The Kiteboarder Magazine Vol. 15, No. 4

GREEN ROOM GIRLS Breaking Through the Barrier

OFF THE WALL Medysky’s Westward Grind

CALLING IPANEMA Kitesurfing Brazil’s Fronts

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FROM THE EDITOR This magazine was brought to you by the climate apocalypse. Ok, that’s a bit of a melodramatic overstatement, but we were locked indoors working on this magazine while California was experiencing the largest and most destructive forest fire(s) in history. My home base in Santa Cruz is four hours from the Camp Fire that incinerated the entire town of Paradise, yet our beaches and about a quarter of the state was choking on asthma inducing smoke due to the complete absence of wind for over a week.

The particulates in the smoke ranked our air quality amongst the world’s worst, surpassing cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai and Beijing; N95 masks became a household item and all outdoor athletic activities were off the list. It’s something I’ve never experienced nor will I ever forget.

My recollection as a native of California tells me that something is different now, and the scientific data, if you choose to ‘believe’ it, concurs. I don’t want to harp on how many kitesurfing, surfing and mountain biking sessions were lost that week, but as we look around us, I think the phrase ‘climate change’ will take on a new meaning for us, each in a different, yet more concrete way. Rather than an academic threat scheduled for some untold point in the future, atmospheric changes are affecting the world we live in today and in very tangible ways. Yet, the party must and will go on.

ABOVE: Business as usual for our friend, F-One rep and double front roll master, Billy Ackerman, in Rio Vista California. // Matt Bansak

In this magazine (brought to you by climate change lockdown) you will find some great stories starting with one about Prince Edward Island written by local kid turned pro, Lucas Arsenault. I think it’s probably everyone’s dream to showcase the best of their home spot to the world, and Lucas did just that. We follow the Prince with a personal account by Sensi Graves of the perils and successes of mixing business and pleasure, to which I believe all kiters can probably add an anecdotal footnote. From there we tell the story of a tenacious Russian girl on one big photographic adventure and then follow Jalou Langeree and her posse of women hunting barrels in Indonesia. Somewhere in the middle is a profile on our cover girl, Mikaili Sol, a 14-year-old freestyle phenom who is dominating the women’s competitive tours and in the magazine’s final stretch, we travel to the iconic Brazilian beach of Ipanema with the genteel professional kitesurfer Sebastian Ribeiro and then track the migratory path of lifelong kiteboarder Sam Medysky across Canada’s kiteboarding landscape.

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CABRINHAKITES.COM 8

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As for the future of kiteboarding and climate change, perhaps the most salient realization in all of this is that as kiteboarders we often look back at the historical record of wind to inform our expectations of the present, but if we are entering the uncharted terrain of rapid change, then our memory of what we know is less useful to form our expectations of what is to come. I’m very attached to the past. In fact, I’ve centered my entire adult life around the track record of the iconic thermal wind machine along Santa Cruz’s North Coast. My best hope is that my stretch of kiteboarding paradise, as well as yours too, proves incredibly resilient to what comes next.

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18 Proof of the Prince

For years, Lucas Arsenault has been dreaming of the day he could reveal the true colors of his northeastern Canadian stomping grounds to the kiteboarding world.

Armed with professional photographers and fellow Cabrinha team riders, Lucas and his crew set about pioneering new locations and showcasing all that Prince Edward Island has to offer.

30 Crossing Lines with Love

For those whom have the audacity to combine the person you love with an obsessive sport like kiteboarding, the outcome is often chaotic, ranging somewhere on the spectrum between good, bad and ugly. Sensi Graves reflects on the success and failures of her 9-year relationship with kite partner Brandon Scheid.

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Svetlana Romantsova

Trading the stability of city life and a sure-footed office job for the passion of a boom or bust freelance professional photography career, Moscow-based Svetlana Romantsova is establishing herself within the industry, shooting world tours and capturing top-tier athletes.

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Girls of the Green Room

The history of barrel riding has long been dominated by men until this fall when Jalou Langeree, Catharina Edin and Olivia Jenkins challenged the gender barrier at the birthplace of the kitesurfing coverup.

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Off the Wall

The Great Lake’s Sam Medysky embarks on a lifelong experiment seeking out an unconventional lifestyle via a professional kiteboarding career that has plotted a westward migratory path to Squamish, the boardsports capital of Canada.

96 Ipanema

Earning fame from its 1960s bossa nova anthem, The Girl from Ipanema, the iconic strand of beach on the south side of Rio de Janeiro is better known to kitesurfing locals for its hollow beach break and summertime frontal winds.

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From the Editor

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Frontside

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Profile:

Armando Osuna

The relentless spirit of Baja’s resourcefulness.

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Profile:

Mikaili Sol

Kiteboarding’s new cover girl.

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Exposed

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Method

The open-faced carve by Keahi de Aboitiz.

108 Wish List 110

Viewpoint

Thin-slicing your way to safety.

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Roots

114

Atmosphere

Caribbean Winter Winds

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On the Map

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Parting Shot

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30 18 42 52 96 On the Cover

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GREEN ROOM GIRLS Breaking Through the Barrier

OFF THE WALL Medysky’s Westward Grind

CALLING IPANEMA Kitesurfing Brazil’s Fronts

Driven by freestyle competition, Brazilian-American 14-yearold Mikaili Sol is taking the professional freestyle tour by storm as the first female to land a double heart attack in competition. In a tour driven by extra rotations, Mikaili perfects a grab for photographer Toby Bromwich. Read her profile on P54.

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Marina Chang, Publisher marina@thekiteboarder.com Brendan Richards, Editor in Chief brendan@thekiteboarder.com India Stephenson, Designer/Editor india@thekiteboarder.com Seth Warren, Senior Contributor elementsmixedmedia@gmail.com Alexis Rovira, Editor at Large alexis@thekiteboarder.com Gary Martin, Tkb Ambassador gary@thekiteboarder.com CONTRIBUTORS Lucas Arsenault, Sensi Graves, Keahi de Aboitiz, Annemarie Hereford, Shea Gibson/iKitesurf PHOTOGRAPHERS Ydwer van der Heide, Frankiebees, James Boulding, Lance Koudele, Toby Bromwich, Vincent Bergeron, Alexander Lewis-Hughes, Svetlana Romantsova, Jose Hita, Gregor John, Håkon Maeland, Andre Magarao, Tom Ott, Ryan Osmond, Kali Schmidt, John Bilderback, Lucas Pitsch Visit us at: thekiteboarder.com twitter.com/the_kiteboarder • facebook.com/thekiteboardermagazine ADMINISTRATIVE/ADVERTISING OFFICE 1356 16th Street, Los Osos, CA 93402 805.459.2373 SUBSCRIPTIONS orders@thekiteboarder.com • store.thekiteboarder.com | 805.459.2373 Have you got an idea for an article you would like to see in The Kiteboarder Magazine? Send your submission to: editor@thekiteboarder.com © 2018 Boardsports Media LLC. All rights reserved.

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FRONTSIDE

In between the WKC Tour and the GKA Air Games, Paul Serin takes a break from competition and heads to Mozambique, ending his day with one last skyward megaloop. // Photo Ydwer van der Heide

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FRONTSIDE

Ethan Koopmans, a former South African SUP champion and big wave surfer, moved to Maui a few years ago and has steadily climbed the ranks of Maui’s kitesurfing scene ever since. With an extra-large frame, Ethan tends to move some serious water. Whether he’s paddling into bombs at Jaws or scoring podiums in SUP racing, he generally rips whatever board is under his feet. // Photo Frankiebees

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NEWFOUNDLAND

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND QUEBEC

NOVA SCOTIA

NEW BRUNSWICK

W

hen thinking about dreamy kiteboarding destinations, Canada is more than likely not the first place that comes to mind. Perhaps this is why I was so surprised

by Vinny’s emphatic, over-excited hand gestures about the possibilities of photographing the Cabrinha team kiteboarding Prince Edward Island (PEI). I’ve crossed paths with Vincent Bergeron in far-flung places, but now, sitting across from me in a tiny pizza shack near the island’s provincial airport, the conversation is both familiar and comfortable as we quick-fire back and forth in French while presiding over the quintessential northeastern Canadian meal, poutine (French fries drowned in gravy and cheese) and the classic East Coast hot chicken sandwich (shredded chicken sandwiched between two buttered up slices of white bread, smothered with gravy and green peas). The Montreal-based photographer arrived two days early to scout some spots; straight off the plane, and despite his jet-lag, Vinny is frantically scrolling through satellite images on his phone, zooming in on every corner of the island. While he’s never shot kiteboarding on this island, he’s insistent about how good the lighting on Prince Edward Island is and has already drummed up a huge list of shooting locations, most of which I had never thought about, giving them makeshift names based on his interpretation of geography and photographic potential.

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PROOF OF THE

PRINCE WORDS BY LUCAS ARSENAULT | PHOTOS BY JAMES BOULDING

It has always been a dream of mine to bring a group of professional riders along with pro-caliber photographers to explore my home island. Having traveled extensively, I’ve always tried to explain PEI’s potential to other kiteboarders, yet I know that no matter what I say, the highly underrated wind and beaches of Prince Edward Island just don’t register. Tucked in the eastern armpit of Quebec’s land mass, PEI is cradled within the Maritime provinces and is often overshadowed by the kiteboarding popularity of the better known Magdalen Islands. PEI’s crescent shape is home to endless craggy bays and over 600 hundred miles of coastline, mostly varying from sandy beaches and dunes to large, red clay cliffs. With countless untouched spots and downwind opportunities, it’s possible to find a place to kite in every wind direction. Oftentimes choosing between flat water or waves, shallow or deep, it’s this endless exploration that makes this island special and unique. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have grown up kiteboarding on Prince Edward Island and from early on in my kitesurfing career, I knew this spot had tons of potential. Now as a member of the Cabrinha International Team, I finally had the right group of riders and photographers to showcase the island’s worth to the kiteboarding world.

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It was early September and Vinny, myself and Theo Demanez, who flew up from his home in the Caribbean, began our first day exploring spots around my family’s cottage in the southwest corner of Cape Egmont. Cabrinha’s Maui-based marketing manager James Boulding and UK rider Tom Bridge were scheduled to arrive the following day, but since Vinny had scoured every creek and sandbar for its photogenic possibilities, we were up at the crack of dawn and didn’t stop until sundown. With the island locked into our summertime wind pattern, the spots on the bottom edge of the island were firing with a reliable thermal coming out of the south. In what might be the most productive shooting day in all of kiteboarding history, we shot four different locations; all fresh landscapes that have never been disclosed to the kiteboarding public before.

laptop, we fingered the portions of the island we wanted to explore. Vinny proposed various spots and I explained from experience how the forecasted winds would play out. Photoshoots are about exploring uncrowded areas and seeking out new angles with novel landscapes and backgrounds. The riders want the best riding conditions and the photographers want the best foreground and visual backdrop possible. Sometimes finding a balance can be quite tricky. Often, the best kite spots have dull backgrounds or can be crowded with distracting kites finding their way into every frame. However, striking a balance between the right shots and the perfect riding conditions is relatively easy to find on Prince Edward Island. I think all the boys would agree, we didn’t have to sacrifice good riding for a great shot or vice versa.

When James and Tom arrived the following day, we began our nightly ritual, huddling around the dinner table of my family’s summer cottage. With the satellite maps on my

As we quickly learned, keeping track of all the new locations required an impromptu list of nicknames. The ‘Secret Spot’ referred to a location in Malpeque Bay near

LEFT: Lucas sessioning the Wolf Pond; one of the many perfect freestyle slicks located via satelite imagery recon.

UPPER RIGHT: Lucas taking a breather behind the big lighthouse. CENTER RIGHT: Fairly well shielded from the North Atlantic’s swell energy, the Prince offers endless short interval ramps ideal for Theo’s strapless game. BOTTOM RIGHT: At the big lighthouse spot, waves break on the rock jetty, while on the inside, Lucas races through a pristine flat water dragstrip.

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ABOVE LEFT: Launches were a mix of public and private lands, yet on Prince Edward Island ample open space abounds.

CENTER: Theo hovers just outside the Catholic Church of Cape Egmont. Just down the road from Lucas’ family cottage, its brick walls are built out of the island’s ubiquitous red clay.

BELOW LEFT: Lucas amongst his guests; non-conformist Tom Bridge to the left and to the right, the genteel Theo Demanez. RIGHT: Tom Bridge hitting perfect-sized kickers at the spot named after a radio flute marathon.

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the island’s most popular kite beach. While our shooting location was hidden, it was just a stone’s throw from Kite Point and the rest of the kite scene. We discovered the ‘Flute Spot’ while driving in the car listening to Canadian Public Radio’s flute marathon. You don’t realize how many popular songs incorporate the flute until you’ve sat through a flute marathon and listened to a compilation of flute songs. Located in the middle of nowhere, this spot offered up waves and flat water within a few feet of one another; the Flute had it all. There were multiple lighthouse spots, but the one we named ‘Big Lighthouse’ had the best of both worlds: a lineup of rocks separating flat water from the ocean so Tom and I got buttery freestyle setups and Theo found a perfect playground of kickers and waves for his strapless board. Not all of these locations were easy to access; sometimes we’d hike across a field of potatoes (the island’s chief export is spuds) or have to ask permission to rig and launch in someone’s backyard. There’s lots of private beachfront property, but the local kiteboarding community

has done a good job to foster respect with landowners and preserve site access.

At the beginning of the week the wind had been coming from the south, but midway through the trip, the system turned frontal and we scored north wind which opened up tons of new possibilities. We made a group decision to head towards Robinsons Island, a remote finger island that stretches along the northern shore of PEI. Having scouted it with satellite images and some drone footage, our first idea ended up being a total fail. We had planned to kite a lagoon near the parking area with what we thought would be perfect freestyle conditions, however, the sand dunes to the north were much larger than we had anticipated, creating a massive wind shadow. Since Robinsons Island is a hiking preserve, the only other location was at the far end of the island where no vehicles were permitted. James took one for the team and tackled the Robinsons Island Trail for a long run through the forest to scope out the location’s

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FAR LEFT: PEI local, Lucas Arsenault fastening his belt in the glorious inside section at Robinsons Island. It was a hike, but well worth every step of the schlep. ABOVE LEFT: Lucas pokes out a front roll stale grab in the Big Lighthouse’s slick.

CENTER: A young Bald Eagle waiting for prey and its eventual maturation toward a trademark white head and yellow beak.

BELOW LEFT: Lucas firing on all six cylinders against PEI’s famous red clay banks.

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potential. Having discovered a hidden kite paradise, the team missioned several miles through the woods loaded with kites and camera gear in high hopes of glory. Despite limited expectations, James’ intuition was right. The trek to the western end of Robinsons Island turned out to be productive in every aspect. The tip of the island stretched into a flat sandy beach, which blocked the ocean swells and created perfect freestyle grounds with breathtaking visuals of the pastoral landscape in the background. The ocean shoreline was littered with fallen or standing dead trees which gave this location a creepy and deserted feeling but resulted in stunning photos. Tom, Theo and I rotated turns in front of the camera as Vinny and James shot photos and video all day long. This location was a rare find that I’ll surely be riding the next time I am with friends at home.

While we based ourselves out of my family’s summer cottage, the entire week felt like one giant road trip. One of the biggest challenges for those visiting PEI is that you have

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to understand both the wind systems and the local spots as well as be ready to do some driving to make the most out of every day. Vinny and James earned their reputations as hard-working cameramen with physical 12-hour days on the ground. Vinny shot video clips and James focused on still photographs, and as we took turns riding for the two it became apparent how their styles and approach are very different. James is laidback and reserved as he focuses on documenting the session. I remember the first time I got positive feedback from James it turned out to be a cover—and in that sense, James has this understated approach to his work, as if he holds all his cards close to his chest. Vinny, on the other hand, is vocal and is constantly giving you ideas, cheering you on and shooting his mouth off. Despite their different working methods, when you put the two of their personalities together to document the off-the-cuff riding of Tom Bridge, the strapless tricks of Theo and my own approach to freestyle, the visual outcome is one unparalleled to anything I’ve see before.

LEFT: Lucas framed by a small lighthouse during a classic sunset SW thermal session, the typical ending to warm summer days on the Prince.

ABOVE RIGHT: No warmup round needed; Tom goes straight to full throttle in the Wolf Pond. CENTER RIGHT: Lucas describes Tom Bridge (left) as out of the box both in and out of the water with the inability to go half speed at anything. Theo dominates anything to do with surf with the well-mannered demeanor of a small town island boy. Behind, James Boulding is a master at the controls. BELOW RIGHT: Theo Demanez laying down smooth lines in the chaotic chop of an evening session.

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During this shoot, I discovered more kite spots in one week with the Cabrinha team than I’ve uncovered in the past 21 years while living on PEI. We kited every day that week and I think the results really speak for themselves. The island may not be the go-to kite destination that first comes to mind, however, I honestly believe Prince Edward Island offers some of the most diverse spots and rivals the best kiteboarding destinations in the world. For those travelers with a sense of adventure and willingness to ask around for some local knowledge, the endless spots of Prince Edward Island will not disappoint.

TOP: Tom Bridge passing the handle amongst the bucolic backdrop of the Flute Spot. ABOVE: Just one of the chores at the Arsenault compound; Lucas on the green machine erasing Tom Bridge’s chaotic alien crop circles.

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Crossing Lines With Love Words by Sensi Graves

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A

h, blissful love. It’s every kiting couples’ dream, right? To kiteboard for hours into the sunset with your beloved, ending the day hugging on the beach and cheersing ice cold brews as you pack up and head into your honeymoon suite— what could be better than that? The destination most certainly has its moments but the truth is that leading up to your amazing holiday sweetheart session there are the long lines at the airport, slogging overloaded gear bags to your hotel, dealing with moments of miscommunication and managing expectations of love along the way.

I have been the other half of a traveling kiteboarding couple for nine years now. Brandon Scheid and I started dating at the same time we began our lives as kiteboarders and traveling nomads. After finally settling in Hood River and establishing our careers in the industry, we laughingly refer to ourselves as a self-proclaimed jet-setting, kiteboarding power couple. While dating your kite partner is not for everyone, reflecting back on these experiences, I’d like to share some key lessons I’ve learned along the way; the good, the bad and the ugly.

Photo Lance Koudele 31

The Good.

One of the best things about having a kiteboarding partner is that you always have a built-in kite caddy. This works both ways and has been particularly helpful for both Brandon and me during competitions where each athlete needs someone to prep a quiver of kites. Professional surfers have a helper standing on the shoreline ready to swap boards in case one breaks, and likewise, competitive kiteboarders need someone on the beach to help them swap kites and get back on the water in the midst of changing conditions. Even for the non-competing kiteboarder, it’s extremely convenient to roll up to the beach with an experienced launcher in the car. Having a partner/kite caddy is ideal in sketchy launch situations and it’s particularly helpful to have a kite-savvy set of eyes watching your back and anticipating when you’re going to need help. Both obvious and practical, the kite caddy perk is nonetheless very helpful.

The second advantage of dating a kiteboarder is the commonality of interests.

We all know kiteboarders tend to be fanatical about their focus on the sport and sharing that same obsession with your partner is incredibly valuable. Dating a fellow kiteboarder means that you can focus on kiteboarding both on and off the water. Have you ever seen the non-kiteboarding couple seated at the corner table at the end of a long kiteboarding day? The kiteboarding spouse is yammering on about backrolls and foilboard wings while the non-kiteboarding spouse stares off into infinite boredom wishing the Legaignoux brothers never invented inflatable kites. Another kiteboarder knows what you’re going through and will readily geek out over the sport at any time; they may even suggest another way of approaching a new trick or thinking about a situation. A kiteboarding partner can help you push your limits and they’ll be right along for the ride when you decide to push your boundaries and chance that long island crossing. When you’re tired, sore and not wanting to get out of bed, your partner will pull up the wind graph, coffee in hand, and help you get to the beach. As a kite partner, you can ensure that all your vacations will be to a warm and windy kiteboarding destination and at the end of a long day, you’ll be standing next to someone that went through exactly what you did—ultimately bringing you closer and more connected.

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TOP: Back in 2014, this photoshoot in Reunion Island was the first glimpse of the evolving power duo. // Photo Vincent Bergeron BOTTOM LEFT: The give and take: Brandon waiting his turn in the brackish waters of southern Baja’s Choco Lake. // Photo Vincent Bergeron BOTTOM RIGHT: Sensi on the receiving end of the intrinsic traveling partnership. // Photo Vincent Bergeron

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And finally, from an economic and logistical standpoint, having a partner that kites makes traveling cheaper, easier and far more fun. Aside from sharing a bed and cutting your accommodation cost in half, you can share everything from kite gear to rental cars and snacks (a crucial yet often overlooked relationshipsaving weapon we will discuss later). You can divvy up everything from the cooking, driving, planning, gear hauling, spot checking and sometimes even the kite pumping: Brandon uses his big muscles to pump kites quickly while I am a master at running lines. While traveling in the Philippines, Brandon and I were minutes short of missing our flight. I sprinted ahead and sweet-talked the staff at the check-in counter to hold the plane while Brandon hefted all three of our 50-pound gear bags across an airport, somehow finding enough time to repair one of the ripped bags before locating an ATM to grab some cash for baggage fees. Brandon made it to the counter just in time and we made our international connection. He was so sweaty that he had to change shirts two times afterwards, but this example illustrates that you both don’t have to be (and you certainly won’t be) good at everything. Instead, divide and conquer, and take advantage of the comparative strengths of your partnership to improve your traveling experience.

These are just some of the benefits that accrue when you have a beneficial kite relationship, but I won’t bore you further with rainbows and unicorns. Behind every sunset session embrace there is an exceedingly large number of pitfalls, pet peeves, stormy blow-ups and festering beach altercations that can and will make you long for separate vacations, non-overlapping interests and/or even complete dissolution with your kite partner.

The Bad and the Ugly.

Every travel experience comes with friction points that present challenges to the loving kite couple. During our second trip to Maui, we rented a cute little cabin way upcountry on the Haleakala volcano. Being the experienced veterans that we thought we were, we rented a locally-owned 4x4 Toyota truck complete with manual transmission and charming island time stickers plastered to the back window. At the time, neither of us were seasoned stick-shift operators and this mere fact created a great deal of tension. Upon landing in Maui, we piled our gear into the truck’s bed and coaxed the machine out of the airport parking lot. Brandon stalled the truck at the entrance of the airport and with the shifter stuck in second gear and the engine hard to start, airport traffic angrily piled up behind us. I yelled at Brandon to “get moving,” and he yelled back defensively as we both started sweating profusely, tempers flaring.

While Brandon finally got us out of the airport, every time we drove that car we were both on tenterhooks, navigating not only the steep hills of Haleakala but

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Photo Toby Bromwich

CAPTIONS CAPTIONS CAPTIONS CAPTIONS

Photo Vincent Bergeron

Photo Vincent Bergeron

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also the limits of pent-up frustration and civility. On subsequent trips when it became my turn to suffer through the embarrassment of learning the ways of a clutch and a 5-speed stick, Brandon cracked jokes and instigated endless laughter in front of our friends. I took it personally, just as Brandon had in Maui, and these seemingly minor friction points created far more drama than either of us expected.

The truth of the matter is that you take things so much more personal when your significant other is involved. A carefree, light-hearted laugh can become an insensitive act of betrayal under strained predicaments. Have you ever tried to teach your significant other something? Under these tense situations every word becomes a loaded gun, capable of igniting an all-out verbal battle. This is the downside to rolling your romantic partner and kite travel companion into one, but if you can identify the emotional triggers in advance and use restraint, understanding and patience (humor sometimes works when timed appropriately) to be supportive, then you can end more sessions with that euphoric, sun setting over the ocean, clinking beers as you roll up your gear kind of feeling.

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Photo Vincent Bergeron

What can be considered a positive aspect of kite relationships can also quickly spiral out of balance and become negative. Having a kite caddy can be a helpful role, but as I experienced last year at the Triple-S competition, the kite caddy obligation can also become a massively uneven burden. Both Brandon and I were competing in the slider competition. The wind had been super up and down throughout the week and trending relatively light going into the finals day.

Brandon left the staging area on a 15m kite, yet during the warm-up round, it looked as if he was underpowered. I rigged a 17.5m for him and kited it down to the park only to learn he didn’t need it. If you’ve ever ridden a kite that big, you know it becomes a fully loaded semi-truck that can run away at any second.

I should have known better—it was much too windy, but I was stuck riding a kite three sizes too big, painfully struggling to tack back upwind. I was exhausted, sore and late in my preparations for my own heat that was beginning shortly. It was my bad decision, but illustrative of the downsides that come with the give and take of a kite partnership. You might miss out on sessions, you might spend your time rescuing your partner, but partnership and reliance require sacrifice.

There’s a good chance you might have to hang out late into dusk, waiting for

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TOP: Brandon laying into a heavy butter slide in the south of France. The concept of ‘team’ can be challenging to incorporate into a boardsport like kiteboarding but can nonetheless yield dividends. // Photo Vincent Bergeron ABOVE LEFT: Subjects in the bad and ugly: sparring amongst the friction points of sharing an obsession. // Photo Alexander Lewis-Hughes ABOVE RIGHT: Subjects in the good: enjoying the lighter moments of love and kiteboarding. // Photo Alexander Lewis-Hughes

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your significant other to finish their session. Ditching often isn’t an option, but if you do pass on waiting for your partner, it may come with consequences both logistical and emotional. Be prepared to make sacrifices and when it doesn’t go your way, just be patient.

One of the biggest challenges as traveling athletes is managing a demanding schedule and maintaining access to food . . . and not getting so hungry that you take out your anger on your significant other. We often joke about the perils of going ‘hangry’ on a trip, but the combination of hunger and anger are worthy foes during energy-intensive kite trips. On a demo tour to Argentina, Brandon, photographer Vincent Bergeron and I met up with Liquid Force’s Argentinian distributor and drove 28 hours from Buenos Aires to Bariloche. One of the best things about the Argentinian culture is their love of socializing over wine and dinner; conversely, one of the worst things is how their fondness for chit-chat pushes dinner so late into the night. After a long day of shooting on a mystical turquoise blue island we returned to the house where our gracious host promised an Argentinian dinner. As our new friends socialized, slowly preparing the meal for hours while conversing in rapid unintelligible Spanish, the three of us tired and delirious with hunger, stewed in the corner trying to stay awake while suppressing a growing feeling of bone clenching anger. The truth is, these traveling predicaments are inevitable, but it’s always easy to pack snacks and plan ahead for all eventualities. Sometimes you need food in your mouth . . . NOW! A stockpile of granola bars prevents you from wanting to gnaw the seeds out of the apple core that you and your partner split on the long drive home back from the beach.

While kiteboarding is an individual sport, we most often end up sharing the water and beaches with other people. When tension arises in a relationship, airing it in public is akin to throwing your partner under the bus. Brandon and I have done it more times than I care to admit and I’ve seen other couples do it too. You’re having a great session and then all of a sudden, the two of you are stopped on the side of the shore arguing, or more often in our case, yelling at each other as we ride by. This most often happens when Brandon is trying to teach me something when I’m frustrated, or when I tell him to ‘calm down’ after he gets worked up over learning a new trick. We both have a unique process for learning. Brandon’s version typically includes repetition of a trick at least a thousand times in a row and may end with frustrated acts like throwing his bar on the ground which typically induces endless eye rolls on my end. Often, the wind will dissipate most of your angst-filled conversation, but inevitably everyone can feel the negative energy radiating between the two of you. There’s no easy solution for public fighting, outside of self-restraint. We all get angry, but if you’re arguing on the water, you probably shouldn’t be kiteboarding. You should be in therapy or at least in a hot tub with a cold beer.

Being in a relationship, especially one in which you share your passions is both rewarding and challenging. When it’s good, it’s great, but when it’s ugly, you need to take a step back and assess the situation. Preparedness, practice and patience help in all situations but I have some key rules that I live by: The first is to never throw your partner under the bus. They are your teammate and should always

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ABOVE: Finishing up another long day of kiting in Mexico, amidst the folding of kites and wrapping of lines, it’s time to cue the clinking of beers, long kisses and the precarious fairytale of kiteboarding love. // Photo Vincent Bergeron

come first. The second is to try not to take everything so personally—step back, let go of your ego and listen to your partner. If he/she is acting like a jerk, it’s most likely because they’re ‘hangry’ or can’t land a trick. Maybe they stepped in dog-crap as they were running out their lines; whatever the fight may be, I guarantee you it’s more about the dog than you. I’ve learned most situations can be disarmed with clear and positive communication, and it never hurts to focus on being loving instead of being right. Perhaps the hardest lesson, and my final key rule, is to work together to negotiate the optimum balance between give and take. Sometimes you need to be the one who packs the kites at the end of the long day. While these tricks have long helped Brandon and I navigate a successful kiteboarding relationship, there’s no magic formula, just perseverance and patience.

Brandon and I have had a crazy amount of ups and downs while dating, yet our commitment to one another and our love for the sport has allowed us to see immense parts of the world together as a team that would not have been possible as separate individuals. For some, kiteboarding is a solo sport, it is their ‘special time’ and they have no desire to share that part of their life with their partner, and for good reason. Yet for others, having a partner who kites and supports you in life and in the sport you both love is a superb blessing. As with most relationships, it doesn’t come without work and it’s not all butterflies and ponies, but if you work through the challenges, you will find that sharing the sport of kiteboarding with your significant other makes every session that much sweeter.

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Svetlana Romantsova FOLLOWING A PHOTOGRAPHIC PASSION

Words by Brendan Richards | Photos by Svetlana Romantsova

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W

hen professional kite photographer Svetlana Romantsova is candidly asked what lens she would settle upon if allowed only one for the rest of her life, the small-framed brunette pauses to fret over the decision. Her command of English drips with the Slavic pronunciations of her native Russian tongue and her response is dotted with short pauses in a linguistic struggle to deliver precision in a foreign language she’s only recently learned under fire in the photographic field. “It is so hard to choose one lens because as a photographer you want to shoot everything,” she explains to buy more time. After a momentary pause, she decides on a fixed 15mm. Rather than choosing a generalist lens with a zoom, she chooses the prime lens; “It’s the most real of lenses, like the human eye, there are no distortions.” With this lens, Svetlana can capture gorgeous backgrounds, shoot crisp portraits with blurry backdrops and as she points out, if she needs to zoom, she will just use her legs and walk to her subject. What to others may seem like a very limiting lens, is actually the most creative and innovative option for the tried and tested Russian kite photographer.

The early reaches of Svetlana Romantsova’s Instagram feed is filled with a broad amalgamation of images of friends snowboarding, baby portraits and aspiring models; the typical faire of an amateur photophile. As you scroll down into her more contemporary grids, you’ll encounter the timeframe when her camera latches onto the exotic locations and talent of kiteboarding — it is here that you begin to see the narrative of a brilliant and prolific photographer unfold. Modern truth be told, anyone can get lucky with a cell phone and sheer repetition; it’s not that hard when circumstance delivers the perfect shot. But unlike the idyllic sunset or the handlepass that happens right in front of your phone, the professional photographer has to routinely squeeze high-caliber images out of every scenario no matter how sub-optimal the conditions.

There’s momentum in photographic success and now that Svetlana’s career is in full stride, you can see the culmination of perfection in her technical image capturing skills—her visual eye for composure combines with the manipulation of light, scenery and talent, which is not as common as you might think in action sports photography. This simple fact is the reason why Svetlana Romantsova’s current kiteboarding portfolio is featured throughout magazines, websites and Instagram feeds across the kitesurfing landscape.

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Growing up in Moscow far from the mountains or oceans of any sort, Svetlana followed a course of practical studies in economics and business management under the guidance of her career-oriented parents; her father an engineer and her mother an accountant.

After college, Svetlana started work life within the confines of an office but it was her interest in snowboarding that brought her to Mount Elbrus within southern Russia’s Caucasus Mountains.

Overcome by the raw beauty of nature for the first time, Svetlana used a small camera to capture snapshots of her surroundings to communicate to her parents and friends how beautiful the mountains were. It was also in these early days that she began taking action photos of a friend who was a sponsored snowboarder in her first attempt at photography with a purpose. She traded her office work in Moscow for traveling stints and creative side projects, like an online snowboarding store, in an effort to find other ways to support herself while following her passion. However, it was the introduction to kiteboarding in a lake outside Moscow that set her trajectory towards professional photography in motion.

Looking back on her early days, Svetlana sees her approach not as some purposeful path, but as a series of small steps and misadventures that have led to her current work. She began making connections in the Russian kiteboarding industry which eventually brought her to Vietnam. From the beaches of Mui Ne, Vietnam, the camera around her neck landed her an invite for a surf trip to Bali. Anticipating the Bali breaks far from the beach, she saved up money for a telephoto lens, but on the way to Ho ChĂ­ Minh City to make the purchase, her money was stolen. Without the proper lens, Svetlana spent her days in Bali learning to surf instead, but a chance meeting with a girl in Indonesia led to a referral for work in Dakhla, Morocco. The Dakhla Spirit Resort needed a photographer to cover an Alex Pastor kite camp so Svetlana hopped on a plane to meet Gemma and Soufian Hamaini, and after a few days, she was hired on for a month, capturing kiteboarding against the expansive sandscapes of the Sahara desert. From the shallow waters of Dakhla, Svetlana fostered connections with visiting athletes like Youri Zoon and Seb Garat who came to train. She would continue to partner with Gemma on clinics in Tarifa and Brazil but it was those days in Dakhla that began to open up doors within the international kite industry.

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Anton Cherkashin captured at Svetlana’s home spot, Plescheevo Lake near Moscow. It was the end of March and the snow and ice was melting fast into one giant puddle. Anton was soaking wet before the perfect frame was captured. Svetlana recalls using three flashes, one of them colored by a red T-shirt.

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Her first money-making images were those purchased by a European kiteboarding magazine from a photoshoot with Abel Lago in Tarifa.

Recalling the day, Svetlana notes that the wind was quite strong and the skies were cloudy with the threat of rain. “It was not the best conditions for photos, but we came there to try.” The lighting was ominous with large waves crashing against the lighthouse. It took many attempts, but eventually Abel nailed his trick framed by a giant fan of water smashing off of the lighthouse. Even if all the odds were against this session, it was the first photoshoot to earn her money from a magazine. Much in the same unexpected vein, Svetlana’s first cover shot in a major kiteboarding magazine came from an impromptu lifestyle shoot. Having gone on a kitesurfing trip with RRD’s Kari Schibevaag to Essaouira, Morocco, Svetlana submitted a story to a magazine and the photo editor surprised her with the cover pick. They were walking to a kiteboarding spot through an old medina building and found a hallway where the light entered from the top. Svetlana placed Kari in the spot and told her to look up, creating a tense interplay of light and dark with Kari’s figure. The magazine never told her which shot they chose, a surprise she discovered when she received the magazine in the mail. Reflecting back on her portfolio, Svetlana finds that the best shots, the ones that often land on a cover are oftentimes very random. It’s usually the session with poor lighting and little wind; it’s when everything is wrong but there’s one standout shot that ends up featured prominently proving that every session has potential.

Svetlana’s approach to photography is one of planning and improvision. “I see the shot in my brain; it’s an idea of a picture, which is the most important thing. Then I have to think about how to do it technically.” After taking her first photos on Mount Elbrus, Svetlana came back to Moscow and enrolled in classes to learn the technical aspects of photography. She wanted to spend a month nailing down the details of the photographic process so that she could recreate photos of the things she was seeing. She admits, “Sometimes the result is different, but sometimes it feels exactly like what I really want.”

Svetlana’s ascension into the ranks of kiteboarding’s top photographers seems to be a combination of both methodical hard work and prodigious travel, yet the young Russian is not above taking some risks with trial by fire situations. In 2015, Svetlana’s first attempt at shooting with a water housing coincided with her first competitive tour gig. Having just received all the equipment to shoot from the water, she accepted a last minute request from friend Mallory de la Villemarqué to photograph the Tarifa stop of the newly minted Virgin Freestyle Tour. Shooting from a water housing is rife with challenges and missteps, yet Svetlana dove in head first, turning out high-quality water shots that landed her a gig first shooting 46

TOP LEFT: Guillermo Alvarez in the kicker spot near Taiba. Svetlana loves to shoot in the ocean, “You can have nothing, or something really nice,” she explains. TOP RIGHT: Colin Heckroodt makes the most out of Scarborough’s golden hour and good swell. MIDDLE LEFT: Kari Schibevaag on a Dakhla Spirit downwinder through 500km of Western Saharan coastline. Traveling with a military transport, Svetlana captured the mystical scene of Kari and a shipwreck in the middle of nowhere. MIDDLE RIGHT: Every shoot has its dirty secrets: Alvaro Onieva had been talking for three years about this spot outside of Tarifa, but when they got there it was low tide and the water so far away that they had to use a bucket to throw water into the shot. BOTTOM LEFT: Jerrie van de Kop in a classic shot during the Red Bull King of the Air in Cape Town. BOTTOM RIGHT: On the road to Witsand, the RRD team stopped at a lake. “The wind was light, but we had a sick car, a big wheel, a flash and a team of bored guys so we mixed things up.”

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LEFT: Abel Lago Marcooutside Leconte, of Cape head of Town NeilPryde at one of marketing, Svetlana’s enjoys favorite onebeaches of the perks to shoot just photos. down the According street from to Svetlana, the new headquarters the nearby township in Barcelona. is not considered UPPER LEFT: a safe A young placeNeil to be, Pryde but competing the colors in at his sunset P-class anddinghy the perfect in Auckland, waves made New Zealand. it worth the // Photos risk tocourtesy get the shot.

Neil Pryde Ltd. UPPER RIGHT: Neil Pryde presiding over his sail building and windsports empire. BOTTOM: Even into his 70s Neil was regarded as the most successful big boat racer in Asia. // Photo ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi

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the Virgin Kitesurf World Championships and eventually the WKC Freestyle World Tour.

According to friend and tour operator, Mallory de la Villemarqué, “Svetlana is a passionate and very hard working photographer.” He recalls her friends and family thinking she was crazy to drop the stability of office and city life back in Moscow in order to dedicate herself to her passion for photography. “The path of a freelance photographer is not easy. There’s a lot of good photographers out there and strong competition, and while Svetlana’s got an incredible eye, it’s always hard at the beginning to make a name for yourself.”

When Svetlana got the job on tour with the Virgin Kitesurfing World Championships she finally found a bit of stability in the freelance world, gaining access to both the brands and top riders.

However, when the freestyle tour collapsed into chaos, staff was left unpaid and the tour that followed, the WKL, experienced similar difficulties. Svetlana kept her head high, working some brand shoots here and there and was eventually hired on to the new WKC Tour as their primary photographer which put her back on track. According to Mallory, “I really like working with her; she’s got an incredible eye, she works unbelievably hard and she will always say ‘yes.’ Sometimes she’s too good, I think, but this is the kind of person I would always call for the job because I know it will be done quickly and very well. She deserves to be recognized as a top photographer in the industry because she’s got everything; she’s a great person and an amazing photographer.”

As for creative influences, Svetlana speaks highly of Andre Magarao’s flash work and Ydwer van der Heide’s emphasis on light and style. For inspiration, Svetlana looks outside of kiteboarding to photographers like Red Bull’s Tristan ‘Shu’ Lebeschu, whose work crosses between paragliding and snow sports. As much as the creative process is personal, Svetlana keeps the work of other photographers in her mind as a means of bringing something different to the sport of kiteboarding where these techniques may not have been used before. Svetlana has experimented with her own flash work projects, most notably with night snowkiting.

Much in this vein, the Russian photographer has recently begun experimenting with a Mamiya 645, a medium format Japanese film camera. “When you use digital you sometimes stop thinking about the exact shot, you just shoot a ton of frames and the artistry can be lost in that process.” The single exposure film process is in part a forced mindset in which the photographer thinks a bit more about what he or she is trying to accomplish when setting up a shot. Svetlana seems to suggest that placing limits on our choices is capable of yielding different, if not better outcomes.

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This is a shot of Anton Cherkashin in a lagoon outside of Tarifa. According to Svetlana, “Anton saw that I was trying to put the horses in the background and executed a blind judge in the perfect position. After he landed, a student crashed a kite really hard on Anton’s kite and broke one of his lines so the session was done.” Sometimes you only get one shot from a session and it turns out the best.

In terms of her own personal kiteboarding, Svetlana kites when she can. “I still very much enjoy the feel of the wind both in my hands and in my hair,” yet, water time always takes a backseat for the professional photographer and she seems to be okay with this.

This year she spent the off-season in the mountains of Sochi far from the congestion of her childhood home in Moscow. Filling her downtime with trail running and creative pursuits that include painting and cooking, Svetlana is readying for a winter season full of travel. In between the WKC Freestyle Tour and brand trips, Svetlana’s prodigious work plays out across all visual mediums. The final reaches of her Instagram feed are not only loaded with the prolific interplay of technical expertise and creative vision, but the denotion of a successful photographer—one which sees not only much of the kiteboarding world, but the best of the kiteboarding world, leaving a photographic footprint that captures the talented kite athletes of our time.

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With his hands in just about everything from teaching kiteboarding to running the family workout gym, guiding spearfishing adventures and continuing his family’s legacy of farming, Armando is a relentless spirit representing Baja’s resourcefulness. Words by Brendan Richards | Photo by Jose Hita

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PROFILED

ARMANDO OSUNA La Ventana, BCS Mexico

THE RELENTLESS SPIRIT OF BAJA’s RESOURCEFULNESS It’s hard to keep track of Armando Osuna; as a farmer, kiteboarding instructor, rental property manager, fish and spearfishing guide and owner of the only workout gym in town, the La Ventana native is a true force in motion. Having grown up in a family of farmers in San Juan de Los Planes, a town just outside of La Ventana, Armando was one of the first truly local Mexicans to learn the sport of kiteboarding. If the wind is what draws most people to the windswept bay nestled between the Cacachilas Mountains and the Sea of Cortez’s El Cerralvo Island, for Armando it was a young Alondra Rosas Ramirez, the most beautiful girl in the village of La Ventana.

Armando began farming at the age of 11, at the time every member in his household had to work in order for his family to make a living. It was particularly tough for Armando as he had to both work and complete his high school schoolwork at the same time, but he didn’t mind so much when he began dating Alondra, a local girl from La Ventana, the town just up the road.

After graduation, he studied tourism over the hill in La Paz at the Intercontinental School. Upon seeing the foreign influence as more and more kiters came to La Ventana, he saved money from his farmwork and with the help of his family, Armando moved to Canada to learn English and study tourism at King George International College. Having worked hard in school and earned high marks, when his high school sweetheart Alondra came to visit him, he decided it was time to move back to Baja, get married and begin their lives together.

Upon his return to the dusty backroads of La Ventana, Armando set about building a house, and with Alondra’s help, the two of them started the town’s first fitness gym, naming it after their daughter, Ashley. Modeled after a Gold’s style gym, inside the green, two-storied building just off of the main street, is a wide selection of barbells, Olympic weight sets, punching bags and treadmills with an upstairs designated for spin classes. A membership to Ashley’s is an affordable $1.50 per day or $16 per month and has become an integral part of the fitness-oriented community for both visitors and locals alike.

For those who know Armando, he’s self-taught in just about

everything he does. From spearfishing to repairing gym equipment to tearing apart and rebuilding a jet ski engine, he’s no stranger to learning on the fly. When Armando first tried kiteboarding in 2008, it was an American friend who loaned him a trainer kite and then a larger sized Naish kite. Since his friend was too busy to provide detailed instruction, Armando watched other kiters at the beach and copied their moves. Armed with some rudimentary safety information, Armando learned the basics of riding, narrowly avoiding some serious mishaps with a bit of luck and skill. In 2013, he started teaching some friends and family, and then a year later, he began teaching paying students from the States. Although gifted with a natural athletic talent that Armando showcased at some of the early Baja contests, the responsibilities of supporting his family have distracted him from taking freestyle kiteboarding too seriously.

Recently, Armando has partnered with Jose Hita, a Spanish newcomer to the La Ventana scene, in a joint effort to build the Nomad Kite School. Jose describes Armando as a very goaloriented person who’s incredibly focused on all of his endeavors.

“Armando comes off very serious. He’s a dedicated family man but loves to joke and laugh with his friends.” The Nomad Kite School partnership is the ideal combination of Armando’s waterman experience and Jose’s marketing and promotional skills. Armed with two jet skis and some rental properties, Jose and Armando are putting their heads together to offer the ultimate kiteboarding experience in La Ventana.

From row farming to kiteboarding, one thing hasn’t changed for Armando; he is always working towards reaching his goals. On those occasional days during the winter when the wind doesn’t blow, you’ll see Armando towing his ponga with a silver 4Runner down to the village launch for pole or spearfishing expeditions in the waters off of El Cerralvo Island. Between balancing the demands of kiteboarding lessons, managing the family gym and farming with his brother, Armando has his hands full, but in the quiet off-season, you will find him kiteboarding in the Sea of Cortez’s warmer waters with his wife, Alondra and daughter, Ashley, whilst enjoying all the perks of the seasonal La Ventana lifestyle.

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Between dirt bikes and cow roping rodeos, Mikaili Sol is a 14-year-old powerhouse taking the kiteboarding world by storm. Having clenched her first WKC Freestyle Championship title (and her first magazine cover), the kiteboarding phenom is just getting started. Words by Brendan Richards | Photo by Toby Bromwich

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PROFILED

MIKAILI SOL Prea, Brazil

KITEBOARDING’S NEW COVER GIRL The digital scoreboard over the judge’s stand lights up, emblazoned with the rare 10, rewarding 14-year-old Mikaili Sol a perfect score for landing a double heart attack at the World Kiteboarding Championships tour stop in Dakhla, Morocco. This is likely one of those benchmarks in kiteboarding history that not only marks the first time a female athlete has landed such a challenging move in competition, but but also a young and upcoming kite prodigy, coming into her own.

Having started kiting at the young age of eight, Mikaili’s roots in kiteboarding originate from the fateful day when her mother, a windsurfer from Hood River, surreptitiously bought a 2-line Wipika kite, strapped it to the side of a motorcycle and headed south to learn the more portable sport of kiteboarding. With no predetermined destination, Mikaili’s mom made a pit-stop turned life-long residency in Jericoacoara, Brazil, eventually learning to kiteboard, marrying a local and opening a beachside hotel for kiteboarders in Prea. Mikaili’s first recollection of kiteboarding was sitting in the family’s dune buggy with her grandma at the wheel on the beach in front of their pousada watching as her mother and father passed by on a downwinder. She begged her parents to let her into the family sport, but for safety reasons they held off until she was eight years old. Finally, learning from an instructor at the family’s hotel, Mikaili picked up kiting almost instantly, landing double backrolls and backroll kiteloops within her first year.

Mikaili has always exhibited early signs of risk-taking and a taste for adrenaline. By the age of four, she was galloping down the beach bareback on a horse, and at the family resort, the mouths of guests were left agape as they watched her climb everything in sight, including 50-foot tall coconut trees. The product of homeschooling, Mikaili grew up in an open and active environment, surrounded by adventurous activities. Kiteboarding competitively has always been Mikaili’s dream and being homeschooled allowed Mikaili to travel, train and learn on the road. She participated in the F-One’s Next Generation team, which runs coaching camps for young talent in places such as Fuerteventura and Tarifa, as well as attended the World Kiteboarding Academy, a traveling kiteboarding-focused high school.

However, her most recent and progressive training comes from her coach, Swiss native and five-time snowkiting champion, Fabio

Ingrossi. Introduced through friend Maxime Chablis, Fabio helps Mikaili both break down her technical tricks and stay focused in the frustrating process of learning what might otherwise seem impossible.

When it comes to learning tricks, Mikaili says the back mobe was particularly challenging. “I have it sometimes, it just clicks, and sometimes I don’t, and when I lose it, I have to relearn it.” Mikaili explains how a successful back mobe is all in the rotation; the way out of the water and into the trick has to be really precise. “If you mess up the pop, it won’t happen, but take a trick like the heart attack: if you mess up the pop on a heart attack, you can pull harder and make it around.”

Mikaili owns up to being driven by competition, but when she speaks of tricks, both old school and new, as well as her competitors, it is clear the young gun is completely obsessed with every aspect of the sport. When asked about her aspirations, Mikaili points to Gisela Pulido’s impeccable technique and ability to win so many world titles along with Bruna’s Kajiya’s sheer power and strength. Mikaili’s first competition happened to be the last stop of the now-defunct PKRA tour, where at the age of nine, she earned a wildcard seat.

She remembers being nervous, but having met many of her heroes, most double her age at the time, she became enamored with the competitive community. In the years that followed, the young Mikaili racked up four Youth World Championships as well as a GKA Air Games Championship.

Outside of kitesurfing, Mikaili likes to ride her dirt bike through nearby dunes and surfs the reefs out front of her home in Prea, acknowledging that if she didn’t have kiteboarding, she’d probably try competing in motocross. She loves getting barreled at her home surf break but notes that the progression in surfing doesn’t compare to all the tricks and styles of riding you can do within kiteboarding.

Fresh off her win at the last WKC Tour stop in Cumbuco, Brazil, Mikaili’s greatest achievement thus far is winning a freestyle world championship title. The only thing sweeter is that the competitors she shares the podium with are both her teammates and good friends on and off the water. Asked if she has plans on challenging any of the men, she laughs, “In my dreams, but maybe if I train hard enough it could become reality, you never know.”

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exotikite kiteboarding PALAPAS VENTANA Warming, welcoming and knowledgeable about all things related to Baja, Palapas Ventana is like your second family. Guest reviews consistently rave about the excellent staff and quality of food along with excellent excursions and/or instruction for snorkeling, scuba diving, kiteboarding, fishing, SUPing, hiking, spearfishing and whale shark swimming.

Upwind of the main riding area, lodging options include breakfast and lunch at the restaurant/bar directly overlooking the beach just above the semi-private launch/ land area while each casita boasts its own private covered patio with an ocean view.

An on-site kite school, secure beachfront gear storage, compressed air kite fills, and a dedicated kite helper along with an on-premise kite/dive/fishing shop round out the amenities. // PalapasVentana.com

LA VENTANA BAY PROPERTIES Established in 2006 by Dave and Lana Nixon, LVBP has grown to become the area’s premier real estate brokerage firm, earned from providing excellent customer service with detailed local knowledge and relationships that make your vacation home purchase, property management services or holiday rental a seamless experience. Specializing in vacation rentals with most including stunning views on or near beach access, rentals start from $350 per week with all bookings including access to an exclusive pool/fitness facility at special member prices. // LaVentanaBayProperites.com

VENTANA WINDSPORTS With a large launch/land area directly in front of the property and a 2,000 gallon hot tub

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AMARA Located next to the Hot Springs on unspoiled El Jalito beach, Amara will deliver a new standard of living to La Ventana / El Sargento. Amara is a world-class resort community of 95 luxurious condominiums and single family homes designed to co-exist with the natural landscape. The natural green corridor running through the heart of Amara will inspire an active lifestyle, creating a visual connection between the striking mountains to the West and Amara’s private oceanfront beach club, fitness center and restaurant. // www.amarabcs.com

VELA KITESURF Enjoy life in Baja the easy way—bring only your harness! Sign up for rentals of Vela’s current-model demo fleet, take lessons to advance your skills, learn strapless skills or foilboarding, and save yourself countless hours of time researching your next trip by reserving a complete package. Looking for somewhere new? Vela guests have relied on the company to lay the groundwork at dozens of warm and windy locations around the world for over 25 years. Whenever you want to go, Vela is ready for you … before and after you arrive. // VelaKitesurf.com

EXOTKITE ExotiKite Kiteboarding has been providing exceptional kiteboarding lessons for all levels since 1998. Lessons are conducted with progressive teaching methods, a noncompetitive and encouraging atmosphere, and at a beautiful, uncrowded location.

With on-site studios, a restaurant and bar along with its friendly staff, ExotiKite is

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Experience Baja in the

Superlative.

• Remarkably delicious food with dining on the water • Primo launch area and the best low-stress spot for beginners • Exceedingly comfortable rooms • Plentiful activities, like high-end mountain bikes, yoga & SUP • Enormous hot tub • Epic La Ventana beachfront location!

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EXPOSED

Flysurfer’s Alex Robin combines a stylish winged-out air with a grab at the Col du Lautaret mountain pass in the French Alps. // Photo Gregor John

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EXPOSED

Julien Kerneur and Mauricio Weppert in Sardinia demonstrating how the proper tools can open up endless opportunities for exploration. // Photo HĂĽkon Maeland

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REPLA

ACE

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OZONE

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EXPOSED

Alex Fox wrenching on one of the most highly boned-out, double-handed tail grabs that Brazil’s lagoon hipsters have ever seen. // Photo Andre Magarao

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EXPOSED

Amidst JN’s R&D grounds and nestled in the mountains between Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, Alois Egger navigates a cold autumn wind over a sandbar in Lake Traunsee. // Photo Tom Ott

REPLA

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ACE

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EXPOSED

Jeremy Jones places an inaugural hit on his friends’ home-constructed, streetinspired slider. Ratcheting up the size and consequences, this multi-faceted feature combines a kicker and rail option on either side for double the fun. // Photo Ryan Osmond Carl Ferreira demonstrates the importance of good fins and a finely tuned rail in as he lays into a shoulder-high left in Scarborough Beach’s cross-offshore setup. // Photo Svetlana Romantsova

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BEFORE T H E I M I TAT O R S A N D K N O C KO F F S

T H E R E WA S R I D E E N G I N E

PRIME SHELL “ISLAND TIME”

PRIME SHELL “PACIFIC MIST”

PRIME SHELL “DEEP SEA”

PRIME SHELL “SUNSET”

PRIME SHELL “COAST”

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GIRLS OF THE

GREEN

ROOM WORDS BY JOE WINOWSKI | PHOTOS BY YDWER VAN DER HEIDE

W

hen it comes to getting barreled in the surf with a kite, this sector of the sport has long been

dominated by an all-star cast of male athletes establishing the gold standard. This fall, Jalou Langeree put together a trip to the birthplace of the barrel that broke a decade-long gender vacuum that has existed within the green room.

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When the Mauritius stop of the GKA Surf Tour was canceled, Jalou lined up an Indonesian barrel hunting mission with friend Catharina Edin, photographer Ydwer van der Heide and lastminute tagalong Olivia Jenkins. No stranger to Indo, Jalou was hoping to make up for the lackluster wave quality on the surf tour this year and Catharina was looking to step up her surf game. Stuck in the no-swell doldrums of summertime Maui, Olivia was scouring international swell maps for potential forecastbased strike missions and discovered Jalou’s plans over social media. Olivia purchased a last-minute plane ticket, flew out the following morning and the three converged on a peaking swell so large that Indo’s barrel machine was closing out in the channel.

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J A L O U

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L A N G E R E E

O L I V I A

J E N K I N S

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C A T H A R I N A

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E D I N

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As this was her fourth trip to the famed Indonesian village, Jalou took note of how little things had changed. The people and places were mostly the same with the exception of small improvements in the local homes and restaurants (warungs). Jalou recognized a local photographer named Mammet who had sold his camera a few years back in order to open a restaurant in his front yard with his family. Hanging from the walls inside his new joint were pictures he had taken of Keahi, Reo, Kevin and Jalou on Indo’s famous left during one of their previous trips to the island. The girls ate at Mammet’s almost every evening as it was cheap, clean and the best place to avoid ‘Indo belly.’

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According to Olivia, “the guys in the videos make it look so effortless, but it’s not as easy as it looks.� Only certain waves offer the chance to get barreled and all three girls struggled with the challenges of finding the right speed and position on the wave.

They found the best time to kite this wave was at low tide when the reef was sucking dry beneath them, which made pulling in highly intimidating. Over the course of the trip, Jalou, Olivia and Catharina all endured washing machine wipeouts which included reef cuts and downed kites. However, they each got a taste of hollow waves and a better appreciation of the art behind barrel riding. Having learned so much, by the end of the trip, the question arose: Where will the girls go on their next barrel riding mission?

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LEFT: Marco Leconte, head of NeilPryde marketing, enjoys one of the perks just down the street from the new headquarters in Barcelona. UPPER LEFT: A young Neil Pryde competing in his P-class dinghy in Auckland, New Zealand. // Photos courtesy Neil Pryde Ltd. UPPER RIGHT: Neil Pryde presiding over his sail building and windsports empire. BOTTOM: Even into his 70s Neil was regarded as the most successful big boat racer in Asia. // Photo ROLEX/ Carlo Borlenghi

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O f f t h e Wall MEDYSKY'S MIGRATION OFF THE GRID WORDS BY BRENDAN RICHARDS | PHOTOS BY TOBY BROMWICH

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ABOVE: Outfitted in the standard uniform of a remote homesteader, Medysky spends his off hours chopping wood in preparation for a long, cold winter in Squamish. TOP RIGHT: A young Medysky learning to kite with his father in Sauble Beach, Ontario. // Photo Courtesy Medysky family BOTTOM RIGHT: A Dakine rider since day one, this phase of Medysky’s gear setup included a 124cm Jonah Lepak designed Gaastra twin tip with matching Gaastra kite. // Photo Courtesy Medysky family

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O

verhead, light filters through the thick evergreen canopy of the Pacific Northwest as Sam Medysky heaves a sturdy oak-handled ax into a halved, now quartered round of Douglas Fir. It’s fall time in Squampton, the colloquial nickname that Squamish’s locals have bestowed on their logging town turned Vancouver/Whistler bedroom community turned, more recently, the outdoor recreational capital of Canada. Winter is on its way and Sam’s off the grid lifestyle demands preparation for the arctic temps and snow that’s approaching.

In his two story A-frame perched in mountain bike heaven, wood is the primary source of heat, just as the water running through the creek above supplies not only domestic water but serves as Sam’s main source of electricity in the darker months. Here in the outskirts of Squamish, 15-minutes by gravel road from town, Sam’s self-reliance and off the grid approach to life is simply a continuation of a common theme surrounding a series of unconventional decisions that began the day he graduated from high school.

Kiteboarding entered Sam’s life at the age of seven when his father opened up a windsurfing magazine in 1997 and saw an ad for windsurfing’s fledgling sister sport. Having grown up in Sauble Beach, Ontario, a small community on the eastern shore of Lake Huron where the standard Canadian childhood is monopolized by an obsession with hockey, the introduction of kiteboarding turned the young Medysky into an outlier.

When the confines of high school finally ended at his 2008 graduation, Sam took off to pursue kiteboarding full time. He spent his winters traveling, training, shooting and competing in far off destinations, but always returned home to Sauble Beach in the summers in order to operate the Kiterider kite school that he started with his dad.

With its shallow, warm waters, Sauble Beach on Lake Huron was a great place to start kiteboarding, but for the advancing pro, the kite season in the Great Lakes was short and the wind was driven by unpredictable fronts. Having traveled to Squamish first in 2008 for the Canadian Nationals as a 17-year-old, Sam was drawn to the area and began spending a couple of weeks each year in the small Canadian town nestled in the Sea to 87

ABOVE: Sam’s off the grid lifestyle is a nod to the importance of self-reliance rather than the earth muffin, granola-hipster movement. RIGHT: With endless piers and pilings from the industrial logging days, Squamish is a jibmaster’s dream come true.

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Sky corridor. Situated between the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver and the world-famous winter destination of Whistler, Squamish’s rectilinear streets are situated at the confluence of the Squamish River and the larger Howe Sound, an inlet from the Pacific Ocean. In the warmer months the temperature of the Pemberton Valley heats up and a reliable thermal sucks the cool ocean-influenced air from Vancouver up through the Squamish drainage. As Sam likes to point out, the word Squamish in its native tongue translates to ‘Mother of Wind’ and for this reason, the town is considered Canada’s kiteboarding capital. As Medysky learned during his increasing visits, it was not uncommon to have kite-able wind in Squamish from mid-April to the end of September.

In 2009, Medysky was in the right place at the right time and signed with Best Kiteboarding right after a Spanish millionaire took over the company and was investing large sums of money into the brand.

Back then, Best’s athlete contracts and budgets for travel and marketing were beyond the economics of kiteboarding and Sam landed a sponsorship which took him to the great kiteboarding destinations of the world: the lagoons of Brazil, the pond in Western Australia, the mega winds of Cape Town and the slicks of Hatteras. Having seen the world’s top kiteboarding destinations, it was difficult for Medysky to return home to Sauble Beach—he dreaded the change of seasons in Canada and just wanted warm weather and consistently strong wind.

In 2015, Sam made up his mind to make Squamish his Canadian summer home, leaving his family’s kite business in the capable hands of his father. Trading the Great Lake’s variable winds for the stable thermal machine north of Vancouver, he packed his red Nissan pickup truck to the brim, said goodbye to the family kite school in Sauble Beach and drove west across the Canadian expanse with filmmaker and friend Steven Borja, who documented the trip through the Canadian shield, past massive mountains and endless prairies on a week-long traverse across the Canadian countryside.

While Sam continued to travel internationally, he began to lay his summer roots in Squamish. Not only was he an influential kiter on the water but he also got involved in the community, particularly the Squamish Windsports Society (SWS), the non-profit 89

kiteboarding organization that maintains site access at Squamish’s main kiteboarding spot. Sam quickly learned about the user politics of the Howe Sound.

Squamish’s main windsports access is the spit, a manmade dike that extends south out of the mouth of the Squamish River, an engineered strip of land intended to direct the river’s silt past the logging and shipping terminals at the edge of town. Downwind to the north, deeper in the river’s estuaries, bird activists often raise sensitive environmental issues, while across the channel, the logging port presents its own hazardous shipping traffic. Having served as vice president on the board for a few years, no one knows better than Sam the crucial role SWS plays in maintaining access for the 750 local members and over 1000 unique day visits throughout the season.

The SWS maintains insurance as well as facilities such as change and washrooms, secure launching/landing, a convenient compressor for rigging as well as a jet ski rescue service. Sam somewhat proudly says, “It’s one of the few public facilities in North America that provides this level of amenities for a kite community.”

The sense of community in Squamish extends far beyond just kitesurfing and Sam’s found there is much more to this small Canadian logging town than a long and consistent windy season. There’s a culture of adventure sports that intermixes obsessions with mountain biking, world-class rock climbing, kayaking and snowsports. Kiteboarding’s siren song for warmer winter destinations had long put Sam’s interest in snowboarding on a back burner, but Sam found the longer stints in his new home had sparked a renewed interest in snowboarding and backcountry snowmobiling, both of which brought him back to his Canadian mountain roots.

Sam’s newfound attachment to the Pacific Northwest brought him to what may be his biggest leap of faith yet—investing in a property with a small rustic off the grid cabin he laughingly refers to as a ‘Frankenstein A-frame.’ On a good day Sam gets his electricity from a combo of solar panels and a micro-hydro water turbine that charges batteries and keeps his lights and a small fridge powered. When it comes to heat, Sam laughs, “I have a large wood stove which becomes my lifeline in the winter. When I’m not playing in Squamish or working, I’m at home chopping wood for the winter.”

His cooking stove is powered by propane and along 90

UPPER LEFT: Dubbed the ‘Frankenstein A-frame,’ Medysky’s abode is a low-tech machine of self-reliance. MIDDLE LEFT: The micro-hydro power plant behind Sam’s house creates electricity from a stream nearly a kilometer away. BOTTOM LEFT: The batteries that store generated solar and hydro-electricity for the dark hours and greater times of need. RIGHT: Nicknamed the action sports capital of Canada, Medysky likens Squamish to Hood River twenty years ago.

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with a small on-demand water heater, Sam considers his house to be an efficient little machine with a small carbon footprint. It’s all good when it’s working, but when maintenance creeps up or an arctic chill freezes the pipe that taps a nearby creek and feeds his water supply, it gets rough real fast. Luckily, Sam’s house is amidst a small community of like-minded independent people that often lend a helping hand when needed.

Sam is by no means a ‘granola head’— as much as he hopes his decision to invest in a lighter footprint offsets the environmental impact of his jet-setting lifestyle, it has become a priority for him to know where his heat and power are coming from. By taking responsibility for these items in a tangible way, according to Sam, “it’s a feeling of empowerment to be able to provide these basic necessities for yourself.”

Having traveled the world as a professional kiteboarder and ridden the boom days of Best Kiteboarding into the organization’s chaotic financial abyss, it hasn’t always been easy to collect a steady paycheck in the kite industry. With seven Canadian Championships under his belt as well as top finishes at the widely respected Triple-S competition and an AWSI Kiteboarder of the Year award, Sam has accomplished many of his childhood aspirations. With a new set of goals before him, Sam is now entering another chapter of his life as the director behind Airush’s North American operations at Trident Sports.

Sam sometimes ponders what would have happened had he chosen not to follow kiteboarding’s seduction out of high school, or if in its stead, he had taken the more conventional path to college. However, truth be told, Sam knows better than anyone else—his kiteboarding run has earned him a series of nonconventional multi-disciplinary degrees. “They say ‘experience is the best teacher’ and it feels like I’ve been enrolled in the school of life for some time now and somehow, someway, everything came together in the end,” Sam concludes. Having thoroughly played the role of an athlete, Sam is pivoting into a career with Airush, finally answering his parent’s long asked question, “What are you going to do after kiteboarding?”

For Sam, there will be no ‘after kiteboarding.’ Much like his childhood heroes who have stayed invested in kiteboarding, Sam points to Sky Solbach, Duotone’s board designer, and Chris Gilbert, Dakine’s product manager, as just a couple of his inspirations. “We don’t 92

Taking his lessons from the hard knocks of the kiteboarding industry where swinging a professional career isn’t so easy, Medysky puts on a jib clinic for visiting photographer Toby Bromwich.

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LEFT: Medysky’s transition from team rider to distribution manager is a change of station that will never be quite complete. RIGHT: The evidence of Squampton’s blue-collar industrial logging roots remain, yet its modern evolution from a Vancouver/Whistler bedroom community to an action sports mecca is still underway.

do it for the money, because let’s be honest, there isn’t a ton of that in kiteboarding, but we do it for the sport and the lifestyle.”

If ‘off the grid’ means living in a house that is disconnected from the electrical supply system, in reality, it represents a whole host of lifestyle decisions that stray from the norm. Sam’s followed a path disconnected from convention that has led him to the far reaches of the world and clear across the Canadian landscape.

At seven years of age, Sam witnessed both the birth of kiteboarding and became an instrumental player in the expansion and innovation of the sport itself.

Having always forged his own path—years traveling the world and now with his new career with Airush in Squamish, Sam is staying the course: pushing forward on his literal and figurative path towards an off the grid lifestyle.

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Tall and tanned and youn g and lovely, The girl from Ipanema goes walkin g And when she passes, each one she passes goes, “Aaah…”

When she walks, she’s like a samba That swin gs so cool and sways so gently That when she passes, each one she passes goes, “Aaah…”

Oh, but he watches so sadly How can he tell her he loves her?

Yes, he would give his heart gladly, But each day when she walks to the sea, She looks strag i ht ahead – not at he…

Tall and tan and youn g and lovely, The girl from Ipanema goes walkin g And when she passes, he smiles, but she doesn’t see…

Oh, but he watches her so sadly How can he tell her he loves her?

Yes, he would give his heart gladly, But each day when she walks to the sea, She looks strag i ht ahead – not at he…

Tall and tanned and youn g and lovely, The girl from Ipanema goes walkin g And when she passes, he smiles, but she doesn’t see…

Shejust doesn’t see…

No, she doesn’t see…

But she doesn’t see…

She doesn’t see…

No, she doesn’t see…

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IPANEMA Words by Joe Winowski | Photos by Toby Bromwich

T

he quintessential Brazilian bossa nova jazz anthem is a song about a beautiful

beach girl living in the fashionable enclave to the west of Rio de Janeiro’s famed tourist beach Copacabana. ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ was first made famous in 1962 by a Brazilian musician and poet duo who wrote about a local girl who used to walk the streets of Ipanema. It was a sexy opus to the ephemeral beauty of youth and Brazilian beach culture. Unlike the more famed Copacabana beach of Rio de Janeiro, Ipanema has always been known as a center of culture and fashion with world-class restaurants and high-end real estate crowding the waterfront district.

Framed to the west by the iconic ‘Two Brothers’ or Morro Dois Irmaos mountains, Ipanema is also known to surfers for its heavy shore break and to kitesurfers for its frontal-driven wind.

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LEFT SEQUENCE: Sebastian nails an off the lip air with the iconic Morro Dois Irmaos in the background. RIGHT: Ipanema is one of the two beaches in Rio de Janeiro where kitesurfing is legal, but when the sunbathing scene is in full tilt it can be hard to find a place to launch.

Rio de Janeiro is located in the middle of Brazil’s eastern coastline.

The city of Rio and its southern facing beaches jut out into the Atlantic and pick up the long period swells generated from storms off of Cape Horn on the southernmost tip of South America as well as locally brewing wind swell in the nearby southern Atlantic.

The Serra do Mar coastal mountain range explodes into a series of ridges, dividing Rio’s massive population into geographic districts, forming chaotic neighborhoods that have nestled into little valleys and poured out onto crowded stretches of pristine beach. According to Sebastian Ribeiro, there’s no shortage of kitesurf-able beaches in the Rio de Janeiro area, however, the only waterfronts where kitesurfing is allowed is in Ipanema in the city’s south, and Barra da Tijuca farther west. Sebastian jokes, “the beaches are the only place in Brazil with rules,” but it’s with good reason because when

both the tourists and locals descend onto the beaches of Rio, the mass of human flesh with their umbrellas and beach chairs leave little space for launching and landing. Not all the kiters respect these rules, but Sebastian has heard stories of the local police confiscating kite equipment in the most egregious situations.

Having been born in the city, Sebastian’s roots are in Rio de Janeiro.

However, in order to escape the congestion and crowds, his parents moved to Florianopolis in the south of Brazil when he was 10.

Located on the island of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis is known for its erratic coastline, scalloped points and bays that, when viewed from a satellite image, reveal infinite options for surf. Sebastian got his start at the age of six and was raised as a competitive surfer. In his youth, he trained and competed against now surfing world tour 99

LEFT: When not hosting Surfin Sem Fim clinics or competing on the surf tour, the soft-spoken Brazilian passes his time in Rio. Equally comfortable surfing or kitesurfing Ipanema’s hollow shore break, Sebastian Ribeiro sets up for a section with some side-on pull as the hectic backdrop of the fashionable Ipanema district plays out behind.

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TOP: Sebastian’s most frequented spot in Rio is Barra de Tijuca, however Brazil’s coastline is peppered with endless kitesurfing beaches. East of the city, outside of Rio de Janeiro, Sebastian breaks loose at the small beach town of Praia do Foguete. // Photo Toby Bromwich ABOVE: On the same waves in Florianopolis where he spent his formative years surfing semi-professionally, Sebastian transitioned his aggressive surf-style to kitesurfing. Prior to his days on the kite-surf world tour, and from his early days with a kite-in-hand, this photo captures one of his first sessions without straps. // Photo Hugo Valente RIGHT: Breaking the tail loose on an open face, Sebastian hunts the shifty sandbars for the classic Ipanema barrel.

champions like Gabriel Medina and Felipe Toledo. When Roberto Veiga, one of the early pioneers of kitesurfing in Santa Catarina came to Sebastian’s surf training center in search of potential young talent to bring into kitesurfing, the 16-year-old Sebastian jumped at the chance. Florianopolis had its share of blown out surf days and Sebastian was looking for some change in his intense training regimen for professional surfing. With Roberto’s help, Sebastian learned quickly but broke his foot at the end of his first week after it got jammed in a footstrap. He remembers suffering through the two-month healing process, as after learning, kiting was the only thing Sebastian wanted to do. Swapping his competitive drive from 102

surfing to kitesurfing, he trained hard for four years before his first competitive rankings at the KSP which landed him a sponsorship with the original North Kiteboarding (now Duotone).

Having graduated from college with a degree in marketing, Sebastian has moved back to Rio de Janeiro because it’s the Brazilian cultural center—a magnet for athletes, money and business, it’s also reasonably good for kitesurfing. When Sebastian isn’t conducting clinics or leading Surfin Sem Fim trips along Brazil’s north coast, he often finds himself at Barra de Tijuca, kiting easterly winds on the long strip of beach breaks to the south of the city. Barra

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According to photographer Toby Bromwich, “You could easily be led into thinking Ipanema is a nice little bay for a cool-off swim and whilst that may be true on many days, with the right forecast, this place transforms into a heavy break with world-class conditions.”

“The sections can be hollow, fast and typically unload very close to the beach.”

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comes alive on thermal east winds, however, when winter delivers big storms from the south, the wind clocks southwest and Barra turns a bit too onshore. Those are the days when Sebastian kites Ipanema. Because Rio sits on a corner facing the south, Ipanema’s wind turns side-on from the right and accelerates against the mountains. Typically, the day before the storm arrives, the beach is sunny and windy so there’s time for a session before the rain and lightning comes up from the south and unloads over the strip.

Even on its windiest days beachgoers flock to the beach, often making launching and landing difficult. Kitesurfing at this beach is a spectacle and finding the room to layout lines and launch safely often requires a bit of diplomacy with the people around you. Sebastian notes that the right-hander beach break at Ipanema can be heavy—the sections can be hollow, fast and typically unload very close to the beach which often makes connecting more than two turns very challenging. While the side-on wind conditions are perfect for Sebastian’s mix of power surfing and aerial off the lips, he is quick to point out the most remarkable aspect of this location is the contrast of the big mountains to the west against the long tourist-populated beach and the dense city that lays beyond.

Much like the smooth, silky harmony from the famed bossa nova song, the beaches and the mosaic beachfront of Ipanema are heavily layered with the cultural artifacts of Brazilian beach life, Portuguese accents, scantily clad bodies and on the rare occasion, world-class kitesurfing waves.

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THE OPEN-FACED CARVE WORDS BY KEAHI DE ABOITIZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN BILDERBACK

I've always drawn a lot of inspiration from surfing, and lately, I've really been enjoying stepping up my carve game. In kitesurfing, you can't always carve all the way back into the pocket like you can do while surfing, yet the speed you get with a kite makes it really fun to bury the rail and see how much spray you can throw. There's a couple of different approaches to carving that I'll talk you through. For both approaches, speed is key and doing it on a smooth and powerful section will make life much easier.

The first type of turn is a full rail carve where the idea is to sink the rail and do

Although it seems unnatural at first, one of the most helpful tips I've found for the

a continuous carve as far back into the pocket as possible. For me, the biggest

layback carve is to actually put your front hand on the wrong side of the bar, just

keys for this type of turn is finding the right section and managing your speed.

to the side of the depower line. Although you can keep your hand on the normal

Since you will be burying the rail, finding a smooth section and carrying a ton

side, the kite will generally turn down as you're going through the turn. I'll start

of speed will make it easier to lean into the carve on this frontside turn. As you

with angling the kite down through the wind window and right before I bottom

start transitioning away from the top turn, keep your backhand on the bar and

turn, I'll shift my hand to the other the side of the bar. This means that when I

take your front hand off the bar extending it into the turn by opening your

lean into the turn and pull in, rather than have the kite pull down into the water,

shoulders, twisting your body and even dragging your hand through the water.

it will turn up slightly and provide more power with control.

This allows you to turn your shoulders into the turn and extend your carve as much as possible back into the pocket of the wave.

Kite positioning is also key for getting the most power out of your turns. Ideally, you want the kite to be directly in line with the wave as you lean into the top turn. This

The second type of turn is a layback carve where I lean back and drift the fins.

means if the wind is more offshore you might need to edge the kite forward before

Typically, I try to spot a tight pocket, but unlike the full rail carve, it's better to

the turn and if it's more onshore you'll need to redirect the kite further back in the

aim just below the lip before it breaks. This is the area that will give you the

window or loop the kite right before the turn so it's in a better position.

most speed but won't throw you off while stomping on the tail. As you go

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through your top turn, lean back, drag your backhand on the water for stability

Generally, the best wind direction is side shore or slightly side-off as this allows for

(hence layback) and pull on your front hand for additional power. Rather than

the least movement of the kite possible. Yet, when the wind is more onshore, you'll be

twisting your body as much as on the full rail carve, this time it's all about

able to extend your carve back towards the wave. I usually find a full rail carve is better

driving through your back foot.

in more onshore conditions and a layback is better when its more offshore.

METHOD

"

"Although it seems unnatural at first, one of the most helpful tips I’ve found for the layback carve is to actually put your front hand on the wrong side of the bar."

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NOIR MATTER Quark Patrick Rebstock, Keahi de Aboitiz and Damien LeRoy are just a few of the athletes who have been testing and capturing amazing footage with this new one-axis stabilizer that you can mount anywhere. Compatible with all cameras, Quark rotates and allows you to film moving time lapses and keeps your camera level in any condition where the horizon is always straight. Dubbed as ‘the world’s smallest stabilizer,’ it’s available starting January 2019. $199 // www.noirmatter.com

ION Trinity Amp 5/4 DL A sophisticated panel layout and high tech features like the new and reduced Single Seam in the lower legs are just some of the reasons why the Trinity Amp provides female riders with mind-blowing freedom of movement. Durable and warm, the Amp’s Plasma Plush lining and Hot Stuff 2.0 interior provide the best combination of warmth and stretch. You’ll fall in love with this front zip suit from the very first moment you put it on. $339.95 // www.ion-products.com

PATAGONIA Yulex® Impact Short John Wetsuit Originally designed for big wave surfing to fill a need for static floatation, the 1.5mm Yulex® Impact Short John Wetsuit quickly became a favorite amongst the kite crew at Patagonia for the same reasons. Worn alone or under a wetsuit, most people modify some of the 25mm EVA foam padding to accommodate a harness and while the padding is helpful and provides peace of mind, it doesn’t take place of training. An impact vest of this design is also available. $199 // www.patagonia.com

DAKINE Cobra Hooks Giving you the security of ‘straps’ along with the freedom to more agilely move your feet around your board for ‘strapless’ riding, DK’s Cobra Hook half footstraps offer you the best of both worlds. Riders can use only one hook to help them position their front or back foot, or use both a front and back strap to dial in boards as they transition from strapped to strapless riding both on directional and foilboards. $30 per strap // www.dakine.com

DOYLE 100 MPH Hat Legendary surfer and waterman Mike Doyle designed and developed the 100 MPH hat after years of testing in extreme ocean and weather conditions. Constructed of the finest waterproof materials, its deeper fit holds tightly below the widest point of your head so it will never fall off and the 360° brim provides vulnerable areas protection from the sun. The back brim has a Velcro closure to easily adjust the fit and the neoprene gasket that surrounds the inside includes ear flaps with an adjustable under-chin buckle. Finally, the inside mesh liner will keep you at just the right temperature in all weather and water conditions. $32 // www.mikedoyle.com

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SOUL FREERIDE, FREESTYLE, LIGHTWIND 6 / 8 / 10 / 12 / 15 / 18 / 21

// X-LIGHT CONSTRUCTION // EFFORTLESS BOOSTING // SUPERB RELAUNCH & HANDLING

The SOUL combines high comfort with a sporty character. The inspiring technical lightweight kite construction, the highest safety standards and precise control and bar feedback. The great water relaunch and improved drainage system bring it all together to make the SOUL truly user friendly. Experience a new way of kiting!

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FLYSURFERKITEBOARDING | FLYSURFER.COM

109 ... AHEAD OF ITS TIME

VIEWPOINT

THIN-SLICING YOUR WAY TO SAFETY Words by Annemarie Hereford

It’s another hot, humid, sticky night in Hawaii. I’m standing alone in a dive bar in the small jungle town I recently moved to. My friend who I came with has already deserted me for some guy she met off Tinder and my foolproof seduction move of standing around waiting for someone to approach me isn’t working. Alone in a room full of people, I have another revelation: It’s 2014, I can talk to boys—I’ll approach them!

It turns out intuition is more science than voodoo earth crystals, and after reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, he describes the human phenomenon of ‘thin-slicing’ in which the human mind is built to make correct decisions within a very small amount of time. These ‘gut’ decisions are usually as accurate, if not more accurate than ones made from conscious evaluation of piles of information (they’ve done studies, relax, I’m not making it up).

I look around the dimly lit dive bar in search of a hot dude. At four clicks north, I spot one, standing there alone, just like me. I bet he just wants someone to pay attention to him, someone to care, someone to give him a shoulder massage at the end of a long day, crack him a beer and listen while he tells me how stupid his boss is. On my six-step walk over I have already picked out the different varieties of peonies that we will have at our wedding (Raspberry Sundae and Krinkled White) and the names of our first three kids (Wolf, Juniper and Clover). Yet upon my arrival I realize in the walk over of planning our lives together, I forgot to think of what I would actually say to him.

For instance, just recently I went kiting. My center lines had been wearing progressively thin for a while; but much like the person who backs up their computer only after it crashes, replacing lines has been on my weekend to-do list of unimportant projects that will never happen. To make matters worse, normally I don’t use a kite leash (Yes, I’m a terrible person, I know, tell it to the forums).

Despite this knowledge, on my last session I was getting ready at the back of my car and I glanced at my lines and then at my unused kite leash, a vintage 2011 piece of gear that still looks brand new to this day. For whatever reason, the leash caught my eye and the old wise mariner (I call him Capt’n Frank) inside of me said, “grab the leash today,” but my overbearing voice of reason decided the lines had gotten me this far and said, “nah you’re fine.”

“Hi, how’s it going?” seems too pedestrian but naturally that’s the first thing that comes to mind. “You’re tall.” Ugh, I bet he gets that all the time, and would it be flattering or annoying? “Do you want to meet my folks?” seems a bit forward, which is on-brand for me so not totally out of the question. Instead, I panic and go with just a simple observation that I’m hoping will pique his interest. “Hey, you look lost?” I ask in my best flirty voice. A brief moment of silence passes and all I can hear is my heart beating loudly in my ears as adrenaline pumps through my veins. He replies simply, “no” and then turns away. I think I just discovered a new extreme sport.

What a rush.

It was worth it though. Not in the conventional way of ‘that’s how I met my husband,’ but in the way that now, four years later, I have a terrible anecdote to open this article about trusting your intuition.

While my instincts have lead me into many embarrassing situations, I continue to trust them without question. In no area of my life does that ring true more than in kiting, a pursuit in which following your instincts is imperative. The majority of kiting is by feel. Sure, you can get one of those things that plug into your iPhone and spits out a wind report, but we’re all judging you for not casually sizing up the whitecaps or simply feeling the wind against a raised hand.

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Sure enough, 30 minutes into a perfectly good session of kiting with old friends in steady wind and decent waves . . . SNAP! I said goodbye to my kite as I was about 200 yards out to sea. Capt’n Frank had known, not in a psychic/premonition kind of way, but in the sense that the human brain is a complex machine capable of absorbing an infinite number of small details to make split-second decisions on a subconscious level, kind of way. That instinctual gut feeling or ‘thin-slicing’ had tried to steer me in the right direction.

I should have had to paddle the quarter-mile in as an evolutionary survival of the fittest style punishment for disregarding Capt’n Frank but luckily a stranger was there to help drag me back to the beach. So there I was, loosely spooning this guy in the middle of the ocean as we slowly, very slowly, approached shore, his kite struggling under the extra weight. Not to sound too dramatic, because no one died or was injured, but if I had followed my thinly-sliced intuition and snagged my kite leash it could have changed my whole day. I wouldn’t have been a burden to fellow kiters and I could have avoided an awkward aquatic spooning. Moral of the story, trust Capt’n Frank when it comes to thin-slicing your way through kiteboarding safety.

ABOVE: Author and unapologetically irresponsible kitesurfer in one, Annemarie Hereford disregards the thinly-sliced wise mariner advice of co-pilot, Capt’n Frank. Let Annemarie’s missteps be a subtle reminder to avoid that next kite tragedy. // Photo Kali Schmidt

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Despite the experimentation of Cory and Bill Roeseler in the early 1990s, it wasn’t until 1996 when Manu Bertin came to Maui from France with the first 2-line inflatable that the sport of kiteboarding began to take off. This photo documents one of Manu’s first downwinders, riding a Legaignoux brothers’ prototype emblazoned with an early RRD logo—two symmetrically placed R’s create a stick figure man leaning against a surfboard. Manu Bertin was one of the early pioneers that helped popularize kiteboarding on Maui and according to Roberto Ricci, brought kiteboarding to RRD and to the rest of Italy. // Photo courtesy of RRD

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RIDER: CARL FERREIRA - PHOTO: SAMUEL TOME

R E L I G I O N MK 9

RE-LI-GION [count noun] The relationship, variously identifiable in the rules of life, feelings and manifestations of homage, veneration and adoration, which binds man to what he considers sacred or divine.

SIZES: 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10.5 - 12

P R O G R A M : WAV E

ATMOSPHERE

CARIBBEAN WINTER WINDS Words by iKitesurf Meteorologist Shea Gibson

Every winter, thousands of kiteboarders from all over the world take the opportunity to change their latitude in order to ride warmer waters and great winds. For many, this involves any one of the 700 Caribbean islands, islets, cays and reefs, and whether it be to some of the more well-known islands such as Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Provo (Turks and Caicos) or Union Island in the Grenadines, these destinations all provide one particularly valuable kiteboarding commodity: trade winds.

By definition, trade winds are the prevailing easterly winds that circle the Earth near the equator roughly between 30°N and 30°S, also known as the ‘Horse Latitudes’ region. Closer to the equator, the winds can calm to doldrums or very light winds. Head further north towards 30°, and there is another similar area at times. Legend has it that ships from the New World would get caught up amongst these doldrums and would sometimes end up having to throw horses overboard to make up for lost time in order to survive their depleting stores of fresh water—hence the term ‘Horse Latitudes.’ In between the 5° and 30° zones, there is a channel of easterly ‘trade’ winds that consistently blows for most of the year, give or take a few hiccups from cold fronts, upper lows and/or tropical disturbances.

The Caribbean’s easterly trades are driven by what is called the Bermuda-Azores High, which is an expansive ridge or area of high pressure that sits over most of the northern Atlantic basin nearly year-round (from the Azores islands off of Portugal to Bermuda). In the summer, it retreats a bit further north, opening up a modest easterly flow all the way into the Southeast and MidAtlantic regions of the US and causes most of the Caribbean islands to see fairly inconsistent winds, usually limited to the low teens at most. However, due to polar influences in the winter,

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the Bermuda-Azores high pressure advances south and increases the pressure gradient to deploy stronger winds at lower latitudes along the Caribbean islands. This is why the Caribbean windy season is typically from December to May every year, earning the moniker of ‘Christmas trades.’

Depending on placement and overall size of the ridge, winds may come in at an NE direction and veer more ESE the further south in latitude they are. Wind speeds depend on how strong the high pressure is sitting just north or northeast of the region.

Sometimes a cold front gets nudged all the way down through Key West to the southeast and stalls. Then, a large high pressure wobbles off the US and builds over the top of it, reinforcing the overall Bermuda-Azores connection and tightening the gradient along the backside of the front. In this case, extended several-day periods of moderate to strong NE/ENE/E/ESE’rlies spread from west to east as the wind field is strengthened by the tightened gradient. This occurs more commonly in the cooler months, roughly from November to April, as unsettled patterns keep things in full swing across the higher latitudes.

The larger the high, the stronger the winds. Conversely, the smaller the high or less frequent reinforcement, the weaker the winds. Add a bit of unsettled weather and you can have equal if not longer periods of lulls. Some studies also point out that El Nino and a warmer Atlantic pool at the mid to upper latitudes can contribute to a stronger Caribbean trade season. We are expecting an El Nino to occur this winter season from late 2018 into early 2019, so we might see stronger overall easterly trades this upcoming season. If you haven’t traveled to the Caribbean islands to kite, you’re definitely missing out, and this may be a great year to cross it off your bucket list!

W H AT ’ S T H E N AT U R A L PROGRESSION? We’ve made our Yulex® full suits lighter and stretchier, and Fair Trade Certified™ too.

In 2016, we committed to making all of our wetsuits with natural rubber. Working with Yulex ® and Sheico, we’ve now evolved them for comfort and stretch—far surpassing our previous standards of performance while continuing to lead the way in environmental responsibility. With natural rubber * from sources that are Forest Stewardship Council® certified by the Rainforest Alliance, solution-dyed linings that use 86% less water compared to conventional dyeing and water-based AQUAa™ glue that’s free from harmful VOCs, they’re also the world’s first Fair Trade Certified™ wetsuits. *85% Yulex ® natural rubber by polymer content, blended with 15% synthetic rubber

Jason Slezak flies through a solo evening session in the Pacific Northwest.

BEN MOON © 2018 Patagonia, Inc.

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ON THE MAP

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Lucas Arsenault // Prince Edward Island, Canada

Mikaili Sol // Prea, Brazil

Sensi Graves and Brandon Scheid, Argentina

Sam Medysky // Squamish, Canada

Sebastian Ribeiro // Ipanema, Brazil

Jalou Langeree // Indonesia

AP RI L

IA RN O

MO STATE BEAC S I P , 9 H, 1 0 CA ,2 4 1 LIF 2 1

2019

XBA KITEXPO

DEMOS -- CLINICS -- BONFIRE BBQ -- DAILY RAFFLES A BENEFIT FOR THE OCEANO JR. LIFEGUARD PROGRAM IN MEMORY OF KINSLEY THOMASWONG WWW.XTREMEBIGAIR.COM // WWW.THEKITEBOARDER.COM

POWERED BY: &

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Walensee Lake in northeastern Switzerland is a rare kiteboarding spot with very unpredictable conditions.

According to photographer Lukas Pitsch, when the perfect mix of upper-level wind systems line up with local thermal action, this lake offers some of Europe’s most stunning scenery. Rider Ramona Studer snags an impromptu session on the way back from the mountains. // Photo Lucas Pitsch

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Riders: Matt Elsasser, Moona Whyte & Keahi de Aboitiz

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J. Boulding

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