, it has offers something totally different”

Meeting up with Ben Meyer on my second day on the island, he leads the way on a wave riding mission from the town reefs (Bozo), down wind to the local winter surf spot at Equentro.

It isn’t a long down winder, about forty minuets long with four or five solid wave spots on the way, each of which can take you a bit of time to have fun on! The waves were about six foot and clean, with a strong side shore wind that was good for nine meter kites, if you like the power. Ben showed me how to smash the lip on a couple of occasions as my freestyle board was hung up for a few hours and I was riding strapless, getting to grips with the unhooked bottom turns and linking the lip sections together. Ben was busting airs and throwing man spray, making full use of the empty point break. It was amazing to ride a wave like that with only two of us on the water, not common in such a good location.

STANCE | 79

place to be

The next day came and Susi took me out for a bit of freestyle exploration to some of the closer beaches. Again the spots that we rode are not a secret, and whoever has been to the DR will probably know the names like La Boca, Encuentro, Bozo and of course Kite Beach, but what surprised me was the change in each spot and how empty it was. You can ride the best, normally crowded, spots with only your friends, even at Kite Beach. The first spot that we went to happened to be Encuentro, as it has a nice kicker section, perfect for freestyle off the natural blue kickers that roll in a little down wind of the wave spot. Susi, being the local had the spot dialled, throwing down some big flat three’s and stylish grabs showing why so many videos have been filmed here (namely ACL’s auto-focus). It is an awesome spot; I squeezed in a few tricks, not concentrating on the technical riding of competition, but tweaking a few grabs and alternative Crow Mobe’s and spin variation tricks. It is always nice to ride with kickers like this; it opens up the trick book again making up new ideas! However, a day of freestyle would not be complete with out some mirror flat water to play around in, Susi did not disappoint as the guide.

After hitting the kickers for a few hours and an epic chicken burger at Lolo’s Beach Cafe, we jumped in Susi’s ATV and cruised up the coast for a few miles, down some sandy tracks and along a river bank, to arrive at a spot called La Boca. This open river mouth joins the sea and offers some of the most unique flat water riding that I have seen, although it is quite a small spot that can only handle four or five riders at a time, it was no problem as we where the only people there. The water was so flat that I could see my face reflected in it as I looked off the sand bank as the offshore winds blew in from the sea and created this amazing lagoon, perfect for a sunset session! Susi strapped on her boots and we hit the water. Compared

80 | STANCE

place to be

“A perfect spot to train, work on style of riding, film a video�

to the summer, the river mouth had grown in size as the prolonged rains from the rainy season had dredged a lot of the sand out of the river, creating and ever changing spot, which never gets boring. Sometimes there are sand banks to do tricks over and other times trees that you can use as sliders, but there is always a section that is just mirror flat! A perfect spot to train, work on style of riding, film a video (my next one!) and have fun with whoever you chose to take to the spot.

Once you have kited your fill and you can’t hold your kite bar anymore, there is a small beach bar to hang out in, right on the riverbank. You land your kite right next to your table, and the Pina-Coladas wait for you as you dry

STANCE | 81

PLACE to be

“despite its popularity it is still underestimated!�

off. They also serve fresh fish that just jumped from the sea onto the grill, along with the local Dominican fried bananas (platanos), which are particularly good after a long days riding! This place definitely delivers an off season surprise, with wind almost every day, sunshine and a climate that is much cooler than the summer. The forest-covered mountains just behind Cabarete offer other activities too, like horse riding or renting a motorbike and taking in the sights. On top of all that, the cost of living here is half the price of Europe, as the high season prices start to drop, and jumping into your own pool after a hard days kiting seems like a far stretch from home at this time of year, just what the doctor ordered!

A brief article on some DR spots, By Tom Court

82 | STANCE

place to be

STANCE | 83

PORTFOLIO

16 | STANCE

PORTFOLIO

Rider : Mitu Monteiro Photo : Abre

STANCE | 17

PORTFOLIO

Rider : Niccolo Porcella Photo : Tracy Kraft

18 | STANCE

PORTFOLIO

STANCE | 19

PORTFOLIO

20 | STANCE

PORTFOLIO

Rider : Jesse Richman Photo : Tracy Kraft

STANCE | 21

PORTFOLIO

Rider : Thomas “Beany” Burblitz Photo : Axel Reese

22 | STANCE

PORTFOLIO

STANCE | 23

PORTFOLIO

Rider : Elliot Loebe Photo : Tracy Kraft 24 | STANCE

PORTFOLIO

Rider : Cyril Coste Photo : Naish Courtesy

STANCE | 25

Interview

CHA -STA

Freedom in the Mountains

Photo: Pascal Boulgakow / Ozone He is one of those guys who is good at everything. What he chose to do was explore the mountains with his snowboard. The only drawback to his unconditional passion for the snowy peaks was having to use the lifts, and he started to feel this before he took up kiting.

26 | STANCE

Interview

ns

STANCE | 27

Interview

Tell me, is it true that you have achieved; fourth place in the pipe at the Olympic games in Nagano, 2nd in the half pipe at the American X Games in 1998, French champion in 1995, 3rd at the French half pipe championships in 2001, French cup winner at the TNT 2001 in the half pipe, 1st place at the Quik Cup 2001 snow session…

Not to mention a few others… two times champion of the Corona Winter tour (snowkiting championships), currently French champion in freestyle, Snowkite Master…no comment!

Half pipe, big air, and freeride, is that all?

Well, for the pipe, I now ride bigger ones and in 3D. As for free ride, I think I ride more than anyone else on this planet; I do some pretty good downhills.

So can you tell us more about who exactly Guillaume Chastagnol is?

Chasta was almost born with skis on in one of the biggest ski resorts in France, in the heart of the mountains, in 1974! It was pure happiness to be able to ski to school, and to close the mountain with my uncle. Those were very special moments. And one summer with my fluorescent ski suit on I discovered snowboarding, after two years on the mono ski. That was my first taste of freestyle!

What made you change from snowboarding to snowkiting?

After traveling through many different mountain ranges throughout those years, I was tired of always depending on the lifts to be the first one up, and the first to ski down.

Walking for 30 minutes between each jump was too long just to get the good shots. Wareck fist had the idea, and then one day my friend Frank Pedretti let me try his 3m foil kite that he had bought. We went to a field next to my house and a couple days later, I got an 8m Wipika, one of the first ones on the market. We were at the “Col du Lautaret”. It was a beautiful sunny day, with good wind and no tracks anywhere. I took my kite out, and off I went.

After going downhill, I discovered I could use the kite to go up hill at a 40 degree angle, thanks to the wind - that’s why I took up snowkiting. The main objective was to ski as many runs as possible in one day. Sometimes I skied uphill 11 times over more than 1100m of altitude change.

As a result I ski three times more than if I skied in a ski resort, without having anyone skiing over my tracks.

What does kiting hold for you over snowboarding?

I can do the same tricks I was doing in snowboarding, but I can go even further and higher, and also get controlled, smooth landings on flat surfaces. I can try new tricks that I had not even thought of before, sort of 3D snowboarding.

Tell us a bit more about the snowkiting world…is it moving? Is it growing? Who are the newbies, the one-off riders, or are they just the purist mountain guys?

It’s a small world and pretty marginal. It’s growing slowly but surely. There are different kinds of snowkiters in the valley, than on the resort. It’s definitely getting bigger as there is wind everywhere, at you only need 5cm of snow. So every day we discover new spots all around the world. When it started, there were just a few guys who wanted to give it a try. Now, we see more and more

28 | STANCE

Interview

“cruising around, and boosting big are the only things that are promoted to show that snowkiting is a totally different sport.�

STANCE | 29

CHASTA

of the true kiters who’d rather come and freeze their ass off on the mountain than stay on the water. It’s a great way to share good times with your family as well. There is huge potential. I seriously think that there are thousands more spots than on the water.

There is often only one beach to launch your kite from, while on the snow, you can start anywhere.

When it comes to riding style, it looks like you stick to cruise mode and flying high, but you also like to follow the hard core freestyle trend. What do you think of these two different styles?

Ahaha, I get a good laugh… Cruising around, and boosting big are the only things that are promoted to show that snowkiting is a totally different sport..

But I am a snowboarder/freestyler, and so right from the start I have tried anything new, and it’s not over yet. When I go in the mountains to ride and cruise, I like to think of the terrain as a big snowpark. There are almost no limits. If you are a really good rider, you can to do anything a snowboarder does.

Freestyle, powered moves… who is the best rider?

Well… me of course!! And also Mareck, my friend from Czechoslovakia.

You have dominated the sport from the start, so don’t be shy and tell us why, and how you got so good…

When I started snow kiting, I was lucky I had been a very good snowboarder for over ten years. I brought my style and vision (how I see the mountain) from snowboarding to snowkiting, and with a spot conveniently located ten minutes away and a lot of practise every day, you improve very quickly. Every day, you discover something new and always push the limits, you can do lots of things on a same terrain, it’s crazy! My brain is always laced with adrenaline… which keeps me warm on those very cold days!

When did your story start with Ozone?

The first year, a friend who used to work at Wipika lent me some kites. The following winter, I worked with Raph from F.One and he decided to launch the Chasta Airline kite. Then seven years ago, Fab tested out some new toys with depower on a foil kite – and the Ozone Frenzy was born! I rode like crazy and that day I met Robby Whittal and Matt Taggart. We all got pretty wasted together that night, and since then I have been riding for Ozone.

Competitions, photoshoot, promotions, tests with the team, it’s really cool…

How do your days pan out in winter? Do you ride? Do you do R&D? I ride, and make the most of the conditions, and also spend time with my small family. And nearly every week we test new stuff out. Robby is really into it, and it’s worth keeping an eye on him.

How is it riding mostly on hard surfaces rather than soft (water) surfaces? Aren’t you afraid of crashing when you try new tricks?

Yeah! I had noticed that the water was frozen…Oh well, just don’t fall! It’s just like snowboarding in a 6m pipe…you just don’t crash.

My tip is that when I go for a trick, I close my eyes and imagine myself already landing it, and it works… ask my mates, I don’t often crash. And also for the big gaps and others, you need good speed (speed is my friend) just like going down a narrow run.

30 | STANCE

“ With 40 degrees slopes, and accelerating wind, a small jump can lift you 30m in the air “

CHASTA

STANCE | 31

CHASTA

32 | STANCE

CHASTA

It is true though that handle passes hurt less on the water.

If you were to create the perfect spot, what would it look like?

Hehehe…it would be at the Col du Lautaret, but without the “Galibier” that stops the Northerly wind kicking in.

« So yes, I am often by myself, and I can have some quiet peace with the chamois.»

How do you feel when you fly big downhill? Do you know exactly what’s going to happen, or are there always surprises?

The story is that I started paragliding when I was 15 so I can handle all the launching and landing parameters pretty well in kiting. I started paragliding because I often used to go to the summit, and you learn to handle the gusts during take off. With 40 degrees slopes, and accelerating wind, a small jump can lift you 30m in the air.

A warning to any novice snowkiter…you better know how to fly.

We understand that you often ride solo…is that true? Is that your own choice? Or is it because no one can keep up with you?

I often ride solo when I am exploring a new spot (because I hate waiting on others when I head out in the mountains), and I’d rather not risk taking someone who does not have the skill to follow me, and because I am one of the fastest riders. So yes, I am often by myself, and I can have some quiet peace with the chamois.

When you are so into being in the mountains, snowkiting must be the ultimate for exploring?

Of course! Unless you’re extremely rich, and can afford to live in Canada with a private helicopter, then you’re better off taking up snow kiting.

What do you think is the dark side of the sport?

There is none. Kiting is the most incredible sport that has been discovered in the past ten years.

Your worst moments?

Oh, there are quite a few…when the wind drops and that there is tons of powder, or when you cross from one valley to the other and the wind is on the wrong side.

Your best memories?

Each day is amazing for me. Each time I discover a new spot or go up a new hill, these are the best moments.

When the snow melts, you jump on a plane... Can you tell us more about Chasta in boardshorts?

It’s true that when the snow melts, I head off to Polynesia, where I live with my wife Titauaet who is originally from Huahine and my daughter Kailea…a good way to get rid of the ugly winter tan. I spend nearly six months a year over there. From there, I can easily get to the snow, either in Chile or in New Zealand during August and September.

What do you do over there?

Well I go fishing of course, try to get better at surfing, but I kite as much as I can! There are great conditions,

STANCE | 33

CHASTA

34 | STANCE

CHASTA

«I try to piss as deep as I can to check how thick the snow is!»

with some flat water and good swell, white sandy beaches, bikinis everywhere, just great!

Your life looks just like a fairy tale…surely you have a few problems in your life?

I believe that at the moment, a good star is watching over me, I try not to think too much about small things, and to enjoy every day as much I can.

I was especially lucky to be able to get really good at a sport, and to now improve my kiting. I think that if that had not happened, I probably would be a liftie, or maybe I would have opened a skate and snow store. I would have a fat belly and a bald head.

What do you like the most about living in the mountains?

I love the cold, and there are no mosquitoes biting your ass!

Dumb questions If you had to choose, would you rather lose an arm or a leg?

A leg, that way I can keep on kiting.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you care about the current world crisis?

10, I don’t give a s--- about what’s going on in the world today.

Have you ever set up your kite with mittens?

Yes, that was a big moment! Since then, I have been using dishwashing gloves!

Don’t you get freaked out about the yeti when you’re all by yourself in the mountains?

Yeah, some old dudes told me some scary stories, but I know how to fight back - with my board!

Global warming…does not look good for the future of snow kiting?

That’s why I try to enjoy every single day out there.

But although there is less snow at lower altitudes there seems to be more at higher levels.

How do you handle driving in the snow?

Pfff, what do you think?

Your favourite cartoon when you were a kid?

Inspector Gadget!

Your favourite meal?

A Chastatiflette, with salmon and some smelly French cheese.

How do you take a piss in the snow?

After 3 Redbulls, I try to piss as deep as I can to check how thick the snow is!

Thanks Chasta!

STANCE | 35

speed

z t i r e ud

L

S

Seb. We owe him big time for making this event happen and breaking the record. As a reward, he is the first man to go over 50 knots.

36 | STANCE

Ch d e pe

all

00 2 e eng

8

speed

THEY MADE IT

Credit K O L E S K Y / SanDisk

A few hundred dollars worth of gear, the perfect spot, and the Catman Federation became the winning combination to crack 50 knots. Kiting is the big winner, to the disappointment of some others. The windsurfers tried for many years, and came very close a few months ago, thanks to Mr Albeau. There were a few yachts designed by smart engineers straight out of the science fiction books. They combined the power of money and technology to make fun but very fragile craft. Then came Catman with his kite and his first epoxy board - 50.26 knots - clean score. Then his mates Rob Douglas and Alex Caizergues had to chase him hard, they got 50.54 and 50.57 knots respectively. Let’s go back to Luderitz and have a look at some of the crazy moments.

STANCE | 37

speed

The big surprise of this year’s event was American Rob Douglas who finished second on the podium, just after Seb!

Let’s go back a couple of years to 2004, when Catman talked a lot about speed performance, and raved about a spot he had just discovered, hidden in the middle of the Namibian desert. The so-called perfect spot, ideally located for breaking speed records, he talked about it with such conviction it was hard not to believe him. Later on, he came back to show me some pictures of the spot. We had already published a two-page article in Stance about the place. Here are some wonderful excerpts where Catman spoke about the spot and how fast he was expecting to go with a kite: “On my first trip to Namibia with Marc Gondard and Manu Taub in November 2004, the wind got up to 50 knots at 10 o’clock in the morning !! Loaded up like Afghan refugees, and short of spare tyres (as we had already travelled through Cape Town, Walvis, and Luderitz), we still did not find the famous lagoon everyone had been talking about.”

I tried again a month later with some friends from Cape Town.

We came back with a rental car and discovered a bay that was sheltered from the swell with plenty of space, and had two hills either side to funnel a strong wind. We had a quick check to spot any hidden rocks; it was too good to be true!! Here was a one km run in the shape of a bowl, without any nasties under the water. After a couple of runs my GPS was reading 45.3 knots and we hadn’t had any crashes or stress, and this was in just 35 knots of wind. I measured 500 m in the middle of the bay, left 200m before the start line, and 300 m to stop, and I made it 160 degrees to the wind. The length and the shape of the run made it ideal

38 | STANCE

for optimal speed. The glassy water made it real easy to keep a stable position and control the power of the kite » The 04-05 winter was a victory in Fuerte.

“The next challenge would be to organize an official event right here, and develop an international speed sailing centre over the long term.

Kitesurfing has a great future, which I am very pleased about.”

Since then, Seb has battled to get an event organized in this place. He’s been very successful as it’s now been two years since the first event.

This shows true dedication to the sport. So when I heard that Catman had broken the 50 knot record, I was stoked.

Luderitz Speed Challenge 2008-12-03 Last year at the first ever competition, the location had turned it on as promised, and the speed record went from 42 to 47 knots. What a great result.

During the year, the organizers and the riders tried to improve the set up at Luderitz, to help riders break the record, because speed is all about the location and the set up. The run was almost perfect. For 2008, the 500m run had been moved further inside the bay, but still in a similar place to 2007.

At Luderitz, the wind is very strong because a sea breeze makes the

speed

Christophe Prin-Guenon, one of the best riders at the Speed Challenge

prevailing wind even stronger. The angle of the run is at 160 degrees, which allows the rider to glide without having to edge too hard. The wind blows periodically, perhaps for 2-3-4 days a few times a month, in between there are some windy days and some quieter days, which are useful for fine tuning gear.

At the start of the contest the conditions were OK, with about 35 to 40 knots of wind.

From day one, an unknown guy appeared and was showing off. It is Rob Douglas, a 37 year old ex-windsurfer. On his first run he got a great speed of 47.39 knots. On that same day, Alex and Seb were pretty close with 47 knot runs. Dunkerbeck, the windsurfer, breaks his personal record and does 44.77 knots.

On day two of racing, Rob Douglas broke the overall world speed record with a speed of 49.84 knots. It is very close to 50 knots, but the psychological barrier is hard to break. It was on this day that Seb did his historical run and for the first time the speed meter read 50.10 knots. But Seb thought that the WRSSC would adjust his time, and he had his fingers crossed all day, but his suspicions were proven right when, that evening, they validated his run at 49.59 knots.

The second day was also an historical one for the women, with 19 year old South African rider Sjoukje Bredenkamp pushing the record to 45.20 knots, a new women’s world speed record. This was not beaten until the end of the competition. Catman rekons that to go faster the run needed to be cleaner, the wind more stable and the speed more consistent. In fact it needed a lot more of everything.

STANCE | 39

speed

October 3rd, 2008 After a couple of years of hoping, dreaming and preparation, Catman finally broke the mythical 50 knots!

The run was validated at 50.26 knots, and the top speed recorded was 58.2 knots! News spread quickly around the world, Catman became a legend.

The next day Rob Douglas and Alex Caizergues also broke the 50 knot barrier. A couple of other riders got close too, including Sylvain Hoceini aka « Butch », Chris Prin-Guenon, Jerome Bila….

We ended up with four world speed records, three riders over 50 knots and 15 new records. The Luderitz Speed Challenge 2008 was a success, especially for the kitesurfers. The quality of the location and the motivation of the riders’ means kitesurfing has successfully entered the world of speed sailing. Of course now everyone is looking at breaking the next mythical record: 100 km / h (about 54 knots) and kitesurfers are the favourites.

Seb sums up the event nicely: We have achieved our objective, our dream has come true. We managed to do big things with no accidents.

This is very important because the crashes can be really bad at that speed. This spot has given us some tough conditions with over 40 knots during the four days. The competition was very interesting for Alex, Rob and I. We can still do better. We improved a lot of things by rigging our gear differently and there is more we can do with the run. We look forward to the third comp next year.

WORLD SPEED RANKING: SAILING/500M ALL CATEGORIES 1. Alex Caizergues (FRA) 2. Robert Douglas (USA) 3. Sebastien Cattelan (FRA) 4. Sylvain Hoceini (FRA) 5. Chris Prin-Guenon (FRA) 6. Jerome Bila (FRA) 7. Antoine Albeau (FRA) 8. Grant Ross (RSA) 9. Finian Maynard (BVI) 10. Taro Niehaus (RSA)

50.57 50.54 50.52 49.79 49.54 49.26 49.09 48.79 48.70 48.47

All times are currently being ratified by the WSSRC

World champion speed kiter, Charlotte Consorti, had still not been to Luderitz. She decided to go there for the first time this year, she had her best performance and broke the French women’s record.

You are a leader at all kite speed events, but it seemed as if you were’nt so keen on Luderitz? You still came this year…a bit late though…why is that?

Luderitz is not a regular stop on the tour; it’s only about breaking a records. The first difference is that to win, you only need to go as fast as you can, you don’t have to win as many heats as you can. Second difference is that it goes for a whole month, and the registration fee is 3000 euros. You can join the PKRA tour for only 150 euros and the event only lasts one week. That’s why I didn’t go last year, and could only come for 15 days this year, there were budget constraints…

You managed to boost your personal record…are you stoked?

Of course, I am very happy. My goal was to exceed 40 knots and to break the record in all previous French

40 | STANCE

categories since 1993, when Babeth Coquelle did 40.05 knots. It looked to me like a big challenge because only a few guys were getting there. This location is truly incredible though, and I got to 40 knots quite easily, and I never would have thought I would be complaining that I didn’t feel like I was going 40 knots.

Sjoukje managed to get to 45.20 knots, which is a huge achievement. You came to break this record, didn’t you?

I went to Luderitz because it was the last leg of the championship and I had to go there to secure my title…I knew very well that being 15 days late, I was less likely to get the record…I was still hoping to do my best, but as it was my first time at Luderitz and I had never gone over 40 knots before, it all seemed a bit of a dream…It

Charlotte

speed

Consorti was only when I got there that I saw the potential of the location, that realized I had a chance.

What did you feel was missing for you to win?

Time…it took quite a bit of time for me to adjust myself, and my gear to the spot. I think my main mistake was riding underpowered. I was lacking power. At first I was a bit overwhelmed by the extreme look of the spot with its flying rocks and smoking water. But you get used to it, so in the end, I chose a bigger kite, and put more weight on my board because I couldn’t handle the chop. I also tried different line sizes to get the best. Chris took to my board with his jigsaw and gave it a new look. Thanks to all those changes, my performance got better as I gained speed by one knot on each run. By the end, I was all set… at least, I am ready for next year.

What number are you aiming for next year ?

47 knots, or much more if the spot is improved. I generally set my goals based on how the guys’ perform; which is usually 5 knots faster than me. So if they are aiming 54, my target will be 49, why not 50… you never know…

The F.One team leads at most events, do you guys have better gear than the others or are you just better riders than the others?

We are the best and on top of that, we have the best gear!! Our asset is that we are a team! We can always rely on each other, and we support each other all the time. After a crash or two, or when we don’t perform so well, we can get together and motivate each other and forget the moments of doubt. We all believe in each other! The guys also help me a lot with their tips; what gear to choose, and what tracks to go for…I would like to thank Alex and Chris who are the perfect team mates!! F.One has always invested a lot in speed kiting, so that’s a big plus. We are lucky to have Raphael as a boss as he is not only is a leader in R&D, but he is also around to give ideas and support.

I think the guys are impressed with your performance in a very physical sport. What special skills do you need to go fast?

It’s not an easy disciplin, but there are no special physical skills needed.

Just have a look at the top 10 speed kiters and you will see all shapes and sizes. It’s all in the head. You have to be really strong and willing to win, not be scared, and keep the power ‘til the end. Then of course, there are other parameters that have to be considered like choosing the right gear, and the right tracks.

Can you tell us about THE run?

It’s crazy but I can’t even recall my 44.74 knot run! When it’s feels easy, you feel like you’re not going fast enough and you don’t even look at your GPS, because you think the time can’t be right…but you’re actually doing great. The runs where you felt like you were going to die 15 times, but you still had the best run ever, that’s usually when you’ve done worst!

What do you like best about speed?

I like the feel of speed and the whole atmosphere. What I really like is when it’s cranking, you get that adrenaline rush, you’re nervous ‘cause you don’t know how much it’s going to pick up and whether you can hold on to your kite. But once on you’re the water, there is only one thing to think about: speed. I like it when the water is choppy, then each run without a crash is an achievement. I like extreme conditions…

Any plans for 2009?

To start the speed tour again…

STANCE | 41

speed

You had a quiet start at the speed contest and some thought you weren’t going to break any records, why is that?

We arrived with Christophe Prin-Guenon on the 12th of September, three days before the start of the event. Seb had been around since he had got back from Fuerte to work on improving the run, which gave him the opportunity to get used to the strong winds and have some fun. Same thing for Rob, who arrived at the beginning of the week, and got two days of 40 knot winds which gave him a good feel for the spot…with Chris, we were not prepared enough, we didn’t have the right board and we hadn’t ridden in 40 knots since Fuerte. Although we were ready physically, we needed more time to adapt…Seb and Rob were all set!

Who is Rob Douglas, he seems to have come from nowhere?

Rob has not really come from nowhere …we met in Fuerte where he was competing in his first speed world cup. There are rumours that he started kiting three months ago, but he has actually been riding for four years, and he has a strong background in windsurfing. He got into speed kiting in April last year in the US, where he is from. Not only is he strong physically (1.80m and 100 kg of muscles), competition is also in his blood. Don’t try to be smarter than him; if he gets you, you’re dead!

He does have the capacity (as do some others) to leave his brain on the beach!

He has a coach, Mike Gebhart – two times windsurfing champion, who supports him technically and psychologically - he owes him a lot, that’s for sure.

Can you describe the 500m run for us, from the start to the finish line?

At the moment Luderitz has the longest run in the world. For those who think that this run is easy, flat, and open to anyone, you are wrong. Let me explain.

First there’s the wind; 45 knots of wind, so you need for small kites (7 and 5m, except for Seb who rides on his 9m, he’s nuts!). Then the run; right at the start there is a « chop killer » (a wooden dam to reduce the chop) that you ride inside to get a good start. Then comes the first buoy that you pass at 50 knots …you sheet in and get ready to brush the next one meter high « chop killer ». You ride along the fence for 100m then come to the finish buoy which can change position from one run to the next, depending on water depth (WSSRC requires a minimum depth of 15cm, so the organizers therefore move the buoy depending on the tide). At this point, you can let it all go, give up the battle and try to keep your feet on the board in radical chop, with a few prayers to get you to the finish line. Now you have to slam on the brakes using whatever technique you prefer: some riders choose to get their ass washed, while some others go for sand friction teeth cleaning. With Seb, we’re more into braking with style, as if we were in control of the situation, and we still get to see our result!!!

What was the atmosphere like after the first big day when you guys got so close to 50?

We knew straight away that we could go beyond our target and that we would slaughter 50 knots. Rob made the first big score with his record 49.84 knots, then 50 knots seemed real close. The media frenzy triggered by the American’s performance put kiting finally firmly in place as the fastest machine on the water.

As for the atmosphere, everyone was very aware that we were making history.

Seb got very close as well. But his run initially reading 50.1 knots was confirmed at only 49.59. For me, I realized I had lost at this stage, I had not really made my first move in the competition but I knew there was still a long way to go…

What was it like on the beach when Seb hit 50.26?

It was crazy! Everyone honking, lots of people standing by the run. In that moment, everyone knew we were at the start of a new era, but we all waited nervously for the confirmation of results that night.

How did you react when Seb cracked 50 knots? Were you happy for the sport? Disappointed personally?

I kind of knew when Rob came really close that there was still a chance to get there. When Seb finally made it all the way past the magic speed, I realized I had not stretched my own limits far enough that afternoon. But at the same time I realized that it’s great for Seb, and he deserved it more than anyone else, he is the one who committed financially to speed kiting. It was fair!

But still, on that night, I thanked Seb with a tight throat, and I went to bed early, knowing that the next day they were forecasting very strong winds, and I knew that the 4th of October would be MY day…

How did the world and the media react to the record 50 knot run, and your top speed ?

Is was big news in France, and all over the world, thanks to Tanguy Blondel, who did a great job of the PR for the Luderitz Challenge 2008. Seb and I did a few TV shows, especially in France. We had interviews with nearly every French press organization. We felt like there was genuine public interest, and for once,

42 | STANCE

ALEX CAIZERGUES

speed

kiting was not portrayed as a dangerous sport but instead as an efficient speed machine.

Let’s talk a bit more about the historical run that made you the fastest man over a 500m distance powered by a sail …tell us about the conditions, gear and mental effort?

We had very strong winds on that Saturday 4th of October in Luderitz. It was half past noon, we were all waiting for the tide to come in and the wind kept getting stronger. There was not only sand but now rocks being blown away! Some of the crew were getting freaked out (not mentioning any names…). There were 50 knots gusts recorded on the run and then we knew that the time achieved by Seb the previous day may well be superseded.

I felt pretty good mentally. I had had a good night (in bed by 9.30 fearing the next day). That morning FedEx delivered me a brand new yellow F.One Kakoo board (pretty funny it was the same colour as the board I broke the record with the previous year… maybe it was fate…). I was very excited, as I knew that this would be my day!

I took my 7m, fully powered, but feeling confident. I took a first run to get a feel for my new board, although the GPS is hadn’t even been connected. The run was opened and I went for my first try…49.3! I felt that my second one would be the best: there were some amazing gusts, the anticipation was huge, even before I stood on my board, I already knew it would be my best run…Big relief as I see 50.6 up on the board!

Do you think you could have done any better in those conditions?

Well actually on my third run I messed up the start, but 50m down the track a huge gust came through and I managed to hold on ‘til the end…I hit 50.2. That run might have been a 50 knotter, because I had had my best VMax of the month on that run at more than 55 knots (on the record I did a Vmax of 53!), and 53.5 over 250m…but anyway, no one will ever know. I do know for sure that we can go faster!!!

What’s your mental state in comparison to your most feared competitors?

In speed kiting there is a good atmosphere, whether it’s in or out of the water, which I think comes from the sport itself. We do compete against each other but also against time, unlike freestyle, where each rider is judged by another, not impartially.

Another thing is that the financial stakes are lower, maybe that will change one day, but for the moment, it’s great that way!

How about Manu, what went wrong with him?

You’re joking! Anyone can get a bad result sometimes, and I am sure he will do better next time.

Speed kiting has proven itself to be successful and very efficient, but does the fact that there were so many runs discredit the whole performance?

Not at all, I think it’s adds to the performance!! Eight kiters in the world top 10, and three above 50 knots, that rocks!

What’s needed to go even faster?

Keep on working… we have been working for five years with the F.One team specifically on speed development, and the record is a reward to all those who contributed. Raph of course, who makes sure the job gets done, our kite designer Sylvain Peretti, our shaper Kakoo, and of course all the riders Charlotte, Malik, Momo (Sylvain Maurin), Christophe Prin-Guenon who spend so many hours on the water!!

What is physically demanding about this run?

The run itself requires good legs, and then you gotta be fit enough to handle a 100km/h crash, but mostly you need the right mental attitude to get back onto it!

What makes one rider faster than another? Gear? Technique? Balls?

It’s everything. You have to find the perfect equation and there are many parameters to take into account. Of course the gear is important, but experience, technique, and training are also essential.

STANCE | 43

way of life

It looks like speed is part of French history? Why is that?

Probably because we have many training spots in France, for instance Leucate and Port Saint Louis, and also the fact that we are so close to Tarifa, and Fuerteventura. There are lots of options!

You contributed to this event in Luderitz but who else was there behind the event?

I think we probably owe a lot to Seb for this amazing record…I guess because he was the first one to discover the place…

Oh definitely, Seb was key to making this event happen. After he discovered Luderitz, in 2003 I think it was, he invited us into his paradise in 2007, allowing us to boost kiting into the speed world. This year, he spent two months doing his best to make the run better. That’s when he put together the chop killer to reduce chop. Without him, we probably would have never had such a fantastic result!

Do you think that the Speed World Cup will be as exciting next year? On most runs, the times will be lot slower than 50 knots; will it be hard to get motivated?

The objectives of the World Cup are different to when we are trying to break records. We don’t want to stop those other competitions as they bring in new blood. Douglas would have probably never showed up to the speed competition without Fuerteventura. A World Cup event has different stages and it’s the one with the best performance overall that wins…many skills are required and lots of work on gear. For me this circuit is essential.

Do you think you are going to need to go 100 km/h to create a buzz at Luderitz in 2009?

The buzz has already started, since we have hit 50 knots… 100 km/h is a logical follow up and this time it will be promoted to the public.

44 | STANCE

way of life

What kites did you use to break the record? Were they prototypes?

The first attempt was with the Bandit Dos. When we saw that the other riders were a bit ahead in those extreme conditions, we tried to find a solution with Raph and Christophe. The R&D team from F.One (Raph and Mika) worked hard to develop a 7m Bandit “Speed” that was more efficient. It was immediately easier in strong winds, and had better speed as well. After this confirmation, Raph some others sent on FedEx from China for Christophe and a 6m for Charlotte. Same for the board that I got on the morning I broke the record. The ability of the team to react was a real advantage to being faster on the water!

We heard the maximum speed was over 60 knots. Tell us about that?

Well, high speed GPS is there to show us that we can always go more! Seb had a lot of fun in 55 knots on the last day of the event, although the run was closed because it was low tide. He did 60 knots at V max. It’s a different story to maintain this speed for 500 m on a run. The V max is only for training purposes.

Do the riders have to use weights?

No not the riders, but the boards have weight for increased stability at speed.

How does it feel to crash at 50 knots, when you’re not in the water?

Well, if you can control the crash you bounce on your back for a while, you just to have avoid sharp movements with the bar, so your kite doesn’t start looping, otherwise it can hurt pretty bad.

Sometimes you can’t anticipate the crash and you just fall head first against the water (and go up side down). That’s when you have to let go of the bar, and then you crash hard, like a freeride skier on an 80% slope. You’re just a crash test dummy until it stops. This can hurt you really badly, especially around the neck!

Here are a few dumb questions Are there some riders who go ride back to the top of the course?

We all go ride back up!!! No one walks back, or drives back up; we’re a fit crew…

What do you do when there is no wind?

Movies, tourism, naps, Mc Donald’s…well not really, there isn’t any in Luderitz.

Is your Dad happy?

For sure, he’s given me his full support since I started, and the rest of my family has too!

You had a big fan club waiting at the Port Saint Louis airport?

Yes, they were all waiting for me.

The fifties crew: Rob, Alex, and Seb

60 knots?

Who knows, maybe next time…

What do you talk about when you’re eating out?

We chat about the runs, chicks & parties…

How fast do you think you could go on that same run riding blind?

I can’t ride blind!

Do Windsurfers hate you?

Well from now on, I know a couple who will get into kiting.

What does Bjorn say about all that?

Still unperturbed, I think he’s freaking out though!

When you get to the end of the run, do you know how fast you went, from experience?

Yep, before the end, you always know whether it’s a good or a bad run…

Does it make you laugh to think about all those engineers who spend millions designing carbon boats that don’t even go as fast?

A little bit…I think that there are a few who should really wait before they show off their new products to the world.

What’s wrong with Catman, is he just a normal guy?

He just does not have any limits…unlike most of us!

You know that signal that tells you when to stop?

Well, he doesn’t have any.

How long do you think you’ll keep this record?

As Antoine Albeau said, records exist to be broken.

Congratulations once again for your exceptional performance. Thanks for letting the world know how efficient kiting can be. I leave you to finish the interview…

A big thanks to all my sponsors who enabled me to achieve my objectives this season, F.One; Kiteboarding, Ouest Provence, Volkswagen Utilitaires, Ion et Placide.

Let’s meet again in 2009 somewhere on this planet to challenge the 100 km/h!

STANCE | 45

TECHnique

DESCRIPTION KITE

Four-line hybrid, arched profile, almost has a delta shape with micro bridles.

Designer Lou Wainman + Many people

46 | STANCE

95% depower

95% depower

moderate wind

Type

without bar and lines), Bar only: 250 euros Available : From this summer.

strong wind

Gypsy(6.5m²), Smoke(9m²) & Boss(12m²)

Description: The Rabbit Series are designed for professional riders and also experienced wave riders. They have a huge depower and relaunch very easily, which helps beginners feel safe and improve quickly. They have big bottom end power, so you can ride with smaller kites for a fun session!

Position in the range : The Rabbit Series is the only series available from Wainman Hawaii for the moment.

Summary : The Wainman Hawaii Rabbit Series were designed to be simple, affordable, fun, and efficient! The main objective is: take it easy! One range, three struts, three names and three different styles. The Rabbit family ensures that there is fun everyone, with or without the short bridles. To change the feel there are also many different ways of tuning the kites, with only three struts and reinforced construction.

Aspect Ratio : The aspect ratio of the Rabbit Series is very moderate so the kites are easy to fly.

Depower : It’s probably one of the best on the market, the kite depowers almost completely just by pushing the bar right out!

Available sizes : 6.5m²(Gypsy), 9m²(Smoke), 12m²(Boss) Colours : Each rabbit has its own design. It’s printed on both sides of the fabric so you can enjoy the design while you’re riding.

Price for each size sold: GYPSY: 1106.5euros (856.50euros without bar and lines), SMOKE: 1209euros (959euros without bar and lines), BOSS: 1312euros (1062euros

light wind

Brand Wainman Hawaii Model Rabbit Series

100% power sheet in action

CONTROL BAR Sizes: One bar that fits on all three kites. 51 cm.

Number of lines : 4 Length of lines : The bar comes with 17m lines +7m extensions to broaden the wind range of all kites and so they can be adapted to different styles. In strong winds, the kite is very easy to control with 17m lines, and very responsive if you want to throw some committed kiteloops. With the extensions, the kite will have more bottom end power and will be more stable and easy for the less experienced riders.

Safety system and/or release system : For the Rabbit Series, Wainman Hawaii is offering a totally new release system. To activate it, just push it away from you so the chicken loop separates from the kite. Therefore, even if you’re riding with a suicide leash, you still have an emergency option. It can be activated anytime and is really easy to

TECHNique

handle. There is also a small stainless steel piece that is used as a swivel and that has handles to connect the leash onto the front line.

Trim depower system : The depower system is located above your bar. It’s a small clam cleat that is easy to adjust. To reduce power, you just pull the rope down.

Chicken loop system : Wainman Hawaii provides two chicken loops. One small one with a donkey dick that’s perfect for 90% of the riders, and a bigger one, without the donkey dick for easy unhooking.

Ergonomics :The bar has a fairly small diameter and is covered with coloured moulded grip. The hole for the chicken loop rope is reinforced by a stainless steel ring, to avoid rope and hole abrasion. There is a swivel above the depower system, and some elastics on your bar ends to prevent knots after rolling up your lines at the end of your session.

CONSTRUCTION/MATERIALS Location of kite design: Everywhere in the world from Hawaii with Lou, to France with Franz Olry.

This has enabled the development of kites for all wind conditions.Lieu de fabrication : Là où l’on sait fabriquer de beaux kites…

Location of kite manufacture: Where we know our kites will be well manufactured.

Number of struts : 3 Materials used : The Wainman Hawaii kites are reinforced to handle the hard crashes of beginners and of more experienced riders, but also the Hawaiian swell.

The canopy of the kite is made with the very light and super durable rip-stop SPY cloth from Teijin. The leading edge, the edges and tips are reinforced with thick Dacron.

Inflation system : Each strut is inflated separately for more reliability and simplicity. The struts are equipped with sensitive locking valves.

The LE is equipped with a locking valve for inflation.

Deflation system : The LE is equipped with a big dump valve. Each valve on each strut has its own deflation stick inside the valve for strut deflation.

Bridles : The Rabbit Series can be used with or

without the small bridles. With the bridles, the kite is very smooth, with a big wind range and very easy and comfortable to ride. Without the bridles, the kite has more of a C kite feel, very reactive and perfect for unhooked moves.

Pump : Fast flow pump with alloy pump rod, included with the kite.

Bag : Extendable so you can leave the struts inflated, plastic zips to prevent corrosion.

Leash : Extendable and releasable leash that hooks onto one of the front lines or can be used as a suicide leash.

Manual : Paper manual Warranty : The warranty is valid for one year from the date of purchase if there is a fault, no matter how many times the kite has been used.

The RabbitSeries is

available the only series

from Wainman Hawaii

for the moment.

STANCE | 47

TECHNique

TUNING AND OTHER SPECIFICATIONS: Relaunching technique: Relaunching a Rabbit Series is very easy. Because of its round shape, once the kite is in the water it flips over onto one wingtip by itself, and will go to the relaunch position at the edge of the window. Just sheet in, pull one of the back lines and the kite will relaunch by itself. In very light winds (under 10 knots), you can move towards the kite to help it flip onto its wingtip.

Special suggestions for set up / inflation: Don’t be afraid to put heaps of pressure in the Wainman kites, it will keep the kite in a good shape, and take advantage of its “true form”.

Tuning: All the kites in the Rabbit Series can be used on one bar, without any particular tuning. Connect your lines, ride until dawn, and go back home with a hot girl!

Special settings: The Rabbit Series can be adapted to each rider. For a less experienced rider, just use the kite as it comes, straight out of the bag! You just connect the lines onto the short bridles! For riders who wish to have a kite that’s adapted to their riding style, there are many different settings, whether it’s changing the front lines (with or without bridles for a more or less fast kite) or changing the back lines (for kite speed).

It’s all explained clearly on the kite labels.

Couldn’t be easier! These kites have been tested for many months and there have been quite a few prototypes before launching the final version. It looks like they’ve hit the jackpot!

Most frequent tuning faults: Sometimes, riders don’t adjust the tuning when the wind is light or strong. It’s important to release the trim in light winds to keep some power in the kite.

The Rabbit Series goes a long way into the wind window, which makes it perfect for wave riding. To prevent the kite from going too far into the wind window, you can lower the stopper ball. It’s all about your personal taste!

48 | STANCE

TECHNique

DESCRIPTION KITE

Brand : Model : Type : Designer :

F-ONE BANDIT DOS DELTA C-SHAPE Sylvain Peretti & Raphael Salles

Product description: The Bandit Dos has been developed from the Delta C.Shape concept, which dramatically changed the vision of our kite range. It impressed all standards of riders with its versatility: it can be used in freestyle, unhooked, hang time, speed, wave riding, freeride. The aerodynamic qualities of the Delta C.Shape, gives exceptional performance over a very large wind range.

Current position in the kite range: F.One also offers the « REVOLT » a great tool for beginners to improve their riding.

Summary : Over the past ten years kitesurfing has evolved a lot, but in the past two years some new and very different concepts have been developed. Choosing a kite had become difficult, so we adjusted our research focus and came up with the Delta C.Shape, which has proven reliable in all disciplines and for all levels of kiting. Our objective was to come up with a single design and we have shown that to be possible. The Bandit Dos is the 2nd generation of our Delta range and the feel in the bar has changed. The depower rope is now 42 cm instead of 52 cm. The feel and the kite reactivity are fast. The Bandit Dos moves very smoothly and turns nicely with a short radius. The wind range is even more impressive for the Bandit Dos which suits your comfort on the water and in your wallet.

Sizes available: 16-14-12-10-9-8-7-5.5-4.5 Our kites are delivered with a bag, manual, and repair kit (pump and bar are extras).

Price for each size sold complete: Bandit Dos 16 Bandit Dos 14 Bandit Dos 12 Bandit Dos 10 Bandit Dos 9 Bandit Dos 8

1229 euros 1129 euros 1029 euros 959 euros 929 euors 889 euros

Bandit Dos 7 Bandit Dos 5.5 Bandit Dos 4.5

859 euros 759 euros 689 euros

Control bar Pump

370 euros 28 euros

Availability: now Ideal quiver for a typical 75-80 kg rider: 7 m - 9 m and 12 m for a three kite quiver, or 8 m and 12 m for a smaller two kite quiver.

It’s essential that you try out the 5.5 m, in 30 knots of wind it is amazing. It’s a totally different sport and it’s incredible in the waves.

CONTROL BAR Sizes: 55 cm bar: 14 to 16 m kites 45 cm bar: 4.5 to 12 m kites Number of lines: 4 lines + 1 x 4m Life Line.

Line length: 24m on all sizes Safety system: Life Line A big depower is not the ultimate safety tool, it’s easy but does not justify not having a safety release system that will totally depower the kite. The Life Line offers total safety in any situation. It means you can completely kill the power of your kite while still being connected with a leash, just like a 5th line but without the drawbacks (line preparation and possible rolling around the kite).

When the quick release is activated the EVO system becomes the Life Line and the kite lands safely on its back with immediate and total depower. The kite only has four lines and a 4m Life Line! To reconnect, pull your Life Line towards you until you reach the bar. Keep the Life Line in your left hand to

keep the kite depowered. Make sure you can release it at any time. Connect your release back to your rope, and hook back in your harness. Let the Life Line go slowly and you are ready to relaunch.

The Auto Relaunch is also a great safety feature, as relaunching gets you back to the beach!

Sheeting system: T h e depower works with a Clam Cleat s y s t e m located above the chicken loop line.

You just have to pull on the red handle to you’ll get great fine tuning. In general, we keep the bar quite low, to enable easy sheeting out. On the Dos, sheeting out makes the kite very reactive, which means you don’t have to have your arms in the air and your bum sticking out!

Chicken loop system: we use our UPS system and a Velcro release, this remains the most reliable and safe system and also very easy to use.

Ergonomics: the bar has grip for more comfort.

The hole in the centre is made of aluminium and allows the chicken loop line to move freely.

STANCE | 49

TECHNique

CONSTRUCTION/ MATERIALS Location of kite design: mostly in Montpellier as we have many different winds, but we travel quite a bit as well.

Manufacturing country: CHINA Number of struts: five Materials used: Dacron, Spy Reinforcements: 1) Force frame: Kites with extended depower ranges sustain more pressure across the canopy as they experience an increased frequency of use over a wider wind range.

50 | STANCE

We have therefore developed a completely new structure optimising durability and weight. Force Frame is a solid Dacron structure, which makes up the leading edge, the trailing edge and the struts. This high strength skeleton structure is then covered with Spy material in the least vulnerable areas.

2) Fusion struts: The struts are integrated with the Extrados up to the front of the profile. Blended with the Force Frame, they are more rigid.

Inflation system: There is one 9mm standard valve for the leading edge, and valves with stoppers on

the struts.

Deflation system: One 11mm valve on the leading edge.

Bridles: EVO bridle system with three attachment points per bridle. Stainless steel Ronstan pulleys.

Main modifications from the 2008 model: way too many to name!

Pump: not included Bag: extendable bag with a net so you can put your kite in with the struts still inflated. It

TECHNique

has shoulder straps, a small side pocket to tuck your keys or other accessories in, and a side net as a pocket for your bar.

Leash: Releasable leash. Kite leash with protective foam. Quick and easy snap hook.

Safety release. Size: 105 cm. Hooks onto the Life Line.

Manual: Paper manual (always available online: www.f-onekites.com) Warranty: F.One guarantees that this product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase.

This warranty is subject to the following restrictive clauses: warranty is only valid if the product is used within conditions of normal use, but does not cover the product if rented. F.One reserves the right to decide on the warranty based on a visual control (pictures of the gear) showing the fault clearly. If necessary, this information will be sent to the F.One distributor in your country.

The product can only be returned after your F.One distributor has issued a Return Authorization Number. Proof of purchase must be shown for any warranty claim. The name of the store and date of purchase must be attached. If F.One declares this product as being faulty, the warranty will cover the repair or replacement of the faulty product only. F.One is not responsible for the extra cost, for the loss or any damage caused by misuse of this product.

This warranty does not cover: Any repair or replacement of any product under this Limited Warranty, is not available for misuse or abuse, unauthorized modification or repairs, accident, heat, excessive exposure to sunlight and wind, improper handling, storage, maintenance or care; incorrect setup, use in shore break or any other damage that is not resulting from a manufacturing or material fault.

TUNING AND OTHER SPECIFICATIONS Relaunching technique: Auto relaunch.

To relaunch, you just need to let go of the bar or sheet out as much as you can. Once the kite is sitting with the leading edge flat on the water, its C.Shape associated with the Delta Pivot allows the kite to automatically roll over onto one wing tip. The kite will then “glide” towards the edge of the window, ready for quick and easy water re-launch.

If the kite is sitting on its leading edge face down, in front of you, you have to pull on the back lines to make it pivot and catch some wind. Then follow the normal relaunching procedure.

If the kite is released with the Life Line, it will land on its back with its wing tips facing up. You need to pull one of the back lines to make one of the wing tips pick up the wind, so it rolls over on its side. If the kite crashes

in waves and rolls in and out, it’s likely that the front lines will mess up. In that case, the back lines could go through the front line V, but you can still relaunch and get back to the beach to set up your lines again. Thanks to the EVO system, there is no more risk of cutting the kite with the fifth line.

Special suggestions for set up: It’s very important to inflate your kite with enough pressure.

Leading edge: we recommend 10 psi pressure.

Struts: we recommend 12 psi pressure.

Tuning: there is no tuning on the Bandits. We did lots of tests to make sure we would deliver optimal tuning for each kite size.

Power tuning: you should not ride with your bar pushed out, with stretched arms, and your chest forward. You can’t sheet out in that position when gusts come through and then to reduce the power in your kite, you will have to shorten your front lines.

You can: - Pull on the red strap of the clam cleat to decrease the power - Make your front lines shorter back on the beach, by moving your attachment knot forward (knot 3).

- Increase the power of your kite by making your back lines shorter.

You can: - Pull on the red strap and release your front lines to get more power - On the beach, put the attachment knot higher up on your back lines (knot 1) But watch out, making tuning adjustments have some limitations, as the more you play with the length of your front and back lines, the less control you have of your kite. If you shorten your front lines, you will have less control of your kite, and if you make them too long, the kite will be sheeted in too much, and will reverse (go backwards).

Other specific tuning points: The Delta C.Shape has a lot of power. You have to be careful when you choose your standard size to ride with now as most people choose an 8 m or 7 m or even a 4.5 m and 5.5 m.

Most frequent tuning faults: Not inflating the leading edge and the struts enough.

Because sheeting out is so effective, be careful not to sheet out too much and suddenly lose lots of power and lift at the same time.

STANCE | 51

BOAT TRIP

Moe shows his waveriding skills on this perfect wave, with exceptional style.

POLY

l

52 | STANCE

BOAT TRIP

LYNÉSIA

A lot of fun and a

little Pain

I’ve been at sea more or less permanently since 1999. That’s almost ten years invested in the almost singular pursuit of adventure. Under sail I’ve crossed (sometimes more than once): three oceans; dozens of seas; around Cape Horn and beyond. From the wellknown and much-travelled to the nothing known and hardly imagined. In 2006 we set off from Italy on “Discovery”, an aptly named Lagoon 570 catamaran, our platform and home until well into 2011 in search of places to kiteboard that most people have never seen, and few people ever will.

Photo: Jody Mac Donald Words: Gavin Mac Clurg

Josh Mulcoy an excellent surfer therefore an excellent kitesurfer as well

STANCE | 53

BOAT TRIP

or two weeks this June we were joined by wave legends Mauricio Abreu, Moehau Goold, Josh Mulcoy and Clinton Bolton. John Bilderback and his wife Alexis joined to shoot stills and video, along with our full-time photographer Jody MacDonald; friends and expedition shareholders Scott Wisenbaker and Chris Smith; and our crew which consists of the Captain (myself), and the chefs, Hannah Grant and Lars Williams, who we stole this year from “The Fat Duck”, the second highest rated restaurant in the world. The mission was simply finding waves (the bigger the better) and wind (the more the merrier).

If you’ll allow me to skip forward a bit in our story, let me strip the suspense by telling you we scored big on our mission. In my experience, and I’ve been at this a while, actually finding consistent waves, and I’m not talking about dumpy little beach breaks, but big hollow tubes that wrap forever and line up with solid laminar wind just right so you can actually tow into and then surf said waves, is a monumentally difficult task. A lot of things have to come together, and even then you can get completely shut down. It starts with a solid forecast. For exactly ten days before everyone joined Discovery the supposedly predictable trade-winds which typically blast from the east were non-existent. I’m talking dead-calm. But a big fat high 54 | STANCE

pressure cell to our north and a nice deep low to our south looked to put us directly in what meteorologists call the “squash zone”.

Meteorologists tell sailors to avoid the squash zone. But we’re a kiteboarding expedition. Squash zones are what we live for!

I can however allow some suspense to build about our location, which unfortunately I can’t divulge. Let’s call it Polynesia. Specifically French Polynesia, but as that’s an area roughly the size of Europe I realize that doesn’t narrow it down very much. It goes like this. In 14 days we surfed and kited on some of the most amazing waves I’ve ever seen. Usually we had them all to ourselves, but there were a few times we were joined by a handful of locals, mostly young kids.

These kids ride whatever derelict gear they can get their hands on and they absolutely RIP. At every place we went they would paddle up with huge smiling faces and shake everyone’s hands. We never even got the tiniest bit of attitude, even when the cameras came out. Now I have to admit I’m not much of a surfer, but I do know that outsiders are rarely treated so well on such world-class waves so the last thing we want to do is give away their secrets.

BOAT TRIP

Polynesian breaks are anything but friendly. We’ve all seen pictures of Teahupoo and the carnage it can wreak. Polynesia is blessed with waves but they break shallow and over very sharp coral. Don’t even think about coming here to surf unless you know what you’re doing. We had 4 people who knew about as much as anyone and still lost two of them to unfortunate reef contact on day two of the expedition. We’d left one island before daybreak and sailed into the pass of another (sorry, no names) as the morning tropical sun began highlighting the magical purples and blues of the Pacific Ocean. These “islands” are actually little more than vast lagoons circled by barrier reefs dotted with small “Motus” or mini-islands dusted with palm trees and white and pink coral sand beaches. In other words, real estate is in short supply. In some cases navigable passes allow boat traffic to enter and exit the lagoons and if things go right, here’s where you find the waves.

STANCE | 55

BOAT TRIP

56 | STANCE

BOAT TRIP

y job as a Captain is first and foremost to keep everyone safe. Imagine my surprise when we’d barely pulled into the pass after nabbing a gorgeous sailfish, still well underway when Mulcoy bailed off the stern with his surfboard, followed closely

by Goold, Bolton and Abreu. They all seemed to be in some sort of glassy-eyed trance. I started to shout “what in the hell is going on!”, then looked up in time to see Mulcoy peeling down an overhead lefthanded barrel with a huge grin on his face before ending practically at our stern. There wasn’t another soul in the water. We had this place all to ourselves!

The cameras started clicking and the atmosphere went into hyperdrive. This was just the first stop…one of the best waves I’ve ever seen and we’d barely started! Unfortunately for Abreu and Bolton the party would end quickly. First Clinton got a little too intimate with the coral and basically bounced over the reef, shredding much of his stomach and back. Down one pro. Then Mauricio went over the falls and had to be rescued by Josh and Moehau after taking a wicked crack to his head. When they got him back to the boat we laid him down to stop the bleeding and headed into town where we hoped to find a medical clinic. It wasn’t hard to tell he’d suffered a pretty good concussion when he asked for about the 20th time how he got out of the water. Down two pros.

The town did indeed have a clinic and in no time Clinton and Mauricio were cleaned up, sewn up, and discharged but not before being told unequivocally that their surfing days were over for the remainder of the trip. Luckily Moehau and Josh were still healthy and ready to charge and our chefs make the most exquisite food you can

imagine, which would help take the boys minds off the crazy days to come. Mauricio and Clinton joined the bleacher section, which I know wasn’t where they wanted to be, but the show made Circue Du Soleil seem like an evening on tranquilizers. We were all in for a tour-de-force.

Day 3 we opted to explore the inner lagoon, a vast expanse of shallow brilliantly clear water that somehow covers every hue of blue in the color spectrum. Sky blue, turquoise blue, midnight blue, pastel blue, - blue on top of blue unbounded by blue everywhere!

We tucked in behind the reef and launched the kites near a sand spit and Motu that were simply beyond the scope of my writing ability to describe. The purpose of the eye is to take in light and color and send messages and information to the brain in order for it to categorize and correctly order these inputs so we can behave in a civilized manner. I’m not sure about everyone else’s brain, but mine was experiencing some kind of circuit malfunction. Color, distance and shapes seemed wildly beyond my comprehension. Certainly this place couldn’t be for real! But no matter how much I kept rubbing my eyes there’s Moehau doing airs over the sand into a foot of water that you can’t actually see because it’s so clear; and there’s Scott doing massive kiteloops with an orange kite with green palm trees in the background! Ok I guess this is for real, but maybe the chefs snuck a bit of acid or something into my lunch?

STANCE | 57

BOAT TRIP

ater in the day we sailed further across the lagoon to a 12 mile long Motu that was the approximate shape of a skinny banana densely covered in waving coconut trees; yet another spot that had never before been ridden. We’ve chalked up dozens and dozens of virgin playgrounds since the expedition’s inception, but this one goes down easily in the top ten. We anchored Discovery in 10 feet of water that was clearer than a swimming pool. The wind remained solid and strong and yet the water was as flat as an ice rink as far as the eye could see. A quick sunset session ensued for Scott and I while the rest of the gang visited a local black pearl farm which included seeing pictures of a 5 meter tiger shark that was caught just exactly where we were kiting. I was happy to learn about the shark after the kites were stored away!

58 | STANCE

BOAT TRIP

Josh, at ease on the perfect wave.

At this point in the trip the days start to become hazy. Highlight on top of highlight begins to grey the world between real and imagined. One day we’re on a left, the next day after a short sail we’re on a right. The wind stays miraculously pinned 24 hours a day seemingly forever at 25 knots. One day barrels all day. Another day barrels all day. How can it happen again?

And again? But which day is which? Just to see if I’m not the only one losing their mind we play “guess the day of the week” and not a single person gets it right! We catch sailfish, yellow fin, wahoo, and bonito. Lars tears expertly into all of them with his Japanese blades as a man possessed, and shortly after we are showered with every possible array of sashimi and sushi- seared, ceviche, drizzled in truffle oil and orange zest…

And then there’s the pros. These guys are in a league all their own and they have every right to be total egotistical pricks, and yet their positive energy and humility is as easy to catch as a

STANCE | 59

BOAT TRIP

common cold. You can’t help but be impressed and they often leave you speechless. ut both on and off the water they are just guys who love to kite and have all the characteristics of a treasured friend. They work hard, they ride hard, and they appreciate and live life in ways that permeate everyone in their vicinity. Their passion and energy for not just kiting, but living is infectious. Josh Mulcoy has ridden waves his entire life, from Norway and Scotland to Indonesia and California; Moehau Goold is a regular player at Teahupoo and is a legend in this area.

For these two weeks not only do we get to watch in awe, but get to learn from the best in the biz.

At night we tell stories and laugh and dream of the days ahead and suddenly we’re at another island standing at an airport and it’s all over. The Best Odyssey continues, another adventure in store. More wind and waves are no doubt on our horizon and as exciting as it is to anticipate the future, our Polynesian expedition will be an Odyssey none of us will ever forget.

The Best Odyssey is a 5 year world kitesurfing expedition operated by Offshore Odysseys. To find out more and see a highlight video from the trip, please visit http://www.offshoreodysseys.com

60 | STANCE

BOAT TRIP

STANCE | 45

Projet3

15/12/08

10:51

Page 1

Projet3

15/12/08

10:51

Page 2

INTERVIEW

Surf, surf & surf Photos John Bilderback

Despite the fact that he’s not very well known in Europe, he’s one of these guys who lives for the ocean. The kite is just another mean for him to play in it. A good lifestyle, a true passion… it’s been a while since we did an interview like that!

64 | STANCE

INTERVIEW

STANCE | 65

INTERVIEW

Do you have any idea why I want to have your iTV? Because you think my girlfriend is hot and you want to get to know me/her.

Not at all... It’s because I’ve seen these amazing shots of John Bilderback… Can you tell us about these sessions? Where and when was it? What were the conditions like?

I have spent the last two years traveling to Indo. Indo has the best kite barrel set up I have ever seen. The wind blows perfect side on shore about 20 knots. The reef can handle any swell up to about six foot and it stays hollow. I go to Indo around August/ September. The spot I go to has a great surf break, so if you get no wind there is great surfing to be had.

What do you like so much about wave riding?

I have surfed since I was six. Riding waves has always been my escape from the job, girlfriend, deadlines, pissed sponsors, and crazy day to day life. I have a love for the ocean and wave riding makes sense to me.

Tell us about this pic, where you are jumping over another kite while you’re riding…

Ah yeah, I was kiting in West Aus and the wind had dropped a bit.

I caught a wave with my kite and then the wind died, so I threw the bar and continued to surf the wave. I had a great ride and at the end of the section my kite had landed. I had no choice but to ollie over it. Hahah it made for a unique wave riding experience Any barrel stories?

I scored a nice one in Indo this year. The swell was three to four foot. The wind was a steady 18 to 20 knots side on shore. I got on the water just after lunch around 1:00 pm. I am reg. foot so I was riding on my back hand. I picked a nice three footer out of the set and stalled, waiting for the peak to pitch into a barrel. On my bottom turn into the pit, my lines went completely slack and I had no choice but to keep driving thru the section. I was barreled thru some kelp as well. I was spit out and the kite just touched the water then flew to the window. I was stoked to make it thru that one.

Ok, wait… Let’s start at the beginning… Who are you?

My name is David Blair. I am from the SOUTH, raised in Charleston, South Carolina. I have a passion for the ocean. I get my kicks from riding her any way I can. I grew up surfing, skateboarding, and wakeboarding. Kiteboarding came soon after and I have never looked back. Kiting has allowed me to travel around the world four times. I live on the north shore of Oahu and charge every big swell I can. I am living the dream.

“Riding waves has always been my escape from the job, girlfriend, deadlines, pissed sponsors, and crazy day to day life”

66 | STANCE

INTERVIEW

STANCE | 67

INTERVIEW

What brought you to kiteboarding?

The wind brought me to kiteboarding. I was sick of choppy wakeboarding and blown out surf. I just get more sessions on the water now.

I heard you were, and still are once in a while, an instructor! Is that true?

Yeah, for sure. Instructing is a great way to meet new people and get paid to be on the beach.

Where do you spend most of your time, and why?

I am based on the North Shore, Sunset Beach, Oahu.

The wind blows everyday and the waves are huge. I surf every morning and kite every afternoon. Its’ a dream come true..

Who are yours friends?

BRNY, PR, and kitescoop.com Who are you riding for?

I’m riding for Chucktown Lifestyle. My kite sponsor is Liquid Force kiteboarding. They act like family and support me in every way possible. They believe in me, and my ability as an athlete. That’s good in this changing industry because any other company seem to drop their top riders in an instant. It’s comforting to know Liquid Force will never do that to me.

Ok back to action… What equipment do you use for wave riding?

Right now my equipment is a 9m HIFI kite, I am riding the Liquid Force Rawson 6’1 rounded thruster. For freestyle I am riding the 10m Havoc kite and the 136 Recoil with Union bindings. I love Liquids 2009 line up. There gear is sooo good.

What’s your best move in the waves?

I am proud of my rock piles session in 2004. It was 12 foot Hawaiian and blowing 30 knots W-Nw winds. It was fucking “victory at sea” conditions. I was the only one out and John Bilderback was on the beach capturing all the action. That day I walked away with my life, and the ocean gave it to me. That’s a good feeling.

Do you sometimes hit the water with a freestyle board?

Yea bro!! All the time. I wakeboarded long before kiting. I do the same tricks on the kite that I do behind the boat.

I compete at the Triple SSS in Hatteras, NC every year.

Last year I got fourth over all behind Ruben, Aaron and Dre. I was stoked.

68 | STANCE

INTERVIEW

“It was fucking “victory at sea” conditions”

STANCE | 69

INTERVIEW

70 | STANCE

INTERVIEW

« I am proud of my rock piles session in 2004» I’m pretty sure you’re into stylie tricks, am I right?

Oh yea, if it don’t look good don’t do it. There is enough ugly shit going on in kiteboarding. We need to make the sport look good and not like rollerblading.

What has been the best thing about kiting?

Getting more sessions per day on the water. In the past the wind would pick up, and I would get out of the water from surfing and go to work or do something else, cause the conditions would be shot. Now with kiting I only get out of the water to pump my kite up and get back out there and ride the same board I was surfing. Its great!

What’s the kite-boarding scene like at your place?

Crowded with talent.

Your base line when you ride?

Sublime and ‘lil wayne.

Favorite place?

Chucktown and Hawaii.

Worst experience?

Realizing that people you think are your friends turn around and throw you under the bus. It sucks to put your heart and passion into something only to have someone you think is a friend take it all away from you. Yea that sucks!

If there’s no wind?

Surf, surf and more surf. There is a new skate park on the north shore now so that’s super fun and keeps me in shape. Work for cash and keep the girl happy is all I do with no wind.

I heard your girlfriend looks like shit… Sorry about that… Can you send a photo of her in a bikini please?

I heard your 18 year old daughter is gorgeous. How about we trade?

Tell us one thing you can do that we could never imagine doing.

I’m going to set the world record for the highest natural powered jump ever. Yup, that’s right. Every winter north shore produces the biggest kickers imaginable why not go use them?

What about Europe? Will you visit our dream spot one day?

Yea for sure. Send me an invite and lets go cause some havoc. You want to bring me in and we’ll build a sick kicker and slider park. I’m game, you tell me when.

Which trick do you dream of before you go to sleep?

Her name is Shareka, about 5’9, she’s black and huge... Ok wait, na… I dream of ways to get barreled on a kite, and ways kites can be better and work better.

STANCE | 71

TECHNOLOGY

Fineolgy of fins

BOB

YATES, TARIFA FIN COMPANY

Text : reemedia.de What is it that hides behind the “Hand” logo and the three letters TFC - Tarifa Fin Company - which we all know so well from North kiteboarding fins? We decided to go just north of Tarifa, between the city and the beach, to find out.

As you walk into the factory, loud noise welcomes you and Bob Yates is standing in his factory like looking like an extra terrestrial.

Bob Yates is fin designer and owner of the fin company TFC, Tarifa Fin Company. He came from England to Tarifa more than ten years ago and stayed. Bob was involved in the international windsurf- speed-scene and took part in windsurf speed events.

He started out laminating boards but soon moved to shaping custom windsurf fins for Robert Territehau, who was right at the top of the game back then. He started a fin factory “Tarifa Fin Company” and worked from dawn till dusk figuring things out on his own, with some great riders to help him test, as he couldn’t just ask somebody how things worked.

Throughout the factory tour, Bob is very focussed and passionate when he explains the production process. He gets even more excited when he starts talking about shapes, no questions or comments go unanswered and it seems he could talk about it forever.

His eloquence is impressive when it comes to «finology», politics and his hobbies; off-road-cars and motocross. His greatest passion though, is fins.

As he continues through the factory you can almost feel his energy. He raves about new technologies and production methods and you get an idea of how he «lives» for shaping and in his ideas and thoughts about things.

70 | STANCE

TECHNOLOGY

As his hand glides over the kite fins, he fondles them and scrutinizes their profile. Bob has been working with his hands forever, and has developed a feel for shaping windsurf and kite fins that is incomparable. «I feel the preciseness of my shapes with my hands and my eyes. Maybe because I have developed this feel over many years, I have been slow to start using CNC technology. But now I am investing quite a lot of time and energy into CNC, and in the medium term, I can see us using this production technology. However, I need to be 100% satisfied with the shapes.” What about a fin production in Asia? «No. I have very high standards, and this keeps me from producing fins in Asia. Apart from that I don’t want to support the poor conditions under which fins are being produced in China!»

We move past wonderful looking templates, traditional working tools and huge machines. These have either been further developed or created by him. Bob does not leave anything to chance. He gets information from his test drivers «Every opinion is important to me», says Bob. He appreciates any comments, it doesn’t matter who it is or how good they ride. «We don’t just make fins for those riders that want to push the limits; it is rather the masses, the average rider.

set up; the outline of a board, a rail or a fin, it all has to flow through the water.”

“Working with Julien Sudrat, we cut off the back of the fins which resulted in better planing. It also removed the railing and tracking effect and lead to more freedom in the handling. Since then we have been experimenting with deeper, shorter shapes. We have made small changes each time to see what effect they had. In the end we arrived at this shape, which you will find on some of the North boards. “ Finding the right combination of design and materials for his products is an art, a craft and a science. “I exclusively use G-10 material for the kite fins. Using the ordinary fibreglass fins I cannot achieve the mechanical strength. So if you have a ground contact, the glass fin will be more vulnerable. G-10 plates consists of 100 layers of 100g glass mats, so they are very hard. It is impregnated and pressed with 50 to 60 tons of weight. But kite fins have to be tough because they take a lot of stick!” Twintip fins do not need twist, they are simply rigid, which is different to windsurf fins.

On our tour Bob shows us templates that he has designed for Flash Austin, Robby Naish or Franz Orly as well. The high end fins are developed with his TFC team riders; Alvaro Onieva, Jo Ciustula, Abel Lago, Angela Peral and last but not least Jaime Herraiz .

We see outlines that are designed for the new North kiteboards.

“Jaime is in charge of the development of these North fins“.

“To be honest there are so many variables you can change in your

STANCE | 71

TECHNOLOGY

SHAPES What advice can you give for choppy conditions?

“In choppy waters or even in the waves use at least a six centimetre fin. What do I advise for choppy conditions? You need control! But you can’t just stick big fins on a flat board – you’ll never stop them digging in at the front, no matter how good you are. Generally, the smaller the fin, the faster you will go. On the other hand you will have to sacrifice directional stability.”

The choppier the water, the shorter the fins need to be; but they should be thicker, too. If you have a board with more rounded ends and more rocker, then you may use a quite a deep fin and you will get stronger drag, which isn’t a bad thing for waves. Through this you’ll get more control.

Generally, a long fin tracks a lot better and a shorter base has more pivot, a straighter fin will be nervous but quick. Profiles are important, too; asymmetrical or symmetrical.”

“For instance on a surfboard, the lateral fins are asymmetrical to give it a lot more snap in the turn. The depth of the fin depends on personal preference really. The width of the board will decide how deep the fin really needs to be. Narrow boards can get away with smaller fins because you can have a lot of leverage over the rail. On wider boards you have less leverage because the rail is further away from your heels, so you will have to use a bigger fin.”

“When you are firmly attached to the board (boots for eg), the fins can be smaller, because you can put more pressure on the edges of the board. This means the choice of the fin depends on the pressure that can be put on the edges. A bigger fin will give you more stability which makes them suitable for beginners. Beginners can’t put even

72 | STANCE

pressure on the edges and larger fins will stabilise and drive upwind better. The boards will be slower too, but this is not important in this case.”

Bob has no measurements or technical drawings lying around.

There is only a lifetime of moulds and all the designs are locked in his head.

“To understand the fin design is my job. Sometimes a customer tells me this and that about his weight, or about the places he goes kiting, and from experience I can tell what would be most suitable for the rider. I think there is a reason that kiters walk into my factory with a brand new board and ask me to take off the original fin and substitute it with a TFC-fin. Everyone gets their personal fin, specifically designed for them. That is, fins that are adjusted to the rider’s ability, the territory he rides in, the board, his weight and so on. This is our goal!”

« I feel

the preciseness of

my shapes

with my hands and my eyes »

PI N UP

place to be

76 | STANCE

place to be

the Dominican Republic

is still alive High chillin’ zone area Text: Tom Court The Dominican Republic; just one of the many islands in the Caribbean chain that offers palm Photos: Tom Court / Susi Mai soaked beaches, shallow blue water and really good rum all year round. However the town of Cabarete and the surrounding waters offer a special place for kiteboarding. Discovered as a destination by the early pole surfers in the 1980’s, it has since been taken over by the kite revolution and has been home to kiters since the beginning of the sport over ten years ago. Since the first world contest there in 2002, the beaches of Cabarete have been part of the kiteboarding competition scene and a popular destination for many years, and despite its popularity it is still underestimated!

STANCE | 77

place to be

78 | STANCE

place to be

For me (Tom Court) it has become a special place, offering a blend of relaxation, friends and kiting that is hard to find. I am out here now to explore the coastline and take a look at some of the local spots and variety of conditions on offer at this time of year, under the guidance of DR local and world number four, Susi Mai. I am also hooking up with another DR frequenter, Ben Meyer, to take us through some of the wave spots and have some fun.

Unlike DR in the summer, a busy, bustling kite town with contests every weekend, at this time of year (November) it has offers something totally different. It’s the off season for the tourists and the unadvertised time of year, leaving the coastal town of Cabarete and all kiting spots, emptied of the kitesurfing buzz.

This isn’t to say there aren’t any kiters around to enjoy it; in fact there is a really good scene but still not enough to crowd the spots. In the evenings the town is far from dead, with parties every night until the early hours, leaving the tourists that are in town to enjoy their hangovers, whilst the wise are up to catch the early morning surf.

Possibly the biggest difference between DR in the summer and the winter, is the swell. Turning an ideal kite town into the perfect all round setup. With the waves ranging from about a 4-6 foot average and a decent hurricane swell hitting every now and then, pushing it up to 8-12 feet, the conditions are perfect for a bit of variety! When the wind hits later in the day, the outer reef along the whole coast turns the perfect surf into prime wave riding territory, producing waves you can do four or five top turns down the line on, and endless fun on down winders.

“at this time of year, it has offers something totally different”

Meeting up with Ben Meyer on my second day on the island, he leads the way on a wave riding mission from the town reefs (Bozo), down wind to the local winter surf spot at Equentro.

It isn’t a long down winder, about forty minuets long with four or five solid wave spots on the way, each of which can take you a bit of time to have fun on! The waves were about six foot and clean, with a strong side shore wind that was good for nine meter kites, if you like the power. Ben showed me how to smash the lip on a couple of occasions as my freestyle board was hung up for a few hours and I was riding strapless, getting to grips with the unhooked bottom turns and linking the lip sections together. Ben was busting airs and throwing man spray, making full use of the empty point break. It was amazing to ride a wave like that with only two of us on the water, not common in such a good location.

STANCE | 79

place to be

The next day came and Susi took me out for a bit of freestyle exploration to some of the closer beaches. Again the spots that we rode are not a secret, and whoever has been to the DR will probably know the names like La Boca, Encuentro, Bozo and of course Kite Beach, but what surprised me was the change in each spot and how empty it was. You can ride the best, normally crowded, spots with only your friends, even at Kite Beach. The first spot that we went to happened to be Encuentro, as it has a nice kicker section, perfect for freestyle off the natural blue kickers that roll in a little down wind of the wave spot. Susi, being the local had the spot dialled, throwing down some big flat three’s and stylish grabs showing why so many videos have been filmed here (namely ACL’s auto-focus). It is an awesome spot; I squeezed in a few tricks, not concentrating on the technical riding of competition, but tweaking a few grabs and alternative Crow Mobe’s and spin variation tricks. It is always nice to ride with kickers like this; it opens up the trick book again making up new ideas! However, a day of freestyle would not be complete with out some mirror flat water to play around in, Susi did not disappoint as the guide.

After hitting the kickers for a few hours and an epic chicken burger at Lolo’s Beach Cafe, we jumped in Susi’s ATV and cruised up the coast for a few miles, down some sandy tracks and along a river bank, to arrive at a spot called La Boca. This open river mouth joins the sea and offers some of the most unique flat water riding that I have seen, although it is quite a small spot that can only handle four or five riders at a time, it was no problem as we where the only people there. The water was so flat that I could see my face reflected in it as I looked off the sand bank as the offshore winds blew in from the sea and created this amazing lagoon, perfect for a sunset session! Susi strapped on her boots and we hit the water. Compared

80 | STANCE

place to be

“A perfect spot to train, work on style of riding, film a video�

to the summer, the river mouth had grown in size as the prolonged rains from the rainy season had dredged a lot of the sand out of the river, creating and ever changing spot, which never gets boring. Sometimes there are sand banks to do tricks over and other times trees that you can use as sliders, but there is always a section that is just mirror flat! A perfect spot to train, work on style of riding, film a video (my next one!) and have fun with whoever you chose to take to the spot.

Once you have kited your fill and you can’t hold your kite bar anymore, there is a small beach bar to hang out in, right on the riverbank. You land your kite right next to your table, and the Pina-Coladas wait for you as you dry

STANCE | 81

PLACE to be

“despite its popularity it is still underestimated!�

off. They also serve fresh fish that just jumped from the sea onto the grill, along with the local Dominican fried bananas (platanos), which are particularly good after a long days riding! This place definitely delivers an off season surprise, with wind almost every day, sunshine and a climate that is much cooler than the summer. The forest-covered mountains just behind Cabarete offer other activities too, like horse riding or renting a motorbike and taking in the sights. On top of all that, the cost of living here is half the price of Europe, as the high season prices start to drop, and jumping into your own pool after a hard days kiting seems like a far stretch from home at this time of year, just what the doctor ordered!

A brief article on some DR spots, By Tom Court

82 | STANCE

place to be

STANCE | 83

TRICKS

84 | STANCE

TRICKS

SEQUENCES

Fééelix Pivec Backloop Strapless

Rider : Felix Pivec Photos : Stephane Fournet

STANCE | 85

TRICKS

SEQUENCES

Guilly Brandao

360

handle pass

86 | STANCE

TRICKS

Rider : Guilly Brandao Photos : Stephane Fournet

STANCE | 87

TRIP

THE SEARCH… It’s in every one of us!

Text Ben Meyer / Photos Erik Aeder

n the 1990’s, Rip Curl produced one of the most Iinfluential surf campaigns in history with the introduction

of The Search, featuring on again off again touring pro Tom Curren. A fan favorite, but a recluse when it came to the international media, Curren stepped away from professional surf competition after being a 3-time world champion. His quest for the perfect wave brought the idea of the “Surf Trip” to the mainstream and the most legitimate free rider of the modern surf era was born.

Searching For Tom Curren, released in 1997, took us to into the life of a surf legend and his quest to not only dominate the surf world, but to discover new places along the way. Indo, Hawaii, Australia…all was fair game in the name of discovery.

Though not all of us can dominate a sport to the likes of Curren in surfing, we can share his dream of The Search and launch ourselves into a never-ending quest to not only discover new places, but to get out of our own comfort zones. This is the feeling that I have as I pack my bags for a trip into the South Pacific that I know will not only challenge my confidence, but teach me that the search is a part of all of us.

This ‘trip of trips’ includes legendary waterman Robby Naish, wave guru Reo Stevens, myself, and kiteboarding and surfing photographer Erik Aeder. Oh and by the way, speaking of legendary films, Robby’s RIP comes to mind as another film that personifies the spirit of discovery. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly suggest getting your hands on a copy. I have only been windsurfing once in my life, but you don’t need to have any skill to appreciate Robby’s video tour around Oahu. Robby still runs into a lot of people who came to Hawaii only because they saw that video, whether they were windsurfers or not. Like the Tom Curren campaign, it is truly a story that inspires a search.

Even with the excessive amounts of travel that our group has done in our lifetimes (I think I have about 600,000 miles with American Airlines alone. Impressive? Robby has more like 5 million), none of us had ever been to this island for kiteboarding. So when we were coming in for a landing, all of us were glued to the windows looking out over the coastline to see if we could find the first place we should ride.

88 | STANCE

TRIP

STANCE | 89

TRIP

I

‘m not sure if everyone is like me when it comes to my kiteboarding addiction. But, whenever I fly over any body of water – ocean, lake, river, creek, sewer treatment plant – I am always looking for the best place to launch and land kites. If it is over the ocean, I am constantly looking for wave spots, or where it would break if there were waves. Do you do that too? If I see a movie with water in the background, and it just so happens to be white-capping, to hell with whatever Tom Hanks is trying to say, I am trying to figure out what size kite I would rig if I were there. Do you do that? Please tell me you do, or I may need some clinical psychiatry.

In the broad sense, we didn’t really know what we were going to find. Of course we were all looking for a good point break or two, but it wasn’t exactly the season for swell.

We knew there was potential for something special, but that is the thing with going into the unknown…it’s unknown. When

90 | STANCE

our plane touched down and our baggage finally poured out of the carousel, it looked like we had enough gear for the entire plane.

I would love to tell you that I travel light, but I can’t. Much to the disappointment of Robby, I start wheeling the mess of board bags to the curb trying to explain that ‘it is better to have too much than too little’. I don’t think he buys it.

Without realizing it, our search had already begun. The moment we were all plastered to the windows of the plane trying to see where we should start to look for spots, our discovery senses kicked into overdrive.

As soon as we were in the car, we headed to where we thought the first good place would be. Forty-five minutes and a few wrong turns down some old dirt roads later, we finally found ourselves staring at a spot that was close to what we saw when we were flying over. It looked like we could kite here, but the launch was weird and there was a rock cliff that messed up the wind a

bit. Five minutes back down the road and we were out of the car again and Reo and I ran up over a sand dune and found a big sand beach, wind filling in from the left, and a smallish but fun looking reef break. Bingo.

The wind was filled in enough for a 9 meter and we all jumped on it as fast as we could.

There was a pretty fun left that was coming off of a reef point that boiled up over a coral head (which you had to dodge of course) and the broke into a channel. If you stuck with it, though, it would reform perfectly and break on almost dry reef about 5 meters from shore. If you could come in close enough, the backdrop was unreal with a big red rock cliff in the background and crystal turquoise water. There were a few times when I was sure that Robby was going to get hammered into the reef after fully committing to a 4 footer that was breaking in about a fins depth of water. But being Robby means that skill takes over when all else fails and off the lips onto dry reef somehow end up graceful and without injury.

TRIP

Robby and Reo, who are both goofy-footers, were loving the wind from the left and left breaking waves. At home in Hawaii, most of the time it is wind from the right. Though Robby rides backside most of the time in Maui, he was able to get some great front side riding here. In rare form, Reo rides front side no matter what.

Even though he is a goofy footer, he rides facing the wave no matter the wind direction. It is a true testament of his skill that he can be so powerful front side in either direction. Being a regular footer myself, I split time between riding my wave board and a twin, but no matter what you were on, it was obvious that we had found a great spot for waves or freestyle.

“It was so great to get back to surfing front side,” said Robby after getting out of the water. “I don’t get too many opportunities any more, and I forget how much fun it is to switch it up.”

Killer place, but let’s see what else we can find.”

We ventured on and tried our luck at an offshore marina that had a left-hander breaking just outside the break wall. Getting out was easy, but after gusty wind and clouds rolling over, getting back into the launch spot was almost impossible. Dodging boats and fishermen led to almost all of us to a swim in. “Let’s move on,” was the consensus.

Barely taking time to stop for a late lunch, we high tailed it to the other side of the island to see what we could find. Along the way we stopped at a few different places but didn’t find anything special, so we continued on. The sun was starting to set when we pulled up to a beach that looked like it had a decent right-hander breaking pretty far out. Well, there’s only one way to find out.

“Did you see that reform on the inside breaking on the urchin beds?” said Reo. “I thought I was going to get ground up a few times in there.

STANCE | 91

TRIP

The break was about shoulder high when we got out, but had such great form that you could easily take three or four turns before you hit the channel. The setting sun over the Pacific was casting an orange glow over the water and the shoreline and gave all of us a feeling of a ‘paradise found’. We stayed out well passed the ‘sharky hour’ of the evening and just made it in as the last bit of daylight was fading away.

92 | STANCE

TRIP

« It was like a

wave machine out there. » «If you didn’t like the one you were on, you waited 30 seconds and there would be a better one. Amazing!»

W

e all agreed that we needed to come back and hit this spot again tomorrow. You could see that there was massive potential for this spot to be absolutely amazing under the right conditions. We had our fingers crossed that tomorrow would be the day.

shallow reef, but not too gnarly unless you got stuck on the inside. Of course, all of us did at one time or another and had to gingerly walk over coral and urchin beds to retrieve our lost boards or downed kites.

When we woke up the next morning and grabbed some breakfast at a small local place, there was just something in the air that gave all of us a good feeling. It was a brilliantly sunny day and you could already see the white caps on the outside. It wasn’t until we pulled up and looked out at the break, however, that we knew our search had hit the jackpot.

The wave was near perfect. I don’t think I have caught so many great waves in one day in my entire life - I lost track after about 50. It was really like a wave park. It was just Robby, Reo, and I out and Erik in a boat he had scored to shoot from the channel. It felt great to be back to my regular stance as we had switch sides of the island since the day before. Reo was killing it, as usual, and made some ridiculous top turns where he completely disappeared in his spray only to come out right back in the pocket. Robby put a whole new definition on powerful backside riding in the waves. I have seen him bury his head two feet deep in the wave face on a top turn and arc right back into the critical zone – almost like using his head to rotate around in the water.

It was perfect 9-meter weather and we all grabbed our wave boards and hit the water.

The amazing thing was that there was almost no ground swell coming in, most of what was here was just wind swell. It was so well organized, however, that you would swear it was a true swell. The occasional overhead sets that rolled through would just reel down the line. You could set up to hit the peak of the wave (or try to tuck in) and then it would open up into an end bowl that you could make 3 or 4 turns on before you blasted out in the channel. The wave was breaking on

ever witnessed. It was then, as we looked around at where we were and the conditions that we were riding in, that it began to sink in how perfect this trip really was.

This time it came easy for the three of us as there were no real hassles, all of the spots we stopped at held their own special something, and to top it all off, we were now riding perfect waves in front of the greenest cliffs we had ever laid eyes on. To be certain, not all trips happen the way that this one did. I have been on my share where you just sit around and wait for wind, waves, sun, anything. And really, that is all part of it.

You can’t have magic every time, but when you do, damn it feels good.

“There are not many places in the world that can handle wind swell like what we had today – like maybe two that I have ever seen.

It was like a wave machine out there. If you didn’t like the one you were on, you waited 30 seconds and there would be a better one. Amazing,” said Robby about the day.

We switched it up a bit and boosted some airs over the boat and rode some freestyle in front on what has to be one of the most beautiful back drops of scenery that I have

STANCE | 93

TRIP

This is what the search is all about. We are miles away from competitions, highways, desk jobs, responsibility…we are alone with our thoughts and experience. I have come to the conclusion that you can search your whole life for something and never really appreciate it when you find it.

« the search » we are all searching for something

How about the guy who dreams of having a great job, or a great trip, or the perfect girlfriend, and finally gets it, only to think that he needs more? Is that what the search is all about? I don’t think so. I think that part of the search is realizing that you actually found it sometimes. It could be just a great wave on a small island with a few friends in the middle of the Pacific…or it could getting that house you thought you could never afford. Either way, we are all searching for something, and it helps to sit back sometimes and appreciate that you found it when you do.

I think that we found one this day. Will our search stop now that we had a great day? Of course not, there will always be something else out there. I don’t think that our search ever stops. I am thankful to that 90’s surfing campaign that brought a description to the feeling of trying to find perfection on the water - that desire to discover and travel to a new place that is a little piece of magic. On this day, I wouldn’t have even cared if it wasn’t captured in photos. I left feeling like I had just had an experience that I would never be able to recreate again.

“I don’t know about you guys,” I said to Reo and Robby, “but I am pretty sure that was one of the best kitesurfing days of my life.”

“Me too,” Robby said. “Me too.”

94 | STANCE

SHOPPING

SHOPPING THE STANCE TIMELESS SHOPPING GUIDE

Christmas (shit, too late!), a birthday, a break-up, a death, the great grand-mother in laws birthday… No worries, on this page you’ll find all the greatest and most useful presents that will always please those lucky enough to receive them, and at a great price.

GET HAMMERED AND DRIVE

Fuck the cops, run those grannies on the footpath over, drive completely wasted, burn red lights, park the car with the hand brake on in handicaped parks!!! Anything is possible with this electric vehicle – you don’t need a drivers licence freedom ! Yeah, big time! A bit pricey but so much fun. www.drivehammered.com

EAT SOME CAT

Your health will not be compromised with this organic, hormone free cat. Cooked in a delicious sauce and served with fresh carrots and green peas, you’ll have an absolutely delicious and nutritious meal with plenty of vitamin C. If you buy three packets, you get a free cat pelt. www.costco.com or www. woolworth.com.au

HAMSTER FOR SALE

At Stance, we had a revelation (one windless crappy Sunday, when we were hanging out in a boring mall) that a basic model of hamster is actually very cheap, about 7€ is the entry level price. Now Sundays are much cheaper! Get quite a few, they die pretty quick. www.hamster-heaven.com

SUPERCOPTER

We only tried the Atlas Picooz, one of the first three channels, I think. This is the ideal toy if you want to get nothing done at work! Fun to drive and it will be the subject of the most stupid bet. Less than 40€, 34.90€ if you’re really looking hard enough.

Its great fun and quite robust, though we broke them all in less than a week. It’s still cheaper than kiteboarding. www.amazon.com

SHAKING CONDOM

ENLARGE YOUR PENIS

This tag line, which became mythical in our SPAM emails, comes true with this one. Here, we’re not talking about pills or magical drinks, no no no. We’re talking about a purely physical system, called « dick » which stretches your organ in the most revolting way. It is the complete kit and kaboodle, with packaging as luxurious as it’s product. A must have for all your best friends. It provides an extension to 10cm from the ground, above that it’s illegal. www.makemewaybigger.com

YOU CAN

To all those with connections in the finance sector, we have selected a promising company. A start-up. It will sell quickly, don’t be late. Price negotiable www.youtube.com

DISCOUNT COFFIN

This is a bit of a taboo present, unfortunalety we’ll all need it one day. We found a website with heaps of coffins on special, not all of them were of the best taste, but oh well. Despite the big range, there was nothing fun or original, only boring, sad and gloomy. Might as well enjoy yourself and choose a model that you like. I think there is a niche to develop in the funky coffin market. www.mynexthouse.com

95 | STANCE

We’re quite sceptical and no one wanted to try it. Well, the guys did, yea, but none of the girls at the office were keen to be a guinea pig.

(Actually one was, but then she’s the one the guys didn’t want anyway). Not very pro, we’ll admit, we’re advertising a product without testing it out, oh well. Let us know what you think! www.durexworld.com

FAKE REAL DOLL - NON INFLATABLE

For those who haven’t been spoiled by life, and who are fed up with the basic inflatable dolls, dressed like tarts with boobs as big as watermelons, we found Samantha, a discreet and classy alternative. Perfect to introduce to the in-laws. www.discreetdoolandsmall2.com

THE WALL

it

l , Fee d o o it G …

Feel FEEL IT BUT

uid r Liq signe

n, de

io n Fill

Julie

Ce message est une alerte à tous les utilisateurs de fessebook et ils sont nombreux, comme le dit son inventeur «Everyone is on Facebook». Laissez-moi vous conter cette histoire servant g, d’exemple : Maui, samedi 22 novembre 2008 20H, début n o r W de l’apéro. Deux heures et trois grammes plus tard, je fais n’importe quoi sur la piste de danse et je vais à la pêche. the De la mayonnaise en guise d’appât, il ne manque splus t for at’s u j g h qu’une bonne dorade. Par chance ça mort vite hin au bout, t omet ot chick me at do sprise, h ferre ! ho de la canne et je sens mordre une bonne je u e e o m y go Et o If no on r sflagrant oen you a n r e la boum ! Un flash venu de nulle part me prend délit.

Le r e e e is h t cam ight…wh , tly th. lendemain, me rappelant même pas de nl’incident, ruordi , quie hmon ot r lonej’allume t e t , a ciblé ben t anglais) t u h et là…! Stupeur ! Me voilà tagged (comprendre sur ig n u nd yo arou facebook, et tout le monde y a accès, même ma copine... Hahahaa !!

Donc faites attention aux clichés dérobés lors de soirées bien arrosées, et puis laissez pas traîner vos hameçons n’importe où.

Florian Daubos, team rider Naish.

e.

Forc

Just a pic ...

Kirsty Jone s

g e kitin om th ice. A r f e n o h nyo their c ion er or a ny rid a topic of ny informat no a r o f n y a o t e i r r s n o a e ortu hemselv tink, here an opp st up a s tab: t This is y to expres hing, kick us. Open freestyle t r indust , a joke, no share with …just pure g e o r t u t ike pic judgin ould l g, no you w no censorin , limits long ot be s to n s e k n do , tha at it ar is th t 10 years , five st s t o p l e s s e m a i t s p i t o sh me the t th abou ed over at the sa us for it lagoon y z a cr amo for the eat . But d ’s so t a is f ot cr ls an What one. It g e curren Bora Bor it’s good some rai 100% y h is m to an ind and t as well. n’t think We made e slider o t h . d fro % w l d i t o T u o e o y . b p l h w l s s t t a u 5 d o e t t e g r g a a I cl in re ls hote ungalows , its a g ving a go 95% recy he remain yway, a b y n d h T a e A h . w e s t . i y d n u g w win hin . An ut anyo ly. We s i e h f h g t u r tho s witho end psed in e use fo r y fri a kicke nmentall that coll s that w ti! o le hi r s a i c e v re en hs n Ta nut t ut of fis on here i o c o c ade o sessi are m er crazy hiti Style h anot oold, Ta G Moe

96 | STANCE

This message is a by its inventor warning to all Facebook us ers, and there ; «E ar example : Mau veryone is on Facebook».

Let me tell yo e a few out there as claim i, Saturday 2 ed 2nd of Novem u hours later, I go ber 2008, 8p this story that will serve as crazy on the m, starting on an using mayo as dancing floor, some drinks. bait an Two I get hit by a . Lucky for me, I just abou d then go fishing for som t to hook som e harsh flash com et hing good! And good snappers, ing from no-w not even thin here. The next king about th then suddenly , facebook and e da everyone has ac night before, NO WAY !!! y, as I log onto my compute r, So beware of cess to it, even I se e m ys elf « tagged those random » on snapshots espe my girlfriend. Ahahaha ! anywhere. cially during pa rties, and don’ Florian Daubo t leave your ho s, Naish team oks rider.

Two years ago me, Claes Lundin and Morten Gjerstad (snowkitefilm.com) where in the US for one month to film «Something stronger». We drove 10500 km in one month and only kited 5 days... So me and Claes decided to write something funny on our car for our last drive from Salt lake to Seattle...

Since our car was looked like shit after a month on the road we decided to write «I wish my girlfriend was this dirty» in our back window. Since Utah isnt exactly the most liberal state we didnt have to wait long for a reaction. You could easily say that it made our 15 our drive a little bit shorter! :) Bjorn Kaupang

stad to

es our

on I »

e a hat bit

THE WALL

publish, I'd ick... Pls don't new secret tr my of c pi Here is a it secret... like to keep

rth ont, team No up D in m a nj e B

ey Northern kerque (boring gr a picture of un D to f of am I nt Whenever I can,osed to rip over there, and I wa pp su n! it’s sig ), ad ce ro an s Fr the Dunkerquee waii, Naish Kite myself in front of French dude now living in Ha , Damien Girardin designer.

Here you go ! Someone wanted to who keep his na confidential has sent me th me is pic.

I send it to you because I have never seen such a com mitted railey befor e! won’t say who ! Ahahahaha! I th everyone know e rider is, but s his face! I hope he won’t hold it against me! !!

ut tell abo kes to he best jo f o t lots is that s and e of y photo nly problem ly shock som ore n n u f f o b o a e b b e s lot ld f Th pro I have and myself. hat they will ouldn’t be to ect !! So p t h x people e so radical the jokes’ s f what to e o radical o r o f t a o a e t s t one Mos s no od id aders. can get a go picture, that’ e r e h t !! wise t ; you ur wall midnigh I chose this stick on yo n Morrocco. , ly r d e e instea can definit r from mod e u and yo e Hamaini, rid n Soufia

Seb Garat, professional

rider.

en c e f f er i d he is t t a h ? er, w a fox. r at tte h unt o g a n d e b a ly s.

Fo r een a d jo ke sua l o’s u y g o o d h b et w eers w t b ia, F ive r d B o ud t h p r et i a h w c Ri up ing com

bit ? hite rab small w a h it w sex ear has polar b ss hole... ig b a a hen cm ppens w ith a 20 What ha dead rabbit w ified A s : s Answer r Tasti, uncla phe Christo

STANCE | 97

www.kiteboarding-attitude.com

Instead of

ass

gawking at her

, get a

syouu bpervert! scription, (or boobs)

Subscription Stance DVD-Mag 4 issues (4Mag + 4DVDs) 42 euros

Subscribe online www.kiteboarding-attitude.com