The Kiteboarder Magazine Vol. 12, No. 1

VOL. 12 NO. 1 THE DORK TRICK CAPE TOWN IN 3D

FRENCH POLYNESIA BAD LUCK BANANAS

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Marina Chang, Publisher marina@thekiteboarder.com Brendan Richards, Editor brendan@thekiteboarder.com Jennifer Jones, Art Director jen.jones@moxyinternational.com Shana Gorondy, Graphic Designer sgorondy@gmail.com Alexis Rovira, Editor At Large alexis@thekiteboarder.com Gary Martin, Technical Editor gary@thekiteboarder.com Amy Robb, Online Media Manager amy@thekiteboarder.com EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Neil Hutchinson, Stefan Ruether, Rick Iossi, Toby Brauer, Matt Sexton, Kevin “Irie Dog” Murray, Kinsley ThomasWong, James Brown, Ginette Buffone, Maui Mike, Members of the Central Coast/Santa Barbara CKA, Evan Mavridoglou CONTRIBUTORS Brandon Scheid, Rich Sabo, Julien Salles, Gregg Gnecco, Melissa Cronin, Jake Kelsick PHOTOGRAPHY Andre Magarao, Hugo Valente, Toby Bromwich, Francois Tanter, Ken Yocum, Craig-Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool, Rich Sabo, Jake Kelsick, Melissa Cronin, Alexis Rovira, Packy Cronin, Gilles Calvet, Lars Daniels Terkensen, Vincent Bergeron, Stephen Whitesell, Ydwer.com, Seth Warren, Chad Otterstrom, Maurice Windley, Radu Baciu, Torrin Bright / Ozone Media, Jens Hogenkamp, REAL Watersports Visit us on: thekiteboarder.com • thekiteboarderschool.com twitter.com/the_kiteboarder • facebook.com/thekiteboardermagazine

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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 © 2015 Boardsports Media LLC. All rights reserved.

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CONTENTS 16 DORK TRICKS

Rich Sabo and Brandon Scheid talk about the refinement of old school tricks under the lens of the new school paradigm.

24 TROLLING FOR TEAHUPO’O

Raphael Salles piles 14 Athletes and a mountain of gear onto two catamarans to crisscross the French Polynesian islands for the ultimate waterman’s experience.

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36 CAPE TOWN CAPER Stuntman and freestyle Jedi Master Nick Jacobsen partners with photographer Lars Daniel Terkelsen to make playful and

surreal 3D kite art in Cape Town.

58 FOIL FACE

Foilboarding 101 with Tekko.

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60 SNOWMOBILE KITING

The siren’s song of wide-open exploration lures Melissa and Packy Cronin into a love-hate relationship with a tired yet fickle beast; her father’s snowmobile.

72 BAD LUCK BANANAS

Part II of the Kuzi project enters Madagascar waters with a horrific curse amongst the backdrop of a kiteboarder’s visual wonderland.

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10 FROM THE EDITOR

50 EXPOSED

22 SCENE

84 WISHLIST

46 PROFILE

Ken Yocum – Maui adventurer and backyard innovator, Ken is the guy that will give you the shirt off his back, but

86 15 MINUTES

48 PROFILE

90 VIEWPOINT

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

if you are Woody Harrelson he’ll give you his shorts too.

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Sofia Jiménez Igartúa – Growing up in Puerta Vallarta under the influence of video games and comic books, shy Sofia was never the action sports type until kiteboarding.

Jake Kelsick shares insider travel tips learned from his crazy adventures this past year.

92 ROOTS The evolution of the Triple-S.

94 PARTING SHOT Avant Garde Gothic Demi

The Kiteboarder Vol. 12 No. 1

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Brazilian Guilly Brandao booked a late season trip to Indo and got lucky, pulling into eleven solid days of swell. Photographer Hugo Valente positions himself deep in the lineup and captures Guilly as he backdoors this world-renowned left.

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Experienced/technical

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Entry level to pro rider

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Spring 2015

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Dork Tricks, Bad Luck Bananas, Foilface, Cape Town Caper, Snowmobile Kiting

lEss NOsE IN fRONT Of yOuR fRONT fOOT

VOL. 12 NO. 1 THE DORK TRICK CAPE TOWN IN 3D

FRENCH POLYNESIA BAD LUCK BANANAS

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Our new art director, Jen Jones, in her element.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR About a year ago, I was making my way through the demo booths of the Pismo KiteXpo and I struck up a conversation with a charismatic Naish assistant in between her duties of demoing kites. Over the course of a couple of minutes we connected some dots, basic three degrees of separation type stuff, shared some laughs and parted ways. Little did I know, I was vetting this magazine’s future art director, but since my memory for names is my weakest facility, hers was promptly forgotten until we would meet again.

One of my favorite aspects of this job is traveling and meeting fellow kiteboarders from the world over. There are so many great stories out there and getting the bits and pieces of each person’s unique narrative — how they found this sport and how they experience the kiteboarding life in larger terms than my own, are the most important ingredients in the art of keeping kite-related storytelling fresh.

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CLINICALLY PROVEN Enhances Performance

This issue we tapped some unique kite personalities to fill these pages.

Beginning with an entertaining interview with the Eddie Haskell’s of Hood River, Brandon Scheid and Rich Sabo discuss a more fun if not user-friendly version of freestyle. We then follow Montana locals Melissa and Packy Cronin on their personal misadventures with snowmobile “assisted” snowkiting in Wyoming’s Big Horns. Next, we take a step back to revisit the Kuzi trade winds of last issue, where Jalou Langeree and Hope Levin teach us a little something about bad luck, boats and bananas. Amidst all these great photos, the visual spectacle of this issue is without a doubt Cabrinha’s 3D photo journal of Nick Jacobsen’s special-FX antics in Cape Town.

A couple of months after our first meeting, I bumped into the charismatic Jen Jones, while she was working at KB4C in Hood River. She pitched me a print story on a girls video project she was masterminding and I pitched her the opportunity to layout part of our fall issue at a time when our previous art director was wrestling with the demands of multiple clients and motherhood. Luckily we both said yes and six months later we have the first full issue with Jen at the visual helm. In the following pages you will find many creative changes, both big and small, that we hope accentuate the telling of great stories. The entire Tkb staff would like to thank our outgoing art director, Shana Gorondy, for eight excellent years of design, and it’s with much excitement that all of us welcome Jen’s keen eye and artistic vision as we move forward into the second decade of The Kiteboarder Magazine.

Helps Prevent Injuries

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Reduces Recovery Time

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FRONTSIDE

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In it from the beginning, both Sam Medysky and Evan Netsch are North American professional kiteboarders who grew up thousands of miles apart but have been bumping into each other around the world for over a decade. Back in 2002 in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, Evan and Sam first met bouncing on a trampoline at Hatteras Island Sail Shop (aka Barton’s). The two were 12-years-old at the time, both with big dreams to one day call themselves professional kiteboarders. Fourteen years later, both are now 24 years of age and and living that childhood dream, traveling to some of the top kiteboarding spots in the world. “At one time we were the groms; now we are in our prime, and soon enough we will be the old guys on the beach grumbling to everyone how back in the day we used to be able to go so huge,” says Evan Netsch. // Photo Andre Magarao

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FRONTSIDE

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This winter I traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, with Craig Cunningham to see what all the fuss was about. For years I had heard of the powerful never-ending procession of 6m days, jaw dropping scenery, mouth-watering food and an off-the-water lifestyle lived like a B-list rockstar. My expectations were met by all of the aforementioned except the most important component . . . the wind. Our teammate Aaron Hadlow, having traveled the area for most of the past decade, rallied our crew for a road trip. Four hours later our caravan pulled into the tiny town of Whitsands. The spot was incredible with warmer water and a glorious sand bar stretching perpendicular to the wind. One month later, this was still one of the best sessions of the entire trip! - Colleen Carroll // Photo Toby Bromwich

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

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A I R T O N

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

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

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If you follow Brandon Scheid and Rich Sabo on social media you undoubtedly know these two are no strangers to clowning around on and off the water. We caught up with Brandon and Rich in La Ventana to get the low down on the latest movement in kiteboarding: Dork tricks.

The dork tricks label seems self-explanatory, but what’s it really about and where did it come from?

Rich: Dork tricks are not new, not anything that hasn’t been done in kiteboarding before. They exist in other sports, if you look up #dorktricks, you’ll find bikers and skateboarders with a similar idea that the tricks are dorky but they look cool. Like Rodney Mullen would probably be the ultimate dork trickster of skateboarding.

Brandon: He did invent the kickflip though, and the varial flip, and the 360 flip . . .

Rich: Yeah, but he does triple kickflips to wheel stops . . .

Brandon: Yes, and then he walks his skateboard, then flips it back, then flips up onto his hands, riding on his hands, then kickflips out . . . do skateboarders view that as stupid and lame? Maybe, but when he was first doing it in the ‘80s, it was so progressive that he was the foundation for all of modern skateboarding.

What are the key features of the dork trick?

Brandon: The key feature of dork tricks is that you need the donkeydick, it has to be in. Otherwise, you accidentally come unhooked if you don’t have the donkey-dick, so you need that. [laughter] Rich: I accidentally unhook on dork tricks all the time, it’s great. [sarcasm] Brandon: I recommend the stopper ball for shorter throw as a great add on. A dork trick is like a double grab, it could involve landing wrapped or blind, but definitely has to be hooked in.

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Photo Vincent Bergeron

At the end of the day we’re not doing it to make us seem cool, we’re doing it because it’s fun and we’re having a good time on the water and to me that’s most important.

- Brandon Scheid

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Rich: If you don’t do a double grab you should probably be landing blind or wrapped, but hooked in for sure.

Brandon: So, it should be a double grab to blind or two grabs like first grabbing tail, then grabbing stale before landing to blind.

Rich: I think the dork trick thing comes from how we always get focused on wakestyle, and how everybody wants this certain core style of kiteboarding, but we always got kind of pissed because we’re not wakeboarding, we’re freaking kiteboarding.

Brandon: Wakeboarders wish they could hook in!

Rich: Yeah they wish they could hook in because the aspects of kiteboarding we love are being able to jump, go for big floaty airs and feel like you’re really in the air.

Brandon: A wakeboarder can’t send a big massive air with a long floaty grab and a super soft landing. With a kite we can cruise through the air, and since you’re being pulled by your waist it frees up a lot of muscles for grabbing and you don’t have to be super strong.

Rich: Like for me, being weak, dork tricks are a plus because I will ride with Brandon who is an unhooked master of the universe and he makes all these unhooked grabs, and I’m thinking I wish I could do that, but the only way I can do that is if I stick my donkey-dick in. [laughter] If Brandon goes out and does a tail grab back mobe, and I stick my donkey-dick in and do a similar grab hooked in, it’s still a super cool feeling.

Are you guys bringing back something that’s disgraced or out of vogue or are you pioneering new ground here?

Brandon: I love doing rocket airs on my snowboard, why would I not do rocket airs on my kiteboard?

Rich: Let’s take airstyle, it’s a similar concept in that it’s strictly hooked in, but everything in airstyle looks like fairy ballerina dancing.

Brandon: It’s kind of like a beauty thing. Airstyle is all about pointing toes, and . . .

Rich: Taking the board off your feet and playing guitar on your kiteboard.

But something about that doesn’t seem cool.

Brandon: Dork tricks is totally different because we’re trying to take the tricks we love to do unhooked, and find new fun ways to do them.

Some days we might rig a 9m and think we’re going to hit the kicker and the rails all day long, but when you get out there you’re not feeling it because you’re so overpowered and probably should have rigged a 6m.

Then what do you do to have fun? Boost big airs, do some kiteloops, sure, but that gets old, so we started doing huge double grab back mobes and it feels amazing and it’s not nearly as hard or . . .

Rich: Painful of a crash. It’s more rewarding, because if Brandon goes out and does a new dork trick, I can probably learn the same trick that day.

The progression is addicting because everybody wants to get better. My favorite part of the sport has always been when you’re learning and with dork tricks I can learn a new double grab every time I’m on the water.

Rich Sabo grabbing melan and indy at the same time. Although there is no specific name for this grab, Rich likes to call it a “mindy” while Australian friend Ewan Jasper likes to call it “going full dork.” // RIGHT: Craig Cunningham is not afraid to get his dork on. Photo Toby Bromwich

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I think the dork trick thing comes from how we always get focused on wakestyle, and how everybody wants this certain core style of kiteboarding, but we always got kind of pissed because we’re not wakeboarding, we’re freaking kiteboarding.

- Rich Sabo Are you afraid that the core freestylers of the world are going to lash out at your dork trick movement?

Brandon: Are we afraid? No, because we know it’s going to happen, they’re like [whiny voice] “you guys are so stupid, this is dumb,” but at the end of the day we’re not doing it to make us seem cool, we’re doing it because it’s fun and we’re having a good time on the water and to me that’s more important.

Rich: If anyone questions our core-ness, I mean please, come on, we are behind the Slider Project, we live in Hood River, we read Kitescoop and hate on just about everything. [sarcasm] We are taking the core parts of wakestyle and making it hooked in, big deal.

Rich: For sure, we’ve been already getting heat, but we’ve also seen shout-outs and some of the PKRA riders are putting up double grab photos. You can’t talk about dork tricks without mentioning Alex Fox. Some days Fox goes out and decides today is just for dork tricks and doesn’t even bother with unhooking. Craig Cunningham’s on it, Chris Bobryk’s on it, he’s been on the dork train for awhile, and they’re not nerd tricks, they’re dork tricks – it’s a term. It’s all about asking whether you would rather go out and crash a blind judge 5 all day long or land 20 new dork tricks and then try the blind judge five times – it’s just a way a to mix it up.

What about the legitimacy of freestyle kiteboarding, and how that fight has been so image and unhooked focused. Are you guys ruining all that hard work?

Rich: I think seeing a picture of a big hooked in method, or something like a dork trick where it shows athleticism, flexibility, and power is cool – it demonstrates a different state of mind. We still want kiteboarding to look really good and dork tricks can be done in a cool way.

Brandon: I’ve been trying to tell people we’re not wakeboarding. We’re not. We like to do the same kind of tricks, but even then we’re still not really wakeboarding because we’re dealing with a whole other concept.

I can do three wake tricks, boost some huge airs, then come in and switch to my hydrofoil; we’re not confined to that same little spot that wakeboarders are. I don’t feel that we should try to be 100% like them.

It’s not getting us anywhere. Just because we ride wakestyle tricks, tons of wakeboarders aren’t coming over to me and saying, “let me buy kites right now.” They all know what kiteboarding is and they kind of think it’s cool, but it’s not like our freestyle kiting is so waked-out that they feel like they have to kiteboard.

Is there an issue of legitimacy within the sphere of dork tricks?

Rich: Yeah, but it’s hard to talk about legitimacy for dork tricks without covering what grabs you can’t do; no tindy, no melan, no tailfish, no mute - these grabs are not allowed. These grabs are easy, even old men can get them on their first try.

Brandon: If you do a melon, it better be the most poked melon ever.

The next big thing is the foilboard dork tricks.

Rich: I watched Brandon try a foilboard mobe the other day . . .

Brandon: Yeah and we were trying unhooked back rolls, it’s mellower than you would think. I tried a couple of mobes, but with the greater swing weight, the foil was slow to come around.

When did you guys get started with the dork tricks?

Brandon: It really started in Hawaii four winters ago when James [Boulding] was still on the LF team. We were riding a bunch and it was super windy, 7m stacked all day, my arms hurt, and I really didn’t want to do unhooked tricks. So we just started doing huge weird grabs, tuck knees and tails, weird floaty airs and then James did one to blind hooked in, then we started ole-ing the bar around like the surf guys do.

That was kind of the start.

Rich: So it started with wrapped blind landings in Hawaii and then it spread to Hood River.

Is there a dork tricks edit coming out?

Brandon: That’s the real question! We had planned on making a dork tricks video in La Ventana but we needed three guys and our third member didn’t make it. Alex Fox didn’t book the ticket. [deleted expletive remarks about Fox being a cheapskate] Rich: The truth is that dork tricking is not a lucrative part of the business.

Brandon: Yeah, we’re not at the top of the sport at the moment, yet, but were’ trying to come up. We need a few more legit tricks and then we’ll let an edit fly. We were watching some videos the other day of Rich and our photographer, Vinny Bergeron, told Rich he should stop unhooking. He thinks Rich should ride all the time unhooked and then right before he throws his trick, hook in. [laughter] The interview digressed into a detailed list of legitimate dork tricks and arguments over the finer nuances of flying vampires, flying squirrels, and the Rusty trombone.

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And 2015 will be no different. We welcome you back to see what we have to offer this season. Thank you! Through your support, we continue to learn and improve upon the art of what we do: create and plan high-quality kitesurf vacations for you.

Vela introduced several exciting new spots last year - Hatteras, Tobago, Turks & Caicos, and the Philippines and would like to now introduce the NEWEST center - VELA COLOMBIA! As always, a trip to any Vela destination means you’ll find an operation featuring the friendliest, most experienced staff possible, exciting lessons from trained professionals, and the latest and safest new gear on the market from our longtime partner, Cabrinha.

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THE SCENE 8

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7 3

2

4

5

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On the BeacH 9

What’s your take on the rise of the foilboards?

Courtney Feldt

Whitefish, MT

At first I thought it looked boring, but now there are guys that are making it look surfy and fun, more than just mowing the lawn. It looks challenging but I’m definitely going to try it.

Dean Walton

Penticton, BC Canada

Most people think you don’t feel anything, but you feel everything including the swell. I still love my surfboards, but it’s like dragging an anchor or cutting steak with a butter knife. Speed is ok, but I like the carving feel.

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Kris Kinn

Buffalo, NY

Tried it one time and ended up hurting my ankle in the straps.

If it’s windy I want to ride freestyle, but the next light wind day I want to do it for sure.

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Peter Aschwanden

Alameda, CA

For me it looks boring and doesn’t attract me. It’s missing all the things I like in kiteboarding; the push of the wave, smacking the lip, bottom turns. You’re really just mowing the lawn.

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1. Leah, a 9-year-old from Canada, is taking Daniel Santa Maria for a ride on her first body drag. Photo Francois Tanter // 2. Kiteboarder and Actor Woody Harrelson with Ken Yocum in Maui. Checkout Ken’s profile on p46. Photo Ken Yocum // 3. Runner-up Kevin Langeree sprays winner of the 2015 Red Bull King of the Air, Aaron Hadlow, in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool // 4. Rich Sabo puts a whole new spin on #FoilFace.

Photo Selfie // 5. Jake Kelsick takes a selfie next to a conch shell mound where literally thousands of conch shells have been deposited over multiple generations by local fishermen in Anegada, BVI’s. // 6. Aimee Miklovic roots on team La Ventana at the Lord of the Wind Event in Los Barriles, Baja. Photo Tkb Staff // 7. Rich Sabo, Grom Gormley, Jessica Barhydt and Robby Dean presiding over the Lord of the Wind judging tower in Los Barriles. Photo Tkb Staff // 8. Olga, Fellipe and Stan after another hard day in Baja at Palapas Ventana. Photo Tkb Staff // 9. Brad, Kat and Tyler Brown taking a rum break at the Red Bull Kite Farm in Canada. Photo Melissa Cronin // 10. Drew Christianson gets a little help from his friends in Los Barriles. Photo: Alexis Rovira // 11. Group photo of the 2015 Tkb Freeride Gear Testing Team after running 32 kite and 27 board models through the ringer. Photo Tkb Staff // 12. Melissa Cronin stands tall at the top of the women’s podium of the Red Bull Kite Farm in Regina, Sasketche-wan. Photo Packy Cronin // 13. Evan Netsch and Reider Decker take turns with kite assisted tow-ins on the wind swell of southern Baja. Photo Tkb Staff

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Words by Julien Salles | Photos by Gilles Calvet

How do you know you are about to embark on a great trip? What triggers your senses? For some it’s the finality of packing bags. Others feel it in the airport terminal, passing amongst the multitude of travelers. For me, adventure strikes with the first taste of exotic air.

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Port ofPapeete As I step onto the tarmac of Fa’a’a International Airport I’m greeted by the warm humid air of French Polynesia and it makes me want to ditch my clothes for a pair of boardshorts and sandals. The F-One team took the red eye over the South Pacific and we have only one thing on our minds because it’s still early, only 6am: will we score a session on our first day?

Mitu Monteiro. Arriving in a tropical paradise with cheesy flower leis and smiles seems so cliché, but when it’s done sincerely by friends it places you squarely in the moment and helps you forget the long journey.

I was genuinely happy to be wearing a necklace of flowers as I reconnected with my F-One family and headed to the port of Papeete to board our two catamarans, our new homes for the coming weeks.

With Raphael Salles leading the way with his daughter Camille and a diverse cast of F-One team riders in tow, we exited the airport to connect with Patrice Chanzy, Manutea Monnier and

As we leave the Papeete harbor we can clearly see Moorea in the distance. The scenery is surreal; the rugged mountaintops are covered with tropical trees and plants, while at their base a line of coconut trees frame picture perfect white beaches. On our way to Tipaniers the lack of wind compels the crew to head towards the wave spot of Ha’apiti. The surfers on the boat light up after watching perfect wave after wave peel across the reef. We all jumped in the water and took turns surfing this perfect wave the rest of the day. That night we reveled in the trip’s first session after being in Tahiti for less than 12 hours.

Robinson Hilario unleashes a freestyle frenzy in the lagoon of Tipaniers off the island of Moorea.

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The surf surrounding the island of Tahiti is best explored by boat. The reefs are often far from shore and boats can easily access the best waves and take advantage of protected lagoons for safe haven from the wind and swell. Our skippers were both experienced surfers and kitesurfers and with their knowledge of the reefs and conditions we were guaranteed to get the best of Tahiti. We quickly organize our first briefing of the trip and after consulting the weather charts we decide to head west toward the island of Moorea: The lagoons of Tipaniers offer the most promising wind with an accelerated venturi effect on easterly trade winds.

“Arriving in a tropical paradise with cheesy flower leis and smiles seems so cliché, but when it’s done sincerely by friends it places you squarely in the moment and helps you forget the long journey.”

With good winds forecasted, we decided to stay in Tipaniers for a couple of days where we moored between the old Club Med and some private islands. With solid trade winds blowing between 15 to 20 knots, perfect lighting and the entire spot to ourselves, we made the most of a spectacular situation. The experience of the team lets them get ready fast; launching a full crew from a catamaran is not an easy task but they manage without a hitch, even when the cameras are rolling.

Micka is a machine; like a cat he always lands on his feet and keeps pulling out massive airstyle tricks from his diverse repertoire, regardless of the conditions. Robinson is simply world class; his freestyle is powerful, fast and fluid. It’s hard to follow every movement, but he goes bigger and harder on every trick until he stomps it perfectly. Marie is fully decked out in pink, but her commitment and fluid style sets her apart from the boys. She will cruise by you with a photogenic smile and then launch into a powerful kiteloop a few seconds later.

After two days of kiting the lagoons the trade winds start to shift into an unfavorable pattern for Moorea.

The buzz on the boats is that a swell is lining up to possibly hit Teahupo’o. While waiting for this swell to move in we head back towards Ha’apiti, but with a dozen surfers already in the water, we decide to head over

to Atiha. There we alternate between SUP and surf sessions while dolphins cruise around our catamaran anchored in the pass.

The forecasted swell is confirmed and Teahupo’o will be on tomorrow. We lift anchor, say goodbye to Moorea and start our eight-hour journey into the night towards the world-famous break.

The team is clearly excited but while everyone settles in for the night you can feel a bit of tension in the riders with thoughts of tomorrow’s surf.

above: caption caption ca above: caption caption ca above: caption caption ca above: caption caption ca above: caption caption ca

Brazilian Filippe Ferreira tucks and grabs rail on this fun sized left at Atiha. In the foreground lays the southern tip of Moorea and in the distance towers the island of Tahiti.

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Teahupo’o I wake up to see the sun rising. I know we are close and high step it to the roof deck to see where we are. Our boats are anchored at the entrance to the mythical Teahupo’o pass. The tide is low and the waves are small at four and a half feet, yet this wave still packs a punch. Looking around, I recognize the mountains that I have so often seen in videos, the reef, the parade of boats. It almost feels like I have been here before. Like visiting Central Park or seeing the Golden Gate Bridge in person, it is one of those monuments that I had always dreamed of.

We quickly inhale breakfast before Rémi, Manutea and Patrice grab paddleboards and jump in the water. The waves start to build with the incoming tide and some monster sets begin to explode on the reef, quickly intimidating the others from going in the water. We are right in the action, the channel between the reefs allows the captain to position our boat safely out of the impact zone.

My first surprise with this famous point break after its sheer power, is the atmosphere.

You have locals, strangers, tourists, bodyboarders, surfers and SUPers all on the same peak and the vibe is amazing.

People seem to respect each other because I am impressed to see only one person paddling per wave. Our captain explains that in Tahiti every sport that is in contact with the ocean is respected; paddling is in the culture whether you are sitting

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down, lying down or standing up. The vision of the “waterman” is a recent concept for us, but for them it has always been part of their culture and heritage. Here, it is the rider in the right spot who starts to paddle first that gets the wave. No one will drop in on him or cut inside, no other surfer will even start to paddle for the same wave. I then imagine how great it would be if I could transfer this culture to other spots, and I quickly envisioned myself hogtied to a palm tree with my leash.

The paddleboarders lock in barrel after barrel, getting blown out by the spit with the full cheers of the spectators in the channel. Poe charges on his backside as deep as possible and Patrice is standing tall in the barrel with complete control.

The swell is forecasted to build tomorrow and we choose to stick around from the safety and serenity of the lagoon. After so many days at sea we are eager to set foot on land and 14 of us pile into a pickup and head towards Vaira’o where we heard we could catch a local dance show. I was expecting a touristy style show for Club Med vacationers but we arrive at an old gymnasium surrounded by locals. When we enter the building we find out it is more a high school graduation party than a tourist attraction. We are surprised, but not as much as the locals. As we sit down, an imposing man launches into a series of speeches and awards that none of us French-speakers can understand.

An army of eighteen-year-old boy and girl dancers rush on stage and break into a Haka and other dances.

I thought the Haka was only a Maori dance, but it is practiced all over Polynesia. The dances are dynamic, the show entertaining and we are the only outsiders around. The chief thanks us for having come to their show and lets us take a picture with the troop of dancers. Poe quickly reminds us that tomorrow will be big and we need to get some rest, so we head back to our floating homes.

The forecast was right on. The next morning the swell is hitting Teahupo’o perfectly but there is no wind to be found. The wave is powerful, hollow and violent, and the tension is high on the boat because even our most talented riders have some apprehension about dropping in on this heavy wave. It takes a certain type of courage to go out in these conditions. Everything is intense: How the thick lip of the wave projects out onto the shallow reef, the crowd, the photographers, the noise of the boats, the cheers of the spectators, the international stars in the water and the cameras that are present to capture every moment.

In these conditions Patrice is the king. With just a few quick strokes on his takeoff, he drops into the barrel locking in his rail, positions his body and lets the lip fly above his head in a barrel larger than my apartment.

We leave Teahupo’o with our minds filled with insane images and set a course for a reef just to the west.

Everyone gets in the water at the right in Te Ava iti, and after Teahupo’o it seems easy, but it’s wise to never underestimate the power of Tahitian waves. Just about everyone ends up with a scrape and it looks like the entire team will go home with a “Tahitian Tattoo.”

ABOVE: Patrice Chanzy standing tall as the first sets of the incoming swell start hitting Teahupo’o. // RIGHT: Mitu Montierro drops in on a screaming right on the northwest side of Tahiti.

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The East With the forecast for wind and waves looking light we decide to head towards the east end of Tahiti, the most desolate and rugged part of the island. We tie up to a mooring in front of a river mouth and head up stream on our SUPs. We arrive in a winding mangrove full of exotic vegetation, threading our way up the river’s overgrown channels clear to the base of the mountains.

Later that evening I head out spearfishing with Poe, Alex and Mitu and for the third time on the trip we come back with nothing. The next day Micka and Robinson score a little light wind freestyle session and in the afternoon we all kite together for the group photos.

“Kites lower, get closer together, go further away!” Contrary to popular belief, group shots are pretty tricky to manage.

After a few runs we are so close together that Robinson is touching my kite with his hand.

Afterwards, Alex puts together his new foil and slaloms in between the coral heads; we all watch as he makes the foilboard look beautiful and very fluid.

We decide not to sleep here because the forecast is calling for strong southeast winds over the next few days, which means that we have a chance for a kite session at Teahupo’o. As we are leaving the east side, we spot a few whales and head towards them; this is the first time during the trip we are able to get close to them.

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BELOW LEFT: Marie Switala is known for her photogenic smile and heated kiteloops. // ABOVE RIGHT: Micka is a machine; like a cat he always lands on his feet and keeps pulling out massive airstyle tricks. // BELOW: From the vantage point of a moving boat, the F-One team is treated to extraordinary views of wildlife like the brown booby and humpback whales.

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Back in Teahupo’o

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After three hours of sailing we are back in Teahupo’o; it is practically dark and we head for the harbor to stock up on food, drinks, WiFi and boyfriends for the girls.

When we wake up, the wind is howling and we head to the break. It is even bigger than during our SUP session but the water is choppy and the closeout sets are harder to spot, making the conditions unpredictable and dangerous. Raphael, Mitu, Filippe and Manutea rig on a black sand beach and head to the peak.

From the boat we watch the kites perform a little ballet on the outside until one of the riders commits to dropping in on the massive waves. The weather is very stormy, the conditions are tough, and the spectators on the boat are getting sprayed as each wave hits the reef. This is apocalyptic weather, making this session even more memorable.

The riders are feeling out the shoulder to get a handle on the conditions. After two to three waves, Mitu decides to commit. He stalls deep inside and waits for the wave to form, then crouches into the pocket and waits for the terrifying lip to pitch over his head. The barrel fully covers him as it slams into the near dry reef.

He extends his right arm up as the spit explodes around him and emerges out onto the shoulder with a smile from ear to ear. Mitu will keep pulling into barrels all day like it has never been done on a kite at Teahupo’o.

Filippe had been waiting a long time for his Teahupo’o session. He was super amped, but showed some apprehension now that the opportunity was right in front of him. He waits a while and tests a few smaller waves before committing to a few bombs, where he will get fully covered. He cannot hide his joy screaming, “MAURUUUUUU” (thank you) after an incredible barrel. We will later celebrate with some Hinanos and the usual large amount of chips.

Manutea is a true Tahitian waterman. Whether he is riding a SUP, surfboard or a kite, he demonstrated his superior command of the spot and caught the best waves of the day; his super fluid backside riding was nothing short of amazing.

Raphael, in spite of his wife’s and daughter’s strict ban on riding Teahupo’o, spent the day hunting barrels and committing to powerful waves.” He dropped in on some of the bigger sets and nearly had a massive wipeout, but was able to duck just under the lip in time to escape catastrophe.

Alex wanted to test his water camera skills, so he attached a GoPro on his head and headed towards the peak. He saw Raphael coming towards him with his right hand vertical over his head yelling, “Hammerhead and big!!!” Raphael towed Alex close to the boat and then Alex closed the gap with a Michael Phelps type performance.

We will spend the next day north of Teahupo’o on a very nice long left, called Vaira’o, where it is much easier than the other waves we have surfed so far on the trip. It is fun to watch Poe and Rémi charging the waves; they are able to get vertical and fully commit to the lip. Filippe is ripping with consistency and power on every hit. We can really see his Brazilian style of fluid dynamic surfing; he wins as many contest surfing as he does kitesurfing. Camille and Aude are at the peak in their bright shorties and impressing the boys. Surprisingly very few girls surf in Tahiti, possibly due to the lack of beginner spots with very few beach breaks. Luckily for us, Aude is charging and showing what the girls can do on these beautiful waves.

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Moorea Part 2 For the final days of our trip we head back to Moorea where we drop anchor off Ha’apiti and surf until the stars come out.

There’s no better surf trip than the one where you can launch directly from the boat and go straight to the peak.

because we are determined to bring something back. We eventually spear four parrotfish but when the sharks start circling us we immediately return to the boat. We gut and skin them before throwing them straight onto the barbecue.

Everyone finds their rhythm: Foil sessions for Alex and Raphael with some long distance and some rudimentary attempts at freestyle, and plenty of SUP missions and endless spear fishing for Poe and I

As I retrace our path over the last couple of weeks, I’m amazed at the diversity of talent that is on our team.

Regardless of what sport they are doing, each have their own style, culture, nationality and it all blended perfectly on our three-week boat trip in the South Pacific. Tahiti is beautiful, wild, and original. Its powerful geography seems to rise above the rest, with its majestic mountains and vibrant contrast of color between its lush green canopy and its translucent blue lagoons. If the surf and scenery is what draws people to Tahiti, it’s the island’s mystical atmosphere, both calm and powerful with it’s ancient heritage and welcoming locals that lures them back for more.

We head back towards Tipaniers for our last freestyle session, and we are lucky the wind is good without a cloud in the sky. The colors of the lagoon are absolutely amazing: A perfect setting for our final session.

Alex and Raphael are racing on the foils, Marie and Micka are freestyling a few meters from the boat and Mitu is elevating his ankle after tweaking it on his first foilboarding session.

BELOW: Despite the protests of his wife and daughter, Raphael Salles paid little attention to his family’s prohibition on kitesurfing Teahupo’o. With no signs of slowing down, Raphael draws a heavy line on a big open face.

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Š Gilles CALVET / TAHITI 2014

THERE IS ONLY ONE! Robinson HILARIO

Mitu MONTEIRO

North American Distribution Bay Area Kitesurf bayareakitesurf.com

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Nick has been spending winters in Cape Town since he was six. According to him, “The possibilities are endless. High wind statistics, perfect waves, endless freestyle spots, and famous downwinders draw the kiteboarding masses to this town like moths to a fire.�

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PROFILED

KEN YOCUM Salt Lake City, Utah

64 YEARS YOUNG, KEN THANKS HIS AMAZING WIFE FOR SUPPORTING HIS PASSION AND INSTRUCTOR BRETT LICKLE FOR TEACHING HIM TO KITEBOARD.

Here today, gone to Maui! These five simple words have put a smile on Ken Yocum’s face for the last 25 years. Nicknamed “Smoke ‘em Yocum” by friends, the Utah resident knew he had found his piece of windsurfing paradise after his first Maui trip in 1989. “Warm water, no wetsuit, always something to do, it’s a magical place.”

During kiteboarding’s early stages when kitemares were more common than not, a friend handed Ken his 2-line kite. Ken hooked it into his windsurf harness and was promptly taken on the ride of his life – a full face plow down the beach, ending just before he hit the rocks.

It wasn’t until 2009 that the lure of kiteboarding and the boredom of mowing the lawn on his windsurfer overrode Ken’s trepidations for the sport. Ken signed up for a kite lesson and from that point on he was hooked. “I’ll never forget the day when my dad came home and announced that he would no longer be windsurfing,” said his daughter Kelly. “As much as I remember my father’s excitement, I saw the blood drawn from my mother’s face - instead of vacations to Italy, Paris, or Greece, more windy trips to Maui were in her future.”

One of the Yocum family’s favorite stories is the day Woody Harrelson showed up at Maui Kite Beach without a swimsuit and Ken lent him his favorite lucky red swim trunks that he had been wearing since 1985. As sad as Ken was that Woody never gave them back, Ken always smiles when he thinks of them because of how cool it is that Woody is out there wearing his red swim trunks to kitesurf.

Over the years, not many things have changed for Ken, except that he now has a condo and a van in Maui full of all his toys, and more time to enjoy them. “Making money has not been my priority in life – it’s more about enjoying what it has to offer.” Ken said he may not be the best rider out there but loves kiteboarding because he learns something new every session. What is Ken’s next adventure? Mastering the foilboard!

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PROFILED

SOFIA JIMÉNEZ IGARTÚA Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

SOFIA IS 29 YEARS OLD AND JUST RECENTLY WON THE LA VENTANA WINDFEST WOMEN’S OPEN (TWIN TIP) AND NATIONAL BIG AIR CATEGORIES.

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Sofia Jiménez Igartúa had no interest in watersports. In fact, she really wasn’t into any sports at all.

Although she grew up on the beaches of Puerto Vallarta, Sofia was more into video games, comics and scifi movies than playing in the ocean where “giant sea creatures” silently glided below the surface. But a trip to Hood River in 2010 changed her mind, and her life.

Sofia was in culinary arts school in San Diego when her father, Lucio Alfonso Jiménez, first started kiteboarding. She joined him on a road trip to Oregon, along with a group of young Mexicans he had brought along for the ride. It was here that she was first exposed to the kiteboarder lifestyle. “There was a group of eight friends all sprawled out in a house which was being remodeled. They went to kite and didn’t care about comfort, only the wind. I fell in love with the vibe, the stoke, the mentality.”

The opportunity to learn came a year later when her dad and his friend, Moises “Remora” Borges, taught her the basics. “I feel I am clumsy and have a poor sense of balance, and I was scared of the kite so I was a slow leaner,” she said. “When I got to the waterstart I had so much trouble because my feet didn’t know what to do, but I had great kite control though!” Sofia’s dad and Remora taught her how to wakeboard, and after that, kiteboarding was much easier.

Sofia still enjoys playing video games and can probably beat most guys in first person shooters, but she’s advanced in kiteboarding to the level of an IKO instructor. Kiteboarding has opened up a new world for her and has forced her out of her shell. “Becoming an instructor has helped me deal with my shyness.

It has given me a lot of confidence in talking to new people and motivated me to try new sports like skateboarding and snowboarding. But mostly, I like kiteboarding because when I am out there, everything else disappears: Worries, problems with girls, fears, everything. They all go away. It’s really cool and everyone coming out of the water always has a big smile on their face.” In her fourth season teaching in La Ventana, Sofia is on a mission with her fearless four-legged friend, Zoe, to fill the rest of her 2015 calendar with traveling and teaching.

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EXPOSED

With the temperature reading 30 degrees below, photographer Vincent Bergeron shot Félix Gourdeau in front of the iconic 1976 Olympique Stadium in Montreal, Canada.

While they waited for good light and steady wind, they built a big kicker and it wasn’t long before Felix was boosting raleys like superman. // Photo Vincent Bergeron

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EXPOSED

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Naish designer Damien Girardin putting his new Ride through its paces.

According to Damien, “Downloop jibes generate a lot of load and if the kite holds its shape there, you know it’s well-balanced and will perform.

This was a very important part of the Ride kite testing, since it only has two struts it had to be designed to be as solid as a 3-strut kite under load.� // Photo Stephen Whitesell

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EXPOSED

Eric Rienstra suspended over Taiba launch ramps in Brazil. According to Eric, “Boardsports are not all about seeing how fast you can flip or spin. Stillness has a technicality all on its own. The essence of freestyle lies in grabbing the board, tweaking it out, and hanging on for the ride.” // Photo Vincent Bergeron

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EXPOSED

With only two stops on the PKRA tour confirmed at this time, Bruna Kajiya is getting ready for the season opener in Dakhla, Morocco. // Photo Ydwer.com

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Call the friendly experts at Big Winds when it’s time for your next purchase.

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Big Winds has been committed to kiteboarding since debuting the sport in our 1998 catalog. Much has changed in the kiting world since then but not our passion for promoting and stocking the highest quality, safest gear out there. Take advantage of great savings on all new closeout gear in our SPRING CLEANING SALE, or gear up with the best 2015 has to offer. Whether you’re looking for your first beginnerfriendly kite, or thinking about adding a new directional, twintip, or even foil board to your existing quiver, you’ll find it right here at Big Winds. We are a staff who is in the game and on the water, and we’re stoked to provide friendly, no pressure, professional service. All right here in one of the most amazing places to kiteboard on the planet!

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When Liquid Force’s Gregg “Tekko” Gnecco started foilboarding last year he found himself reliving the camaraderie and newness of the early days of 2-line kiteboarding. Like many boardsports at an early evolutionary stage, Gregg found freeride foilboarding to be an addictive learning experience where early adopters openly shared both technology and skill in a friendly environment. A short year later, Liquid Force is selling its own foil design and part of the sales process is spreading the foilboarding addiction through beginner clinics and demos. Even if foilboarding instruction is in its most rudimentary form, Tekko and the LF crew have got some solid pointers to get you hooked when just starting out.

Take the foilboard for a swim.

It may sound silly, but forget your kite at first and take the setup into the water to learn how it moves and reacts. Feel how it pivots, figure out how to maneuver it to get it on your feet.

Having use of both of your hands to get familiar with your foil will save you valuable time once you go at it with the kite.

Don’t try to kiteboard.

Consciously forget all your hard earned kiteboarding skills. Most people rely on edging and leaning back to control a kiteboard, but both these inputs are going to lead to big crashes and scary moments. Focus more on even balance and riding the board flat.

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Front foot! Front Foot!

The foils on foilboards are designed to fly. As your speed increases it has increasing lift. To successfully balance this lifting force and ride the board level, you need much more front foot pressure with your hips shifted forward over your front foot.

So much so that it will feel unnatural, as on a regular kiteboard you’d be driving the nose to the bottom with that much pressure.

Photo Vincent Bergeron

Ride the board trying NOT to foil.

Initially, to gain confidence, stability and increase the learning curve, try to ride your foilboard trying NOT to get up on the foil. Learn how it rides with the foil below the water, how to ride flatter than a kiteboard and get comfortable with it. Later, this will pay off in comfort, control and reaction/recovery skills when things start getting wild and crazy!

Commit to the fall.

As you begin to fly on the foil’s wing your first rides are guaranteed to get squirrely. When all goes wrong, make sure you commit to the fall, aim for a clean separation from the board and use your kite to go a different direction. Heroic attempts to recover in the middle of a fall often end badly. When you know it’s going bad - just go with it!

Tekko and the rest of the LF crew have filmed a beginner foilboarding video that’s worth checking out before your first foil session: http://ow.ly/JQJxf

16th Annual

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THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY:

SNOWMOBILE WORDS BY MELISSA CRONIN | PHOTOS BY PACKY & MELISSA CRONIN

Last fall as flakes began shifting from the grey Montana sky, our search for a snowmobile to access new and interesting snowkite terrain came to an end. Because my husband and I are notoriously thrifty and approach all things motorized with apprehension, we bought a 1996 Ski-Doo from my father for $1000. My dad assured us it was the most dependable sled he had ever owned, and perhaps it was, especially after we had borrowed this machine the previous season and ended up sinking $400 into it to repair a cracked fuel line. The sled came equipped with extras like a tow hitch for towing a utility sled and a jerry-rigged redwood 2x8 that served as a rudimentary ski rack. This 62

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KITING snowmobile was a frugal investment meant to be a trial; an inexpensive way to see if we were the types to access the Rocky’s vast wealth of snowkite terrain with the help of a motor. What we missed, or more than likely ignored was the obvious: Regardless of their vintage, new or old, snowmobiles are a very fickle species.

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FOR THOSE SNOWKITERS CONTEMPLATING THE PLUNGE INTO SNOWMOBILING, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LESSONS YOU WILL LEARN ALONG THE WAY. The first of which is that unlike

a kite and a pair of skis, the snowmobile requires a long list of accessories, the most important being the trailer you use to transport the machine to the trailhead. After Packy, my husband, searched our local Craigslist, we purchased an aluminum trailer with all the right stuff; it tilted to allow easy loading, it was light, and it pulled smoothly at highway speeds. Our new trailer had one flaw that wasn’t discovered until Packy backed the trailer into our garage. This trailer and the garage door were exactly the same width. After considerable head scratching and thorough contemplation as well as several trips to our local ranch supply store, we finally installed the correct tongue jack equipped with a rolling wheel for precision hand guided maneuvers to get the snowmobile trailer into the garage.

Problem solved, well, except that our garage’s doorjamb requires periodic re-painting.

The next step in our new life as snowmobile owning kiters was a trip. Our first destination would be the Wyoming High Country Lodge in the Big Horn Mountains.

Our original plan was to tow the Ski-Doo to the Big Horn Snowkite Summit organized by the Jackson Hole Kiters. In the days leading up to the event the forecast was for unusually cold, sub-zero temps and both Packy and I could not imagine our diesel Ford F-350 or our newly acquired old snowmobile surviving the frigid weekend.

We postponed our trip to the lodge and several weeks later a perfect weekend came together with temperatures in the mild 20’s with consistent southwest flow, plenty of sunshine, and a touch of fresh snow. If everything went right, it would be the perfect weekend to use the sled to explore the lodge’s full snowkiting potential.

The Big Horns are a geologically interesting mountain range. Rising out of the Big Horn Valley to the west and the Powder River Basin to the east, the mountains ascend out of jumbled oil and coal rich valleys with sheer stair-step cliff bands that hide the looming mountains in the interior of the range. Cloud and Black Tooth Peak are the tallest, both over 13,000 feet; these two queens command a kingdom of over a million

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acres in the Big Horn National Forest. The range is 80 miles long and 30 miles wide as it stretches South of Montana’s Prior Mountains, galloping south along with the iconic wild mustang herds down to Buffalo, Wyoming. These mountains make up the most inspiring and beautiful vistas of northcentral Wyoming. The Big Horn’s large grassland basins, broad sweeping saddles above timberline and high altitude peaks receive consistent winter winds that with the mobility of a snowmobile offer immense snowkiting terrain, some of which is established but most of which remains unexplored.

Once on the road, we stopped in Lovell, Wyoming, where Packy filled both our diesel truck and the snowmobile with fuel. The feeding instructions for the snowmobile consisted of “only top grade and high-octane gas.” We thought Lovell was the perfect place to get fuel because it sits squarely in the middle of thousands of pump-jack oil wells. Lovell is oil country and we showed our economic support for the town’s first means of revenue by filling up with America’s finest petro before merging on to Highway 14A. We climbed the highway’s steep and twisting path, narrowly clinging to the side of the barrier cliffs of the Big Horns. The pass is closed to through traffic in the winter, but we drove around the closed gates to access the Crystal Springs parking area.

In the parking lot we unloaded the snowmobile and began stacking snowkiting equipment on our

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FAR LEFT: Packy and the Carpet Cleaner on the groomed trailhead to Terminal B. // LEFT: Melissa carving across the plateau above the Wyoming High Country Lodge. // ABOVE: Melissa scoring turns on Terminal B with plenty of buttercream.

plastic gear sled with our skis awkwardly lashed to our wooden makeshift rack. With a couple of pulls on the starter cord, Packy coerced the Ski-Doo’s engine to a reluctant idle and we pointed our snow machine up a groomed snowcat road and started our three-mile ride to the lodge.

Upon our arrival we were greeted by the scoffs and ribbing of several serious snowmobilers equipped with shiny state of the art sleds, Gore-Tex outfits and space age radio helmets with CO2 filters.

Apparently they saw good humor in a “vintage” 580cc snowmobile straddled by two grown adults wearing avalanche packs and ski boots, with two pairs of skis bungeed to an awkward redwood rack with a plastic utility sled piled high with kite gear in tow. Our wisecracking bubbleheads went on to dub our snowmobile “The Carpet Cleaner,” a derogatory name that has stuck. In retrospect, I am pretty sure we looked like a Jed Clampett cartoon, but at the time, I was pretty indignant, especially because on the way up I had chipped my front tooth on Packy’s avalanche shovel, effectively enhancing my new “Billy Bumpkin” persona.

Our hosts at the Wyoming High Country Lodge, Cheryl and Howard, thankfully diverted the unwanted attention of our new snowmobile friends from our highly comical set-up toward a bulletin board full of kite photos and newspaper articles on snowkiting. We gained a few seconds of

street cred with our new buddies, “The Three Stooges,” before we made ourselves scarce.

After dropping some of our gear in our lodge room we once again mounted the Carpet Cleaner to look for wind. We were well rewarded just a short mile from the lodge with an evening session and spectacular views of the valley and the Beartooth Plateau. The sunset that followed was absolutely amazing with the rare and profound treat of kiting right through the evening’s “pinky lights.” In the encroaching darkness we stowed all our gear, but Packy had some troubles getting the snowmobile to start. When it finally chugged to life we chalked up its insubordinate mood to a cold and tired engine and motored back to the lodge for a delicious dinner of herb roasted pork shoulder, sautéed brussels sprouts and saffron rice.

One of the greatest aspects about a trip to the Big Horns, aside from the awesome kiting and endless powder, is the Wyoming High Country Lodge. Managers Cheryl and Howard are neither snowmobilers nor kiters, but under their guidance the lodge has evolved from a snowmobile mecca into a noteworthy destination for snowkiters. Under their care, guests are treated to tasty meals, homemade treats, great company and a comfortable lodge complete with a fireplace, log-framed beds and a newly installed hot tub. Of all these amenities, the one that proved most important to our stay was a small room where they stock a small snowmobile repair store.

The next morning began with escalating snowmobile-starting drama, but we were able to coerce the Carpet Cleaner into action and set out to explore more snowkiting possibilities. We found a steady wind blowing across the southeast shoulder of Big Bald Mountain, otherwise known as “Terminal B.” As Packy launched my inflatable, a large pack of curious snowmobilers began rubbernecking as they passed by. I sent my kite and chose a slightly downwind path to catch up to the pack and quickly passed the snowmobilers. I gave them my biggest, pearly white smile accompanied by my best parade wave, and in my mind I was vindicating snowkiters around the world for the previous day’s ridicule. Packy launched his kite and joined me as we summited Little Bald Mountain. At 10,000 feet we were treated to an amazing view of the vast National Forest with not another human in sight.

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Andrew Muse grabs a fistful of tail in the midst of a 600-vert glide as the sun sets over the Big Horn Valley. // Photo Packy Cronin

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WE THEN HEADED WEST OVER TO THE UNTRACKED GOODS ON BIG BALD MOUNTAIN. IN THE HIGH COUNTRY WHEN ne ACROSS SLOPES, IT BUFFS THE STEADY WIND BLOWS Na CALL “BUTTERCREAM.” SNOW INTO WHAT WE tio powder, but more like a delicious frosting with It isn’t exactly old-fashioned pillow-like na l Pa on buttercream, I often joke that I hero-creating characteristics. After an easy session rk

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am going to need a bigger helmet because I feel so good about myself that my head has become significantly larger.

Big Bald Mountain offered endless untracked buttercream and we were both riding high after skiing the face of Terminal B. Just as the wind was shutting down, we were joined by fellow snowkiter, Mark Jones, who had come up from the Sheridan side of the mountains via the Powder River Basin. Thankfully Mark came along when he did as Packy and I were worn out from an hour of pulling on the snowmobile starter cord, rotating spark plugs and occasionally kicking the stubborn machine. With Mark and Packy’s combined efforts we were able to force the

snowmobile back into commission and head off to another sunset session just above the lodge.

Like all of that weekend’s snowkiting sessions, it ended with another round of incessant starter cord pulling under the blanket of darkness.

The entire trip was an amazing series of snowkiting sessions punctuated by episodic drama with our cranky old snowmobile. Over the course of the weekend Packy spent several hours with the hood up installing new spark plugs, and we experienced everything from getting towed, pushed or just plain stranded, yet the entire time our fellow snowmobilers were beyond helpful. The trip ended when our Carpet Cleaner was finally towed back to its trailer at the Crystal Springs parking lot by one

LEFT: It’s a long haul to get there, but when Packy scores a sunset session it makes it worth the hassle. // RIGHT: Drawing lines on the southeast shoulder of Big Bald Mountain, aka Terminal B.

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For those snowkiters contemplating the plunge into snowmobiling, there are a number ouof lessons you will learn along the way. The first of which is that unlike a kite and a nta inofs skis, the snowmobile requires a long list of accessories... pair

of the lodge’s snowcats. After several less than desirable adventures and a significant “walk out” to our truck, Packy figured out that we had filled our snowmobile with dirty fuel in Lovell. If the rational response to this would be to leave the snowmobile business to the more mechanically inclined, I did the exact opposite by upping the ante with a slightly newer sled of 800ccs, big noise and fast transit as an early birthday gift to Packy. Come hell or high water, Packy or I were

not going to futilely pull on a cord until our abs ached and our tempers flared, and even if that did happen, we were going to be able to tow out our Carpet Cleaner or at least have the option to abandon it if it got too fussy.

The truth is that there’s little rationality when it comes to snowmobiles. I know this because my dad was a backcountry ski guide and I grew up surrounded by snowmobiles and snowcats. When I was 13 my father nearly lopped off his nose on his sled’s windshield after hitting a stump buried under the snow. I had to drive the snowmobile while he held his nose together with a hankie, drenching us both in his blood. Once back at the truck I drove him seven miles to our house, so my mother could take him to town for a nose job.

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Melissa kites up the northwest shoulder of Big Bald Mountain with the Big Horn Valley in the background.

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EVERYONE WITH A SNOWMOBILE HAS A STORY. Our friend’s rn

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witnessed a close call with an identical model to the Carpet Cleaner. An Alaskan was using a rubber band to pin the throttle wide open in order to free both hands to pull the starter. When his Carpet Cleaner reluctantly sprung to life, it dragged him at full speed across an Alaskan snowfield, eventually de-pantsing him and nearly un-manning o him in u the process. With snowmobiles there is comedy and there is tragedy, but these usefulnyet tai frustrating snowmachines will always lure you back with the siren’s song of exploration. n s

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With the purchase of a new and reliable snowmobile our motorized drama was far from over. The wind in the Big Horns blows from many different directions and frequently creates crevices between opposing cornices in random locations. The holes created by this phenomenon are very dangerous and extremely hard to see, particularly when motoring in flat light. I was traveling very slowly when I found one of these holes and thankfully I was still wearing my kite harness at the time. As the sled plunged into the crevice my kite harness caught on the handlebars and prevented me from getting pitched into the path of the falling sled. After the snow settled I found myself squirming like a worm and hanging by my harness from the handlebars of a snowmobile that seemed to want to fall over and crush me at any second. It took six people and three sleds to extricate the Carpet Cleaner from that mess.

The country and the kite terrain we have experienced since our intrepid snowmobile purchase has broadened our horizons. The Big Horn, Beartooth, Bridger, Gallatin, Centennial and the Gravelly mountain ranges are all within our snowkiting reach.

If I were to advise anyone on the conundrum of a snowmobile purchase I would say absolutely go for it so long as you are ready for the perils, frustrations and responsibilities that come hand in hand with these powerful machines. In retrospect, had Packy and I just plunked down the cash for a newer sled we might have had an easier time, but we would have missed out on the character building and educational experience of the Carpet Cleaner.

I am not sure if I will ever “love” snowmobiling, but I will always love snowkiting and that will keep me hanging onto handlebars for the foreseeable future.

Author Melissa Cronin would like to dedicate this story to Marty Lowe, a lover of the Big Horn Mountains and snowkiting.

As a generous father figure of the Utah snowkite scene, Marty will be sorely missed – may his soul rest in peace.

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Words by Brendan Richards | Photos by Seth Warren

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The beginnings of this story took root in our winter issue’s feature “The Kuzi Project: Inshallah,” where we left off in the final days of a 10-day exploration of the Quirimbas archipelago of Mozambique …

In the crowded village of Pangane on the northeast coast of Mozambique, Jalou Langeree defiantly steps out of a street market with a mixed bag of supplies under one arm and a seemingly innocent bunch of bananas under the other. Jalou’s shipmate, Russell Reed, a seasoned merchant marine, had warned her that bananas should never be brought onboard a boat, however, Jalou and fellow traveler Hope Levin disregarded Russell’s vigorous protest as superstitious nonsense and promptly brought their fruity treasure aboard the boat for their final two days in Mozambique waters.

Any attempt to seek logic behind a superstition is largely a pointless exercise for the rational thinkers of our world, but when it comes to bananas on a boat, some scientific evidence does support the conclusion that at times it just isn’t a good idea. From a historical perspective, seafaring bananas presented the potential of harmful bacteria, insect infestation and the propensity to spoil other fruit, and while these problems are not altogether applicable today, at least there’s some factual basis suggesting bananas and boats aren’t the best bedfellows. For the many that remain unconvinced, there’s anecdotal evidence, and this is where the serial misfortune of Jalou Langeree’s Madagascar trip makes the case against boats and bananas.

As the six-person Kuzi team prepared to embark on the Madagascar portion of their trip, expedition leader Seth Warren discovered that their plane tickets out of Mozambique had been canceled. The team’s arrival two weeks before hadn’t gone particularly well (actually, they were deported to South Africa for lack of Mozambique visas), but they were eventually successful using a back channel solution. This time around, the fine print on the back of their original tickets was getting the better of them. Seth calmly got on the phone with LAM Airlines, purchased a new round of slightly discounted tickets and put the team back on track to Madagascar.

The crew spent the night in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, where one of Seth’s old friends gave them an epic tour of the burgeoning city. By then the team had discovered one of their board bags had been mishandled by the airlines. Despite a solid pack job, two of the three surfboards they brought along had been wrecked; one nose was completely mashed and the other was bent at a 45-degree angle. It looked as if their surf coffin bag had taken a nosedive from a significant height, but with no one around to take the blame, they chalked it up to international surf travel and underpaid airline staff.

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fter another short flight, the team landed in the small town of Antsiranana on the northernmost tip of Madagascar.

There they met their host, Gerardo Leal, a Mexican kitesurfer who had established a remote kitesurfing center on the windswept lagoons to the north and now calls Madagascar his home. With energetic and sincere hospitality, Gerardo packed them into a bus and drove around a sweeping bay to a small dock on the eastern coast abutting the Indian Ocean. They arrived at low tide, which meant they would have to wait for more water to fill the bay before their small dhow boat could cross the shallow channel and take them to their destination, a remote peninsula to the north.

With the favorable tide, they headed north along a rugged coastline punctuated with volcanic outcroppings, emerald blue water, and impossibly white sandy beaches. The dhow dropped them at the end of a pier, and before them stood their hotel, Les Paillottes de Babaomby, a luxurious beach bungalow resort nestled in the dunes of the remote Madagascan coastline.

That night they celebrated their arrival with a feast of fresh fish and Three Horses beer as Gerardo filled them on the adventures he had planned for the week. There was a wide array of spectacularly diverse kite spots, including a surf break for those unafraid to kite a mile east to the reefs outside of Suarez Island. Since the Mozambique portion of the trip had offered nothing in the way of waves, Jalou was excited to explore the outer reefs of the Indian Ocean and get her fix.

The wind was blowing side-side-on from the southeast and the waves were head high plus. The easterly swells bowled up at the top of the reef with friendly open faces and morphed into steeper sections on the inside. The waves had a fair amount of size, but were relatively gentle in terms of power. Perhaps that’s why Jalou, not feeling totally satisfied, told herself to grab one last ride before heading back to the hotel. On the wave she had planned to be her last, she got caught up in the lip and in the twisted chaos that ensued, Jalou felt her board violently smash against her legs. She hesitantly looked down at her thigh to discover two large fleshy wounds where her fins had surgically entered and exited her bare skin. In the moment, her adrenaline masked the extraordinary pain, but as blood began to gush and bits of internal fat protruded from the gashes, Jalou quickly retrieved her board and started the trip back to the lodge.

Luckily, two of the guests at Les Paillottes de Babaomby were kitesurfing doctors, Jamie King from England and Paul Cheevers from Canada. Between them and Russell’s bottomless emergency bag, they were able to assemble a decent surgery kit. Because Paul was an optometry specialist with much of his practice focused on eye surgery, sewing up Jalou’s leg was relatively easy compared to the precision his normal job required. Unfortunately, the smallest stitching needle

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Hope Levin explores the rugged coastline of Emerald Bay, its waters teeming with sea life and magnificent colors that were constantly changing with the movements of tide and sunlight.

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LEFT: Jalou in the hotel’s operating chair with Russell Reed on lighting and fellow traveler and surgical optometrist, Paul Cheevers, on the needle. // ABOVE: Hope Levin waves to the local fishermen.

Russell could produce was more appropriately sized for a large game animal. Even though the sewing part wasn’t particularly pleasant, rudimentary surgery on the open-air deck of the resort was preferable to a three-hour journey over land and sea to the nearest hospital.

On one hand, getting impaled by a surfboard on the first day of an exotic vacation is probably a coincidence or more likely the collateral downside of extreme sports travel. After all, surfing combines the fluid and violent physics of jagged reefs, sharp-surfaced fiberglass projectiles and the concentrated wave power of open oceans and trade winds. On the other hand, Jalou’s injury could be a deliberate cog of a much larger karmic design.

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n the days that followed, the remainder of the team settled into a routine of exploration as they navigated the diverse geology of the kite spots surrounding the peninsula. Hope, Jake, Russell and Seth kited downwind to Nosy Antaly Be Island where Gerardo showed them a lagoon with massive glassy freestyle potential while the hotel staff prepared a lobster meal on the beach.

Jake and Russell opted to kite home while Seth and Hope chose to take the boat back. The boat ride not only took an hour longer, but the rough seas destroyed an expensive camera water housing that was scratched to the point of uselessness.

Back at the resort, Jalou was recuperating in the comfort of the resort’s lounge where it would seem she was immune from the curse of the bad luck bananas. Unfortunately, this was not the case. When the team returned to the hotel, Seth’s camera assistant reached over Jalou’s laptop with a small yet lethal amount of saltwater dripping from her bikini. Trace amounts of this water seeped between the keys and quickly bricked Jalou’s computer. For the remainder of the trip, her Mac refused to power up and Jalou’s digital life disappeared into the blackness of her unresponsive screen. To add insult to injury, in the hours following her computer episode Jalou dropped her iPhone, splintering her screen into a million shards, effectively destroying all of her digital devices.

ABOVE RIGHT: Gerardo’s crew grills up a lobster lunch after a long downwinder to Nosy Antaly Be Island. // BELOW: Kitesurf Madagascar and Les Paillottes De Babaomby Hotel is located on an isolated peninsula with connections to the outside world via traditional dhow boats.

Inconvenience and chance continued to conspire throughout the remainder of the trip. Gerardo had promised wind and it blew 35 knots almost every day. That might seem like a good thing, except that the team had a limited supply of small kites. Even Jake, the 220 pound heavyweight fought for sessions on the single 5m kite. Early on in the trip, Jake crashed this highly coveted 5m so hard that a poorly attached GoPro mount came loose, punctured the canopy and ripped it beyond simple repair. At this point, the bad luck was not only consistent but seemed entirely indiscriminate in who it would target.

Throughout all this misfortune, the morale of the group was exceedingly high. Each day Gerardo would lead the team to breathtaking kite spots, where the immaculate water and complicated reefs combined to make an ever changing spectacle of brilliant colors.

Exotic limestone formations revealed the relentless erosive power of wind and tide, with small spires precariously balancing in the elements.

No amount of bad luck seemed to distract the team from the task of exploring northern Madagascar’s immense beauty, whether it be by 4x4, dhow boats or kites. On the final day Jalou wrapped her wound with waterproof plasters and duct tape for one last glorious session together.

With the worst seemingly behind them, they packed their bags and wished Gerardo a fond farewell before boarding a dhow boat back to the mainland.

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Jake Kinney demonstrates the utility of a skimboard in the shallow depths of Emerald Bay’s exotic patchwork of coral and sand.

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ABOVE: Russell Reed cruising out front of the beach at Kitesurf Madagascar. The Ventraza trade wind puts an end to the hot rainy season and blows consistently from July through October.

n the road to Antsiranana, their bus slammed on its brakes to avoid a pothole. Through the front windshield, the entire team watched Seth’s trademark blue Patagonia camera bag fly off the roof and crash to the ground before disappearing under the belly of the braking bus. If Seth wanted to believe the lack of damaged camera equipment was a sign of better things to come, it wasn’t. As the team pulled up to the airline counter, a lengthy battle over baggage fees ensued. The airline wanted $1500 in fees while the team resisted as best they could. In a bizarre turn of

events, the woman behind the counter about faced and checked the baggage without payment and sent the team to the gate where their large-bellied Airbus awaited departure. As they settled into what few open seats were left, the ground crew had a change of heart. The airline staff entered the cabin, and dragged the entire team back to the front counter to pay the excessive baggage fee. With the plane stranded on the tarmac for over an hour, the team paid their bill and boarded the plane once again, putting Madagascar and the bad luck behind them.

The relationship between causation and anecdotal evidence is perhaps a discussion for another place and time. But when you add up the sum total of the team’s misfortune in terms of cost in flesh, damaged equipment and excessive airline fees, there’s enough collective suffering to suggest when it comes to the superstition about bananas and boats, you might want to play it on the safe side.

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15 MINUTES

THIS ISSUE’S WINNING PHOTO (ABOVE) TAKES HOME A PATAGONIA TRUCKER HAT. SEND YOUR PHOTO TO EDITOR@ THEKITEBOARDER.COM TO GET YOUR 15 MINUTES OF FAME.

TOP (Winner): Xander Raith, a 17-year-old from Nantucket, MA, was visiting Mt. Hood on a snowboarding trip and by chance stopped at the HR slider park. With solid wind, he rigged his 12 and nailed this switch melan off the Slingshot kicker with no one else in the water. Photo Chad Otterstrom // MIDDLE: Every year Martyn Bone and friends travel to this island five miles off the coast of Edithburgh in South Australia. The island is on a massive sandbar so you get flat water with any wind direction and when the tide is out there are fun little waves to ride. Photo Maurice Windley // BOTTOM: This was Radu Baciu’s first time snowkiting at the Transalpina Ski Resort, Voineasa, Romania. He was so overpowered on his 14m, that he kited to the bottom of the hill and started towing regular skiers back up. Photo GoPro Selfie

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La Ventana has become the inaugural home of this circuit. This majestic bay attracts the top hydrofoilers to train and compete in ideal conditions. A consistent breeze, sandy beaches, perfect water depth and the mountain/desert view create a paradise for beginner, amateur and professional kiteboarders.

TO RESERVE: Kite Lessons. Accommodations. & Package Deals CONTACT: oliviawithington@hotmail.com OR Connect with us: MX +52 612 114 0267 // US 918 398 0114 // www.playacentralkiteboarding.com

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VIEWPOINT

Life In Transit This year has been all about slashing a bunch of places off my bucket list. Living on a small island like Antigua is great but when the Ozone European tour came knocking I signed up for seven European countries, Russia’s Rail Master’s event and the 2015 Ozone product shoot in Mauritius. After living in transit for a couple of months, basically bouncing between airports, airplanes and cars, I’ve picked up on quite a few things that may make your next trip a little less stressful.

Choosing the right airline can make or break a trip. Virgin Airlines is the only airline that I have come across that allows you to carry kite gear for completely free. Much thanks to Richard Branson for being an avid kiteboarder; kite gear doesn’t even count as one of your two free bags. But, if you have to fly with another airline, I recommend you travel as a golfer or a camper. I’ve been leaning on the camper cover lately because in the worst case scenario they will ask you to open your bag and a kite can easily be passed off as a tent.

During my Euro tour most of my travels were solo missions and I can tell you there are pros and cons to traveling alone, but more often than not it’s better

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Jake Kelsick switching it up in Le Morne, Mauritius. According to Jake, “Le Morne is known for its world class waves but that day was perfect for a world class bonking session!” // Photo Torrin Bright / Ozone Media

to travel with a friend. When you have a bunch of bags or long flights a friend makes it a bit easier to pass time and everything is more fun with a homie. On the other hand, if you do end up traveling alone, you will be much more approachable and can keep things interesting by reaching out to other travelers and be free to create new friendships.

Nowadays doing your homework is super easy. You can look up all the kite beaches, find the best lodging deals and dial in the food, but no amount of digital intel will beat interacting with the locals. If the spot has a kite school, that’s probably the best place to start by introducing yourself as a traveling kiter. Most locals are friendly and will be more than willing to have a quick chat with you and fill you in on their amazing country. But I must warn you, this method may lead to some special sessions, BBQ’s, crazy nights out and a bunch of new friends.

Traveling is one of the most amazing experiences in our sport. There are endless kiteboarding destinations around the world and every kiter you talk to will have a laundry list of where they have been and where you should go. Heck, while you’re at it buy a life-sized map, stick it on your wall, pinpoint all the places you have been and mark the ones still on your bucket list. If I had to recommend a place crossed off my bucket list, it would have to be Lake Garda, Italy. It was one of the most breathtaking places I have ever seen with great food, good people and tons of wind.

Jake Kelsick Keep up to date with Jake on Instagram @JakeKelsick You can also check out an edit from all his travels here: http://Bit.ly/InTransitVid

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ROOTS

By Trip Forman | Triple-S Event Co-Founder and Co-Director

In 2006, when we schemed up the Triple-S, it was so far out in left field, we launched it with the tag line “The World is Not Ready . . .” That same year, the original Red Bull King of the Air in Maui had just run its course.

Everyone rode footstraps with twin tips or “mutant” directionals.

Only a handful of riders rode “wakestyle,” with their kites low, booted onto their boards. These riders all agreed this was the direction they wanted their sport to go, but how to take it there?

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At the 2006 Triple-S Invitational, Andre “Dre” Phillip was a man on a mission, taking down both the “Slider” and “Combined” titles. Dre’s fast, technical riding style kept him in the #1 Combined position for three years and #1 in Sliders for four years, setting the bar for all future Triple-S competitors. You would think this photo was taken more recently than 2006, except for the fact that Dre is riding with no leash and the mammoth Red Bull Fun Box is made from plywood, trex, screws and four pontoon boat hulls. // Photo Real Watersports

The first six Triple-S Invitational’s boasted nothing more than bragging rights. Only in the last three years has prize money been introduced into the event with purses of $10,000, $25,000 and $40,000 as mainstream sponsors like Venyu joined long-time Triple-S partners Red Bull and John Wayne Cancer Foundation.

The first Triple-S Invitational was put together in only a few months. There was no prize money, just like-minded riders getting together for a week in Cape Hatteras to push themselves, push each other, and hopefully push the sport in the direction they all dreamed it should head.

The additional budget allowed for a Triple-S perpetual trophy to be constructed with every winner’s name all the way back to 2006. It’s a hefty chunk of hardware; even the guys need a big swing to hoist it over their heads. Whether you’re a pro competing at the Triple-S, or a teenager in Poland, getting your name on that trophy is one of the pinnacles of our sport.

Back then, REAL had the only official Slider Park in the world for kiteboarding. This was well before aluminum or welded HDPE (plastic) sliders and everything was built by trial and error. There were some good features and some that had to be scrapped or “remodeled,” but the riders didn’t care. Some of their sponsors questioned the validity of this vision. Is this too extreme?

Even after nine years of Triple-S, I can tell you from witnessing every one of them, the world is never ready. As organizers of the event, we’re still only prepared for 80% of it. The 20% we never see coming is a cross between the level of riding, commitment and enthusiasm the riders bring to the park. The 10th annual Venyu Triple-S will be no different, well except for all the surprises that none of us see coming.

IN 2006 WE TOLD YOU:

THE WORLD IS NOT READY...

THE 2015 VENYU TRIPLEES INVITATIONAL

EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF MAY 30TH JUNE 5TH IN CAPE HATTERAS, NC TRIPLESINVITATIONAL.COM 95

96 Jan Schiegnitz is caught perfecting his flat 3s in Langebaan, South Africa.

With longer days on the horizon, we can all look forward to extending our progression in the evenings ahead. // Photo Jens Hogenkamp

PARTING SHOT

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