TheKiteMag #36 by Water Born Media

ISSUE

#36

STEVEN AKKERSDIJK

RINSE AND REPEAT

OLIVIA JENKINS

ABOARD THE LUNA MOON

MARC JACOBS

THE NEXT LEVEL

Â£5.10

P E R F O R M E V E N B E T T E R

T h e T R AX h a s a l o n g h e r i t a g e a n d is o n e o f th e m o s t p o p u la r tw in tip s o n th e m a r k e t . I t i s t h e u l t i m a t e f r e e rid e a n d f re e s tyle b o a rd w ith a u n iq u e f eelin g o n t h e wa t e r , o f f e r i n g b o th s p e e d a n d co m f o rt w ith f a n ta s tic g lid e . Ul ti mate perf ormance f reeri de /fre e sty le b o a rd • H RD Ra il T e c h n o lo g y • Ea sy to rid e Ex cepti onal upwi nd abi l i ti es • U ltra -lig h t a n d re sp o n siv e g iv in g a Dy n a m ic rid e

135 - 136 - 137 - 140 s i z e s

W WW. F - O N E . W O R LD 2

fonekites

a va i l a b l e

Photo: YDWER.COM Rider: Liam WHALEY Gear : TRAX Carbon 137 / BANDIT 2020 3

FIND YOUR MATCH DASH & DASH LE, FOR THE NEXT LEVEL. SIZES 6–12, 14 | FREESTYLE/BIG AIR

BOXER, FOR ANYWHERE.

SIZES 2.8, 3.4, 4–14, 16 | ALL-AROUND FREERIDE/FOILING

TRIAD, FOR ANYONE.

SIZES 6–12, 14 | ALL-AROUND FREERIDE

With the newest technology and performance features in the industry, the new Naish lineup has a kite for every condition. Whether you want the ultimate foiling and light wind weapon, highperformance freestyle with added freeride versatility, or just an allaround cruiser that performs in every wind range, meet your match with the new Naish Dash, Boxer, and Triad. Built with our industry leading construction, Naish Kiteboarding continues to fly forward and progress the sport the same way we have for the past 21 years: making every day on the water a good one, no matter what the conditions.

SEE THESE & THE FULL LINE OF AWARD-WINNING KITES INCLUDING THE PIVOT, SLASH & TORCH AT YOUR NAISH DEALER TODAY OR NAISH.COM

P O W E R E D BY N AT U R E

Europe: Kubus Sports BV

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info@kubus-sports.nl

NaishKiteboarding

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+31 (0)35 695 4 695 North America: Pacific Boardsports LLC • (509) 493-0043 • pbs@naishsails.com

Naish_Kiteboarding

Naish.com

Alex Kibble

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Stuart Downey: Dash LE Kite, Monarch Twin Tip

CONTENTS THE FEATURES 94 // Rinse and Repeat Steven Akkersdijk leads a crew to the fabled Skeleton Bay where hopes and dreams (and boards) can be broken… As Steven found out, persistence and patience are the key to success.

102 // The Next Level Marc Jacobs has been a top level freestyle rider for many years which takes an insane level of commitment and dedication. At last year’s KOTA he blasted onto the Big Air scene, and this year he managed to go higher than anyone else... Time for a catch up with the kiwi.

108 // Aboard the Luna Moon A trip into the unknown with Olivia Jenkins and friends... Madagascan glory awaits the brave, and if you’re looking to master the treacherous world of barrel riding with a kite, then this is your time.

THE REGULARS 35 // Tangled Lines Legends… Alby 40 // On The List… Grado, Italy 44 // I’m On It… Carl Ferreira 46 // My Beach… Posito Martinez 60 // The Mission… Vancouver and Cape Verde 76 // Gallery… King of the Air 94 // The Creators… Raphaël Salles 128 // Technique… Strapless 313 130 // Fitness… Core Workout 134 // Tell Me About It… Lieuwe and Teijin | Slingshot Raptor | North Reach 160 // Reflections… Sensi Graves COVER

Nick Jacobsen getting in touch with his spiritual side… PHOTO

Ydwer van der Heide HERE

Valentin Rodriguez, 2019 GKA Freestyle Champion… Sounds nice hey? But I’m sure that for him “2019 and 2020 champion” would sound better. Let the games begin. PHOTO

Andre Magarao

L E A R N M O R E AT S L I N G S H O T S P O R T S . C O M

NEW FREERIDE & FOILING FREAK:

THE GHOST V1 INTRODUCING AN ALL-NEW PARANORMAL SHAPE FROM TONY LOGOSZ , THE GHOST V 1. DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP TO BE LIGHT, SIMPLE , AND INSANELY FUN TO FLY, THE GHOST IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING NEW KITES IN OUR RANGE . IT ’ S AN OUT OF THIS WORLD ALL AROUND KITE THAT HAS JUST ONE STRUT FOR INCREDIBLE HANDLING AND STEERING PRECISION FOR BEGINNERS , EXPERTS , AND FOILERS ALIKE . IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A LIGHTWEIGHT ULTRA-SIMPLE KITE TO TAKE YOUR RIDING , FOILING , OR KITE TRICKS TO THE NEXT LEVEL , THE GHOST IS YOUR FRIENDLY COMPANION. THE FIRST SIZE RUN FOR THE GHOST WILL SPAN FROM 2 .5 ALL THE WAY TO A 17. ITS FLYWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION, ONE STRUT DESIGN, AND SEGMENTED SWEPT WINGTIPS COVER BOTH LOW AND HIGH END WIND GIVING IT A NICHE IN THE MARKET. IT ’ S COMPACT SWEPT C SHAPE DESIGN AND SEGMENTED SWEPT WINGTIP MAKE WATER RELAUNCH IMMEDIATE AND ITS WIND RANGE INFINITE .

PHOTO

Vincent Bergeron 14

Welcome The Miracle of Kite Within these pages you’ll find plenty of examples of what kitesurfing is ‘all about’ and how we like to showcase the sport: impossibly huge airs, way-too-deep barrels, shoulder-dislocatingly-extended rotations. In short, we’re saying to you (and the rest of the world): “KITESURFING IS AN EXTREME SPORT. ARRRGGGHHHHHH!” Which it is. But it doesn’t always have to be, as demonstrated perfectly by Julien Fillion in the shot I have elected to grace the editorial pages of this issue. Sometimes you need to take a second and think about the nature of what you are actually doing… So when you next dig in your edge/wing and glide through the water, just take a moment to look around and think about what is going on. The fact is that you’re powered by a remarkably complex creation of intelligently sewn together bits of cloth and rubber, which is pumped up with air, and then attached to you by four thin pieces of string at a length of over twenty meters! This enables you to transmit the energy of the kite to your harness, through your body, and into your water-craft of choice, and with this you can generate enough raw power to pull you out of the water and get you up and riding. Bear in mind that you need a 40hp+ engine and a lot of petrochemicals to do that effectively behind a boat. And you’ve done it with something that weighs around 3kg and you can pack into a small rucksack. Yes, it’s pretty much a miracle. And it’s part of your life. Well done.

Enjoy the issue,

Alex

RIDER: NICK JACOBSEN P H O TO G R A P H E R : Y D WE R VA N D E R H E I D E

PERFORMANCE FREERIDE

Yo u r U l t i m a t e Desert Island Kite A ll con d itions. All pur pos e. All way s r eady.

N O RTHK B.C O M 17

EDITOR Alex Hapgood

ART DIRECTOR Nikki Hall

TECHNICAL EDITOR Richard Boughton ONLINE MEDIA MANAGER Gemma Hamaini

CONTRIBUTORS Adilson Ramos, Alby Rondina, Alex Maes, Alex Schwarz, Andre Magarao, Anja Fuchs, Annelous Lammerts, Ben Ro y, C a r l Fe r re i r a , D a m i e n Le Ro y, Evan Netsch, Ewan Jaspan, Frankiebees, Helmut Fuchs, James Boulding, James Care w, Jesse Richman, Joshua Emanuel, Julien Leleu, Keahi De A b o i t i z , K e v i n L a n g e r e e , K i t e s h o o t e r, Ky l e C a b a n o, L a c i Ko b u l s k y, L a s s e W a l k e r, L e e H a r v e y , L i a m W h a l e y , Lucas Arsenault, Lukas Pitsch, Lukas S t i l l e r, M a r c J a c o b s , M a t c h u , M i k e R a p e r, M o o n a W h y t e , O l i v i a J e n k i n s , Oswald Smith, Pat Goodman, Paul Serin, Phil Soames, Posito Martinez, Reece Myerscough, Rein Rijke, Rob B r a t z , R o e l d e We e r s , S a m L i g h t , Samuel Cardenas, Sensi Graves, Sofie Louca, Steven Akkersdijk, Svetlana R o m a n t s o v a , T h e r e s e Ta a b b e l , W i l l o w - R i v e r To n k i n , Yd w e r v a n d e r H e i d e

ADVERTISING Advertising enquiries can be sent to advertising@thekitemag.com

COPYRIGHT All material in TheKiteMag is subject to copyright. Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution.

PUBLISHER TheKiteMag is published by Water Born Media Limited, Cornwall / United Kingdom

E N V I R O N M E N TA L This magazine is printed on paper sourced from responsibly managed sources using vegetable based inks. Both the paper used in the production and the manufacturing process are FCS ® certiﬁed. The printers are also accredited to ISO14001, the internationally recognized environmental standard. HERE FIND US ON

Ross Dillon-Player ticking the “sunset boost” box PH OTO

Alex Kibble w w w.thekitemag.com 18

WWW.LIEUWEBOARDS.COM

R ID E R R O D E R IC K P IJL S PHOTO R E IN R IJK E LOC AT IO N C A P E TOW N

TKM: The day prior to this photo getting taken I was looking at the wind forecast and it was looking promising for Big Air on short lines. Pulling a kiteloop on short lines, over Table Mountain, with my kite underneath me was the photo we were going for. Meeting at 3pm at the beach, the wind was looking promising and, just before entering the water, Rein told me, “Oh, I also want to shoot another photo with the sunset”. In other words: stay on the water from 3.30 untl 8.30pm! Once the sun was setting he explained his idea to me: “throw a kicker-trick, with loads of spray, kite as low as possible and in line with me and the sun”. After trying several times, he asked me to bring my kite even lower... Taking off on a little set wave I felt my lines, just before take-off, scuffing the top of the wave. After landing and riding back to the beach I saw Rein cheering and screaming on the beach and knew that he got the shot...

FOCUS

EXPOSURE

RIDE R L IAM WH AL E Y PHOTO SAMU C ARDE NAS LOC AT I ON TARIFA

LW: What an amazing feeling it was to arrive at the beach in Tarifa

after three months in Cape Town training and competing in the KOTA. It was time to do some freestyle after a long time without it! There was good weather, epic wind for my 13, and the good luck of having my friend and photographer Samuel Cardenas around to make some good content. So the set was ready and the wind pumping and the boys from Tarifa were pushing each other to their limits. This was a classic Front Blind Move to secure the sick shot!

EXPOSURE

R ID E R TIM WA L SH PHOTO F R A N K IE B E E S LOC ATI O N MAUI

TKM: The next generation are coming along very nicely in Maui with a super impressive crop of riders with parents who ride there and work in the kite industry – it’s a bit of an unfair advantage really but, as with Tim Walsh here (whose Dad, Des, is a core member of the Naish crew), you can’t blame them for making the most of it…

EXPOSURE

RI DE R ST E FAN S P IE SS B E RGE R P H OTO LU KAS ST IL L E R LOC AT I ON TARIFA

LS: The decision to start the new decade in Tarifa was easily made. I had already started to work with Stefan in Brazil last season and I knew that he was down here to escape from the winter and to recover from his shoulder injury. I was super excited to shoot somewhere else than Brazil for the first time. Arriving in Tarifa, I learned really quickly that the conditions are not like Brazil everywhere else... But it didn’t take too long until the wind direction and tide gave us a small window to shoot. This capture shows Stefan being chased by Carla’s dogs while he was warming up for the shoot…

EXPOSURE

R ID E R JUL IE N L E LE U PHOTO SA MUE L TO M E LOC AT IO N C A P E TOWN

TKM: This is what happens when you have kept your videographer on the beach for three weeks straight, and then you tell him to go and lay down some freestyle so you can get some still shots. Julien Leleu unleashed.

EXPOSURE

R ID E R P HILIP P E M A R TI N PHOTO SVE TLA N A R OMANTSOVA LOC ATI O N M AUR ITIUS

TKM: One Eye is a beautiful wave to behold. It is also – when it gets big – absolutely terrifying. Well worth the risk though as if you snag a good one it will be etched into your brain for the rest of your days, and if you can get a shot like this you can have it on the wall too.

EXPOSURE

R I DE R LUKAS VOGELTANZ P HOTO A LE X SCHWARZ LO C ATI O N PA JE , Z ANZ I BAR

TKM: Ah the joys of foil kites: hang time that just goes on and on and on… Flysurfer have just released the SONIC3 which manages to go even higher, for even longer… As demonstrated here by Lukas.

EXPOSURE

RI DE R JU L I A N M E I STE R P H OTO LU KAS PI TS C H LOC AT I ON B E RGE RALM , AU STR I A

LP: There was not a lot of snow in Switzerland at the start of the year, and we were starving to shred some pow. We therefore left our homespots to explore some places in Austria, and got quite lucky. We found this nice scenery and perfect wind conditions on the Bergeralm, close to Innsbruck, where Julian Meister was first out, drawing his tracks into the fresh snow.

EXPOSURE

R ID E R L E E HA RVE Y PHOTO PASTY A DVE N TURES LOC AT IO N SC A R B O R O UGH, WESTERN CAPE

LH: We were in Cape Town for our winter getaway again this season. This day we drove south expecting a lot of wind but instead found it light and offshore. It turned out to be a perfect session with glassy waves and crystal clear freezing cold water.

RI DE R NICCOLO P ORC E LLA P H OTO S OF IE LOU C A LOC AT I ON MAU I

TKM: Niccolo has been ridng hardcore waves for a long time. Whether affixed to a kite or paddling, he has tackled some of the most challenging waves on the planet (and also taken one of the heaviest poundings ever seen at Teahupoo). So I guess sometimes itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to just take things back down a level and just tweak a punt off a wave and get a mellow grab in.

EXPOSURE

RI D E R M ATC H U P H OTO LU KAS ST I LLE R LOC AT I ON P ONTA P RE TA, CA PE V E R D E

LS: The GKA Wave Tour start on Sal was unfortunately overshad-

owed by the very bad forecast for Ponta Preta. Despite a lot of back and forth and waiting to the last day, the semi-finals and finals took place at Kite Beach. But as it is with Mother Nature, the day after the competition was finished, Ponta Preta was on. Here’s Matchu – having successfully ended the first tour stop in second place – riding away all the tension of the last GKA week in his backyard.

RI DE RS OSWAL D S M I TH P H OTO KY L E C A B A N O LOC AT I ON C APE TOW N

OS: This was a super fun day. Stacked on a 9 with playful 3 - 4 foot

waves. A perfect combination for a good day on the water, and we ended up kiting through sunset into the moonlight. Good times.

EXPOSURE

T A

Alby L

Having had one of the longest and most consistent careers in kiteboarding history, Alby hung up his competition vest a few seasons ago to begin his kite center in his beloved homeland of Sicilyâ&#x20AC;Ś so, what do those who know him best want to find out? EXPOSURE 3535

Alby

Kevin Langeree Q // What’s the thing you miss the most when leaving Italy?

I guess it’s a pretty easy one: FOOD. Nowadays it definitely got better elsewhere, but the taste of things at home will just always be better…

Therese Taabbel Q // How were you first sponsored by Cabrinha? Over the years I’ve really been through all the steps of sponsorship, so I actually started up with the help of my local shop. I started my first kite competitions in Italy so I had some results to show I could ride and I was 14 years old. Surf Paradise, one of my first supporters, asked Cabrinha’s Italian distributor at the time, and he was keen to support me.

Jesse Richman Q // Alby, as a great Italian man, can you tell me about the perfect plate of pasta and where I can go to find this gift from the heavens? Tastes are always changing and evolving my man, but if I would have to choose one right now it would probably be “Strozzapreti con Broccoli”. Pasta needs to be al dente of course, and we don’t mix it in the plate with some other food, like you do sometimes! Mamma’s cooking is always the best of course, but I think I learnt the job pretty good, so come down to Sicily and I’ll make one for you!

TKM Q // What was your favorite and least favorite stop on the PKRA tour and why? Being a consistent competitor, I had to find positives in every single event, I think that was the key if you wanted to deliver results every time. So finally I got to like pretty much all events on tour. If I could choose though, it was much easier to ride and compete in boardshorts – let’s say a place like Cabarete – than with full suits, gloves and hoods like in Leucate or Argentina!

Damien LeRoy Q // What advice would you give to someone who wants to be as successful as you have in the sport? I would say nothing is impossible. As long as you stay focused and believe in what you do you can reach any goal. Work on your weaknesses and never give up, then the results will come, 100%.

Laci Kobulsky Q // Right now you’re big in business – what things do you miss from your time as an active competitor? It was a pretty different lifestyle for sure but in the end it’s a matter of changing your focus points. Back then I was into training and competing, so I would wake up and try to be the best athlete possible, everything else would come after. Right now things are a bit different, I wake up and try to have all the businesses run smoothly so that I can spend the most time possible in the water! I feel like I had my time in the competition world and it’s good to spice things up and change perspective but still being involved in the sport.

TANGLED LINES

Ewan Jaspan Q // What are your thoughts on switch tricks being discarded from competition, and why do you think they are so important? Also, side note, do you think you have done the most switch and regular Backmobes in history?! Haha, possibly the most Backmobes, especially in front of Toby ‘Greenhorn’ Bromwich! I come from a gymnastics background and being a complete athlete was about showing complete control of your body in every way, so for me it was kind of a must to learn tricks both ways. Also each spot has a better tack to do tricks and is sometimes very different. For example on Kite Beach Maui, you definitely want to be able to stomp a Backmobe coming in the flats, but also a big one off the kicker going out!

Lucas Arsenault Q // Yo Alby, 1) How come you get so mad at me when I have pineapple on my Pizza?! And 2) What inspired you to push your progression on kickers in a time where not

many people did it? Thanks Lucas! So 1) I used to get madâ&#x20AC;Ś but I got over it, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lost cause now. But if you take it off, I will be happier. 2) A few different reasons probably. I always liked surfing and waves even if I was on a twintip, I wanted to use kickers as much as possible when they were there. And also, after riding flat water all day, every day, kickers opened up so many doors to new tricks and ideas, and the timing was just key.

Lasse Walker Q // How did you make the decision to go from your personal professional kiteboarding career to starting your kite center in Sicily? I was competing full time for around 10 years and we all know the life of an athlete doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t last forever. I was looking for new motivations within the industry, so I first had the chance to take over the Italian distribution for Cabrinha and then open my own kite center in Sicily. The goal is still to be in the water as much as possible, just with a different point of view! ALBY

3737

TANGLED LINES

alby Annelous Lammerts Q // You have been a pro rider for years and are a great example on how to be a valuable rider to a brand. How important has this been in your career? Loyalty I would say is the number one rule. The world is small and sooner or later, I think karma will get you if you are not respectful to others. Competition results and media coverage come from your performance on the water, and the only way to make that happen is hard work and dedication.

Paul Serin Q // Back in the PKRA days, I watched all the riders closely and you were the only one doing switch tricks the exact same way as your normal tricks. Did you learn that on purpose or was it something natural for you? Because I think even today no one else can do that… It was not natural! I spent endless hours working on those tricks and making them look legit and almost as good as the regular ones. I actually realized that in some cases my switch ones were better, or different, so I could add a different grab or tweak that I wasn’t able to do on my regular ones.

TKM Q // Which riders have inspired you most over the years and which riders on the GKA Freestyle Tour at the moment impress you?

The style of Dre was definitely my favorite, so effortless and steezy. Aaron was by far the most progressive at the time, so I was trying to combine technical and style moves from those guys with some personal tweaks. Lots of young kids are killing it right now, even if the “pull up” kinda tricks which I sometimes see them performing aren’t my favorites.

Alex Maes Q // When you started out did you plan this kind of career and then business route? Not really, it was a natural transition and everything led me to the next thing eventually. I have always been really interested in the production and development side of things, which led me to understand how the sales side was working too. Opening my center was the cherry on the cake and I’m grateful to be able to live this kind of lifestyle.

Evan Netsch Q // Pizza or Pasta? There is no “or” but “and”! Depending on the time of the day, or your mood, any of the two will do the job. Come visit me, I’ll show you man.

TKM Q // Do you have any plans to expand the Rondina empire, or will you be content to see out your days in La Stagnone?! You never know what the future holds, but Sicily is an awesome place to be based at and we’re more than ready to welcome you guys this season! ■

ALBY 39

Grado O

S T

Italy

WO R D S A N J A F U C H S P H OTO S H E L M U T F U C H S / K I T E J OY. AT

When it’s about great kite conditions, Northern Italy might not be the first area that comes to your mind. Well, the world is full of surprises – and so is Grado, a small island in the Adriatic Sea, located at the eastern end of the Gulf of Venice. Once a fisherman’s village, the small town between Venice and Trieste has become a popular tourist destination, also known as L’Isola del Sole (the sunny island) due to its special microclimate and golden beaches in summer. The good thing: in the main kitesurfing season – spring and autumn – Grado is not overly touristy, but due to its many permanent residents it is still lively.

ON THE LIST

There are a few kiteable spots in Grado, but it depends on the season where you’re allowed to go and where not. Outside the summer season with beaches full of bathers, swimmers and umbrellas, it is usually no problem to start from the normal beaches in front of the old town as well as Grado Pineta which is located a bit further up the east coast (but please note that it is always advisable to check the spot for any signage before you rig up, as rules can change anytime!). Grado is surrounded by a huge lagoon with shallow water and a huge standing area as well as flat water depending on the wind direction and the amount of sea grass underneath. Beaches are sandy and usually you’ll find enough space – except on windy holiday weekends when it’s not super cold (these are the days when you wonder why anybody ever told you that Grado is still a secret…). However, the most spacious, safest and all-year-round legal spot in Grado is a

small headland between Grado and Pineta, called Isalotta. From the campsite “Don Bosco” or the adjacent parking space, it is a short walk to the spit of this sandbank, but absolutely worth it. In terms of wind, usually the strongest days are caused by the Bora, a cold north-eastern katabatic wind (which means a fall wind) which can get super strong especially in spring and autumn, and blows slightly side-offshore in Grado. South wind which comes onshore is warmer and can get pretty strong too. Outside the sandbank which surrounds the lagoon southern winds from time-to-time build up nice waves (but – insider tip alert! – they are much better in Lignano, which is located one hour to the west of Grado). Summer sometimes brings super nice thermal winds from the east (sideshore) – but this is something for early birds who don’t mind getting up at 5:30 or so. And also GRADO, ITALY

in the afternoon you can be lucky and score a light wind session with thermals from the west (also sideshore). Light wind might make you think of foiling – which is possible in Grado, but mainly outside the sandbank as in the lagoon the water is usually too shallow or sometimes full of sea grass (often even too much for strapless freestyle with a surfboard). You should always be aware of the tides as, depending on the moon phase, the water levels strongly vary and sometimes there are only a few centimeters of water left. If you have no water in Grado you can take a 20 minute drive to Marina Julia, close to Monfalcone, where you will find a little more chop but also more water… Depending on the wind direction you’ll find great freestyle conditions in Grado, sometimes with butter flat water. Especially on the super flat sections it can easily get crowded by the local crew – especially on a strong day, so if you are not too experienced it’s better to switch to the other (albeit a little choppier) areas. Also if you are more experienced it’s absolutely recommendable to respect the trick rotation and leave enough space for the others. In terms of kite courses or rentals, it’s important to mention that you will find no centers with infrastructure, just a couple of mobile kite schools (Google will help). So there are definitely quite a lot of wind directions which work in Grado (ex-

ON THE LIST

cept pure northerly wind, which you can really do without) which increases the chance to score some good sessions, but still – as we have no stable and reliable systems like trade winds there – it’s always a little bit of a lottery. So if you plan a trip to Grado it definitely makes sense to check the Bora diagram on meteo-allerta.it – if the hPa falls below -4, it’s likely that the Bora will blow. Although what makes even more sense is not to focus on guaranteed wind too much but instead look forward to the Italian lifestyle, and the great food! An Italian pizza is an Italian pizza, that’s for sure. The same goes for pasta – but be prepared for noodles that are really “al dente”, and believe me, if you haven’t been to Italy before, this is far away from the wobbly worms that you might be used to… Not to forget the amazing coffee you will get everywhere for kinda no money. If you are in Pineta, make sure you pass by at Bar Royal and enjoy the retro charm combined with an amazing view to the spot and one of the best coffees in Grado. By the way: if you don’t want to appear too much like a tourist, you should avoid ordering coffee with milk after lunchtime (Italians would never do that). On the other hand, it’s not unusual to order a Spritz in the late morning – on non-windy days of course… What else to do if the wind doesn’t show up? Well, if it’s warm, the lagoon is perfect for a SUP trip combined with some beach-bar-hopping. As the area

around Grado is flat it is also perfect for bike tours – so if you come with a camper it is a good idea to pack your bike (or skateboard if you don’t have so much space). The old town of Grado is amazingly beautiful and packed with charming small bars, cafés and restaurants. Off season (especially in November and January) lots of them are closed but you will always find somewhere to hang. And – if you haven’t been there – don’t let the chance slip of making a stopover in Venice which is only about two hours away by car. ■

Getting There If you don’t come by car you can take a flight to Trieste or Mestre (Venice) and check a rental car from there. From Venice to Grado it’s about two hours, from Trieste it will take about 30 minutes.

Staying There There are heaps of nice hotels and trendy B&Bs in Grado. If you are a fan of a big breakfast it definitely makes sense to choose a hotel with a breakfast buffet, as in the coffee shops you will not find a lot more than croissants (it’s not usual to eat big breakfasts in Italy). Prices depend on the season – like everywhere you will find some cheaper options outside the main season (from about €40 for a double room).

In the Bag Everything – in autumn and spring small kites are important, during summer season the big ones. A surfboard is good, but with a twintip you are on the safer side in terms of water depth. Foiling works if you are eager to put in some effort, but it is not Grado’s signature discipline.

Rubber Depends on the season. If you come during winter take the thickest you have and pack a beanie, some gloves and boots too. In spring and autumn a 5/4 will do the job. During summer season you’ll need nothing more than your boardies (or a thin shorty).

Beer Of course you can order beer in Italy – but why would you when there is Prosecco and Spritz? One Spritz Bianco (white wine with sparkling water) is about €2, a Spritz Aperol costs about €4. And usually you’ll get your drink served with some small snack for free, so it counts as dinner too!

Most Likely to Hear Grado’s not always windy – but IF there’s wind, it’s ALWAYS epic.

Least Likely To Hear What awful coffee!

GRADO, ITALY

RRD MAQUINA CLASSIC

BOARD DIMENSIONS: 5’9 X 18” X 2” // RIDER WEIGHT: 89KG // RIDER HEIGHT: 185cm 44

I’M ON IT

There are few places with more options for riding waves than cape town, and also few places which serve up super windy, gusty and challenging conditions on a regular basis… a great place to hone your skills as a true wave-riding all-rounder and the kind of spot where having the right board under your feet really does make all the difference…

This year’s Maquina has a redesigned outline with a slightly wider nose allowing the board a wider range of uses. There is also a soft ‘winger’ design to increase planing and control at high speeds. There is a deep concave throughout the board with a flat, kicked tail, released by a progressive rocker, with thin rails from nose to tail and a super thin profile throughout. It is strictly a thruster setup for pure, essential, radical turns in any wave size. I use the K4 thruster set up on the Maquina and would use medium size fins when the waves are a bit smaller just so I can kick the tail out more and have some fun, but when it gets overhead I’ll use my large fins for more grip on the wave so I can properly charge. The main characteristics I am looking for is a real down-the-line board that I can really surf with. I need to be able to kick the tail out, be fast on the wave, and ride top to bottom with power and steez… The Maquina supplies those characteristics for sure. There are some really good wave spots around Cape Town, but the wind can be gusty at times and the waves sometimes choppy. Although the biggest challenge is definitely all the tourists that come and try to claim the waves for themselves, I just try and work around them, ha! It’s a tough call, but I reckon my best session would be at Haakgat when it’s blowing a steady 20 knots and the swell is pumping, or Scarborough can be really good when it’s not too strong and the left hander can break from the point all the way through to the beach, that’s always epic… When we shoot I get to ride all the boards in our range and – aside from the Maquina – the ones that specifically stand out for me are the Barracuda and the Cotan. The Barracuda is a super-fast board that gets you ripping in any size waves and the Cotan is really fun for all-round small to medium size waves that is just fun to throw around or boost a strapless air with. I ride the Religion with the Maquina and there is honestly no better combination when it comes to riding waves. For down-the-line surfing, the Religion drifts so well and allows you to really surf the wave, and with the Maquina under your feet you can rip. It’s great being in Cape Town during the King of the Air. There is always a special vibe here in Cape Town every year. The whole community is so pumped up and excited, and having all the best Big Air riders put on a show for the crowd is a treat! We scored some great waves for the South African national strapless wave competition and it was great to compete in. I made it to the finals after a long day of competing where I met Luke McGillewie, Oswald Smith and Matt Maxwell. I manged to take 2nd place with Luke coming out on top… It was an epic final with the boys, well done to them! This year I’m planning to head over to Italy to my friend and team mate Francesco Cappuzzo’s place in Sicily and maybe following a bit of the Italian Championships. Then Mauritius later in the year for the GKA wave stop and for some shooting, and then Bali for a barrel mission with my boy Oswald Smith is definitely on the cards as well. It’s shaping up to be a good year! ■ RRD MAQUINA CLASSIC

MY BEA

C H

Posito Martinez

P HOTOS @ K ITE S HOOTER

MY BEACH

A great example of the opportunities that kiting can bring to local kids at some of our favorite spots, Posito Martinez had built a career through spending most of time at his local spot, helping out the visiting kiters, and grinding his way up through the ranks to be a regular contender on the GKA Freestyle Tour and at the King of the Air.

WHAT A R E YOUR FI RST RECOLLECTI ONS OF TH E B E AC H ?

When I was young, my mother didn’t let me go on the beach because she thought it was too dangerous, so when she sent me to school I used to put board shorts in my backpack, pretend to go to school, and stay at the beach watching the kites while playing and swimming. C A N YO U R EMEMBER YOUR FI RST SESSI ONS?

Yes, I got a trainer kite and a skimboard and I used to kite downwind all along the beach – sometimes people had to get out of the way because I wasn’t able to stop quickly, and I didn’t really want to! WHO E L SE DI D YOU RI DE THERE WI TH?

I grew up in a constant kite battle with Luis Alberto Cruz, Robinson Hilario and Joselito Del Rosario and I’m so stoked to be able to still kite with these guys all around the world now. C A N YO U TALK US THROUGH THE TYPI CAL CONDIT IONS AT C A B A R E TE?

In the morning it’s nice and warm with nearly flat water and some waves beyond the reef which are great for SUP, then at around 10 or 11 the wind starts to pick up, and by 2pm everybody is already in the water shredding. HOW HAS C ABARETE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

Kiting brought a lot of progress to our town which is now full of

MY BEACH CABARETE

MY BEACH

MY BEACH CABARETE

hotels and condos along the beach but, on the water, the set-up is basically the same

session, I like to eat something at the kite club or El Cocotazo Cafe and stay for the happy hour!

W HAT WO ULD BE YOUR PERFECT DAY THERE?

DO YOU T H INK YOU WOU L D H AV E GOT TO WH E RE YOU ARE TODAY IF T H AT H ADN’T B E E N S U C H A FAMIL IAR S P OT ?

Wake up early to do some stretching, go to the Colmado (small grocery shop ) and drink a coconut. While the wind picks up I go visit my mom, check emails etc, then I have lunch and then go in the water until sunset before having a rest, then dinner, get dressed and go out to enjoy the nightlife… TA LK US THR O U GH ONE SESSI ON THAT STANDS O U T F OR YO U THE R E ?

In Cabarete every session is special! There are a lot of pro riders from around the world here and every day is like a mini World Tour! W HE R E ’ S YO UR FAVORI TE PLACE TO EAT OR WHAT IS YOU R FAVO R ITE ME A L AFTER A SESSI ON THERE?

Pre session I like to have lunch at Mini’s, a small local kitchen across the street from the beach where they serve Dominican Food. After

MY BEACH CABARETE

I definitely would not be here today if I was not born here. It is hard not to be a pro kiter if you are born in Cabarete… WH E N DID YOU L AST RIDE T H E RE – H OW WAS IT ?

Just today before writing this and it was superb. Some of the top guys in the tour are here training now for the GKA Freestyle Tour, so we are having lots of fun in the water IF YOU H AD TO C H OOS E ANOT H E R S P OT T H AT YOU LOV E B U T T H AT IS COMP L E T E LY DIF F E RE NT, WH E RE WOU L D IT BE?

La Boca here in Cabarete – this is where you go to train for the big leagues. It is a flat water spot where the river meets the ocean and everybody is throwing their best tricks there… ■

P H OTO B E N R OY

THE MISSION

P H OTO D E R E K R U S H TO N

VANCOUVER ISLAND During the stormy winter months on the west coast of Vancouver Island there is a small smattering of reef and point breaks where the wind and waves can line up a few times every month for some epic coldwater kitesurfing.

WO R D S R E E C E M Y E R S C O U G H

VANCOUVER ISLAND

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Of all of the spots that we have locally, the best spot of them all is a long right hand point break which is essentially a colder and less consistent version of J-Bay. Some years only a few days will line up at this spot for kiting, but this year the swell and wind have been pumping and it has been working almost on the daily. The spot is sheltered from certain directions of swell so it is very rare to get massive waves. Also, the wind always seems to be too light or too strong to properly shred the spot at this time of year. This session in January though, everything lined up and it was one of the biggest swells I have ever seen at the spot. The wind was 25+ knots and I was lit on my 8m. Some of the sets were so big that they were actually linking through from another spot about 1km up the coast. Most of the launching area got washed away so people had to launch in the parking lot and try not to get dragged into vehicles and put their kites into the trees. The rides were long and it was difficult to control your speed down the line but eventually I found some rhythm and got some solid feeling rides under my belt. I rode the 5’1 round nose “Creep” which I generally use at this spot and an 8m Crave which I ended up losing at the end of my session. I dropped the kite in the impact zone, ended up taking a decent sized set on the head and had to release my kite after it starting doing backflips. The kite was gone but I made it back to the beach after the insanely strong current swept me several hundred meters down the coast in a matter of minutes. The kite was found several days later and several kilometers away, getting smashed around in driftwood on the beach. The canopy is shredded to pieces but it still inflates! I’m fairly certain that this was the biggest day that anyone has kited here and probably will be for a while. I think I’ll always remember right after hitting the water barely out-running one of the largest waves I have ever seen at the spot. I have never had to run away from a wave at home before... ■ 56 56

THE MISSION

TOP RIGHT

Reece getting his edge in Ponta Preta style. BOTTOM RIGHT

Nervous launch time...

P H OTO B E N R OY

TOP LEFT

A very well traveled lump of wave energy... BOTTOM LEFT

Word’s out: it’s on!

VANCOUVER ISLAND

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WWW.ROBE RTORI C C I D E S I GNS .C OM

Rider: FRANCESCO CAPPUZZO Ph: SWETLANA ROMANTSOVA

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THE MISSION

CAPE VERDE You know those black blobs that occasionally pop up on the surf charts? Generally they remain black in the middle of the ocean, before morphing into more of a crimson as they reach land. Well this swell stayed black as it hit land... It was the swell that lit up Nazaré as rarely seen before, and a swell that saw Matchu frothing, and Keahi leave Hawaii and head for a small archipelago in the middle of the next ocean along, the Atlantic. We have been sworn to secrecy as to its exact whereabouts but it’s somewhere in Cape Verde and – well – you probably wouldn’t want to go there anyway. It is the slab to end all slabs…

PH OTOS ADI LSON RA MOS

CAPE VERDE

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MATCHU PHOTOS ADIL S ON RAMOS

As you may know I am lucky enough to call Cabo Verde my home. An archipelago, we have 10 islands in the center of the Atlantic Ocean. For many years it has been a well-kept secret of paradise islands but our biggest secret is our ocean which is home to some of the greatest breaks in the world. I have been spending most of my time this winter riding one of the most amazing waves in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean… an incredible, powerful wave amongst the archipelago with unbelievably huge barrels. It was a kind of legendary spot when I was growing up and I have seen and heard stories about it for many years since I was a kid, when I used to spend time with my friends and family windsurfing. I remember hearing stories about its power, its size, its insane barrels and – along with these stories – the stories of its victims who got it wrong and had all their kit destroyed! I remember saying to myself, “Oh, maybe today’s not a great day. It looks pretty big… the wind is shifting too much…” I seemed to always be able to come up with an excuse why I couldn’t go. But it’s a place that I have always had in the back of my mind, a legend that I wanted to conquer and for the past couple of years I have started to think to myself maybe it’s time!

THE MISSION

This year I ended up with an opportunity to go with two close friends. It was an amazing day. In the morning we had waves of around 6-7ft and in the afternoon around 12ft, barrelling crazy stuff! The first hour for me was pretty dramatic, super sketchy, I had no idea where to go or how to line up. It was really difficult. But with a little bit of a push from the guys I had with me and being able to study the wave from the boat, they were able to tell me exactly what was going on. Seeing the other riders there really pushing the limits, I slowly pushed myself out of my comfort zone and started to feel the tension and pressure of the wave. My respect for the place was already there, but it immediately started to increase. It was really super intense but after a couple of waves I started to get the rhythm of the spot and my childhood fears and anticipation slowly turned into excitement and the feeling of wanting to go bigger and get deeper inside the barrel. I found myself looking for the best and biggest waves of the set until I started standing tall in the barrels. It was a three or four hour session, and I can say without a doubt the most incredible backside wave I have ever ridden in my life.

CAPE VERDE

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Matchu close to home and deep, deep undercover....

THE MISSION

CAPE VERDE

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MOON A PH OTOS JAME S B OU L DING

This was probably my favorite wave of the trip. Looking straight into a wave, it can be hard to tell how deep you are in the barrel, if in it at all. On almost all of the bigger waves I got, I was further in front of the barrel than I wanted to be. With this wave, I got in it comfortably and had a great view from inside, making it the best barrel Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had kiting!

THE MISSION

We scored so hard that we had almost two full days of this wave with rideable wind. I was really determined to set aside my fears and try to get a barrel, after watching Keahi slide through cavern after cavern. So this is what I spent two full days doing – trying to set up deeper, and stall harder.

In the moment you have to commit to getting down the face, in the photos you realize what could happen if you didn’t! I’ll have the view of going down these faces on the sets engraved into my memory forever.

CAPE VERDE

K EA HI PH OTOS JAME S B OU L DING

This is a spot thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been on my radar for quite some time now, but with no-one ever kiting it before, it was a tough decision making the call whether to go or not. It could be all time or it could be a skunking. We went back and forth looking at the forecast then finally made the call and booked a flight to the other side of the world 12 hours before we needed to leave. In the end it turned out better than I ever could have dreamed. A perfect slab with good wind and only a few close friends to share it with!

THE MISSION

I’ve been drawing a lot of inspiration from surfers lately and have been loving implementing more power carves into my kiting. Although you can’t wrap as far back into the pocket compared to surfing, the amount of speed you can put through a carve with the added help from the kite is a feeling that’s hard to beat.

Just another one of the perfect waves in the area. This wave is fickle and hard to get good but the backdrop makes for some amazing shots

CAPE VERDE

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O CHOICE OF THE 3Ã&#x2014; WORLD CHAMPION A I R T O N

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PEAK FREERIDE, TOURING, PROGRESSION 3 / 4 / 5 / 8 / 11 / 13

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~ Gallery ~ King of the Air 2020 WORDS THEKITEMAG PHOTOS RED BULL CONTENT POOL

GALLERY

KIN G OF TH E A IR 2 020

Although the event seems to pass by in the blink of an eye (so that you wake up the next day and have to trawl back through the heats to piece it all back together again) you never forget who won the event. Second place is nice, but for the riders this is the event. They train all year and work hard for just one thing: to lift that iconic trophy and to be on the top of the podium. Each year there are mini-battles and new-stars who emerge through the early heats, but every year it seems to be the same battle hardened crop of riders who are there to duke it out at the bitter end. This year proved that more than most, with Jesse Richman, Nick Jacobsen and Aaron Hadlow the last three standing, ready to put on an epic show as the Cape Town sun slipped awayâ&#x20AC;Ś

And so it is done for another yearâ&#x20AC;Ś The excitement of the King of the Air builds for 10 months, and then this year it was over in a thunderous 10 hours.

Few kiters have made the transition from â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;core freestylerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to true Big Air contention as quickly or impressively as Liam Whaley.

GALLERY

AAR ON H AD LOW

03 A IRTO N COZZO LINO

GALLERY

A few eyebrows were raised when strapless surfboard aficionado Airton Cozzolino bagged a slot at the event but the consensus was pretty complete that he added a new dimension to proceedings and that much kudos was due for traveling so high and so far on a SURFBOARD WITHOUT STRAPS!

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KI NG O F T HE AI R 2020

AARO N HAD LOW KI NG O F T HE AI R 2020

Aaron Hadlow has probably spent more hours in the Cape Town kickers than any other riders. The experience shows and year-afteryear he proves himself the technical master of the event. Here he is catching up with Jo on the beach, and catching up with his board over the bayâ&#x20AC;Ś

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K I NG OF TH E AI R 2 02 0 05 ANGELY B O UI LLOT 05 K IN G O F THE AIR 202 0

There was unfortunately not to be a women’s King of the Air this year which left Angely Bouillot mixing it up in the main event. It’s fair to say that she went higher and harder than 99.9% of the rest of the kitesurfers on the planet. And this is one of our favorite shots from the event…

GALLERY

CR OW D 06

KI NG O F T HE AI R 2020

KING OF TH E A IR 2020

JUD GES

An estimated 10,000 people rocked up to watch the biggest event in the kiteboarding calendar. You don’t have to be an expert to appreciate the madness of boosting 30 meters up and then flying hundreds of meters downwind. It’s a spectacle.

For once a relatively easy contest for the judges… Solid wind, consistent style, and envelope-pushing skills all day long… A satisfying day to be sat in the tower.

GALLERY

E WAN JAS PAN 08

KI NG O F T HE AI R 2020

Flying the Australian flag, Ewan Jaspan proved that he can mix it up in the world of Big Air as well as the world of park.

If you want to launch a new brand in style then powering to the quarter-finals of the biggest event in the sport is a pretty good way to do it. Kevin Langeree introducing Reedin Kites...

GALLERY

KING OF TH E A IR 202 0

K ING O F THE AIR 202 0

KE VIN L AN GE RE E

POSI TO M ART I NEZ

Once again Posito Martinez brought some Cabaretan flair to the event.

FLY OVER WATER

INNOVATION EFFICIENCY DESIGN LEVITAZ.COM Made in Austria

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KITE

WING

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NI CK JACOB S E N 11 KING OF TH E AI R 2 02 0 KIN G OF TH E A IR 2 02 0

ST EVEN AKKERSD I J K

As the heats ebbed and flowed over the course of the day, there was one rider who never missed a beat. Nick Jacobsen was on a mission and just kept racking up the points.

For consistent heart-in-your-mouth-fully-stacked riding, Steven Akkersdijk is your man. He missed out on the final by just .36 of a pointâ&#x20AC;¦

GALLERY

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SurFinG EleMeNTs

JE SS E R I CH MAN

13 KI NG O F T HE AI R 2020

KING OF TH E A IR 2020

KING OF TH E A IR 202 0

PO D I UM

JESSE RI CHM AN

Proving that you don’t have to act like a hard-ass to get to the top, the ever-smiling Jesse Richman managed to save some energy for the final act, and no one doubted that – on this day – the best man won…

A classic day in Cape Town, and a classic trio of riders left standing as the sand settled at the end of the event. 86

GALLERY

S E I R D A N O U B K A E R B # If you like to go bonkers, the Majestic X is right up your alley. A slimmer waist harness with a Carbon composite plate, giving you all the support you desire while maintaining comfort. It comes with features like Soft neoprene edges, Knitflex and Fix Foam. The stiffness of the Bionic Core Frame makes this Carbon harness perfect for riders that like riding overpowered.

MAJESTIC X HARDSHELL HARNESS

MYSTICBOARDING.COM 87

1 // Slingshot Ghost With one of the largest foil line ups on the market, the guys at Slingshot needed a super-efficient kite to maximize water time and enable you to get the very most out of your session. The Ghost is a single strut kite with ‘Flyweight’ construction to get you up and riding on even the most absurdly lightwind of days…

STUFF

2 // Flysurfer SONIC V3

3 // F-ONE Bullit

4 // Eleveight FS

Remember when foil kites were a bit kooky? Those days are long gone. Nowadays any self-respecting kiter has a foil kite tucked away, and not just for lightwind days – for foiling and for hang time, the fact is they are simply better than inflatable kites… The SONIC is now back for its third instalment and promises blistering speed, performance and hang time. If you’ve enjoyed your SOUL and think you’re ready to step up then now could be the time.

As their kite range diversifies, F-ONE are now unleashing their creativity and targeting niche markets very effectively (have you ridden the Bandit-S?!). The Bullit turns its gaze to the world of Big Air and megaloops and – knowing F-ONE – it’s going to be a beast.

The FS is a very well-honed freestyle kite – it provides an incredible amount of slack line to give you plenty of time to work on your trick repertoire as well as an impressive boosting pedigree. As with all good freestyle kites, you need to know how to fly your kite to get the most out of it but – if you do – the FS will offer maximum rewards.

Kody Kerbox on Drifter Pro Compact by Paul Karaolides, available in 4’8”, 4’10”, 5’0”. ktsurfing.com, @ktsurfing

5 // Goodboards Snake

6 // KT Driver

7 // RRD Passion

8 // Naish Boxer

Just when you think you have seen it all in the world of board design, along comes the Snake! With its funky edges the plan is to glide through chop and – believe it or not – it does work… It’s a silky smooth board to ride, and guaranteed to make you center of attention on the beach as well.

When you design a board on Maui in conjunction with kitesurf legend and Jaws riding regular Nicollo Porcella, you know it’s going to be a no-compromise shredding machine. Here we have the Driver, designed for riding fast in prime conditions. The Carbon Exoskeleton is a KT exclusive and provides a much more natural flex pattern than you’ll find on other EPS boards, and it doesn’t just work on Maui: it works anywhere that it’s pumping…

The Passion is a kite that epitomizes kite evolution over the last five years. A super stable kite built on a three-strut platform, it provides intuitive and accessible performance that a beginner to intermediate rider would be very comfortable with, but if you want to turn it on, load it up, and hit the boost button then it is more than happy to do that as well.

Coming at the top of the pack in its category for the last two Ultimate Tests, the Boxer has been a real favorite of the test crew. It’s a kite that manages the magic trick of flying like it has three-struts while only having one, and doing it better than any other – we look forward to getting this one out on the water later in the year…

STUFF

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RADIANCE

D O U B L E E N T RY F R O N T-ZI P 91

9 // Airush Wave + Comp

10 // CrazyFly F-Lite

11 // Brunotti Onyx

12 // ION C Bar 3.0

Cape Town, where Airush are based, may be famed for its stonking wind and King of the Air credentials, but its wave-riding options are also world class. And it’s no secret that Airush’s board designer Clinton Filen doesn’t mind spending a bit of time mixing it up in the waves either… So if you’re looking for a high performing set up honed in the crucible that is Cape Town, then Airush’s Wave kite and Comp board are a meticulously well tested combo.

To pair with their ever expanding foil collection, CrazyFly have a well-respected line up of foil-specific boards built under their watchful eye in their own factory. Here we have the F-Lite. This is a high performance yet easy to ride board with a forgiving nose kick, and flattish rocker to generate speed quickly and get you up on the foil in no time... also a great travel companion, plus it delivers great fun and amazing performance on the water.

No one doubts that Brunotti create beautiful kitesurf boards… The good news is that they are also well built, top performing toys with a solid reputation developed over many years. The Onyx is their accessible freeride offering which is guaranteed to provide as much performance as you need as well as plenty of kudos on the beach.

The new C Bar is a single piece bar with three different hook options. It’s the lightest spreader bar that ION have released and is responsible for attaching many a world champion as well as many a regular kiteboarder to their kite with minimal fuss and maximum efficiency.

13 // Harlem GO V4

14 // Takoon Lux

The GO is an accessible freeride kite that’s happy to roll with what you want to do: wave-riding, boosting, or just cruising. If you’re hooked in, it’ll do it and it’ll put a smile on your face while it’s at it…

A real surprise in our Ulitmate Test, the Lux does a miraculous job of pairing top-end performance with real freeride accessibility. And the price, well, let’s just say you don’t need to break the bank to be a real contender.

STUFF

W E A R E T H E F U T U R E O F T H E P L A N E T, E V E R Y T H I N G W E D O, O R D O N â&#x20AC;&#x2122; T D O, W I L L M A K E A D I F F E R E N C E F O R O U R S E LV E S A N D U P C O M I N G G E N E R AT I O N S .

P C : V i n c e n t B e r g e r o n // C o l e m a n B u c k l e y

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T H E

CREATORS.

RAPHAËL SALLES P HOTOS COURTESY F-ONE

They say that the best way to be successful in business is to focus on something you have a genuine passion for. You only have to spend a few minutes in Raph’s presence to realize that he is a textbook example. He loves to kite, loves to foil, loves to be in the water, and he loves to innovate. It’s no wonder that F-ONE have seen such exponential growth over the last two decades….

THE CREATORS

S O, LIF E B E F O R E F - ONE. WHAT WERE YOU DOI NG?

I had been a pro windsurfer for 15 years. So from 1980 to 1994 I was competing in all kinds of windsurfing disciplines. My best result was in 1985, 3rd overall in the Funboard World Cup. A N D WHAT MA DE YO U DECI DE TO SET OUT ON YOUR OWN TO B E GIN F-ONE?

In 1995 it was time for me to end my professional windsurfer career and start a new adventure. I was fully invested into R&D, and I decided that I should start my own windsurf board brand: F-ONE. I chose the name because F.1 was my sail number when I was competing… The windsurf market was really going down at that time and I was not traveling around the world to the best spots anymore, so I needed new and fresh sensations. I looked into the power kites and got amazed by the power they could provide in light wind, so I started kitesurfing in the summer of 1996. From the first tests to be able to go upwind took us about 10 months, so it was a long period with a lot of iterations. But by the end of 1997, F-ONE was the first company to build pure production kite-surf boards and from there the business started to grow quickly.

JU MP ING F ORWARD A F E W Y E ARS AND YOU C RE AT E D T H E B A N D I T AND B AS IC AL LY RE - DE F INE D H OW A K IT E COU L D P E RF O R M . W H E N DID YOU RE AL IZ E T H AT YOU WE RE ‘ON TO S OME T H ING ’ A N D H OW C RAZ Y DID T H INGS GE T WH E N B ANDIT- F E V E R TOOK OFF ?

Firstly, you have to remember those days around 2007 when every brand was pulling out a new concept and a patent. It was really the race to innovation, the Bow patent was out and the same month we pulled out the Delta while Naish pulled out the Sigma! The Bandit, along with the Delta patent, was a success straight away, and we more than doubled our kite sales that first season. The main advantage of this innovation was that it was fantastic for relaunching and safety, together with huge depower and high performance. We could have the Bandit used in kite schools, while also winning the world speed record. Now, 14 years later, the Delta C shape patent is the only valid kite design patent and the Sigma and Bow have disappeared, while the Bandit is the biggest selling kite model on the market. So we’re proud of it! F - ONE ’S MOT TO WAS ‘AL L WE DO IS K IT E B OARDING’ , A N D TH E N S U P C AME ALONG! WAS IT DIF F IC U LT TO MAK E T H E D E C I S I O N TO B ROADE N T H E S COP E OF T H E B RAND?

We were so proud to be a kite-only brand when most of the other big players

RAPAHEL SALLES

LEFT

There’s a whole lot of ‘testing’...

were predominantly windsurf brands. I was a windsurfer of course, so I had no problem with that, it was just the fact that we were kite only and it marked us out. Now things have changed because we all want to enjoy a range of ocean sports, and in all kinds of conditions. That’s our main goal, so what F-ONE is doing now is creating all the toys you’ll need to have fun on the water, no matter the conditions. The young generation have broken all the barriers between these sports, and even surfers aren’t exclusively surfing now. YOU ARE ONE OF F E W RE MAINING ‘RIDE R’ OWNE D B RA N DS – H OW IMP ORTANT H AS IT B E E N F OR YOU TO RE MAIN AT T H E H E LM O F F - ONE ? YOU MU ST H AV E B E E N T E MP T E D TO ‘TAK E T H E M O N E Y A N D RU N’ AT S OME P OINT ?

Yes, F-ONE is a complete family brand. My wife Sophie manages a big part of the business, and our son Julien is the Manera Brand Manager, and I’m the R&D manager, and I do all the testing for 95% of our products! So this allows for really fast feedback when we’re developing a new product or taking a new direction. We’re not building the company to sell it tomorrow... It’s like a house that we’re building over a few generations. Other brands are owned by investors, they buy their house, put in a full renovation and try to sell it for more money. It’s a totally different approach with us, we are thinking in the long term, while they are only thinking for four or five years, maybe.

T H E B ANDIT MADE A B IG T RANS IT ION T H IS Y E AR, WIT H TH E B A N DIT- S ARRIV ING ON T H E S C E NE . H OW LONG H AD YO U TH O U G H T T H AT T H IS COU L D B E A GOOD MOV E ? WAS IT A DIF F IC U LT D E C I S I O N TO MAK E , AND H OW H AS 2 02 0 B E E N F OR T H E NE W S E T U P?

Changing the Bandit was a difficult decision. We had been thinking about it for a long time because 90% of our sales come from the Bandit, and we always had that discussion in our meetings, and the answer was always that the evolution RAPAHEL SALLES

RAPHAËL SALLES

THE EARLY DAYS: 1999 - 2002

“F-ONE was the first company to build pure production kite-surf boards in 1997 and from there the business started to grow quickly.”

THE CREATORS

of the sport will decide. These past 10 years have seen a lot of evolution, and we now have a large part of our market dedicated to strapless freestyle, and the needs for that discipline are tangibly different to those of the twintip freeride or freestyle market. So we separated the Bandit into two ranges, but still with that classic Bandit spirit of being a kite that can cover so many bases. A N D NOW THE B UL LIT HAS ALSO ARRI VED ON THE SCENE. WH IC H O F YO UR P R O TE A M W ERE MOST I NSTRUMENTAL I N DEVELOP ING T HE KI TE , A N D HAVE YOU ENJ OYED TESTI NG THAT ONE PE RS ONA L LY ?!

The Bandit is at the heart of the range and then we have the satellite kites that we need to cover other disciplines, such as the Breeze for light wind foiling, and the WTF!? for wakestyle/freestyle. We need those satellite kites for our team riders so they can be at the highest level of competition with the best equipment. They’re not the biggest selling kites, but they help us to understand how a kite is working and then this experience is then used in the Bandit. The megaloop events are pretty popular, and our top team riders – like Liam or Paul – want to be at the highest level in this discipline, so they asked for a megaloop-specific kite. Robert (the F-ONE designer) and I love a challenge, and it was interesting to work on it and we have learned a lot from the process. Testing it was great. I cannot push it as far as our riders will, so I have to understand their needs and implement them into the model. At the other end, I’m closer to the customers, so we also make sure the kite can be used by most of them. D O YO U THIN K THE B ULLI T REFLECTS THE EVOLUTI ON OF T H E S P O R T AT THE M O M E N T?

It’s a part of it, and kitesurfing is so rich thanks to all its disciplines. These spectacular high wind events will be an important part of the evolution, but I don’t think it’s an important part of everyday riding. W I T H AN Y N E W TE C HN OLOGY I T CAN BE HARD TO BE ‘I N’ F ROM T HE STAR T A N D TO K E EP UP WI TH THE TECHNOLOGY, BUT WIT H F O I L I NG, F - O N E HAVE M ANAGED THI S. WHAT HAVE BEEN THE C H ALL EN G E S A N D HOW HAVE YOU KEPT THE I NNOVATI ON GOI NG?

Foiling was a totally new technology for us, far from what a board shaper is used to designing and I had the opportunity to hire a naval architect so we could control all of our foil designs. The second important part is the construction and production of the foils, which was a huge challenge. Getting the right technology for each foil and its parts is complicated because we have both aluminum and composite productions. You can only be ahead in foil development if you’ve been doing it since the 100

THE CREATORS

beginning and have enough experience. The challenge is that the foiling world is evolving all the time… From kite foils we went to wind foils to surf foils and now to wing foils! You need so many different models for all these disciplines. There’s a huge amount of investment, knowledge and testing.

LOOK ING B AC K NOW YOU MU ST B E P RE T T Y AMAZ E D BY H OW FA R F - ONE H AS COME – DO YOU T H INK YOU WOU L D B E L IE V E IT I F YO U H AD S E E N T H E S U CC E SS 2 0 Y E ARS AGO?

No certainly not! Our goal was always the long term and we have always been so careful to focus on that goal. We still have the same passion and adventurous spirit, and the same focus on the long term. We don’t really aim to be number one in sales, we just want to develop and sell the best equipment you can find on the market. We’re proud of the past 24 years, but we keep the future in mind and we’re always working towards that. Today the brand covers so many sports and with so many products, the challenge for tomorrow is to be at the top of our game with all these sports and all the future disciplines yet to come. WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST AND WORST PRODUCT IN F-ONE’S HISTORY?!

The best are the famous ones, like the Bandit, Trax, Mitu… they are becoming brands themselves more than products! Worst products… just nothing comes to mind! Every product we have done was tested so much before being put into production that they are all like my babies, so they cannot be a disaster. AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FOR 2021 – SURELY THERE ARE NO MORE BIG SURPRISES TO COME?!

We are a bit different at F-ONE because we have one kite designer, Robert, and one naval architect, Charles Bertrand. So everything that flies or floats with an F-ONE logo was designed by Robert or Charles, and 90% of our products were tested by either myself or Mika and more recently, Paul. We never buy a design from outside, we create everything ourselves. So it’s a huge challenge for us but I’m impressed by the capacity we have now to include our knowledge and experience in every aspect of the design. The more different products we work on, the more it’s improving the exisiting ones. Last year we had to create two Bandits and the new Wing came out (which wasn’t in the plan so we had to rush this into our program). Then our riders needed the Bullit, plus we have a new kite for schools, and a full new range of foils. So our development capacity is huge and we will certainly have many new things for 2021 and will always keep innovating. ■

We’ve m ade thes e in different colours. Check o ut our fu ll product line.

’ve , we Mom ad! k o o L an made

YES, THIS IS ANOTHER KITE AD, TELLING YOU HOW GREAT WE ARE. BUT WE’RE JUST REALLY PROUD THAT OUR HARLEM GO KITE AND HARLEM ROCKER BOARD WERE

SELECTED FROM 47 TOP SELLING BIG BRANDS

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HARLEMKITESURFING.COM

Alex man Our t this (no me in so hand life) real

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The images of dusty Namibian desert barrels stretching for insane distances were burned into the minds of Steven Akkersdijk and his travel companions, and even the thought of a 20 hour drive into the barren wilderness wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to hold them back when they saw conditions aligning. So they hit the long, straight road into the desertâ&#x20AC;Ś

WORDS STEVEN AKKERSDIJK P H OTOS ST E V E N A K K E R S D I J K , J OS H UA E M A N U E L , W I L LOW- R I V E R TO N K I N

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You might ask yourself why someone would decide last moment to book a flight from Durban to Cape Town, hop in to a car and drive another 20 hours. Well, the big reason for this entire adventure was a forecast that’s really rare for the African summer. A big swell was about to hit the Skeleton Coast in Namibia, and it would push life into a break that a few of us have always dreamed of kiting! For me, the travel started in Cape Town. After picking Willow-River Tonkin up from the airport, we met up with Joshua Emanuel and Lorenzo Valenti to pack the car for the drive. A big topic that night was: “How many boards should we bring?” The wave we were aiming to kite is renowned for snapping boards, so the last thing we wanted was to be stuck in the desert at a perfect wave without any boards to ride. In the end we brought about four boards each, as we had no real clue what to expect. This meant that the pickup was packed to the roof!

Cruise control

Our trip started at 4am from Cape Town towards Walvis Bay in Namibia. At this point we still had 1800km and about 20 hours of driving ahead of us. The first part of the drive through South Africa to the border consisted of a highway through the hills and mountains. This rapidly changed when we crossed the border into Namibia, with just a straight road running through the desert. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen such a long, straight road in my entire life! Sometimes we would go for 20 minutes without seeing even the slightest bend in the road. After multiple stops to fuel up and a big push for the last part of the drive, we managed to arrive at our hostel in Walvis Bay at midnight. The next day was filled with excitement as we were going to get to see the spot for the first time. This would also mean that our driving skills would be tested to the maximum, as we only had a pickup with rear wheel drive. Good luck taking that through the sand… Donkey Bay, as the wave is called, lies 10km away from Walvis Bay, but to get there you’ll have to drive past the salt pans and over the beach, which normally

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Never stay in a place for a shorter time than you’re traveling to it for.

“

n this particular trip, Josh told me he has a rule for himself: “Never stay in a place for a shorter time than you’re traveling to it for.” With a good 40 hours of driving ahead and a plan to only stay a couple of days, we were pushing that rule.

AB OV E

Willow discovering that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just barrels... LEFT

The long and sandy road.

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takes you about 45 minutes in a 4x4. As we arrived at the beach, we deflated our tires and got ready for some proper sand driving. A friend of ours led the way and took us straight into the soft sand on the beach… It didn’t take us long to get stuck up to the axels in sand, after which he had to tow us out. From there on the sand got a little bit harder and we managed to get to the spot with all our gear. As we arrived the wind was there, but the swell hadn’t shown up yet. Every now and then a set would roll in where the waves were breaking in ankle deep water only a couple of meters away from the beach. This didn’t stop us… We’d driven 20 hours to get there, so we all went out for a little fun session. The following morning our alarms went off in the darkness, as we wanted to be there with the sunrise. We arrived at the spot before the sun was up, with a light morning mist in the air. It’s so surreal to be at a spot where every 15 minutes a set comes in that makes the water come to life, creating hollow waves that run for almost a kilometer. The surroundings definitely make this spot even more mystical. Except for a jackal, loads of seals and pink flamingos, there is hardly any life to be seen on this peninsula and you can forget about finding shade as there is no vegetation whatsoever. In the distance we could just make out the twinkling lights from the harbor at Walvis Bay, and a couple of headlights driving down the beach.

rent carries you down the beach at about walking speed. In the end – having snagged a couple of waves each – we headed back to the house for some lunch and to prepare for the afternoon kite session.

The wind is in

Returning to the spot we had the wind and waves. We quickly pumped our kites to get out there, to squeeze into those little barrels that rolled down the beach. It didn’t take long for us to realize that you need a decent amount of wind, as the current is about four knots close to the beach. This meant we ended up racing out when we saw a set on the horizon, and walking back upwind after we caught the wave. As the wind starts off very side-shore, we often ended up with slack lines in the barrel, and as we were still trying to figure out the spot our kites got eaten up multiple times by these mutating barrels breaking on the sand. On several occasions I thought we could say goodbye to a kite, but miraculously none of the kites ripped. Although we did have to unfold them from a pretzel-like shape a few times...

“

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Riding this wave is truly challenging. We’ve all seen those crazy barrels where they manage to go deep and stay in for about 15 seconds. Every time we stalled for the barrel it completely destroyed us, which resulted in multiple bruises and wetsuits full of sand. When the wind turned slightly more offshore towards the evening, we started to figA B OV E

Worth the drive? Yup..

“

The mornings are mostly good for surfing as the wind only kicks in later, so that’s exactly what we did. As this wave is so fast, the hard part is to actually catch it and not go over the falls. We already heard about the famous current before we got there and quickly realized that you need to catch a wave in the first three sets. If you didn’t manage to do that, you got rewarded with a 300m walk back, as the cur-

Barrel convert

TO P R I G H T

Non stop action MIDDLE R I G H T

The crew B OT TO M R I G H T

The entertainment

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ure out how to ride the wave. Stalling for a section wasn’t really the way to go as it would be so hard to gain speed in the barrel and make it out. For me it was a combination of steering the kite down and a short snappy bottom turn to get just in front of that barrel. In the same moment I would drag my arm in the water to slowly let the wave overtake me. To be fair, I’ve never been a barrel master and even though all the other guys came to this spot to get barreled out of their minds, I was still hoping I could slam some turns on this racetrack of a wave. This proved to be harder than I expected, but after catching one of those dreamy waves that just sucked up and started throwing a thick lip above my head, I was convinced. My full focus turned to barrels (with the occasional little turn here or there). We went on for three days like this, morning surfs followed by afternoon kite sessions. Often the last hour of the day would just be next-level firing, with offshore winds and long peeling waves. Often we would end up leaving just after sunset, making sure we’d made the most out of the day and leaving the water with huge smiles on our faces, but also knowing that we still had to drive the car back through the sand… On one of the days we joined Naude Dreyer – owner of a kayak tour company in Walvis Bay – to see the seal colony. In his spare time he patrols the peninsula searching for seals that have become trapped by fishing nets or other man-made hazards created by the fishing industry. We found a seal that had a packaging strap stuck around his neck. This can be a big problem, especially when the young seals grow and the strap becomes tighter and tighter. As the seal was quite big, Joshua helped Naude catch the seal in a big net so that he could remove the strap from his neck. It was also crazy to see these animals getting into it on the beach. They all seem so nice and cute in the pictures, but they can actually be super strong and aggressive when they feel threatened and have nowhere to go. After three long days it was time for us to drive back to Cape Town. We left at 2am and managed to finish it in 19 hours. This trip has been a dream come true for some of us and an eye-opener to others. Just like the rest of the crew, I would love to go back to this spot and ride some more barrels. Next time I would make the trip a little longer to see a bit more of Namibia and explore other spots in the area. Even though the spot is way more accessible than I initially thought, your skill level needs to be quite high to ride the spot, and the chances that you’ll get all the conditions to line up are very slim. So all you can do is keep an eye on the forecast, and make that last minute epic drive when the conditions turn on. ■ 108

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C LOC KWIS E F ROM AB OV E

The long straighter road; The GoPro angle; Lock and load; The longer and straigter road; “It’s for your own good pal!”; Stoked; A rare cutback

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Marc Jacobs A

INTERVIEW

Marc Jacobs has carved out an impressive career in the world of kiteboarding. A regular feature on the PKRA podium, he has now progressed (along with a number of other riders of his generation) very firmly into the world of Big Air. And having taken out the Biggest Air award at this year’s KOTA, he is now very much one to watch when it comes to those 30 knot+ hold-on-to-your-hat days… PHOTOS COURTESY NORTH KITEBOARDING

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HEY MARC, THANKS FOR TAKI NG T H E T IME OU T TO TAL K TO U S . S O YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE SCENE F OR S OME T IME NOW – C AN YOU TALK US THROUGH WHEN AND WH E RE YOU B E GAN K IT ING?

My kiteboarding journey began in 2015 when I came across Dave Edwards [also known as Mad Dave!]. I watched him over the years which motivated me and inspired me to take up kiting. After saving for three years and working as a paperboy, my mum and I went halves on my first ever inflatable kite. I always remember my 15th birthday as an important milestone. I rode on the beach with my mountain board and would jump off sand dunes practicing flips and rotations until my 16th birthday, when I got my first board. From that day on I knew this was my passion in life and it became my full focus, to be the best. HOW I S NEW Z EALAND FOR CO NDIT IONS – WE H AV E S E E N S OME EPI C SHOTS OVER THE YEARS BU T DO YOU S P E ND A LOT OF T IME WAI TI NG FOR THE RI GHT COND IT IONS AND DRIV ING AROU ND?

New Zealand has pretty amazing conditions for kitesurfing. We have a lot of epic spots where it’s just you, the ocean and no one else. But I normally stick to my city spots which aren’t too far away and I have plenty of options to head to depending on the conditions, the direction and the tides. The wind here is normally pretty decent all year round. February to May tends to be not as good as the winter/spring season, but you can always find wind in Wellington NZ, even if you have to chase it.

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Even the beach was in on the ‘dark and moody’ vibe. A B OV E

Hanging out with the rest of the NKB crew.

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I A LWAYS G I V E 1 1 0 % . N OT J U S T I N KITING, BUT IN E V E R Y DAY L I F E .

T E L L US A B O UT YO UR DOG, ACE.

S O H OW DO YOU T RAIN F OR T H E E V E NT ?

There is quite a funny story behind Ace, she was actually my flatmate’s gift to his girlfriend. However, he got deported when Ace was six months old. Ace was left at our flat with no one to care for her, so one day I thought I should take her to the beach kiting to see how she would react. From that day I knew she was meant to be mine. She leapt up on my board and into my arms, so excited she could barely contain herself. I would kite up and down the beach and she would chase after me barking, wanting to jump on again. I never had to train her, it was like fate all along.

It has been my biggest dream to win a KOTA title. But it also has been very frustrating as I’m such a dominant goofy foot rider, I don’t get the chance to show my full potential in a favored regular foot forward kite spot for this event. In the past, when we had the Big Air Tour, I showed that I can come out on top in other kite spots. I just really hope one day we get a Big Air Tour again. But until then, I will continue to improve my switch skills and push myself to achieve my dream.

C AN YO U TA K E US TH ROUGH YOUR TI ME ON THE FREEST Y L E TOUR ?

The freestyle tour was an amazing experience. I learnt a lot about competing, and riding with the pros really helped me reach my full potential. I still love competing and pushing my freestyle, but now I really want to push my Big Air riding and I’m fully focused on pursuing that. YO U HAVE A LWAYS SEEMED TO BE A RI DER WHO GI VES 1 1 0 % AND L I KE S TO IN JE C T P L ENTY OF POWER I NTO THEI R RI DI NG – DO YOU A LWAYS HAVE THIS MI ND-SET WHEN YOU ARE ON THE WAT E R?

I feel like this is a part of who I am. I always give 110%. Not just in kiting, but in everyday life. I always want to push myself and go harder every time and make each session count. AT KOTA 201 9 YO U B LEW A FEW MI NDS I N THE KI TESURF ING COMM U N ITY – C A N YO U TAKE US THROUGH THAT EVENT AND YOU R T R I C K SE L E C TIO N ?

2019 was the year I really pushed my goofy stance and focused on new tricks. I thought that bringing new tricks to KOTA would give me a good chance of winning. But I learnt that doing tricks coming towards the shore, not out, wasn’t going to be rewarded as much as going out and using the waves as kickers. So this year, I fully focused on my switch tack and learnt all the moves switch. It definitely paid off. I feel I need one more solid year to get my switch riding level higher and closer to my goofy tack, and feel I will have a good chance to win. T HE G UYS N OW AT TH E TOP OF THE PACK I N KOTA AND OT H E R B IG A I R E VE N TS SE E M TO BE – TO PUT I T POLI TELY – A LI TTLE MORE ‘ M ATUR E ’ THA N THE GUYS SHREDDI NG ON THE FREESTYL E TOU R! W H Y IS THIS D O YO U THI NK?

I think that having KOTA as the only proper Big Air event, it makes it hard for up and comers with no competition experience. A lot of people, including myself, have folded under the pressure of this event. There is so much hype around the event, and only having one chance to prove yourself, there is no room for error. There are a lot of good riders who can land all the tricks, but if you don’t have the mental state to handle it, you don’t have the mind to perform. State of mind is everything in an event like this and is what a lot of riders are lacking experience in.

C AN YOU TAK E U S T H ROU GH YOU R E X P E RIE NC E AT T H I S YE A R ’ S E V E NT ?

This year was new and exciting for me. I trained very hard in order to do well, not just physically, but mentally. This year I worked with a mental coach who helped me feel very relaxed and in control. I was able to enjoy every moment of it on the day. I felt like a new improved rider, and it seemed to pay off. YOU JOINE D NORT H RE C E NT LY – AS A K IWI AND WIT H A LOT O F T H E T E AM B AS E D OV E R T H E RE , WAS IT AN E ASY DE C IS I O N A N D H OW DID IT COME AB OU T ?

Yes! I joined forces with North kiteboarding in August. Their office is based in my home spot in Auckland, New Zealand, so it made sense for both of us. I couldn’t have been happier to sign with North. I love riding and pushing my limits, but I also love being involved testing and developing the new gear. With the amount of hours I spend on the water, I feel I fit this role perfectly to truly test all the gear before it hits the market. WH AT OT H E R S P ORTS OR C ROSS -T RAINING DO YOU DO W H E N YOU ’RE NOT K IT ING?

I do a lot of gym work. I hate being injured so I work very hard on being well balanced with no weak muscle groups to prevent getting injured. I also do a lot of cable wakeboarding on the no-wind days and I feel it helps my kiting as well. H AV E YOU RIDDE N AL L OF T H E K IT E S AND WH AT IS YO U R PR E F E RRE D S E T U P ?

I have ridden all of the gear apart from the wave kites and boards. For freestyle, I love to push it on the Pulse kite and the 141 Focus Carbon board. If the winds get over 25 knots I then prefer to train for Big Air, so I switch to the Orbit kite and 138 Atmos Carbon board. I am very stoked with my current set up. It gives me a lot of motivation to push my limits even further! S O, KOTA IS DONE – WH AT ARE YOU R P L ANS F OR T H E R E ST O F T H E Y E AR?

I will continue to train and perfect my switch tricks for KOTA. I’m also considering trying the Red Bull Megaloop Challenge this year, if I get in by video entry. And of course working closely with North on all the new and upcoming gear. Exciting times ahead! ■ HERE The Ultimate proving ground, and Marc has definitely proved himself...

A MARC JACOBS INTERVIEW THE

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aboard the

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Bagging a spot on an old-time schooner to sail around Madagascan outer reefs hunting for waves with all-star company is clearly not a trip Olivia Jenkins was ever going to turn down. But with little internet to check on the swell conditions, skunking is a serious pitfall. Luckily, the skunking didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t last long, and for Olivia an epic trip of a lifetime became all the more soâ&#x20AC;Ś

WORDS OLIVIA JENKINS P H O T O S Y D W E R VA N D E R H E I D E

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What instantly caught my attention were the posters of plague and Ebola health warnings on the walls in the immigration line

t the start of World War II, the Luna Moon was intentionally sunk by its owner so she couldn’t be used in the war. She was resurfaced in 1949 and refitted as a fishing vessel. She was then purchased in 1982 and refitted again, this time into a gaff rig schooner, and she was bought by a company in the Seychelles to be used as a luxury charter vessel. In 2019, she was purchased by a South African businessman, upgraded, and delivered to Nasi Bay in Madagascar, where she is now being used for a sailing academy and for surf charters. I traveled to Madagascar this past September and boarded the Luna Moon with Jalou Langeree, Catta Edin, Patri McLaughlin, Ydwer Van Der Heide, and Mint Grigas in search of epic kitesurfing and surfing conditions…

The airport sprint

I woke up in Mauritius at 6am and began packing my wet clothes straight off the line and into one of my many cases. Patri and I headed to the MRU airport where I was greeted by Catta, Jalou, Ydwer, and Mint, all donning huge smiles, eager to head off on our journey. We checked in our multitude of suitcases and board bags, then boarded our flight to the capital city of Antananarivo, Madagascar. On arrival we only had an hour to get through immigration, recheck our bags, then board the next flight to Tulear, Madagascar. This was a very busy airport, and movement through it was extremely difficult. I felt a culture shock almost immediately. What instantly caught my attention were the posters of plague and Ebola health warnings on the walls in the immigration line... I am quite the infectious disease enthusiast, so this was interesting to me. We climbed over trolleys to collect our board bags from the luggage belt, then began our sprint through the tiny hallways. I had three suitcases and two board bags on top of my cart… Bags would fall off and locals would come to my rescue and help me pile them back on. We rechecked the bags with just five minutes to spare, but luckily the flight attendants held the place for us, and the group of us sat down on the next flight, dripping with sweat, but relieved to have made our flight. We arrived late at night and piled our bags into a little tuk-tuk motorbike. We had a 20-minute drive through the buzzing city of Tulear to get to the boat. It was remarkable how packed the markets were so late at night, and we had dinner at a local restaurant that night, then decided to set sail the following morning. 118

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I woke up the next morning to loud, squeaky floorboards and dock lines and got up and had my first oatmeal breakfast of the trip – one of many. The boat then set off to the first destination, called Flame Bowls, a four-hour sail away from the dock. There was no internet on the boat so I couldn’t check Windguru on the way out and we weren’t too sure what conditions to expect. I was overly excited so I opened my board bag and set up all my kite gear during this time: I put fins in, waxed all my boards, and unpacked all my. Then, finally, we arrived… to completely flat conditions. Honestly, it was hard to even tell where the wave was supposed to break since it was high tide. It’s interesting because at high tide the land is completely covered, so it looked as if we were just in the middle of the ocean. There is such a big tidal range that through the day, the tide goes out, and the land becomes exposed and it becomes too shallow to even kite over. Although there were no waves, we decided to just go for a kite anyways. Launching a kite off a boat is always a challenge, so we thought we would give it a test run. The Luna Moon was especially difficult to launch off of because she’s an old schooner, which means there are ropes and shackles everywhere! This means there are plenty of places for lines to get caught. Patri pumped up my kite in a raised part in the middle, while I ran out my lines down the side. We attached the lines then wrapped the bar partially back up. I jumped in the water whilst he held the kite over the side of the boat. I swam away whilst unraveling my lines. The kite got a little power, so he let go. Unfortunately it wasn’t quite powered enough, and it started to drift towards the stern (where a dinghy hung). He rushed to the back and made sure my lines never got stuck on anything, and my kite was finally free of the boat. It was definitely sketchy, but it was a semi-successful first boat launch.

C LOC KWIS E F ROM TOP LE FT

Nope, definitely not over my allowance...; The welcoming committee; Post-session smile; Pre-session smile; The crew

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The first day of real swell finally arrived halfway into the trip. We awoke to glassy waves that were visible in the distance through the binoculars

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After this first day, which at least had some wind, the conditions became worse. The wind dropped, and the waves were maxing out at 1ft. We were able to get onto the internet and discovered that these would be the conditions for the following few days. I wished I’d brought my longboard! The captain anchored the boat in the lee of the land, and we found activities to keep ourselves busy during this time. We did a lot of backflipping off the side of the boat, set up a rope swing, and played endless amounts of card games. Most nights we went to bed straight after dinner. I had my birthday on the boat during one of these down days, and one of the crew made me a birthday cake – he said this was the first birthday cake he had ever made! One morning we were woken by a whale. It came towards the boat and swam about three meters away from the side for a little while. Still awaiting the wind, we surfed a couple of breaks around Anakao. The waves were small, but it was a good warmup before the proper swell arrived.

We surfed for a few hours until the breeze kicked in around midday, and paddled back to the boat to eat lunch. We then got our kite gear ready and headed off to a nearby island that was easy to launch the kites from, and significantly easier than everyone launching from the boat. After launching, it took a few minutes to kite to the wave, weaving through coral heads. The wind was pretty offshore, making kiting a little difficult for me riding the left backside. Instead of trying to attempt big powerful backside hacks, I decided I would just search for barrels, since this wave is notoriously big and hollow. I was nervous because it wasn’t like trying to kite at Lakey Peak in Indonesia, where if your kite goes down when trying to get barreled, it usually goes down in the channel. Here if the kite crashed it would be more likely you’d get washed up on the reef inside. I was pretty hesitant at first and I definitely didn’t have a great session that afternoon. I just never seemed to be in the right spot… I was either too fast and outrunning the wave, or too deep, and having the lip slam onto my head.

The first day of real swell finally arrived halfway into the trip. We awoke to glassy waves that were visible in the distance through the binoculars. The captain picked up the anchor as we motored towards Flame Bowls. The tide was a little too low on arrival, so we had to wait until mid-high tide until we could go out. I had a bit of a stomach bug, and wasn’t feeling all that well, but I was also really eager to surf. The group paddled out, and it was just us in the line-up. It was head and a half high on the sets, and such an easy take off, and a pretty fast wave, so I had to pump a few times down the face so the wave didn’t outrun me. I tried to pull into a barrel on my first wave but didn’t pull up high enough, and had the lip of the wave land really hard onto my back.

A few days later another swell came through. Windguru said Flame Bowls would be three meters at 13 seconds, so we had high hopes. We anchored the boat back at Flame Bowls, a little close for comfort. The weather was much stormier than it had been the previous days, with cranking wind directly offshore and the wave was closing out a bit more than before. After about an hour of watching the waves, the wind switched a little sideshore, so we packed up our kite gear and took the dinghy to the island. I went out on my 6m Duotone Neo and 5’7 Pro Wam. Once I got to the break, I discovered it wasn’t as windy as I had anticipated and I was totally underpowered on the 6m. Unfortunately it would be very difficult and time consuming to go back to the island, deflate, take the dinghy back to the sailboat, and get another kite rigged up, so I remained on the 6m. Some local surfers arrived on a boat and paddled out. I was nervous that they would be upset that we were kiting, but they were actually very friendly. It did make it a little more difficult as I had to pull off of many waves to let the surfers’ go. We went in for a quick lunch then went out again for a sunset session. The waves got a bit bigger and the wind was still pretty offshore and had picked up a little, so I decided to go out on my 6m Neo again. I was now more motivated to get a good barrel after a couple of days of messing around with no proper good waves. Patri rode up to me and yelled that on the upwind section of the wave there was a step that formed. He told me to catch a set wave, look for the step, and pull up underneath it and grab my rail. This is the section that was barreling almost every set wave. Almost immediately a set wave rolled through

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Golden hour sessions - pumping. A B OVE

Midday sessions - still pumping.

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I came flying out of the barrel to a member of the group, Rick, screaming in the channel

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We awoke to glassy waves that were visible in the distance through the binoculars

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and I did exactly as he said. I saw the step, bottom-turned underneath it, ducked down, grabbed the rail, and the wave pitched over me. My lines cut through the lip and I thought I was about to get blown up! Instead, I came flying out of the barrel to a member of the group, Rick, screaming in the channel. He was the only one to see it, as Ydwer and Mint were shooting

on the end section of the reef and the girls were tacking on the outside. I was so stoked as this was the first solid barrel I had made it in and out of. There may have been no photo evidence, but that was definitely imprinted in my brain! Then not long after, just as the sun had set, I caught a wave at the end of the reef and pulled in, and the wave opened up into a nice little square barrel. This was definitely a memorable session. We landed our kites onto the dinghy in the dusk light, and made it back to the Luna Moon in the darkness.

this was the first time in my life that I felt comfortable cranking turns in the backside pocket

On the final day that waves were forecast, the swell wasn’t pushing in the right direction for Flame Bowls to work. So we picked up anchor and went along the coast to a spot that might catch this change in direction. We all woke up late, pretty exhausted from the previous few days. There was a little town on the shore that we decided to take the dinghy to in the morning, since the waves looked small and the wind was at a weird direction. Children and dogs swarmed around us on arrival. We remained at the town bar for most of the morning until lunch. At around 3pm the wind improved a little, so we decided to go kite and just mess around at a nearby wave not far from the boat. The wave was alright but nothing special, as it was super choppy down the face. But then the wind started to crank and I was really overpowered on my 7m Neo. Meanwhile, Ydwer and Mint took the dinghy and went on an exploration to another wave which we couldn’t really see. They were gone a while, so Patri decided to kite downwind to check it out too. When no-one returned, Catta, Jalou and I decided to go find them and see why they were taking so long... We arrived at the wave and it was pumping! The waves were easily double overhead and the sets wouldn’t stop. We arrived to see Patri on a wave, and I think he did about 10 turns down the face. It seemed like it would never end. With only five of us in the line-up, it was so easy to catch set waves. The wind direction was so perfect… You could just park your kite in one spot and do turns down the line. Up until this point I had a difficult time riding backside, but this was the first time in my life that I felt comfortable cranking turns in the backside pocket. I think we all got some of the best turns of our life here. Mint and Ydwer jumped in the water to film and shoot photos, but the current was too strong and they drifted away, so they jumped back on the boat and filmed from two drones. We all kited until sunset. It was a really long tack back upwind to the shore, but it was all so, so worth it. ■

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Photog Ydwer getting some impressive angles.... A B OVE

The view from above.

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STRAPLESS 313 RIDER JAMES CAREW P H O T O S V E T L A N A R O M A N T S O VA

This trick is by far the hardest and most technical trick I have learnt on a strapless board, not only is keeping the board on your feet difficult but landing with so much speed can sometimes become unstable and makes this trick one of the hardest to become consistent with. By far my favorite trick from my bag at the moment. It might sound wrong but if you learn to handle the landing then the more power you have, the easier this trick is. Trust me.

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STEP 1

Load up the speed, this trick requires a fair amount of it. If it’s super windy and power is an issue then try to go a little slower as you’ll get more lift with the added power but generally try and have a decent amount of speed coming into this. STEP 2

If you have ever seen a twintip rider load up for an unhooked trick you’ll notice they go downwind to create slack in the kite and then unhook and edge really hard upwind to create the pop. This is the same for the Strapless 313, just less aggressive. You want to flatten off the rails and aim downwind to create some backwards movement in the kite, then unhook and edge upwind as hard as possible without losing traction on the board, try to aim the nose of the board to the sky to increase resistance on your feet. If you are using a wave kite like I do, slack isn’t really a thing, but doing this definitely helps regardless. STEP 3

As you leave the water you want to keep the bar close into your hips and aim the nose of the board downwind. As you start to gain height and momentum, bring the board back around into a “Shifty” and keep the bar close into your hips. You want to invert the board upwards and avoid spinning with the board flat. The higher the better.

STEP 4

Now you want to continue the Shifty and throw your shoulders around to create the 360 movement. As you do this, let go of the back hand and bring it around your side with the shoulder movement. But also keep the bar close into your hips and, if necessary, pull the bar back down to your hips. Try not to pull so hard as you’ll lose the balance and the board will drop. STEP 5

As you spin you want to make sure the hand that left the bar is rotating your shoulders and keeping your momentum. Now pull the hand which is on the bar down toward the middle of your back and when the board is inverted make the pass and grab the bar with the opposite hand. STEP 6

You have now grabbed the bar and are coming down to land, stay on top of the board with the weight of your body centered over your feet. You will come in very hot from this so make sure your knees are ready and bent to spring yourself through the landing. Try to spot the landing and land with both feet pushing through the water, if you push down you are less likely to bounce, which will ruin the movement nine times out of ten.

STEP 7

Hook back in. Stand tall and claim it! Only a few people can land this trick so it’s worth the claim!

STRAPLESS 313

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Core workout for Kiteb oarding W I T H P HIL SOA ME S PHOTOS KA R O K R ASSE L

Kiteboarding can be a physical sport especially when the weather conditions are tough. Having strong core muscles will help you stay grounded and help you control the kite more efficiently. The constant pull on the harness may also give you pain in the lower back, especially when the wind is strong and gusty. Strengthening your core muscles will help prevent this. This issue Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve put together three simple exercises that you might like to try to increase core strength and therefore improve your general fitness for kiting.

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Russian Twists M U SC L E S WO R K E D O BLIQUES, RECTUS A B DO M I N I S, TR A N SVERSE ABDOMINIS

1 For this exercise we have chosen to use a 3kg medicine ball, however you could use a dumbbell, kettlebell, football or even do this without equipment. If you find this exercise too easy you might like to make it harder by lifting your feet off the ground, therefore engaging your lower abdominals a little bit more. The more you lean back, the harder the exercise will also be on your upper abdominals.

2 Sitting on the ground keeping your hips facing forward, rotate your body to the right trying to touch the ball on the floor as far behind you as you can. As you rotate ensure that your head follows your shoulders and focus on your waist.

Once you have rotated to the right bring the ball back to the middle, keeping your abdominals engaged and keeping your spine as neutral as possible.

4 Keeping your hips facing forward, rotate your body to the left trying to touch the ball on the floor as far behind you as you can. As you rotate ensure that your head follows your shoulders and focus on your waist.

Once you have rotated to the left, bring the ball back to the middle, keeping the abdominals engaged and keeping your spine as neutral as possible. Repeat this 10 times on each side and do two sets.

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Plank or Plank to Press Up position M U S C L E S WO R K E D E R E C TOR SPINAE, RECTUS ABDOMINIS ( AB S ) , AN D TR A N SVE R SE ABDOMINIS.

1 For the plank you will be in a horizontal position on the ground resting on your forearms. It is important that you maintain a neutral spine and that you keep your abdominals engaged. Your bottom, upper back and the top of your head should be on the same plane. If the full plank is too difficult you might like to start from your knees with your hips forward. To start off with, hold the plank for 30 seconds, and as the weeks go by and you get stronger, I suggest you gradually increase the time of the hold to 45 seconds, one minute or even longer. However as soon as you feel this exercise in your lower back, you must stop.

2 You may also like to increase the difficulty of the exercise by lifting yourself onto your hands keeping your hips still and maintaining a neutral spine. Imagine you have a full bucket of water balancing on your back and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to spill a drop as you lift yourself onto your hands. Not only is this exercise tough on your core muscles but it is also tough on your chest, shoulders and triceps, therefore increasing upper body strength.

4 Make your way back onto your forearms keeping your hips straight and maintaining a neutral spine. Controlling the movement is an important aspect of the exercise, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rush it.

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3 Hold the plank on your hands with straight arms making sure that you are maintaining a neutral spine and that your lower back is not hurting.

5 Return to your original plank position and repeat five times using your right arm to push up and five times using your left arm to push up. After a 30 second breather, repeat the same routine until your arms are burning!

V Sits M U SC L E S WO R K E D R ECTUS ABDOMINIS, EXTERNAL O B L I Q UE S, I N TE R N A L OBLIQUES, HIP FLEXORS AND I M PR OVE S CO R E A N D TRUNK BALANCE.

1 Lay stretched out on the ground with your feet and hands hovering over the ground.

2 Lift your upper body and your lower body at the same time and try to get your hands and feet to meet in the middle. It is important that you do this in a controlled manner so that you do not hurt your lower back. Contract your abdominals and avoid using momentum to get your hands and feet up.

3 Try to get as close to a pike position as you can but bend your knees if you find it too difficult with your legs straight. If you have weak abdominals you might feel this exercise in your lower back and if this is the case then bend your knees.

4 Once you have achieved the pike position or gone as far up as you can, slowly and in a controlled manner return to your starting position. Remember that you are working your abdominals on the way up to the pike position as well as on the way down.

5 If you can, try to avoid your feet and hands touching the ground the ground and then repeat 10 times. After a 30 second breather do a second set. This is a tough abdominal exercise but it is extremely effective.

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TELL ME ABOUT IT

LIEUWE & TEIJIN

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The guys at Lieuwe have an exciting new collaboration with a company that that most kitesurfers will be familiar with, Teijin. We know them more as a canopy cloth company, supplying the majority of the global kite market with their TechnoForce® canopy, but they do much more than that, and have now turned their gaze to the world of twintip tech… WH AT C AN YOU T E L L U S AB OU T T E IJIN AND T H E P RO D U C TS T H E Y P RODU C E T H AT YOU ARE U S ING?

A while ago they approached our team rider Roderick Pijls to test their materials and to help create and develop (in cooperation with Lieuwe) a new board that offers new technologies, and features that the current boards on the market don’t have. Teijin Aramid, based in the Netherlands, is a composite/high performance fiber company that produces performance fiber materials that offer unique characteristics, and we use many in our daily routines... Their composites are processed in (among other things) tires, brakes, aircraft engines, flexible pipelines, car bumpers, bulletproof vests and racecars! Next to these mainstream goods, their composites have for many years now also been processed and used in our kitesurf materials – in the canopy of the kites. COOL . S O H OW DID T H E COL L AB ORAT ION B E GIN?

Last year Roderick went on an amazing adventure to Lake Natron in Tanzania, where he kited on a toxic, 65-degrees-hot lake to capture nature’s beauty and to create more awareness via his project ‘The Last Line’. As a continuation of this project, he will travel to Iceland soon to kite in a volcano. After hearing about this amazing trip, Teijin got interested in the technologies we were using which enabled our boards to survive these intense temperatures and toxins. Roderick got invited to give a presentation in Paris to talk about his adventure and to brainstorm about the potential benefits the composites

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of Teijin could have if we process them in his kitesurf gear. After several meetings we decided to give it a go and to start a new R&D trajectory... C AN YOU TAL K U S T H ROU GH T H E P RODU C T ION P ROC E SS OF A LI E U WE B OARD F ROM START TO F INIS H AND T H E N WH E RE T H E U S E O F T E IJIN COME S IN TO T H E P ROC E SS?

The production of a Lieuwe kiteboard starts with a good piece of paulownia wood. Small strips about 2cm wide are glued together to make a strong and consistent core. After this a computer-controlled router cuts out the outline of the desired board. ABS strips are then manually glued onto the outline of the core then, when the glue is cured in the core, it is shaped on both sides, again with the computer-controlled router. During this step the inserts are drilled, the channels are cut out, and the thin rails are shaped. At the same time a solvent printer prints the graphics on an ABS transparent foil (the topsheet). Because the foil is transparent the graphics are printed mirrored on the inside of the foil. So they are well protected during the use of the board. On the next step it all comes together. The core will be manually laminated with fiberglass and epoxy, insert blocks are pressed into the core and the printed topsheet goes on top. But this is also the step where we add the extra layer of Teijin material that we need to cut by hand with special scissors as the material is very tough, the material goes between the glass and the outer layer of the board. Then everything goes into a heated press at more than 30,000kg of pressure. After pressing, the boards are cut out again by a computer-controlled router, fin holes are drilled and at last the boards are sanded by hand, to ensure that each board goes out of the factory perfect! WH AT ARE T H E B E NE F ITS T H AT YOU GE T F ROM T E IJIN?

Being able to work and develop together with Teijin feels like getting the recognition for the work that we do with our team, and at the same it has given us a lot of confidence to keep doing what we are doing best, which is building boards. By being a small and focused company, it makes us flexible in the development with fast results so we can always be ahead of the game. The best benefits our riders get from the materials in our boards is a controlled

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TELL ME ABOUT IT

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stiffness, durability and additional shock and vibration absorbency. The material we process with the Oceana is called Twaron®. This is a performance composite fiber that, thanks to the perfect right angles, enhances the stiffness of the board. A second benefit of this is that it has the same unbreakable construction as carbon fibers, so the board gets another unbreakable boost. Roderick has ridden the boards for some time and says that, “the most positive benefit is the shock absorbing factor. The best way to explain this is to give you an example: if you play tennis and you hit the ball with a loose grip, you’ll feel the racket vibrating. While if you hit the ball with a firm grip it doesn’t vibrate at all. This also happens with Twaron® in my Oceana board. There are less vibrating impulses coming from the board, so it gives a smoother ride in all kind of conditions and it feels softer on the knees and joints.”

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WHERE HAVE YOU TESTED BOARDS WITH TEIJIN AND WHEN/HOW ARE ITS BENEFITS MOST OBVIOUS?

We have been riding the board in all kinds of different conditions. From choppy conditions back home to crystal clear flatwater spots in Brazil and waves in Cape Town. The benefits are always there. If you are taking off or landing hard during freestyle, you benefit from its stiffness. Riding in choppy conditions back home, it absorbs all the vibrations and in Cape Town I’ve been able to truly test the strength due to the strong winds and high jumps/kiteloops. AND YOU ARE THE ONLY BRAND USING IT AT THE MOMENT, RIGHT?

Yes, we are the only board brand using these materials. Teijin’s materials are also used in several brands’ kite canopies, but we are the only board brand using their composites to enhance the characteristics and to create a better board that’s on the market right now… ■

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TELL ME ABOUT IT

NORTH REACH

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Having successfully engineered a comprehensive kite, board and foil line up in record time this latest release sees North turn their eye firmly to the ‘performance freeride’ sector of the market. We caught up with North Brand Director Mike Raper and Chief Kite Designer Pat Goodman to find out more. S O, A NE W ARRIVAL TO T H E NORT H K IT E B OARDING K I TE R A N G E ? WH AT DOE S T H E RE AC H B RING TO T H E PART Y AND W H Y S H O U LD WE WANT TO RIDE IT ?

MR: The Reach is the kite we’ve been missing - the kite that does it all. If you were marooned on a desert island this is the kite you’d want to have with you. Not only does it perform in all conditions, but it’s instantly familiar and high-performance, without being difficult to use. WH AT ARE T H E MAIN C H ARAC T E RIST IC S T H AT IT H AS B O R R OW E D F ROM T H E OT H E R K IT E S IN T H E L INE U P ?

PG: The Reach is a calculated fusion of the Orbit, Carve and Pulse. From the Orbit, it’s inherited good kite loop recovery, boost and amazing hangtime. During a loop, a lot of kites will pause before they climb back up, but the Reach has a smooth, consistent catch and doesn’t hesitate to come back around. From the Carve, the Reach has inherited the direct and responsive steering that makes it so fun to use in the surf. From the Pulse, we’ve borrowed good pop for freestyle trickery. It lifts you up, allows you to check your edge, and gives you enough height for freestyle maneuvers. Then what’s unique about the Reach is that in the larger 13m and 15m sizes it’s a powerful lightwind-specific kite. Nowadays a lot of people switch to a foil when the wind gets lighter, so they don’t need anything bigger than a 12m. But there are still riders who need big, powerful kites for twintip riding. They want to go out and have fun in 12-15knots, and to be the last one on the water they need a bigger engine.

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WHICH TEAM RIDERS HAVE HELPED IN DEVELOPING THE REACH, AND WHICH RIDERS WILL BE USING IT AS THEIR MAIN KITE?

MR: Our professional athletes are all specialists in their specific riding styles, but the Reach was never meant to be a specialized kite. With this in mind, we took an entirely new approach to its development. PG: I worked with our internal design and engineering team to develop the Reach, then we sought the final stamp of approval from the team riders in the Philippines before we sealed the deal. MR: Jalou, Jesse and Nick were blown away by the kite’s performance. I remember sitting on the beach with Pat and the team riders after our first session, and Nick saying: “This is the best 3-strut kite I’ve ever ridden”. Jalou was so excited by its surf characteristics, while Jesse just couldn’t believe how comfortable and familiar it felt. WE HEARD A RUMOR THAT PAT HAD CALLED IT THE BEST KITE HE HAD EVER DESIGNED – IS THIS RIGHT, AND WHY HE IS HE SO STOKED ON IT?

MR: I think he’s stoked because he feels such a great sense of personal achievement in creating this kite. I think it’s his crowning achievement to date. PG: It’s the kite that works with anything you want to put under your feet. It has no limitations. It’s not necessarily better for wave-riding or boosting, but it’s the most versatile kite I’ve ever made. The Reach would be my personal go-to kite; I’m not a hardcore wave rider or freestyler, but I like to dabble in a little bit of everything – it’s the perfect kite for me. WHAT LEVEL OF RIDING DO YOU NEED TO BE AT TO RIDE THE REACH – WOULD A BEGINNER GET ON OKAY WITH IT?

PG: It’s not a beginner’s kite but it is a very friendly performance freeride kite, with strong upwind capabilities. It feels light, fast and playful, and it’s going to cater to everyone, from beginner, all the way through to freestyle and surf rider, and it is ideal for foiling. The Reach is for the rider who craves simplicity, travels light and doesn’t want a big quiver. WILL FUTURE ITERATIONS OF THE ORBIT, CARVE AND PULSE NOW MOVE A LITTLE MORE INTO THE BIG AIR, SURF AND FREESTYLE DEPARTMENT?

MR: I think our kites have already become iconic in their specialized disciplines. The Orbit dominated the 2020 Red Bull King of the Air – it is the King of Big Air! The Carve and Pulse are continuing to prove themselves on the World Tour with our team riders Camille Delanoy and Bruna Kajiya. HOW DOES THIS FIT INTO YOUR RELEASE SCHEDULE – SHOULD WE CONSIDER IT A 2020 OR 2021 KITE?

MR: The Reach is a mid-season kite. The release timing of the Reach is ideal for Northern Hemisphere spring conditions. We can look forward to the 2021 season in August 2020. DO YOU NOW HAVE A ‘COMPLETE’ LINE UP OF KITES DO YOU THINK? ANY PLANS FOR A MONO-STRUT?!

MR: In our quest to provide a clean, simple, retailer-friendly quiver, I believe we’ve found the perfect balance. We don’t want to be that company with 1000 kites. A 3-strut kite, like the Reach, will always be more stable than a mono-strut. At North, we’re all about simplifying, about paring everything back for more pure performance. We’ve always dreamed of making one kite you could take anywhere, and I think we’ve nailed it. The Reach is your ultimate desert island kite… ■

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TELL ME ABOUT IT SLINGSHOT RAPTOR

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This year, Slingshot have split the iconic Rally into two distinct versions – so enter the Rally GT, and the Raptor, the Rally GT’s Big-Air-focused brother. Here Sam Light tells us a little more about the newest member of the Slingshot family… AN AL L NE W K IT E F OR S L INGS H OT, T H E RAP TOR! F IR ST U P: W H Y DID YOU DE C IDE YOU NE E DE D T H E RAP TOR AND WH ER E D O E S I T S LOT INTO T H E L INE U P ?

The Raptor is a high-flying, Big Air, freeride performance kite, designed to take your boosting to the next level! The Rally was one of our most successful kites of all time, it was the best all-round kite in our range that could take you from zero to hero, it did everything well, but nothing really, really well. Disciplines within our sport are becoming more refined, and we want to offer more specific kites for specific needs so we basically split the Rally into two kites, and the Raptor and Rally GT were born. The Rally GT is an easy to use, beginner/ intermediate kite that’s good for everything, the Raptor was designed with more high-performance Big Air riding in mind. WH AT ARE T H E MAIN F E AT U RE S OF T H E RAP TOR?

The Raptor’s best and most impressive feature is the hangtime it produces, it creates more hangtime than any kite we have ever made! The hybrid open-C canopy and a pully-less bridle results in very direct steering, so you always know where the kite is in the sky. Tony Logosz engineered a new wingtip design using variable diameter segments, these segments combine to create a uniform structured design with a more efficient swept wingtip shape. This really improved the efficiency of the kite flying through the sky, it’s able to fly much faster through the air than the Rally, and more speed equals more height, response time, as well as excellent water relaunch. The Raptor has five struts for maximum rigidity and strength when boosting and looping, and it also features our 4x4 canopy material which stiffens the canopy even more and makes the kite even more durable. IS T H IS P RIMARILY A K IT E F OR B OOST ING? H OW WELL D O E S I T C ROSS OV E R TO OT H E R DIS C IP L INE S?

The strapless surf guys all want to use it because of the extra hangtime it produces which gives them more time to throw moves. Freestylers such as Carlos Mario have been loving it as it produces so much power, and hydrofoilers dig it too, as the design of this kite results in massive upwind performance!

SLINGSHOT RAPTOR

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DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM SESSION ON THE RAPTOR, WHERE ARE YOU, WHAT IS THE WIND DOING AND WHICH BOARD ARE YOU RIDING?

My personal dream session is on an 8m Raptor in Cape Town, in 40 knots of wind with double overhead waves on a 138 Asylum trying to boost to the moon! DOES THE RAPTOR REFLECT THE CURRENT POPULARITY OF BOOSTING SUPER BIG AND THE RISE OF THE WOO AND THE POPULARITY OF KOTA AND BIG AIR?

Exactly, the Raptor is designed for Big Air and freeriding. We wanted pro level performance without sacrificing that user-friendly feel that appeals to a broad range of riders and disciplines.

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TELL ME ABOUT IT

CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH YOUR KITE RELEASE SCHEDULE NOW - ARE YOU ESSENTIALLY HAVING TWO RELEASES EACH YEAR, AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE AT EACH ONE?

We have moved away from having two big launches and releasing new versions. Instead of years, we are only going to release new models if there is a major change. We now use V1, V2 etc, instead of each year. CAN YOU GIVE US ANY INDICATION OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FOR THE 2021 LINE UP?

We have a lot of new products in the pipeline, we learnt a lot about the first versions of the Rally GT and Raptor. There’s a new Raptor and Rally GT coming, new modular carbon foil, twiptips, new bar… A lot to look forward to! ■

dakhla lassarga the ultimate location

SPACE Discover the space! Whether you are a beginner or experienced, you will feel and enjoy the space around you! Ride or learn with freedom and safety at Lassarga’s 2 main spots. Lassarga lagoon side beach has ﬂat water, protected from waves, with endless space and shallow water during low tide. Lassarga main beach in front of the bungalows is ideal for experienced riders or those wanting the possibility of waves!

WIND All year round, consistent wind, predominantly oﬀshore at Lassarga main beach, and side shore on Lassarga lagoon side, with safety boats at both spots, and an experienced ION CLUB team, instructors and coaches!

ALL LEVELS Beginner, intermediate, experienced, expert, freestyle, strapless or wave! Lassarga is the ideal place for all levels.

ALL RIDES Kitesurf, windsurf, surf, paddle, foil, wing foil. Choose your ride each day depending on the conditions, and maybe try something new!

booking : oceanvagabond.com

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BIG PICTURE

If you had to provide a textbook example of how to ‘grow’ a brand then Eleveight would be it. Their focus has been on letting their products do the talking and on curating a solid line up that meets the needs of the kiteboarding masses... We caught up with Rob Bratz, Eleveight’s Marketing Manager, to find out what’s on offer and how things are going as they approach their third birthday.

F O R A N YO N E N OT FA M I L I A R W I T H T H E B R A N D A N D T H E B AC KS TO R Y – W H E N A N D W H Y WA S E L E V E I G H T E S TA B L I S H E D ?

The idea for a new brand was in our minds for a long time. But at the beginning of 2017, we put more thought into the idea and realized that we had a real opportunity to form Eleveight. This first year was very intense but we managed to release our first product range in August that same year. C A N YO U TA K E U S T H R O U G H T H E K E Y P L AY E R S W H O B E G A N A N D H AV E D E V E LO P E D T H E B R A N D ?

In the beginning we were a very small core team of four founders who had known each other for a long time. We all worked in the industry before and had an extensive knowledge about different working areas in our industry. We also had a very loyal and passion-driven network, right from the beginning, which helped develop the brand in the right direction. Without all this commitment and feedback from our partners, we would not be the company which we are right now. A N D W H AT WA S YO U R P H I LO S O P H Y A N D ‘ M AG I C F O R M U L A’ F O R BEGINNING A NEW BRAND?

I think our ‘magic formula’ was the mix of experience, hard work and sharing the same vision about Eleveight. We wanted to create a brand which reflects kiteboarding in the way we see and live it.

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YO U B E G A N W I T H A S M A L L ‘ C O R E ’ K I T E L I N E U P – C A N YO U TA K E U S T H R O U G H T H E S E K I T E S A N D T H E N T H R O U G H W H AT H A S B E E N A D D E D I N S I N C E T H AT F I R S T Y E A R ?

In August 2017 we released a kite range with four different models and one bar. Our aim was to cover all different disciplines in the sport and deliver specific high-performance products for each segment. For the freeride segment we developed our RS kite which stands for cRoss over Series. The RS is our most versatile kite in the line-up and performs well in all disciplines and conditions. The FS is our Freestyle/Freeride Series. The FS is a classic 5-strut open-C design with an explosive lift and great for hooked or unhooked freestyle tricks. I think you guys had a lot of fun with this kite in the last Ultimate Test! We were very proud that the FS won in its category as the best freestyle kite. The W Series reflects our long journey and the search for the perfect wave kite. We wanted to create a kite with a direct turn and stable downwind drift. The WS is also a great light wind kite which is used by a lot of foil riders. The PS is our Progression Series which is the #1 kite for our schools. The PS is easily controllable with an excellent power distribution. The kite also has a heavy-duty construction with strong reinforcements in all key areas. Last year we added our One Strut kite into our line up (OS). We could see the rapid development of the foil market and wanted to develop a product which fits all the needs of this segment. The OS is the lightest kite in our line up and has an outstanding stability in light winds.

Currently we are working on our 2021 range with a lot of incremental improvements in design and material. Our slogan “development never stops” is a key force for our R&D team. Peter Stiewe – one of the founders and the head designer – will always challenge the status quo for all our products. He has been working on a new model for our 2021 kite range, but I cannot tell you too much now, apart from that it will be a very ‘extreme’ kite.

Our team guys love this board for going BIG! Specific to the Commander is the multi-channel design for ultimate grip and pop. Then the Ignition is our progressive freeride twintip with excellent lightwind performance. Franz is currently in South Africa testing the new 2021 TT range. I can’t tell you too much but our new TT line up will be a real cracker and we are looking forward to releasing these new boards in June this year.

A N D YO U R T W I N T I P S . W H AT I S O N O F F E R H E R E A N D W H AT ’ S ‘ S P E C I A L’ A B O U T A N E L E V E I G H T T W I N N I E ?

A N D YO U R S U R F B OA R D S – T H E S E LO O K V E R Y I M P R E S S I V E ! W H E R E D O YO U WO R K O N T H E R & D F O R T H E S E , A N D C A N YO U TA K E U S T H R O U G H T H E C O N S T R U C T I O N A N D W H E R E T H E S E A R E B U I LT ?

At Eleveight we believe in performance products and we wanted to make sure that our TT range reflects the latest innovations and trends in the market. For this reason, we worked together with Franz Schitzhofer, a well-known institution in TT development. For our TT range we also aim to cover all different riding styles with products which are developed and made for these segments. The Process was the first board back in 2017. It is a classic freeride board with a well-balanced flex and suitable for all conditions. We deliver the Process with our high quality Airgo pads and strap combo to ensure a comfortable ride. Then we have the Master which is our step-up board and is more oriented towards the freeride/freestyle rider. We also offer the Master in a Carbon version with reduced weight and different flex patterns. Next up we have the Commander which is our high-performance freestyle TT.

The surfboard range is a very personal topic for us. We are all very ambitious wave riders and each detail of this range has been discussed with plenty of passion. Our Pro series is built in Portugal, next to our home spot. That makes our R&D process very reactive, and we can implement ideas very quickly. Our Pro series consist of two boards. The Curl Pro is a classic down-the-line board which is made for kite-powered riding, then we have the Escape Pro which is a no-nose shape for strapless freestyle and surf. We tried to make the board very versatile so it can be used in different conditions. Both models are hand shaped with our surf-specific CFT (Carbon Flex Technology) construction. Our aim was to build a kitesurf board which has a char-

ELEVEIGHT

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C A R VA I R

IGNITION

HCS 150

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THE BIG PICTURE

COMMANDER

MASTER CARBON 3D

HCS+ 150

PROCESS

MASTER V2 3D

C S VA R Y B A R

CURL ASIA

CURL PT

“

Peter Stiewe – one of the founders and the head designer – will always challenge the status quo for all our products. He has been working on a new model for our 2021 kite range

E S C A P E A S I A PA D S

ESCAPE PT

RSV3

WSV3

FSV3

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acteristic surfboard feeling but has an enhanced construction for the demands of kitesurfing. Last year we also introduced a new construction technique. The Escape and Curl are also available in a lighter and extra durable Composite Vacuum Sandwich Construction (CVC). These boards feature an EPS core, a wood compression deck skin and a full layer of carbon. A lot of thought went into this construction and we are very happy with the outcome! A N D T H IS Y E A R YO U HAV E RELEASED A FOI L LI NE UP – I GU E SS YO U N OW HAVE A F E W YEARS OF FOI L EVOLUTI ON TO WOR K W I T H S O HAVE B E E N A B LE TO PRODUCE A GREAT FOI L FROM T HE G E T- G O. W HO IS THE FOI L AI MED AT AND CAN YOU TALK U S T HR O U GH W HAT YO U HAVE ON OFFER?

We developed our foil range with the aim to offer a freeride set up with very versatile performance. The HCS (Hydrofoil Carve Series) is targeted more towards the freeride market with a very dynamic and agile foil set up. HCS+ is a progressive freeride foil with an intuitive and very accessible performance dynamic. Then the Carvair is the ultimate control station for our HCS and HCS+ foil wings. It is a very stiff, low volume board with a very direct board feedback. W H O I S O N THE E L E VE IGHT TEAM, AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOK ING F O R I N A TE A M R IDE R ?

Eleveight supports a small global team which reflects all the different styles in our sport. We believe it is important to support young riders to push the limits in our sport and create a contest environment which showcases the highest level of performance. In a team rider, we are looking for someone who fits our company values and can grow long term with Eleveight. As a self-funded company, it is very important for us to work with the right people who have a similar mindset and vision about our sport. At Eleveight we act as a family and the team riders/ambassadors play an important role in the development and feedback process. S O – A FE W Y E A R S IN TO A NEW BRAND – HAVE YOU BEEN P L EAS E D W ITH HOW THE BRAND HAS GROWN AND I S THERE ANYT HI N G YO U WO ULD C HA NGE ABOUT YOUR APPROACH?

I think we had a pretty good run so far. The first few years of Eleveight has been extremely exciting. The positive feedback from the kite community has

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“

We had a very loyal and passion-driven network from the beginning which has helped develop the brand

been overwhelming. All this trust and positive response from customers and partners has been a great motivation for our development and operation. We have managed to establish Eleveight as one of the main brands in our industry and that makes us very proud. AND LOOK ING F ORWARD – WH AT ’S NE X T F OR T H E B RAND? D O WE H AV E S OME E XC IT ING P RODU C TS TO LOOK F ORWARD TO FO R 2 02 1 ?

As I said – Development Never Stops! Eleveight will further increase the product portfolio in 2021, we have good ideas that now we need to put into reality. These include more kites, wings, foils and other items. But sorry, we can’t tell you too much, but – rest assured – development is in full swing… ■

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CORE Section 3 WAV E K ITE

DEPOWER

LOW END

DRIFT

TURNING SPEED

ACCESSIBILITY

It’s the third iteration of the CORE Section now, and they’ve really built some pedigree into the latest model. The Section fits into CORE’s discipline-specific range, and is aimed as a pure wave kite. For V3 the bridle has had a good trim down, and is now very compact. There are also additional tuning options with the addition of the CIT modes enabling better tuning for onshore and offshore conditions. We had a good play with these and, although the adjustments appear quite minute on the leading edge and bridle, it has quite an effect on where the kite wants to sit in the window and handles. If you like to trim your kites this is brilliant as you will glean some positive performance using these, conversely if you like your kite to just work without tinkering simply leave it in the all-around central setting and the kite performs well in all situations in any case. Three steering speed settings are built into the wingtips for the usual adjustments there. We had the opportunity to take the kite out in a whole host of conditions from heavy double over head side-off through to crumbly onshore UK conditions to give it a very real-world test, as well as a smidgen of foiling for good measure. From a practical perspective, the kite drives upwind well, is rapid to reverse launch in a hurry, and the top end on our 8m test kite extended further than most, and felt reassuringly obedient when it should have been way out of its comfort zone. Handling wise, the Section feels instantly perky and alert, and probably sits smack in the middle of wave kite turning speeds across the major brands. It’s quick enough without being twitchy, and the feedback universally across the CORE brand is pleasantly smooth. Unlike some faster turning wave kites, it doesn’t fly out of window and front stall, it seems to sit in a very comfortable ‘happy place’ position in the window. The airframe is rock solid and handles gusts with poise, and no hint of deform when other models are hopping about. When it’s onshore and you need to throw the Section around, there’s a noticeably reliable climb without too much pow-

er when you sheet out after a bottom turn, and there’s no unmanageable power spike whipping across the window, even when slightly overpowered. In onshore when the kite does luff on slack lines, it does so predictably, remaining balanced and point blank refuses to tip out on you. When the conditions line up and things go clean and side shore, the drift attributes really shine. The Section has excellent balanced drift and remains steerable on slack lines. It seems to hold good tension in steering lines enabling pivotal and fast turns with a solid feeling. This allows you to position yourself freely on the wave. It has enough power dump and gust absorption to deal with some inconsistent European wind conditions and overall the Section feels light, athletic and reassuring. The power development on the bar sheet is impressive and can dig you out of trouble instead of leaving you engulfed and flailing in a wall of white water. If you need to make a hasty exit in sketchy wind, it performs. What’s most evident with the Section 3 is the consistent and smooth power delivery, and highly accurate and easy-to-get-to-know sheeting response on the bar. It’s an exercise in temperament and an exceptional, focused product for hooked-in wave attack. IN A SENTENCE: A well-considered tune up of an excellent wave kite – whether you are riding prime or sloppy conditions, the Section will ensure you get the very most out of every session…

Naish Hero POP

LANDING

COMFORT

EDGING

ACCESSIBILITY

Naish’s entry all-round freeride board has been given a complete redesign and turns its focus towards longevity of use for the beginner to intermediate rider. This is no longer a one season board that a progressing rider will quickly outgrow, instead it has become a contender for the first time buyer wanting a board they can enjoy and develop their skills with through their first couple of years of riding whilst ensuring they won’t get bored. The board features centered inserts so you can extend the usage and TPU rails for increased durability so would also be a solid choice for schools looking to maximize the use of their gear. For the beginner who has not yet succeeded in mastering long runs upwind, the 2020 Hero’s slightly more advanced shaping creates more of a challenge than its predecessor but for a confident rider it will ensure that their riding develops more quickly. The new Hero now has a fun and playful freeride rocker (the same as the Motion) which is immediately evident on the water and allows the board to cruise and carve around in chop and small waves. A broader tip outline has been added to ensure the beginner rider still has a forgiving platform for them to overcome any instability they may have as they develop their technique. Additionally, a single concave has been added to improve the speed and efficiency that can be lost when increasing

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the rocker line. The Hero’s soft flex combined with a stepped rail ensures that they have plenty of grip and control as they learn to ride in choppy waters. Improving riders will appreciate the smooth grip, light handling and flex that’s comfortable without overly dampening the feel of the ride. Bigger entry-level riders may prefer a flatter, stiffer board to better cover them for basic get up and go in lighter winds but, if you’re after a progressive board at an affordable price point, the Hero’s playful, simple design can support your riding for many years. IN A SENTENCE: The Hero manages to tick a lot of boxes and capably bridges the gap between beginner/ school and progression – it’s great to see a brand putting a lot of thought into this sector of the market.

2020

SAVE THE DATE RYA RACING

EVENTS BKC HAYLING

[JUNE 20/21]

BKC SKEGNESS

[JULY 25/26]

BKC RAMSGATE

[AUG 29/30]

EDGE CUP

[SEPT 12/13]

BKSA WAVEMASTERS

[OCT 4-9]

SPRING NATIONAL RANKER [FEB 20/21] YOUTH NATIONALS

[APRIL 4-8]

AUTUMN NATIONAL RANKER 1 [OCT 24/25] AUTUMN NATIONAL RANKER 2 [OCT 31/NOV 1]

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Slingshot Ghost S I N G L E STR UT K ITE

RELAUNCH

TURNING SPEED

FOILING

FREERIDE

WAVE

Tony Logosz at Slingshot has been hydrofoil obsessed for many years, and produces an enormous range of cross discipline flying equipment in the Slingshot range, so it was only a matter of time before they decided to fill a little gap in their product range and released a foiling-specific inflatable kite in the form of the aptly named Ghost V1, a lightweight mono strut… From a construction and innovation perspective, the single strut is built into the canopy with the Slingshot trademark split strut which firmly integrates the strut into the canopy and minimizes any flutter. The canopy is the same 4x4 canopy from Teijin which spans the whole range for 2020. Coming over from the popular SST, the IRS bungees in the bridle help smooth out and perk up the steering. The Ghost also borrows some tech from the new Raptor, with heavily segmented wingtips further stiffening the airframe and improving turning response. Above your head, you are immediately aware of how rounded and low aspect the Ghost is and how much static pull it can produce. Of course this makes perfect sense for a freeride foil kite, which doesn’t need to drive upwind as a primary focus, as the hydrofoil does all this for you, and this liberates the Ghost to attributes in other areas. On 20m lines the Ghost generates a positive little boost to get you going, then sits obediently lodged deep in the window producing a grunty and consistent power delivery. It sheds power fairly well on bar sheeting, but maintains that background pull essential for simplifying foiling maneuvers like tacks and foot transitions.

TOP END

On turning input, the Ghost shifts itself around the sky in a stately fashion for a mono strut design and this matches the pace of those long, drawn out foiling transitions where your bodyweight is supported throughout, much like with a soft kite. Heading downwind with the Ghost is really easy, as its lower aspect design make it very stable and controllable. Slingshot have released an extensive range of sizes f rom 2.5m to 17m. Whilst we tested the 8m, we’re intrigued as to how the smaller ones will work as there’s potential for some serious high wind reverse loop fun f rom a product that’s been developed in the Gorge and with the talented Fred Hope helping guide development. The Ghost takes a little practice to fly initially – much like a foil kite – but once you adjust your flying style to it, the performance differences over something more mainstream make sense, and it’s very rewarding eking out those hidden attributes. You have to remember it’s relatively hydrofoil focused, and it’s not trying to compromise itself too much as a crossover kite. It’s headed in a strong design direction, and f its its remit successfully. IN A SENTENCE: The Ghost is not your usual mono-strut kite, it is another innovative creation f rom Slingshot and - if foiling is your game - it is a great option.

RRD Poison LTD POP

LANDING

COMFORT

EDGING

ACCESSIBILITY

This year sees some changes in the RRD range, including to the most popular board in their lineup: The Poison. If ‘going big’ is your bag, then the Poison LTD is aimed firmly at you… The new shape sees it through a complete redesign of the board’s outline, base and top shaping. The outline is now relatively wide, with a slight taper inwards towards the tip, the thinking here being that more rail results in more speed and drive which results in – you’ve guessed it – more hangtime. For this purpose, it works very well. For reaching WOO challenging heights with a good vertical takeoff, the strong yet slim tapered rail cuts well into the water allowing you to really push against the kite. Then the staged rocker provides excellent upwind performance as well as enabling you to really push your kite to the edge of the window on takeoff, resulting in a vertical pop. You need to really send the kite hard to capitalize on this but if you want to get some Big Air then you know that’s the plan. For freestylers who want unhooked performance and more of a focus on ‘pop’ you can head for the Juice. The base of the Poison LTD now has a triple stepped channel through the central section of the board on each rail. This runs into a flat section through the rest of the board and the triple channels combined with the flat midsection of the board create a very locked-in feel and, when touching down, it bites into the water straight away which is pretty

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reassuring although you need to have your landings on point to capitalize on this. Once you are tuned in to the Poison LTD it is a very rewarding board to ride and for us we would say that performance has definitely increased, but this is now very much a Big Air focused board, so its range of uses is more limited, and if you’re looking for more comfort and a more allround freeride vibe then the Bliss may be for you. IN A SENTENCE: The Poison LTD is quite simply a boosting machine – it holds an edge for as long as you want it to and you can load and load and load and then send your kite for a truly orbital experience.

JOIN THE GOOD WAY

A founder and family-run business that is not ruled by investors. We provide European handicraft and not the Asian or American mass production. We develop jointly with our dealers, team riders and end users, not just product managers. We guarantee durable premium products instead of simple and cheap disposable goods. Our motto is more fun through strong performance, instead of more sales through low prices. We prefer timeless wood designs that have already won 5 design awards, rather than short-lived trends. When we started 10 years ago, we only had long and hard boards. Now we offer boards for kids, teenagers, women and men. We focus on sustainable and healthy growth rather than on overproduction with profit optimization. We do big tours for testing with competent consultancy on 180 days per annum, instead of expensive advertising with lots of marketing promises. Sold only through selected, ownermanaged stores and not with stock-listed chains or also through our own online shop. True ecological and social commitment, not just glossy numbers for investors.

WAKEBOARD FLY The FLY is a board for demanding wakeboarders. In the Flex we combine a harder middle part with softer Tip & Tail, the edges are sharper, the underwater ship has 8 channels and the surface is 3D shaped.

goodboards Schulstraße 18 D – 86938 Schondorf am Ammersee T +49 8192-9968616 info@goodboards.eu www.goodboards.eu

SNOWBOARD WOODEN The WOODEN is not for nothing our most sold board. The optics with red-core ash in the topsheet make it unmistakable and unique. With the incomparable performance and precision, you will have the Ride of your life with the WOODEN. For this we combine two types of wood as core, triaxial glass, basalt and carbon-kevlar power stringers. The WOODEN is an all-mountain board and is available in 4 widths between 253 and 286 mm and in the lengths 156M, 159M, 162W, 163XW, 167XXW.

KITEBOARD SNAKE Nature is the best role model in terms of construction and aerodynamics. The humpback whale can glide through the water faster and better than any other whale due to its tubercles on its fins and tail. This is the basis for our GOODkiteboard SNAKE with its anti-chop technology. In fluid mechanics, fluid dynamics tests have shown that the humpback whale’s tubercles reduce water resistance but at the same time increase lift. For our SNAKE with its wavy outline, this means that the flow between these waves is channeled and does not stop. The current always stays on the board and helps to maintain or increase the buoyancy on the waves and thereby makes it smoother. Smooth edges are therefore not perfect and that is why the SNAKE offers the following advantages! Less stress on the knee load Longer kite sessions Easier turning and upwind Less splashing water Lightweight 137 cm 2,5 kg, 141 cm 2,6 kg Unique look 157

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Duotone Pro Fish BUILD QUALITY

ONSHORE

DOWNTHE-LINE

WEIGHT

UPWIND

There’s no disputing who is top of the tree when it comes to riding waves with a surfboard: Duotone have dominated the GKA wave tour for the last few years, so it is no surprise that they take their surfboard line up more seriously than most. There have been some tweaks to the lineup, but the core range of boards (WAM, Whip and Session) have been at the heart of it for several seasons now. So, when we got to check out the new lineup, we were pretty surprised to see an all new addition… The Pro Fish shakes things up and promised to inject some more ‘fun’ into your session. Mirroring the surf world, the Pro Surf acknowledges that volume is your friend if you are riding in subprime conditions and also – specifically to kites – if you want to get going in lighter wind, or if you want to drop a kite size compared to your pals. So the largest of the Pro Fish models packs 29.5 liters into its 5’5 (which is over 3 liters more than the 5’11 Pro Session!). The outline has a full nose and a wide tail which is where the extra foam is distributed, then the Pro Fish has relatively narrow rails which come into a ‘grab rail’ before stepping up into the center of the board, enabling some more foam to be tucked away here. The entry point is wide and the tail provides plenty of width and volume to enable you to maintain momentum even when the wind or the wave runs out of steam. On the water and the Pro Fish takes you back to the days before decent wave-specific kiteboards, where you either had the option of riding an insanely heavy kiteboard or of using a lighter but more voluminous surfboard and hoping you wouldn’t snap it on your first session. The extra volume enables you to get up and riding and to power around with-

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out being overly dependent on the kite – as soon as you’re up you have plenty of momentum and float and can focus on spotting sections to destroy. The thruster set up enables you to carve the Pro Fish around and then drive off the bottom and into a section and – whereas more ‘performance’ oriented surfboards would see you get bogged down – the Pro Fish keeps floating and maintains speed through even the sloppiest of sections. It really is a super fun and forgiving board to ride and can hold an edge in more challenging conditions, although the ethos of the Pro Fish is definitely around smaller onshore days when you just want to get out and not have to work too hard for your waveriding rewards. IN A SENTENCE: In a world where there are 101 different options for twintips, it’s great to see Duotone bringing that approach to their surfboards and producing a board that really does offer something completely different…

T H E U LT I M AT E LU X U RY K I T E S U R F HOL I DAY in La Tour d'Eole, Dakhla

Visit La Tour d’Eole - a beauuful eco lodge and the best camp in Dakhla by far!

A superb ﬂat water kitesurf spot right outside your door, in a beauuful natural surrounding.

Simple, yet stunning bungalows, luxury bedding, reened cuisine and an innnity pool.

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What is true sustainability? WI T H S E NS I GRAV E S

Eco-friendly, sustainable, green, recycled, ethical – these terms are commonly thrown around by brands without much implication or accountability as to what they actually mean. Recently, I ordered a salad from a take-out bar. As I sat down to eat, I looked at the box it came in. It was called an “eco-box”, and it was brown, which upon first impression had made me feel ok with it. It was eco! All good. But upon closer inspection, the fine print on the bottom read “made from 20% post-consumer cardboard”. Only 20%?! Plus, that box couldn’t be recycled due to the plastic lining that almost all cardboard food containers utilize to protect against leaks, etc. This box wasn’t so “eco” after all… As consumers, we’re shouldered with the burden of choosing better products and better brands. It’s our responsibility, we’re taught, to look at what we’re buying, evaluate them for sustainability, ethical manufacturing and quality, and make appropriate choices that align with our values. But in today’s fast paced and consumer-driven world, too many choices and too many brands lead to a paralysis of buying, and we continue to stick with what we know (or simply choose the brown eco-box, without much further investigation). As a consumer and as a founder of an apparel brand, I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with the various methods of “green-washing” that are happening today or, put another way, brands and products claiming to be eco-friendly and sustainable without any real commitment to our planet. Customer confusion is high. What is a well-intentioned buyer supposed to do? I believe that brands need to step up.

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Last year I transitioned my brand, Sensi Graves Bikinis, to utilize only recycled fabrics. We had dabbled with recycled fabrics in the past but high minimums and a lack of quality prevented us from committing to using only recycled materials. But finally, last year, I had had enough. I wanted to build a truly sustainable brand or at least work toward that definition. Yet the biggest problem I’ve found in doing so is that we don’t have a true definition of what “sustainable” is, and the result is that customers end up being confused or feeling like they’re choosing better, when in reality, they’re not. As a manufacturer, I’ve always been concerned with what we’re producing. As a brand, it’s our goal to sell product. More sales equals more growth equals more money equals more jobs equals more product. It’s a never ending cycle of always pushing for more. But with each production cycle that we went through, I couldn’t help but become increasingly overwhelmed with the amount of waste

created, and increasingly anxious about the never ending cycle of creating, buying, selling, consuming and eventually dumping into landfills. The problem is, the fashion and apparel industries have enormous impacts on our planet. And currently, we aren’t paying much attention to them. Fast fashion is the world’s second largest polluter behind oil. And the fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global carbon emissions. That’s more emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Additionally, the fashion industry is the second biggest consumer of water worldwide. It takes about 700 gallons of water to produce one cotton t-shirt. That’s enough water for one person to drink eight cups per day for three and a half years. We’re over here worried about eating almonds, meanwhile we’re not even thinking about the clothes we buy.

slap an “eco” tag on our products and feel content that we are making a difference. Brands need to step up. We can’t rely on customers to push for change (although we should all be lobbying for increased transparency and eco-practices), but must take responsibility for our personal impacts that we have as brands and manufacturers. Today, my brand is made entirely in the United States from recycled plastic bottles and reclaimed fishing nets. We use all organic cotton hang tags, all certified back-yard compostable poly bags, and compostable shipping bags. We donate 1% of our sales to environmental groups and offset all of the carbon that we produce as a brand. Each year, we evaluate a part of the production process to see where we can use less, reduce waste or improve our process. Are

Finally, millions of tons of synthetic microfibers are released into the ocean each year. And we’re not slowing down – clothing production has roughly doubled since 2000. Doubled. We’re buying more and more and more and we aren’t thinking twice about it. As a professional kiteboarder, I’ve been lucky enough to travel around the world to many gorgeous locations, tropical destinations and incredibly diverse landscapes. The personal impact of this prolific travel has been twofold. Firstly, it has made me incredibly passionate about protecting our planet. I strive to live in harmony with nature so as to continue to see and experience everything our immensely beautiful and diverse world has to offer. And secondly, it has opened my eyes to the absurd and unthinkable pollution and waste that is happening worldwide. There isn’t much that’s more impactful than kiteboarding along a beautiful coastline only to ride up to the beach and find that it’s covered in microplastics. The challenge is that consumerism isn’t going anywhere. We will continue to need clothing, food, shelter and bikinis. People will continue to buy. Which is why, when evaluating my business, I didn’t think that just throwing in the towel would be effective. I didn’t think that stopping manufacturing was truly the best way to make an impact. Bikini brands would continue to exist, whether or not we participated as one. But with our small platform as a brand, we could have impact by promoting conscious consumerism, setting a goal of becoming truly sustainable and committing to transparency and ethical manufacturing within our business. Therefore, it’s my belief that it’s not only consumers’ job to buy less and buy better, but that it’s the brands’ job and the manufacturers’ job to commit to working toward true sustainability and a circular economy. We can no longer

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we truly sustainable? No. Our suits still shed micro-fibers, we throw away the off cuts from our fabric (the leftovers from when we cut out the suits) and we use bra cups made from synthetic materials (oil). We call ourselves a “sustainable” swimwear brand, despite not really being one. As the truest definition of sustainable is “capable of being sustained”, and right now, we utilize virgin materials and don’t have an end of life cycle game plan for our swimwear (they

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go into landfills). And yet we are committed to transparency and increasing our sustainability year over year. We’re committed to becoming better, every single day. We’re committed to going on a kite trip and experiencing pristine beaches for years to come. It’s our job and our responsibility to make sure that happens. And rest assured: I’ll be working on it. ■

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