TheKiteMag #32 - English

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Content THE FEATURES

078 The Photographers COVER The best freestyle rider we have ever seen? If you’re looking at his trick repertoire then it is difficult to dispute… Carlos ‘Bebe’ Mario in action at home with Andre Magarao getting the goods. The coolest thing about this shot (and you don’t often see this angle)?

Bebe’s house is actually right behind those trees…

THE REGULARS

060 Gallery GKA Freestyle World Cup, Leucate 033 Tangled Lines Maxime Chabloz 038 On the List Vancouver Island 040 My Beach Willow-River Tonkin 046 Interview Fabio Ingrosso 052 I’m On It Christophe Tack

What do the very best photographers in the business do when their favorite shots don’t get picked up by magazines? Well, usually they leave them sat on their hard drives, mourning that cover-that-never-was, or that shot that ‘should have been a Double Page Spread, dammit!’. This issue we take pity on two of our favorite photographers and let them choose their favorite shots from the last few months that never found a home. Over to Andre Magarao and Ydwer van der Heide…

108 The Olympic Countdown Begins Whatever your opinion on the merits of kitesurfing being in the Olympics: it’s happening. Here at TKM we’re pretty stoked about it. It’s good for the profile of the sport, and with foiling it’s going to be good to watch and is sure to provide some great entertainment in 2024. Which is a long way off… But for these Olympians, the buildup has already begun and it is set to be turbocharged once Tokyo 2020 is wound up. We caught up with the IKA’s Markus Schwendtner, racing legend Steph Bridge, and ex-dinghy sailing Olympian Stevie Morrison after the recent event in Lake Garda to find out how they see the Olympic run-in playing out.

054 The Creators Adrian Ropner 128 Technique with Vantin Rodriguez, Colleen Carroll, James Carew 134 The BIG Picture Airush Kiteboarding 140 Tell Me About It Flysurfer STOKE, F-ONE Halo, GIN Marabou, Ocean Rodeo Smoothy, CORE XR6 168 Under the Hood PLKB 174 Wrapping Up Kari Schibevaag

118 Head in the Clouds It wouldn’t be a spring issue without having the one and only Keahi de Aboitiz sending us over some insane shots from Fiji. If you like riding in the waves then maybe you think: Keahi is just too lucky… But if you had to pump up your kite, head out through the channel (struggling to keep your kite in the air through the sketchy wind) and then line yourself up as the set of the day comes steamrolling towards you: would you have what it takes?!

LEFT Jan Marcos Riveras happy to provide the entertainment for whoever happens to be left on the beach…

PHOTO Ydwer van der Heide

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EDITORIAL

Out of Season

Many moons before the first kitesurfers tightened their harnesses (and even before the first windsurfers first pulled on their uphauls – yes, that long ago!) our lives have been ruled by the changing of the seasons…

Our ancestor’s lives were dictated by the climatic rotations, with all successful ancient civilizations having had the seasons on their side. And in modern history, Europe becoming the turbo-charged hub of modern civilization primarily because the seasonal cycles made it so well suited to agriculture, enabling populations to explode and to evolve. So there is no doubt that an awareness of the seasons is within our DNA, and defines us as human beings… Without seasons, there would be no humanity.

As kiteboarders, this seasonal appreciation is even stronger. Whether it’s because you suffer from ‘bad season’ where you can’t kite for certain stretches of the year (maybe your local spot ices over, or the wind just turns off for a few months) or perhaps you spend months of the year waiting expectantly for ‘good season’ where the wind is stronger, or the direction is better for certain spots. The fact is that: if you kitesurf,

you know which season is the one for you… Seasons keep us interested and prevent us from getting bored of kiting. I mean, would you really want it absolutely perfect every day of the year?! Willow-River Tonkin has it perfect every day. He tells us all about it in My Beach this issue, and he’s pretty bummed about it.

Oh, hang on... Okay, so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad…

But at least seasons keep life interesting. They give us something to think about – dreaming of those sunbaked sessions – and give us a reason to be grumpy and to drink a little more during those darker months…

But perhaps the best thing about seasons is that they can catch you out. They aren’t set in stone. Sometimes you might flick on to Windguru because it’s 3pm and you’re bored at work and BOOM there is wind coming!

And the direction is PERFECT for your favorite spot and THIS NEVER HAPPENS. Suddenly all is good with the world, you can have a couple days of excitement and then wake up to that fabled ‘out of season bonus session’. Is there anything better than that?!

Enjoy the seasons... Alex

LEFT Here’s a case in point with Oswald Smith, out of season and in luck... “In Cape Town, we always chase the wind and the waves, but this day the wind dominated the waves so I went for a strapless Big Air session at this spot. Such a different feeling, but when you land them, it's just too good. What an epic day in the limelight delight!“ PHOTO Kyle Cabano

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THE TEAM Editor Alex Hapgood Creative Director Katharina Godbersen Sub-Editor Cai Waggett Technical Editor Richard Boughton Online Media Manager Gemma Hamaini

CONTRIBUTORS Andre Magarao, Sam Tome, Stephan Kleinlein, Francesca Hockley, Oscar Ardfelt, Samu Cardenas, Ydwer van der Heide, Ekaterina Makushchenko, Svetlana Romantsova, Jay Wallace, Martina Orsini, Oliver Hartas, Steph Bridge, Marcus Schwendtner, Beau Pilgrim, Stuart Johnson, Toby Bromwich

COPYRIGHT All material in TheKiteMag is subject to copyright.

Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution.

PUBLISHER TheKiteMag is published by Water Born Media Limited in Hayle, Cornwall. United Kingdom ENVIRONMENTAL This magazine is printed on paper sourced from responsibly managed sources using vegetable based inks. Both the paper used in the production and the manufacturing process are FCS ÂŽ certified. The printers are also accredited to ISO14001, the internationally recognized environmental standard.

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GS: Landing by boat at the tiny little paradise island surrounded by the most surreal nuances of turquoise and blue, it felt like somebody had pasted me into Photoshop. Just wide enough to put out my lines on the snow-white sand, I’ll never forget cruising out into this mind-blowingly beautiful South Pacific wonderland. As the only kitesurfer in thousands of kilometers, and most likely the first one ever in this amazing part of our planet, I felt the stoke intensely as I was gliding over translucent, azure glass with little sharks underneath chasing bright little fish. The Solomon Islands are a country adrift in time. Largely isolated from the outside world and with only about 6000 tourists per year, this is truly ‘off the beaten track’. On this trip I had to tackle an earthquake, dengue fever, getting stranded in a cyclone for many days on a tiny remote island without any telecommunication, and many more challenges! Sessions like these made it all totally worthwhile though.

RIDER Gabi Steindl PHOTO Stephan Kleinlein LOCATION The Solomon Islands

AG: Last year we found this amazing place near Moscow. There are endless frozen water channels with pipes linking one side to the other. I had a few tries but decided to wait for better wind, but conditions didn’t line up, so it was on my mind to return and to hit it this year. After cruising around these fields for a long time, we finally found even more crazy locations with the space for acceleration, and with five different pipes on different levels.

The hardest thing was to keep balance for more than 10 meters without tension in the kite, and as you can see it was over two meters onto the ice. But after two years of competing in the Kite Park League it wasn’t that hard for me, so we got the shot pretty quickly and almost without crashes. Almost…

RIDER Artem Garashchenko PHOTO Ekaterina Makushchenko LOCATION Russia

CF: No straps, no worries! This was one of those days when it just felt right to be flying high on a cold winter’s day up the east coast of South Africa…

RIDER Carl Ferreira PHOTO Sam Tome LOCATION South Africa

JB: The Tana River Delta is situated in Northern Kenya. It’s way off the grid so you can expect to be the only kiter if you manage to make it out there. The wildlife is absolutely stunning and on a large scale. Hippos, crocs and one of the most vibrant selections of birdlife I’ve ever witnessed. This place has the feeling of real Kenya and makes you feel like you are in the middle of a David Attenborough documentary…

RIDER James Boulding PHOTO Francesca Hockley LOCATION Kenya

PS: The sunset in Madagascar was one of the best I’ve ever seen! There were only two of us in the water this day, with Maxime and the media crew of Olivier and Ydwer. Ydwer had the shot in his head but it was quite hard to line everything up, and we did not have unlimited time to do this shot, because the sun was going down pretty fast… After a few tries I managed to find the spot, and to loop my kite at the right time. I could see the stoke on Ydwer’s face after the session. This was definitely something I’ll never forget.

RIDER Paul Serin PHOTO Ydwer van der Heide LOCATION Madagascar

SS: It was two weeks, two weeks straight of 40 knots Levante in Tarifa. Sounds nice to some, but if you can’t even drink a coffee outside your own four walls for fourteen days and start to get tired of well-overpowered 7m kite sessions, then – trust me – you won’t enjoy 40 Knots. So my mate Oscar and I jumped on the plane, a short trip from the Rock (Gibraltar) down south to Dakhla. There was surf, there was light wind, and there was a very good crew at Dakhla Evasion. I don’t really know if there is any spot comparable to the Speedspot, probably not. Especially on light wind days, it feels like you’ve got endless sandbanks all to yourself: it’s freestyle Heaven.

RIDER Stefan Spiessberger PHOTO Oscar Ardfelt LOCATION Speedspot, Dakhla

JC: This shot represents what Samu Cardenas and I were looking at for weeks. We both were imagining getting wildlife into the kite shots. Kiteboarding is a sport that gives you such a strong feeling of wildness and a pure connection to nature. No motors are needed, you’re not harming nature and you’re driven by the wind! We didn’t quite get the exact angle we wanted, but having the bird flying under and the cow with her baby looking at my trick is what makes it sick for me! The fun fact about this one is that I had to jump where there was no water, so right after passing the bar I had to look down and land basically on grass…

RIDER Jerome Clotens PHOTO Samu Cardenas LOCATION Brazil

TKM: Flysurfer recently whisked many of the great and good from the world of kiteboarding off to Cape Verde to showcase their all-new STOKE. It has been a few years in development and was a real crowd-pleaser. When they weren’t keeping the punters happy, the team riders were even let loose to play for a while. Here’s Matias making the most of his pass…

RIDER Matias Lee PHOTO Benni-Geislinger LOCATION Sal, Cape Verde

TKM: Ewan Jaspan is one of those unique riders who manages to make their moves look pretty much effortless. He may have built his recent reputation in the Kite Park League, but his roots are very much in the flat-water world, and stylish grabs like this illustrate how a tweaked out freestyle move can look as good in kiting as it does in any other boardsport.

RIDER Ewan Jaspan  PHOTO Frankie Bees  LOCATION Maui

Maxime Chabloz T

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Tangled Lines Maxime Chabloz

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Maxime Chabloz has been tearing it up on the freestyle tour, and very nearly became the first rider to take the top spot from Carlos Mario in France… As if that wasn’t enough, he also happens to be junior freeride ski world champion (and he was also junior ­kitesurf world champion before stepping up to the big league). We’re not sure what his parents have been feeding him, but it seems to have done the job…

S

Tangled Lines

Maxime Chabloz

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T — TKM

What came first, skiing or kiting? And how have you ended up competing at a high level in both disciplines?

Well for me obviously skiing came first. I mean I can almost say that I grew up on skis as my parents put me on skis as soon as I could walk! Kiting came a bit later, when I was around seven, but the difference was that as soon as I discovered kiting I was obsessed with it. I would go with my dad to the beach just to watch kiters for hours. I decided to stop my alpine skiing career for good in 2016 as I wasn’t really motivated anymore and just wanted to kite after winning my first junior world title.

But after two years of concentrating on kiting only and not skiing as much as I used to, I started missing skiing, not so much alpine racing, just skiing. That’s why I decided to join the Freeride Junior World Tour at the beginning of 2019 to make sure I wouldn’t lose skiing as this is a huge part of my life.

— JULIEN LELEU

Being junior world champion in both freestyle kite and freeride skiing, which is the most extreme/dangerous from your point of view?

Well to be honest I would say freeride skiing is almost one of the most dangerous action sports there is. I mean if you compare the numbers of peo-

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ple dying in freeride or in kiting, freeride has many more deadly accidents. My point of view is always that anything can happen anywhere. But the reason why I chose freeride skiing is because it’s what I like to do most but also because I personally think that the injury risk factor is smaller in skiing than in kiting as long as you keep doing what you know and don’t just try to be the craziest and push it until something happens. I think in kiting the injury risk for your knees, your back or your shoulders is higher than in freeride.

— JEROME CLOETENS

I think you could be a legend in extreme sports if you keep on kiting and skiing at this level: how can you market yourself to be the next extreme sports megastar?!

Thanks dude that means a lot! Well I’m working hard to make sure that everyone knows that I’m doing both and that I can be the best. That is also why I started my new series MaxWorld to show the people more about my life and that I’m not just sitting around all day.

— TKM

Which skills transfer between kiting and skiing and which don’t?

Well I think it’s like a win-win situation, like

TOP Yup, nursery slope skiing this is not.

RIGHT Max has had a bit of podium practice...

LEFT I think I'll take my chances with the Double Passes thanks Max.

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when I go ski I won’t learn or train how to kite, but it’s a good crossover physical training. I’m not skiing to become better at kiting and I’m not kiting to become better in skiing; both sports are my passion and when I do one I just concentrate on that one and don’t think about being on a kite while I jump a cliff on skis.

— YOURI ZOON

So this might be a tough one, and I hope you never have to make that decision because you excel in both disciplines so respect for that, but what if you had to choose between skiing and kiteboarding?

Oh yeah that is a tough one and my answer is always the same! I chose to start competition freeride skiing so that I didn’t have to choose. That was the whole reason behind it. I love kiting and skiing more than everything in the world and could never choose to not do one of them.

— PAUL SERIN

Well I always need some time after a long break

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Which other riders have you followed over the years who inspire you?

Well obviously I was watching Youri’s videos all the time when I got into kiting. And then I started to watch more and more videos of different riders ▶

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Maxime Chabloz

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— TKM

Tangled Lines

How can you still be so good at kiting after spending three months in the mountains?! I lose my tricks if I don’t kite for that long but it looks like you don’t!

as it’s not like I’m riding at the same level I was the year before on my first session of the year. But I don’t know, sometimes I just tell myself “Come on dude. You know this trick, you’ve done it a milliontimes, just do it!” and then it works.

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ALL PHOTOS Max got the dream ticket to the Madagascan shoot. As you can see, he made the most of it.

How do you approach your nutrition to ensure you are always fit for events?

I work together with Enmouvement in Lausanne which is a center with a physical trainer, physio, doctor and also nutritionists. So I have a nutrition plan that I try my best to follow, especially before a competition. But as we are traveling a lot it’s always hard to find the same ingredients...

— CAMILLE DEL ANNOY

What feels the best to you, winning a GKA event or a freeride world tour event?

Ha! Well for now I would say GKA is still bigger for me because it’s a pro tour and in freeride I have only competed in the juniors. But winning the Freeride Junior World Championships was probably the best feeling. But not because it’s skiing but because I had achieved both junior world champion in kiting and in skiing.

Every rider has his strong sides and weak sides and it’s up to you to see who has what skills.

— TKM

Can you beat Carlos?!

Good question! I think two years ago beating Carlos was unimaginable, but in Leucate this year I think I proved that it is possible. In very good conditions Carlos still has more tricks and more consistency, but in bad conditions anything can happen.

— L ASSE WALKER

Over the last year I’ve seen you work a lot with your coach, Fabio Ingrosso. How has this helped your performance, and what has been the best advice he has offered?

For me, having a coach at an international level is almost mandatory. I come from alpine ski racing so I was always used to having a coach. When you are competing, if you have to think about everything then you can’t concentrate on the most important thing, which is to perform. Having a coach is like having a second brain thinking for you about everything around you and he can calm you down in a stressful situation and as a person on the beach you can always trust that he will be there if you need something. Fabio gives me advice every day and everything I always find very useful. ◼

Maxime Chabloz

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— RUBEN LENTEN

Tangled Lines

and I would say every single rider in kiteboarding has been an inspiration for me because I always try to see the good sides of a rider. Like I watch Carlos when it’s about how to pass the bar or to spin fast, but if it’s about doing a sick grab I’m going to watch Stefan for example. I think every rider has his strong sides and weak sides and it’s up to you to see who has what skills.

ON THE LIST

VANCOUVER ISLAND

WORDS Reece Myerscough PHOTOS Jay Wallace

It’s usually not the first kiteboarding destination to come to mind, but Vancouver Island is one of the most beautiful places in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Located on the wild west coast of Canada, Vancouver Island is larger than Belgium and has less than a tenth of the population. If you’re looking for a unique kite adventure, there are few better places than to head in the summer.

Victoria is the biggest city on Vancouver Island. Located on the southernmost tip of the island, it is the perfect place to spend a few days before heading north. The Victoria waterfront is the perfect kite spot for the nine-to-five worker as almost every day (at around 5 o’clock) in the spring/summer/fall the wind picks up from the west, funneling down the Juan de Fuca Straight. Wind strength ranges from 15 to 35 knots depending on the day and can be very steady or extremely gusty depending on the direction. The water is chilly, and there is no doubt the conditions get gnarly: but you can get wet every day.

Cook St. is the main spot along the waterfront and although it is very choppy it has a couple of unique features. There is a large cliff right next to the spot and the wind often lifts over the cliff. If you jump on a good day, the wind blowing up and over the cliff will give you a second booster and lift you 20 foot higher than where you should be. The cliff boosters combined with a couple of large wind-swell kickers can provide some epic sessions. Then about two minutes drive downwind from Cook St. is Clover Point. The leeward side of Clover is perfect for throwing loops and provides a buttery flat landing zone.

A three-hour drive north from Victoria on a mix of paved and gravel roads you will find Nitinat. Nitinat Lake is one of the most amazing and beautiful kiteboarding locations in the world and provides a true west coast experience. It’s located in the wilderness on the west coast of Vancouver Island. During the summer months thermal winds blow almost every day.

When the sun shines, Nitinat Lake funnels cool wind from the Pacific Ocean through forest covered mountains towards the hot middle section of Vancouver Island.

Nitinat’s wind is like clockwork. In the mornings the lake is always mirror flat, perfect for cooking breakfast. At around 12 o’clock you will see a dark line racing down the lake, the wind line is so distinct the water is literally white caps on one side and mirror flat on the other. Although the air is dead, you can hear the wind in the trees above your head until BAM! A perfect 25 knots hits you and it’s time to go kiting. The wind blows until the sun drops behind the mountains and then it stops almost as quickly as it arrived. The lake returns to its glassy state, perfect for cooking dinner.

A Van, SUV, or truck is required to navigate the logging roads which are littered with potholes. The conditions are choppy with steady wind. Real camping is also required, there are no showers or proper toilets, and there is no cell reception or wifi. Bring as much food and water as you need, and don’t forget the toilet paper! There is lots of wildlife and it’s not un-

common to see giant elk, deer, and black bears. But don’t worry too much about the bears: it’s the giant land beavers and sasquatches you should watch out for.

Nitinat Lake can sometimes get crowded at peak season (although not crowded compared to Europe). If you want a similar experience to Nitinat but less crowded, there are several similar setups close by, including Nimpkish and China Creek.

Nimpkish adds another hour-and-a-half onto your driving time but often provides stronger wind and larger wind swell. China Creek adds two hours to the drive and the wind is often lighter than Nitinat. The camping experience is less hardcore at China Creek as there are proper washroom facilities and the closest town is only 20 minutes away. China Creek is also the perfect place to stop for a session on the way to Tofino…

And if you are determined to get some wave action, then Tofino is your best summer option. Tofino is an end-of-theroad town located five hours north of Victoria on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The Tofino area is surrounded by long sandy beaches exposed to the open Pacific so there is always a little bit of swell. The wind can be fickle in the summer so plan to be doing other activities if you travel there. Tofino is one of the coolest towns in Canada and it has some amazing hikes, surfing, wildlife, and restaurants and breweries. Then, if you’re lucky, you might score a couple days of wind and waves. The perfect trip! ◼

GETTING THERE The best way to get to Vancouver Island is to fly into Victoria then rent a SUV/van/truck and go from there.

If conditions are looking crappy on the island, Victoria is within a day’s drive of world-class kite destinations such as Squamish, Hood River, and the Oregon Coast.

RUBBER A 3/2 will be enough at Nitinat Lake.

Any ocean kiting will require a warm 4/3 or a 5/4 with a hood. Although the water is chilly the air is often in the mid 20°C during the summer.

OTHER THINGS TO BRING Hiking boots and backpack, pepper spray, bear whistle, bear spray, shotgun, combat knife, ‘How to Fight a Bear and Survive’ handbook.

BEER $7 but don’t worry, it’s worth it.

Vancouver Island has tons of world-class microbreweries and it’s hard to find a better beer selection anywhere else in the world.

MOST LIKELY TO HEAR Another sasquatch raided my campsite while I was kiting today.

STAYING THERE If you’re planning on kiting Nitinat you will be camping so come

prepared! In Tofino there are plenty of nice campgrounds and hotels to choose from.

IN THE BAG Bring at least three kites. An 8m, 10m, 12m will do the job for the average-sized human. The conditions are mainly choppy or flat water and generally great for any kind of riding so bring a twintip, surfboard, and a foil board if you’re into that.

LEAST LIKELY TO HEAR Pass the Factor 50.

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LE MORNE WILLOW-RIVER TONKIN

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My Beach

Le Morne

When it comes to true local heroes they don’t come much better than Willow-River Tonkin. The king of One Eye and also – with his never-stop-smiling attitude – the perfect ambassador for the island of Mauritius…

What are your first recollections of the beach?

My first memories of Le Morne were probably when I was around 13-14 years old. I would often go down there to surf One Eye. I remember looking at all those kitesurfers and thinking, why would you want to have all that extra gear when instead you can just have your surfboard? That’s until I started kitesurfing about a year later and realized that I can catch four times as many waves that are three times longer in about half the time as I would surfing. I would say that is a deal and a half!

Can you remember any of your first sessions?

ABOVE Fun with friends.

Willow and Taylor's lives have followed pretty similar paths.

Lucky chaps.

RIGHT Has Willow clocked 10,000 hacks yet?

Probably...

As I grew up on such an amazing island with one of the most recognized spots in the world for kitesurfing, I didn't have to travel very far to get world class conditions... but when you're a 14-year-old dude, a 25-minute drive feels very far. I would pack my lunchbox with lentils and rice that I cooked for the day, head out and take the public bus with all my gear until the turn off to Le Morne. From there I would stick out my thumb and hope for some windsurfers or kitesurfers to give me a lift down to the beach. A trip that would usually take 25 minutes would take me one hour to one-and-a-half hours to get to the beach... not to forget that I still had to go back home after kiting for a couple hours. I would do this every day for days on end, but the amount of stoke that those few hours on the water would give

me made up for all the missions that I had just to get to the beach!

Who else did you ride there with?

My boys, Bart Labonne, Taylor Holl and my brother, Talis-Rain Tonkin, were definitely the main crew that I would be hitting sessions and charging bombs out at One Eye with. And of course not to forget the local beach crew, Ron, Darryl and Jeremy who were also shredding out there with us without a doubt. Then it was always great to see all the pros like Airton Cozzolino, Matchu Lopes, Mitu Monteiro, Keahi de Aboitiz and many more put on a show and inspire all of us locals on what you’re capable of doing out there and helping to push the level of local kitesurfing!

Can you talk us through the typical conditions – what is it like first thing in the morning and how does it change through the day?

The morning starts off with the sun shining between Le Morne mountain and the hills of Baie du Cap, lighting up the faces of One Eye with not a single cloud in sight. The slight offshore breeze during the early morning hours creates the most perfect conditions for a surf... During the later hours of the morning the trade winds start to kick in and by midday, the conditions are usually all time. During the late afternoon hours of the day, one or two ▶

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clouds start to pull in, and by sunset you have got the most amazing view of the sun disappearing behind the walls of One Eye straight downwind from the beach.

Has the set up at the beach changed over the years?

Not much has changed, there is just the car park and a couple of the local food trucks selling food and drinks to keep you going!

My Beach

Le Morne

What would be your perfect day there?

A perfect day would be getting to the beach with my best friends, Taylor and Bart, and seeing 4-6 foot walls peeling from the top of One Eye and running down to the channel with 20 knots of side-offshore wind. I don’t think you would ever see three dudes lose their minds like we do. And trust me, this happens on a regular basis! When I get to the beach and see the channel of One Eye just spitting barrels, from that moment on, you know you are going to have one of those legendary days.

I love how looking at waves can give you so much stoke and excitement. On days like that, it seems like your gear sets up itself, there’s no waiting around. There’s no waiting for waves to get better or waiting for wind to fill in... you arrive and everything is just ON. All you want to do is get out there and sit in every single barrel that comes through... and that’s exactly what I go and do.

Where’s your favorite place to eat or what is your favorite meal after a session there?

The best thing is getting out of the water and ordering a typical Mauritian dish at the beach from the local food truck, it's called Mine Frit, which means stir fried noodles... It may not be the healthiest option after kiting but after a SOLID session on One Eye, there’s nothing much you can think about oth-

er than smashing some delicious fried noodles!

Do you think you would have got to where you are today if that hadn’t been such a familiar spot?

I strongly believe in the 10,000 hours rule and it’s said that if anyone puts that amount of time into anything that they do, you will be successful in whatever discipline, sport or field you are in... I remember often working out with my dad roughly how many hours I have dedicated to surfing/kitesurfing, and that gave me a clear vision of what I wanted and how much time and energy I needed to dedicate into my sport to fulfil my dream of becoming a professional surfer/kitesurfer, and it has for sure paid off!

And yes, of course being home-schooled gave me a huge advantage as I could spend way more time doing what I love than most people. And yes, living at one of the best spots in the world helps to gain international exposure with all the brands doing photoshoots, dealer meetings and stuff here.

But the point I’m trying to get at is that if YOU have a dream, you can do it too! If you have the passion, the motivation, the stoke, and the vision, start racking in those hours and live your dream! Just like I am doing.

When did you last ride there – how was it?!

I last rode in Le Morne in the beginning of May together with Steven Akkersdijk... There were two or three days in a row with 30 knots of wind... Absolute perfect conditions for strapless freestyle and such a rocking way to start off the season!

If you had to choose another spot that you love but that is completely different, where would it be?

I would probably say Maui as it’s really good for kitesurfing but it also seems to be amazing for surf foiling: another sport that I am dedicating a lot of my time to! ◼

LEFT Deep and fully committed…

BELOW Nice wax job Willow.

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FABIO

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The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted that for the last couple of years, there has been one man seen regularly skulking along the shoreline feverishly studying the heat scores and occasionally gesticulating at the rider in the water. That man is Fabio Ingrosso and he is a professional kite coach who can currently count one world champion amongst his riders and surely with more to come. Time to find out more about the man in the shadows….

Hey Fabio, thanks for taking the time to talk to us.

So for a couple of seasons we have spotted you on the beach keeping an eye on pro riders… How would you describe your job?

Yes, so four years ago I put nearly all my energy into the coaching side and I’m very happy with the result we got with my athletes. My job is not that easy, you need strong experience in competition to be able to translate and understand the inner feelings of the rider. Everyone is different but all need support. I would say that the main parts in my job description are to understand each rider’s profile and personality, to have a high knowledge about competition and the technical parts of the tricks and then to be really precise about how to execute tricks and to be able to score and judge tricks during training. Then, for me, the most important thing is to be passionate about the sport and passing on this passion to my riders.

Cool. So what’s your background, you have a lot of experience with snowkiting right?

My background is about 23 years in kiting, just a kite at the beach at first, then some competitions with a buggy, then I was snowkiting on my own (there were no kite schools at this time and nobody to show you anything, so I had to work it out for myself!). Then I did many years of snowkiting competitions on skis, and I won the Winter Tour world ­title six times. At the same time I started kitesurfing, but I was not so good on the water and I had to train a lot to get better.

And you have worked with some kite brands, helping with design?

Yes, once I stopped competing I had the chance to get involved as a test rider, developing kites on the snow with my own pro-model (the Fabio!) by

Boards&More, and just after that I was also a test rider on the water as my skill level was good enough by then! I did several years developing kites with Boards&More, but before that I was testing and developing kites with Salomon and Advance kites.

Testing was for me very important and gave me the knowledge about the business of kiting and what is important in kites.

How has it been to watch the sport evolve?

Well I was involved from the very beginning and I’ve seen all the little and big steps in the sport and I think I’m very lucky for that. It’s crazy how fast the sport changed, every step was massive and made people dream more and more! The main change I’ve seen is in the kiteboarding community. The first kiters were more ‘rootsy’, with chill lifestyles, like rastas! But slowly the sport grew with better gear and more security and many more kiters got into the sport, but now it wasn’t only roots or rastas in this cool, easy lifestyle, there were more older guys ▶

LEFT Fabio working his magic with Gianmaria Coccoluto.

ABOVE Celebrating with two of his prodigies.

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able to afford the quite expensive kit. Now the sport is affordable and the kit is just amazing, and so safe compared to when we started with no leash, no quick release and super unstable with no depower.

So which riders are you coaching at the moment?

For over three years I’ve worked with Mikaili Sol and Maxime Chabloz, and now I’m also working with Gianmaria Coccoluto, Valentin Rodriguez and Aron Rosslee. I have also worked with Stefan Spiessberger, Paul Serin, Anthar Racca, Claudia León, Paula Novotná and a few more…

Interview

Fabio Ingrosso

What do you think of the direction the freestyle side of the sport is taking? Do you think it should remain ‘pure’ freestyle or become a broader ­category with elements of Big Air included?

For me, it’s a normal evolution bringing some Big Air elements in, depending on the wind conditions.

I think when it is over 30 knots it is just good to have some air action, like in South Africa, but I’m super conservative about the pure freestyle in reasonable winds. For me the handle pass kite low is the hardest way to kite and you need years of training to be able to go in that direction, so for me this is the only way to differentiate between the ‘good kitesurfer’ and the ‘true competitor’!

We were on the beach last year at the GKA Air Games event and you were helping Mika switch from boots to bindings mid-way through the heat.

How much planning had gone into the heat?

Last year at the Air Games we were forced to make some board-offs which was why we changed the board during the heat. With Mikaili and Maxime, I had the timer in my hand and after 70% of the duration of the heat I was showing them it was time to change boards, to make sure we had time for a board-off. So not much planning for that, just clear organization!

What’s your first step when you’re working with a rider?

First of all, when I’m speaking with a rider for the first time, I always set up a goal. It is very important to know if the goal is to become the world champion, or just getting to the next level, to compete. After that I evaluate the rider, watching them ride and filming them, then I can point out the good and the bad points, and after that first training session they have a guide of what to do better and they can work on that until the next session with me.

What are the main things you work on with the top-level riders, is it mainly technical or is there a lot of psychological preparation as well?

For the top level kiteboarders, the first step is to build confidence and to be sure we are connected and trust and respect each other, because once they are in the heat we need to know each other well enough to be able to make the right decisions. We talk, decide which tricks to do, and trust each other.

How important is equipment choice and kite set up and how do you find the best set up for a specific rider or event?

These days, as the gear we have is so good, we have the opportunity to find our own settings, and this is the job of the rider to try the maximum amount of settings to see which ones feel best for him or her.

So it is very important.

Are there riders who you can tell immediately are going to be world class?

Some riders have the potential for sure, and you can see it from the beginning, but nothing is free, even for those talented riders. Others may have less ability to be the best, but they work that much harder. So you can still be a professional kiteboarder but it takes a lot of sacrifice. ◼

ABOVE Does photo-coaching work? It certainly seems to for Mikaili!

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CHRISTOPHE TACK

I’M ON IT

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Since moving away from the freestyle tour, Chris Tack has made a pretty immediate impression on the world of park riding.

Technically he is good, but he has the all-important style factor locked in too... So, what’s he got under his feet?

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I’ve been riding the Radnium since it came into the

range for 2019. It’s the evolution of the Element, which is what I’ve been riding since its launch in 2013.

I want a board that rides fast while maintaining controllability. You also want explosive pop, with a steady, solid landing. An optimal combination basically. The Radnium is my favorite all-round freestyle board.

It has a new outline and is less aggressive and more comfortable than the Element, with rounded out tips, but with all the performance the Element used to have. So it’s basically the Element performance with a better freeride feel!

The Radnium has a balanced outline for excellent grip and upwind performance while still remaining playful and comfortable to ride with rounded out tips. It’s got a mid-high rocker line, combined with quad channels at the tip and an ultra-shallow concave at the center, so for me it has the optimal combination of speed and control while still offering steady landings.

The channels are grippy enough to ride with smaller fins or even finless if you want to hit features, and the Radnium has a natural flex. It flexes but doesn’t feel soft and has a lively and springy feel to it with Liquid Force’s exclusive ultra-thin rails.

The 2020 Radnium has the same outline and goodness with an updated flex and I love the new banger graphics too!

For riding in the park you want a board with a simple bottom shape. You may think that you want a complicated bottom shape full of channels to compensate for riding finless, but that’s not necessarily the case. You want a board without a spine in the middle and a simple bottom shape; channels are okay, but not channels that are sharp and cornered, as they can catch and cause nasty crashes and you can get less feedback on the features.

It’s always cool to try a new board and test new materials or different rocker lines. It’s also just exciting when you get new gear that actually improves your riding, that’s always a highlight moment.

I like working on new shapes – it’s always cool to try a new board and test new materials or different rocker lines. You learn quite a bit about board characteristics while testing… It’s also just exciting when you get new gear that actually improves your riding, that’s always a highlight moment.

I’ve been riding the HiFi and NV this season with the new Amp bar. The HiFi has been my weapon of choice ever since its release and I still primarily use this kite, but lately I’ve been using the NV more and more, mainly for waveriding, but also when the waves are big or have a short period, to have the ultra-fast and hassle-free relaunch which gives me more confidence to send it off kickers. For air tricks, nothings beats the HiFi though. That’s my favorite freestyle kite.

Recently I’ve mainly been riding kickers at my new home spot in Portugal, or have been in the

lagoon doing air tricks. I’m getting more into waveriding too, it’s a lot softer on the body and just a fun thing to do after getting done by hitting wave kickers!

For 2019 I am focused on getting my air tricks fully on point again and on doing some different things. I’m hoping to do a smaller video project as well, and of course all of the Kite Park League events once again, and I hope to step up my game there. ◼

NAME OF BOARD Liquid Force Radnium DIMENSIONS 142 x 42.5cm YOUR HEIGHT 6’0 YOUR WEIGHT 74 kg

THE CRE ATORS

Adrian Ropner Adrian Ropner was a true pioneer in the world of twintips with his Underground brand back in the very early days of the sport. Since then he has moved on to found AXIS which has developed a solid reputation for innovative and very well built boards. When foiling arrived on the scene, Adrian was quick to turn his eye for design to this new discipline, and AXIS have been very much ‘ahead of the curve’ since day one. Demand for AXIS foils is huge and, h ­ aving their own production facility, they have proven themselves to be highly adaptable and able to keep up with this fast-evolving sport and move quickly into the world of surf and SUP foils as well as the kite side. Very much still at the heart of the brand is Adrian, so we thought we would get a quick lesson in foil mechanics from the master…

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The Creators Adrian Ropner

So what makes a good foil?

Well I guess a good place to start is the basics of how a foil works. You are riding the front wing, the rear wing acts as a stabilizer and the mast and fuselage hold everything together.

With that in mind it is critical that you are as attached to the front wing as possible so that you can control and ride the wing. That means that the join between the wing and fuselage, the join between the fuselage and mast, and the stiffness of the mast are crucial to that connection. Our wing to fuselage join has a 62mm wide flat plate that bolts into the wing with 4 x M8 bolts, two of them side-by-side, 50mm apart. The fuselage to mast has a 12mm wide spigot that goes 60mm up into the mast and is secured by two M8 bolts. Our 19mm mast is 224% stiffer than the standard 15mm aluminum masts that many others use, and is also stiffer than all of the carbon masts that we have checked.

Can you check how stiff your set up is on the beach?

Yes for sure. A good way to get an idea of this connection and compare is to tip the board upside down

and place a foot lightly on the board, grab the front and back of the fuselage and twist side to side. This gives you an idea of torsional rigidity. Also press down on a wingtip and place your fingers on the join between the front wing and fuselage, you will be able to feel the movement between the front wing and fuselage, you can also feel at the mast fuselage join and feel the mast flexing sideways. There is always going to be some movement as the foil is a long dangly thing quite a distance from the board.

But we realized right when we started building the SUP and surf foils that this connection was perhaps the first point to get right. Without decent joins no matter what wings you have it is very hard to ride aggressively with floppy masts and joins….

OK, that makes sense, what about the wings themselves?

Well we experimented with the wings quite a bit and we started with thinner foil sections. When we work with wings we describe them as a % of the chord. The chord is the distance from the front to the back of the wing section. So for example, a wing with a 200mm chord at 10% is 20mm thicker than ▶

LEFT The kite foil in action.

There's a pretty long waiting list for these and for good reason.

TOP LEFT Adrian is always keen to spread his knowledge around.

He is a man who loves what he does.

ABOVE Adrian enjoying the fruits of his labor in Thailand.

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turning, then with the turndown, more turndown allows for better carving but also takes away from the glide of a wing. So like everything in foiling it is all about balance and getting that right...

What new developments do you have coming out soon?

The Creators

Adrian Ropner

the same wing at 15% which is 30mm thick. We started with 8% foils and worked up thicker and thicker and ended up liking the 15% foils. The thicker foils are not necessarily slower but are a lot more stable and predictable to ride. You can foil anything really, you could foil a sharpened-up sheet of plywood but you would be relying entirely on forward movement and angle of attack to maintain foiling, and this is not stable or easy to ride.

What about the actual shapes of the wings?

The two main factors in general are the amount of sweep in the wing and the turndown (how curved the foil is). More sweep in the wing allows for better

Well, we have been working on a windsurf foil for a while and have that out now. There are a few extra challenges with windsurf foiling as windsurfers want to use an existing box position that is really too far back to get the front wing in the right place so we had to make a specific windsurf fuselage with a longer neck to extend the front wing further forward. We also have a rear wing with turned down tips. We don’t really like this wing for kites or for surfing, but it works great for windsurfing where you need more yaw stability as the windsurf rig wants to round the board up into the wind. Our solid mast, fuselage and wing join setup really works well with the extra forces involved with lifting a windsurf board, rider and rig.

So it sounds like you are having some fun with development?!

Yes we are, the whole foiling thing is very addictive and there is so much to learn. We will continue to add wings to our already very large collection. The aim is to have something for everyone… ◼

LEFT Adrian in presentation mode.

BELOW Crusing back to base in La Ventana .

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WORDS Gemma Hamaini PHOTOS Svetlana Romantsova / GKA

Last year’s event in Leucate was – for the first time ever – a write off due to the poor wind conditions. This year started in a similar style, with a windless opening to the waiting period… And then everything went crazy for the last two days. Unfortunately the wind direction was not good for the established event site so there was the mother of all pack ups to get everything moved to a new site. What followed was two days of insanely entertaining kiteboarding in gnarly ‘real world’ conditions. Let’s hope the rest of the season can match these levels of excitement.

GALLERY

The entire event was moved to the new location in Port Leucate for the last two days as the wind direction was better there. It was an absolute mission to move the scoring screen and the entire live stream, but thankfully everything worked out…

Anthar Racca is on form this year!

The Mexican rider has had a very good run, almost making his way into the finals.

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The wind was very strong for the final day, so the riders adapted their tricks for the strong conditions.

Here’s Adeuri sending it.

Prepping for the finals! Maxime Chabloz made the right call bringing his ski goggles! Very necessary when it’s blowing 50 knots on the beach.

Gallery 

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Francesca Bagnoli claims her very first and well-deserved win! After several years competing, she is really proving herself to be a top contender this year.

After no wind for the first four days of the event everything was condensed into the final two days with the riders and the crew arriving at the beach at 7am and riding all day until 8pm. Francesca Bagnoli didn’t let the long days stop her charge to the top of the podium.

Carlos Mario was pushed pretty hard, but proved to everyone that he is still the boss; even in these extremely challenging conditions.

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Gallery

Leuctae

The final prize giving ceremony for the Mondial Du Vent. It’s always a big affair, with large crowds and supporters to celebrate the end of this iconic event.

Maxime Chabloz narrowly missed out on his first win at this event...

The future is certainly bright for the young rider though, and you have to think that his first tour win isn’t too far away.

The Brazilian team! Not as warm as Cumbuco for sure, but they seemed pretty stoked anyway…

Alex Neto is back on the tour this year with a new sponsor, and judging by this shot, some extra steez too.

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Gallery    Leuctae

Lewis Crathern was joined by Craig Cunningham for the last two days of the event on the live stream which was sponsored by capital. com. They did a great job covering all of the action and keeping the masses entertained!

Gallery 

  Leuctae

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There was a lot going on with the media coverage this year, with all of the action live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube, as well as live broadcasting on TV channels across the globe. All helping to bring freestyle kiteboarding to a bigger audience than ever.

Anthar Racca riding with power and plenty of style.

FLY OVER WATER

INNOVATION EFFICIENCY DESIGN levitaz.com

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Pippa van Iersel was in her element at this event, showing how she is used to these tough conditions.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t manage her best in the final and had to settle for fifth overall.

So close to winning! Maxime Chabloz gets a bear hug from his coach Fabio for his massive effort in the finals.

Rider: Reece Myerscough Photographer: Jay Wallace

THE OTHER GUYS

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STUFF

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MYSTIC GEM JALOU This issue includes our all-important annual Harness Buyer’s Guide…

Here’s a sneak preview though. The Gem Jalou is an all new top-­end hardshell option offering stiff horizontal support with some flex in the ‘wings’ so the harness can twist and follow your body as you drive into another bottom turn, Jalou-style…

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CORE FUSION 4 The Fusion 4 is the all-round performance machine in CORE’s line up.

Utilizing their Cartan Carbon, it perfectly matches the flex you need for a comfortable ride with the stiffness you need for that all important pop factor. Changes from last year’s model include a new outline and reworked channels on the base to improve edging for when it’s time to send it, and to improve comfort for when it’s time to cruise…

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CABRINHA FOILS Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the speed at which the foil world is evolving – it’s pretty exciting times to be alive! Cabrinha are keeping on top of things though, as demonstrated by their latest mini-release of foil kit with the HI:Rise Carve and Varial getting larger wing options for all round cruisier kite foiling or for surf foiling, and the all new Autopilot board providing a versatile platform with plenty of stability for mastering your kiting transitions, and with enough float for foil surfing if that is your game as well…

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RRD BLISS V6 WOOD The Bliss has been at the heart of RRD’s twintip line up for a few years – it’s a board with no ‘top of the podium’ plans but designed to offer plenty of performance and maximum comfort for the other 99% of us. The bottom channels and medium flex cut through chop and then when it’s time to send it, you can load up the carbon stringers and appreciate the pop.

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F LY S U R F E R F O R C E B A R

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To coincide with the release of the all new STOKE, Flyusrfer have also introduced the FORCE control bar. It incorporates many of the elements you would expect from a contemporary bar, with a new QR, soft bar ends and an allround comfortable grip and feel. We would say ‘feel the FORCE’ but that would be too cheesy…

OCEAN RODEO SMOOTHY The kings of ‘real world’ boards are back with their most performance focused twintip to date.

The Smoothy offers the features and responsiveness you need to work through your freestyle game, coupled with bottom contours which will have you slicing through chop and powering upwind while the rest of the freestyle crew are still putting their knee braces on.

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ION MUSE Summer’s coming so it’s nearly time to finally release that summer wetsuit you bought months ago and have been dreaming of sliding into…

What, you didn’t get one?! Best head over to ION then and check out their all-new Muse collection.

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C R A Z Y F LY A T V The ATV recognizes that if you ride in the waves then you will most likely be riding in a range of conditions. As much as we would like to ride perfect Ponta Preta every day that’s probably not your reality. So it has plenty of performance characteristics such as a segmented rocker and a ­c arbon stringer to keep things on track when you’re carrying a lot of speed, but also enough volume and width in the tail and nose to keep you going when conditions are a little more ‘real world’.

STUFF

WE LIKE THE LOOK OF

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L E V I TA Z S H A K A F O I L

Z E E KO PO C K E T A I R V3

Utilizing their impressive foil tech and production facilities, Levitaz are now fully in the ‘big wing’ game, with an eye on the surf and SUP markets as well as the cruisier end of the kite market.

They have the Shaka Large and Shaka Medium wings, with the Medium being the perfect kite foil for kicking back and laying down some carvey turns. The Levitaz Cruizer won our Ultimate Test cruising category for 2019, will the Shaka be top of the pile for 2020?

The latest version of ZEEKO’s popular Pocket Air has a new, wider outline and rocker to provide a more forgiving platform for beginner riders, as well as a new hybrid core and carbon construction which brings the weight down while still keeping ZEEKO’s reputation for producing durable and long-lasting products.

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NAISH HERO 2020 And the winner for the first 2020 kit in the magazine goes to… Naish! Who have kindly given us a sneak preview of the new Hero. It’s had a serious upgrade for its latest iteration, borrowing a lot of the top-end features from the Motion, and proving that mid-range doesn’t have to make too many compromises.

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ODO SURFBOARDS ODO are on the up and their ever-expanding surfboard collection is looking pretty enticing…

The Classic Pro offers plenty of rocker, reactivity and performance for decent conditions, then the Gerrie Series is designed for ‘those’ days when conditions truly turn on and you need a board that can meet the demands of those twice a year truly epic sessions.

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F-ONE POCKET FOILBOARD

DUOTONE SPIRIT FREERIDE 700

F-ONE are doing a great job with their foil line up and are extending the innovation to their board range. The Pocket is available as 120 or 130cm, and with plenty of volume to keep the board above the water as you’re working on your transitions, or returning to the water after one of those slightly-terrifying-looking foil airs…

We know that Duotone have been working super hard to bring a fully comprehensive foil range into their line up and it looks like they have nailed it. They have four new foils, ranging from ‘speedy’ to ‘surfy’. Pictured here is the Spirit Freeride, which sits in the middle of the range for all-round foil fun.

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CARTAN® CARBON VARIO RAILS VEE-ROCKER V-SHAPED KEEL MULTI-CHANNELS DOUBLE CONCAVE UNION PRO 3 PADS & STRAPS

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RIDER om/corekites Linus Erdmann

CORE Kiteboarding + 49 (0) 4371 / 88934-0 info@corekites.com Fehmarn, Germany

SUPER TALENTED ALLROUNDER. Meet our Cartan carbon powered Fusion 4. For those who have ridden our Fusion 3, the Swiss Army® knife of kiteboards, you’ll love the Fusion 4. For the rest of you, give it a try because our latest twintip carries over all the good stuff from the Fusion 3 and then squeezes even more Cartan carbon into an improved outline.

Fusion 4. It's on point.

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PHOTO RIDER Thomas Burblies Linus Erdmann

PHOTO Thomas Burblies

FREERIDE+ / FREESTYLE

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Andre Magarao [ 1 ] CARLOS MARIO, CAUIPE These trees are so well placed that I can’t help but shoot with them.

It’s always nice to get a shot with the rider above the trees and well balanced with them. This is actually a quite sketchy place to shoot because the rider doesn’t have much time to avoid the sand after he or she lands. So here is my thank you very much to everyone that I’ve told to ride at way less than ideal places!

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Andre Magarao is one of only a handful of kite photographers who manage to always see the ‘big picture’. Whether it’s getting the kite and rider perfectly framed in the shot, lining up a nice backdrop or capturing impossible angles with his trademark flash, he has always got it going on…

[ 2 ] ALEX MAES, ICAPUI Last season I had the opportunity to shoot park which is something I don’t get to do very often. So special thanks to Alex Maes, Annelous Lammerts and the whole Kite Mansion crew! I had already imagined some angles and flash set ups, so it was time to test it out. It’s super fun to shoot park and the whole crew were epic! Alex was putting a sick show on in the days leading up to the event and we had quite a few nice sessions together.

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[ 3 ] ALEX NETO, CAUIPE Since I’m Brazilian, a lot of people assume I live around Cumbuco. But the truth is I live in Rio so the first few times I went there it was all pretty foreign to me. Alex became a big reason I do what I do. I joke around that he is the Mayor of Cumbuco, and he has helped me countless times on my trips there and keeps on helping not only me but lots of people.

It’s always cool to shoot with him. This is from a shoot last season where we did a couple of sessions where I would light up just the spray and let him be just a silhouette.

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[ 4 ] CARLOS MARIO, CAUIPE I’ve been shooting with Bebe for quite some time now and we have this really nice rhythm going on. His riding is amazing so it makes my life quite easy, to be honest. This was shot towards the end of the season. The wind was only working right before sunset and it’s still impressive to see how many shots we got from such a quick session. [ 5 ] A NNELOUS LAMMERTS, ICAPUÍ It’s amazing to watch Annelous riding. She is really pushing the boundaries. She was definitely at home during the KPL event at the Kite Mansion. And our photo sessions after the event were always epic. [ 6 ] RENO ROMEU, ARUBINHA (RIO DE JANEIRO) Reno is the first professional kiteboarder I shot so he has a huge part in my kiteboarding photography. But nowadays he has a TV show on this sports channel here in Brazil so he has a pretty hectic schedule. And I have a pretty weird schedule myself. So we joke around that we are in Rio at the same time maybe two weeks per year. But it’s always great when it’s windy some time during those two weeks so we can take advantage of it. [ 7 ] CARLOS MARIO, CAUIPE This is one of the sickest looking tricks in my opinion. Bebe can do this really low kite Stalefish Slim (S Mobe, or whatever people call this trick nowadays!). I feel like these tricks where the rider is not facing the photographer shouldn’t be flashed. So here is a non-flash shot for a change.

[ 8 ] RUBEN LENTEN, CAMUCIM This shot is pretty special to me for a few reasons. I met Ruben ages ago, he was super nice to me and I always admired his approach to life. He then went through hell with his illness and somehow came back stronger and even nicer! Paulo, Ruben’s good friend, took us to this spot. It was my first time there. I was super impressed because it’s quite different to everywhere else around. It’s always cool to go somewhere new with nice people!

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[ 9 ] KAROLINA WINKOWSKA, CAUIPE I quite like to do this type of thing. It’s a little easier with skateboarding but to be honest when I do it with flashes it does takes a few tries to hide the light source behind the rider. It’s much easier with the sun because you can just click when the rider’s shadow gets to you. Here is Karolina well placed in front of the sun. [ 10 ] GIANMARIA COCCOLUTO, CAUIPE Last year I had the opportunity to work with Gianmaria for the first time. It was pretty epic! He is always super stoked with everything so it’s great to work with someone like that. Since the lagoon never fills up the same way, I never know what I’m gonna get when I get there. Last season it filled up in a really nice shape that allowed for some easier flash set ups.

[ 11 ] SAM LIGHT, CAUIPE I have to shoot quite a few cruising shots. I like this one because the kite kind of matches the sky. I wonder if someone at Slingshot did this on purpose…

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[ 12 ] BRANDON SCHEID, ICAPUI Brandon is truly amazing at riding park! It’s epic to watch. After the event we had an epic rail session with the crew. This wasn’t the biggest feature but it was really nice to shoot and everyone had sick tricks. [ 13 ] MAXIME CHABLOZ, CAUIPE I always aim to be in Ceará during the full moon. It’s quite hard to align everything but super rewarding when it works. This season was extra hard because when the moon was lower and there were some clouds on the horizon, we couldn’t see it. So we had to wait for ages, it was obviously super dark, the guys couldn’t see their landings, I had to manual focus… it was a mission. So I’m quite pleased with this one! [ 14 ] CARLOS MARIO, AT HOME (CAUIPE) It’s crazy to see how well Carlos is riding these days. He can make everything look so easy.

On this particular shot I’m stoked on how his hand looks backlit on the grab.

[ 15 ] PAUL SERIN, CAUIPE Paul is one of the nicest guys around. It’s always good to hang out with him. I tend to avoid the shots where my flashes are showing. It’s not so much because of the flash itself, it’s more because it makes this crazy lens flare that most of the time gets quite weird, but in this particular situation I think it worked quite well.

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[ 16 ] YOURI ZOON, TAIBA Youri is the man! He is such a great dude, super funny and always happy. But he loves double handle passes… And most of the time double handle passes aren’t the best thing for photos. But somehow it worked well on this particular shot. [ 17 ] LIAM WHALEY, CAUIPE It’s always cool to work with Liam. He has a very unique style and is always super focused.

It’s always cool to see his evolution since I got to work with him when he was a grom. This was shot later in the season so there were already some clouds and we even had some wet days. [ 18 ] V ICTOR HAYS, TAIBA Victor is a great friend and we have done many sessions together. He is super comfortable riding close to me on these fisheye shots. I always enjoy trying to get things as distorted as possible whenever I’m shooting fisheye. At this particular session I wasn’t using a waterhousing, so this is quite risky.

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[ 19 ] ALEX MAES, ICAPUÍ It’s always fun to shoot kiteboarding with a fisheye. And it’s even gnarlier to shoot these handrails with a fisheye; the sound that the board makes going through the rail is very unique.

It’s incredible to see how much this side of the sport has progressed.

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[ 20 ] NICOLAS GILOMEN, ICAPUÍ Whenever I’m shooting skateboarding I tend to gravitate towards these shots where the background is straight and the lines align. It’s this photographer habit where you see lines, not things. Most of the time that doesn’t happen in kiteboarding because we are often far away from big cities. But I quite like the lines here…

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Ydwer van der Heide [ 1 ] MITU MONTEIRO Santa Maria is Mitu’s home town and Punta Preta is his backyard.

This is where he grew up and learned kitesurfing. These days it’s incredible to see him riding these waves like no-one else. You can see he knows this reef so well, knows when to turn, when to go for the barrel and when to kick out. In this shot I’m not a hundred percent sure if he’s making the re-entry or if he’s kicking out. One thing is for sure: he’s always fully in control.

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A true master of the art, you can always expect photos from Ydwer to arrive not just shot perfectly, but also edited perfectly. As well as shooting a lot of the GKA tour stops, Ydwer also works with several of the main brands, so he can be a hard guy to pin down, but it's always worth doing....

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[ 2 ] KEVIN LANGEREE, CAPE TOWN Cape Town is known for its strong winds and heavy waves. When the conditions are not quite there, it’s fun to look for something else. Together with Kevin Langeree I went searching for spots that we could use for our next photoshoot and we passed this cool little natural rock pool. You can’t actually kite here, but it’s a cool shot, especially with the drone showing the round boulders you find in Cape Town, and the pool filled with water from the ocean next to it. [ 3 ] KEVIN LANGEREE, CAPE TOWN Cape Town is the capital of kitesurfing and every year the best riders in the world head down to jump as high as they can and improve their strong wind skills. There’s one guy coming to South Africa for a decade, you’ll find him out there every single day to get his game plan straight. Kevin Langeree is one of the best Big Air kitesurfers you can find out there, and last year he managed to win his third King of the Air title, with two in a row. I spend quite some time with Kevin shooting in Cape Town during the season, and this shot was captured during one of his training sessions. When the clouds race down the mountain the air fills with sand and salt. Not the most ideal conditions to shoot, but the rewards are great. [ 4 ] KEVIN LANGEREE, CAPE TOWN Just before the announcement at the Red Bull King of the Air you could feel the tension of the riders. They were standing together waiting for the result of the final heat. Jesse Richman, Liam Whaley and Kevin Langeree were in the middle of the crowd and it was intense.

When they finally announced the King of the Air there was an explosion of emotions. Being part of it, right in the middle, is an amazing feeling.

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[ 5 ] AIRTON COZZOLINO, CAPE VERDE The competition ended in really insane conditions like I’ve never witnessed before, and even after the event the swell was still coming in and some of the riders couldn’t get enough. I even had a session myself and it’s great to experience a wave that you try to capture all the time. It makes you appreciate what the riders are always going through, and you realize that it’s pretty amazing what they are capable of! Sometimes it looks easy, but it’s not... This is Airton hitting the lip at Punta Preta. After everyone has left you can find him out there on his own until it’s dark. It is no wonder he’s so good.

[ 6 ] BAS KOOLE, BRAZIL It’s been a while since I went on a trip with Bas Koole. We used to go to Brazil every season for years so it was a great time for us to get together. This time round Bas had to be at the freestyle tour stop in Cumbuco and I had to go to the GKA event in Prea so we decided to spend a week like the good old times in Cumbuco before we had to work. A little bit of kitesurfing, shooting and a couple of caipirinhas to bring back the good old memories. We have both gone on slightly different paths but when we work together the magic is still there. This shot is from a kicker session between Cumbuco and the lagoon Cauipe. The same spot where we shot a short video a couple of years ago. The waves don’t look that big from the beach but the shore break is rough, unpredictable and there’s always a lot of current when you swim. Afterwards it feels like you’ve been in a fight getting punched all over your body.

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[ 7 ] MICHAEL FERNANDES, MADAGASCAR During my last trip to Madagascar I had the honor to shoot with Micka Fernandes. A super diverse rider that can do everything and has a very unique style. He’s been in the kitesurfing industry from the beginning but not really looking for exposure. Being one of F-ONE’s top riders he can still match up to the younger generation though...

[ 8 ] BILLY HAMPTON, SUMBAWA I really like to get close to the action. That means, with kitesurfing, shooting from the water is the way to go. A solid water housing makes sure I can get out in tough conditions and still operate my camera with all its functions. I really like this shot as it gives something to imagine. The cutback with a hand drag is something a lot of kitesurfers can relate to but I think it’s cool that it’s from under water in the breaking wave.

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[ 9 ] MATCHU LOPES, SUMBAWA This was the first time I went to Indonesia to shoot kitesurfing. I saw amazing photos of this spot so I was super exited. During the first couple of days the swell wasn’t so big, so it was perfect for me to get to know the spot. Swimming out there on your own is not so easy and you kind of have to learn the wave. Some sets are bigger and break further out, but if the temptation of the smaller waves is too high you might get caught and go over the falls.

When the swell finally arrived I took out my 50mm which is actually an amazing lens for in the water. This shot is probably one of the first sets with Matchu. I like the way he looks back at the wave. The next one he actually pulled in and scored the cover of TheKiteMag.

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[ 10 ] MAXIM CHABLOZ, MADAGASCAR You have seen him on the podium during the last couple of freestyle competitions and he’s one of the young talents in kitesurfing pushing the freestyle limits to the next level. Maxime is one of those top athletes, not only being good at kitesurfing but just being good at any sports. Last year he became junior world champion in freeride skiing. For me this makes him a true athlete and I’m really looking forward to seeing him pushing it during the freestyle tour this year. This photo shows him having some fun on the water which I think you should never forget. [ 11 ] JALOU LANGEREE, SOUTH AFRICA This season wasn’t the best for waves in Cape Town but a little search with Jalou Langeree gave us this sunset session along the West Coast. I love the backlight coming through the wave creating this green see-through line with the golden spray coming off the lip with the slightly offshore wind. For me it’s always a pleasure to shoot with Jalou as she is one of the top female wave riders, and if you find the conditions you’re guaranteed to score some good shots. [ 12 ] OSWALD SMITH, SOUTH AFRICA One of my favorite all-round kitesurfers at the moment is Oswald Smith. It doesn’t matter if you shoot freestyle, wave or Big Air with him. He always seems to amaze you and is always going all-in. Cape Town is his hometown and this is probably why he is good in everything. It has a great variety of conditions within just one hour’s drive. For me it’s the best winter destination, and I spend more than four months every season there to meet people from the industry, organize photoshoots and get on the water myself.

It’s the perfect kitesurf lifestyle destination.

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PHOTO Oliver Hartas

MPIC With kitesurfing now an Olympic-sport-in-waiting, things are suddenly getting a little more serious… The recent event in Lake Garda was proof of this and had an altogether more serious vibe. With Olympic inclusion comes increased funding so there were support boats, coaches and physiotherapists traveling with some teams and no heading straight to the bar for a beer at the end of the racing. Yup, it’s all getting pretty real… Here we catch up with

three people who were at the event and can offer unique perspectives. IKA Class Manager Markus Schwendtner; Steph Bridge who has seen kite racing come a (very!) long way over the last 20 years, and ­Stevie Morrison who has sailed the 49er dinghy class in two Olympics and was in Garda helping out the UK team and seeing how this new addition would slot into the well-­established Olympic sailing and windsurfing classes. ▶

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The first idea dates back to an event in Portugal in spring 2009, when we had some riders trying double-length lines on what then were the first dedicated course race boards. We started campaigning to World Sailing in 2010 and almost made it into the 2016 Olympics. We won the first vote but then the decision was reversed half a year later and windsurfing remained on the program. It then took another six years to begin the approval process, which was actually probably for the better as we are foiling now and the sport has become even more exciting.

PHOTOS Martina Orsini / Oliver Hartas

Can you explain the format that has now been admitted into the Olympics and how the medals will be allocated?

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teams per heat / race, but it also creates a lot of media options, for example colored lycras for the team members (instead of numbers), cameras on the changeover line with a video referee, slow motion replays etc. Other possibilities include match racing before the start and changeover to keep other teams away from the line etc. The more we are testing, the more exciting possibilities we find at the moment.

How many countries can enter and how does qualification work?

The Olympics are generally one entry per country. Qualification most likely works as for the other events – one main qualification event two years before the Games (that usually is the combined World Championship of all Olympic Classes) and then a number of regional and continental qualification events.

I ­expect the total number of teams to be around 20 – the same as for the other events except the single-handed dinghy which is considered to be the ‘universal’ event to attract as many countries as possible.

Sailing has a total of 10 medals in the Olympic Games, and with all the other boats that are also lobbying to stay on the Olympic program, there was no chance to get more than one medal. With all the discussion about gender equality and equal What equipment can competitors use? number of medals for men and women, the only way to make Formula Kite has been selected as the equipment at the World it work with one medal is a team event. The format we are cur- Sailing mid-year meeting in the middle of May. This allows the rently finetuning is a relay, where one team member sails the whole industry to be involved, and riders can secure sponsorfirst lap, then there is a changeover, and then the second team ship. It implements the ‘registered series production scheme’ member sails the second lap and finishes. We ran the format where all brands can register their equipment (as long as it is at the World Championships last month and it was super ex- production equipment – so no prototypes – and they comply citing. We had 22 teams from 12 countries and four continents, with Olympic level quality management, building tolerances and the feedback from competitors and coaches (even the ones etc). This is the first time that the Olympic equipment is not that did not participate or were sceptical) was overwhelming- “One Design”. ly positive. Racing in a team opens up completely new aspects of the sport.

When will be the final date for brands to register equipment So the format wasn’t too confusing or too ‘stop/start’?

No, the format is actually pretty simple. The biggest challenge in running it is the changeover zone – imagine the changeover line below the race committee boat and both team members are going full speed towards it. We need to limit the number of

and do you see an ‘arms race’ beginning to develop for who can make the fastest equipment?

There will be no arms race as every manufacturer has to produce the equipment in high numbers and sell it to everyone.

Brands will just continue to produce their equipment and sell it to the mass market, and some people will go to the Olympics. ▶

The Olympic Countdown Begins

Hi Markus, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. So we are going to go completely back to basics if that is okay. Can you give us a brief history of how kiting has tried to become an Olympic sport and how things have played out over the last five years?

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Of course national teams will buy much more equipment to test. The new equipment will be eligible to race the day after the 2020 Olympic Games, and brands need to have all registration requirements completed by 1 May 2020.

Do you think there will end up being a clear ‘fastest’ foil and kite that all competitors will use?!

From what we see in the KiteFoil World Series, I guess there will be three to four brands in the end that everyone will be using, depending on body physiques and available sponsorship.

It will be interesting to see how many new registrations we get for the next cycle!

can’t imagine World Sailing dropping another boat for more boards.

How does the competitive scene now look in the run up to the games? Will there be more events and when will the actual format be finalized?

We already have a large number of events. Formula Kite will have continental championships in all continents, and from next year on there will be separate events for individual racing and mixed team relay, the Olympic format. In the KiteFoil World Series the industry will continue to send their best riders to test new equipment and prototypes in preparation of the next equipment registration cycle.

Who will be in charge of the racing at the Olympics?

The Olympic Countdown Begins

These appointments are made by World Sailing usually two years before the Games. The race officials for the different classes are built up in the years before at the class championships and World Sailing events.

Has kitesurfing now been brought under the umbrella of sailing in countries which are competing in the Olympics and what has been the wider impact of this?

We have already seen a huge increase in coaches at events, and teams start buying equipment and supporting the competitors with travel expenses and entry fees. The budgets are still limited and will only kick in fully after the 2020 Olympics when the new budgets for 2024 are available. At the moment the national squads are still trying to qualify for Tokyo, or if they already have qualified, spending all their money on winning a medal in 2020 – but things are starting for 2024.

At what point might kitesurfing be allocated additional ­med­als – how could things play out over the next three or four Olympics?

This is really hard to say – the easiest would be if the International Olympic Committee would assign an additional medal as they did for the Youth Olympic Games. Three out of 10 medals are for boards now (2x windsurfing, 1x kiteboarding) and I

How does the wider sailing community view the kiters?!

Most have accepted them as just another sailing vessel. There is still some that don’t even consider windsurfers as “proper sailing”, so that will never change I guess!

And more generally did the event have a different vibe to previously, is there a sense that the clock is now ticking to 2024?

We actually experienced an even friendlier vibe then usual – everyone is excited and working together. We are working hard to keep it this way.

It must be very satisfying for you personally having been at the forefront of the race scene for a number of years now?

It definitely is. When the 2012 decision (for the 2016 Olympics) was reversed, that was probably the hardest defeat in my life.

But the whole team of the IKA executive didn’t give up and continued working towards the big goal, so the decision last year was very satisfying indeed.

And who is going to be on the top of the podium for Paris 2024?

Probably some of the kids that are under 19 now, or not even kiting yet. I think the scene will drastically change over the next few years. But let’s see – it’s too early to take bets! ◼

When the 2012 decision (for the 2016 Olympics) was reversed that was probably the hardest defeat in my life, so the decision last year was very satisfying indeed.

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Hey Steph, so you have been racing with kites for a few years now. Can you remember the first event that you competed in?

You were then incredibly successful in the Formula class for many years – that must feel like a distant memory now but it was the focus of the competitive racing side for many years – how many world titles and championships have you won?

Between 2007 and 2014 I secured five world titles in racing.

Looking back it always feels like ‘those were the days’ but now even just looking back to when we broke the round Isle of Wight record in 2015 we were on some ‘retro’ foil gear then and could easily go faster now. So everything evolves!

Over the years working with the North team (now Duotone) to produce the fastest race gear was really motivating as well.

Sky Solbach, Ken Winner, Dirk Hanel and Till were right behind it and sold a lot of good gear. It was sad the formula boards died overnight after the last World Championships in 2014. I still think the sport looks great and do think it has a place in the youth pathway following TT racing.

But you were pretty quick to adapt when foiling came along.

Actually, I was behind since we couldn’t get hold of the gear at the start! I took an old board I bought from Sky and put in inserts for a sword foil. This was what we learnt on. The issue was we just had one of these and there were five of us wanting to crack it. So when I look now, it would be so much easier, with the easy foils for learning with big front wings and short masts plus a bunch of people that can give you some advice!

Back then we were invited to a race event in Lake Silvaplanna where we met an incredibly kind innovator who was foiling.

He let us have a go and we all had a feeling of flying. We were so

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excited and asked if he could sell us his foil. Reluctantly he said ‘yes’ and this was the beginning of the ‘Levitaz’ brand, as this person was Mario Legenstein. He enabled us to have two on the water and this homemade foil became Guy’s foil which later went to Francois in Ireland. Those early days were a lot like when we learnt to kitesurf. Coming home and seeing who had got along best and chatting about what each of us had learnt. It was really exciting and really addictive – just like at the moment after my second session on the paddleboard foil!

There is a really solid scene in your home spot of Exmouth in the UK which you’ve been pretty instrumental in nurturing – can you take us through how you have been working to bring local kids into the scene?

Yes, as you know introducing kids to watersports is our passion.

We have always felt that age should never be a barrier (young and old). It is a misconception when people say “is my child too young?”. With the right gear and the right conditions the sport is really accessible. We want to ensure that once the youngsters have learnt, then they have the chance to progress in the right environment with other kids. Hence, we started the Edge Youth Academy.

All of this is massively helped by our three boys who are role models to the other kids. The downside is that our family of three boys is now eight since most of Tom’s friends hang about waiting for a session to happen from our living room!

North Kiteboarding introduced an entry-level package and many youngsters got started this way. We continue to support them with gear, advice and coaching, and last year we had five of the academy selected for the Youth Olympic Trials.

We now have the next ‘silver’ youth course (age 10-14) getting trained up and we hope this next group will embrace the action in the same way.

As most people know, your three sons Olly, Guy and Tom are now also super successful kiters – did you ever have to push them into kiting or were they all really keen from an early age?

The passion for the water comes from a young age with really ▶

The Olympic Countdown Begins

Yes it was in 2007 on a strapless 2006 North Rocket Fish with a 16 meter Rhino with two sets of lines tied together! This was PKRA world championship racing! I could tack and jibe on a surf board and was strapless. However it was decided that we needed a twintip (the North Phantom) for the next event in Fuerte.

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The Olympic Countdown Begins

Olly always had a feel for the wind and was an incredible talent on the Formula board from age 14, riding at top three in the men’s fleet.

special experiences in boats, surf, and crashing! I guess with Olly, Guy and Tom their after-school club was the beach so there was not a lot of choice for other sports! Olly was sailing a lot and he was very good in the buggy before going to the water. The big issue for Guy and Tom was getting them good 5mm wetsuits, small useable kites, small boards and harnesses.

North made Tom a 3.5m and a 4m Neo in 2008 which were just brilliant and we still have these as collectables.

Could you tell that they were going to be better at different things from early on?

We had a small feeling about Tom from the start. Tom crawled fast backwards at six months old and by eight months was seen cycling with no stabilizers on his brother’s bike! The massive thing was just how unbelievably keen they all were in whatever rubbish wind and weather. Especially Tom who spent every waking non-school hour with a kite. Between them they filmed and pushed each other on the water. This was before there was any social media or girls on the scene!

Olly always had a feel for the wind and was an incredible talent on the Formula board from age 14, riding at top three in the men’s fleet.

Guy has been the biggest surprise since he has such a chilled out nature but is the most competitive and has the real will to win. Both Olly and Guy also ride a high level freestyle but it's always Tom that gets the wildcards! Tom is just a really interesting rider with so much style. It is a shame he has spent the last three years injured on and off.

And now the Olympics are on the horizon. How exciting is that for you having been involved with the racing scene for so long?

It’s great to have been there from the start and so happy for the athletes and the sport along with all the hard work by so many ensuring its inclusion. Foiling is the right discipline, however I do think kiteboarding will get a few more medals in my life time.

And do you think you can make the squad?!

That’s the money question. For the last few years Eric and I have been working hard to grow the business and establish a new site to run Edge Watersports from. This will be built in time for 2020 and will be the first UK wind, SUP and foil test center.

We will also establish a high performance training center for Olympic training and big events. So this is the priority!

We’ll make this work, a success, and then I will push hard on the training from 2021 onward and see if I can be competitive.

What do you think of the format and do you think it will present the sport in a good way to the wider public?

Yes, it's fast and there is plenty of position changes. It makes for a good spirit on the water and the training will be especially positive for the women's fleet.

How strong is the women’s field at the moment and will the mixed format encourage more female kiters into racing do you think?

Yes 100%! For example we have Gisela training now with Daniela in San Francisco! The bottom of the pyramid will grow and will attract more girls onto pathways, and also crossing over from sailing and windsurfing.

So will you be spending the next five years training with the boys – are things going to get pretty intense do you think?!

Yes, after Japan 2020 the British kitesurf squad will be stepping up the gears. Currently, not being in the Olympic cycle means that the program for the boys is very basic with little support. Five years goes fast however, and the boys have been doing this for many years so keeping them fresh and passionate is really the most important thing. You also have to remember it’s a mixed medal so to train for five years with someone who might crash a tack or jibe puts a lot on the line! But it’s just a great feeling to be part of the bigger picture and if my body holds up and I keep healthy then I'd love to be part of the journey ◼

S T

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Hey Stevie, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us.

Can you give us a brief bio of your sailing experience – in particular your Olympic campaigns?

PHOTO Oliver Hartas

Well I was part of the British Sailing Team from 2003 until 2013 in the two person 49er dinghy. Sailing with Ben Rhodes, we represented Team GB in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. We won the World and European Championships along with other podium finishes at these events, but sadly never the Olympic Medal we craved.

How are you helping out the next generation of sailors and kiters, do you have a specific role?

No real role yet as such, I was lucky enough to come along and help the three world class boys (Conner, Olly and Guy) and to get a look at what kiteboarding might look like at the Olympics so that we can start to make a plan to ensure that we are on the top step of the podium in 2024.

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How has kiteboarding been received within the wider sailing and windsurfing community – are people pleased to see it included in the Olympics and impressed with what the kiters are doing?

Ah it’s very hard to say. Fundamentally all people in sailing love seeing people enjoy being on the water. However in the Olympic World there are only 10 Medals up for grabs so for kiting to come into the picture traditional sailing has lost one of its medals, so the Finn class (the boat Ben Ainslie won three of his gold medals in) which has been a part of sailing since the 1952 Olympics has been removed. So of course there are some people who say ‘it’s not sailing…’ etc. That said, I posted a video on Instagram of one of the starts where a French guy port tacks the fleet and friends of mine like Blair Tuke (a Kiwi who won silver in 2012, gold in 2016 – all in 49er class – as well as winning the America’s Cup in 2017 as flight controller for Team NZ) shared it and was loving watching the sport move forwards. ▶

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We need to keep these three guys motivated and enjoying it as much as possible as well as developing new riders who may be to kiting what Usain Bolt was to sprinting!

The Olympic Countdown Begins

You’ve done some foiling I believe? Which foiling boats have you sailed?

Ah well I have an International Moth which I enjoy sailing. I sailed a little with the Artemis America’s Cup team, I have raced on the Extreme Sailing series in the foiling GC32’s, and in fact I am off to coach French Volvo Ocean Race winner Franck Cammas and his team in the GC32 in Sardinia.

Is sailing a foiling boat a totally different ballgame to sailing a non-foiling boat, and how does it compare to the skills that the foiling kiters need?

No it’s not in any way different really, things just happen a lot faster and different aspects can affect your decision making, but really all boats have different characteristics that you have to put into the mix with your tactics and strategy. Often in a faster foiling boat a bad choice is punished harder, that’s all. The reason I went to Garda with the team is that through everything I had seen from watching the boys here in Exmouth and watching some of the racing online, I could tell that the foiling kiters need exactly the same skills. The board is the boat and the kite the sails and rigging, the only difference is you have half a third of the time to make the choices! But in any top level sport you have to take the actual ‘doing’ out of the equation, then it comes down to equipment set up and race craft (decision making). In that sense the racing was very similar to what I am used to, hence having a ‘sailor’ as the ‘kite’ team coach.

So is training now ‘on’ for Paris 2024 and how does a ­ ampaign like this develop from here in? How is the final c team selected and will the whole ‘sailing’ team train ­together in the run up to the games?

There are many things to happen between now and Paris (Marseille for sailing) 2024 to build a program that is fully up and running, but we need to get more young people out on the water to grow our talent pool. For Conner, Olly and Guy it’s more about developing as athletes and kiters, and learning

how to perform and execute under pressure. We don’t know for sure how the event will look and the kit hasn’t been finalized so it’s important those guys don’t burn out; they need to learn more about kite tuning and race craft. I think paragliding and sports like this will help a lot with understanding the tuning of kites to make sure we are fast! And maybe not jumping over sandpits in terms of health and safety, Olly! We need to keep these three guys motivated and enjoying it as much as possible whilst at the same time developing youngsters to push themselves and who may be to kiting what Usain Bolt was to sprinting!

So, have you done much kitesurfing yourself?

Well I get dragged around a bit. I did a lot 10 years ago, stopped for a while, and now am back in love with it again, the new kit is amazing performance-wise, and I live five minutes’ walk from the kiting mecca that is Exmouth seafront, so I have to kite really. I want to get into riding a surf board and then the foil.

You know the Bridge boys pretty well, all coming from Exmouth in the UK, is your money on one of them bringing a medal back to your hometown?

I have known the Bridges since they were young, my dad and Steph’s dad ran a boat yard and sail loft together, I worked for Steph as a sailing instructor (along with TheKiteMag’s editor Alex!). So of course it would be great for Exmouth and the southwest to see them make it. Right now Conner, Olly and Guy are all capable of being that person, the reality is the world of Kite Foil racing is about to change, the levels of investment and therefore professionalism, practice, fitness… all these aspects will go up, so it will be about who is willing and able to take that journey. The Olympics are great and a unique sporting currency understood the world over, but you can’t kid yourself that talent alone will get you there: it’s hard work, focus, determination (along with some talent!) but it’s not quite the same ‘fun’ sport as you started out with… ◼

PHOTOS Oliver Hartas

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HEAD IN THE

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Deciding the time is right to shift his focus a little away from the competitive scene and more on to chasing the best swells, Keahi de Aboitiz keeps his eyes on the charts and sees the wind and wave gods align for classic Cloudbreak conditions‌ PHOTOS Beau Pilgrim

Head In The Clouds

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They don't come much bigger (or wider) than this.

The last 10 years of my life have been a constant routine of following the tour schedule around the world. I’ve seen all the different wave tours come and go, seen the addition of strapless freestyle to competition, and I’ve learnt all the event spots like the back of my hand. While I’ve always liked this lifestyle, my true love is in a search – the search for bigger and heavier waves, and the search for the limits of what’s possible in wave kiting. I’m not saying I’m finished with competitions, but this year I’ve decided it’s time to turn over a new leaf and take a slightly different approach to the routine. I’ll spend more time chasing swells and allow myself more flexibility with where and when I can go. After all, you never know where the ocean is going to send the next swell.

This time, a big red blob popped up on the swell charts and it was heading straight towards Fiji. Although it’s a place that’s pretty difficult for kiting logistically, the small group of

islands is somewhere I’ve really grown to love over the last few years. It’s very close to home, incredibly beautiful, and has some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. It’s also home to some of the best waves in the world for surfing and when the right wind conditions align, it’s amazing for kiting too. I called up a friend who had a longboat there, and he was keen to check out the swell and offer up his transportation out to Cloudbreak. A couple of photographers including Beau Pilgrim were free to join us and shoot photos and Moona could meet us there from Hawaii, so – before I had a chance to think too hard about it – I found myself back on a plane to paradise. I find these to be the most exciting trips – a last minute gamble where you don’t always know what to expect.

Thankfully the ocean rewarded our gamble, offering up solid double overhead walls at Cloudbreak on the day of the swell. It was big and tricky with a lot of wash-throughs but there were ▶

Moona lining up one of the waves of the day and enjoying her moment as it spits out.

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Head In The Clouds

Launching off the boat, in gusty wind, with Cloudbreak detonating behind you.

You'd probably be a little bit nervous...

Everything begins with a solid bottom turn to line up the business end of the wave.

Keahi has done a few of these...

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Head In The Clouds

If it's not going to barrel then you'd might as well smack it.

Head In The Clouds

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Grab the rail, pick your line and commit 100%. Sounds easy right?

some gems to be had. We spent the morning paddle surfing and sharing waves with the multitude of surfers who had also traveled there. However, when the wind picked up at around midday, most were chased out of the water by whitecaps and bumps on the face. Boats that had been scattered throughout the channel picked up anchor and we were left with perfect sideshore kiting conditions. That’s all the motivation we needed, and Moona and I scrambled to pump up our kites and get on the water.

Cloudbreak can be a tricky wave, as once over a certain size the big ones actually start to wash through so it’s always a game of cat and mouse trying to pick the best ones. This is where kiting is nice as it’s much easier to dodge the sets and pick the good ones. It was few and far between, but every now and then a few crazy ones came through and I spent the afternoon trading off some gems with with Moona and Beau. For

me the highlight moment had to be watching Moona pack an absolute bomb! When one of the biggest waves of the day came through, she set it up deep, faded, then lined up the biggest barrel I’ve ever seen her pull into. Although she didn’t make it, it was some serious commitment and had Beau and I both screaming in the channel. With a solid day in the books, we’d all satisfied our hunger for the most part, but of course we were still wanting more.

Funnily enough, the best session out there ended up being completely unexpected. A couple days later, the swell was forecasted to have a reinforcement, but with it dropping so much after the first day we weren’t expecting too much. But after a slow morning and a very rough ride into the wind, Cloudbreak greeted us with a much different sight than anticipated. The swell had jumped and some crazy double overhead bombs were detonating onto the reef. With the shorter period it was a

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little more unorganized than the previous days, making it really hard for surfing, but I could instantly see the potential for kiting.With the wind being a little offshore, we took our time getting ready, watching set after set come through. Eventually I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer and knew I had to give it a crack. The wind angle was borderline too offshore but if it was rideable I knew there was the potential to get some of the best kite barrels I’ve ever had.

Easing my way into it, I felt it out on some smaller ones. It was perfect. But it was different than normal. Rather than focusing on the main ledge, the waves were breaking wide, and instead of stretching out on the end section and closing out, it was reforming into some mind blowing, makeable sections on the inside. Like always it was tricky, but I found my way into some perfect mid-sized barrels, before something special came through. From the moment I saw it, I could see this wave was

different. It pushed really wide and doubled up with a huge lump in front of me right on the shallowest part of the reef. As the water started drawing off the bottom, I knew it was the one.

I faded, set my line, then just stood there in disbelief at how wide the thing threw. I’ve had some good barrels in my life but this one was up there with one of the roundest ones I’ve ever had and one I’ll remember for a long time to come!

As the tide came up, the waves slowed down but I was content. This is what we had come for and once again Fiji had delivered. Leaving my old routine with the freedom to follow these storms has been a dream and scoring sessions like these goes to show that a little spontaneity and uncertainty is well worth it. It’s an adventure and that’s what I’ve come to love about it. With a few epic trips already in the books this year, it’s really opened my eyes to some of the potential out there and I can’t wait to pull the trigger on the next one. ◼

Head In The Clouds

Fueling up for the day ahead. Not a bad spot for breakfast...

BACK MOBE 5 RIDER Valentin Rodriguez PHOTO Svetlana Romantsova

The Move

The Steps

For me, the Back Mobe 5 is a pretty easy freestyle trick that can be pushed in many directions to increase the scoring potential.

It is one of my favorite tricks to do in a competition because the risk is lower than other tricks but it can still give a good score. I still remember the first time I did the Back Mobe 5 and it felt amazing!­It was learnt after lots of crashes and by having the Back Mobe as a secure trick before going for the extra rotation. I would say the best conditions to learn it is with flat water and 15-25 knots, so you are perfectly powered.

1. Go full speed with the kite medium-low for more slack.

2. Edge as hard as you can to generate maximum pop.

3. Go into the backroll as soon as you have popped.

4. While doing the backroll rotation pull the kite down more for maximum points.

5. Pass the bar at the apex and keep the rotation going.

6. For the final 180 you can kick your legs if you need to get them round.

7. S pot the landing and ride stomp it!

BARREL HUNTING RIDER James Carew PHOTO Ydwer van der Heide

The Move This spot is somewhere that I always want to make it to and every year it’s on the cards and flights are never far away. Apart from the wave being insanely good and predictable, it’s super close to home and only two quick flights and I’m there which makes it even easier. This shot was on the best day of our trip and it was me and three others out, so waves were just being traded all day.

We were sitting on our boards like surfers and just waiting for the good ones to come with our little lineup working a treat. It was definitely the day of days to get barreled. I had just gotten over a pretty gnarly sickness and was itching to throw myself into some waves.

Sitting in the barrel is definitely my favorite move and if it’s ever an option I’d take it over anything. With the slightest wrong movement you’ll have a heavy lip beating you down onto the reef.

Staying confident is key when hunting barrels and making sure you stay fully awake and on your toes will ensure you don’t end up getting picked off the reef afterwards. You’re typically not looking for big movements when you’re in the tube but rather small micro-adjustments to prevent getting sucked up and over or getting hit by the lip.

The Steps 1. Line up your barrel section. See where it’s going to pitch and where you need to be to get inside. I always try and put myself deeper than I think because if it’s a good barrel you always want to be as deep as you can. If it’s a scary day then go twice as deep.

2. Put the afterburners on and put yourself in position. But it is key that you don’t move faster than the barrel section is going to break. If you’re moving faster than the wave is breaking, you’re going to fly through the barrel and dodge the whole section, so get yourself in the spot and then slow it right down with the next step.

3. One of the most important moves is the bottom turn/check turn. You want to be at the bottom of the wave (on your backside) and do a tight and short bottom turn so you pull tight on your lines to get rid of the slack and slow yourself down to ensure you don’t miss the section. I typically travel fast before this step and use this step to slow myself down so I’m right under the lip and exactly where I wanted.

4. Grab your rail and bend you knees! As you finish your bottom turn you want to transition your weight to your front foot and get real low down to your board so your balance point is lower and you won’t get bashed off if the wave hits you. Also so you fit in that tube.

5. Make sure the majority of your weight is forward and sure, grabbing the rail with your backhand and leaving your front hand on the bar.

6. A bit of a conjoined step to the last one is with your front hand, pushing your bar all the way out as you lean forward and keeping your bar off the face of the wave. If the wave catches your bar it will pull it behind you and can put you off balance and then it’s game over.

7. Look at the lip! Make sure there’s no lip about to smash you in the head and that you are positioned around the bottom of the barrel. But if it’s a smaller wave and not as wide a section like the first shot, then try and stay more on the wall and face the nose of your board towards the exit. If you angle your nose more towards the beach then you’re less likely to be sucked over the falls on those super hollow and powerful ones.

8. You want to stay tucked up the whole ride and hold onto your rail as long as you can to make sure you don’t come off. If you get a double section and need to do a speed wiggle through it, like I did here, then pull your shoulders up and forward and with your backhand pull your board up the face off the wave with your shoulders. Then lean forward as much as possible and you will glide on through that section.

9. Keep your eyes forward and scanning the lip to make sure that wherever it lands it’s not on top of you!

10. With your weight forward and your eyes peeled you’ll be able to sit there and thread it through till the end.

11. Lastly, when you get spat out into the channel, let go of your rail, stand tall, hands behind the back and chest to the sky. Don’t forget to give the camera a little wink on the way out.

FRONT ROLL TAIL GRAB RIDER Colleen Carroll PHOTO Toby Bromwich

The Move An unhooked front roll tail grab is a relatively basic unhooked freestyle move that feels smooth and looks stylish. I love to do this trick for shooting photos, as it’s an easy grab to hold on to and poke as you continue your rotation forward.

3. Unhook and load the edge of your board pushing hard off your back leg. At the same time, bend your front leg and throw your head and shoulders towards the nose of your board to initiate the front roll.

The Steps

4. Once you are in the air, let go with your back hand and bring the board to your hand by bending your back leg.

1. Go into the move with good speed and your kite at about 45 degrees (if you find it challenging to go big during your unhooked front rolls – try having your kite slightly higher).

2. Move your front hand to the very center of the bar. I like to put my pointer finger on the other side of my center lines – this is also known as “splitting your fingers”.

5. Grab the board in the center of your tail. Bring it in close to your body and extend your front leg for added style points!

6. Spot your landing and, as you approach the water, release the grab and extend your body. Keep your knees soft and bend them upon landing.

The new Wave very much in action!

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THE

BIG

PICTURE A I R U S H

From the kite side, the Ultra has been a runaway success for us and this has continued its momentum into 2019. The Union has been the other big positive in terms of kites, we had incredible tests, and a huge level of stoke on the ground from stores and riders, so this has also been great to see.

Foils have been very interesting; we developed a crossover surf/kite foil last year (with our technical components and accessories brand AK), which turned out to be our best-selling foil so far, and a really fun project. We also did a few collaborations within AK, our favorite was with the Mystic guys on their bindings and footstraps; it’s great to see what another creative team does with your products.

On the board side, the Mini Monster Convert has been our best-selling surfboard; it’s a really fun

shape that pairs perfectly with the AK Surf Foil, so I guess it makes sense. Within the twintip space, the stability in the GKA tour has been very positive for freestyle, with our Livewire Team being sold out everywhere very early in the season.

Cool. So with the Ultra, you were one of the first brands to have a one strut kite and now a lot of brands seem to have them. Do you think being first in the game you have the edge here?

Yes, I do think we have the edge on this product. We developed the first single and zero strut kites over seven years ago, and since then we have learned a huge amount about building stable, responsive, lightweight kites with fewer struts. We are also lucky to have technology in the Airush Load Frame that assists in stabilizing the canopy where there are fewer struts, which increases longevity.

I would also argue that we had a different approach from the beginning. We did not view a single strut kite as a beginner’s product as many of ▶

Airush Kiteboarding

Hey Clinton, thanks for taking the time out to speak to us. You have some products hitting the ground right now but before we look at them, what have been your biggest products of the last few months?

The Big Picture

Airush are one of the best established brands on the market with a heritage spanning back to the earliest days of kiteboarding. Based in Cape Town, they have a solid reputation for innovation and for consistently well-engineered products. The main driver behind the brand is Clinton Filen, here he brings us up to speed on the latest developments at Airush HQ.

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our competitors did, and this helped to define the current performance feel. We did see a lot of people learning on Ultras due to the stability, although this was not the target, it really is designed as a high-performance product.

The Big Picture

Airush Kiteboarding

What can you tell us about the latest iteration of the Wave?

The main thing is that you can now choose between ‘fixed bridle’ or ‘pulley bridle’, so more haters! But seriously, for years we had two camps of wave riders, those who swore by fixed bridle kites and those who loved the pulleys. Riders would attribute so many characteristics of the kite to the bridles. This change has allowed riders to experiment with both and the response has been incredibly positive.

Besides that, we’ve consistently done size-bysize refinements over the years, optimizing the wingtip shape to balance the unique ability the Wave has to be able to pivot in the turns, while still flying forward when you need it to.

We have had criticism about keeping the “Wave” name, as this might not appeal to the strapless freestyle or crossover rider (as the kite is also a pretty great jumper!), but we do want to highlight our absolute focus towards building the best wave-riding kite on the market.

Where do you do most of the testing for the Wave and who is involved in this – Cape Town is notorious for its stronger winds during the main winter season but does it offer some good conditions for testing kites bigger than a 7m as well?!

We carry out most of the testing for the Wave between Bali and Cape Town. Our kite designer, Mark Pattison, spends a lot of his time in Bali, where the conditions are generally much lighter and typically great for testing 10m and larger, whereas our home base in Cape Town is ideal for 9m and smaller. Although out of the summer (spring and fall), Cape Town offers some of its best wave conditions, with huge swell and lighter winds. In addition, we have key riders in the USA, France, and Australia that feed us ideas.

We see kites that have seen years of use maintaining their shape, and delivering a great customer experience, for a longer period of time.

How has your Load Frame evolved and have you seen kites lasting significantly longer as a consequence of the technology?

The biggest step within the Load Frame over the last few years has been the addition of WebTech, which disperses the primary load from the Load Frame into the sub-frame of the kite. The Load Frame overall has fundamentally changed the way that we build kites, allowing us to reduce the amount of additional heavyweight Dacron you’d typically need.

The long-term feedback from the market has been overwhelmingly positive, as we see kites that have seen years of use maintaining their shape, and delivering a great customer experience, for a longer period of time.

Do you plan to have any riders on the GKA Wave and Strapless tour?

We signed a young Australian rider, Charlie Wise, late last year and he is planning to do the Wave oriented stops for the year. He is an incredibly talented young rider and I am interested to see how he adapts to the judging format and tour life.

Both of our other key wave riders, Oswald Smith and Reider Decker, have done incredibly well within their local wave event scene, but are more purist wave riders and didn’t want to particularly chase strapless freestyle. I respect this view, as from my side the strapless freestyle scene is exciting but quite removed from your typical surf rider.

You seem to have been very busy in the world of foils and have some new releases here – can you take us through these?

Within kite, our main focus has been on the Freeride and Carving foils, as we felt this is where the bulk of the market wanted to go. Initially, we felt that riders would want to really experiment with different configurations, thus we developed the Modular Foil Platform and smaller details such as the flippable rear X-Wing (this allows you to set your rear wing up for more maneuverability when ▶

LEFT Cruise mode engaged.

TOP The dream ticket for lightwind fun.

RIGHT Hack time!

ULTRA V2

WAVE

CARVING FOIL

I would say that foil surfing is the most difficult of the foil disciplines to do if you compare kite, windsurf, and SUP. The foils need to be very stable so you can get to your feet easily and carve. The surf foils also need to carry speed well when you are in bigger surf or steeper waves, and in addition to this, surf foils need to pump. Chasing these key criterion has led to foils that are stable, and easy to use, while still being fast and efficient. This is very relatable to our kite development and creating crossover products.

You have recently (ish) begun AK Durable Supply Co. – can you give us some background to the brand and explain the relationship between this and Airush?

AK Durable Supply Co. started as a sub-brand within Airush, to develop industry-leading technical hardgoods without the direct image and association that the Airush Kiteboarding name carries,

opening it up to customers from other kite brands.

At AK, we have really been exploring pure surf and wake, alongside the more open-minded crossover rider. With this, the brand has been able to shift into its own space over time, and allow for new categories such as surf foiling to become a big thing for us. This has also enabled us to work with a variety of talented crossover athletes, and develop some interesting products.

AK represents a group of creative and technically minded makers and riders with a love for watersports. We develop all of our components and accessories from scratch in an effort to optimize every aspect of the design and deliver a product that is not only durable but also user-friendly, highly functional and well styled.

Airush Kiteboarding

And you personally have been doing quite a lot of surf foiling – how has this fed into the development of kite foils?

The Big Picture

surfing, or down for more stability when kiting).

And as the sport evolves, so does the desire for riders’ personal preference in their gear set up.

We have also developed foils within the surf/kite crossover space, which have been very well r­ eceived.

The AK Surf Foil is a true testament to this, as the AK front wing is often used in light wind kiting.

Within foilboards, besides the Mini Monster Convert mentioned earlier, the Foil Skate is very popular as a rider’s skill levels increase and more people explore smaller boards, with different constructions and less volume.

What are you working on at the moment, and when can we expect the next release from Airush?

We have got a few incredibly exciting new products in the pipeline, nothing I can really discuss yet.

But overall, we have been moving towards longer development cycles for products, typically two years, so that we can offer a greater level of refinement and move away from the whole model year idea. If we are designing products to last twice as long in construction, we also need to be sure the design is strong enough that customers are happy with the performance for a longer period. It is a bit difficult when customers fall into the trap of thinking that the new release is always a better option than a well-resolved and proven design, but we’re happy to challenge this. So our next product release after the Surf Series is in early August with our freeride and twintip release, with foils, lightwind, and freestyle changes coming in October. ◼

LEFT Airtime.

ABOVE Clinton seems to spend a lot of time 'testing'...

TELL ME ABOUT IT

If you're introducing a new kite then you need the right conditions to showcase it. Thankfully Ponta Preta delivered...

FLYS U RFE R S TO K E

TELL ME ABOUT IT

FLYS U RFE R S TO K E

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Flysurfer’s International Sales & Marketing Meeting 2019 took place in Sal, Cape Verde which was a surprising location as the Bavarians are perhaps better known for their race, freeride and lightwind competence rather than as a wave-oriented brand. So we were curious about what they had planned... Helmut Fuchs met up with Christoph Hesina, Head of Marketing at Flysurfer, to find out.

Tell Me About It

Sal has been deliberately chosen for this event.

On the one hand to demonstrate the new spirit of the brand and on the other hand to present our new tube kite, the STOKE. Personally for me it was also about returning to the core of kiting – surfing and waves – which is a customer base we didn’t target until now. During the past few years we’ve concentrated on giving the brand a younger image, and the STOKE is a wave-oriented kite, so it was quite logical to choose Sal as a venue.

There had previously been a STOKE in your lineup – what are the main differences in the brand new model?

The differences are huge, as the new STOKE is a completely redeveloped kite. We focused on keeping it simple in more of a ‘plug & play’ style to just go out on the water and have fun! The former STOKE model was way more technical and complex, covering a broad spectrum. It offered heaps of different setting options which weren’t always accepted by the customers. Generally, in the past, Flysurfer always tried to build a “kite for everybody”. My task

during the last one-and-a-half years was to conceive product lines together with our designers, and the STOKE evolved out of the consideration: what is still missing in our portfolio and who do we want to reach? It turned out that we wanted to address a younger audience.

So it reflects current trends in the sport?

Yes, we have the current surf trend and well organized competitions like the GKA Kitesurf Tour on the one hand, and the hardcore freestyle/wakestyle rider base on the other hand. It was obvious for us to develop the new STOKE towards waveriding, especially the smaller sizes (7 and smaller). In turn, 8 and 9 are perfect for Big Air and massive loops, and the bigger sizes (10, 12 and 14) have great freestyle genes for unhooked tricks. With this gradation the STOKE is able to meet the needs of the majority of riders.

What was the driving force to penetrate the wave and freestyle market?

Well, my personal background lies in freestyle and waves, and in the past we were able to get a lot of young team riders aboard. So for Maxi Kühnhauser (Flysurfer’s Head Designer for kites) it was logical to provide a kite for this target group. ▶

Flysurfer STOKE

Hey Chris, thanks for taking the time for this interview. So, Flysurfer and wave spots – that’s quite an unusual combination. Why did you choose Cape Verde for your annual marketing meeting?

Due to its broad range of application and playful handling, the STOKE is perfect for everyone who just wants to have fun on the water...

So the main target group which our marketing is aimed at is the young guns. However, due to its broad range of application and playful handling, the STOKE is perfect for everyone who just wants to have fun on the water, regardless of age or target groups. Due to its stress-free and comfortable behavior the STOKE also immediately turned out as the favorite of our female testers at our first test runs.

When will the new STOKE be on the shelves and where can it be tested?

It will be in shops at the end of April and we have already planned some test events. Of course you can test it at the distributors at any time, but for the STOKE we will also have a special tour named Trippin’. Our teamriders will be traveling across Europe, stopping at as many spots as possible. People can join them at the spot, test the kite, and have fun on the water together.

What about the feedback of your teamriders about the new STOKE?

Our current teamriders (many of whom are mainly racers) love it for sessions with their friends

and just to have fun on the water, doing freestyle, Big Air or wave riding away from their race-training units. So they were immediately happy with the STOKE. Can we expect more Flysurfer LEI kites next to the BOOST and the new STOKE in the future?

That’s highly dependent on the market situation.

If it turns out that something specific is needed, we can extend our portfolio at any time. But at the moment we don’t expect it and internally we are very satisfied with our current tube kite lineup. Maybe there would be space for a special trainer kite which would suit our concept and round off our product line but that would be it for now.

What about the wave sector – do you also plan a waveboard collection?

Good question and a quick answer: yes! Together with our team riders and different shapers we’ve already been testing and developing waveboards for a year now. This is also helped by the fact that we are close to München and Salzburg, which are good spots for riversurfing which could be a future pillar for our brand.

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Concerning the technical aspects, foil kites and tube kites are quite different. How does R&D work between the two sectors?

That’s easily explained: on the one side we have Benni Bölli, a developer who not only builds extremely good foil kites but also permanently contributes new ideas and creative advancements.

On the other side there’s our kite designer Maxi Kühnhauser who (as a result of his background as a kite instructor) pays maximum attention on solid products and durability. These two contrasting characters complement each other perfectly when it’s about developing kites, and both sectors – foil kites and LEI kites – equally profit from their work.

How compatible are the bar systems between your foil and tube kites?

Our newly developed Force bar works for our whole product range. That means that you only need one bar system which you can use for all Flysurfer kites, from a tube kite like the STOKE to our future race foil kite, the VMG.

Is there any other news on the Flysurfer lineup?

Yep! So we have the FORCE bar, a state-of-theart bar system with integrated size adjustment. So now you only need one bar to have two bar sizes.

Then there is also the new Universal bag which is not only suited as a kite bag but also as a normal bag for traveling. And we also have a new refined version of the RUSH twintip.

You have always produced ‘on demand’. What does this mean for customers who want to buy Flysurfer products?

Producing on demand offers several benefits for customers as well as for distributors. On the one hand there is no overproduction which leads to higher value retention of the kites. On the other hand there is no need for distributors to store huge amounts – instead they can order according to demand at any time, even when it’s in the middle of the season. As internally we always hold a sufficient minimum quantity on stock, we can guarantee that a customer will be holding his or her new Flysurfer kite in their hands within four days maximum. Of course that means higher logistic efforts for us – but the benefits for our customers and distributors offsets the additional expense.

Your also have a new corporate design. What was the reason for this change?

In the course of our new spirit we considered how to better represent our aspiration as a premium brand. As part of this process, not only the logotype changed, also the product design got a more minimalistic touch. This combination of clearcut design and new colors should be immediately recognizable as Flysurfer when you are at your ­local beach and look at the sky! ◼

Flysurfer STOKE

For the Olympic registration the Sonic Race and the Sonic Race VMG will be subsumed under a race-specific product line named VMG. As every kite registered for the Olympics has to be a serial product, of course this thoroughbred race weapon will be available for our customers too! The future Sonic lineup will be dedicated to high performance freeride, hooked-in boosting and the highest lightwind performance.

Tell Me About It

What about the Olympics in 2024, do you plan an Olympic race kite? And if so, will it also be available for regular kiters?

TELL ME ABOUT IT

F- O N E H A LO

TOP Team testing on the water...

BOTTOM And in the snow…

TELL ME ABOUT IT

F- O N E H A LO

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It’s not just the racers who are embracing foil kites – their super-efficient ­attributes are also turning a lot of ‘general’ riders onto them. With that in mind, more ‘accessible’ foil kites which operate well at less than Mach 10 are ­becoming more popular. Here F-ONE’s kite designer, Robert Graham, takes us through F-ONE’s latest user-friendly foil offering: the Halo.

What is the target market for the Halo and why did you decide there was a need for a kite like this in the F-ONE range?

Tell Me About It

Competition kites like the Diablo are moving very far in the direction of high-performance VMG racing. Foil kites bring a whole new dimension to kiting and in particular high performance foil racing, but the Halo is not just for foil racing, it is suited to general use as well. The Halo is targeted at the rider who is looking for a kite which will allow them to enjoy the pure feeling of flying a kite in all conditions and on all terrain.

Ease of use, maneuverability, and price.

So do you see this becoming a more popular ­segment of the market?

Yes. The new generation of foil kites are a very interesting alternative to tube kites. Very smooth, even when riding powered up, with very good feedback so you always know where the kite is, and with progressive bar pressure and power delivery. Plus it delivers good lift so the maneuvers are easier, and the kite is light and compact for traveling.

How does the R&D of a foil kite differ from that of an inflatable kite? There are a few more lines to tinker with!

Yes there are different parameters! But the process is basically the same: defining what characteristics you want and then testing until you achieve these.

For any recreational kiters who are worried about adding a more ‘complicated’ foil kite to their ­quiver, what advice would you give?

Some aspects are different but not that much.

The first thing that makes a big difference is to always have a bar connected. That way the bridles don’t get tangled. The packing is not a big issue but the maintenance will need some extra care. The

depower system and its pulleys need to be rinsed regularly, and checking the bridles before inflating will save time and trouble. But after some practice it only takes a couple of seconds to get the kite in the air. I like to sand the wingtip and launch from the edge of the window. When inflating, don’t let the kite travel too fast as it will not be completely inflated and not have the stability of an inflated kite. Also the acceleration will pull quite a lot if the kite is not at the edge of the window. So keep the bar in and release it just enough to let the kite fly slowly overhead.

You have a new bar for your foil kites, what can you tell us about this, and what are the optimum line lengths for the Halo?

The main difference is the throw which will make your riding more comfortable, especially for the maneuvers. Also, instead of a plastic tube around the rope, we have a special sleeve that makes the bar movements very smooth. Then we have kept the weight down to have the best feedback from the kite.

The kite was designed for lines between 19 and 17m.

Of course it will work with different lengths, but generally a rider will start using longer lines but will find with time that short lines are well suited to foil kites. ◼

F-ONE HALO

Give us three key variables where the Halo ­ iffers from the Diablo? d

TELL ME ABOUT IT

G I N M A R A BO U

ABOVE Nothing beats a sunset session to put a new kite through its paces.

LEFT Another satisfied customer.

TELL ME ABOUT IT

G I N M A R A BO U

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It’s not every day that a product pops onto our radars that we have never seen before. The new MARABOU from GIN is a foil kite with a few notable differences.

It is a single skin foil kite, except it’s not, as it has a portion of the kite which is double skinned and unsinkable. Confused? Us too… So we asked ­Sarah Achermann, communications manager at GIN, to take us through it.

PHOTOS TOAST Production 2019

For anyone not familiar with GIN KITEBOARDING, can you tell us a bit about the brand and about its roots in the world of paragliding?

From the very beginning, the GIN R&D team was constituted by members with a strong paragliding background. This is part of who we are, and this experience has allowed us to continuously source and drive innovation from both worlds. With the world-renowned paraglider designer Olivier Nef as part of our team, we have for instance been able to set a new benchmark for single-surface snowkites, by eradicating flapping with a combination of single-surface and cell construction (as seen on the SHAMAN). For our newest product – the MARABOU – we have taken innovation in hybrid construction to an even higher level, to open up an entire new dimension to kitesurfing.

What inspired you to begin looking at the development of the MARABOU?

With our offices located at the shores of Lake ­Bienne in Switzerland (a low-wind spot), we regu-

With the MARABOU, we combine the advantages of both universes – foil and tube kites – to eliminate their respective weaknesses. Consisting of only a single surface, the MARABOU is not only ▶

GIN MARABOU

How has this experience with paragliders transferred into your range of tube kites?

What are the advantages of the MARABOU over a double skin or an inflatable kite?

Tell Me About It

The very first GIN kite – a foil kite for power kiting and snowkiting – was created under the structure of the famous paraglider brand GIN Gliders back in 2004. A year later, the first GIN tube kite was launched in collaboration with the 2003 snowkite world champion Fabienne Kaufmann.

These were the early days, where new technologies and standards were emerging and developing rapidly. In order to allow for a more dynamic development, the company decided to split the activities and transferred the kite-related business into a new and autonomous structure, managed by Fabienne Kaufmann. This is how GIN KITEBOARDING, the first and only Swiss kitesurf brand, was founded in 2007. To this day, GIN KITEBOARDING continues to develop cutting edge kitesurfing equipment for authentic riders, that live their passion in harmony with nature.

larly witnessed kitesurfers struggling in the water, having to swim back to shore under great effort while towing their heavy foil kites that had filled up with water. This spurred us to develop a new kind of kite that would combine the benefits of tube and foil kites, in order to help kiters to fully enjoy and exploit low-wind days without worrying about their kite dropping. After almost three years of intensive research and development, we released the MARABOU, the first-ever single surface kite for water use.

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Tell Me About It

GIN MARABOU

The MARABOU is a completely new type of kite that has the capacity to revolutionize kitesurfing particularly in lighter wind.

incredibly powerful and stable, but also minimal in size and weight: the largest size (the 12m) weighs only 1.7 kg and fits in a tiny travel pouch. The MARABOU is very accessible and easy to use. With its clean and minimal bridles, we have also put an end to the overwhelming confusion caused by the bridles of double skin foil kites. Then with its closed leading edge, we have overcome the disadvantage of standard single-skin kites being nearly impossible to relaunch from water as the MARABOU’s single surface prevents the kite from filling up with water, and its closed leading edge provides the buoyancy required for relaunch.

surface is literally unsinkable! Even if you have to pull the safety, get to your kite and swim to shore, it will remain afloat.

Where do you expect the biggest market to be for the MARABOU?

The MARABOU is a completely new type of kite that has the capacity to revolutionize kitesurfing around the globe. The demand is not only coming from hydrofoilers looking for low-wind performance, but also from twintip riders who are sick of carrying bulky, heavy equipment and accessories like a kite pump.

Aside from the MARABOU, what else have you been up to over at GIN HQ, and what releases can we expect over the coming months?

Our R&D team has been working tirelessly, both on perfecting existing products and developing new innovatory products such as the MARABOU. We have recently released the ANGEL, our single-strut kite that impresses with incredible stability, drift and performance in both light and strong wind conditions. Then we are currently working on a number of different projects for water and snow and we’re full of ideas for new innovations. We equally continue to dedicate a lot of our time and effort into optimizing our processes and technologies, to further reduce our ecological footprint. ◼

How does the performance of the kite differ from inflatable and ‘normal’ foil kites?

The power-to-size ratio of the MARABOU is incredible. Even on a twintip, a rider of 75kg will be able to hit the water with the 12m MARABOU at 7 knots (with a hydrofoil, the fun starts at 5 knots).

While his friends might be navigating their oil-tanker-like 17m kites, he’s cruising and enjoying the agility of a 12m kite! Plus you have the advantage of fitting his entire quiver of kites into hand luggage…

So how do you go about relaunching the MARABOU?

If you drop the MARABOU into the water, the very first thing to do is to give it some time to position itself properly with the help of the wind. Randomly pulling on the lines is counterproductive. So wait for it to settle and, once positioned on the trailing edge, you can launch it by pulling the front lines like any other kite (but requiring much less effort).

If it is positioned on its inflated leading edge, you can reverse-launch it like other foil kites and, due to its light weight, it will relaunch a lot more easily.

If you did crash the kite and it got caught in a wave would it still be retrievable?

As with any kite, there can be situations in the waves where the MARABOU won't relaunch. The massive advantage of the MARABOU is that it will never completely fill up with water as 70% of the

GIN & TONIC BAR

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TELL ME ABOUT IT

OC E A N RO D EO S M OOTHY

Ocean Rodeo are a brand who genuinely start with a blank piece of paper when it comes to new products. They have a strong heritage of innovation and of ­producing products that work in the ‘real world’. The design of the Smoothy supports that philosophy completely: it doesn’t look like many other boards, but you can immediately see the thinking behind it (mainly that it looks like it’s going to eat its way through even the choppiest of chop…). Ocean Rodeo’s head honcho, Richard Myerscough, takes us through it…

Tell Me About It

OCEAN RODEO SMOOTHY

So a new board in the line-up. Who is the Smoothy aimed at?

The Smoothy is designed to be the perfect freestyle/freeride crossover board. It’s a board that riders of all levels can hop on and that will perform instantly with virtually no adaptation time.

It’s perfect for riders who aspire to the slick and polished “old school” tricks but who also look to boost big airs, and throw all their weight into deep toe side or heel side carves. It turns everyday ‘real world’ coastal chop into smooth riding conditions.

Where does it fit into the twintip line up?

The Smoothy fits between a pure freeride board, for example the Mako twintip, and a pure park style/ freestyle board. It’s right in the middle and delivers a non-compromised ride at both ends of the spectrum. The Smoothy is designed to stand out from the crowd as a truly new take on a freestyle/freeride crossover board.

Ocean Rodeo seems to enjoy playing with bottom contours, with many of your boards having deep single or double concaves. Why do you incorporate this into most of your board designs?

We test a board like the Smoothy in the full spectrum of water and wind conditions. You can be assured we tried many designs, flex/twist layups, and fin placements before settling on the Smoothy shape. One thing none of us can tolerate are boards that spray you in the face with every chop, or only hold an edge if you’re totally back foot loaded. Priority one is always an enjoyable ride in ALL conditions. We aim for a board that is well balanced, fast, great upwind, blistering downwind, and that has exceptional get up and go in light wind but still has precision control when it’s nuking. Take offs must be controlled, and landings must stick.

So the concave is part of the recipe here?

Yes, so the Smoothy’s anhedral double concave delivers all of the above. With the dual concave and the perimeter beveled rails, there's a lot going on in terms of what rocker section engages the water during the various edging and weighting positions a rider uses during a session. On the Smoothy we designed for the perfect mix of hydrodynamic performance to let you mix up your riding disciplines from freeride carving and Big Air boosting to powered freestyle in a real world mix of wind and water conditions.

We even took an extra step with the Smoothy fins by designing anti cavitation channels into the sides. The grooves run the length of the fins, stopping cavitation while at high speed. Riders who like a bit of all-terrain riding will appreciate the stout tough fin design combined with the tough park base.

As with all of your products, the focus is on ‘real world’ conditions – you recently had your OBX demo week on the Outer Banks. How did the Smoothy go down?

As designers, we feel impressions on gear are made in the very first few seconds of trying. Really great designs change your world the second you

try them, usually because they just feel so much better than what you’re currently using or confuse you because you had no idea it could be so easy. The Smoothy fits this description. Whether you are a pro or a complete novice, if you hop on a great board, kite or control bar and it’s super easy to use, and immediately intuitive, the product is likely to be a classic. This was the case at our recent OBX event where the Smoothy was the showstopper.

You’ve been expanding your freestyle team this year, can we expect a ‘hardcore’ freestyle board to suit their competition requirements to join the line up?

TOP Reece Myerscough sending the Smoothy on home turf.

Indeed we have. We now have eight team riders competing on the GKA circuit and we’re adding new riders all the time. We’ve expanded the brand’s focus from pure freeride to include all disciplines now represented by the GKA’s tour and we’re excited by the talent and dedication we see with our pro riders. You will see a lot more of Ocean Rodeo in the coming months at these events!

To that end, yes, we have another addition to the twintip line up coming. Eagle eyed observers will start seeing prototypes of this new board in photos soon, with a launch later in the year.

Your 2020 line up will be released soon – can you give us any insights into what we can expect there?

For Ocean Rodeo we have a very clean and focused design approach to make the very best equipment for the expression disciplines of the sport.

Waves, Strapless Freestyle, Big Air/Megaloop, Freestyle, Freeride foil board, Lightwind freeride.

Our 2020 Wave/Strapless Freestyle and Freeride line-up has been driven by our GKA Pro Tour riders.

To perform consistently in the mixed conditions they encounter on tour, they have pushed our design team for gear that will perform on the 20-foot faces and light offshore winds of Ponta Preta, to the high wind, high altitude strapless freestyle game in locations like Tarifa. You will see glimpses of this gear coming up in Sylt in June. Same thing for Freestyle. Our Freestyle World Cup team is growing, and you’ll see these refinements in kites, boards and bars soon.

Freeride is always the is closest to our heart.

It’s what we all do after work! Our kites are getting lighter and lighter, as we continue to build the lightest three strut SLE kites on the market. And we do have some genuinely big things in the works that have the potential to shake up the market completely... But if we told you: we’d have to kill you. ◼

LEFT XR6 Lightweight Consruction.

RIGHT XR6 Standard Construction.

PHOTOS Thomas Burblies

TELL ME ABOUT IT

CO RE XR6

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The world of big boosts is a serious one these days with the WOOsphere ­providing a legitimate forum for riders and brands to pit themselves against one another. Right now there seems to be one kite that’s giving riders a definite edge… The XR5 had plenty of boosting credentials, and now the XR6 has landed.

So, is 40 meters now the target?! CORE kite designer Frank Ilfrich discusses…

ers. Did you compromise any of its all-round capabilities to make it a solid Big Air kite?

I don´t think so, as the XR series is well known for its comfortable freeriding AND boosting. Ease of boosting is the main goal and we achieved it. And I think that the results speak for themselves. Riders are jumping bigger than ever on this kite.

The XR5 has sat at the top of the WOO leaderboard for a few months – you must be pretty happy about that?

The XR4 and XR5 are fan favorites for Big Air. What are the main design considerations when you work on a kite designed to go big?

It’s complicated. And without giving away our secret sauce, it comes down to shape, proportions, materials, and finetuning. For jumping, you need three things: speed, control, and power. You need speed to load the system with energy. You need control (under speed) to plant an edge to jump. And the kite must deliver big power to generate lift and hangtime. The XR6’s super rigid five-strut, Exotex airframe is awesome for this.

The XR series is part of your Universal+ range, a family of kites designed to be versatile all-round-

How important has the feedback on the XR5 from your team riders been when working on the XR6?

Of course, it’s very important and helpful when they go out and test our gear at a level I'm not. If pros are breaking barriers and astronauts-in-training can’t stop grinning when playing with their XRs, I’ve done my job.

What are the main changes from the XR5?

We beefed up the strut construction, made some small profile corrections towards the tip, and finetuned each size. We also adjusted the bridle and CIT points. That doesn´t sound like much but getting more control and top end without sacrificing turning speed, handling and comfort is a difficult task. I highly recommend playing around with the CIT modes as it can really help with boosting. Try the freestyle mode for the biggest boosts.

So, the main question: will it boost bigger?!

We’ll see soon enough! The potential to go higher is there, but it depends on the right conditions as well. It's simply not possible to jump 30m every day. Our WOO showed promising results though.

As they say, you’ll never know unless you try. So my advice would be to go ahead and boost away! ◼

CORE XR6

The story begins when our sister brand, Carved Customs, designed its first pure C kite. Shortly thereafter, the bow kite trend started taking off and we responded to the growing demand by releasing the Riot under a new brand. And so, the first CORE kite was born. It was a true bow design with a 5th line safety. At the time, it had outstanding performance and a very nice soft bar feeling. The Riot name morphed into XR for “cross-ride” and the kite added more Delta DNA. Over the years our fabrics made giant leaps, our bridles became more advanced, and the designs were optimized. This brings us to our latest creation, the XR6. A record-breaking high flyer that anybody can have fun with.

Tell Me About It

The XR is a kite that has morphed over the years and now seems to have one foot firmly in the world of ‘big boosts’. Can you take us through the background of the kite and how it has evolved?

I´m very proud of Maarten and Ross’s achievements and I hope more team riders, especially the girls join the top ranks. At home, we have an epic battle going on between boosting fanatics. And it’s fun to watch. I´m very happy that the young guys like to ride the XR, even if it’s not our cool Future-C freestyle machine, the GTS5. It took them some time to realize the XR’s true potential, but now everyone has one in their quiver.

9 1 0 2 E D I U G S ’ R E Y U B S S E N R A H

A good harness can make the difference between an effortlessly fun session, where you see your riding ­progress, and the kind of session that has you grabbing at your harness after every move to try to shift it back into a comfortable position, and then leaves you with sore ribs. Yup, never mind if you’ve got a brand new quiver of kites and it’s sunny perfection at your local beach, if you haven’t got the right harness for you, you haven’t got much chance of having a good session.

So check out our harness guide for some of the very best harnesses on the market to keep you connected and comfortable through even the very longest of sessions.

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SHIELD

tow carbon support shield. This 3D molded stiff carbon plate, with naturally

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The RRD Shield kite harness features RRD’s premium, low profile, spread curved back and pre-shape, spreads the load of the kite for maximum back

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support. It doesn’t absorb water, so it stays light. The slim harness profile combined with flexible side and rib areas allow for freedom of movement and

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enhanced performance in long or powerful sessions. The Shield features RRD’s improved barpad with stabilizer wings.

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€311 | $296 | £264

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SHIFT PRO

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The Shift Pro is the most comfortable harness in the RRD range, suitable for people with a naturally flat lower back shape. The thicker, larger and

improved barpad with stabilizer wings.

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€259 | $246 | £220

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mum comfort for everyday and powerful riding. The Shift Pro features the

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less curved inner plate spreads the load widely over your whole back. This, combined with the tender neoprene and EVA grip inside, results in maxi-

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SENSE The Sense is RRD’s female-specific kite harness. The ergonomically wom-

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back. The curved outline profile makes the harness edges flex for increased mobility. This combined with the tender neoprene and EVA grip inside re-

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en-specific pre-shaped inner plate spreads the load widely over your whole

sults in maximum comfort for everyday riding. The Sense also features the improved barpad with stabilizer wings.

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$199 | €209 | £178

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ECLIPSE

the back and a lower fit. So here is the ECLIPSE, a skillful balance between stiffness and flex that brings support where you need it and the freedom to move the way you want. $295 | €299 | £220

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to push their frame concept with more stiffness, allowing a better support of

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Having worked on ergonomic designs for a few years, MANERA’s goal was

EXO MANERA’s EXO harness has been developed to optimize load distribution and prevent you from having misplaced pressure points such as on the floating ribs or lower back. This allows you to ride longer and with more com-

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fort. The development of the EXO is the result of many innovations and the

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creation of new technologies. The Energy Dispersion Frame is a hexagonal structure that is directly connected to the spreader bar. Thanks to its shape

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and structure, the pressure is spread over a much wider area of the back and

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responds better, and more smoothly. $279 | €249 | £220

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The UNION utilizes advanced manufacturing processes which allow it to be

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dispersion and offers extreme comfort, reliability, durability, and unrivaled

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and is directly connected to the spreader bar to ensure it takes 100% of the

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doesn't absorb water.

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UNION

$209 | €199 | £170

far lighter than other harnesses. It is based on the same core principal of load weight characteristics. The Energy Dispersion Plate is inside the harness

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load from the kite. Consequently, the UNION stays light even when wet as it

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PRIME

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Much like its carbon-infused sibling, the magic in Ride Engine’s 2019 Prime harness comes from its stiff, form-fitting hard shell and the support and comfort it provides. Made from a top-secret, nearly indestructible, scratch and fade resistant composite material which RE have perfected after years of

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R&D, the Prime’s shell is still plenty stiff, but has a bit more flex to it than the Carbon Elite. Some riders want a little more flex, while others won’t feel the

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difference between the two, making the Prime an excellent option, at a little

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lower price point. $299 | €270 | £240

CARBON ELITE This isn’t your grandpa’s flimsy old windsurfing rig! Ride Engine’s hard shell

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technology is designed for the dynamic loads, angles and pain points unique to the modern day kiteboarder. A stiff shell with a luxurious inner cushion

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locks into your lumbar, spreads the load evenly across your back and sides, and solves many of the comfort and performance issues that have plagued kiters since the dawn of the chicken loop. The 2019 Elite Carbon model is the stiffest version in the lineup, which provides unrivaled support and torsional rigidity under extreme load while still maintaining a low-profile fit. $399 | €360 | £315

RIDEENGINE.COM

SPREADER BARS An often overlooked benefit of Ride Engine’s harness is how easily you can change between their fixed hook and sliding rope spreader bars, and if you

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think you’re all set with just one or the other, we suggest you reconsider.

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Each option offers drastically different feel and performance, and the ability to switch between the two depending on the conditions and what you

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satile, multi-dimensional kiteboarder. For unhooking, boosting, looping and

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feel like doing for the day is an important factor in becoming a more ver-

or all-around freeriding, the sliding rope is fantastic.

high-powered freestyle, use the hook; for foiling, surfing, touring, skimming

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$66 | €60 | £52

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SYNTH The Synth harness is AK Durable Supply Co.’s classic waist harness with a twist. This harness has all the important elements of an extremely well-pad-

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an integrated seat harness connection, to turn your full waist harness to a

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ded, supportive waist harness with the adaptability of a seat. The Synth has

all round performance and for maximum comfort with or without a wetsuit.

fully supported seat harness. Featuring full neoprene interior for the best

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Constructed with low profile pressed aluminum webbing buckles to reduce hard points and thick material bunching, which often cause unnecessary

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discomfort.

TUCK-IN SPREADER BAR

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€179 | $200 | £149

The Tuck-in Spreader Bar is designed to minimize the movement of the harness up your torso. The wider outline is designed with tuck-in tabs which prevent any pivoting. Solely designed for the all-round waist harness rider, it is

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built in classic stainless steel construction with a simple clip in connection.

The Tuck-in Spreader Bar is ideally suited to the Synth harness when being

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used as a pure waist harness.

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€65 | $70 | £49

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PROGRESSION SEAT HARNESS

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The AK Progression Seat Harness is AK Durable Supply Co.’s classic low cut seat harness. It is designed to fulfill all seat harness riders’ needs, whether

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you are a first time rider or a veteran racer. Designed with full adjustability to maximize comfort and support, while keeping the features streamlined and well-hidden to prevent obtrusive connection points. Also ideal for those who are learning, anyone with upper back problems, and racing foil or twintip riders, the Progression Seat Harness is ideal for low hook style riding and comfort. €140 | $159 | £125

NEVER STOP PLAYING!

ESCAPE V8 freestyle | freeride

PLKB

SWELL V4 wave | freeride | school

HOOK V2 freeride | big air | performance

SYNERGY light wind | hydrofoil

I N T E R N A L

WING

PROFILE

NOVA freeride | hydrofoil M AR S I N G L E D E S I G N

high cell count

CAPITAL freestyle

C A R B O N F I N I S H

B A L A N C E D R O C K E R

PLKB PETERLYNNKITEBOARDING.COM

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MAJESTIC X LEN10 The LEN10 Majestic X hard-shell harness is developed together with legend Ruben Lenten. It’s built around the stiff and lightweight Bionic Core Frame, featuring Mystic’s unique carbon construction. The specific placement of

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the fibers allows a frame that is extremely stiff, while maintaining the flex diagonally. The LEN10 Majestic X is the most advanced harness in the Mystic

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range, with the quickdry Flaremesh lining on the inside giving extra insulation

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and a soft touch for riding without a wetsuit.

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€369 | $369 | £330

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MAJESTIC X If you like to go bonkers, the Majestic X is right up your alley. A slimmer waist harness with a carbon composite plate, Bionic Core Frame and Battle Belt

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comfort. It comes with features like soft neoprene edges, Knitflex and Fix

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perfect for riders that like riding overpowered.

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2.0 system that will give you all the support you desire, while maintaining

€349 | $349 | £310

GEM JALOU

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Foam. The stiffness of the Bionic Core Frame makes this carbon harness

The Gem Jalou Langeree hard-shell harness is developed together with the triple world champion. Its Bionic Core Frame is designed with a specific body mapping to create a stiff horizontal support, and the orientation of the roving

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glass fibers allow the wings to flex diagonally. The Gem gives you optimal

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support while still being able to twist and follow your body.

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€279 | $279 | £260

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STEALTH BAR

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on-water testing. Mystic’s new molded fiber-injection construction provides

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The Stealth Bar is the result of 3D computer modeling and countless hours of

gonomic design combined with the new integrated Fender-Shield minimizes

an unprecedented strength to weight ratio while the Stealth Bar’s slim, erpressure points, and the Stealth Wings keeps the bar held securely in place. €89 |$89 | £79

BE INSURED, DONT TAKE THE RISK Kitesurfing is a safe sport.

When practiced in the right place at the right time on the right stuff, but even then the odd unforeseeable accident can occur.

Kitesurfers can have a real impact on one another and other people.

The BKSA is the national governing body for the sport and also provides the best, cheapest and most comprehensive worldwide insurance for members.

Join now at: www.BritishKitesports.org

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The revolutionary Thermo Composite CURV material is ION’s new innovaformance. Featuring this latest development, the brand-new, fully molded

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APEX CURV 10

construction and is one of the medium stiff models (flex index 10 of 20) in

tion in harness development and sets a new benchmark in design and perAPEX CURV 10 offers an outstandingly light yet incredibly robust harness their range. The 3D Plus Spine and higher outline was designed to support

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the rider exactly where needed most to ensure long and joyful sessions!

RIOT CURV 9 The RIOT CURV 9 is from the same family as the APEX CURV with the same

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€279 | $299 | £ CHECK LOCAL DEALER

construction. The lower outline ensures an incredible freedom of movement

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for radical freestyle or wave riding. Available also with the C-bar 2.0 rope slider, this model allows ambitious wave addicts even more freedom to throw their bodies into radical turns than the hook-version. The RIOT CURV 9 is one

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of ION’s medium stiff harnesses (flex index 9 of 20).

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€274 | $289 | £ CHECK LOCAL DEALER

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NOVA CS 15

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offers centered support where needed and flexible side parts to adapt to

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exceptional performance of this innovative harness. The NOVA CS 15 is the

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The NOVA CS 15 stands for high-end materials and top quality. The design

ness in ION’s range (flex index 15 of 20). Outstanding action needs a radical

your individual riding style. The Archbar and Hyperfoam further enhance the ideal match for all women wanting to push their riding and is the stiffest hardesign – one that has been specifically developed for women’s needs.

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€349 | $349,95 | £ CHECK LOCAL DEALER

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THE SESSION

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The Session Harness has been in the Ocean Rodeo range for over 15 years, and with each new evolution the attention to detail has been on point. The

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Session 3 is a 3D, anatomically shaped unique hybrid system that can be worn as a seat or a waist harness, featuring a Snag-Free exterior design, size adjustable back support, dual density comfort foam padding and an internal Power Band to make sure everything is held just so, and comes complete with a no-tilt spreader bar. €199 | $199 | £ CHECK LOCAL DEALER

Tested

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Flysurfer STOKE

Airush Ultra

IN A SENTENCE: The STOKE is back and very well equipped as a versatile and perfectly tuned kite that will meet the needs of the vast majority of kiters.

IN A SENTENCE: Excellent light wind performance and a playful, light and entertaining kite to fly: exactly what you want from a single strut.

We tested the new STOKE in Cape Verde which gave us the chance to really put it through its paces. The first impression of a new kite is always about the look and on Sal’s famous Kite Beach the new STOKE really stood out. Its graphics are clear, solid and striking.

The new STOKE offers several tuning options and a clear distinction in settings between Wave, Freeride and Surf settings. Also evident is Flysurfer’s High-Load Force Frame which uses a high strength thread from DuPont to lock the kite’s structure together and ensure minimum distortion while the kite is flying. In the air and, combined with a surfboard in onshore waves, its position in the wind window is excellent for onshore riding and it pulls you through the white water into the lineup with plenty of low end power. Turning is smooth and relatively pivotal, enabling you to place the kite exactly where you want it to be. When it comes to ‘drifting’ the STOKE behaves solidly and stays in the position where you park it like a well-trained dog.

It turns on command in a smooth and controlled style. Overall the STOKE’s stability and movement in the air feels truly comfortable which is an essential quality for general flying and also if you get rolled over in the surf. After some extended testing in the waves we can also confirm that the relaunch is excellent (even after a proper washing cycle which destroyed a surfboard, the kite bounced back up with no problem). Combined with a twintip, the STOKE’s boosting ability was very good. It also showed solid freestyle abilities and pleasantly controllable power delivery during kiteloops which would enable a beginner or intermediate rider to confidently progress and develop their skills. Considering the many different environments that we rode the STOKE in, it is clear that the Flysurfer team have put a lot of thought into getting the right balance of the kite. The result is a truly fun kite which is best described as: pump and play!

We tested the STOKE with the all new FORCE bar. We found this to be a sophisticated cockpit with an intuitively working QR system with single front line safety that works impeccably, even when there’s a lot of sand everywhere. The new EVA grip feels smooth and comfy even after a Cape Verdean mega-session and overall this bar provides a comfy and more ‘all-round’ option than the skinnier and racier feeling Infinity bar.

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The light kite revolution is in full swing, partly fueled by the explosion of the hydrofoil. Airush were on board with the concept early with the original Ultra, a single strut aimed as a freeride early flier with foil leanings. This premise continues with the V2 which has been refined and improved. The kite has a tight and balanced canopy, and doesn't luff or drop out easily, but what's exceptionally useful is that when you do push it beyond its flying capabilities, it falls and luffs with a wonderfully predictable nature, meaning you can initiate a turn back on your edge and catch it, giving you an ability to pre-empt disaster in the extremes of its low wind range, and is particularly useful when foiling in onshore conditions with a small swell. From a build perspective it’s a light but intelligently laid out build. Load Frame and Web Tech is present throughout the whole canopy, which streamlines the build, minimizing the use of heavy Dacron and shaving some all important grams off the kite weight.

The Ultra has a notably extended wingtip with hang points right at the tips, which seem to help with leech tension, controlling the trailing edge, and improving turning speed, which is perky and reactive.

You can really exert some leverage on the wing tips and watch the canopy twist and the kite respond. Compared to its stablemates from other brands, it appears far more high aspect and has a lot more C shape and feels less ponderous. The Ultra also rides well in waves, where the sprightly handling and innate ability to drift enable the Ultra V2 to perform, particularly in the 10m size where three strut kites can start to get a little heavy and laggy. As with all light weight single strut kites, the low end is where the kite really shines and the 10m Ultra will provide a decent pull for foiling, even in a sub 10 knot breeze aided by that responsive turning speed and on/off power delivery. As with most one strut designs, the extreme top end is where its vulnerabilities lie from an airframe stability perspective, but this is outside its design brief and what counts is when you do get a sustained wind increase, and here things hold together pretty well. Overall the Ultra V2 is a step forward and has been honed and improved from the V1 with less trailing edge wobble under aggressive steering and definitely a kite which will fly when other kites will have you swimming.

ALL-ROUNDER TEST

SINGLE STRUT KITE

Boosting Range Turning speed Accessibility Freestyle Wave

Relaunch Turning speed Foiling Freeride Wave Top end

Duotone Mono

Liquid Force WOW4

IN A SENTENCE: The Mono punches well above its weight power wise, has plenty of trim options and will cross over well for everything from school use to advanced foiling.

IN A SENTENCE: A serious reworking provides improved maneuverability and performance in onshore conditions without compromising the supreme drift abilities.

Along with the Duotone brand shift, the Mono is treated to a full ground up redesign this season led by long term designer Ken Winner. Visually it’s apparent the Mono has gained a little more of a pronounced arc and more wingtip area. The leading edge has a heavily swept design and the kite is noticeably lower aspect which results in immediate ground pull once it’s in the air. Overall the build is minimal but not scrimping on quality materials, with Teijin Trinity cloth making up the vast majority of the canopy, and the usual scalloped trailing edge firming things up at the back of the kite. Then, even when depowered, the Mono has a reassuring underlying pull and hangs in the air well when the wind is lacking, so you are aware of the kite’s position at all times which is a reassuring quality for a lightwind kite. The single strut build lends itself to foiling use, and it’s obvious this was in mind with the redesign. In the air and the Mono is immaculately behaved and very stable in its low end. Turning speed is relatively reactive to bar inputs with pleasant feedback, but not twitchy and definitely on the more ‘mellow’ side in comparison with other single strut kites. Duotone have implemented a large diameter leading edge instead which does a good job of maintaining the kite’s shape. The nemesis of the single strut concept has ­always been flapping in the trailing edge, which was apparent in previous Monos, but Duotone have weaved some magic in this redesign to really minimize this, and there’s only evidence of flutter in the very extreme of the top wind range. For freeride foiling use we found the kite steering perked up considerably on the shorter 22m line option, so drop those extensions off. The faster steering settings are well implemented here also. The Click bar is a clean and functional affair to use, with zero clutter flapping. For more general use with a twintip the Mono is a steady and predictable power source which has a nice smooth lift above you when moving the kite over zenith, we found it particularly easy to tack and jibe your foil with. For an advanced wave rider, its light weight makes it perfect for travel if you were heading for a surf destination with a whiff of wind without filling your whole luggage allowance.

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So, the WOW is now onto V4 (which is pretty crazy in itself – four years. Really?!) and it has carved itself out a solid niche in the waveriding scene with its lightweight construction and driftability proving it a to be one of our favorite kites in cross-offshore conditions where it would sit downwind and effortlessly glide down the line with you. You can immediately see that this latest version has had a lot more changed than the V2 > V3 transition, and the profile and tips of the kite are different with an altogether boxier shape bringing it more into the style of some of the other surf-specific kites. The weight of the WOW is, again, exceptionally light, with minimal Dacron (we may say this regarding other kites, but this is exceptionally minimal!) and a skinny leading edge keeping the weight right down.

Inflation is via Liquid Force’s it-needs-a-special-adaptor inflation system which can see you pumped and ready to go in under 20 seconds with the skinny LE and struts and friction free pumping. In the air and the WOW feels solid – Liquid Force have tweaked the tip design to increase rear line tension and which does make the kite more stable on the beach (and we had a couple of super sketchy launches with offshore wind) without needing to keep moving it to keep it in the air. Once again the lighter weight makes the kite super maneuverable and you need to work it to get yourself up and riding, although the deeper profile and wider tips provide improved low end when compared to the previous version. These also translate into more pivotal turning and the WOW really does spin around on its axis but without then overflying out of the window. We found that this resulted in a kite that was super fun to ride in onshore conditions and – once you were on top of the quick performance – you could place it perfectly where you wanted it to be to continue providing enough pull through weaker sections but then switching off nicely when required. In cross-offshore conditions, the WOW’s light weight ensures that it is still a drifting machine and you can follow it down the line and have confidence that it is not going to drop out and – even with a good amount of slack line – it is more likely to recover than to end up in the water.

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SINGLE STRUT KITE

WAVE KITE

Relaunch Turning speed Foiling Freeride Wave Top end

Depower Low End Drift Turning speed Accessibility Relaunch

Tested

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Slingshot Hover Glide + Alien Air

RRD Vision MK6

IN A SENTENCE: For cruising and carving and developing your foil game, the Hover Glide with the Space Skate provides a very well-balanced and intelligently constructed foiling package.

IN A SENTENCE: The Vision provides excellent levels of freeride performance and is easily one of the most well-balanced kites we have tested this year.

Slingshot took a gamble on foiling and were fully committed from day one. They had one of the most comprehensive and usable ranges of foils for several years, but now the competition has also accepted which way the wind is blowing and the world of foils is now the most competitive area of kiteboarding. The Hover Glide is pitched as the ultimate ‘all round’ foil, accessible to all riders but without being too beginner-centric. All the Slingshot wings (there are five kite focused wings) are interchangeable too so you can shift up and down size wise – the wing we had was the Space Skate which is part of the FKite package and a carbon composite construction, and sits in the middle of the range. The mast is aluminum and 71cm, so shorter than many other racier masts. Overall the package is not the lightest on the market, but it slots together easily and defines the term ‘solid construction’! This is not a ‘one season’ package and you can expect to get plenty of use out of it. We rode the Hover Glide with the Alien Air which is a high volume, relatively short board which provides a floaty and solid platform for you to begin foiling with or – once your skills have improved – to provide a great base for touch-down transitions or for landing from airs. It’s also just about voluminous enough for prone surf foiling if you’re looking for a crossover board. Heading onto the water and the Hover Glide lifts very early and – as with most larger wings – provides a smooth experience meaning that once your head has mastered the skill of telling your front foot to apply pressure you have plenty of time to bring the nose down and lock the foil in. The Space Skate offers a very smooth ride and defines ‘cruisey’; you can pump it a little if you want and can really get a nice flow on with it. For turns and transitions it comes around easily and predictably and then wants to get back in a straight line and will increase the confidence of beginner and intermediate riders, and for experienced riders looking to master the elusive foiling transition. As we know it is certainly not the fastest foil on the water – there are other wings that will let you turn things on more if that’s what you want to do – but it epitomizes ‘fun’ foiling and paired with the Alien Air is hard to fault for pure foil fun.

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The kite line up at RRD is generally in a low-level state of ‘flux’, with kites moving slightly in one direction or another as the demands of the sport change and evolve. With a relatively large kite line up they can afford to shift kites around to ensure they have a kite to meet every rider’s need. The Vision is a prime example of this – it began life as a pure ‘beginner’ kite geared towards schools and new riders but the sport has changed and the ‘performance freeride’ sector has become one of the biggest in the market. With this in mind, the Addiction has stepped into the range to meet the needs of this sector which has enabled the Vision to turn the performance up a notch and become more of an all-round freeride kite. So for riders looking for a top performing kite, but probably not looking to do megaloops.

The most noticeable change to make this transition is in the tips which have lost the more swept profile and now have a more serious ‘boxier’ shape and the LE profile has been tweaked as well. Struts are skinny and in the air it looks like there is a whole lot of canopy for the wind to connect to! So, onto the water… And the first impression is the incredibly smooth power delivery – it’s very much ‘sheet and go’ but with a super-satisfying amount of power on tap. The ‘smooth’ vibe continues as you push the Vision harder, it is a kite that really helps you to build your confidence and the more you ride it the more you realize that it is a kite that really wants to work with you.

There are no surprises when you turn it, and it is completely unflappable in gusty conditions which it sucks up beautifully. For sending, there is plenty of lift and you can direct it quickly. You won’t get as much out of it as the Addiction but if you want to boost then there is plenty there, and for unhooked tricks there is enough slack to get your turn in and it recovers immediately as soon as there is tension back in the lines. Turning is tight, but not pivotal, so in onshore surf there is a steady power delivery but you need to keep moving with the kite. What impressed the test team the most though was its accessibility – when we’re riding new kites it often takes some time to ‘tune in’, but the Vision was so well-tuned that we were all enjoying it within a couple of runs. A definite ‘smiler’ of a kite.

FOIL TEST

ALL-ROUNDER TEST

Getting up Stability Upwind Carving Speed Accessibility

Boosting Range Turning speed Accessibility Freestyle Wave

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UNDER THE HOOD

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Under The Hood

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PLKB

When it comes to kite brands with history there is one that beats them all. Peter Lynn have been making ­kites since before most of us were born and were the first brand to really put the ‘power’ into power kite. They have evolved and morphed over the years and are now reinvented as PLKB. We catch up on some of the backstory and find out what the future looks like for the brand…

Under The Hood

PLKB

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Can you take us through the history of Peter Lynn Kiteboarding…

Since 1971 Peter Lynn have been innovating kites and developing gear aimed at harnessing the power of the wind in the best way possible. Peter Lynn were the innovators of the first kite buggy, the father of depower foils and market leader in power kites.

The brand never missed an opportunity to invite anyone interested in wind and power into our world.

These shared passions are reflected in the optimal products for every discipline that we’ve been constantly developing, creating kites using the latest technology, aiming to push the sport to new levels, and to push riders to the top of podiums.

And now you are making some changes?

TOP New look, new team, classic moves...

Yes, change is inevitable. We were number one in the kite buggy discipline, and since then Peter Lynn has always pushed its gear on water and snow with true craftsmanship and tried to drive the brand and the sports forward. In the same way that we push our gear and riders, we push the brand to become the best and change through time. And as seasons come and go, so do the eras of companies. With

new management and new riders on board, we've decided to rename ourselves PLKB and to develop a whole new portfolio of products.

PLKB obviously means Peter Lynn Kiteboarding and we didn’t want to split from the past because we're still the same – we just wanted to reinvent it.

We wanted to project into the future whilst maintaining our history, but with a new and rejuvenated spirit. With new management and new riders, we believed a new logo would reflect the new energy that has entered the company.

So for the last few months we have been brainstorming ideas for this updated logo to symbolize this change. Before arriving at the final design, ideas were generated to try and find what would fit best: keeping just ‘Peter Lynn’ wouldn’t reflect the totality of the brand, and only using ‘Lynn’ wouldn’t reflect its full history. So we arrived at the conclusion that Peter Lynn Kiteboarding will from now on be known as its acronym: PLKB. It is the reflection of the passing of time from the 70s to the present day. PLKB maintains the identity of our historic brand whilst at the same time catapulting us into the modern age.

How has 40 years of Peter Lynn shaped your ­products and philosophy?

Is the Netherlands a good base for PLKB?

First of all, we designed a new logo and built a whole new website. This website shows more about the heritage, team riders from all disciplines, their projects and past adventures and much more… But most importantly, you will be able to see all our new ▶

Alongside this passion we care deeply for people. We care about giving people the best products out there which offer the most fun...

RIGHT The Swell and some, err, swell.

PLKB

If you know where the Netherlands are, then you probably know that it can get stormy, rainy and quite cold. However, it’s also the land of kite cham-

What have been the main elements of the ­transition to PLKB?

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Under The Hood

Lots of experience coupled with lots of time spent with a kite in hand, testing and experimenting, has resulted in excellent design and quality, especially thanks to our highly professional designers who have been with us since the beginning. At PLKB we are a team, and we try to work together as much as possible. When a new kite design is introduced, we are all eager to see it and test it and give each other advice on the best way to market and sell it. Our passion for wind, water, snow and land transcends everything, and no discipline is out of our reach.

Alongside this passion we care deeply for people.

We care about giving people the best products out there which offer the most fun, so that they can enjoy the sport as much as they want. Then, alongside the team, we work with team riders a lot to see how they react to the products and to our ideas.

As designers develop new products, they test them out in the Netherlands and then ship them around the world for team riders to test. The kites are tested and played with in all conditions, on land, snow and water. Therefore, all the thousands of variables possible are made clear. The design team in turn receives feedback, which feeds into their work and creativity, thereby creating even more advanced products.

pions and thanks to the rough conditions that people are usually subjected to, they grow and evolve into the best they can be. Being Dutch has its perks, and all of these are reflected in the companies that reside in this globalized land. PLKB is no exception. As a 100% Dutch company, PLKB has followed the storms and winds and used the kites it has designed to harness their power. We’re lucky that the Netherlands is the perfect playground to develop kites for all conditions, but luck isn’t enough to make products this good. On the team we have (Dutch) designers who, together with a large international team of dedicated riders and kite enthusiasts, are developing new kites full-time.

Their work is split into constantly developing on existing characteristics, and dedicating time to exploring new technology and methods to improve the flight of the kites and the riding of those who use them. PLKB “Dutchness” is seen in our kites through and through and informs the whole production process. We are proud to be Dutch and to have Dutch products, and we will probably never leave the Netherlands. This is the land which has shaped the way we think about the products and the way we test them…

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Under The Hood

PLKB

With “Never Stop Playing” as our new mantra, PLKB has grown, evolved, and we have entered the next chapter of our journey to become a fresh brand.

products when they’re introduced! You will be able to see the new clothing line we’ve developed, with the new logo and the ever-present graphics. Next to the logo and website we also have a new, bigger, younger and super smiley team.

Firstly, the new and evolved PLKB team is incredibly talented and dedicated! The energy which they have brought to the brand has reignited the fire of passion in everyone in the office, as they have tackled and succeeded in the challenges which the re-branding brought. From failed t-shirt designs, to losing all the picture files, or to working during holidays, the team always powered through, proving that PLKB is stronger than a storm.

experience. Then the Lynx V5 is completely updated: now featuring an internal safety, a much more stable wing profile, and a bigger depower range. So that one size can work with all the changing mountain conditions, and can last throughout the whole session without having to worry about switching sizes.

Next to these updates we have some other kites coming: one is a light wind single-strut kite, and the other is a new 5-line C-kite. These are currently being finalized and will be ready for release soon…

And last but not least we have a new design for the Capital board. This summer is definitely going to be a fun one for our PLKB team, in true #neverstopplaying fashion!

And you have a new motto: “Never Stop Playing”?

We started saying “Never Stop Playing” around the office and with team riders. It put a big smile across everyone’s face. It’s actually hilarious and super fun to always have this fresh spirit around, even when things might go wrong, or if it gets tough, we always have that to keep us laughing and smiling. That’s the energy that we want to put into everything we do and in all the products we design.

With “Never Stop Playing” as our new mantra, PLKB has grown, evolved, and we have entered the next chapter of our journey to become a fresh brand. Our core and roots remain the same, with a deep love for snow, buggy, land and kiteboarding.

Our tremendous experience in creating kites that exceed expectation puts us on a whole other level.

Our dedication isn’t to a marketing extravaganza, but instead to produce the very best kites for everyone to enjoy and have fun with. We’ve taken on and embraced the challenge of beating big brands, defying all odds.

So, how is the new line up looking?!

Of course the PLKB team is super stoked about the new products that they have coming out! They are extremely proud of the results and the work they’ve put into it.

Firstly, we’ve released two new and improved versions of our most popular kites. The Swell V4 comes with the new TriFlow tech, which creates a kite without creases for better airflow, with ultimately a much smoother canopy and wave-riding

And where do you see the future of kiteboarding going?

We think hydrofoiling is the next big thing as it's becoming more and more popular. We’ve seen a big increase in this sport recently and since most of us do not practice it but really wanted to try it out, we decided to make a product just for people like us, hydrofoiling beginners. We already have the Aero V2 which is used in hydrofoiling, especially in races and for lots of speed, but it’s not an easy foil kite to use as a beginner. This is why we’ve designed the Nova as the perfect introductory foiling kite.

Being the original depower foil brand, hydrofoiling is in the DNA of PLKB. So we went on to create a kite which satisfies windless summer conditions without compromising on the fun of hydrofoiling, and which actually makes this sport so much easier to get into and become good at. This foil kite is called Nova: acting like a tube kite, it’s extremely stable with little to no sideways pull, making it easy to direct and place it where needed, so that the rider can focus on the hydrofoil board without worrying about the foil falling or deforming. It is similar to other closed cell foil kites on the market, but further developed to really suit anyone who is trying hydrofoiling for the first time. It is a kite that floats and restarts with only a little breeze and has the handling of a regular tube kite. With two design teams in the company, and a lot of R&D time dedicated to the Nova, we have been stoked with the incredible results. ◼

ABOVE Spray-filled, sun-filled super-fun sessions.

FAR RIGHT A backlit launch.

RIGHT King of the Air. The ultimate proving ground.

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Under The Hood

PLKB

Kari out exploring...

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Kari Schibevaag W

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UP

Regular readers will know that there are few more well-traveled people on the planet than Kari. She has first-hand experience of the kind of climatic changes that we hear about, and here she offers a sobering vison of the future and some advice for how we can act now to help slow the tide…

The world is changing and it’s now a pretty indisputable fact.

Last summer in Norway we had higher temperatures than Spain. That isn’t normal. 30 degrees over several months is not usual for Norway. We all loved the beautiful summer weather, but it is yet another sign that something is seriously wrong.

The North Pole is suddenly 20 degrees warmer than normal, and Norway’s northern archipelago of Svalbard no longer has ice on the ocean, resulting in polar bears having trouble getting to their food. It is easier to see the changes in the Arctic, but the changes are also visible in the south of Norway.

We all know that it is the best feeling when the sun is shining, and we can kite in just a short wetsuit or a bikini. We used to travel further south to get the hot sunny days for longer periods. But now we don’t have to anymore, as it is suddenly so hot in Scandinavia… We know it is not right, and in the long term there is no way it is a sustainable situation.

Then we love it when it snows, and we can kite in amazing powder. We love the good old winters when we had snow all the way through the winter season. It was cold and long. But now the winter is changing too. This winter has seen the temperature range from +10 to -20°c. There can be a meter of snow in just one night, and then the day after it can be pouring down.

I think the winter makes us see the changes better when you have green grass one day in January and then two meters of powder within the same week. I was in Canada in February to kite, and here we experienced rain one day and it was then back to -20 the day after. There is no way that this many truly exceptional weather events can be coincidence. And these are just my experiences!

We love perfect conditions when we are kiting. For sure we love the heat, or a perfect day with powder snow. But do we also love what is happening to this planet? I see the news ▶

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and what I see scares me. Birds and whales full of plastic. Why are they eating plastic? Is there not enough food or can they simply not see the difference between plastic and food? Either way it is bad. Do we want an ocean full of plastic? Do we want to kite in plastic detritus? We can only blame ourselves for all that is happening. So what can we, as kiters, do to stop these bad developments? Here are some ideas…

• Think of what we are using.

Do we need all the stuff we are buying?

• If you see plastic on the beach or other places, pick it up!

• Organize clean-up days

Wrapping Up

Kari Schibevaag

• Travel less. When you travel, stay longer. Try to avoid flying so much.

• Drink from a wood or steel bottle rather than plastic.

• Repair your clothes so you don’t need new clothes all the time.

• Use good eco shampoo and good ecological soap.

• Live in a smaller house.

• Think that, “if I start, maybe other people will follow”.

Everything helps.

• If you have a kite school, pick

up trash when you are getting out of the water. Encourage your customers to do the same.

• Make a special deal for kids picking up trash found on your beach.

• Always tell people (in a nice way!) to pick up their trash if you see them throwing something on the ground.

When you have finished your session spend a couple of minutes picking up rubbish from the beach...

As we see in the news lately, it is the kids who have been grabbing the headlines through their protests against what we are doing to the world. This is a big step. The young Swedish girl Greta Thunberg is a political activist who started school strikes to highlight climate change. She has motivated thousands of kids all over the world to strike. Listen to the kids!

Let’s show them that we can fix what we have started and help them to take care of our planet in the future.

There are so many small things we can do in just one normal day. We want our kids to have a good world to grow up in.

We want animals to be able to eat normal food. And we want our oceans to be clean. We can make a change, but we REALLY DO need to start now! ◼

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