TheKiteMag #28 - English

£4.85 / $5.90 ISSUE #28

Dakhla Downwinder The toughest kiting challenge?

Aussie Exploration Rodrigues + South Australia

Choco Park Building it and Riding it

PLUS

T H E U LT I M AT E GIRLS TRIP

Indonesia

F E AT U R I N G

TheKiteMag.com

3

TheKiteMag.com

5

TheKiteMag.com

7

T H E F E AT U R E S 90 // Indonesia: The Ultimate Girls Trip Looking for some solid wave action after a slightly frustrating year on the tour, Jalou Langeree, Catharina Edin and Olivia Jenkins decided it was time to head to the ultimate proving ground and hunt down some of waveriding’s big game: barrels.

118 // The Road South It seems that the aussies are taking over this issue… This time we have TKM favorite Rob Kidnie taking his long term girlfriend on a tour of the motherland. First leg: Victoria and South Australia.

102 // TWENTY: Making a kite movie We catch up with Aaron and Laci midway through their mega-movie project and find out exactly what the big plan is, and how things have gone so far…

126 // Sweet treat: The building of Choco Park La Ventana sounds like the kind of place that has it all… Wall-to-wall sunshine, perfect wind, an off-grid vibe, and tequila. The only thing missing, it seems, was a slider park. Time to set that right…

110 // Aussie Exploration: Rodrigues Ollie Jacobs, editor of the esteemed Freedom kitesurfing magazine down under, takes an onward flight from Mauritius and finds a slower pace of life (on the water at least) on Rodrigues Island.

TheKiteMag.com

C OV E R : Kiteloops don’t come a whole lot bigger than this one, and backdrops don’t come more striking… Here’s Joshua Emanuel going up, up and away in Cape Town.

P H OTO : Thomas Burblies

H E R E : Anja Fuchs headed up to the empty spaces of Rhodes Paradisi and found herself a deserted beach with the perfect combo of stable wind and lush Caribbean-like colors. There was even an old fishing boat to complete the classic Greek tableaux…

P H OTO : Helmut Fuchs

THE REGULARS 35 // Tangled Lines with Brandon Scheid 40 // On the List… Sardinia 42 // I’m On It… Posito Martinez 44 // My Beach… Jesse Richman 56 // Gallery… Dakhla Downwinder + Hood River Jam 134 // Technique with Ralph Boelen + Mikaili Sol 148 // Tell Me About It… Odo + North Kiteboarding + Airush 162 // Tested 166 // Kite Hacks… Bladder repair 170 // Wrapping up… Tom Court

9

TheKiteMag.com

11

FLYING

SO LO Editorial

G

enerally speaking these editorials of mine tend to take a look at a specific angle within the sport –‘event news’ often comes in to play, or new kit, or new disciplines (like foiling) come along and are suddenly dominating our beaches, so that’s what I write about. I guess as well that being pretty active in the world of kiteboarding means that I usually hear about developments early on and it is great to pass news and developments on to the most important people on the planet: readers of TheKiteMag. The only problem is that sometimes maybe I forget what kiting is all about… If you asked a random kiter at the beach who won the last freestyle event, or which brand just released an entirely new Quick Release system, then I would think that 80% wouldn’t know. And wouldn’t care. For them

TheKiteMag.com

kiting is about one thing: getting on the water and having fun. Whether you’re working hard on your technical freestyle, or are just stoked to watch the water arcing off the rail of your board and to feel the sun (or rain) on your face, kiting is about what you do with your kite. So in this respect it’s a pretty solitary activity. If you’re out with mates then – sure – you might give each other a smile or a whoop when you cross close to them, but generally speaking, you’re on your own...

I think this means that kiting attracts a certain type of person… The kind of person who is happy to be on their own and to take on the responsibility for themselves and their progression. So you have the ‘high’ of learning a new trick, or dropping into your biggest wave yet, but also the ‘low’ of trying a trick for three days straight and not getting it, or of dropping into

PHOTO: Nicholas Spooner-Rodie

the biggest wave of your life and seeing your nose sink under... Whichever way your session goes: you’re on your own. There’s no one (figuratively speaking) to pass the ball to.

Depending on where you are in the world maybe you kite on your own a lot as well – I reckon I self-launch and self-land 75% of the time as there is no-one else around. And I like it like that. Put more than five kites on the water and I find it a bit hectic. Do I like it if I get a good wave and someone sees it and gives a holler? Of course I do. But I’m pretty happy just knowing that I rode a wave as well as I could have done…

And what got me in this more reflective mood? It was this photo actually.

Shot in Malibu, I think it perfectly captures kiting at its most basic. Just one guy walking back up the beach after his session. Maybe he landed a new move and is super stoked, maybe he didn’t feel quite in the zone and nothing really came off. Either way he’ll probably get his kit packed up, have himself a cold beer, and start planning what he’ll try next session…

Enjoy the issue, Alex

So I guess that is one of the joys of kiting: it’s your sport and it’s your session. What you do with it is 100% your call…

13

TheKiteMag.com

15

THEKITEMAG IS… WATER BORN Published by M E D I A in Hayle, Cornwall, United Kingdom.

Advertising enquiries: advertising@thekitemag.com. All material in TheKiteMag is subject to copyright. Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution.

THE TEAM: Editor: Alex Hapgood (editor@thekitemag.com) Sub editor: Cai Waggett Art Director: Jody Smith Assistant Art Director: Emma Hegarty

SUBMISSIONS: Online: If you have a clip or would like to get something on the website please send it over to us: media@thekitemag.com.

In the mag: TheKiteMag welcomes both written and photographic submissions.

Photography should be submitted in both RAW and edited format. Please note that the publication of written content is generally dependent on the provision of high quality photography, so in the first instance please send photographic samples and a 150 word synopsis of your writing to: checkmeout@thekitemag.com

YOU CAN FIND THEKITEMAG ON: CONTRIBUTORS: Thomas Burblies, Helmut Fuchs, Nicholas Spooner-Rodie, David Varekamp, Marek Ogień, Harry Winnington, James Boulding, Alex Schwarz, Evan Mavridoglou, Orestis Zumpos, Giles Calvet, Martin Allen, Svetlana Romantsova, Lukas Pitsch, Toby Bromwich, Vovan Voronov, Anna Amin, Andre Magarao, Ydwer van der Heide, Ollie Jacobs, Brenton Owens, Laci Kobulsky, Anna Kuzmina, Rob Kidnie, Fritz Otiker

TheKiteMag.com

This magazine is printed on paper sourced from responsibly managed sources using vegetable based inks. Both the paper used in the production of this brochure and the manufacturing process are FSC® certified. The printers are also accredited to ISO14001, the internationally recognised environmental standard.

17

F

CUS

RIDER: RODERICK PIJLS LOCATION: MAURITIUS Photo: David Varekamp RP: Trying to get different and new angles isn’t always the easiest. However, this time I was shooting together with Dave Varekamp and, even before we entered the water, he already had the shot in his head.

It’s all about perspective and getting a different view on what’s the normal view. This photo is shot in Mauritius, which is known for its magical bright colors and the mountain. But, in my opinion, this looks shot somewhere else and even though it was hard work as I was underpowered on my 13m Escape, I was stoked with this shot and how the last sunrays make the spray light up golden!

TheKiteMag.com

RIDER: PHILLIP KERVEL LOCATION: HEL PENINSULA Photo: Marek Ogień This was a great morning on the Polish seaside. After a short boat ride from Kuznica on the Hel Peninsula we stopped at the Rewia Mewa, an incredible sandbank where you have flat water on one side and slightly choppy water on the other. Phillip was on fire and taking on crazy tricks over the three meters-wide sandbank and landing in the shallow water…

19

FOCUS

TheKiteMag.com

RIDER: SEBASTIAN WITZLEBEN LOCATION: MANAWA, MAURITIUS Photo: Harry Winnington SW: When I travel somewhere, I don’t plan every day, but I do put together a ‘bucket list’ of things that I would like to do if conditions allow.

And obviously I bring my toys… On the list for my recent Mauritius trip, I added on: foiling Manawa in light wind, glassy conditions and with decent swell. And the stars were generous to me. The last days of my stay brought me the desired 20 seconds swell with a light breeze that would have left me watching the waves from the shore if I hadn’t brought my foil. Manawa is considered to be Le Morne’s slower ‘easy’ wave. And I found out that in less wind it still breaks big and slow, but way more beautifully (it can be quite wind-affected) and is still gnarly enough to keep you on edge. It was my first trip with a proper ‘slow enough to surf ’ foil, the Moses 633 ‘Onda’ Wing, together with my trusted Section 8m, and I had two long sessions, took a few good beatings and I was happy to have a boat with me. I could write forever about the stoke and trance-like state I enjoyed that day: everything felt new, like every move and every wave was the first time. I felt a bit like the first man in outer space, there is no set limit of what can be done with a kite on a foil yet, nor is there an established way to do so. So everyone can take their own approach to it. But there was one thing for sure: on days like this you can catch a lot of waves while others just watch from shore…

FOCUS

21

RIDER: TOM BRIDGE LOCATION: CANADA Photo: James Boulding TB: This shot was taken on the last day of our trip shooting some new content with Cabrinha – including a new video... It had been a pretty hard trip for photos as the light wasn’t that great and I’m pretty shocking at doing any kind of grabs! On this day we had waited the whole day for the wind to come in, and it finally did at around 2pm. The spot was super shallow so it was pretty bad if you fell, but I tried quite a few of these front tail grabs either regular or to blind. I actually thought I was looking pretty lame, but it came out pretty nicely! In the end the trip was a great success and we had heaps of epic sessions at loads of different spots which were completely empty and a lot had never been ridden before.

TheKiteMag.com

RIDER: VICTOR HAYES LOCATION: GREECE Photo: Orestis Zumpos VH: I’ve been to this place in Greece a few times now but it always amazes me how freestyle conditions are so epic! This day was a perfect example, as I unpacked my fresh 11m Razor and asked Orestis to shoot some freestyle.

This trick was actually the first of the day – and it was the first of many…

FOCUS

23

RIDER: JEROEN ROEVROS LOCATION: PAROS Photo: Evan Mavridoglou EM: Foiling through the Greek isles is an experience like no other. Hearing the AXIS foil’s carbon song as it slices the crystal clear turquoise water, and boosting big floaty airs, overlooking the secluded and pristine island shoreline is the ultimate high for Jeroen, who traveled from Bonaire to meet with the AXIS team on the island of Paros for the ultimate photoshoot‌

TheKiteMag.com

RIDER: OLLY BRIDGE LOCATION: NORTHERN GERMANY Photo: Alex Schwarz OB: This shot is from the European Foiling championships. It was day one and the wind was 25-30 knots onshore. Unfortunately the boats were not able to anchor so we were postponed for most of the day. The wind wasn’t dropping and I had a feeling they were going to call the day off. Once they did I decided to make the most of the conditions, got my 10 Soul out and went for some ‘send it’ action! Luckily Alex was on the beach to get the shot...

FOCUS

25

RIDER: CAMILLE DELANNOY LOCATION: OUTER HEBRIDES Photo: Giles Calvet CD: This shot was taken in the Outer Hebrides during my trip with the Manera team. We had been there for five days and it was five days of non-stop rain and no wind. We decided to move to another spot to see if we’d have a better luck. The next morning, we woke up and the wind was blowing 20 knots side offshore with this world-class wave. It was the sickest day of the trip: two great kite sessions and a sunset surf session. Definitely one of the best spots I’ve ever ridden. I’ll go again for sure…

TheKiteMag.com

FOCUS

27

RIDER: TOM COURT LOCATION: HURST CASTLE, UK Photo: Martin Allen TC: This was taken during a session with Aaron Hadlow as we filmed for his new up and coming movie, TWENTY. It’s so nice after spending years traveling together to ride at one of our local spots and film here in the UK and have just as much fun as anywhere else in the world. A solid 23 knots, with flat water, kickers, land gaps and grass banks. It goes to show just how good some of the spots around the UK are and how good the backdrops can be. Once we had done the session we took the boat over to my local bar on the Isle of Wight for a sunset beer, before I dropped Aaron and Lasse back to shore‌

TheKiteMag.com

FOCUS

29

RIDER: JERRIE VAN DE KOP LOCATION: SOUTH AFRICA Photo: Svetlana Romantsova JK: This session was a pretty sick one. We were shooting the new RRD Emotion, which is a sick low-wind kite, and were in Witsands which is pretty famous for tiger sharks... As the sun was setting, the wind dropping to around seven knots and it swung offshore – then I had this strong feeling of being watched from underneath… Thankfully it was all worth it because we got these great pics and I’m glad the 17m Emotion got me home.

TheKiteMag.com

RIDER: SEBASTIAN PLASENCIA LOCATION: LAKE OF SILVAPLANA Photo: Lukas Pitsch LP: It’s always impressive to see Sebastian Plasencia working on his new board-off tricks. He recently explained to me that he is not trying to copy others. He rather tries to invent his own styles and tricks which need more time to practice. From a photographer’s perspective, it’s hard to capture his multiple board-off rotations in a single shot. But here’s one showing his unique take on air-style.

FOCUS

31

TheKiteMag.com NF: If you’ve ever ridden without fins you know how it feels to throw big butter. Big fins are nice for riding upwind, but that’s boring right? There are a million ways to ride your board so why limit yours to just one? Quite often it’s the simple things that are the most fun… This shot is from a windy sunset in Cape Hatteras, throwing big carves in between park laps.

RIDER: NOÈ FONT LOCATION: CAPE HATTERAS Photo: Toby Bromwich

FOCUS

33

LOCATION: RUSSIA Photo: Vovan Voronov TKM: Sometimes it’s best to have a ‘don’t ask too many questions’ attitude to photos. We have tried to get to the bottom of exactly what’s going on here but to no avail, but we kind of like it like that. Why don’t you take some time and see if you can work it out..?

TheKiteMag.com

Brandon Scheid T

A

N

G

L

I

L

N

E

E

D

S

You might think that Brandon Scheid is in the later stages of his professional riding career‌ He would disagree. In 2018 he returned to the top of the podium for the Triple S and he then went on to land top spot at the Hood River Jam. Something is clearly going very right for him at the moment‌ Can his kiting pals uncover his secret?

35

Brando JULIEN FILLION Q | To me your kite flying skills have a lot to do with your overall kiteboarding performances. I heard stories of you flying two line stunt kites from a really young age. Do you feel general kite flying skills and confidence are a crucial part of your success?

It’s true, I did start flying kites as a young boy with my Dad. I think these skills were indispensable in my budding kite career. I personally think that a lot of kiteboarders could use more time developing and practicing their kite skills.

Between my stunt kites, and nine years of teaching kiteboarding, I feel I’ve developed a deep knowledge of kites, wind, and flying characteristics. All these skills come into play every time you’re on the water. Whether you’re just mowing the lawn, or dodging logs.

CRAIG CUNNINGHAM Q | Explain the phrase: ‘The Gorge is my gym!’

I think this phrase is best thought of as using the outdoors around you as a gym to stay fit. I try to make all of my activities a workout somehow. Whether it is pumping the skate at the pump track (quads and cardio work), climbing the mountain bike up for a shred (hamstrings, knee strength, cardio), or kiteboarding (upper body and isometrics) there is always a way to keep in shape and enjoy the outdoors. I really value my time spent outdoors with friends, it really is the best way for me to keep up physically with the demands of my job..

CHRISTOPHE TACK Q | You turned 33 this summer and you’re only getting better and better... And you ride longer than groms! Gives us the secret, tell it matey…

Plenty of whole organic milk, ha. I don’t really have any secrets, just try to keep a positive attitude about aging and I think it goes fine. As far as the long sessions, it’s something I’ve done since I first started kiting. I guess I froth too much, sometimes it’s hard to contain the stoke.

SENSI GRAVES Q | Your not-so-well known nickname is "American Muscle". How do you stay fit? What gives you those G.I. Joe muscles?

I didn’t start out as a muscly person, in my teen years I wasn’t really all that fit. I think a combination of healthy eating and plenty of exercise help keep me toned up. That and plenty of long sessions in the Slider Project Park…

GARY SISKAR (LF BRAND MANAGER) Q | Home grown or shop bought?

Home grown 100%!

NOÈ FONT Q | At 30-something years old your motivation for kiting is still at 100%. How do you keep that stoke level up?

One thing that definitely keeps me motivated is seeing new groms coming into the park riding scene. They adapt to the level quickly and make me

TheKiteMag.com

want to keep ahead of the progression curve. Also, I think deep down I am an addict for adrenaline and progression, nothing gets my brain swimming in serotonin like landing something new or big. That addiction has continually pushed me to try harder and harder things to get my ‘fix’.

VINCENT BERGERON Q | Rollerblades is your first loved sport, do you have any photos to show us?!

Ha, I did begin my action sports career with some rollerblading back in the day. At the time it was really popular, and I lived in a city surrounded by concrete and rails. I used to love skating mini pipes, spines, and handrails. I was never the most technical rider, but I liked riding big shit and going really fast. I think this early love for speed and airtime fed into my growing addiction to action sports. It helped set the scene for kiteboarding to come into my life.

And I actually dug for photos but couldn’t really find any… It was before the social media days after all!

on PHOTO: Toby Bromwich

TOM COURT Q | How do you find time to fit in all the fun things there are to do in a day!? What’s your top five list of sports that you prioritize above all others!

Sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day for all the activities, and often I suffer from FOMO. I can be scoring great kiting, and be bummed I’m missing some snowboarding somewhere. Especially with today’s social media it’s really easy to suffer while others are claiming ‘epic conditions’.

But my big top five are as follows: kiteboarding, surfing, snowboarding, biking and wakeboarding. However, I am getting into paragliding, so maybe there will be a shakeup.

ERIC RIENSTRA Q | If you were elected president, what would your first tweet be?

Take care of the planet, we only have one. F

PHOTO: Toby Bromwich

TA N G L E D L I N E S

37

PHOTO: Toby Bromwich

ALEX FOX Q | I don't think the general kiteboarding public understands your insatiable desire to learn new things and to understand the universe! What’s a new concept or fun fact recently that has blown your mind?

Oh man, I was just listening to a podcast that was talking about how all injectable substances in medicine are all tested with Horseshoe crab blood to ensure they are sterile. I kind of thought it was crazy that several companies each harvest about 250,000 crabs each season and drain them of a third of their blue blood. They then use this blood (or rather the protein coagulogen) to see if the injectable substance is bacteria free.

Mind blowing stuff that without these prehistoric creatures blood we could not have IV drugs, vaccines, insulin, or any other injectable medicine. Horseshoe crabs, who knew?

TheKiteMag.com

ALEX LEWIS-HUGHES Q | It seems like you've almost mastered all aspects of mainstream kiteboarding, so it begs the question: when will we see you kite looping with a surfboard between your legs?

Never! In my opinion, right now the trend we are seeing in kitesurfing is getting a bit ridiculous. I get it: it’s fun to punt some airs, do some frontrolls or backrolls. However, I feel if you want to go boost and do kiteloops, do them with a twintip and definitely don’t ride the board like a bull. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Now this doesn’t mean I don’t respect the riders pushing the strapless freestyle discipline.

I really do. And I was honestly impressed watching Airton ride in Hood River this summer. I just don’t think all of the stuff they are doing should be done.

Schei RICH SABO Q | OK picture this. There is a kite spot with perfect mirror-like flat water, four kickers, four sliders and wind that blows like a hair dryer. It’s windy all day and all night, it is the Utopia of kiteboarding.

However, in order to get to this magical island, you need to be married. Do you think you will ever make it to this island?

What a long winded way of asking me if I am going to marry Sensi, my longtime girlfriend. I’m sure I’ll make it to the island, and I’m sure Rich will be one of the first to know.

TRIP FOREMAN Q | Share the feeling (and weight) of hoisting the Wind Voyager Triple S perpetual trophy above your head in front of a packed house at REAL... and then followed by The Roots? What?!

Winning the Triple S this year was a huge goal of mine. I had already won the event three times previously, but it was in a different era of riders and level of tricks. So, I wanted to prove to myself that I could still ride at the upper level of the sport. It was amazing to win the event this year, as the event was the biggest one yet and there was more hype than ever. I just couldn’t believe it when Ewan was announced in 2nd, and the beer shower began.

All I could think about was how I was going to hoist the trophy higher than Sam Light did. To go right from that into a show by The Roots in the back lawn at REAL, the place I learned to kite, was pretty special. Something I won’t forget for a long time.

ALEX MAES Q | You are my biggest source of inspiration on the water. Where do you get your inspiration from and what’s your favorite trick at the moment?

First, that’s amazing that I am a source of inspiration. I think I take input from a lot of different sources. Some comes from my fellow froth riders here in the Slider Project Park, a ton comes from the internet. There is so much TA N G L E D L I N E S

action sport media made these days, that there is no shortage of people to imitate. I usually get pretty stoked from the things I see in snowboarding. They have a lot of freedom to spin and grab, so I constantly try to adapt their psycho tricks to the kite. Wakeboarding is also an obvious one, as the sports are so similar. It’s pretty easy to see what they are doing on the kicker and immediately try it on the kite. I also take some influence from the bike and surf industries.

Not so much on the tricks, but rather marketing, art, graphics, and style. As far as tricks go right now I have been really stoked on learning the KGB 5 on the kicker. I’ve landed a few and they feel really amazing.

ANDRE PHILIPP Q | They say no pain no gain and with progression comes a lot of pain to improve. Rewind back the clock to your early days of kiting. What/who gave you the drive and desire to keep pushing? What trick gave you the most pain and glory and why?

Is this a loaded question? I think right off the bat watching some of Andre’s sessions in the early days of the REAL kite park were some of my biggest inspirational moments! I still have an Indy BS 360 from Dre seared into my memory – so huge! Sometimes, however, it’s not one person that keeps you motivated but rather the collective and right now it’s all the riders of the Kite Park League that are keeping me motivated on the water. I want to stay at the top of the pack, and riding with all the other high level riders helps keep you pushing. I think the Back Mobe 7 off the kicker has given me the highest crash to making it ratio out of any of my tricks. You have to go huge and there is a lot going on in the air. I’ve taken quite a few bad back edge catches. However, because it’s so hard, and I go into it half expecting a bad crash, when I do land it it feels amazing!  39

TheKiteMag.com

PHOTOS: Carl Bowen-Price

So, if wild nature and rocky coastlines with beautiful empty sand beaches and amazing local food sound like a good combo to you – and you don’t mind driving a few kilometers to chase the wind – then Sardinia could just be your kiting nirvana…

Although Sardinia belongs to Italy, Sardinians like to think of themselves as their own nation. They’re hospitable as one would expect from Mediterranean people, good food is important to them – as it is to all Italians – and their accent is impossible to understand, even if you happen to speak quite decent Italian!

Unlike other European kite regions, Sardinia doesn’t have one major predominant wind, but instead is exposed to different winds that blow with varied intensity depending on the time of year. In July and August, the usually very quiet island gets super busy with tourists, meaning the best beaches are overcrowded and kiting is only allowed in a few restricted zones. To fully enjoy all beaches and catch the best wind, waves and warm weather, plan to travel around April to June or September/October. From fall onwards, the strong Mistral (northwest wind) is quite dependable and creates epic kiting conditions.

If you’re prepared to explore – which you need to do if you want to see all Sardinia has to offer – you’ll discover beautiful, postcard-like beaches with incredible kitesurfing conditions. Marina delle Rose in the north and Capo Mannu in the west are some of the best wave spots in Sardinia and, while sizeable, clean waves coupled with strong wind are very rare, but they do happen, and if you happen to be in the right place at the right time, you might score one of the best waveriding sessions you’ve ever had in Europe. Sardinia doesn’t have a lot of people in relation to its size (although it does have a population of 4 million sheep) and the local kiting community is small which means that most of the time it will probably just be you and your mates kiting with maybe just a couple of locals, which is pretty incredible when the conditions can be so epic…

This large Italian island lies in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Corsica, and has nearly 2000 kilometers of coastline with endless kitesurfing possibilities all around the island. You may have heard of Porto Pollo or Punta Trettu, both of which are well-known and established kite spots in Sardinia, but there is so much more to this island than flat (and crowded) lagoons. You have to be something of an adventurer to appreciate kiting in Sardinia, as a lot of the best spots are remote with not much else but wild nature around. A van or a camper allows you to go wherever the wind blows while at the same time not restricting you to spots close to places to stay.

THINK AGAIN. IT’S TIME TO TRY SARDINIA.

SO YOU’VE BEEN TO TARIFA, HAVE KITED IN GREECE AND PORTUGAL, PERHAPS IN SOUTHERN FRANCE AND A FEW OTHER PLACES IN THE REGION AND FEEL LIKE YOU’VE SEEN PRETTY MUCH ALL THAT’S WORTH SEEING IN TERMS OF KITING IN EUROPE?

ON THE LIST | SARDINIA

41

IN THE BAG: Everything you can fit in! Conditions can vary daily, meaning one day you’ll be on your foil and the next pumping your 6m and digging out your surfboard.

STAYING THERE: Sardinia is full of great campsites which are an easy and economic way to explore the whole island. If you’re not the camping type, there are plenty of Airbnbs around. If you need a nice hotel, you’ll have to stay in some of the cities such as Olbia and the famous Costa Smeralda, Alghero or Cagliari.

GETTING THERE: Since you’re going to need a car while here, the best way to get to Sardinia is to drive. Take the overnight ferry from mainland Italy (Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia) to Porto Torres, Olbia or Cagliari. There are also routes starting from France (Nice and Toulouse) and Spain (Barcelona).

Alternatively, fly into Olbia (OLB), Alghero (AHO) or Cagliari (CAG) and take a rental car.

LEAST LIKELY TO HEAR: I haven’t seen a sheep for a while.

MOST LIKELY TO HEAR: I’ve never eaten so much in my life.

BEER: €3.50 - €5 for a pint.

RUBBER: Shorty from May to October and 4/3 full suit for the rest of the year.

NOT IN THE BAG: Grog from home. Local Sardinian wine is super cheap and delicious.

It’s great to see kids from kiting ‘hubs’ emerging onto the competitive scene and developing career opportunities that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. The Dominican Republic’s Posito Martinez is one such kid, and he’s been on a charge this year…

board: CrazyFly Bulldozer | Dimensions: 140 X 42 | Weight: 73kg | Height: 175cm TheKiteMag.com

When I started riding with CrazyFly I tried the Raptor and the Addict and thought these were both great boards. I still use the Raptor for board-off tricks, Big Air and overall freeriding. Then for more aggressive riding I choose the Bulldozer with bindings for the powerful pop and smooth, controlled landing.

The Bulldozer is laid up with multiaxial fiberglass for strength in multiple directions. The fiberglass layup is reinforced with Uni-directional Kevlar throughout the whole length of the board for increased stiffness and pop. To give the Bulldozer an even more dynamic feel, the center of the board is laid up with Spread Tow Carbon.

The outline is fairly straight with wide tips for better load and pop – and you can really dig in with these wide tips – then the rocker is relatively flat, making the Bulldozer fast with great upwind performance.

The Bulldozer comes with 3cm fins which work really well as the board has multiple channels on the bottom which create good grip. It is one of the stiffer boards in the CrazyFly line up, but this is what I look for in a board.

I need a board that knows I am going to push it to the limits and that is not going to let me down. I like a balanced flex: not too weak or too strong. I like the boards to generate a lot of speed and powerful pop, and of course nice graphics.

of details – for me that is one of the key factors in delivering all round quality.

I grew up in ‘La Curva’, a small neighborhood right in front of Cabarete Kite Beach in the Dominican Republic. Since I was born I have been involved with kiting as my brothers worked as kite instructors. My mother says when I was very small I told her I was going to the beach to learn to kite so I could travel to competitions and get us out of poverty, and here I am!

We shot the new collection in Greece – it was my first time there in Greece and I loved the spot and the team. We didn’t have the weather we wanted but everybody was super committed and we managed to put together a great video. It’s nice not to have the pressure of a competition where you don’t have many chances and if you fail you go home, but if you fail in the photoshoot you can try it again! This lets you be more creative and express some aspects of your riding that might not be seen in the competitions.

This year I’ve used all three kite models – the Sculp, the Tango and the Hyper. And I’ve had great results with all of them. From now on I will generally be using the Hyper for the Big Air boosting and for freestyle I’ll use the Tango kites because I like the park and ride pop and slack.

I’m super happy with my results this year.

I was always not far from the top but obviously this year I’m doing better and I think one of the main factors has been joining the CrazyFly family – since the beginning they have supported me unconditionally and that improves your mind game and motivation.

The new GKA format suits my riding style as I was good in freestyle but I am also good with the kite loops and Big Air/old school moves, so in these events all of my skills are counted, not only one.

I love working on the R&D side and testing prototypes – it’s important to feel that a product has a little bit of you in it, and during the process you get to learn a lot of new things.

PHOTO: Andre Magarao

I’ve been to the CrazyFly factory in Slovakia and the first thing that comes to my mind is the professionalism. They are committed to be the best and you can see that attitude in everybody there – the factory looks super organized and tidy with the latest technology for product development. You can see everybody there paying attention to the smallest

I ’ M O N I T - P O S I TO M A R T I N E Z

43

Kitebeach

By Jesse Richman

PHOTO: Tracy Kraft Leboe

TheKiteMag.com

JESSE RICHMAN PRETTY MUCH IS MR MAUI. AND HE'S SURELY THE GREATEST AMBASSADOR THE ISLAND COULD HOPE FOR. HERE HE TAKES US THROUGH HIS RECOLLECTIONS OF KITEBEACH, THE PLACE THAT HAS DEFINED KITEBOARDING FOR HIM.

WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST MEMORIES OF KITEBEACH? My father, being the waterman that he is, took us to the beach from the beginning of time, so it is difficult to discern my very first memory of it. It is more the backdrop to every memory; intrinsic to the fabric of my life from its inception.

A landscape that I am attuned to above any other; no matter where I find myself in the world: from Kitebeach, to Namotu, to Nazare - I always get a familiar, dual sensation in the marrow of my bones of serenity and thrill; a comfort of home coupled with the titillating unknown. This wave of feeling is conjured every time I set foot on the beach, which all began at Kitebeach.

CAN YOU REMEMBER ANY OF YOUR FIRST SESSIONS? Kiteboarding was very different back in the day. My brother and I learned in 2002 and those who were there know… it was nothing short of a wild time. Kitebeach was home to many of the original pros and so we learned right downwind from Pro Beach, aka Ka’a Point. There was not much sense amongst the kite pros; no one really knew what they were doing, but everyone was going full speed. There were always great displays of carnage, kites flying in all directions, riders flying into trees, and the continuous sound of bodies slamming into the water with explosive force. I’m not sure if it was the repeated slamming into the water or if it was simply that kiting seemed to attract a particularly out of control crowd. With all of the madness going on, my brother and I fit in seamlessly, simply in our attempts to hold onto our Naish 2-line kites for dear life. All of my first sessions were awesome, radical and pretty horrific. If I didn’t end up in the trees or with my bar in a huge ball of spaghetti, I would deem it a great success.

PHOTO: Quincy Dein

WHO ELSE DID YOU RIDE THERE WITH? Kitebeach, Maui has been one of the most influential kite beaches in the world. Almost all of the first generation kite pros called it home. Just to name a few legends, these included: Lou Wainman, Flash Austin, Mauricio Abreu, Andre Phillip, Shannon Best, Elliot Lebow, Nicolo Porcella, Bertrand Fleury and many more. One team that did a good job of capturing the madness was known as Tronolone Productions. If you haven’t heard of them you should search the interwebs for some amazing kiteboarding history. The movies Awake, Unhooked or Unhooked 2 are must sees and give you a great idea of what this beach was like during that time. While all of those pros were making history, my brother Shawn, Patri Mclaughlin and I were small groms downwind, getting thrashed. We knew that one day we would run the show!

45

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? Early in the morning on Maui, the sun is shining, birds are chirping, and there is no kiteboarding at Kitebeach. A very convenient rule on Maui’s north shore is that you can’t kite before 11am.

So, contrary to the surfer lifestyle, we get to sleep in! I think the riding is best at sunset when the sun goes behind the mountains. There is a golden hour where the conditions can be nothing short of perfection.

PHOTO: Tracy Kraft Leboe

PHOTO: Tracy Kraft Leboe

HAS THE SET UP AT THE BEACH CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? Kitebeach has had many lives. Ka’a point, known as Pro Beach by kiteboarders, is also monikered the ‘Fish Pond’ as it’s been a favorite place amongst the local Hawaiians to fish for many moons. Upwind we have Naish Beach and Old Man’s, these are great places to kite, and the whole area has been referred to as NASKA (Naval Air Station Kahului) for a long time. All of the rock jetties there were made during World War II, in preparation for war. Interestingly enough, Naish Beach is one of the only accreting beaches on Maui, where we actually get more sand every year, thanks to all the other beaches that are eroding and sending their sands down to us. There are many different places to park and launch, and the best place to go changes day to day. What hasn’t changed is that you can always find awesome folk down at the beach and the kiting is endlessly exciting.

TheKiteMag.com

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PERFECT DAY THERE? There’s something very magical about sunset sessions at Kitebeach; great friends, pumping waves on the outside, epic kickers on the inside, steady strong wind filled into the beach. I love being fully powered on my 10m Naish Torch and finding my freestyle flow, ahh, nothing better….

Except when it’s followed by beers on the beach, then we’ve reached ultimate bliss.

PHOTO: Tracy Kraft Leboe

PHOTO: Frankie Bees

TALK US THROUGH ONE SESSION THAT STANDS OUT FOR YOU THERE? I’ve spent many days beating my body into the water very hard, trying to land new tricks at Kitebeach…. Years ago, I saw a video of someone landing a kiteloop 720, and I was in disbelief, it was insane, just the notion of landing a kiteloop double handle pass, craziness… Because of how I loved kiteloop 360s, I felt I was destined to do the 720 and became quite determined to conquer the maneuver. After a long summer of crashing at every attempt, I went out and was lit on my 6m. Elliot Lebow happened to be filming on the beach and got a bevy of shots of me crashing, and oh, were they epic. Until he got the one that I didn’t crash and that was my first kiteloop 720. It was honestly the best thing that had ever happened in my life; I nailed it, got the shot and have loved that trick ever since. Kitebeach has been the stage for many epic moments.

DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY IF THAT HADN’T BEEN SUCH A FAMILIAR SPOT? Kitebeach was my home growing up. The beach and its inhabitants influenced me in many ways, some great, some not as much. Everything I went through brought me to where I am today, and I’m very thankful for that.

Thanks to Kitebeach I’m a professional kiteboarder. I play with inflatable beach toys for a living, and I love it.

I was exposed to awesome kiteboarding, severe injuries, and derelict beach bums from a young age. That exposure taught me to focus on what I wanted in life. It’s all there, ready for the taking. If you crave to be the most badass kiter around flying high over the water, you can do that, if you yearn to be the homeless man sleeping on the beach, you can do that too, and if you’re stuck in a man’s body and realize that you want to break free from these constraints and become the woman you were always meant to be, you can do that too. This world is your oyster.

WHEN DID YOU LAST RIDE THERE – HOW WAS IT?!

Over this summer there was a memorable stretch of phenomenal strong winds. It was 30+ knots and very steady; I had a week of kiting every day and had so much kiteloop progression it was wild, focusing on kiteloop board offs and kiteloop double half cabs… It’s times like that where I rekindle my love for Kitebeach.

IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE ANOTHER SPOT THAT YOU LOVE, BUT THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, WHERE WOULD IT BE? My bed, I love my bed, and it’s entirely different to Kitebeach.

47

BEHIND THE CLIP PRESENTS

A N U N FA I R A DVA N TAG E TheKiteMag crew were recently called upon to help coordinate and manage a race of truly epic proportions… The most powerful of petrol-powered machinery, versus the very quickest of wind powered tech: a Bentley Bentayga V8 complete with a Le Mans winning driver vs. two multi-title winning kite foilers…

Photos: TheKiteMag // Words: Alex

SA N T R O IS M Ø TH C Ø IF R F IN IS AY H EAKS G AW L IG H T B R IN T T AY PU AS D GUY

TheKiteMag.com

FL O RI A N C H EC KI N G O U T TH E C O M PE TI TI

ON

A LL FR IE N D S N OW …

TH E BE N TA YG A ’S BO OT: C ER TI FI ED FO IL FR IE N D LY.

It’s 5.20am (4.20 according to my body clock) and I’m standing on a damp balcony, hammering on a glass door trying to wake up pro foiler Guy Bridge. This is difficult. Guy likes to sleep. 10 minutes later and, having terrified the rest of the guests at this random Danish hotel, there is still no sign of Guy... Resorting to plan B, I phone him. He answers within two rings and is at the door a few seconds later. The younger generation: if it’s not on your smartphone, it’s probably not happening. Five croissants and half a jar of jam later and Guy is ready for action…

We are on Rømø, a random Danish island with a population of only 650, located in the North Sea. Being 100% honest, it’s a bit bleak. And it’s probably not the kind of place you would have on your list of ‘places to visit before I die’ but we are here for only one reason: you can legally drive on the beach. Those nice Danes say that you IT’S A BEA ST … are allowed to drive any car on the beach, but we haven’t just got any car: we’ve got a Bentley Bentayga V8, and we’ve also got bona fide Le Mans-winning racing driver Guy Smith behind the wheel… Why? Because we’re we definitely stuck to) – it seemed to tick all of the boxes planning to race this new V8 offering from Bentley (and for the project… one of the most powerful cars on the market), against two of the fastest things on the water: Guy Bridge and The plan had been to have Bridge brothers Olly and Guy Florian Gruber. on board for the trip, but visa issues for the upcoming KiteFoil GoldCup Series in China meant that older The project has been a few weeks in the planning, and the brother Olly had to drop out, and so last-minute-superbiggest challenge has been finding the right location. We sub Florian Gruber managed to get himself booked on had started looking at Sylt, but a couple of phone calls flights, packed up, and landing in Hamburg within 18 established that the chances of getting a permit to drive hours of me calling him… on the beach were, err, whatever the German phrase is for ‘not good’. But they pointed us in the direction of Rømø The crew had assembled the evening before and had and – aside from a 30kph speed limit on the beach (which headed to the beach to check out options.

BEHIND THE CLIP

49

The beach was massive and perfect for shooting, but finding a spot where the wind angle would work and where the water was deep enough for the foilers was a bit more challenging – and with Flo and Guy also off to China 72 hours later we wouldn’t be too popular with their sponsors if we sent them into any underwater hazards and damaged them or any of their kit. After a couple of hours of investigation, we were pretty confident that we had the right spot where we could get the kiters close enough to the beach for the Bentley to have them in its sights without risking the kiters.

Behind the camera and – if you’re going to race nearly €200,000 worth of Bentley on the beach – then you don’t want to skimp on the production team… So a crew from London-based film company Tinderflint brought the top-end TV skills, with experienced kite videographer Bas Koole providing direction on the water-based side of the production (and selflessly spending more time in a wetsuit than anyone else).

TH E STAR T

Orchestrating the ‘race’ element of things, we had experienced Race Director Jack Ridel getting everything set up right for the race, ensuring that it ran smoothly, and also demonstrating some pretty next-level flag waving skills.

As two different ways to get about, you couldn’t really get much more of a contrast than the V8, 542bhp Bentley, weighing in at a little over 2 tonnes, and the Levitaz and Mike’s Lab foils weighing in at a little over 2kg… But in their respective domains they are as quick as you get. The Bentayga is amongst the quickest SUVs on the planet, and Flo and Guy have notched up a few hundred race wins between them. On a racetrack, the Bentley would obviously smoke the kites, but add some deep sand, water features and a 180 degree turn into the mix and the playing field was evened up.

So it was ‘game on’ for this most intriguing of race match ups…

Head over to thekitemag.com to catch the full clip and see who came out on top…

TH E BEN TAYGA , JUS T BEH IND TH E KIT ES WI TH TH E LIN E IN SIG HT …

TheKiteMag.com

F LO AND G U Y A R G IN G CH THE A R D S IS H TOW F IN

GA E N TAY THE B AT C H C G P L AY IN PA S S E S IT UP AS AY ALF W H E H T P O IN T

AF TER TH E RA CE …

TheKiteMag.com

55

~ GALLERY ~

THE DAKHLA DOWNWIND CHALLENGE BY: GEMMA HAMAINI PHOTOS: JULIEN LELEU

T

his year Dakhla Spirit hosted the 4th edition of the Dakhla Downwind Challenge. The DDC is basically a 500km downwinder through the Moroccan Sahara, finishing at the border with Mauritania. But the history and what the DDC celebrates goes way further, as the date on which the event begins commemorates the allegiance of the “Oued Eddahab” region.

The DDC is certainly not a downwinder for the faint-hearted. Each year, of around 30 original participants, only around one third of them manage to complete the full 500 kilometers. The wind can be strong, and participants are expected to complete between 60 and 120 kilometers each day of the five day event. The harsh conditions are not only confined to the day time either… The nights can also be tough; sleeping in tents and traditional camps that are set up each day at a different location on the path of the downwinder.

The wind can blow all night long… You and your gear get covered in sand, it can be cold and not that comfortable… But the Dakhla Downwind Challenge is a true adventure that not many people will be able to experience in their lifetime.

Yes, it may be hard, but it is equally as rewarding. Firstly, getting to kitesurf all the way down the coast in this area is normally forbidden, so you are able to reach areas where there is no-one, apart from the occasional fisherman or military check-point. The beauty and

TheKiteMag.com

rawness of the area is evident throughout the whole descent. Each evening, as you arrive to your allocated camp spot, you put down your kite, and take a moment to sit and enjoy a warm Moroccan tea, and a traditional home cooked meal put together for you over the fire. But the best part of all? The people who you meet.

Over these five days, the other participants become your family. You are a team and you work together. You look out for each other each day, and make sure each one of you reaches the base camp successfully each evening. You laugh and enjoy some beers over the camp fire, and the entire experience is simply unique.

The participants range from pro-riders, to kiters who have far less experience but have an unbelievable amount of enthusiasm and passion for kiteboarding.

The Dakhla Downwind Challenge is a true adventure, and allows you to experience kiteboarding in this incredibly unique location like never before… An adventure of epic proportions.

The Dakhla Downwind starts from Dakhla Spirit hotel. Participants are a mix of pro-riders, and passionate kiters looking to experience a tr uly unique adventure.

Visiting Dakhla’s famous White Dune is the first stop of the downwind. A chance to jump from the top of the 15 meter dune is not to be missed and has become a Dakhla tradition.

57

RRD rider Joss de Pfyffer signals the start of the Dakhla Downwind Challenge‌ Not sure if he was prepared for the gr ueling 500km adventure that awaited him!

TheKiteMag.com

Locations like this are absolutely incredible. This shipwreck has become a focal point of the Dakhla Downwind Challenge‌ Located in a remote area, it is one of the favorite spots to stop and ride during the downwind, with amazing wind conditions, and the beaut y of the wreck as it lays untouched across the beach.

TheKiteMag.com

The participants of the Dakhla Downwind Challenge become your family. You help each other, look out for one another, and the entire experience is bonding. This year, we had participants from Spain, France, Poland, Morocco and more… The one thing in common was a strong adventurous spirit!

Joss likes to go big! The best part of all is just having fun… Enjoy the incredible kite spots that we come across and just going for it! Luckily, we had t wo rescue boats that accompanied us the whole way down, which we needed on more than one occasion…

GALLERY: THE DAKHLA DOWNWIND CHALLENGE

61

The DDC takes you to spots that you would never normally be able to reach.

There is a real feeling of being isolated from the rest of the world‌ It was just us enjoying each incredible spot.

TheKiteMag.com

By day four, you are feeling quite sick and tired of the cold water showers you get at the camp each night...

So we make a stop at a Hammam (a traditional Moroccan bath) at a local town which feels AMAZING!

After five days and 500kms, you are exhausted and sore, but you are happy!

Good vibes r un high as we pack up the gear and head in the 4x4 back to Dakhla Spirit for a good part y and celebration!

GALLERY: THE DAKHLA DOWNWIND CHALLENGE

63

TheKiteMag.com

65

TheKiteMag.com

~ GALLERY ~

HOOD JAM BY: THE KPL CREW PHOTOS: TOBY BROMWICH

T

he Hood Jam started as a way to get all the prominent park riders together in one of the best places for park riding: Hood River. The small town nestled at the confluence of the Hood and Columbia rivers has been a park riding epicenter for well over a decade. What started as a small crew of passionate rail riders slowly evolved into the Slider Project, which is the only free public kite park on the planet!

The park setup has changed over the years, although many riders may remember the Ro-Sham-Throwdown, but the vibes remain the same. It’s all about having fun with your friends, getting out on the water as much as possible, and pushing the ever increasing level of park riding in kiteboarding. The idea of throwing a park event in Hood River is nothing new, and making a summer trip to Hood used to be a pilgrimage for most pro kiteboarders, but for some reason the area dropped a bit off the map and the previous park event, Ro-Sham, came to a halt. That was until – over a few brews one night – the local crew and the seasonal blow-ins were talking about how it was a shame that the event ended, and how it would be great to have another one some day. Once they realized that all the riders wanted to be in Hood River during the summer anyway, the decision was made to start an event. So

TheKiteMag.com

thanks to the hard work of Colleen Carroll and several outstanding community members, the Hood Jam began.

The Hood Jam is an event run by the riders, for the riders, and the first few years were certainly a lot of work. The local organizers work hard to choose the best conditions for competition with the most ideal park setup, as well as deliver the best photos and media collateral they can. It’s a project of passion, and one that everyone helps keep alive. This year was no exception, and the event ran super smoothly and the conditions really couldn’t have been any better. It was amazing to see everyone riding so well, helping manage the park setups, and having a lot of fun doing it. At the end of the day, having fun is what it’s all about; and about sharing that passion with as many people as possible…

Nobody sends the kicker quite like Brandon Scheid! It seems everyone stops what they’re doing as he’s approaching the kicker. With his deep bag of tricks and huge amplitude, he’s the one to watch during the kicker rounds. Captured here doing a Japan Air roll to Revert.

Alex Maes has been making a spot for himself in the park scene as of late. With a fifth place at the Triple S, and a ton of impressive hits in the lead up to the event, Alex was a favorite to take the win. Unfortunately, Alex ended up earning himself Best Crash, and was unable to ride the finals as hard as he should have been able to. Thankfully the crash didn’t dampen his spirits one bit; he’s always happy and always in the zone!

71

This year, as with years past, we wanted to include something a bit gnarlier into one of the contest features. We opted for a corr ugated drop to flat after the Cabrinha fun box, which ended up being make or break for some of the competitors. Not only did this make the feature a bit more intimidating, but it also made it more fun. By adding length to the feature, it really made it more challenging to lock in to and a ton more fun to slide across. Pictured here is Colleen Carroll, making it look easy as pie…

The organizers are always about keeping the stoke high and they couldn’t do it without sponsors. This year, in addition to Stoked Roasters, they were also supported by Patagonia, Full Sail, Big Winds, Dakine, Sunski, Raw Elements, Hydroflask, Wind Voyager, Duotone and Kickstand.

It takes every little bit to make it all happen...

Maybe better known for his freest yle prowess, Christophe Tack has been able to translate some of that trick mastery onto the kicker. He was able to land the highest scoring kicker trick of the contest, a nose grab Pete Rose 540. It is always impressive to see him ride the kickers as he always rides with a lot of intensit y and commitment. If his mind is set on a trick, there is a good chance he will land it within three tries…

TheKiteMag.com

Even though the event is held on the water in the park, there is still plent y of on-land sessions to be had.

Keeping the stoke high is easy for Rich Sabo, especially when he has a few drinks in hand. There is nothing quite like a cold beer after a long session to keep the vibes high.

The coveted top spots for the women went to Karolina (1st), Julia (2nd), Katie (3rd), Annelous (4th), and Colleen (5th). This year for the women was harder than ever. A few new riders, combined with a higher standard of riding made the heats extremely close. The overall placings were decided by just a few features.

It is amazing to see the girls continually step up their riding year after year, and this event was no exception.

GALLERY: THE HOOD JAM

73

The men’s final was absolutely insane!

The level of riding right out of the gate was higher than we’ve ever seen at any contest. In the end the top three spots were only separated by 0.3 points, one of the closest finals ever. It was no easy feat climbing to the top of the leaderboard, and in the end it was local boy Brandon Scheid with the win, with Ewan 2nd, Sam 3rd, Noè 4th and Aaron 5th.

The finals part y hosted by Kickstand was one to remember. Plent y of great music, delicious food, and cold drinks were on hand for a night of celebrations. It’s always great to see the communit y come together in support of the event and help keep the park dream alive. Once again, the event couldn’t happen without the support of all the generous sponsors.

Ewan Jaspan, everyone’s favorite Ozzie, has been on a tear in the kite scene this year. His smooth technical st yle has seen him on top of several podiums. It was no surprise to see him qualify in first position for the finals, and a lot of people assumed he would take home the top honors. Don’t let the 2nd place fool you, this guy has his eyes on the prize and should be a top contender for years to come.

TheKiteMag.com

Newcomer to the scene, Issy Von Zastrow, has been making a big impression with her technical st yle.

Choosing to push her amplitude off the kicker, she’s been able to set herself apart from the pack. Her passion for park riding sees her spending most, if not all, of her free time in the park. She is the epitome of a frother, another great addition to the Kite Park League family.

Ewan Jaspan exuding classic st yle. For most people just sliding across a rail would be a huge victory, but for someone as seasoned as Ewan, only perfect execution will suffice. Not only is it important that Ewan is on his game, but also Toby Bromwich the photographer. Gathering the media from an event is no easy task.

Most of the printable shots get taken outside of the contest heats, so riders not only need to perform in their heats, but also go above and beyond on the water. It takes a lot of effort to line up and capture a great shot, and we couldn’t do it without the amazing media staff for the event.

GALLERY: THE HOOD JAM

75

Karolina showing why she is the one to beat in the park these days. She rides with a ton of speed, and executes extremely technical maneuvers which is how she garnishes such high scores from the judges. Off the water she is one of the nicest and easiest going riders, but look out once she hits the water: she’s aiming for blood.

Sam Light is no slouch when it comes to park riding. With four Triple S wins to his name, it’s no wonder everyone worries when you draw his name in a heat. He is incredibly consistent and executes his maneuvers with a lazy st yle that always impresses everyone. Always smiling, Sam brings a great attitude and charisma to the park riding scene. He’s someone we always look forward to having involved in our events.

TheKiteMag.com

TheKiteMag.com

79

TheKiteMag.com

81

STUFF We like the look of...

2.

1.

3.

4.

1. SONIC Race VMG

2. ION Strike AMP

3. F-ONE TRAX

4. Naish Thrust Foil

This is not a kite for everyone – but if you’ve got Olympic pretentions then it’s probably the kite for you. Flysurfer are dominating the foiling race fleets at the moment and the VMG is Flysurfer’s latest ‘fastest kite’. The speed bump this time round is all in the 3-Level bridle apparently, which reduces the number of lines and consequently the wind resistance by 15%. All we know is: it’s quick.

The new Strike Amp offers superb stretch, guaranteeing maximum freedom of movement. It uses a new neoprene foam, I-Foam, to keep it lighter and ION have also upgraded the lining to Hot-stuff 2.0 and extended the use of this to the whole suit apart from the shoulders and arms. There are some nice new stealthy graphic options too so you can look the part and be warm.

The TRAX is one of the longest serving boards on the planet and each year sees tweaks and improvements to keep diehard fans happy and to help bring on more TRAX devotees. For 2019 there are three different constructions: the ESL, Lite Tech and – pictured here – the Carbon Series, for when you want a bit less weight for your boardoffs, or a bit more stiffness for insane speed on those butter flat days…

Naish’s Thrust foil is back for 2019 with a 50% lighter front wing and with Stealth Stripes on the bottom of the wing to help ‘deter unwanted attention’. That’s sharks to you and me. There are plenty of new board options too ranging from 112cm through to 160cm. Naish have gone hard out on their foils for 2019 and seem to have something for everyone...

TheKiteMag.com

STUFF We like the look of...

5.

6.

7.

8.

5. RRD Bliss LTD

6. Duotone Pro Wam

7. Ocean Rodeo Duke

8. Nobile NHP Carbon

Why is the Bliss called the Bliss? Because it makes riding easy – perhaps too easy… It’s a comfy board whose purpose in life is to make your sessions cruisy and fun. If you want a bit more oomph from your Bliss though, then go ride this one – the Bliss LTD – which has biaxial carbon on the deck and base making it 20% lighter and with more carbonfueled pop…

The last couple of issues of the mag have seen some pretty impressive waveriding going on with the Duotone wave team. They tend to mix it up with their board selection, but when conditions are peachy and they want a board they can really get expressive on, they tend to go for this one: the Pro Wam.

The Duke takes the thicker concave from the Mako and gives it a directional twist.

It tears upwind and really annihilates ‘real world’ choppy conditions. But don’t be fooled – put it on an edge and throw it into a bottom turn and it’ll slice the top off the lip as well…

Are there any better designed twintip collections in the industry? You could argue that some individual boards look better, but when it comes to ‘collections’ Nobile really do have it nailed. For 2019 they bring us the Cosmic Line with a spacey theme. Pictured here is the NHP Carbon but, yup, they all look this good.

TheKiteMag.com

STUFF We like the look of...

9.

10.

11.

12.

9. Slingshot SST

10. Airush Livewire Team V6

11. Cabrinha H20 Binding

12. CrazyFly Hyper

The SST is now moving into the ‘well established’ status within the Slingshot line up. When we talked to the Slingshot guys a couple of issues back they explained that they never renamed or rebranded their kites and took pride in their heritage… So the SST has clearly ‘made it’ and brings an incredible amount of drift, pivotal turning and the ability to stay in the sky even as you’re gunning towards it for 100% fear-free waveriding.

Designed in conjunction with legendary freestyle shredder Alex Pastor, the Livewire Team is Airush’s no-compromise twintip.

Incorporating Airush’s Nano Rod Technology – which sees 3mm carbon rods embedded within the core – the Livewire Team offers an insane amount of pop and they’re so confident you won’t break it that they offer an impressive two-year warranty on it…

Here’s the all new Cabrinha H20 premium binding which takes the ‘adjustability’ concept to the next level. The 4-point connection allows incremental tweaks across the whole binding so you can set them up to fit your feet perfectly. Then, depending on your style, you can opt for the more comfortable ‘plush’ heel bed option or the ‘I’m going to land a handle pass today’ focused harder options…

Time to let off the ‘new kite’ klaxon! The Hyper from CrazyFly is a high performance, Big Air focused, boost busting machine. It has five struts, CrazyFly’s Triplex Ripstop and a higher aspect profile that simply screams: send me!

TheKiteMag.com

TheKiteMag.com

89

Indonesia T H E U LT I M AT E GIRLS TRIP AFTER A SLIGHTLY FRUSTRATING YEAR ON THE WAVE TOUR AND WITH A DESIRE TO SCORE WAVES FROM DAWN-TO-DUSK AND TO WORK ON THEIR TUBE TIME, THERE WAS REALLY ONLY ONE OPTION: GIRLS GO TO INDO...

PHOTOS: Ydwer van der Heide

TheKiteMag.com

F E AT U R E N A M E

91

J

alou: The competition season was good but a little frustrating as we barely had any good waves at the stops. All my hopes for good waves were with the stop in Mauritius, but sadly it was cancelled. This opened up a window to travel to a place of my choosing. I had the urge to ride bigger and heavier waves like Mauritius could have provided and I considered different options, including Madagascar, Mauritius and Fiji, and even some other unexplored spots. I then contacted Cat. Cat was wildly stoked to join the trip even though she did not know where we were going! She gave me her trust so I booked my flights and was anxious to start the trip.

Catharina: It was the end of July and we had just found out that the Mauritius wave contest was cancelled. Jalou asked me if I would be keen to go on a kite trip. I said yes immediately. I had been wanting to do a kitesurf trip for a long time, especially with someone with more experience than myself. We discussed different location options, but Indonesia had always been on my mind. We started looking for tickets for Indo, but at the same time I was hearing the news about earthquakes in Lombok and I also had my board bag missing from when I had last returned to Austria... I was so stressed over my gear situation and the earthquakes that I almost forgot about what I actually had in front of me. Many friends from my hometown had been to Indonesia and had raved about their first barrels kiting there. Barrels!?

My mind started spinning and I could not get that word out of my head. Was I going to be able to get barreled? Would I be ready? I became very excited.

Olivia: It was the peak of summer and we had not had good wind and waves in Maui for a long time. I was getting frustrated, so I told Patri that I wanted to travel to either Fiji or Indonesia on a swell.

August came around and I still hadn’t planned a trip. One morning I was scrolling the Surfline swell map and saw a big purple blob in the Indian Ocean. It looked like a great window for Indonesia. A couple of days later I was scrolling Instagram and saw Jalou posted a story that she was in Indonesia and Catharina was on her way. I messaged Jalou instantly asking how the conditions were. I looked back at the Surfline map and in order to make it for the peak of the swell, I had to leave the following morning. I messaged Cat and she gave me every last detail about what flight to take and where to stay. I didn’t have any kites but luckily Sky Solbach was kind enough to lend me his. After spending the entire day trying to find the cheapest flight, I booked one at 6:30pm. I left the following morning at 7am and, 30 hours later, I made it to my destination a day before the swell hit.

TheKiteMag.com

Ydwer van der Heide (photographer): When Jalou approached me to join her with a couple of other people to Indonesia it was easy to say yes. A cool crew and some good conditions would end up in loads of sick content.

After shooting the Air Games in Germany I didn’t even have to unpack as I flew straight to Indo to meet up with the girls. They were there a couple of days earlier to get used to the conditions and dial in the wave so I arrived just in time to catch the action. F

I N D O N E S I A : T H E U LT I M AT E G I R L S T R I P

93

First

IMPRESSIONS

TheKiteMag.com

THE FIRST F E W D AY S I COULD NOT STOP MYSELF FROM SMILING.

J: It felt so good being back in Indonesia and knowing that waves were guaranteed. It was my fourth time visiting this unique spot. There, life is simple and slow and it felt refreshing leaving hectic Europe. It was nice to have a moment to focus only on kiting day in and day out. The place hadn’t changed much since my last visit. There were still the same people and only little improvements in the local restaurants (warungs) had been made. For example, one of the local photographers named Mammet sold his camera a couple of years ago to open a restaurant with his family. The restaurant is based in his front yard. Pictures he took many years ago of Keahi, Reo, Kevin, and myself hang on his walls. Mammet’s was the best and cheapest place for food and hygiene so we ate there most nights. The kite crowd has increased over the years (which I guess is to be expected, but this also gives you a reason to keep searching for new spots and we found some great ones...) The first few days I could not stop myself from smiling. It felt so good to ride perfect conditions and have a variety of waves. There is a long left which breaks into two different sections. It’s butter smooth and runs along the reef into a faster and smaller wave – it’s perfect for vertical turns.

O: The day after I arrived was when the swell peaked.

I was pleasantly surprised; it was much larger than expected. The barreling wave that we had traveled to this location for was closing out in the channel.

We hopped on our mopeds and drove five minutes down the coast to another spot. There were many surfers out paddling. Huge sets were rolling in and the wind was picking up. We drove back to our hostel and loaded up our large kites and boards onto the mopeds.

Once we got back to the spot all the surfers were out of the water and it was time to pump up. It was a little light for the 10m, but through the day the wind picked up a little. There were so many waves coming in that by the end of the session we were feeling more comfortable with the conditions. I was stoked to get some large set waves that got my adrenaline pumping.

I was also so excited to see Cat and Jalou on large waves and would always scream and cheer for them from the channel.

C: Early in the trip I kited some of my biggest waves of my life. There were so many people in the lineup but I was able to figure out the wave and get some good ones. Olivia told me to ‘line up with the orange water tower.’ The whole session I was looking for it in the water but was frustrated that I couldn't find it.

After the session, I told her this and she told me it was on the land. We all cracked up laughing for so long! F

I N D O N E S I A : T H E U LT I M AT E G I R L S T R I P

95

TheKiteMag.com

I N D O N E S I A : T H E U LT I M AT E G I R L S T R I P

97

barreled GETTING

WITH A KITE

TheKiteMag.com

O: One of the spots is a very famous wave for getting barreled with a kite. The guys in the photos and videos make it look so easy, but it is not as easy as it looks. There are so many things to think about at the same time that make it difficult. For example, the best time to kite this wave was at low tide. This was very daunting, as when you’re trying to pull in, you also see the dry reef. It was also difficult dealing with the power of the kite.

I found myself flying down the face of the wave with too much speed even after attempting to stall. This would cause me to be too far in front of the barreling wave. Positioning was key – it was very easy to find yourself too deep on this wave, especially with the ease of tacking upwind in one tack. On one set wave I went for, my nose dove into the boil. I flew down face first and went over the falls towards the shallow water. This was my worst wipeout of the trip. I felt like I had just been tumbled in a washing machine but I popped up, saw my kite was still flying, and body dragged into the channel. I saw blood dripping from my leg, but thankfully it was only a small reef cut. A little shook up, I knew I had to try again. Matchu followed beside me on another set wave, and told me where to sit and when to point down the line.

I got my first proper barrel and made it out. It was at that point I realized that the days before I had not been in the right spot and had been timing it completely wrong.

NOT GETTING BARRELED WITH A KITE...

Y: For me this was a new challenge. Although I have been shooting in the waves a lot (and One Eye on Mauritius isn’t a particularly easy place to shoot), this was a bit of a different game. I had to find my position in the waves which was challenging as the wave was very inconsistent in size the first days. A slightly longer lens was my best bet as my position is less critical to get the shot.

Over time I got better and better at positioning myself. Also the girls got more confident and were pushing each other to start deeper and deeper to get barreled.

J: The goal of the trip was to kite the barreling wave as much as possible and to get a good coverup. There was not a perfect barrel every wave throughout the day, so we didn't get to practice as much as we had thought we would. It was so fun to be learning something new and pushing ourselves. It was all about finding the right spot for the barreling section.

C: After the big wave day, my confidence was over the moon while walking down to the beach.

I thought, ‘Okay, today I am going to get barreled.’

I then stopped and saw large set waves rolling in one after another. Some had large spitting barrels.

I thought about the videos I had been watching and the few tips I had received before going out.

At the start, I stayed on the shoulder and caught a few of the smaller waves. It was all so different from what I had imagined. My nerves started to calm down. I then thought, “Alright, it’s time. Pull in... Now!” I managed to pull in deep despite my lack of planning, but I already knew that I was not going to make it out since I had closed my eyes in the middle of the ride… I felt the heavy wave on my head. I thought, ‘This is how it feels to get eaten alive.’ I came to the surface and saw my kite down in the water. Before thinking twice, I released my kite. Jalou helped me to the shore. She then told me that typically when the kite goes down on this wave, it gets pulled out into the channel.

In the channel, it is not in the danger zone, and it is easy to relaunch. At first I felt disappointed and overwhelmed by the challenging conditions.

I was also scared that this would be my one and only chance to get barreled and that I had just ruined it. Luckily, my perspective changed in the following days and I learned to accept the fact that this kind of wave was much different from the type of waves I was used to. This mindset helped me to continue trying again and again. F

I N D O N E S I A : T H E U LT I M AT E G I R L S T R I P

99

Postcript Ydwer: It was cool to see how the girls pushed each other and how they talked about getting barreled. The vibe was different than with the guys as most of the time they talk about how deep they got and how big the wave was! The level between the girls was also very different. Jalou having tons of riding experience, Olivia not thinking about fear and Catharina with an amazing drive to get in there and get better. The girls give each other tips and talked about their fear and their goals. Also it wasn’t only about action during this trip. Lifestyle is an important part of what they wanted to show to the rest of the world: eating delicious Indonesian food and meeting local people. It’s the whole experience that they wanted to share. In the morning when there is no wind was an ideal moment for a lifestyle shoot. During the lifestyle shoot I know I’m on a trip with just girls. As soon as they start chatting they won’t stop. They were so caught up in their discussion that they completely forgot I was there waiting with the camera in my hand! 

TheKiteMag.com

IT’S THE WHOLE E X P E R I E N C E T H AT T H E Y WA N T E D TO SHARE.

I N D O N E S I A : T H E U LT I M AT E G I R L S T R I P

101

MAK I N G A

M

K I T E

VI E

Tired of quick-fix Instagram clips, Laci Kobulsky was keen to produce something bigger, something memorable: something more like kite movies used to be… With his plan hatched he just needed a rider – and who better to team up with than Aaron Hadlow?! Here Laci takes us through the philosophy of the project and where they are at with it so far…

TheKiteMag.com

103

SOLO CAPE TOWN SESSION...

These days the internet is swarming with kiteboarding videos, edits, clips, stories, GIFs and other forms of visual content. I have been making kiteboarding videos for over 10 years now for various riders and kite centers, my count is way over the couple of hundreds, so I admit that I am also partly responsible for this swarm. And while it’s nice to have so many options to show the content as the creator, all the internet formats have one disadvantage: they are fast. Videos must be cut quickly, ready for Instagram consumption, we need to cram all that amazing footage we spend so much time shooting into a couple minutes, and very often we are forced to delete many of our favorite clips that will stay unseen.

This year I had the opportunity to work on a different project that would open a new creative door to me, and give me much needed space. I have already worked with the legendary Aaron Hadlow a few times in the past, most notably on the award-winning edit “Reflection” shot in Sicily, but this year we decided to focus on a full-length documentary simply called “TWENTY”. This longer project will give us the much needed creative space to showcase all the moves and locations properly. Sometimes there is a wonderful slow-motion clip that lasts 30 seconds, and instead of cutting a short part, we can now let it run. But don’t expect the movie to be a compilation of a slow-mo shots, rather something that invites you to sit down and enjoy the show…

So, throughout this whole year (and a little extra in early 2019) I am traveling and shooting with Aaron. So far, we have done Cape Town, the Caribbean, the USA and UK, with Brazil left this November. Along the road we’ve also worked on a side project on YouTube – a show hosted by Aaron called “Aaron Airs” which has kept the social media following masses up to speed with our progress.

So. What is the movie going to be about? Well simply put: it’s about kiteboarding and its various disciplines, all projected throughout Aaron’s long professional career. We will try to show and explain the three major disciplines Aaron has been at the forefront of – Freestyle, Big Air and Park – so the viewers can understand what each discipline is about and see some of the world’s best athletes perform their moves.

Who would be better for such a task than Aaron, the guy who has had such an influence on the sport over the years?! We did not stop there, we said let’s go all in and let’s shoot each discipline in the location that is simply PERFECT for it. If we are talking about Park – we travel to the world’s best kite park in Cape Hatteras. Big Air is obviously going to happen in windy Cape Town, and where else other than Brazil would you go for some sick Freestyle tricks?!

But the movie is also a personal story about Aaron’s career and his contribution. Alongside him, you will see some of his friends and some of the best riders in each discipline. It is hard work to tell the story right, but our minds are set on the goal. The movie will be released summer 2019, so keep your eyes out for movie news and updates on the web: twenty.aaronhadlow.com. And on social media, follow the hashtag #AaronHadlow20. 

TheKiteMag.com

“ I T IS HARD

WORK TO TELL THE STORY RIGHT, BUT OUR MINDS ARE SET ON THE GOAL.

FRONT AND CENTER IN THE CARIBBEAN

M A K I N G A K I T E M OV I E

105

S H T L CAT I TheKiteMag.com

NS

I. BIG AIR CAPE TOWN

A few locations were definites from the very beginning of this project, and one of them was Cape Town. This place is not only the obvious choice for Big Air kiteboarders from all around the world, but also the place that probably gave Aaron the most. He moved here with his parents when he was a young grom and the tough freestyle conditions prepared him for the World Tour, that he went on to dominate with an unprecedented six titles. We spent a month here, not only shooting Megaloops in front of Table Mountain, but also traveling to different spots, kiting together with Aaron’s dad Ian or recording interviews with his friends. The highlight must have been Aaron’s new trick during the King of The Air – a Megaloop Board-off Frontroll. I was watching the action from behind the lens – Aaron’s position was not so secure towards the end of his heat, so he knew he had to go big. I knew he was training for Board-off Megaloops a few weeks prior to the event, but seeing him blowing everybody’s minds by quickly changing his board in the last minute and landing this NBD move under pressure was some spectacle! Luckily my camera was rolling and Aaron was in focus!

M A K I N G A K I T E M OV I E

II. FREESTYLE CARIBBEAN We knew we needed a change of scenery after windy Cape Town and also some “paradise vibes” for the movie.

Sacrificing nothing, we decided to board the ‘Caribbean Kite Cruise’ catamaran with its owner Richard as captain, and cruise around the beautiful Grenadines in search of the perfect wind and flat-water conditions for freestyle tricks! This trip was probably the most enjoyable shooting location. We were alone on the boat without any distractions, just focused on getting the shots. Also my job behind the camera was much easier, since the locations looked amazing from every angle I pointed my camera.

On a usual shoot, you always have to go around and play with the scene to make it look good, which was not an issue with the beautiful turquoise water and white sandy beaches on this shoot. 

107

“ PEOPLE

SHOULD EXPECT MORE OF A CINEMATIC SHOW

TheKiteMag.com

III. PARK USA While working on this kind of a project, I get to see many interesting places that I would have trouble to see otherwise. One of them (and definitely the place I was looking forward to seeing the most) was the kite park at REAL Watersports in Cape Hatteras.

REAL started Triple-S events more than 10 years ago, and since then has maintained its status as the most prominent place for park riding in the world. In total we spent about three weeks here, ending with the Triple-S where shooting for the movie was limited.

Overall it was a great trip. Noè, Craig and Sam joined us for some variety in the tricks. I was using the gimbal a lot so instead of the shaky clips we are used to from regular park edits, so people should expect more of a cinematic show. Also Aaron and Craig were pushing themselves with new tricks and landing some, so it was a double win trip for them.

IV. UK In August, when most of the European kiters travel south for warm weather and windy conditions, we went in the opposite direction and visited Aaron’s home in England. From there we traveled to the spot where he first started kiting, and also went on some trips with his friends Lewis and Tom. This will not be a separate section of the movie, more for the story bits, for interviews and also for the grand finale of the movie. And you’ll just have to wait and see what that is… 

M A K I N G A K I T E M OV I E

109

xplo e ra E I S t S

U

A

TheKiteMag.com

n:

Mauritius and the headline-grabbing Le Morne region provides the perfect cover to keep another island offering kiting perfection out of the headlines… Rodrigues is only a short flight away from Mauritius but feels like you’ve traveled back in time to a quieter world of kiting perfection. Australian kite journo Ollie Jacobs investigates…

io

Rodrig

NO WIND? PHOTO SHOOT IT IS. PHOTO: Ollie

gues

“I come from a land down under, Where beer does flow and men chunder Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?

You better run, you better take cover, yeah...”

Men At Work, 1980 Aussies and Kiwis... Our European settler ancestral roots belong to that of the once convicted, cast out from high tea society, banished to the land of plenty.

Our thirst for the seadog life by the ocean is deeply ingrained, as is the lure of distant, exotic, remote lands.

As kitesurfers, this addiction to the exploration for the ultimate destination is intensified. Chasing the sun, wind and waves are what bonds every kiter, in all corners of the world.

Check the bank balance? Probably enough. Get time off work? Ahhh doesn’t matter, just quit and get a new job when I get back. Round up your mates, girlfriend, family, or failing that: solo traveling is good for the soul...

Follow the sun, chase wind, find your dream.

So with this attitude, I was off on another trip to Mauritius. The Mecca for kitesurfing has it all: warm water, incredible waves, wind, nightlife, and everything from 5-star resorts through to jungle cabins. If you’ve ever considered a trip here, don’t second guess it, just do it: it’s incredible. Traveling with my good friend and fellow photographer Brenton Owens, we were excited for the three weeks of pure kitesurfing and photography adventures. Excited to be returning to Mauritius but also excited for further explorations, we were heading out to a tiny province of Mauritius and a kiteboarding haven called Rodrigues.

Rodrigues is relatively unknown to the general kitesurfing community. Most kiters get to Mauritius and say “it can’t get any better than this” and, well, that’s true for most. But if you like adventure, if you want to get a taste of what Mauritius was like 20 years ago before the tourist boom and big resorts, clubs, and crowds, then jot down ‘Must do Rodrigues’ on your itinerary and you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.

111

Adventure tim A

fter a few days of kiting and partying at Le Morne, we set off to the Mauritius airport with a heap of kite and photography gear. Combining these two passions is beautiful but, Jesus, you end up traveling with a lot of equipment! Arriving a little late, we drove straight into the exit lane of Terminal 4, then the VIP section, and then parked in a slot labeled TAXIS ONLY. What a start…

Sure enough, within seconds the security lady was over and told us to move on to a spot way over the other side of the airport. We had way too much gear to consider this seriously. When traveling, I can’t recall the number of times I’ve played full ‘dumb tourist’ mode and just smiled and blurted out “Gidday mate, we’re on walkabout from Australia!” Usually this gets me out of most hitches… But not this time, she was on the walkie-talkie to her boss and over he came, not looking too stoked. “Where are you going?” he demanded. “Rodrigues,” I said, and with that his face lit up, and he offered to help us unload our gear right there! Turns out he was from Rodrigues and was very happy these dumb Aussies were off to see his beautiful country…

OLLIE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE REEF PHOTO: Brenton Owens

A LONG WAY OUT WITH THE WIND DYING... BIT OF A BUTT CLENCHER PHOTO: Brenton Owens

TheKiteMag.com

me

WAV E H U N T I N G

TO U CH DOWN

We got picked up from the airport by local operator Andy Alberts. Andy is a longtime local and runs a kite school there. We emailed him a few days prior, and he hooked us up with a 4WD and accommodation for our first few days. On the way, he gave us a quick rundown of the island… Here are the key points: The island is pretty small, you can drive from one side to the other in an hour. The roads are quite good, traffic is minimal (most locals walk everywhere or get the buses).

With a low population of about 40,000 crime is very low, and a happy, small community vibe prevails. Locals wave to you and speak predominantly French and Creole, with most also speaking some English.

Being predominantly wave kiters, we Googled ‘Rodrigues kitesurfing waves’ and found some info about a reef offshore that occasionally works for waves and wind. Andy said he would take us out there so off we went. A 30 minute boat trip on the local fishing boat and we were pleasantly surprised by 2-3 feet of swell wrapping mostly lefts into a channel around a small sand island. After a quick safety tutorial on the spot, and info on how sketchy this place was on the outgoing tide, Andy said we had two hours before it turned, so we pumped up and hit it. We had a great session with Brenton jumping in the water for a bit with his water housing and capturing some shots. We didn’t want to stop, but Andy gave us the ‘wrap it up’ hand signal as the tide was starting to drain out of the channel. I picked up Brenton from the water to tow him in and could see what Andy was saying. It took a good 10 minutes or so to drag Brenton into the lagoon with the outgoing tide now really starting to pump out. But all turned out well, we landed our kites in the lagoon – which Andy’s apprentice Marcus helped pack up – cracked some beers and cruised along the beautiful sandy islands full of birds and sea life galore. Perfect.

Gr o c er ie s a nd b e er a r e c he a p, accommodation varies significantly from very cheap to resort style. Restaurants are relatively inexpensive, around €10 for a meal.

The windy season is June to October with a predominantly south easterly direction lighting up one half of the ma in island to k it ing. T he ma in attraction for the kiting is the flatwater, crystal clear water lagoons and the beautiful small islands off the mainland. The wind is generally consistent and usually moderately windy at around 20 knots, with some screamer 30 knot days.

It does get chilly some days when it’s overcast, so take a good wetsuit top and reef boots if you’re learning as there can be some sharp coral.

O Z Z I E E X P L O R AT I O N : R O D R I G U E S

LOCAL GUIDE MARCUS PHOTO: Brenton Owens

113

Close call

THE DOWNWINDER RACE... NICE SPOT FOR IT PHOTO: Brenton Owens

T

he next day, Andy was busy helping to organize the upcoming Rodrigues International Kite Festival (RIKF) so, as we didn’t get any drone footage of the waves because we were too busy kiting, we decided to hook up with the boat guy and return to the waves for one more session.

It was much bigger than the previous day. Probably 3-5ft on the spot and 6-8 foot closeouts further down the reef. The wind was lighter but still felt ok. I was super keen to capture this on the drone, so myself and Marcus busted out to the reef, with Brenton firing up the drone. I felt like a kid

TheKiteMag.com

racing into a candy store on the tack out. Good speed, stupidly clear water, and perfectly clean lines coming in over the reef. I changed my tack back towards the lagoon just to check the down-the-line power. It felt pretty light, but I seemed to be holding ground when I resumed my upwind tack. This was a warning sign right here, and within a few minutes the wind shifted from cross-off to full offshore. I saw a nice swell line coming in so tried to downloop my kite to pull me into it, but the wind just dropped. Probably to under 15 knots... Which was okay when it was cross-off but terrible news as it was now full offshore. I saw Marcus try the same and we tacked past each other, both with the same ‘oh shit’ look in our eyes. We were in

trouble. The next 20 minutes or so we battled trying to get back in over the reef in the fading winds. But each upwind tack took us further out to sea, and the downward tack only horizontal to the reef which was now 500 meters or so away. Marcus hooted at me and pointed to a downwind channel a good two kilometers or so further down the reef, so I followed Marcus’s lead and started looping like mad to catch him up. Finally I started seeing the reef come up from out of the depths. I was getting close to the lagoon again and felt a hell of a lot better, but seeing 6 foot bombs exploding onto the reef sent butterflies to my guts. I waited for a set to go through and as the last pounder smashed into the reef I went as hard and fast as I could to get through.

Another medium size set did rear up, but I timed it so that I turned into it and over it just as it was peaking and followed it in after it broke. I’d made it to the lagoon and the old fishing boat (which couldn’t have made it out the back to get me) swung by to pick me up! The beers tasted extra good that afternoon.

Festival time

The RIKF was about to start, and we wanted to be close to the action, so we moved to ‘La Belle Rodriguaise’, a cool little group of very comfy shacks right on the beach within walking distance of the comp. The nicest thing about this place is it has its own private beach with ample room to set up your kites on the grass and easy access to the large waist-deep lagoons. The first night here we stumbled across a super cool small beach bar called ‘Willies’.

If you want to meet the local kite crew, then this is the place to visit, and we felt like we had arrived on Rodrigues.

The lagoon in front of ‘La Belle Rodriguaise’ has onshore winds, but if you can manage to tack right out to the outer reef there, you will find very smooth water, consistent wind, and sweet little kickers to boost on. Be careful, there are some shallow spots so check it out first, but on the high tide it’s pretty safe to go nuts and a lot of fun! From here we kited downwind and parked at the RIKF comp site. It’s a pretty cool setup with a bar, café and some kite schools right on the sand. Somehow I got roped into being a judge and was soon introduced to the other two judges, girl shredder champs Helena Brochocka, and Céline Rodenas. Well, these two lovely lasses who would whip my ass in any sort of kiting sat me down and gave me a super quick cram sesh on technical judging points as this isn’t my specialty. Then, now being a fully qualified judge, the comp got underway and was a pleasure to be part of. The standout in the lads was Simon Lamusse from Mauritius, and the girls were also ripping with an exciting final for them as a storm front came through picking up to a solid 25+ knots, smashing anyone attempting unhooked tricks. In the women’s, Girelda Jeeworth had traveled over especially for the competition in search of glory and scored well in both the freestyle and the race.

PHOTO: Brenton Owens

O Z Z I E E X P L O R AT I O N : R O D R I G U E S

115

A

fter the comp was done and dusted it was party time, and the Rodrigians know how to throw a party! Sponsored by Rockstar energy drink, the party was right on the beach, with DJs, local dancers, reggae bands and BBQ tents. Oh did we mention it was a three day party? Yes, three days of good times! And a great way to meet many locals as I’m pretty sure the whole island attended.

My favorite party night was getting some serious boogie time to a live 10-piece ‘seggae’ band. ‘Seggae’ is a combination of sega (traditional Mauritian music) and reggae. It’s basically a very upbeat version of reggae and the crowd there seemed to love it as much as we did!

With the comp finished the island settled back into its normal sleepy groove. We had some time to explore some more of the island’s kiting treats. This included a 35 kilometer downwinder with boat support from our accommodation to a beautiful sandy island where a BBQ awaited. We also ventured to an island inhabited only by cats (not the ones you want to stroke as they are more tiger than cat) which also had a fantastic swimming pool lagoon made for taking photos.

Serious part TheKiteMag.com

CAT ISLAND PHOTO: Ollie

Apart from the kiting…

On the few days downtime where we had no wind, we had plenty of options with zip wiring, a giant freefall swing, super cool giant tortoise in a nature reserve, and some unique markets in the main town, Port Mathurin. So, if you’re looking for something different, a safe place where you can ride away from crowds and somewhere to really get involved in the local community and meet lots of rad locals, then move on from Mauritius and hit up Rodrigues next time you’re in the Indian Ocean.

WINNER SIMON LAMUSSE PHOTO: Ollie

BIG AIR COMP PHOTO: Ollie

ty O Z Z I E E X P L O R AT I O N : R O D R I G U E S

117

THE

ROAD

TheKiteMag.com

Having decamped to Vietnam and lived the tropical-life dream there for the last few years (with periodic Indonesia strike missions to keep his thirst for wave slaying quenched), Rob Kidnie decided it was time to return to his motherland, rent a van, and live the backpacker dream for a few weeks‌ PHOTOS: Anna Kuzmina

119

A

fter more than a decade of predominantly living and kiting in Asia and only visiting my homeland of Australia a month or so every second year, it was time to get back in touch with my roots. My partner Anna, a non-Australian, had visited a couple of capital cities in Oz but never really much more than that, nothing off the beaten tourist track anyway, or for want of a better phrase: she hadn’t seen the real Australia. So what better way to show her the motherland properly than with a hardcore road trip…

I grew up and my family is still based in Sydney, so that is where our journey would kick off. Traveling in Australia isn’t the cheapest option on the planet, but can definitely be one of the best. Australia has so much wide open space, full of raw beauty and incredible wildlife. At times it feels a little bit restrictive in terms of government regulations, with signs that prohibit some of the most mundane activities, such as: no swimming here; don‘t park here too long; have you got a licence to scratch your nose? (That last one I made up by the way, you can still scratch your nose in Australia.) But the swimming in certain areas is real, I guess a lot of that is due to the amount of tourists that drown regularly. Do you know what the most dangerous sport is in Australia? Rock fishing!

TheKiteMag.com

VAN LIFE

T

he best way to make your travel dollar go further is grab yourself a set of wheels that you can sleep in as well as fit all your toys in, and hit the road in a direction as far away from a capital city as you can get. Not the most glamorous way to travel, but one of the most economical due to the savings in accommodation. An added bonus is the amount of sunrises and sunsets you will have as you camp on headland after headland, polishing off fresh caught seafood. Then there is the variety of native wildlife that will pop over to say g’day, and not just the two legged fair-dinkum local Aussie variety. We’re talking about birds, reptiles, and of course marsupials.

Our search for a home on wheels commenced slowly after scouring Gumtree and online classifieds websites for a couple of weeks with no success, only looking at a few too many stinky backpacker vans that would have circumnavigated Australia a fair few times. We finally got lucky and with some thrifty negotiations we scored ourselves an old school Toyota pop-top camper with a fridge and cooker from an elderly lady as she was getting put into a nursing home by her family, which was weird as she seemed as fit as an ox to me. Apparently her family had insisted…

The van was 30 years old but had low mileage and was very rarely used so it was a bit of a bargain.

We got the new kitesurf mobile up to scratch for our mission by chucking a new set of tires on it, a solar panel, and a fresh second battery. We were ready to hit the road and start enjoying all the things that van life and living off the grid has to offer. But first we had to pack in four kites, three bars, five boards, two spear guns, wetsuits, two fishing rods, camera gear, food, Anna’s 20kg of cosmetics, and the rest of our personal effects.

I don’t know how we did it but managed to somehow shoe horn it all in. 

THE ROAD SOUTH

121

THE DEEP SOUTH

N

ow normally most people traveling Australia head north to warmer weather and coconut tree lined beaches, something I had done heaps of times on surf trips and family holidays growing up. In hindsight we probably would have seen better conditions, but I wanted to try something new and head south on the road less traveled.

This way it would be a new experience for both Anna and I. Nothing better than new experiences when it comes to kitesurfing travels. The biggest negative we faced heading south was that we were going to have to rubber up, thankfully this wasn’t such an issue when we were packing a full selection of the latest Mystic neoprene. And I was pretty happy to exchange colder water for empty beaches and lineups.

So we headed away from Sydney into the colder climes of the picturesque southern coastline of the state of New South Wales…

Stacked with white sandy beaches bracketed with rocky headlands and covered by lush temperate rainforest – we knew our adventure had begun in the right way. As we camped at one isolated beach after the next, we would often have breakfast with kangaroos before a surf, and then finish off with a kite in the afternoon sea breeze. The further south we went, the less people we came across surfing, and hardly ever saw anyone kiting. Our goal missioning south was to find world class waves and hope the wind cooperated. But wave kiting is a cruel mistress and more often than not we ended on the open sandy beaches with onshore-ish conditions struggling to stay upwind. But we had set lofty goals for this trip, so we endeavored to score a few epic glassy side-shore sessions.

This mission was predominantly kiting focused but had the fall back plan of paddle surfing, fishing and spearfishing. With the freedom from jobs and with our mobile home and the never-ending coastline, it wasn’t hard to keep busy. We cruised down the coast checking out point break after point break for potential kite spots. I didn’t really know so much about the surf breaks around the south except for the main famous breaks, but most of the famous surf breaks aren’t really kiteable as they’re normally in a wind shadow from the cliffs.

Also, locals in these areas are normally old school hardcore surfers who aren’t really so friendly when it comes to telling you where their favorite breaks are. But we had a few ‘must hit’ places so basically we would scan the forecast daily and scan the map and try and decide where would be the best place to try our luck.

TheKiteMag.com

WAVE KITING IS A CRUEL MISTRESS

SASHIMI SUPPERS

M

ost days we would drive to the most exposed headlands that would cop the prevailing wind and wait. We did quite a lot of waiting and my spearing and fishing skills definitely improved. Not to mention our culinary skills preparing the ocean catch. But we did get lucky sometimes and had many memorable sessions. And to be totally honest I probably missed a couple sessions because of the crazy conditions and having no one else around for moral support. The one day I’m kicking myself for not getting out was

THE ROAD SOUTH

at the Twelve Apostles of the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, one of the major tourist attractions down south. The place is super rugged coastline with 50+ meter cliffs and some of the wildest oceans you can imagine as it pretty much faces Antarctica. The swell would have been about 10 foot and with not the strongest wind, but maybe kiteable-ish. I found a tiny beach to launch but didn’t do it. My excuse (and I’m sticking to it) was that it was too early in the trip to destroy a kite. I decided to wait until the next day for stronger wind. But the wind never came… 

123

A REAL BASTARD OF A PLACE

TheKiteMag.com

F

The conditions in the Roaring Forties are eye opening for sure. Especially for a guy that spent the majority of his kiting life in warm water close to the equator like me. With the colder winds coming in from Southern Ocean, the 11m was more often than not left in the belly of the van in favor of the 5 or 7m. The colder water also brought a new challenge I have never experienced: kelp. Long thick, leathery bull kelp. Not something you wanted to get your lines caught in, let alone your body after a wipeout. It is such an eerie feeling to experience the frigid, bull kelp laden water…

We spent a few weeks in Tassie and found a few awesome looking spots, but just weren’t lucky enough to score wind and waves at the same time.

The east coast Tassie was mind blowing, postcard type beautiful. The south coast was beautiful but more rugged and tricky to navigate with too many crazy headlands to make the kiting epic. The west coast is what blew my mind with some of the harshest conditions I have experienced. On a good day it is breathtakingly beautiful, but as soon as it got stormy it put on a dramatically different face. It has been described as one of the most treacherous places on earth. Legendary round-theworld yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnston described it as “a real bastard of a place”... We managed to get a few fun sessions and got a taste leaving us wanting more. Our time in Tassie was epic, and we will definitely be back to tackle it again. But the next trip in the old kitesurfing campervan will be to the north west desert of Western Australia.

Just a short hop of 4500km from the east coast...

So stay tuned. The place is meant to be insane. 

THE ROAD SOUTH

THE END OF

rom here we put the van on a ferry to Tasmania, the small island right at the bottom of the map of Australia.

We had heard a lot about Tassie, it is a place a lot of Aussies never go to, let alone overseas tourists, but the ones that do go are left wanting more. And we definitely wanted more... The first thing we noticed getting off the ferry was how crisp and fresh the air was.

It was like breathing real air for the first time.

The beaches with their latitude in the Roaring Forties were wild as hell. And I don’t even want to think about the creatures that live in the sea.

There is an app in Australia called ‘Dorsal Watch’ which people report shark sightings on. I never downloaded it, but enough ‘friends’ sent me screenshots of reports if they thought I was in a certain area. I think if I had that app myself I would have never gone out…

125

E

BU

ILDI N

G

O F

TH

SWEET TREAT:

KITE PA R K La Ventana has a rep as a flat water nirvana with a side-order of occasional wave riding (if you don’t mind a bit of a drive). It doesn’t have a rep as a park riding destination. What did it take to change that? Just a group of long-time La Ventana visitors, a few tequilas, some motivation, and a few long days… And, as you will see in the next issue of the magazine with Brandon and pals, they nailed it, and now even have a park event lined up for 2019.

Choco Park founder member Fritz Otiker takes us through the project. words:

Fritz Otiker // location: Choco Lake, Desert, La Ventana, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Nov-April // wind: N /NW18-24mph (Desert Thermals), N 28-35mph (El Norte)

season:

TheKiteMag.com

FRIEND ZONE CAMP PHOTO: Fritz Otiker

LATE NIGHT PLANNING SESSION PHOTO: Fritz Otiker

This isn’t a story about massive cactus fields, tasty fish tacos, the ever so welcoming Mexican culture, reliable thermal winds, late night desert parties or the amazing wind sports community. Nope. This is a story about a group of friends, coming together from all over the world to contribute something to a small kiteboarding community. Why? Well, the obvious escape from our problems outside of our ‘bubble’. Then there's kiteboarding too. All in all, the main attraction is our community in La Ventana, where we call our camp the Friend Zone.

The Friend Zone is all about – you guessed it – friends.

And we have an abundance of them. Talented, beautiful, brilliant people from all walks of life.

Connecting in some way or another through past life experiences and the various activities available in LV. It's not like what you may encounter at other kite destinations. We are a group that accepts everyone for who they are. And this year we wanted to do something new to improve our already world-class kite set up.

READY FOR RECYCLING....

PHOTO: Fritz Otiker

First we talked about it, then we talked about it some more. The drinks flowed, the waterfall of tequila dripped down our chins and we sprinkled in some desert antics before we decided what to do. Once that was out of the way, the decision was made. The Choco Kite Park was it. We began brainstorming it in full detail. Fast forward two seasons after the Friend Zone was created, and there lay our pile of wood from a palapa deck we had built during a previous season.

It was a sufficient amount of materials that could be re-purposed into a kite park feature. All agreed that it would be best used as a slide-up into a long rail.

Leaving us with enough wood left over for a small ollie-up rail.

Then Kris Kinn had an idea for a kicker and contact was made with Dave Groves in Los Barriles who had a kicker buried in the sand at the beach. It had been sitting there for over six years and – thanks to Dalaney’s LV Beach Resort and the use of their truck/ trailer – we were able to dig it out and transport it back to LV.

127

Proble m so lvi ng Our plans for this park were loose, but as the project progressed, suddenly started to take shape.

Luckily we had all the help we needed located at the Friend Zone and the crew were ready to make this dream become a reality.

Location, money, materials, labor and transportation were the five major road blocks we encountered. Choco Lake was already our flat water freestyle lagoon and it could easily hold ten riders if we separated the features properly. It was the perfect tidal lagoon, isolated from town and away from the ever growing crowd on the water in La Ventana. Plenty of room for us to stretch out our wings and give this park build a go. Finding the tubes and stainless steel fasteners proved difficult in a small Baja town, so we had to get crafty by tapping into the local network.

Even guys who had never unhooked before were stepping up, hitting all of the features. We finally had the comradery of the same spirit and energy, nestled up into one place. We took our ‘individual’ sport and made it a fun, collaborative team activity.

Critiquing each other while waiting your turn in rotation was the norm. Not to mention there was a fifty-fifty chance the peanut gallery would remind you each time you ‘kooked out’ or cheer you on if you stomped a trick.

Time was ticking and a lot of work had to be finished, but once we built the features and made the drop happen, riders started to hit them full force. It was like an explosion of breakthroughs and progression for each rider. I’ve never witnessed anything like it before.

PHOTO: Danielle Gee

TheKiteMag.com

PHOTO: Fritz Otiker PHOTO: Danielle Gee

PHOTO: Fritz Otiker

PHOTO: Fritz Otiker

S W E E T T R E AT : T H E B U I L D I N G O F C H O C O K I T E PA R K

129

PHOTO: Fritz Otiker RIDER: Nadja Bianchet

n ew frie n ds When the park build started, we weren't quite sure if anyone from town would come and whether or not we had the full support of the kite community.

Let's get real, it was way out in the middle of the desert and no one was 100% confident if their vehicle would even make it through the fifteen minute journey. But, much to our surprise, the La Ventana community rose up in full support of the project. We even received a visit from a bunch of pros who wanted a taste of the action…

A lot of lessons were learned from building this park. It brought all of us together to one location, cheering, teasing and pushing each other’s skills beyond our comfort level. Our main takeaway from building a kite park was: it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a labor intensive process. You definitely need a team of people that can dedicate their time to it. These trials and tribulations have allowed us to better plan for our second season of the Choco Kite Park. So much so, we will be hosting the Baja Kite Park Showdown January 1113, 2019. Held the weekend before the La Ventana Classic Kiteboarding Competition… Onwards and upwards!

PHOTO: Andy Cain RIDER: Fritz Otiker, Todd Falcke

TheKiteMag.com

PHOTO: Eric Stevens RIDER: Kris Kinn

PHOTO: Fritz Otiker RIDER: Todd Falcke

S W E E T T R E AT : T H E B U I L D I N G O F C H O C O K I T E PA R K

131

Shove-It Rider: Ralph Boelen Photo: Svetlana Romantsova

TheKiteMag.com

The Move The Pop Shove-it is definitely a fun trick to have in your pocket, and you can learn it right after getting your first proper air dialed. If you have a background in skateboarding, you will get this one very easily. Unlike most of the strapless tricks, you’ll find it better practicing this one in light wind, as the board has less chance of flipping in the wrong direction if the wind catches it wrong.

The STEps Ride with a constant speed, start your kite at 2 o’clock and drive pretty quick toward 12 from where you will start your first pop.

Start your pop like a normal air with the front hand pulling in the middle left of the bar. This is going to bring your kite slowly back to 2 o’clock during the jump. I’d recommend leaving the back hand away off the bar to find a better balance during the trick.

As soon as you find yourself steady in the air, you can start sending the Shove-it. The key to this trick is to actually always keep your front

foot in touch with the board, while the back foot kicks backward to rotate your board.

When you see your board finishing its 360 rotation, you can now slowly release the bar, bringing your back foot to its normal position, and stomp the trick.

If you see yourself going for a pretty high pop, I’d recommend to send the Shove-it not too early, unless you want to go for your first 540!

135

S-Mobe 5 Rider: Mikaili Sol Photo: Svetlana Romantsova

The Move I like the S-Mobe 5 because it is a technical trick and requires you to use speed and power. When I am competing, the S-Mobe 5 is the second trick on my list that I do and I usually also do it before my heat starts to get me pumped and ready for my heat. You should learn an S-Mobe 5 because it’s a great trick to get you ready for any trick you’re looking to take to the next step by going from a 360 to a 540 degree rotation…

TheKiteMag.com

The STEPS Come in with good speed and make sure that your kite is at 45 degrees.

As you start to edge, steer the kite down so that the kite doesn’t go too high during the trick.

When you reach the apex, you have to start to move your body in the opposite direction by pulling your bar to your back hip, keeping it as close as possible.

Pop hard at takeoff and bend your head and front leg forward to start the front rotation.

While passing the bar, keep it as close as possible while bringing your back leg past your front leg to continue the rotation.

Make sure that you are doing a front roll and not an S-bend, so that your body is more inverted.

When you are about to land, bring both hands back on the bar so that you will be more in balance for your landing.

137

TheKiteMag.com

139

WINTER’S COMING AND IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE CAUGHT OUT AND FINISHING YOUR SESSION AFTER 30 MINUTES, THEN YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED... IF YOUR 5/3 HAS ALREADY PUT IN A COUPLE OF TOUGH SEASONS THEN MAYBE IT’S TIME TO PUT IT INTO RETIREMENT AND INVEST IN A NEW ONE. THE TECH KEEPS GETTING BETTER-AND-BETTER AND THE WETSUITS WARMER-AND-WARMER SO IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE A WINTER KITER!

G U I D E B U Y E R ’ S WETSUIT

MAGMA The Meteor Magma is built for the cold and windy days of winter. The Magma fleece is one of the best materials out there: not only do its ‘plush loops’ work as effective insulators and heat generators while providing a smooth and soft feeling that makes the suit incredibly comfortable, but it is manufactured to be extremely flexible to keep even the thickest suit very stretchy. Manera’s SD² TAPE 2.0 technology is not only a great ‘blindstich’ technique but also brings more durability, waterproofness and flexibility.

It’s the wetsuit of your choice if you don’t want to stay home during winter sessions…

€399 | $ + £ CHECK LOCAL DEALER

X10D The Meteor X10D is made for pure performance. The suit is stretchy and light, with an extra good feeling on the skin. It is a suit well adapted to waveriding, freestyle or SUP because of its ability to follow the rider’s movements without any restriction. The neoprene panels are sealed together and then sewed with blindstitches. Then the SD² tape is now welded to the seam by an air heater machine, unlike past years when the tape was hand glued. This new process brings more durability, waterproofness and flexibility to Manera wetsuits. So if you’re looking for lightness and flexibility, the X10D is the wetsuit you need.

WINTER

€299 | $ + £ CHECK LOCAL DEALER

WOMEN X10D The 4/3 X10D allows unrestricted movements while keeping you warm during mid-season days. The Meteor X10D is made for pure performance, and the inside feels stretchy and light, with an extra good feeling on the skin.

It is a suit well adapted to waveriding, freestyle or SUP because of its ability to follow the rider’s movements without any restriction. If you’re looking for lightness and flexibility, this is the wetsuit for you…

€319 | $ + £ CHECK LOCAL DEALER

TheKiteMag.com

LEGEND HOODED The proud leader of the Mystic wetsuit range has been re-designed and is packed with the best materials and features. The 100% M-Flex 2.0, stretch taping and ultra-lightweight foam makes sure the suit stays very light and super flexible. There is also a unique quick dry lining, which will not only dry faster but also keeps the water out longer and therefore helps to maintain your body temperature creating an insulating shell and a winner suit.

€470 | $470 | £390

MAJESTIC For maximum comfort with the softest touch you want the Majestic… The Majestic series wetsuits are loaded with features, including 100% M-Flex 2.0 and waterproof stretch taping, a high durable taping used inside the suit to avoid leaking and keep the suit flexible and warm. The patterns have been renewed for this year to maximize the stretch and comfort, and the Polar lining reflects body heat and makes sure you will stay warm longer.

€350 | $350 | £300

DIVA This year’s Diva wetsuit provides the ultimate in comfort and style for female shredders. The patterns of the Diva suits have been renewed to maximize the stretch and comfort of the suit. The Diva wetsuits are made of a 100% M-Flex 2.0 neoprene, the most flexible neoprene in the Mystic range. The waterproof stretch taping avoids leaking and keeps the suit flexible and warm, then the Polar lining gives a super-soft feel and reflects body heat to keep you out on the water for longer.

€330 | $330 | £270

141

G U I D E

STRIKE SELECT The Strike Select 5/4 is one of the warmest wetsuits in the ION range with a a focus on getting you on the water and keeping you there for a as long as possible! It uses toasty warm Plusma-Plush inside lining on the upper body and legs to provide best possible heat retention. Then the Powerseams and Maki-Tape 2.0 keep that cold winter water on the right side of the suit…

B U Y E R ’ S

€430 | $430 | £370

WINTER

WETSUIT

STRIKE AMP The Amp level represents exceptional performance especially in terms of stretch for riders who don’t want to compromise on performance even in the depths of winter. ION’s super flexible inside lining Hotstuff 2.0 ensures an optimal level of heat retention and flex meaning that you can still be working on your trick repertoire even if you’ve been scraping ice off your car!

€340 | $350 | £280

JEWEL AMP The Jewel Amp combines high-tech features and an outstanding performance with style and an air of femininity. Hot-Stuff 2.0 lining and ION’s high-tech Seal-Tite feature will keep you toasty warm and perfectly protected from the elements. Also available as a 6/5.

€330 | $340 | £270

TheKiteMag.com

FAHRENHEIT HOODED The Fahrenheit series are super quick drying wetsuits with extra durability and stretch. They have a quick dry lining which also absorbs 20% less water which keeps them light… Internally, there is a specially engineered lining that features two layers of fibers on top of each other, woven with a squared pattern design that allows water to flow through it to the outside and quickly downwards. The whole suit is made without any stitches and is fully liquid taped on the outside and fabric taped on the inside to offer superior stretch and a longer lifetime. You can now also get your Fahrenheit with a hood – so no excuses whatever the temperature.

€549 |$615 | £475

CELSIUS PRO ZIPLESS The Celsius series of wetsuits brings extreme flexibility where pattern design is combined with the best available neoprenes in the market. And they are now available zipperless for truly insane levels of stretch…

The Celsius Pro is made with 100% Superstretch limestone neoprene and has the lowest number of panels in the RRD collection. It is pure fabric taped on the inside, and only on the seam joint areas. This allows even more flex, especially around the arms. So if you want to continue with your no compromise moves on the water and you want to feel like you are not wearing a wetsuit: you want the Celsius Pro Zipless.

€389 |$436 | £335

AMAZONE PRO For female riders who want to have insane flex and want to perform regardless of water temperatures, the Amazone is the suit for you. It is 100% Superstretch limestone neoprene with a 360 Ultrastretch back panel to increase back flex and to enable you to easily get in and out. The Amazone is the wetsuit made with the lowest number of panels in RRD’s collection and less panels mean more flexibility. Then the new asymmetrical panel layout creates a great look to ensure that both the aesthetics and the functionality are as good as you can get...

€369 | $417 | £319

WINTER WETSUIT BUYER’S GUIDE

143

G U I D E

COMBAT

B U Y E R ’ S

If you want a wetsuit to see you through even the darkest of winter days then you need the Combat.

Armor skin windshield technology matched with anatomical engineering, such as NeilPryde’s exclusive MLS muscle support, make the Combat the ultimate defense against the wind, and make it your weapon to go harder for longer in extreme conditions. At the heart of this new generation of wetsuits lies NeilPryde’s exclusive materials and technologies to ensure you have the very best in wetsuit tech for your session.

WINTER

WETSUIT

RECON If you don’t see why you should compromise between warmth and flexibility then the Recon is the wetsuit for you. The refined aesthetic and high function of the Recon makes it a must-have piece of equipment for any kiter demanding the highest performance on all levels. New generation NeilPryde materials and technologies result in the ultimate experience on the water, so you still feel ready to go hard out even when the thermometer takes a serious dip…

NEILPRYDE TECH Muscle Lock System. Locks in the power with anatomical muscle wrapping technology strategically placed on the calves designed to improve stamina, increase muscle support and enable active recovery.

EFX Expansion Panel. An anti-cramp technology which allows for increased blood flow when riding, resulting in improved performance.

Dri-Flex. The advanced dri-flex knitted outer jersey is super light and dries in a much shorter time compared to standard neoprene. It is fused with a polyester and spandex blend and combined with Yamamoto neoprene making it over 95% water impermeable.

TheKiteMag.com

145

TheKiteMag.com

147

INDUSTRY INSIDE NEWS

NORTH KITEBOARDING

The wheels are turning in the world of kiteboarding brands and there have been a few notable developments over the last few months. Right up there was the news that North Kiteboarding would be reborn as a closer subsidiary of parent company North Technology Group. Time to find out more from a couple of guys who will be at the heart of the ‘new’ brand, Mike Raper and Pat Goodman.

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to catch up with us. So you will be kicking off an entirely new product line as North Kiteboarding. Can you talk us through the key players in terms of heading up the brand?

MR: Sure, so first up David Mead and I will be responsible to the North Technology Group (NTG) for the profitability of the business, we are the senior managers. However, we are all partners in the business, depending heavily on each other and all playing an integral part in the equation.

David Mead is Director of Manufacturing & Operations and will be responsible for the commercial side of the business. David will be based in Sri Lanka and Europe, and has a strong history of manufacturing in Sri Lanka, China and Thailand. He is the former Director of Manufacturing for the Pryde Group.

Klaus Warkentin is Global Director of Sales & Team and is responsible for the sales activity in all international markets. Klaus is currently building a network of reps and agents to work with retailers and distributors for North Kiteboarding. There is no one with more international experience than Klaus. He’s half German/Mexican, is fluent in multiple languages and will be based in Europe. He has visited literally hundreds of beaches across the TheKiteMag.com

world which has helped him create a strong understanding of different cultures and their idiosyncrasies. He also has many an epic story to tell around a campfire.

I’m Director of Product & Brand. I will be driving product development and brand marketing teams. I need to ensure the brand delivers a strong product range that respects where the brand has been in the past while looking forwards to the future. I am responsible for the look and feel of North Kiteboarding.

I need to make sure the brand stays true to its heritage of technical performance.

And who will be getting their hands dirty on the design side of things?

Pat Goodman has recently joined as Chief Kite Designer and will design all our kites.

Pat Goodman is ready to start with a fresh perspective when it comes to designing a North kite and acknowledges he has a huge task ahead of him. Pat’s been around the block, but is very excited about delivering something different this time round. He’s very aware he needs to find a performance niche for the brand that is unique and fresh. He’s a man on a mission at the moment, pulling some huge hours in CAD and testing at the beach.

Hugh Pinfold is Director of Design & Engineering and is responsible for the

development of control bars, bindings and basically anything molded and technical.

Always frothing, he’s a bundle of raw energy with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Hugh also kills it on all boardsports and has had a lifetime in the industry, designing award winning products.

Jamie Scott from Tribal Surfboards will be our board shaper. Jamie is one of the leading surfboard shapers in Australasia, a great kiter and has a better understanding of laminates than anyone I know. Highly passionate about SUP and surf foiling, he’s a force to be reckoned with, but has a very subtle touch when it comes to shaping a rail. We’re expecting some magic from Jamie.

Uli Sommerlatt is our Product Manager and an avid kiteboarder since 2000. We decided to bring in the big guns and were lucky enough to attract an expert naval engineer as our Product Manager. Uli spent nine years working for world-renowned yacht design company Judel/Vrolijk before joining Core Builders Composites/Oracle Racing in 2015 as an onsite build support engineer for the 35th America’s Cup campaign.

You aim to have some products for us for August 2019. What are the challenges of getting a new product

line up in place in such a short time frame?

MR: Yeah, it’s a challenge for sure, but we are used to it. The North Kiteboarding team have a proven track record of delivering quality and innovation. We come from a long and diverse background within the industry, from multiple companies. With the North brand, we have the ability to take a really fresh approach to creating a more holistic range of products.

We are amped to be designing a new range that will be more efficient on multiple levels. We all live in and on the water and are extremely passionate about the sport. This drives our commitment to develop products that retailers, riders and the community will love.

And do you plan to release any boards as well or is there a longer term plan for these releases?

MR: We can’t tell you that yet. I can let you know that we will have a complete range of kites, control systems, TT boards, surfboards and foilboards releasing mid 2019. We have access to technology that we have never had before. The North Technology Group specializes in the investment of technology brands and markets, then leveraging the technology within the group. It’s exciting times, we’re like kids in a candy shop.

Will there be a brand HQ as such and where will the testing take place?

MR: We are in the process of setting up three hubs in Europe, USA and Asia for sales and logistics. These offices will be critical for our sales teams to support our valued retailers.

Operationally they will carry stock and provide a high level of service. The offices need to be close to the retailers to ensure fast delivery and provide assistance.

For testing, Pat Goodman has lived in Taiwan for about 10 years, Taiwan has to be one of the most consistently windy places in the world. He will continue to be based there with regular trips to New Zealand for testing. Then we have a new design and marketing office on the west coast of Auckland, 15 minutes from the west coast beach and only 25 minutes from the east coast. Auckland is unique as it has quick access to great testing conditions on two sides of a very active Southern Ocean. There is always a wave and it’s consistently windy. We are also lucky enough to have a half pipe skate ramp and a creative area to help get the creative juices flowing at HQ.

So I am guessing that things are already moving in terms of development – is it exciting to be starting with a fresh piece of paper?

MR: As a team, we have collectively developed a range plan that we think is efficient yet dynamic; a range that challenges us, but is achievable within the timeframe. As we approach the range planning and development, we’ve been thoughtful, respectful and brave, but also with a sense of playfulness.

A lot of elements of a brand’s lineup can take many years to develop and patent etc – not necessarily kites, but things such as bars and QR systems – do you plan to license other brand’s products in the short term?

MR: We will have to license a few key industry standard features like one-pump and the Nalu Kai Quick Release, but other than those standards, we believe we have some new IP that will shake up the industry a little.

Mike, what did you learn in terms of developing the CR:X system that you can transfer into this new project?

MR: The racing One-Design concept really opened my eyes to the world of sailing.

This has assisted with developing the North Kiteboarding brand and understanding its strong heritage with parent company North Sails. I was blown away by the technology within sailing and the lengths designers go to save weight and improve performance. I hope to transfer some of this knowledge to the world of kitesurfing.

Pat, you’ve been responsible for evolving one of the most complete and respected line ups of kites on the market – how does it feel to go back to square one?

PG: This puts me in a fantastic position actually.

I have 17 years of experience and accumulated knowledge in inflatable kite development. Now I have the opportunity to do anything I want as it’s essentially a blank sheet of paper. I have new resources and materials at my fingertips so the sky’s the limit. I am excited with the challenge and look forward to designing this new, fresh, full range of kites in conjunction with my new development team members and with my own personal DNA signature.

For most brands there now seems to be a pretty solid formula in terms of the kites you need in your lineup: beginner/freeride; performance freeride; wave, and freestyle. Do you plan to operate along similar lines?

You will have to wait and see! All we can say is that it will be different...

You’ve mentioned the technologies afforded to you by North Technology Group who have been at the forefront of wind technologies for years – what types of technology do you think have the potential to transfer into making kites?

MR: We have access to some devastating technology within the North Sails and Southern Spars parent companies, but we have to be mindful and balance this by not taking on too much in the first year. We cannot do it all in the first 12 months, we intend to run parallel R&D projects for the release of future ranges.

It’s going to take time to change the industry, but let us be clear, this is our intent.

And NTG clearly have a lot of knowledge in the world of foiling with their experience in the America’s Cup. Can we expect to see some of this technology and knowledge transferred into the world of kite foils?

MR: That’s why we’ve brought in Uli Sommerlatt as our Product Manager. Uli has a background in yacht and foil design that gives him an analytic and scientific approach when it comes to products. He and the team are really looking forward to transferring into the world of kiteboarding. It’s such a great time to be involved in the sport as there’s so much going on in this area.

Of course a brand also needs team riders – can you share any news regarding this yet?!

MR: Watch this space!

And what more can we expect to hear about before next August?

MR: Not too much to be honest. We plan to focus on preparation, we need to make sure we deliver a solid technical range of products that we can share in an exciting fresh way. But we will be keeping cards close at hand prior to the launch.

149

2019 PRODUCT SPECIAL

ODO

TheKiteMag.com

It’s always great to see a new brand entering the fray, and the guys behind Odo have a heap of relevant experience and have focused hard on getting things right from day one. They have a small but very well thought out line up, and we’re excited to see what they get up to over the next few months.

So, Odo will be a relatively new brand to a lot of our readers. What can you tell us about the brand and your philosophy?

Indeed, the brand is new to the market. Odo Kiteboarding was launched in June 2018 but the very initial phase of the project dates back to January 2014 when a team of riders shaped the first Compact Series Surfboards.

The Odo Kiteboarding team is made up of people that have long time experience in relevant industries close to kitesurfing. So we have 30 years of experience in the hi-performance superyachts sailing industry and have made use of this and of high tech materials and special construction techniques to design top quality and high performance products, to let riders enjoy the wind and the water in the best way. All our products are designed to combine performance with aesthetic, and have been prototyped and tested at a local, European and worldwide level by a range of riders for over three years.

So the Odo 2019 collection is upon us. Can you run us through the kites that you have released and explain a little bit about each of these?

Odo Kiteboarding is releasing two kite models made with proprietary design to cover the vast majority of the market needs. The YO kite is more oriented towards strapless freestyle, wave, hydrofoil and the school segment, and the K1 hybrid kite is more focused on freeride, freestyle and wave. Each model is available in nine sizes (from 4 to 12m) and in blue, red or green colorways.

Can you give us some more details about the YO? The YO has great stability, uncompromised upwind and drifting characteristics paired with an excellent depower system which make YO kites the choice when it’s time to ride waves. The intuitive bar feeling and predictable flying position will be beneficial both for skilled riders and for beginners still taking their first kite lessons. Thanks to the leading edge design, the YO kite also guarantees a quick relaunch. The excellent pop that YO kites deliver is useful to learn or improve strapless freestyle and to progress during each session. The YO kite also performs extremely well in the low end wind range which allows the rider to maneuver quickly in the waves with a smaller kite or to be used for hydrofoiling.

:YO

:K1

151

And the K1?

This is the most versatile kite in the range that, thanks to its hybrid design, will allow the rider to use it for different purposes. Its intuitive and soft bar feeling combined with a progressive power delivery, high turning speed, top stability, great depower and excellent upwind performance make the K1 suitable for freeride, freestyle and wave riding. K1 kites have been engineered to let the rider control the unhook pop with the certainty of having the right power at the right time, and K1 hang time performance will help the rider in the hooked tricks as well.

These fly on the Quick Vario bar – what can you tell us about this?

The Quick Vario bar is a 4-line adjustable width bar equipped with high quality materials of which 70% are made in Italy. The bar is embedded with innovative materials and functional conceptions from the sailing industry: titanium fittings to avoid the degradation from the salt and low diameter flying lines (1.5 mm, 450kg breaking strength) from Liros to decrease the friction of the lines against the air, thus increasing the bar control and feeling. The EVA injected technology handles are made to guarantee the best grip and comfort while riding, while the quick release reduced size increases the bar stroke. Our QR cup has a special design that helps activate it immediately if required. And it comes with the freeride/freestyle setting (for a hook harness) or with the wave setting (for a rope harness). The flying lines are 25 meters in length (22 meters plus 3 meter length extensions).

Then you have a complete lineup of surfboards – what is on offer here?

Yes, so the strapless surfboard range is made up of four models: Compact Series, Compact Pro Series, Classic Pro Series and Gerrie Series. The Compact (5’0’’ 5’2’’ 5’4’’) and Compact Pro (5’0’’ 5’2’’) are cutting edge products for the riders that want to learn or to progress into strapless freestyle and waveriding. The deep single concave bottom design of the Compact and Compact Pro guarantees acceleration and quick planing and a lot of fun in all conditions.

Classic Pro and Gerrie Series (both available in 5’8’’ 5’10’’ 6’0’’ sizes) are focused on waveriding mainly. The Classic Pro is ideal for waves up to medium size while the Gerrie surfboard is for big waves or for riders that prefer a smaller volume board. For all four models the special deck design features a structural beam and lower lateral deck area that have been engineered to increase the resistance to longitudinal forces and at the same time to increase the foot contact with the board. Thanks to this design the rider will enjoy a superior board robustness paired with unmatched riding comfort and board control when pulling freestyle tricks.

What is the layup of the boards?

The boards are made with EPS high quality core, epoxy resin, bamboo, carbon and cork reinforcements. With the lamination, two bamboo layers are added on the deck of the Compact and Gerrie Series while the Compact Pro and Classic Pro are a bit lighter and are laminated with one bamboo layer and one UD carbon tape. In all the surfboard range, two cork reinforcement areas are placed in the front and back heel impact areas to reduce the shock of the impacts.

:Quick bar

And what are you planning to release over the coming months?

To complete our range, we will soon release two models of twintip boards, and we are also working on a hydrofoil project to be released in 2019.

How has the launch gone so far and have you been pleased with what people have had to say?

As usual the launch of a new brand is challenging but we are happy for what has been done so far and excited about the future: people that tested our products during the demo days in Spain, France and Italy are extremely satisfied about their ease of use, performance, design and safety.

TheKiteMag.com

:Gerrie series Pro kite board

:Compact Pro series kite board

:Compact kite board

:Compact Pro series kite board 153

2019 PRODUCT SPECIAL

TheKiteMag.com

F-ONE TheKiteMag were recently Media Partners for the B2B Kite Summit held in Dakhla last month. Also flying the flag for the world of kitesurfing down there was F-ONE founder and boss man, Salles.

TheKiteMag’s Anja Fuchs found a few minutes to catch up with him about the recently released 2019 collection.

HERE’S RAPH SPREADING THE KITESURFING LOVE TO THE ENTREPRENEURIAL WORLD.

155

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. What is the main news with the kites for 2019?

Well, there’s one product that of course has to be the first to mention: The 2019 Bandit! It’s the 12th edition of this kite – it’s incredible, that we kept it for so long. And still it’s our main model: 80 percent of the kites we sell are Bandits. Then in the rest of the kite lineup we also have the second generation of the Breeze which has already been very successful. The Breeze V2 is absolutely foil-oriented and is so intuitive to fly. The size range goes from 3 to 17m, and the larger sizes are more responsive while the smaller sizes have been optimized to handle stronger winds and still offer perfect speed control and stability for foiling.

When depowered, the canopy is more stable and the overall range of the kite has been widened. The WTF is our specific kite for freestyle pro-riders. It’s a pure C-shape design with five struts and a 5-line setup, making it a true freestyle machine for advanced freestylers. On the R&D side we worked closely with Liam Whaley and of course we are already looking forward to when he will be back on the water!

rider should feel comfortable in every wind. Compared to the previous model, we have improved this aspect a lot on the new model... We also worked on the turning speed. So the big kites feel way smaller than they are – for example when you’re on a 12 it feels like a 9. Also the connection between rider and kite is super important. With the Bandit XII you feel really connected to your kite and you will feel comfortable from the first moment on it. The kite is an extension to your body that works in harmony with you. One reason for this is also a change on our bar: the new lines are 20-30% stiffer which significantly improves the connection with the kite. The smaller sizes of the Bandit XII have been designed more with regard to kiting in waves and strapless riding, and the bigger sizes excel in lighter winds. It’s been a few weeks since we delivered the Bandit XII and the feedback from the riders is simply amazing. The Bandit is still our kite for everything – many schools use it for teaching and rentals, Mitu is performing his strapless tricks with it, our team riders use it for Big Air and they win contests with it... So I’d say it’s a kite that excels from school up to podium.

So what is the main difference between the 2018 and 2019 Bandit?

Generally we are working on improving the same things every year, which is finding the perfect balance between power and lateral pull, maneuverability and connection to the kite. And also we want to have the biggest wind range on the kite! The

What are the main highlights with the boards for 2019?

In the board range I’d mention the Mitu Series, developed with strapless legend Mitu himself, as a definite highlight. He invests all of his experience in the tests for his pro models – the Mitu Pro Carbon, Mitu Pro Flex and Pro Flex Convertible

:BANDIT

TheKiteMag.com

:WTF

and the Mitu ESL. All of these boards are 100% dedicated to strapless riding. On the twintip side, the Trax is our most popular model which also has a long heritage. It excels in freeriding and freestyling, and the HRD Rails which are shaped in a unique 3D-technology consist of different areas which offer smooth gliding through chop without spray, great carving ability, superior grip, bite where it is needed, and excellent pop. The Trax works for a wide variety of riders, from freestyle experts to beginners and we are very pleased with how this is this year.

Foils have become a big part of the kitesurfing world and beyond – are they now a major part of your business?

Yes, we also spend a lot of time and effort working on our foil range. Five years ago we started with foiling, and since then it has become a big part of the kite world, but it has expanded beyond this, now even into the surf world. Producing all those pieces is of course a huge challenge of technology, but as the discipline is growing, you have to keep up. So we don’t only have products for kite foiling, but now also for surf, SUP and windsurf foiling and we are pushing these disciplines. We also have windsurf pro riders in our team now!

Which model would you recommend for someone just starting out?

Since spring this year we have the IC-6 850 V2. It’s the perfect foil for learning, very accessible and offers so much potential for progression. It is predictable and intuitive, the takeoff is really progressive and it offers a super smooth ride. We couldn’t improve the stability and really the board makes it pretty easy to step on the foil game! But also if you get better it’s still a versatile setup for great fun on the water. Made in our Injected Carbon technology our wings are way more resistant than conventional carbon wings. Then the fuselage and mast are made of aluminum, and a 4-bolt plate can be plugged in to make the foil compatible with any board fitted with tracks.

And it has been a good few months for your team riders.

Yes! We are really proud of them, the freestyle team is doing pretty well. Maxime Chabloz went on the podium more than once this year, also Paul Serin did a very good job. I like the combination of the disciplines in the GKA Air Games, it’s pretty spectacular to watch. In terms of waveriding and strapless there is Mitu who is and remains a legend, and Camille Delannoy.

Then Aurelien Petreu – who is always creative when it’s about new tricks and pushes his limits in Big Air – wants to compete in the KOTA 2019 and also in the Air Games.

:BREEZE V2

:MITU PRO

:TRAX 157

IN THE PIPELINE AIRUSH

Airush have just dropped their 2019 collection – always an exciting brand, and always innovating, we caught up with the Airush crew to find out what they’ve been working on for the last few months…

The 2019 Airush Collection is upon us and you’ve released your new line up. What can you tell us about what’s new for 2019?, We are always excited about the full Airush line up, as there is a product that suits every type of rider, from the early stages of progression through to developing really high-end gear designed for the ultimate freestyle rider. The latest collection is a refinement of some key products, updates of the favorites and of course introducing a few brand new ones too.

So what is the headline news with the kites?

Well, the Ultra V2 is our most hyped up kite for the launch of the collection. It has been developed as a high performance kite for light wind freeride and foil riding. Due to the super light weight of this kite, it has proven to have amazing ‘stay in the sky’ drifting abilities, making the smaller sizes especially good for park-and-go wave riding. The Ultra has become accessible for riders on all levels and across all genres of freeride. For 2019 the improvements on the Ultra V2 are mainly on the bigger sizes where we managed to reduce the drag even more, by reducing the leading edge segments which increases the skin tension in each panel. Thus giving the kite a crisper and overall faster feeling.

Then, sticking with the kites, the Union V4 has received a new bridle system and is now offering a more direct and crisp response, you can expect stronger and more reliable loops, then the extra bar pressure allows you to steer the kite more accurately when performing unhooked tricks.

The feeling is quite unique compared to the rest of the Airush range, and we are very pleased with where the kite is positioned within our range. The Union V4 is directed at intermediate to advanced riders who are still looking for the benefits of a 4-line kite setup.

Wave and strapless riding has come a long way since we first introduced the Wave kite, but through ongoing development we continue to take those driving turns, big strapless forwards, and smooth power delivery to a new performance level. The Wave V8´s updated shape is focused around refinement, while customization through bridle options gives a fresh perspective. With the optional fixed bridle, riders can pick between more direct steering and on-off power delivery without pulleys or a smooth and progressive ride with amazing gust response with pulleys. This fixed bridle has been designed specifically for each size of kite in the V8 range, giving the rider the most efficient and precise bridling. The benefits of the unique construction of Airush kites is evident in the Wave, where the Load Frame, absolute premium materials and years of construction refinement deliver the perfect balance of lightweight drifting capabilities and precision turning with durability and reliability.

TheKiteMag.com

Left // Union V4 Middle // Wave V8 Right // Ultra V2

IN THE PIPELINE – AIRUSH

159

And with the boards?

Our premium freestyle twintip series, the Livewire, has undergone some big changes for the 2019 release. The 2019 Livewire twintips have a new deck and bottom profile, which have transformed the board from the shape which had been in the market in the years prior. Now available in both freestyle and park specific outline options, this board is best ridden with bindings and when unhooking for the ultimate freestyle performance. The highest rocker and stiffest flex pattern in our range allows for the aggressive pop and control on powered take-offs required to really push your freestyle riding.

The Shredder is the newest member to our line-up, this asymmetrical board was born from the pure love of waves.

The Shredder allows all kiters to enjoy a wave session while still giving the ease of use and maneuverability of a bi-directional twintip. The Shredder is a pure freeride board with great boosting abilities and guarantees fun each session. Boasting incredible versatility, the Shredder is designed with an optional six fin configuration for that extra surf feel or a standard four fin twintip set-up for ultimate fun. Then the footstraps have an offset option allowing you to ride centered for standard freeriding or offset towards the back, with the extra fins for a more directional surf feel.

Left // Shredder Core Middle // Livewire Right // Livewire Team

TheKiteMag.com

Left // Carving Foil Right // Freeride Foil

And of course foils have become an integral part of a brand’s line up – what have you got to report here?

In the pure kiteboarding space, the Carving Foil represents the cutting edge of recreational foiling. The 1050cm wing and 70cm mast offer an incredible combination of maneuverability and ease of use that allows for lower speed turns with a surprising amount of top end speed. Throughout the Airush foil range, we make use of a modular foil platform, allowing you to interchange between different mast lengths and wings, making the foils completely customizable. The Carving Foil can be paired with an 80 or 95cm mast for the more advanced rider or riding in a larger swell. The X-Wing rear wing comes into its own with this foil, as the rider can trim the stability or maneuverability orientation, with the wing faced ‘tips down’. The Carving Foil is also a great entry point for anyone wanting to get into foiling due to the speed range, high lift and stability.

And any other news in terms of the company, team riders and your plans for the next 12 months?

There have been a few minor organizational changes within the last year, which has us all very excited as we are working full steam ahead into the 2019 year and are really looking forward to it being an exciting one. The Airush Collective is an extension to our family, this year we are introducing some fresh faces, focusing on each discipline and working to build a really strong team in each discipline and market, but we can’t give away any names just yet.

You will have to keep an eye out for our team announcement!

But over the next 12 months we have got some exciting projects we are working on, and with our key riders it is sure to be one filled with adventure whilst always looking ahead, focusing on constant innovation, delivering durability whilst aiming to be an increasingly sustainable business.

IN THE PIPELINE – AIRUSH

161

ER

TEST

IN A SENTENCE: The Dash puts the ‘performance’ into the performance freeride category with its fast and exhilarating ride.

TheKiteMag.com

IN A SENTENCE: The Bolt 3 is a pretty mindblowing twintip with nextlevel amounts of pop, but also a comfortable and relatively easy board to ride around on.

N

I

AL

L

RO

D UN

CORE BOLT 3 When it comes to getting new kit to test, first impressions count – and the new Bolt from CORE gets off to a good start arriving in some nicely thought-out eco packaging and wrapped up beautifully. Once you’ve got it unwrapped you can check out the developments for this latest version of the ‘100% wakestyle/park’ machine. The most obvious development is the bottom shape – there are more channels and these are generally more pronounced. You can ride it with fins but if you’re in the park without fins then there is plenty there to keep you locked in and back upwind. The rails are tapered with 9.5mm between your feet coming down to 3mm at the tips and there is a new ‘high-modulus polyethylene’ base which can be repaired with a PTEX candle if you need to patch it up. You can ride it with 28mm or 48mm fins – we found that the 28mm gave the perfect amount of grip and we had no problems staying upwind with these in. On the water and the Bolt 3 likes to be ridden with power. It does feel like the new Bolt gets up and going a little earlier than the previous model and with its wider tips the ride also seems more refined. The speed is quite something in the flat water as it just keeps on going but never loses grip. With this much speed, the Bolt can translate this into an insane amount of pop. Scary stuff but also epic! We’re not sure we have ridden a crossover board with so much aggression and raw power. For the Bolt 3, CORE have added extra layers of their exclusive Cartan Carbon which seems to have turned the ‘pop performance’ up a level. Then, once you’ve recovered from the amount of height you got, the rocker and bottom contours make the landing easy to stick and gives you plenty of confidence to throw down your next move. Upwind and the Bolt 3 had no problems with the chop and there was no excessive knee slapping. The board is not pitched as an ‘all round’ board and is focused more on a small number of riders who really know their stuff and know how to load it up and make the most out of it, but it is a surprisingly easy board to ride and a competent freestyler could definitely grow into it and learn a lot about how to really load up a rail and then how to utilize the pop.

TW

NAISH DASH The Dash is on to its second iteration – when it arrived in the range last year it was very well received in the ‘performance freeride’ category. So a kite for guys who want to push the freestyle button and go for some loops, boosting and unhooked action, but also want to keep things more playful and don’t want the full commitment of a pure freestyle kite like the Torch ESP. It goes without saying that this type of kite has seen a massive growth in popularity over the last few years, so it is important to get it right. V2 of the Dash sees a reduction in weight with the Quad-Tex allowing Naish to remove more Dacron due to the extra canopy strength provided by this. The LE diameter has also been reduced which fits the philosophy of the Dash in terms of increasing turning speed and responsiveness. Overall the build quality of the Dash is impressive.

On the water the Dash gives you that classic Naish feel: it’s fast, precise and is light on the bar, and what is often Naish’s best quality is the incredibly smooth and silky depower. There’s never any spike in power when sheeting, and small adjustments at the bar see an immediate response. Good work from Damien Girardin, Naish’s main kite designer. The Dash is not a ‘sheet and go’ kite and requires rider input to make the most of it which is the nature of these kind of kites. It sits a little further forward in the wind window than the Pivot for instance, which means that the low end is also not quite as good, but in the right hands the Dash delivers one hell of a punch. You can explore the wind window with it to find that sweet spot and then – once you have tuned in – the Dash will have you boosting to the moon and smiling from ear to ear. We had the Dash out in some serious wind, and it seems to have an endless top end.

It just keeps sucking it up. Never did the Dash want to pull you off your edge which is a real confidence boost once the wind gets up and encourages you to really push your limits and go for some serous loops. Unhooked and the Dash is great fun. It is fast and flies forward well which gives great slack and is perfect for handle pass tricks. For looping the Dash, it has so much speed that you can really throw it down hard and you don’t worry that it won’t catch you – this is the Dash’s domain and it knows it. For experienced loopers you can definitely get away with riding a size bigger and riding shorter lines and, who knows, it could be you on the cover of the next issue.

TI

P

TE

ST

TE

FO

FB

O

AR

EST D T

IN A SENTENCE: The Mitu continues to impress as a versatile, comfortable and insanely fun board to ride.

ST

L CRAZYFLY UP FOIL CrazyFly have entered the increasingly competitive foil market this year with two foil offerings. The Up and the Master. They have opted not to skimp on the quality for either of these so they both have full prepreg carbon front and rear wings coupled with an aluminum fuselage and mast. The whole thing weighs in at 2.8kg which is significantly lighter than many other beginner/intermediate foils. Assembly of the foil is super-easy with three screws securing the front wing and then two securing the mast and two on the rear wing. This seems to be pretty standard now and one of the advantages for CrazyFly is that – having not jumped onto the foiling game too early – they can now see what really works and have produced a foil that is very much ‘up to date’. The board we had was the Chill. This is a low volume, twintip style construction board with an EVA grip. The board is built at CrazyFly’s EU factory so as you would expect the construction and attention to detail is A1. It’s relatively light, looks great with some Paulownia wood showing through, and has a wide, square outline with plenty of nose rocker to help you bounce back up. There are four fixing positions for the foil on the bottom of the board so you can adjust the placement of the foil depending on your level and/or style of riding. On the water and the relatively low volume of the board means that it sits ‘in’ rather than ‘on’ the water. For this reason, having a front footstrap will make getting the board into position and getting on to it easier in the early stages of your foiling experience. Then, once you’ve mastered strapless take offs, you will appreciate the thinner and more maneuverable board underneath your feet. Getting up on the foil we found that it can come up nice and early, but if you hold the foil down a little longer than you need to then it comes up super smoothly and you are off and riding at a good speed. It feels controllable under your feet and is a forgiving foil that will work with you when you are getting a feel for the sweet foot and mastering the art of back foot pressure. Transitions are smooth – the Up turns very evenly and predictably – and it handles the change in speed comfortably. Learning tacks and gybes is never easy, but the Up will give you the confidence to commit to these and the wider nose of the board provides a good ‘springboard’ if you touch down during this. In terms of speed, you can turn the Up on and it generates a lot of speed and, with the carbon wings, definitely feels more like an intermediate or even advanced foil if you really give it some power.

I

F-ONE MITU PRO FLEX 5’8” 2019 This year Mitu’s signature board is available in three constructions: Pro Carbon, ESL and the one we had on test, the Pro Flex. The board is shaped from a high density foam core and finished with epoxy resin in a brushed radiant yellow. This also makes it easy to pick out in the surf if it goes for an unscheduled wander. It’s a classic thruster fin set up with some stiff high end fins as standard on a rock solid Futures box. We would class the board as mid weight, I’m guessing the carbon version would shed a little puppy fat but lose some of the flex… Jumping on and heading out into some decent autumnal UK sideshore conditions, the initial thoughts were how silky everything feels underfoot. This year the signature channel in the front of the board has been sculpted into a subtler double concave, smoothing out chop and landings even more effectively than before. Couple this with the high flex HD foam core and it makes for a luxurious feeling ride. Everything feels locked in and controlled, from a drawn out carve to a snappier top turn. Straight line speed is quick and the board can handle a large range of kite power. The tight fish tail with sharp rails at the rear provide considerable grip and control, even when overpowered.

This tail design is popular as a kite shape now, and we’ve seen many boards based on this from custom manufacturers. Whilst quite a short board, the Mitu at no point felt too small for me. There’s a lot of width and volume hidden in there and, from an upwind angle perspective, it performs like a far larger board.

The deck pad setup is also worth a mention. First of all it has a finer, less aggressive EVA grip than most, which gives you a more positive feel on the board and no crampy feet after long usage. Then under that EVA pad there’s also a recessed deck with 5mm of extra shock absorbing foam. This will prevent heel denting from big landings and gives the knees a break when it’s choppy. There’s also a little hump at the front to help you place your front foot quickly for aerials, and feel where your stance should be which is a really great touch. The riding speed you can generate naturally translates well into some big strapless airs from small kickers. Then the pronounced width in the middle of the board helps it grip to your feet in the wind, and all that extra foam recessed in the deck makes for a pleasant landing. Top marks for big punting. The great thing about the Mitu is that it is an unashamedly ‘kite specific’ design, and not trying to ape surfing in any way, shape or form. It builds itself around the mechanical differences between the sports and comes out shining. Like most products F-ONE produce it has a SU personality of its own, and this one R is distinctly Cape Verdean…

IN A SENTENCE: In terms of quality of construction and the price point, the Up is pitched as more than a ‘beginner’ foil and it delivers here as an accessible foil, but also one that has more to offer when your foiling skills improve and you want to put the pedal down.

TESTED

163

FO

I

RRD SQUID RRD’s Squid for 2019 reflects an overall trend in the market.

As foils have got easier to ride and as the kiting market as a whole has fully embraced the world of foiling, riders and brands have realized that you don’t need a ‘boat’ under your feet to get going, and less board enables you to really embrace the world of foiling. Smaller boards are lighter, easier to travel with and – a big plus for a lot of people (like the test team at TheKiteMag!) – they are a lot tougher to ding. There are now several boards on the market with a twintip construction but the guys at RRD seem to have picked up the design brief and really run with it. This is no ‘plank’ and as soon EST as you pick it up you appreciate that this is a foil T D AR O board that has had some serious thought put B L in to it. There is a ‘quad concave’ although this is more like a thick double concave through the base which then feeds out to the rails at an angle to deliver more of a ‘hull’ shape than you generally find on these wood-cored boards. There is a full EVA grip with ‘brush top striped groove’ which is soft under your feet and provides plenty of grip. Under the surface and there is a carbon stringer running all the way through which provides additional stiffness as well as strength for the foil plate. The foil plate has channels allowing you to make micro-adjustments to get your foil exactly where you want it… On the water and the Squid sits on its edge in the water – the grooves in the EVA deck give you something to stick your feet to and provide a nice amount of grip if you are just working on your strapless take offs – then once you are up on the foil the board cruises super smoothly and cuts through any lumps or bumps you encounter before you pop it up on the foil. Once you are up and riding it provides a nice stiff and responsive platform. The nose rocker also gives a little more forgiveness if your touch down is a little quicker than you had planned for… If you are just learning foiling transitions, or if you like to come down off the foil to turn, then the Squid touches down very smoothly, with the bottom shape breaking the surface and giving you a forgiving landing, and generally buying you a bit more time when you most need it to make your turns and get back up and foiling.

R

O AR

EST D T

TheKiteMag.com

IN A SENTENCE: Ride it powered for some great surfstyle sessions, and getting it to the airport and breezing through check in without any excess will be almost as satisfying.

SU

FB

IN A SENTENCE: When it comes to foil boards, the Squid is clearly not an ‘afterthought’ – this is a well thought out and very precisely engineered foil board which would be a great addition to any foil on the market.

NOBILE INFINITY CARBON SPLIT If you have grown up surfing – as a few members of TheKiteMag staff have – then one of your earliest traveling memories probably entails the joys of trying to get to your dream destination with a surfboard alongside… Maybe it was even the days before FCS when you had to try and bulk out your fins so these would not get snapped off during transit.

Skip forward a few years and we now have FCS and – if we are traveling with kite specific surfboards – these tend to be a lot tougher than their ‘pure surf ’ cousins and providing you have a good quality coffin bag you can expect your kit to arrive in one piece. So life is a lot easier. What time hasn’t changed though, is that surfboards are still ‘long’. It’s kind of how they are meant to be… So even if your pride and joy has arrived in one piece, it has probably still managed to take a decent chunk out of your bank balance. Split twintips have now become pretty ‘top tech’ and are an increasingly common sight at local beaches, and not just with riders who travel a lot; for a lot of riders (who aren’t the 1% looking for top prolevel performance) the fact that you can split it and put it more easily in your car or in a cupboard at some point just makes more sense. The merits of also splitting a surfboard are obvious but there is one big problem: the construction. Surfboards generally have foam cores due to the fact that they require more buoyancy, and a foam core simply isn’t split-able. Nobile haven’t let this hold them back though – their Infinity surfboards don’t pretend to be actual surfboards but they take a standard Paulownia core construction and do everything they can to bring this as close as possible to the performance of a surfboard. The Infinity Carbon Split manages to keep the weight down to a pretty respectable 3.8kg, the boards take standard FCS fins (with a good quality set provided) and the shape is a nice looking surf outline – with plenty of width, pulling in to a slightly inverted squash tail. On the water and the EVA grip feels very comfortable under your feet, with the tapered edges keeping your feet nicely in place and providing you with the grip you need to really commit to your turns. The obvious thing to note with the Infinity Carbon Split is that you need to ride it fully powered, so you need to dive the kite as if you’re starting off on a twintip. Once you have the board up to speed though, it flies along and the fins keep you nicely upwind. On a wave and, again, you need to really keep things powered and then the board turns nicely and you can really throw it around. Overall it is a different style of riding, but once you are tuned in to it (and once you have put up a kite a size or two bigger than the other waveriders) it is a lot of fun.

165

HERE’S ALBY BACK IN THE GAME AFTER A QUICK PIT STOP...

CHANGING A BLADDER

WITH PROKITE ALBY RONDINA TheKiteMag.com

Every kiter hopes that it won’t happen to them, but the fact is: bladders burst. Less than they did a few years back, but it still happens, and if it happens to you then you need to know what to do…

Especially if you’re on your dream trip and miles away from the nearest kite shop. The fact is that with the right knowledge and a small sticky patch, you can be back on the water in double time.

1. FIND THE LEAK First up, inflate the kite and close the struts clips. Leave it inflated and after a while go to check the situation.

Unsurprisingly, the part of the kite with less air in it has the leak… This technique applies to fixing any bladder, but for this example we’re going to focus on the big beast: the leading edge.

2. BE PREPARED Deflate the kite and open up the small tube that connects the leading edge to the struts, then open the Velcro at the end of the kite tip. Open up the zip next to the main valve and detach it from the canopy.

3. REMOVE THE BLADDER The important thing here is to remember that you only need to remove the half of the bladder that needs repairing.

You don’t need to take it all out! Firstly remove the one-pump connections from the struts. Then use one of your lines to secure the end of the bladder, and then start pulling it from the center of the leading edge gently. Keep pulling until the entire half is out, then remove the line from the bladder – but keep it inside the kite.

4. LOCATE THE HOLE Check where the bladder is leaking air. You may be able to see or hear this by inflating the bladder. If you can’t work it out exactly then immerse the inflated bladder in a tub of water until you see bubbles coming out. Mark it with a permanent marker so you don’t lose the position.

167

5. PATCH IT UP Cut a patch to size (you should have one inside your kite bag) and round it off on the edges. Make sure that the bladder is completely dry and you know exactly where the leak is. Find a flat surface (here we have a brand new Cabrinha CBL which is perfect!) and get the bladder completely flat with no wrinkles in it. Peel off the backing, stick it straight on, and then hold it on for 10 seconds or so.

6. PUT IT BACK TOGETHER Fold the bladder up carefully, and then secure the end to the line again. Now you may need the help of a friend: one of you has to gently pull the line from the end of the tip while the other one makes sure that the bladder goes in smoothly without twisting. Once the bladder reaches the tip you can remove the line. Then look for the small plastic tabs and replace the one-pump system.

7. THE MOMENT OF TRUTH… Fold the bladder back in the end of the tip and make sure that everything is inside and secure. Close the center zip and shake the kite to be sure that the bladder isn’t twisted. Screw the valve back in and you are now ready to check if you did a good job! Inflate the kite and close the struts. Leave it for a while then come back and see if it is still pumped up hard. If it is then you’re officially a kite repairing legend: go shred!

TheKiteMag.com

EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIPTION OFFER

Subscribe to SIX glorious issues of TheKiteMag and get a tee AND a Manera ‘Stay Salty’ cap (RRP €25) for only €10 / $12 / £9

Head over to www.thekitemag.com/subscribe

169

KEEPING POSITIVE B Y

TheKiteMag.com

TO M

C O U R T

Over the past few years I have been forced to confront every pro rider’s worst nightmare: a serious injury. It began whilst competing in the Triple-S contest in 2016. A blown ACL ligament in my knee and shredded meniscus.

As if that wasn't bad enough, I flew back from the US to the UK, had hamstring graft surgery to replace the ligament, endured many months of training my knee back to fitness to get back on the water, only to then do the exact same injury again. Confronted by my second major knee reconstruction in less than a year, I was forced to ask myself some important questions… Should I stop doing kiting? Maybe I need to take up a different sport? Well, there was only one question that truly stuck in my mind throughout the whole process, and that was: when was I going to get back on the water?!

See, for me it has really never seemed an option that I wasn't going to get back to riding again. This was despite being told by several doctors and specialists that I would be lucky to walk properly again, let alone kite.

But I breezed through the tide of bad news as if there was never any doubt in my mind that I could recover. This attitude proved too eager the first time around, causing me to do it again and incurring a further eight months of rehab, a patellar graft, stem cell injections in the regenerative clinic on Harley Street, physio, personal training and physiotherapy.

this experience I can safely say that pain is fleeting and the real suffering is caused by the time that is taken from you; the time it takes to train yourself back to fitness, the time at the hospital, the time at the gym training your whole body back to where it was before the injury, the time watching mindless TV, and other people’s time that you inevitably take up to help you achieve the simplest tasks. However, by far the hardest time lost is the time off the water and time away from the things that make you happy. I think that it took for me to do this injury twice in order to realize this properly, and to give the recovery process the respect that it deserves.

One thing that this prolonged misfortune has not touched however, is my love for the sport of kiteboarding. Kiteboarding has always been a constant source of inspiration for me in my life – through the good times and the bad – and getting back on the water has brought me a fresh perspective and enjoyment. After what has been almost two years of recovery, my attention was taken from competition on the Kite Park League and focused on just getting time on the water.

The simplest of pleasures.

Through all of that I am pretty sure that it was my drive to get back under a kite that kept me sane. Although it has been unimaginably tough and one of the hardest periods of my life, I feel like I have come out the other side with more than I went in with,

As soon as I could start to see the light at the end of the tunnel and I had my first sessions back on the water again, I immediately started to change my focus in the sport.

This seeded the idea to start up my ‘Slice of Life’ experience based trips with Kite Worldwide. The idea being to impart my enjoyment, knowledge and love of the sport to people of all skill levels. Allowing me to once again follow the wind to some of the best places to ride on this amazing planet

particularly in terms of having a depth of knowledge about injury, recovery, fitness and an awareness of the consequences of injury.

Everyone associates injury with pain and physical suffering, but after going through

of ours, simply for the fun of it! So kind of taking my Freeride Project philosophy (which was about focusing on riding the best spots with other pro riders) to the next level and sharing it with others. 

171

I THINK THAT IF THERE WASN’T THE RISK IN THE THINGS THAT I HAVE DONE IN MY LIFE THE REWARDS WOULD NOT BE THE SAME.

Going from competitive riding right back to basics has been an educational experience but as I gain strength and confidence in my new knee, I find my perspective and enjoyment changing to encompass all that kiteboarding has to offer. And on the R&D side I have always worked closely with my sponsors to develop products to enhance the enjoyment of others on the water – creating and developing the Duotone Dice alongside designer Ralf Grösel reflects this all-round attitude to enjoying every moment and appreciation of all conditions. So now I have a platform with which I can not only share good times, but also encourage people to progress, explore and enrich their lives with kiteboarding, just like mine has been in the twenty years that I have been doing it.

Since I have recovered and been back on the water riding again, I have kited at home in the UK, traveled the coast of Brazil on a downwinder between towns on the northern coastline just south of the Amazon basin, explored the rolling sands of the Western Sahara, jumped from sand dunes and discovered secret spots. I’ve spent nights under the stars on remote desert islands in Sri Lanka, and have been on live TV in the UK presenting kiteboarding to the nation! I’ve also had the pleasure of commentating for the new World Kiteboarding Championships in Turkey and of seeing up close the new generation of freestyle shredders that are showcasing the potential that this amazing sport has to offer…

I think that if there wasn’t the risk in the things that I have done in my life the rewards would not be the same, and now I am back on the water able to play once again I can say in all honesty: it has never felt better! 

TheKiteMag.com

173

TheKiteMag.com