TheKiteMag #38 Free Digital

Emergency Stop J ALOU PUT S T HE BR AK ES O N

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Y O U R I Z O O N R EF L EC TS

| Airush Lift |

A Change of Tack P O RTUGUESE EXP LO RATI O N

| CrazyFly Pure | | WOO | KT Surfboards | £5.10

I S S U E

The Comeback Kid

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P IVOT

Unrivaled in terms of performance and versatility, the Pivot is the perfect choice if you want a kite that handles confidently in strong winds, has responsive wave riding performance and tight, pivoting turns.

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Inspired by Naish’s own KOTA riders, this year’s Pivot has an all-new bridle adjustment system - giving your kite even more range so you can ride with confidence and ease in the most extreme conditions. Also ideal for strapless wave riders who don’t need a super strong pull, Naish’s flagship kite - the Pivot - continues to lead the charge in innovation and performance.

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Learn more at SLINGSHOTSPORTS.COM Learn more at SLINGSHOTSPORTS.COM 9

CONTENTS THE FEATURES 100 // Emergency Stop Jalou Langeree probably clocks up more air miles in a year than most of us do in a decade… Such is the life of a legendary pro kiter. So when suddenly the traveling merry-go-round comes to an abrupt halt, it’s time to recalibrate…

110 // The Comeback Kid For many, many years if you thought ‘powered wakestyle’, you thought ‘Youri Zoon’. The world of competition freestyle would look very different were it not for Youri’s contribution for over a decade on tour.

Photographer Andre Magarao is a good friend who has also documented his career through the medium of Brazillian lagoons. He sat down with the man himself and asked the questions…

120 // A Change of Tack Christophe Tack and Helena Brochocka made Portugal their permanent home a year or so back. They had spent some time exploring close to home in between travels but have now had a chance to really check out what they have on offer in their backyard. Aside from the joys of a decent coffee and a pastel de nata of course…

126 // Kite Schooled School. You either loved it or hated it, but generally speaking you were pretty stoked when term finished and you got to enjoy the school holidays for a few weeks. Imagine flipping things around so school is where the fun (kiting) is at and heading home becomes a bit of a downer. Welcome to the World Class Kite Academy.

THE REGULARS 35 // Tangled Lines Legends… Till Eberle 40 // On The List… Family Fun 44 // I’m On It… Manuel Selman 46 // My Beach… Alina Kornelli 54 // The Mission… Tom Court and Patri McLaughlin 70 // The Creators… Abel Lago and Werther Castelletti 76 // Profile… Nick Jacobsen and a crane 82 // Gallery… Tunnel Vision with Keahi 136 // Technique… 319 with Liam Whaley 138 // Tell Me About It… KT Surfboards | Airush Lift | CrazyFly Pure | WOO 166 // Reflections… Jesse Richman COVER

Here’s Tarifa at its most majestic. Perfect light, perfect kickers, perfect backdrop. And Kiko Roig Torres just having a whole lot of fun…

Photo: Sam Cardenas HERE

So nothing too fancy here, just the kind of shot that perfectly showcases the miracle of kitesurfing… The kind of shot that just sucks you in and gets you checking out the little details. Oswald Smith showcasing the other side of Indo with no dry reefs in sight…

Photo: Sam Cardenas

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Welcome Strange Times (!)

I know, it has become a pretty massive cliché now: Strange Times. But, you know, they are. Last issue we put together in the middle of lockdown. It was a ‘digital only’ issue, as everyone was stuck in their houses and we were working out what we could do to help keep you guys entertained during the ‘new normal’ (another Covid cliché, sorry!).

We actually doubled down on the digital side during lockdown and in fact spent more time working with lots of fun stuff going down on Instagram and across the website, and hopefully – if you’re into the whole social media thing (I think it’s going to get quite popular) – you saw plenty from us to help you to pass the hours until it was a respectable time to have that first drink…

We kept last issue pretty ‘global pandemic free’ and we have tried not to make it too much of a focus in this issue too. You kite to escape and to enjoy the moment, right? So you don’t want to be flicking through the mag and getting more of the same information and reflections that you are getting everywhere else… However, when we began this issue and started talking to riders and brands it quickly became clear that you can’t talk about much nowadays without it being in the context of Covid. So you’ll find that it gets a few mentions, but hopefully what you hear from professional riders about the experience of lockdown and the excitement of those first sessions mirrors your own. We are all very much in this together.

In terms of what it means for the brands? Well the brands that we are in touch with tell us that things – unsurprisingly – ground to an immediate halt so they were into full PANIC MODE, but that they have then been very pleasantly surprised with how quickly things have picked up since people have been getting back on the water. In fact, there have been plenty of distributors frantically scratching around to source more gear as the demand has been so high. Which is good news for all of us in the big scheme of things…

On a practical level, equipment releases have, generally, been delayed which means that the usual June-August splurge of new gear will not happen, and we can expect to see more releases into autumn and the early part of 2021. Because of this, our Ultimate Test will now be released next spring to ensure that we can snaffle up as much new gear as possible but – rest assured – we will be on the case and the next Ultimate Test promises to be the biggest yet.

Global pandemics aside, the other big news in the world of kitesurfing is that from this issue we welcome Sarah Sylvester onto the editorial team. Sarah will be helping out across the magazine and has helped to put together a lot of the content for this one. A seasoned kiter and previous winner of the Wavemasters in the UK, Sarah has been kiting for 17 years and has traveled pretty much everywhere where there is kiteable wind. As our team here expands and we branch out into other projects, she’ll be keeping a closer eye on all things kitesurfing and ensuring that we continue to bring you the very best and brightest from our sport…

Enjoy the issue,

Alex

(and Sarah)

HERE

Manuel Selman breaking out from these ‘dark times’ and silhouetted against the early evening sky in Cabarete Photo: Carlos González

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HERE

Izzy von Zastrow letting her AXIS Tranq loose in Baja. Photo: Evan Mavridoglou

EDITOR Alex Hapgood

ART DIRECTOR Nikki Hall

A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R Sarah Sylvester

TECHNICAL EDITOR Richard Boughton ONLINE MEDIA MANAGER Gemma Hamaini D I G I TA L M A R K E T I N G To m W e y e r

CONTRIBUTORS Alex Schwarz, Andre Magarao, Beau Pilgrim, Carlos González, Daniel Folke, Dorothée Stanek, Douw Steyn, Francesco Leggio, Frankiebees, James Boulding, Jenna de Vries, John Bilderback, J u s t y n a S l o d y c z k a , K a d e n S p o n h a u e r, Kyle Cabano, Lukas Pitsch/proimagehub.ch, Marlena König / Lakeunited, Martin Caprile, Max Matissek, Nicola A b a d j i e v, P a u l K a r a o l i d e s , Re i n R i j ke , Richard Boughton, Sam Cardenas, S a m S c a d g e l l , S a m u e l To m é , S t u Gibson, Svetlana Romantsova, Thomas B u r b l i e s , To b y B r o m w i c h , Yd w e r v a n der Heide

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.

FIND US ON

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R ID E R O L IVIA JE N K IN S PHOTO F R A N K IE B E E S LOC AT IO N MAUI

OJ: This wave only breaks on Maui on a very specific swell direc-

tion and size. It breaks pretty far out to sea too, so it is difficult to see if it is any good from the beach without binoculars. Plus, if your kite crashes on a wave out here, it is a very long self-rescue or swim back to shore. I have had a love/hate relationship with this wave for the past few years. It is difficult to be in the perfect spot because it’s a pretty hard wave to read. But when you are in the spot, it lines up for a perfect barrel.

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RI DE R JOS H UA E MANU E L P H OTO T H OMAS B U RB L IE S LOC AT I ON MIST Y C L IF F S , SA

JE: Misty cliffs for me is always a spot that can be a hit and miss.

Only a handful of times have I scored this spot when it’s on. And this was one of those days: fully lit up on a 8m and solid kickers to send you into orbit. The new GTS6 is absolutely insane and has control and power mixed together in the perfect formula. With this kite it’s always onwards and upwards.

FOCUS

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R ID E R JE R O M E C LO E TE N S PHOTO SA M C A R DE N AS LOC AT IO N TA R IFA

JC: This was a Poniente day at my favorite spot, “Playa de Val-

devaqueros”, my homespot. The spot is walking distance from my house, so I tend to bring my dogs with me and ride till sunset! This photo with this background is basically the best representation of how I grew up. Riding all day in front of my house with my crew.

It’s summertime!

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RI DE R F RE D H OP E P H OTO KADE N S P ONH AU E R LOC AT I ON T H E GORGE

TKM: Mighty exciting times once again as Slingshot unleash another eyebrow-raising product. The new UFO is Slingshot’s allnew strutless kite aimed 100% at the foil market. Showcased with some insane foil wizardry by Fred Hope + Hat, the UFO is assured to get any foil obsessed kiter frothing…

FOCUS

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R ID E R KE LTO N LO P E Z PHOTO GA B R IE L E R UM B OLO LOC AT IO N C A P E VE R DE

TKM: If you want somewhere guaranteed to deliver the goods for

a waveriding shoot with the all-new 2021 kit, then Cape Verde is as close as you get to a ‘dead cert’. Here’s Kelton enjoying a spanking new board on a classic Cape Verdean day. Good work if you can get it…

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FOCUS

RIDER NICOL LO P ORC E L LO PHOTO PAU L K RAOL IDE S LOC AT I ON MAU I

NP: The spot is called Secrets, located on the north shore of Maui. It’s one of those fickle places where since it’s on the inside of an outer reef, the tide, direction, and size of the swell is sensitive. The reason why we go here is because we have this beautiful coconut palm tree in the background and there is very rarely anyone here. Now when you also have the best equipment in the game, and a photographer that has a big smile and is passionate about what he does, I always know we are bound to have a great day and get some good content.

FOCUS

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R ID E R A LE X R O HL PHOTO MA R L E N A KĂ– N IG LOC AT IO N SWITZE R L A N D

TKM: We had a few shots over from this session to choose from

but this one seems to perfectly encapsulate the joy of kiting. Alex Rohl getting his boost on, getting his legs in an Olympic pommelhorse-style position, and still having the presence of mind to pick out the photographer and get a smile-to-camera locked in. What a pro.

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FOCUS

RI DE R ALVA R O O N I E VA P H OTO SAM C A R D E N AS LOC ATI O N TA R I FA

AV: This was one of the last sessions I had before the world shut down. It was a strong Levante day. The wind was around 35 knots and there was almost no-one on the water. Balneario was empty so I decided to go out early. The first session wasn’t as good as I expected because the wind was pretty gusty and weird, then things changed in the afternoon and I had one of the best sessions of my life so far, with beautiful Tarifa in the background!

FOCUS

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R I D E R N ICO L A A B A DJIE V PHOTO R E D B UL L LO C AT IO N B ULG A R IA

NA: I set myself a challenge and ended up setting a new European

record for the distance traveled in one day. I waited for a suitable forecast for a long time and at the end of June I finally got what we were looking for. I started from Novo Selo (Vidin, Bulgaria) at 9am when the wind was still a bit light and unstable. My goal was to just keep going for as long as the conditions and my body allowed on my RRD kite and foil. At times I felt over or underpowered and I had some really hard moments and times where I felt exhausted, but I just wanted to keep on going and I ended up passing 322km and setting a new European record. What makes me happy most of all is the fact that I won the fight I was having with myself!

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RI DE R LU KAS H VO G E LTA N Z P H OTO AL EX S C H WA R Z LOC AT I O N ZA N ZI B A R

TKM: You’ve been riding all day in boardies in the African sun,

your legs are tired, your arms are burning, and you can’t get the smile off your face. As the sun drops down you know you’ve only got one more move left in you for the photographer who has been parked on the beach all day, so, what’s it gonna be? Yup, a nice silhouetted one-footer should do it! Job done Lukash, go grab a beer.

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RI DE R JE SS E R I C H M A N P H OTO Y DWE R VAN D E R H E I D E LOC AT I ON PH I LI PPI N E S

TKM: Well, you’ve got a whole lot of A1 content to get through this

issue so there’s no need to rush, but when you do get to the end of this issue you’ll find this guy, Jesse Richman, giving you something to think about when he signs off the mag with his Reflections… But for now, just appreciate the perfect poise on show here as he presses pause during North’s super productive Philippines shoot…

FOCUS

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R ID E R B R UC E K E SSLE R PHOTO LUKAS P ITSC H/P ROI MAGEHUB.CH LOC AT IO N SWITZE R L A N D

LP: It was Bruce and I’s plan to team up and create some cool

content together. As we live in different parts of Switzerland, we chose a lake located between the two of us, and just waited for a good forecast. It didn’t take too long and we got our two hour wind window to shoot with the drone, from land, and from the water.

We were pretty stoked with the results…

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RID E R RE E C E MY E RS COU GH P H OTO JAY WAL L AC E LOCATION NIMP K IS H L AK E , VANCOU V E R IS L AND

TKM: Canada is not a country renowned for producing top tier waveriders, so you may wonder how Reece Myerscough has become a serious contender on the GKA Kite-Surf tour… Well, firstly, he spends many hours working on his strapless freestyle in places like this, and secondly, don’t tell anyone, but there are plenty of pumping surf options if you know where to look…

FOCUS

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R ID E R MA R IO R O DWA L D PHOTO SA MUE L TO M É LOC AT IO N C A P E TOW N

MR: It’s rare to score a lonely freestyle session during high

season in Cape Town. However, this was one of those days where it all came together. A good friend and I drove the scenic road to Scarborough to find an empty beach with perfect kicker waves.

Scarborough is usually known as a wave spot and few people know about the flat water when it’s blowing from the northwest. Table Mountain blocks the rain clouds on the Western Cape and brings out the clear blue sky and constant breeze at the tip of the Cape.

Sam lives in one of the wooden houses up the hill and is one of the most talented watersports photographers in South Africa. Nobody swims around this raw playground with the dangerous rip currents more than him. He always gets the shot at his beach – especially on a day like this.

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Till Eberle

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This issue we catch up with Till Eberle, one of the hardest working guys in kitesurfing. CEO of Boards & More, Duotone’s parent company, he has overseen the exponential growth of kitesurfing’s mega brand over the last 20 years through ensuring that the brand is driven as much through a love of kiting as it is through focusing on the bottom line…

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Till Eberle SKY SOLBACH

What keeps you working in the water/wind industry, when – with your reputation – you could probably make more money in another industry?

I guess I could get another job as CEO in the sports industry, but whether this would result in more money, I don´t know.

More important for me is the amount of satisfaction I get out of my job, and this would be hard to top. I really like what I am doing!

AARON HADLOW

Do you take inspiration from other industries?

I believe it is really important to stay open-minded, even when in reality it is sometimes hard. I get a lot of inspiration from other sports industries like skiing, snowboarding or mountain biking. These sports have a similar customer group, therefore they give us good ideas for new technologies, product positioning and designs. At the same time, I also try to keep my eyes open to what the much bigger brands, like Amazon and Audi, are doing. It is interesting how these brands develop their emotional values and communities.

KEVIN LANGEREE

Photo: Toby Bromwich

Covid-19 is having a huge impact on the world. How do you see the kiting industry handling such a pandemic?

So far Covid has been a big rollercoaster for the industry. In the countries that had a hard lockdown, business went down to almost zero, as people were not allowed to go to the beach.

Once countries opened up again, business returned much faster than expected. Therefore, I believe, as long as people are allowed to go on the water, the industry will do okay.

Luckily the freedom of kiting is really important for our customers, especially in a crisis…

TKM

You have one of the biggest teams in the industry, why did you decide to have such a big crew of riders, and what value do your athletes bring to Duotone?

I am not sure if we have the biggest team! But I guess we had the most successful team last year with three world champions (Mika, Valentin and Airton) and therefore got a lot of visibility. Our goal is to be the leading brand – one part of this strategy is to have the most inspirational riders. Another aspect is that really experienced riders, like Aaron, are really important for our R&D process.

JULIA CASTRO

When I attend distributor meetings, they are so much fun, almost a family reunion! Distributors live and breathe the brand; they have true passion for it and the products. How do you build such a cool atmosphere and vibe within the Duotone ‘family’?

It´s not so difficult! The base is common passion for the sport, combined with fair and respectful business ethics, in good and bad times. Over time this has led to one big family, and just like in a family, we are not always of the same opinion.

But when things become tough, we stick together.

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TANGLED LINES LEGENDS

ALEX MAES

You have pulled one of the hardest moves in kiting history – changing the name of a long-established brand North Kiteboarding to Duotone Kiteboarding. Was this harder to achieve than you had expected?

The hardest part was to make the decision! Could we risk it, without ruining the company? Once this decision was made, all the team focused entirely on making it work. As soon as we introduced the brand to market, it was a big relief, because a very cool hype started immediately. Looking back, they were really exciting times, but also a huge amount of work for the team involved.

TKM

When you are not in the office, where do you like to be? And is it tough finding the right work/life balance when you are working across so many elements of the business?

My favorite kite spot is Mauritius, which is kind of far away from Munich… When I’m at home I really enjoy the mountains for freeriding, in summer and winter. To find the right work/life balance is still one of my weak points! Luckily part of my work is also R&D – this means I manage to sneak in some extra sessions.

SEBASTIAN RIBEIRO

What were your thoughts when you saw the Click Bar for the first time?

It was a game changer and I love to ride it!

Jerome, who invented it, gave us a really good prototype for testing. But even so, we discussed for quite a while whether we could handle this complexity in a serial product. It took us three years to get from a good prototype to serial production, but I am really happy that we went this way.

ill Eberle

JEREMIE TRONET

How do you find the motivation to keep pushing the brand forward and to choose the best products to develop?

I started my career as product developer and still love to play with new toys so that means that I am always interested in the products as much as anything else!

TKM

How hard is it to match the expectations of growth that come with managing a large corporation, with the desire to remain ‘true’ to the sport?

In our niche sports, you must be authentic to be successful. Naturally these small markets allow only limited growth, therefore it is also part of my job to be ‘true’ to my shareholders and tell them our growth limits – which is not always a popular discussion!

Photo: Toby Bromwich

COLLEEN CARROLL

You are leading a new sustainability initiative for Boards & More, why did you want to integrate this?

I simply want to do my part, albeit small, to keep our footprint on Mother Nature as low impact as possible.

LEWIS CRATHERN

Do you find it difficult to stop thinking about work while you are freeriding in your own time?

Yes. Usually when I kite, I find that I am thinking about what could be improved on the gear!

MAIN

Till in the field RIGH T TOP

Hanging out at the bar RIGH T B OT TOM

Mikaili Sol - one of Duotone’s smartest signings - grabbing a sunset session TILL EBERLE

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Till Eberle GABI STEINDL

If you could start your life all over again, what’s the one thing you would do differently?

In my early days I didn´t commit enough to my pro snowboard career. I still think about what I could have achieved if I had… In business I am quite happy with how everything went. Oh, hang on, I would never develop a licensed brand again!

JEROME CLOETENS

Being industry leader for so many years, where do you look for growth?

We try to do our part to develop the market further and attract new customers to the sport. That is the reason we work on kids’ camps, the academy, and with partners like Duotone Pro Centers and ION Club. On the other hand, we try to convince existing kiters currently with other brands, of the innovation, performance and quality of our products.

TKM

When riders begin with Duotone they usually stay with Duotone, and often move on to other roles within the company – is this something that you make them aware of when they sign with you?

Not directly! We try to keep talents and develop them further.

Even though kiting is not a big super-professional industry, it is hard to find the right people. We need someone who is a passionate kiter, a beach bum, with good education and manners, who is willing to work mainly far from the beach!

TOM COURT

How has the development of the equipment been linked to the progression of the team riders over the years?

This really depends on the style of riding. With better materials and a lot of experience, we are now able to design equipment that supports the team rider in progression. From a commercial point of view, that’s not always good! As a negative example, we have the Vegas – over the last few years, it has been optimized for the needs of the pro freestyle riders. Unfortunately, because the kite is now quite extreme, sales suffered. On the Neo we have achieved exactly the opposite – through the influence of the GKA wave freestyle tour, the range of use of the Neo became even bigger, which resulted in it becoming our best sold kite.

The common effect of both developments is that our know-how is constantly growing.

LASSE WALKER

As CEO you are in charge of all decision-making and must be faced with a lot of different opinions. How do you take everything into consideration and make the right choices?!

I now have over 20 years of experience in the industry, which helps me a lot to analyze and structure situations in a decision process. But it is also important to stay hungry, by which I mean to remain open to new ideas and to be willing to stray out of my comfort zone.

CRAIG CUNNINGHAM

The launch of Duotone Kiteboarding has really exceeded everybody’s expectations. What were the contributing factors to making it so successful from scratch?

In my view the key success factors are our customers, who showed trust in our products; our team who have worked really hard and stayed loyal to us (nobody left the company, even when given attractive offers); our strong partner network of shops and distributors who believed in us; and a good budget to communicate the new brand.

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TANGLED LINES LEGENDS

ARTEM GARASHCHENKO How did you get into kiteboarding?

I saw the first kiters in the late nineties in Maui. Seeing Robby and Max Bo flying around at Spreks really impressed me. As soon I got home, I got hold of a Naish 9m AR 3.5 and taught myself how to kite!

NOÈ FONT

What is it about the Duotone philosophy that makes it so different from the rest of the industry?

To be honest, I am not aware of the philosophy of our competitors. To guide our work, we have defined brand values.

I think our rational values (performance, quality, innovation, design) are quite similar to a lot of premium brands.

The main difference comes with our emotional brand values, which have the target to inspire, impress, excite and give reliability to our customer.

PHILIPP BECKER

If you could move the office to the beach, would you actually want to do it and if so, where would you go?

This isn’t fair, as Philipp works for us in Marketing and I think has a biased interest here! On the one hand, it would be great to be somewhere close to a good kite spot, especially when there are waves… But on the other hand, I really enjoy the mountains. So, Philipp, find me a spot with a nice beach, waves and wind, plus snowy mountains in the background, in an English or German speaking country with a good infrastructure. Then we can start talking!

Photo: Toby Bromwich

JAIME HERRAIZ

I have seen you grow from a quiet, sporty engineer, to commanding hordes of over-motivated soldiers and leading them onto the battle field with passion; watched you negotiate with the smallest supplier in a karaoke bar, to dealing with bank investments worth millions. You have come a long way and have taken us all on your journey. But I’ve never seen you more stoked than when we push your boundaries and get you in big surf – that is the kind of fuel you thrive on. What is your next adventure?

Jaime you tell me! You have the talent to always push me out of my comfort zone, whether on the water or by chasing the next trend in business, so you keep pushing me and keep pushing Duotone on! ■ M A IN

Valentin Rodriguez nosing his way into the twilight TO P R IGHT

Mikaili Sol making the most of the slick in Hatteras R IG HT TOP MI DDLE

Important board meeting R IG HT B OTTOM MI DDLE

Airton Cozzolino at the apex R IG HT B OTTOM

Aaron Hadlow strapping Valentin in TILL EBERLE

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Family Fun Soma Bay, Egypt a Ca pe Town, South Afric

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Union Island, Grenadine Sal, Ca pe Verde Dakhla, Morocco Le Morne, Mauritius

Col du Lautaret, France

P H O T O S M A X M AT I S S E K

Normally this section focuses on just one kite destination, but as 2020 seems to be the year for throwing the rules out the window, our Assistant and Technical Editors, Sarah Sylvester and Richard Boughton, have strayed from the script and tell us about visiting different kite spots since their son Charlie was born.

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ON THE LIST

LEFT

Charlie not yet ready to appreciate the finer points of Bruna Kajiya’s powered freestyle...

We met through kiting, a match made in WOO-certified 25m high heaven, and we spent the first few years of our relationship traveling the globe, with not a care in the world other than how to get away from the crowds. We taught kiting on four different continents, and traveled to dealer meetings, photo shoots, competitions, test events and trade shows, as well as the odd snowkiting holiday. We even gate-crashed our friends’ honeymoon in Morocco once, as the groom reported that wind conditions were fabulous. We would arrive last minute at airports with around 100kg of kite luggage, arrive at our destination with the same 100kg (miraculously haven’t lost a bag yet), strap it all to the roof of a

dodgy taxi, dump it in accommodation with varying degrees of luxury or lack thereof, and hunt out the nearest cocktail bar. But then Charlie came along (maybe the cocktails helped) and of course things had to change somewhat.

Some things haven’t changed – we still turn up with lots of luggage, except now, as well as a twintip, surfboard and foilboard in our oversize kite bags, we also usually have a car seat, buggy and nappies (we have never bothered with a travel cot as accommodation can provide this, or we’ve booked a triple room).

FAMILY FUN

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What has changed is that instead of rocking up to the airport last minute, we now allow three or even four hours for a more leisurely check-in experience, and to deal with those nappy disasters or breastfeeding. I think one of the most stressful experiences was having to breastfeed in a packed, raucous Thomas Cook queue – with that level of inefficiency at check-in, it is little wonder they went bust…

One of the biggest changes is having to take turns kiting while the other one is on child duty. This has inevitably meant shorter sessions, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing as we gently get a little older. Taking up foiling has been a massive benefit as it means even if the wind drops, we can still normally get out. We also now endeavor to book hotels right near the kite spot, which makes it easier to work around Charlie’s naps or allow him to escape Cape Town’s fierce winds! And on Union Island it meant one of us could do a 6am session while he was still asleep. All-inclusive hotels with kids’ clubs like in Le Morne will be great when he is old enough to attend them, and hotels with swimming pools and play areas have been a big draw. Kite Beach on Sal has a cute little children’s play area, thoughtfully set up by Mitu Monteiro, who also now has children.

Another change has been more of a focus on food. Whereas before we could kite till the sun went down before thinking about dinner, we now have to preplan and head to restaurants earlier, especially in Brazil, Cape Verde and Union Island where food can take an hour or more to arrive! There is nothing more terrifying than a toddler with a low blood sugar level, trust us on that one.

We have been drawn to hotels with all-inclusive buffets like in Soma Bay and Le Morne, where we know we can feed Charlie instantly, and we have learnt where the best pizza joints are. We also pack a lot of snacks.

Another readjustment was having to ramp up our packing skills. BC (before Cape Town

Charlie) we would throw some clothes into our board bags the day before our flight, whereas we now start packing several days ahead. We don’t take huge amounts of clothes but we do have to think about the weather a bit more – we don’t want a cold, crying toddler, or he is guaranteed to grow up hating the beach and become an ocean-phobic librarian. We turned up to Sal for the coldest week they have had in ten years – Mitu told us, so it must be true – and we were glad we had packed a few jumpers, and grateful that his restaurant at Kite Beach is out of the wind. Here, and in Dakhla and Cape Town, the evenings can be quite cool, so remember extra layers. We were in Le Morne in August, their windiest month, and actually had a couple of days of rain (the warm tropical type) so a thin raincoat came in handy. Right, enough of the weather talk (sorry for being so English).

We were never going to let having a child stop us traveling – yes it can certainly be challenging at times, especially when sleep-deprived, but Charlie has proved a resilient little fellow, and takes it all in his stride. He hasn’t even stopped us snowkiting. You might think kids, wind and blizzards would potentially be a bad combination, but we visited Col du Lautaret in March last year and had some memorably gorgeous weather. When the weather did turn bad, we could just slot Charlie in the car, as the kiting spot is right next to the car park. And he was soon placated with some uphill sledging behind his mum or dad - with a helmet of course!

So, if you have been living the nomadic kitesurf dream and then a cocktail night turns into a little bump, followed by a tiny person who sometimes screams for no apparent reason, don’t feel like you need to pull the plug completely when it comes to wind-oriented international travel. Sure, you will need to pre-plan a bit more, maybe rent the more grown-up and spacious hire car with airbags, and be a little more aware of your security, but we have had some of the most memorable trips of our kite careers so far with a kid in tow.

Cape Town

Union

Island

Egypt

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ON THE LIST

Cape Town

Le Morne

Cape Town

Mauritius

Getting There Most of the destinations we’ve been to were via direct flights which was easier than changing, although Charlie loved the little connecting flight to Union Island on a tiny Twin Otter plane.

In the Bag One tip – pack everything you might need to survive a couple of days if a bag gets delayed, like a small bottle of sunscreen, nappies and swimming things in hand luggage, so you don’t have to fork out for expensive resort items. And did I mention snacks? Don’t forget the snacks.

Staying There Soma Bay, Le Morne and Dakhla have all-inclusive hotels right on the kite spots. For Cape Town and Sal we booked an apartment online, and Col du Lautaret has a kid-friendly refuge hostel near the kite spot (Le Gite du Lautaret).

Rubber For all you shopping lovers, you now have a good excuse to research kids’ wetsuits and rash vests. No wetsuit needed in Soma Bay or Union Island, but you definitely need one in Cape Town, if you want any chance of getting your child (or yourself) in the 12-degree water.

Beer Definitely don’t drink more than three rum punches on Union Island – take it from me, you can’t look after a toddler if you’re still vomiting the next afternoon…

Most Likely to Hear Mummy, I’m hungry.

Least Likely To Hear Where’s the nearest nightclub?

FAMILY FUN

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SLINGSHOT MIXER

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BOARD DIMENSIONS: 5’8 x 19”3 x 2”3 // RIDER WEIGHT: 75kg // RIDER HEIGHT: 176cm 46

I’M ON IT

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P H OTO S C A R LO S G O N Z Á L E Z

Chilean-born Manuel Selman was already a surfing virtuoso, winning numerous competitions and accolades, years before he even picked up a kite. Is it any surprise then, that wave kiting came so naturally to him that he’s never really ridden a twintip? Plus, his current home in Cabarete provides the perfect conditions to hone his kite-powered lip smacks on his Slingshot Mixer…

I started kiting four years ago, but coming from a competitive surf-

ing background, I have been working with surfboards for 15 years. I have been on the Slingshot Foil team for a year and a half, and I am lucky and super appreciative to have signed with Slingshot Kites in January this year. My first session on the Mixer was in December (straight in at the deep end with some mega surf!), so I’ve been riding it for seven months now.

Previously I’d only ridden boards made by my surfboard sponsor

– most worked fine because they were similar to what I ride surfing. But it was hard for the company to understand that I didn’t care about weight; I just wanted a flatter rocker, and a stronger, heavier board. Performance-wise they were good, but they all got beat up, had crazy front foot dents, and cracked and buckled within 10 to 15 sessions.

The Mixer is my choice of board for how versatile it is; having a five-fin

option (either a quad set up or thruster) is a game changer to me – it is literally two boards in one. It is a small-wave fun-size board but has a double-winged rounded tail, and a deep bottom concave that makes it good for bigger surf. I like to ride a similar volume to my surfboards, and the Mixer 5’8 has half a liter less volume, so it’s perfect.

I would say kitesurfing has influenced my surfing way more than

foam core epoxy construction. It has no stringer but has carbon reinforcements in the tail, deck and bottom of the board. There’s a bamboo deck patch, foot strap inserts, and new corduroy textured front EVA pads which are super comfy.

the other way round. My legs are now stronger which has made my backside surfing better, I have learned to use the wind to my advantage, and I have got a much better awareness in the air. At the beginning, learning on a twintip, I felt like a real kook – four years later, I’m still a kook on a twintip! On my third session I jumped straight to the surfboard, and felt so much more comfortable.

The Mixer has a wider outline than most kite surfboards, with a

Learning to ride switch has been a fun process. We surfers have such a

The Mixer is the perfect combo of a strong and light board with EPS

wide nose and tail. What I find really smart is that Slingshot gave the rail outline tons of rocker compared to the center, so that allows you to go fast and not feel like you are pushing a lot of water. Then the curve on the rails allows you to have that top-to-bottom feel on the wave, with smooth transitions when going rail-to-rail.

one-stance muscle memory stuck in our brains. I still can’t do any tricks or turns on waves going regular (switch). Every time I try, I get hurt – I’m such a goofy footer.

Coming from a professional surfing background I definite-

mance, then strength and weight. I want a board to turn when I put it on the rail. The hardest combination to find is a board that holds through a fast bottom turn and then releases off the lip with control.

ly bring a different approach to waves. I am still learning my kite skills, but I try to use the kite as if I am doing tow-ins. I try to depower, let it drift and go top to bottom on the wave. It all depends on the conditions, but I try not to use the kite for power; whenever I do rely on the kite, I try to bring in long flowing lines and style to my approach.

The Mixer has 60/40 rails which is the most forgiving all-rounder rail

I normally ride the SST v5 which is such a versatile kite. I am mostly on

The most important characteristic for me is wave perfor-

you could ride. What’s interesting to me is that the bottom edge is more square than usual, which helps when grabbing the board, and the sharp edge from the tail goes almost halfway up the board, compared to a regular surfboard. Having that edge all the way up will help you go upwind, keep a clean line through chop, and the board won’t bounce as much.

The bottom of the board has an interesting quad concave. It’s a subtle

double channel and has deeper than normal concaves, which helps with the water flow under the board, and gives you that extra speed and hold.

The Mixer comes with FCS2 fins versa-fin configuration. I ride most-

ly in the quad setup because it helps me to go upwind, and in small waves it turns better and on a smaller radius. In comparison, the thruster setup gives you more down-the-line projection, longer bottom turns and more hold. I will ride it thruster when the surf gets bigger than head high, or when I am riding on a point break.

The first time I used the Mixer I was like a kid at Christmas trying my

new gear! Playa Encuentro had five to seven-foot faces and I rode some insane waves. I couldn’t believe how the board would attach to my feet in the air – I had never ridden a board like that before. I was on a quad setup but after a few waves I came in and changed to a tri-fin and I instantly felt like I had a different board under my feet. I’ll never forget that session!

waves, free riding or foiling, and the SST v5 is perfect for all that – it is super-responsive when sheeted out, drifts amazingly, and is tough and durable.

I love the Intuitive Response System bridles, and it is so easy to relaunch.

I love to work on prototypes and do R&D. I have done it with surf-

board brands but I haven’t had the chance yet with Slingshot. I actually handshaped and glassed a rear foil wing that I want the guys at Slingshot to try. I would love to work on a high-performance kite surfboard with them, and I would like to help develop a surf foil wing that pumps really well but at the same time feels maneuverable and surfy.

I definitely want to try the Sci-fly surfboard and practice my strap-

less freestyle, and I am really excited to try out their new kite, the UFO, a super-light kite with no struts.

The conditions here in Cabarete suit the Mixer perfectly. We have Pla-

ya Encuentro, a local surf beach with a reef break, with predominantly side shore and side onshore winds. Then we have Mañanero beachbreak, where it’s mostly straight onshore. We have big surf and less wind from October to March, then April to September we have fewer waves and great wind. When a swell comes around with wind, you will see me snapping out those rear quad fins and putting the back-thruster fin in – then I don’t need to change boards to suit different conditions, just the fins. ■ SLINGSHOT MIXER

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MY BEA C H

Walchensee B A VA R I A

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MY BEACH

When you think of iconic kitesurfing locations to produce professional kiters, there are a few places likely to spring to mind: Tarifa; Cape Town; Cape Verde. The Bavarian mountain lake of “Walchensee” would probably not figure on that list. Alina Kornelli takes us though her local spot where crowds are not an issue…

W H AT A R E YO UR F IR ST RECOLLECTI ONS OF THE BEACH?

When I was 11 years old, my dad often picked me up after school to drive to the beach at the lake to catch the thermal wind. At that time I was able to windsurf but I could only kitesurf going one way! So I went out with my windsurf gear and my dad with the kitesurf equipment. In the middle of the lake we would swap our equipment to come back in, so I kited left hand forward and windsurfed right hand forward until I learned how to kite going both ways!

S O YOU C A N R E ME MB E R THOSE FI RST SESSI ONS QUI TE CLEARLY ?

Yes I can. I remember how we drove up the mountain street to get to the lake and as soon as we saw the blue lake from above we were already checking to see if we could see some white caps. When we crossed the mountain to the lake.

It’s always like being in another world. That was, and is still, such a special experience for me.

W H O ELSE DID YO U R IDE THERE WI TH?

I always went with my dad, who also taught me my first kiting skills. In Bavaria at that time, not a lot of people even knew what kitesurfing was exactly, so none of my friends practiced kitesurfing. If you grow up in the mountains you are more likely to become a ski or an ice hockey pro than a kite pro.

C AN YO U TA L K US THR O U GH THE TYPI CAL CONDI TI ONS – WH AT IS I T L I K E F IR ST THIN G IN THE MORNI NG AND HOW DOES I T CH ANGE T HR O U GH THE DAY?

The best conditions to create a good thermal wind is blue sky in the morning.

If it’s super sunny and warm, it’s likely you will get a nice thermal wind starting at around 1pm. Unfortunately, Walchensee is not a strong wind spot but there is enough wind to ride properly.

HAS T H E SE T UP AT THE BEACH CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

Just a bit. The sport is growing, and so has the community (especially the foil community) there. But getting to the kite beach is still an effort. After finding a good parking spot, we always have to load our kite gear onto our bikes and ride 15 minutes to the spot through a small forest and past a small church to arrive at the beach.

W H AT WO ULD B E YO UR PERFECT DAY THERE?

Probably waking up on a sunny day in my campervan, having a nice calm morning and getting my things done. Then getting on my bike with my kite gear and riding to the kite beach to catch the thermal in the afternoon. In the evening, I would cook dinner next to the lake while enjoying the evening atmosphere with my dad or other kiters.

WALCHENSEE, BAVARIA

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MY BEACH

"You are surrounded by pure nature, mountains, green grass, beaches and the crazy Caribbean-blue water�

WALCHENSEE, BAVARIA

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TAL K U S THR O UGH O N E SESSI ON THAT STANDS OUT FO R YOU T HE R E?

Every session is super special and unique. You are surrounded by pure nature, mountains, green grass, beaches and the crazy Caribbean-blue water. But the one outstanding day was the day I had the photoshoot with VW. We had the best weather conditions: sunny, warm, constant freestyle wind for hours, which is really unusual to get and – in addition to that – it was so much fun with the media team on the water.

W H E R E’ S YO UR FAVO R ITE PLACE TO EAT OR WHAT I S YOU R FAVO R I T E M E A L A F TE R A SESSI ON THERE?

My favorite place to eat is next to my bus, beachside and close to the water. And on the menu? Probably fresh wraps…

D O YO U THIN K YO U WO ULD HAVE GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY I F T H AT HA DN ’ T B E E N SU CH A FAMI LI AR SPOT?

I am super lucky to have this lake nearby, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to kite sometimes after school. Also kiting on this lake is so special, getting there is always like a small adventure away from my everyday life.

W H E N DID YO U LAST R IDE THERE – HOW WAS I T?!

Two weeks before writing this. It wasn’t too windy, so I was foiling the whole day from the one side of the lake to the other side. On windy freestyle days I am used to kiting only in front of the kite beach. Now, with foiling, I have the whole lake and this enormous reach, which is unreal and very adventurous for me.

I F YOU HA D TO C HO OSE ANOTHER SPOT THAT YOU LOVE BU T T H AT I S COM PL E TE LY D IF F E R E NT, WHERE WOULD I T BE?

I would say definitely Cape Town. Blouberg beach is sandy, offers big waves, has super strong wind and salty sea water… and the only similarity between Cape Town and Walchensee is the cold water! ■

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MY BEACH

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A SHOCKER T O M

C O U R T

PH OTOS SAM S C ADGE L L

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57 H E R E

Part 1 in Tanzania

None of us have flown anywhere for the last few months, which has meant making the most of our local kite spots.

For UK resident Tom Court, frontal conditions on the Isle of Wight delivered more than he had bargained for with a pretty electrifying session...

Lockdown has been hard on all of us, for many different reasons. Possibly the hardest bit for me (apart from the collapse of global travel, the disintegration of eighty percent of my work, and the general disruption of most industries) has been not being able to do my normal sports!

Getting out in the wind and on the sea is a very hard feeling to re-create if you are not allowed on the water, affecting more than just fitness. So, needless to say, as soon as we got the green light to engage in some sports and freedom outside the confines of a full lockdown, I was straight back on the water. One upside to the whole Covid situation has been the renewed ability to explore spots closer to home, and a free schedule to make the most of these‌ Living on the Isle of Wight, the conditions are bountiful. The session that these photos document was one of my first back on the water, and despite the seemingly unstable weather, nothing was stopping me getting my shreddies.

With a cloudy sky, rain, and strong wind, we headed over to one of my favorite flat-water spots, to make the most of the unusual easterly wind. Armed with my reliable 10m Dice and Jaime combo, it was time to blow off the cobwebs, and get back into some solid flat-water riding.

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THE MISSION

A SHOCKING SESSION

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THE MISSION

“I STARTED NOTICING AN INCREASE IN STATIC ELECTRICITY, WITH A SMALL BUZZ IN THE LINES WHEN I WAS IN THE AIR AND SMALL SHOCKS AS I CAME INTO THE LANDING. ”

I have ridden in a lot of storms over the years, and the nature of UK weather means fast frontal change is nothing too unusual. However, this session was crazier than any that I have had before. About thirty mins into my shred, with a few tricks in the bag, some heavy rain came in, along with a sharp rise in the wind strength, and a darkening of the atmosphere. A few jumps into the storm, as Sam was snapping some pictures, I started noticing an increase in static electricity, with a small buzz in the lines when I was in the air and small shocks as I came into the landing.

The higher I jumped, the larger the electric shock was when I came close to the water. It was pretty crazy. After doing it a few times, the weather was getting progressively worse, until suddenly the electricity in the atmosphere ramped up, and as I went into a front roll one footer, I was hit with an electric shock that locked my knee brace straight! It shocked me so hard that I collapsed into the water and was momentarily stunned. I have never had such a big electrocution whilst on a kite, and it wasn’t until after the session, going through the photographs, that we saw the evidence of the static leaving my board…

It goes to show that something new really can happen in every session and – no matter how much you ride or how little you have been riding – you should always expect the unexpected when kiting! ■

A SHOCKING SESSION

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A S O C I A L LY D I S TA N C E D S U R F P A T R I

M C L A U G H L I N PHOTOS MART IN C AP RIL E

Tourist destinations the world over have been much quieter since lockdown limited travel, and classic kite destinations are no exception. Economic consequences aside, it has meant that the locals, like big wave aficionado Patri McLaughlin, can enjoy their home spots in Hawaii without the usual fight for waves.

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THE MISSION

THE LAST LINE

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It’s hard for me to write about this right now, with all of the suffering and anguish in the world at the moment. I feel bad talking about how lucky we have it in Hawaii, while there are so many people unable to kite, surf, or even feed their families‌ So many states across the US, and countries round the world, are feeling the effects of Covid-19. But even though there are so many problems in the world right now, I feel that the best thing I can do is to remain healthy, and to maintain a positive outlook on the beautiful planet that we live on. We all have our own paths through life, and one thing that helps keep us happy and connected as a worldwide community, is kiting.

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THE MISSION

A SOCIALLY DISTANCED SURF

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THE MISSION

“THESE SHOTS ARE FROM A WAVE WE HAVE KEPT ON THE DOWN-LOW FOR A WHILE NOW – IT IS A BIT OF A SECRET SPOT... A CRITICAL SLAB THAT BREAKS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF A DRY ROCK. ”

In Hawaii we have been lucky enough to keep surfing and kiting throughout this pandemic. The government here decided the best way to keep people happy and healthy was to allow them to go outside and stay active. We have also been lucky and blessed with an amazing run of summer swell. There are very few tourists on our island right now, and while our economy has been decimated by a virus that we have been mostly untouched by, the people here have been outside and surfing. There are more locals in the lineup now compared with when people were working, and we as a community are making the best of an unusual situation, and I genuinely hope the rest of the world can see light at the end of the tunnel.

These shots are from a wave we have kept on the down-low for a while now – it is a bit of a secret spot… A critical slab that breaks directly in front of a dry rock.

And if you fall on the wrong side of the rock, you WILL get slammed onto dry lava. The spot is also out of phone service range, miles from rescue, and it is impossible to know if the wave is working unless you hike for an hour to check it. So it is a bit of a commitment!

Jesse Richman, Ethan Koopmans and I decided to isolate a bit during this last swell, and make the mission out to the wave, as we knew there would be nobody around. It is always a gamble, because when it is good, there is a plethora of other waves that are epic for surfing. There is a saying “never leave waves to go find waves” but that is exactly what we did. On the way we walked past an absolutely pumping left hander, but there were 20 people in the water surfing so that was a good incentive to keep on going.

Thankfully on this occasion we had made the right call. We got to our secret spot and ended up having an amazing session – it was so nice to get a few good barrels with only a couple of us in the water. We were completely disconnected from the media and all of the trouble in the world. It was a welcome escape from reality. ■

A SOCIALLY DISTANCED SURF

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T H E

CREATORS. ABEL LAGO AND WERTHER CASTELLETTI Abel and Wether have enjoyed one of the longest running ‘design partnerships’ in the sport. For 12 years they have worked closely together to produce a full line up of kites each year. With ‘classics’ such as the Religion to their name, they have true design pedigree. So, how does it all work for them? Abel takes us through the process…

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THE CREATORS

T H E P R E PA R ATIO N Every year we work on different models and different profiles; we learn a lot of new things that we add to the other models that help to improve and make the kites better every year.

Our way of working depends on what we need to produce, but everything starts with Werther’s designs on the computer… He spends days, weeks, and sometimes months bringing his ideas to life on the program and – when he is happy – we send the files to China to create different prototypes in different sizes.

When Werther receives the kites, we choose a place to travel to and we meet there. We go to places like Tarifa or Cape Town, or sometimes he comes to me in Galicia or perhaps to Portugal. We need a windy place with good enough conditions to test all the sizes.

T H E T E ST I NG The design and development team is composed of kite and board designer Werther Castelletti and myself, we have been working together for many years creating hundreds of kites, including some that we are really proud of, such as the Obsession and the Religion.

Then for testing, depending on the product, we use several collaborators such as team riders like Adeuri Corniel, Kari Schibevaag or Javier Fernandez, who can use their knowledge and specific skills to help to improve our products. Then always in control and charting the way to go is Roberto Ricci himself, helping with testing and developing.

“WHEN WERTHER RECEIVES THE KITES, WE CHOOSE A PLACE TO TRAVEL TO AND WE MEET THERE.” ABEL LAGO AND WERTHER CASTELLETTI

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THE CREATORS

“FOR THIS NEW SEASON WE HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON THE STABILITY AND SPEED OF ALL THE KITES.”

During the test sessions, myself and other riders do the kiting and Werther the tuning. I normally go out for a short time, and come back to the beach to give Werther some quick feedback, then he changes the bridle and we keep trying like that. If all goes well, Werther starts working in different sizes and fixing and finishing all the details. If I don’t like the feelings or sensations, then we go home and start again with another prototype, and we try this until we are happy.

All this process takes us around a month, so our testing period starts in September to have time to have the final kites ready in May. When we think that the prototypes are good, we back-to-back test them thoroughly with the current production kites and – if the kite is good enough – then Roberto himself gives his final approval.

WHAT I S OUR MAI N FOCUS AT T H E MOMENT? For this new season we have been working really hard on the stability and speed of all the kites. This comes through working on the combination of the trailing edge and bridle position. So Werther creates different bridle combinations that we test, always keeping an eye on the shape and especially on the profile of the trailing edge – this must always be clean, and not flapping or losing its shape. If the kite creates turbulence during the looping, we keep working with the shape and tension of the trailing edge to make the kite work. At RRD, we try to avoid the use of any rigid pieces in our kites that will make the kite more fragile, and we normally have a fully flexible body. To reach the perfect kite shape we go through more prototypes than most other brands, but we end up with a prefect profile that is flexible and strong at the same time. ■

ABEL LAGO AND WERTHER CASTELLETTI

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Profile Pro

Nick Jacobsen

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In case you have been hiding under a rock or are completely new to kitesurfing, Nick Jacobsen is renowned for jumping off tanker cranes, buildings, one of the world’s tallest hotels, and a mountain on a Caribbean island, as well as winning the Red Bull King of the Air. The prospect of his latest stunt would be enough to send us mere mortals running, screaming, for the horizon.

P H OTO S DA N I E L F O L K E

F O R T H I S L AT E S T C R A N E J U M P Y O U F O U N D A S H I P T O J U M P O F F C A L L E D ‘ L E A P H E A R T ’ – P U R E P O E T R Y ! H O W E A S Y WA S IT TO GET PERMISSION TO DO THE STUNT?

It actually wasn’t that hard getting the permits. Luckily I know the guy in charge of the shipping company, so everything went quite smoothly. Obviously the Covid situation didn’t help speed up the process, and we had to take a lot of precautions at all times.

H O W L O N G WA S T H I S J U M P I N T H E P L A N N I N G , A N D W H AT ’ S Y O U R M E N TA L P R E P A R AT I O N P R O C E S S ?

The ship was in transit in Copenhagen for seven days, so we had to move quick.

It took me two full days of wrapping my head around it. I teamed up with some people that I have worked with before. The mental preparations are not an issue for something like this. When I have finished my homework on analyzing every single bit, I get into a zone that carries me through the climb and jump in a safe way.

G I V E U S A B R I E F R U N T H R O U G H O F W H AT H A P P E N E D O N T H E D AY.

I met with the whole team at 7am in Skovshoved Harbor: 15 people and two boats. After discussing the plan for the day, we set sail for Leap Heart. It took us approximately 40 minutes to get there. As we boarded the ship, it was ‘GO TIME’. We started all the filming of the ‘establishing’ shots. It took me one hour from putting my foot on the first step of the first ladder to when I jumped off, due to all the waiting on cameras and drones along the way.

NICK JACOBSEN

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T H E M O R E R I S K AV E R S E R E A D I N G T H I S M I G H T B E G L A D T O K N OW YO U W E R E W E A R I N G A S A F E T Y W I R E , U N L I K E O N YO U R C RA N E J U M P I N C A P E TOW N ! H A S S A F E T Y B ECO M E M O R E I M P O R TA N T T O Y O U O V E R T H E Y E A R S ? H O W D I D Y O U A D A P T YO U R K I T ?

The crane in Cape Town was abandoned, so there was no one to help there anyway. It was the crew on the ship this time that wanted to wire me up. I wouldn’t have done it myself as I think I am way safer without it as, if anything had gone wrong, I would have released my kite straight away, or even jumped off. In terms of equipment, for this adventure I just used standard equipment with no modified gear.

T H E J U M P WA S N ’ T Y O U R N O R M A L D I R E C T I O N , A N D Y O U H A D T O WA I T Q U I T E A W H I L E AT T H E T O P O F T H E C R A N E . H O W D O YO U G E T YO U R S E L F I N TO T H E R I G H T F RA M E O F M I N D ?

I feel so comfortable when I have my kite flying, that I feel like I can do anything. The wait was not an issue. I was sitting on top of the crane for more than 20 minutes, just enjoying the view and reflecting on stuff. I love being in that Zen state where the only thing that matters is focus…

B E F O R E K I T E S U R F I N G , D I D Y O U H AV E D A R E D E V I L T E N D E N CIES?

I have never seen myself as a daredevil. Most things I do, I do with well-planned preparations on so many different levels. For me it is a matter of pushing myself further than I could have imagined.

D O Y O U H AV E A F AV O R I T E S T U N T ?

The stunts are all quite unique to me. Dubai was a milestone in my life, but jumping the crane in Cape Town was for sure the one I enjoyed the most.

YO U ’ V E B E E N ST U C K I N E U RO P E FO R T H E L A ST F E W M O N T H S A N D G E T T I N G U P C L O S E W I T H R O C K S A N D B R I D G E S ! H AV E Y O U F O U N D A N E W A P P R E C I AT I O N F O R Y O U R C O U N T R Y O F BIRTH?

Yes definitely. Denmark has really been delivering some prime conditions, and it has been great driving around the country checking out different spots. I have always enjoyed being at home, so Covid has not been a bad thing for me at all.

YO U ’ V E G RO O M E D YO U R S E L F I N TO K I T E S U R F I N G ’ S M A I N ST U N T M A N. D O YO U N OW F E E L U N D E R P R E S S U R E TO K E E P I N C R E A S I N G T H E R I S K A N D WOW FACTO R?

I have never felt any pressure at all. I do this for myself and not my followers.

Although, yes, it is definitely a bonus that it’s being filmed! Next I am working on a new project that I started in March. Hopefully I’ll manage to pull it off before the end of the year. Watch this space… ■ 80

PROFILE

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83 ... AHEAD OF ITS TIME

~ Gallery ~

For a little while there, the doom-mongers foresaw that the world of ‘proper’ kite films was over… Absorbed by the quick fix, Instagram friendly, sub one-minute clip.

They said the same about print magazines…

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K E AH I

Photos: Beau Pilgrim

But the fact is that if you can produce a full-length film with the right attitude, the right philosophy and with some truly inspirational riding then the world will put down their phones and watch. And so it was with Tunnel Vision. Keahi and James Boulding take us through some of their favorite memories from the year they committed to bringing it to life…

JB: Shortly after Keahi came runner up in the O’Neill Wave of the Winter comp, it was clear he was pushing not just his kiting level but his surfing in some pretty heavy waves. The GKA comps were moving towards strapless freestyle and away from core kitesurfing, and I knew Keahi was tired of these events. It was clear in my mind he’s the best wave kiter in the world so we chatted openly and agreed to see what we could do to have him go and showcase kitesurfing as he sees it. To give him the chance to truly push the limits of kitesurfing in waves.

To do this and to ride some of the biggest swells as they hit locations around the world, you can’t be tied down to too much of a rigid schedule, and there needs to be the freedom to drop everything and just go. So we put in motion a yearlong swell chase mission and set to work on having people available to capture it along the way. In some ways it goes against where online media has been going with short form videos, but I think if you really produce something special then people will take the time to sit and watch it, and I think it cuts through and goes down as something memorable where everything else just gets forgotten.

It also has to be said that any movie is only as good as the videographers, editors and music that glue the action together, and we made sure there was effort and resources in this department too. I think Tunnel Vision is 100% something that will stand the test of time… Until Keahi’s next movie anyway.

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After years chasing the tour, at the end of 2018 I just felt it was a time for a change for me and wanted to focus on just that. The idea was to have an open schedule in order to chase some of the best swells around the world and make sure to bring someone along to document it properly. I decided to visit some old favorites and made sure to tick a few new locations off the bucket list. Sure, there were some stressful times, but in the end it turned into one of the best years of my life with some memories I’ll have forever. It reignited that stoke in kitesurfing for me and to see my Tunnel Vision project come to life has been a dream come true!

FIJ I

KA: In this day and age of social media, it seems that videos are getting shorter and there hadn’t really been any proper wave films for quite some time. I was always inspired by some of those early Ben Wilson films and felt the need to create something a little more substantial, showing kitesurfing in the waves to its full potential - blurring that line between kiting and surfing.

GALLERY

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Cloudbreak KA: This day was a session to remember and one of the main parts that went into the Fiji section. Although I’d done a couple trips in the past and scored some decent stuff, we made the call to go back for what looked like a really good forecast for multiple swells with wind. As seems to happen a lot though, as soon as we booked tickets, the forecast slowly deteriorated making for some stressful times. The wind disappeared for the first swell and the secondary swells ended up getting smaller. The area around Cloudbreak is a weird little microclimate that changes all the time and has some really weird weather patterns. Thankfully as we got closer to the day a little bit of wind appeared on the forecast and in the end that was all we needed.

This session was light and I needed to use an 11m to make it work, but it goes down as one of the funniest kite sessions I’ve had in my life and exactly what we needed to finish this section off. It was a perfect size to kite and with a few wash-throughs making it hard to surf meant I had it to myself for about two hours. I saw some incredible waves come through that day and this one was definitely one of the highlights. There’s always something special about a barrel that spits…

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Photo: Stu Gibson

KA: A frame from one of the bigger days I’ve ever had out at Cloudbreak. I’ve always loved the lines you can draw on a kite – especially in bigger surf. It’s like driving your own jetski, being able to whip into waves like this!

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Photos: John Bilderback

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KA: Experimenting with some different angles that allow people to see kitesurfing from a different perspective is something I’ve always loved.

Mouth mounts and line mounts have always been a go-to for me. I still get amazed at how good some of the line mount footage looks, especially in barrels. It’s like having a fisheye photographer traveling in the barrel with you.

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KA: The dreaded boneyard section at this wave in Hawaii is a mix of pure happiness and terror. The way the wave refracts off the outer reef ends up forming some perfect barreling wedges but if they shift too far down the reef, things can get a little more interesting… I’ve become pretty familiar with this section of the reef as it dishes up some amazing barrels for kitesurfing, but you always have to be ready for the end section which has a tendency to go a little dry. Although it may look like a perfect barrel, on this particular wave, I remember seeing the reef start gurgling right after I pulled in and just had to hold my line and go high as I came out to make sure I missed the dry patch. Thankfully it all worked out.

GALLERY

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Photos: Douw Steyn

KA: Although Skeleton Bay isn’t known as a place for doing many turns, I’ve always loved the feeling of a good backside crack. Although it takes a little practice, I find you can hit it much more vertical which sometimes results in sending bonus amounts of spray flying!

S KE LE TON BAY

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KA: The landscapes in Namibia really are something else. Huge dunes, salt ponds, and some really cool wildlife along the way. After all the traveling, finally getting out to the point and seeing those lines rolling down is something I’ll never forget.

KA: Locking into some of the longest kitesurfing barrels of my life. Doesn’t really get much better than this!

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FLY OVER WATER

INNOVATION EFFICIENCY DESIGN LEVITAZ.COM Made in Austria

SUP

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All photos: James Boulding

JB: I had to choose one barrel shot but I’ve gone for one from a different wave and one where you can see everything that’s happening. The kite is perfectly positioned drifting down the wave, Keahi’s stalling, maximizing his time inside the shade and Anders has managed to be in the perfect spot to capture a crazy angle on it.

The whole setup just kind of looks crazy with the backdrop. It was a mission to get to this camera angle but completely worth it when you snap this and know the video shot will be money.

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JB: Having Moona on this trip was awesome and the progression and confidence from the days we rode this wave was clear to see. This session the waves were definitely at the peak of the swell and they were coming thick and fast. Keahi had been pulling into some crazy barrels but Moona was on the biggest waves of the set and charging like nothing I’ve ever seen before. From my angle in the channel I could see these mutant waves just detonating onto the reef well below sea level and the composure of Moona on some of the biggest waves of the day was humbling.

JB: Keahi is a very smooth, stylish rider, nothing looks rushed or too aggressive. The amount of power he puts through the rail of the board in some of his turns is very similar to John John Florence. This was one of the rarer times when a barrel wasn’t on offer and he laid it on a rail. This shot I’ve grown to love, it just started standing out for so many different reasons.

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93 FACEBOOK.COM/AXISFOILS

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All photos: James Boulding

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JB: I love this shot, I mean just look at the lines, what the hell?! Anders is scoring THE shot of the movie and Keahi is experiencing one of the kite barrels of his life riding underneath his lines as they go over his head in the roof of the wave. He got spit out of this and just seeing the look on his face afterwards made you realize we were scoring something pretty unique in kitesurfing.

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JB: We almost didn’t pull the trigger on this trip. It was a week before Christmas when the swell looked like it could work and we had to make a spur of the moment decision and the guys had to book their flights over from Hawaii. The only flight options I could find would be to end up spending Christmas day in the airports and arriving home early morning on Boxing Day. If we had got skunked it would have been tough, but in the end we scored pretty hard and everything came together nicely and was completely worth it. It set the tone for the movie and capped off a pretty incredible year for both Keahi and Moona.

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3 4

1 // Goodboards Amnesia Pro

2 // Duotone Juice

3 // KT Trickster

4 // Levitaz Aspect 2

A literal twist on their flagship model, the carbon-reinforced Amnesia Pro will suit advanced kiters looking for the performance of a full-blooded freestyle board. The twist comes with the advantageous and funky looking edge from their Snake board, meaning it is silky smooth and will glide through chop, giving extra grip and saving your knees.

Duotone has brought an interesting concept to the market – they claim you will only need one size in your quiver – each size works in nearly the same wind range respective to your body weight and riding style. Plus, with a new light weight construction, the Juice has shed 15% of its weight, to increase its early flying capabilities.

When Mother Nature isn’t dishing out perfect head-high waves, then the Trickster could be the one to use – a fun allround freestyle board for onshore wind and smaller waves, it is good for flatwater edging and busting some freestyle moves when you want to impress. With a lip on the top of the rail providing something extra to grab on to, you now have no excuse for not trying those rotational tricks.

If you’ve got Olympic aspirations but aren’t quite ready for the world of ‘tiny’ wings that come with it, then the Aspect 2 is the perfect option – bringing speed and performance with a little more freeride fun built in. The Aspect 2 has a lower aspect ratio and more rounded tips ensuring an insane speed range and maximum maneuverability.

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/ Hyperbolic Chassis / Torque Equalizer

Riptide /

/ Active Backbone

133-39 | 136-40

/ Wood Core / Carbon Fibre Weave

Dimension /

/ Double Channel

136-40 | 139-41 | 144-43

/ Double Concave

BRUNOTTI TWINTIPS The Dimension & Riptide twintips are all round freeride, freestyle designed boards. We have developed a more flexible and narrower framework so you will now benefit from an enhanced and more comfortable ride. The CNC shaped wood core base is now equipped with back to back carbon weave to ensures more control and quick response.

FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT BRUNOTTIBOARDS.COM 97

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5 // Cabrinha Contra

6 // CrazyFly Pure

7 // Slingshot UFO

8 // North Reach

Winner in its category for the last two Ultimate Tests, the Contra is a test crew favorite as one of the best light wind kites on the market so – if you want to keep working on your kite-low tricks even when the wind is marginal – the Contra will get you going and keep you out there. It incorporates Nano Ripstop which has been a notable change in the Cabrinha range, promising improved durability while saving that all important weight for light wind conditions.

Pitched as the lightest foil board on the market, the Pure is aimed at experienced foilers who like a responsive flyweight construction. A unique hollow design is fabulously light while the advanced carbon fiber material on proud display in the deck provides the strength.

Developing an existing but seldom-used concept by the big boys, Slingshot brings us a strut-free kite, the lightest LEI kite they have ever produced, aimed solely at hydrofoiling.

The 9m kite can get you up and foiling in sub 10 knots. A truly refined strutless shape and, if you’re a foiler, you need this in your quiver. Plus, it packs up to a third of the size of your 9m.

Let’s be realistic – we can’t all afford to have a quiver of kites for every discipline, and certainly when packing for trips, it helps to have one kite that does it all. So why not reach for the Reach… it will cover your foiling and wave riding, yet still allow you to boost, loop and trick.

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LOCk & go

QUICKLOCK HOOK

SINGL E H A N D ED EA S Y H O O K -IN NE X T LEV EL S A FETY T h e n e w p a t en t p e n d in g lig h tw e ig h t Alu m in iu m Qu ick lo ck Ho o k is ou r n ew est r e vo lu tio n a r y ta k e o n k ite h o o k s.

N ex t Le v el sa f e t y, e lim in a tin g th e r isk o f th e ch ick e n lo o p slip p in g o u t.

I O N -PR O DUCTS. CO M 99

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9 // Ocean Rodeo Mako

10 // Kold Ikon

11 // Eleveight 2021

12 // Naish Boxer

The classic chop-eating, hard-carving legend that is the Mako has been around for 17 years, and after much experimentation by Ocean Rodeo in different possible fin set ups, rail and tail shapes, they’ve actually decided to retain its classic tried and tested shape. What has changed however is a swap to far lighter laminates, providing a livelier, crisper flex.

Multiple podium winner Mario Rodwald’s company, Kold, introduces a new carbon Ikon board. It is ultra-light yet provides five-star levels of comfort, perfect if you like dark slides, board offs and feeling as if you have nothing on your feet when doing rotations. Explosive pop and forgiving flex will ensure your landings are silky smooth.

As much of the kitesurfing world takes some time out to consolidate, pick themselves up off the floor, and press pause for a month or two, Eleveight have no such plans… They had sold pretty much all their 2020 gear and were ready to go for 2021. So they have pressed the button. Perhaps the biggest news is the arrival of the XS Big Air kite, but there is plenty else to get excited about too. Pictured here we have the XS, and the new Master and Process twinnies.

A perennial favorite with us at TheKiteMag, the Boxer is a one strut kite that just works…

It’s a foiler’s dream as well as being stable enough to take out in the waves and not to have to worry too much if the wind picks up. Fantastic engineering, heaps of fun and all new as part of Naish’s S25 release.

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Emergency Travel to exotic locations may be one of the perks of being a world-renowned kite pro like Jalou Langeree, and her lifestyle might turn some of us several different shades of green with envy, but Covid-19 has forced her to have a rethink, and get back in touch with her Dutch roots.

WORDS JALOU LANGEREE P H O T O S R E I N R I J K E , S A M U E L T O M É , Y D W E R VA N D E R H E I D E

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I feel like I’ve been living my life in a bubble – not the Covid-19 kind – but traveling between continents like it’s the most normal thing to do. Being forced to stop moving at speed, and spend some time at home, has made me question this normality – you could say the bubble has been popped. I’ve realized how much I’ve been on the road, and how little time I’ve had to spend with family and friends. And I’ve had time to reflect.

After another fun and busy season last year, things started slowing down around early November. I had a strong urge to travel to Cape Town and enjoy some of those early season sessions without the crowds. Cape Town is a place I like to call home. I’ve been visiting the Mother City since I was 15, and it keeps dragging me back. I often ask myself why I keep going back; people who have visited Cape Town know the feeling. For me, it has something to do with the endless diversity. There is fantastic food, fun people, excellent conditions for all watersports and disciplines, and plenty of cool activities when you need a break from kiting. Plus it’s affordable.

It was just awesome to go back to South Africa for about three weeks in November and spend some time with my brother, kiting together like in the old days. We are both so busy living our own lives, Kevin especially, after having 104

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his daughter Malie and launching his own brand. Life had been hectic, and it felt like there was never enough time to properly catch up. But we finally did during those three weeks.

The day before I left, Kevin, Lasse Walker and I made a little road trip to Paternoster, a spot about 135 kilometers from Cape Town that is popular among windsurfers. It works well on lower tides, big swell and a south-westerly wind direction. This was the first time I saw Paternoster show its magic. Our first glimpse of the waves made us jump out of the car and run to take a closer look at the rolling swell. Waves peeled off the rocky point of the beach, running all the way into the bay – it looked absolutely PRIME, and it was the first day in three weeks we had proper swell. I was screaming at the top of my lungs in pure joy. We kited until the tide made the waves slow down, and we left the beach with big smiles on our faces.

On our way back home, I got a text from North to see if I was up for a trip to the Philippines straight after the Mystic shoot in France. It felt a little overwhelming, as I’d expected to leave Cape Town for only ten days and return back to SA to enjoy the rest of the season. But I knew that I always wanted to kite Kingfisher in the Philippines, so my decision was made, I was going.

PHOTOS: REIN RIJKE

EMERGENCY STOP

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Photos: Ydwer van der Heide

Next Stop Europe

I left Cape Town with a good feeling, knowing that I would be back for more.

I had a quick little pit stop at home in The Netherlands: just enough time to enjoy one night in my own bed and drink a coffee with Mom and Dad. The next morning, I traveled to Paris to shoot the new Mystic 2020 winter collection. At the airport, I met up with my teammates Oswald Smith and newbie Camille Delannoy. Before driving to our home base for the next five days, Oswald pushed me to drive to Paris to soak up some culture, eat macaroons and see the Eiffel Tower. He loved it (even after his 28-hour trip from Cape Town).

The following days were packed with shooting, which is always good fun with the Mystic crew.

After five intense days, it was time to head home and catch the next plane to the Philippines. We were supposed to fly home, but we ended up driving because of massive strikes in France. So after a full day of shooting, we had to drive home through the night. This was pretty exhausting, but Ydwer and I needed to be back the next day to catch our flight to Manila. We made it home safe, for a couple hours of sleep, before moving on again…

On to Asia

The first time I visited the Philippines was for a massive television show called Expedition Robinson, which is similar to Ultimate Survivor. We lived on a desert island for three weeks with only water and sunscreen – no food, no toiletries, no comfort, no kite. This time I got to experience it in a totally different way – again a desert island, but this time with a kite. We were out to shoot the new North Reach, the kite that does it all. I was very excited about our first stop which took in the famous wave, Kingfisher, located in the north of the Philippines.

A short domestic flight from Manila and a two-hour drive through beautiful rice paddies and green, jungley landscapes, and we were warmly welcomed by Mon, the owner of the hotel right on the spot. The weather was grumpy, and

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the ocean was wild, a big white mess of waves crashing together. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but we were positive anyway. The team was reunited, and we were all amped to get some epic content.

The next few days were fully packed with finding the right shooting location for waves and chasing the sun. We started shooting at a crazy beach break where the waves got super hollow and crashed on dry sand – the perfect combo for Jesse to get barreled: he owned it! He never came out of any of the barrels, but he kept smiling. Jesse is such good energy to have with you out on the water; he has this endless stoke and motivation. I’m a goofy rider and ride lefts 80% of the time, so it was nice to finally mix up my stance. I really enjoyed the session as it was a little challenging. It definitely wasn’t an easy wave – no perfect down the line hacks – more the quick one-hit-wonders where you try to escape being pounded on the dry sand.

Eventually the weather gods worked in our favor: the skies cleared up, and so did the waves. We finally had our first session at Kingfisher. It’s a fast, short wave with multiple peaks and takes a couple of sessions to get used to. It was day four, and we were getting the shots in the bag. The Reach showed her true colors in all the conditions we had, and I was pleased about the way it performed in the waves, feeling light and effortless. Being out on the water with both Jesse and Nick was very entertaining – the time flew by, and we almost forgot that we were actually shooting.

After five days, we moved on to the south of the Philippines, to capture the final part of the Reach shoot, which was focused on freeriding and foiling. It was a completely different synergy, with higher temperatures, more sun and flat water. We traveled to different desert islands by boat, with no other kites in sight, which was a pleasant change.

Shoots are super-fun but also exhausting; we all looked back at a brilliant trip and were happy to move on to our homes to recharge.

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Photos: Ydwer van der Heide

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Photos: Samuel Tome

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Back to the Cape

There wasn’t much time to recharge. An 18-hour trip took me back to the Netherlands, and 20 hours later I was back on the plane to Cape Town. This is the most hectic traveling I have ever done. Three months in Cape Town flew by, like it does every season. People often ask how the season was – well there was a lack of good swell so it could have been better, but I had my fun sessions at Scarborough, just not as often as I hoped for. But any day on the water is a good one, and nowadays – if you are into multiple watersports – there are plenty more options too.

Home ‘lockdown’

Covid-19 arrived with a BANG. I got back home on March 16th and started realizing what Covid-19 was all about, as in Cape Town there weren’t yet any restrictions when I left. My schedule was thoroughly planned until August, but none of the trips ever materialized. I was at home, like everyone else. In Holland, we were lucky we didn’t have to experience a complete lockdown. I was still able to kite and be outdoors, just with the 1.5m social distancing.

It almost felt like it couldn’t have come at a better time for me, which might sound strange, but Covid-19 does have a positive outcome for some of us. I’ve been living my life as a pro kiter for over 15 years, and it felt like being on a fast train, where I kind of lost myself for a little bit. I always had a constant feeling of fear of missing out when I was in the Netherlands, as home didn’t provide the perfect set-up to be a pro wave rider.

I now look at home through different eyes. I’ve been able to appreciate where I’m from. I’ve seen the spring flowers blossom in all colors of the rainbow. I’ve made time to explore my home country and to appreciate the sessions I have at home. Holland has been great, I’ve had some excellent foil surf sessions, foil downwinders and even a freestyle session with Annabel.

Do we really have to travel the globe in the way I did last year? I love to travel, to discover new places and understand different cultures. But perhaps I’m keen to change to a more sustainable way of traveling, spending more time and doing multiple projects at one location. So, in that respect, Covid-19 has opened my eyes. And perhaps the emergency stop was not such a bad thing for me… ■

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me has taken so t, ao ar ag M re alis nd e camera, A s. Here he turns journ ood th d in h e b eg year und Normally fo of kiting pros over the nd Youri Zoon about th ig Air ie B ts fr , o n sh se o seminal h, hang d and clo kiting legen were still in fashion. O like injury-prone and chats to s e-back, much en board off old days, wh ade a stratospheric com m ions‌ has actually merous occas u n n o n o o Youri Z

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Youri and I met early on in my involvement with kiting. I was shooting a lot with Reno Romeu at the time – he was quite good friends with Youri and he introduced us. I ended up working with Youri on a couple of video projects and we’ve been good friends ever since. Youri is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet – super friendly, always happy, full of energy and incredibly humble. Recently he became a father, and has got into triathlon which is a sport I also enjoy. For now, I can give him a hard time on a road bike, but I don’t think that will be for long! He always gives 100% to everything he does. I sat down with Youri to talk about his career as one of the most successful kiters of all time.

H OW D I D YO U G E T I N TO F R E E ST Y L E K I T I N G ?

In everything I did, I always tried to push myself – with kiting it was no different. I had the ambition to ride in the competitions, and ride at the highest level possible. Back in 2004 when I started doing competitions, freestyle was the biggest contest circuit, so that was where I had to be to match myself against the big names. Back in those days it was Aaron, Ruben… Johnny was still there, Alvaro… that was my first competition.

WA S T H AT S T I L L I N T H E B O A R D O F F E R A ?

I started kiting when it was still board offs, and I did them for the first year I was kiting, from around 2002 to 2003. But then I started with handle passes, and in my first competition kiters were already doing them. It was the year that we made the switch. There were some kiters still doing board offs, but they weren’t scoring very well. I still know board offs because of that first year and still do a board off from time to time!

S O Y O U S TA R T E D K I T I N G I N 2 0 0 2 , A N D B Y 2 0 0 4 Y O U W E R E A L R E A DY CO M P E T I N G ?

In 2004 I won the European Junior Championships, and then I went to my first PKRA in Brazil. For me it was a big trip – I was only 14, going overseas to compete in the world cup. Back then there were over 90 people in the event, so there were really big trials. To get into the main event was a huge thing – I made it and got through one round. I think I came 17th, which for me, a 14-year-old kid who had never been on a plane, was quite a big thing.

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T H AT ’ S S I C K M A N , C O N G R AT S . WA S T H E F O R M AT A L R E A D Y A S E V E N - M I N U T E H E AT ?

Yeah, seven minutes and you basically did all your tricks. They scored more based on the overall impression I would say. Then slowly it started to change to quality over quantity.

I T S E E M S L I K E E V E RYO N E I N T H E N E T H E R L A N D S L I K E S TO G O B I G , E V E N T H E N E W G E N E R AT I O N ( P I P P A VA N I E R S E L F O R E X A M P L E ) . W H Y D O Y O U T H I N K T H AT H A P P E N S – I S I T T H E WAT E R , T H E B E E R , T H E S T R O O P WA F F L E S ? !

I don’t know, it must be something! Over the years the Netherlands has produced a lot of good riders for such a small country with poor conditions. It’s not like Greece or Brazil – it is choppy, gusty and cold – but I guess that if you’re able to ride here, you’re able to ride anywhere. Maybe that is what makes us strong riders in the competitions – whatever conditions they throw at us, we are able to ride, and I guess for competition riding it is one of the biggest advantages you could have. In a competition you don’t need to be the best rider out there (obviously it helps), but the important thing is you have to ride smart.

Y E A H T R U E . I R E M E M B E R W H E N W E M E T, I WA S R E A L LY I M P R E S S E D BY T H E CO M B O T R I C KS YO U W E R E D O I N G . YO U W E R E B A S I C A L LY T H E O N LY O N E D O I N G T H E M , A N D Y O U C O U L D D O T H E M W E L L A N D C O N S I S T E N T LY. H O W D I D T H E Y CO M E A B O U T ? H OW D I D YO U D EC I D E TO P U S H YO U R S E L F TO LEARN THEM?

Honestly… I have no idea, it just happened. I was always riding with a lot of speed, and my kite, the RPM, worked perfectly for it – it had some slack, but still quite a lot of power, and I could maintain my speed to pop into the next trick. In the beginning they were small, but then I started getting two good tricks straight after each other, and then I managed three, then four. In the competitions this scored big time, because I was doing four tricks in the first minute, and the other guy was only just making his way into the box. Quickly I would have eight decent tricks while the other guy was still on his first or second trick – it was a good way to start the heat. I would put on a good show, and people enjoyed it for a while until they decided they didn’t want to see it anymore.

S O W H E N Y O U S TA R T E D D O I N G T H E M , I T WA S N ’ T B E C A U S E Y O U T H O U G H T I T W O U L D S C O R E H I G H ? I T WA S N ’ T L I K E A PLANNED THING?

I have always ridden the way I want to ride – maybe it wasn’t the smartest way but it was my way. As you know, my grabs are so good, haha! I have always wanted to go big, fast and far – that’s what makes me stoked to ride, and that’s what I would do in the competitions as well. Sometimes I could have gone for a small trick and won the heat, but instead I went for a really big trick, and it didn’t always work out. But that was the style I wanted to show. Now when I look back, I feel like it did actually play out well, because of the image it created of my riding.

To be honest I wasn’t thinking how it would score, I was doing it because it was what I wanted to do it. And I still do combos from time to time.

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W H E N T H E J U D G I N G SYST E M C H A N G E D A N D YO U H A D TO A D A P T, H O W G N A R LY WA S I T F O R Y O U T O A D J U S T ?

It was hard – as I said, I wanted to show my style, but I also wanted to win. So I was pretty upset when the judging changed. I knew combos were something the average person liked to see, but I understand that we needed to push the sport in a different direction – a direction we could grow, that would work for live streaming and live scoring. My combos didn’t really work for that – the cameras would struggle to film them, and the judges found it hard to score them. The voting to decide the format change was something like 31 to one – I was the only person that wanted to keep the combos! That was a decision I couldn’t win and I changed my training accordingly.

H O W D I D Y O U A D A P T Y O U R C O M P E T I T I O N TA C T I C S ?

From the combo days, I learnt you can put a lot of pressure on the other rider with your first trick. So I tried to keep that tactic and always open the heat with a big trick – I changed the tricks but kept the strategy the same. I started opening the heats with a backside 317: a ballsy move, but if it worked out it was a statement, and it gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the heat. If I didn’t land it, I would take 15 seconds to refocus and try again. Because I had that strategy so clear in my head, I was able to work with it successfully for a long time. Nowadays most of the guys open the heats with doubles.

I N U R UAU I N B RA Z I L , I N 2 01 3 , A LOT O F P EO P L E CO U L D D O D O U B L E S B U T I T W O U L D TA K E T H E M A F E W T R I E S . T H E N I F I L M E D YO U, L A N D I N G E V E RY T H I N G I N T H I S T I N Y L AG O O N. I R E M E M B E R O N T H E F I R S T D AY Y O U D I D A R E A L LY I M P R E S S I V E K G B 7 , W I T H S U C H S P E E D . E V E R Y O N E WA S R I D I N G F A S T A N D S M O O T H , B U T T H E N T H E R E WA S ‘ Y O U R I F A S T ’ ! Y O U W E R E R I D I N G FA ST E R T H A N A N YO N E I N TO T H E T R I C KS.

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Yeah, I wanted to show something, to show my riding style – that was the way I wanted to ride. It’s not something I did on purpose to brag about it. I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to ride really fast. It was just a natural thing – it was my feeling. That year was probably my best riding and the easiest riding as well. It was going strong, was working well. I’m pretty happy with the tricks I was landing back then.

Y O U ’ R E P R O B A B LY P R E T T Y P R O U D W H E N Y O U S E E K I T E R S R I D I N G N O WA D AY S R I G H T ? I F E E L L I K E N O WA D AY S E V E R Y O N E R I D E S ‘ YO U R I FA ST ’ .

I wouldn’t say I’m proud, but I like to see that style. When I see someone going fast, kite low, doing sick tricks, I think “yeah, that’s how it should be.” I don’t know if it’s because of me, but when I see it, I’m happy. I hope they keep doing it, the more aggressive the better!

I T ’ S H A R D T O P I N P O I N T W H Y B O A R D S P O R T S E V O LV E .

W O U L D Y O U S AY I T W A S I M P O R TA N T T O Y O U T O H A V E T H AT C O M P E T I T I O N W I T H A L E X P A S T O R T O E V O LV E Y O U R R I D ING?

Of course – you need somebody to compete against. You see it with Kevin and Aaron, Alex and me, and now Adeuri and Bebe, or maybe Bebe and Liam.

There is always somebody you meet many times in the finals, and I feel like that time with Alex was good for competition. I was in this mindset where you just want to beat the other guy. I get along really well with Alex and there are no hard feelings, but once the heat was on, he was the guy I wanted to beat. I could lose to anybody else and not really care, but if I lost to that one guy, I was like NOOOO! I think it happens in every sport and is a good thing – seeing the other person push themselves motivates you to do the same. We had a pretty good and healthy competition going on. It was a good run!

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2018

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2019 I T H I N K I T WA S R E A L LY C O O L B E C A U S E Y O U G U Y S W E R E S O D I F F E R E N T. A L E X H A S H I S S T Y L E A N D Y O U H AV E Y O U R S A N D , A S I D E F R O M B O T H O F Y O U B E I N G R E A L LY G O O D , Y O U G U Y S S H O W E D T W O D I F F E R E N T WAY S O F D O I N G T H E S A M E S P O R T.

Yeah, Alex is way more technical and smoother. My style was just more powerful, more aggressive, sometimes balls to the wall and whatever happens, happens! But yeah, two very different styles. I could always appreciate his style too because it was so smooth and well planned out. But even though I could appreciate it, it was never the style I wanted to ride.

W H E N T H E F O R M AT C H A N G E D T O A L O N G E R H E AT W I T H S I X T R I C K S , W O U L D Y O U S AY T H AT H E L P E D Y O U I N A WAY O R NOT?

I don’t think it helped me at all; I kind of lost my way… Back in the seven-minute format days it was full energy, full power, and then it changed into a more ponderous 45-minute heat where you do six or seven tricks. I knew it was necessary for the live streaming and live scoring, but it wasn’t something I enjoyed much – because you do your trick, ride back out, and wait a few minutes before you do another trick, the hype I used to have in the seven minute heats wasn’t there. I still did well and won a few competitions, but it wasn’t my style. But at the end of the day, if a change is better for the general benefit of the sport, you have to go with it and adapt to the new format. Sometimes it is not what you want, but it’s what you have to do.

C O M B O S A R E D I F F I C U LT T E C H N I C A L LY, B U T A L S O F I T NESS-WISE. IT MUST BE HARD TO DO TRICK AFTER TRICK. D I D YO U T RA I N FO R T H E F I T N E S S S I D E O F I T ?

No, I was young! In 2009 I was 19, that makes a big difference – back then everything was going my way. I wasn’t training in the gym, I was just kiting, kiting and kiting… I wasn’t really fit. Now looking back, I should have trained in the gym a lot more to avoid injuries. But when you are 19… who cares, you know! I have been injured way too many times – shoulder, knee a couple of times, the other knee, the other shoulder, yeah, way too much. I had surgery on my left knee and shoulder, I tore my ACL, and last year in Brazil I nearly dislocated my shoulder. I basically broke everything on the left side and then started on the right side!

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H O W WA S I T C O M I N G B A C K F R O M A L L T H E S E I N J U R I E S ? I T S E E M S L I K E YO U C A M E B AC K ST RO N G E R E AC H T I M E .

It wasn’t my priority at first, but after the injuries I started training. I was determined to come back fighting. For months after an injury, you would find me inside the gym six or seven days a week, before I could kite again. This helped massively – after my shoulder injury for example, I was able to do a back mobe on the first session. My shoulder still hurt a bit, but I was fortunate to build a good relationship with my doctors and physio. I could trust them 100% and they told me to go for it as I had put the work in. I did come back stronger after every injury, but let’s not make this a habit! Luckily, I don’t have to do competitions anymore which should reduce my chances of injury.

S O Y O U O N LY S TA R T E D G O I N G T O T H E G Y M A F T E R T H E I N JURIES?

Yes, and that was the biggest mistake I’ve made in my career – I wish I had started going to the gym before all the injuries. I try to tell the new generation this – you don’t have to be massive or bulky, lifting 200kg, but you need to work out and take care of yourself. There aren’t that many people that get to the top of their sport after an injury, so make sure you get yourself really fit and strong to avoid the injuries in the first place. Some of the young kids take the advice, others are like me back in the day – “whatever… nothing can happen to me”.

When you are 16 you will probably get away with it, but as you get older, things get more challenging.

A N D W H AT ’ S N E X T F O R P A P A Y O U R I ?

This year I had one or two trips planned nearly every month, but of course Covid came and ruined that party! However, I’ve been able to spend way more time with my little boy which is worth all the trips in the world. Luckily we are now able to do some traveling again, so I will soon be back in the iron bird.

Next up is Italy for coaching and then Greece. After that I hope more countries will open up and we get to travel more. ■

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A change of Tack We’ve all been affected by Covid in different ways, and most people’s plans have gone well and truly out the window. But if you can make the most of a bad situation and appreciate the silver linings then you’re on to a winner (though maybe not a kite comp winner currently). Naish team riders and podium finishers Helena Brochocka and Christophe Tack take us through how they have got through this weird time.

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t is safe to say that 2020 has brought a fair share of surprises and sudden changes to plans.

It all started off great – we joined the Naish International team, filled our calendars with competition dates for KPL park events and GKA Freestyle tour stops, and started planning our first trip to Hawaii to shoot the new line of products with the new team. We were looking forward to a busy and productive year of travel and events. Then 2020 started dropping bomb after bomb – global pandemic, Triple S announcing the end of their run, all the freestyle competitions cancelled, and travel restrictions putting a stop to all our travel plans.

While sad about the turn of events, we knew it was the same for everyone; some people have found themselves in much worse situations. So we decided to appreciate the fact that we are healthy, with full plates, a roof over our head, and perhaps most importantly, we were locked down in our favorite place in the world. The only thing we could do was to make the best of it. As they say, when life gives you lemons…

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A CHANGE OF TACK

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Helena We had just moved to Portugal a year earlier, and if someone had asked me to choose my ideal place to be locked down, that would be it. Of course, the first weeks of quarantine were weird to say the least – we were self-isolating far from our friends and family, water sports were banned, and everyone was afraid of how the situation in the world would develop. Luckily for us Portugal was among the countries where the situation didn’t escalate dramatically, therefore the restrictions were pretty lax. We could still walk on the beach, go for a run or hike, and enjoy the outdoors, as long as we practiced social distancing. The ban on water sports was lifted quite early on (you can’t keep Portuguese surfers away from the waves for too long, unless you wish to have a full-blown rebellion), which gave us an opportunity to experience a spring in Portugal like we’ve never seen before. Without hundreds of tourists swarming the beaches, overcrowded line-ups, and busy lagoons, the place looked completely different.

The next few weeks saw us forget about the rest of the world, as we began exploring the region more: hiking, surfing, kiting, paragliding, and scouting new spots. The quarantine trapped us in Portugal for nearly eight months, which we realized was the longest either of us has spent in one place since we graduated from school. Perhaps this was just what we needed – this time gave us an opportunity to slow down, re-evaluate our goals, get more familiar with our new home base, and explore the region. And there was definitely a lot to explore!

Portugal has over 900 kilometers of coastline full of surf breaks, picturesque beaches, and countless kite lagoons. It is probably one of the wildest and most unexplored countries of Western Europe. It has recently become more popular as a tourist destination, especially among water sports fans and other outdoor enthusiasts, due to its diversity, accessibility, and affordable prices.

We have scored a lot of good sessions in the last few months, both in lagoons and in waves. It has been the perfect time to get fully used to our new setup from Naish Kiteboarding, as we had an opportunity to ride in a great variety of conditions, and try all the different models of boards and kites, as well as different setups and trims. Personally, despite the circumstances, I am grateful for having this time to reset, enjoy the sport to the fullest, and gain a whole new appreciation of our home spot. We can definitely say we made the most out of an otherwise unfortunate time. I now feel a hundred percent recharged, and ready to get back on the road, and back on the schedule. I think it will be interesting to see how the kiteboarding industry will change and adapt to the new situation. We will definitely be facing some new shifts and challenges, but I’m sure we can make it work.

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Christophe The lockdown has finally given me the opportunity to slow down and take a break from pushing my riding to the limits. Sitting down for a while felt great for my body, as I have hardly taken a break for years, and it helped to heal small injuries that had been getting worse over time: my hamstring that tore back in 2011 that kept bugging me, shoulder inflammations from all the handle passes, and the well-known ‘kite elbows’ from all those light-wind sessions. I saw it as a way to restore my body more than I normally could, when I only have a few weeks off a year. I am now ready to ride as much as possible with my body all healed up.

Spending an entire winter and spring at home in Portugal, meant we could make the most of the best swell period. This gave me a chance to finally work on my wave riding skills. I’ve always enjoyed prone surfing, and getting into wave kiting was on my to-do list for a very long time. I finally managed to get in a few months of practice, and to score my first barrel rides. While I can’t wait for the next winter swells in Portugal, I am now looking forward to getting back to business as usual, and to put all that restored energy into the freestyle season.

But what season are we talking about exactly?

The uncertainty related to the global pandemic is definitely affecting everyone in the industry, as there are so many unanswered questions. How is it going to affect the professional kiting world in the long run? What will happen with the competition circuit? If some of these events will happen then will the riders be able to travel to compete and will we get a representative group, or will some top riders be absent, leaving a bitter taste in the upcoming world champion’s mouth? Currently it looks like the organizers will have to come up with a new way to keep the professional competitions going, so perhaps the biggest question of all is: how we can adjust to the current situation?

To keep the scene going The GKA world tour rolled out a new format called the ‘GKA Distance Battle’. The idea was to have selected riders film a seven-minute heat at their home spot, stream it online with live commentary, and get judges to analyze it – cool! But first we had to win an online vote to enter the contest. Many of the riders went all in, campaigning for votes, creating promotional videos, and sharing their quest on every forum possible. Although the event concept was controversial, everyone seemed excited about the idea, and were stoked to compete, or watch their favorite riders perform after a long break from kiting events. Unfortunately, it turned out the voting system was compromised, and the GKA announced cancellation of the event due to suspicious activity in the voting system.

This is a shame, as it was the only event that actually had a chance to happen at the time. But it has also shed light on the challenges related to organizing online events, as well as basing the qualification processes on social media engagement. Makes you wonder where else bots are used to generate fake traffic, views, likes, and followers… I guess it was a reminder not to take social media too seriously, and a wake-up call for the industry to refocus on the performance on the water, rather than on Instagram profiles. Regardless, the idea was interesting, and it’s definitely good that the GKA at least tried to keep the ball rolling. I think video events are a promising idea, and once the qualification process gets re-evaluated, I will be more than happy to participate, and see what everyone can pull off.

While the first potential date for a traditional event is still a few months away, Helena and I are excited to travel throughout Europe by van, doing demos with Naish Kiteboarding. We hope to get a schedule out at the end of July, and visit a ton of new spots, bring along some test gear, and ride with the local shredders.

Stay tuned and if you see us at your home spot, make sure to come say hi! ■

HE RE

Enjoying the empty waves with not a tourist in sight A CHANGE OF TACK

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Kite Schooled Many of us look back at school careers with mixed emotions at best – those formative times spent in the classroom watching the clock, the lengthy day perhaps punctuated by an adrenaline pulse from experimenting with Bunsen burners, maybe even bunking off during cross country running.

For the kids of the World Class Kiteboarding Academy however, things are different. Eye-opening travel to remote and windy regions is woven into the day-to-day routine of this mobile pro kiter incubator. There’s not a blackboard eraser, crested blazer or PE kit anywhere in sight.

Headmistress of Shred, Polly Crathorne, explains all.

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’m on the daily check for wind when I see it, motionless on the reef.

We’re on the remote island of Cuyo in the Philippines for two weeks. It’s a ten-minute walk to Capusan beach from the temporary school campus we have set up in a house belonging to the Mayor of Cuyo’s son, Rens.

Past the informal housing, animal feed stalls, print your own t-shirt shop, balut stand and wet market that makes up Cuyo town’s high street – this is the students’ daily commute to the beach for the kite session.

I head out onto the sand spit that stretches out into the lagoon for the daily wind check. And that’s when I see it. Downwind, motionless in the water sits the Milagrosa: the ferry that was meant to leave for Puerto Princesa the night before and return in three days’ time to take our 25 students and teachers off the island. Local kite legend, Jing, tells me that the ferry crashed into the reef after it left the island’s port last night. He kited over to the reef that morning and chatted to the passengers stuck on board. The hull had taken a hit. Miles from the equipment that could extract and repair it, the Milagrosa was going nowhere fast. I return back to the team with the good news – that it was windy.

And the bad news – that we weren’t taking the Milagrosa on Wednesday.

The previous day, the Asean Journey, bound for Coron, had experienced an engine failure and was forced to abort its journey. It was sitting in the dock, awaiting repair. The commercial planes had stopped chartering flights from Cuyo a month prior to the school’s visit. We entertained the idea of taking ‘The Fish Plane’ – it is an island myth that you can leave the island via the small airstrip in the belly of a cargo plane carrying fish.

But in the end, we settled on taking a 12-hour ferry to Iloilo city, followed by a 9-hour bus ride, another 12-hour ferry to Batangas, and a final overnight bus to Naga city and our next location, CWC wake park. No mean feat with a team of 19 teen kiteboarders and all of their sports equipment. In true World Class style, students embraced our island-hopping adventure, and our accidental 48-hour marathon detour turned out to be a journey of discovery.

Students embraced the novel bunk bed set up on the ferries, crawling between the hundreds of bunk beds crammed side by side. They played “bananagrams” on the sloping top deck of the boat. They relished the opportunity to indulge in instant noodles and Nutella, a departure from the school’s ‘healthy snack’ policy. And they got to witness more of daily life in the Philippines as we took in the salty air, sped through countryside, waited at ports, found food in markets and spoke to fellow passengers.

Although this was an unusual situation for the World Class Kiteboarding Academy, it is a taster of the unique opportunities that have arisen working for the traveling high school for young kiteboarders.

Local kite legend, Jing, tells me that the ferry crashed into the reef after it left the island’s port last night.

The schedule

Our normal school day starts with a team workout at 7am (or 6am in Brazil) – cardio, resistance training, core workout or the team favorite: stretching. Then it’s breakfast, chatting about the wind forecast or Erick Anderson’s latest trick on Instagram. We eat a lot. At some locations we are in ‘cook crews’ and take it in turns to make breakfast. In Italy last year, the team was eating 100 eggs (scrambled) every day – we did a crazy shop in Sardinia where we bought 1400 eggs in one go!

Next is a supervised Study Hall where students do homework and prep for lessons, and us teachers are on hand to help with any questions. Then we dive into classes; I teach two to three hours a day. When I am not teaching classes, I am planning my classes, grading homework, planning workouts, sorting kiting footage for video review or running errands like hospital visits or kite repairs.

This year, we have seven full-time faculty teaching three subjects each, as well as coaching kiteboarding and running logistics. Lessons typically run until 3pm, when the magic words ‘KITE MEETING’ are shouted all over campus. We meet together and discuss the kiting plan for the day, before heading to the beach for a team shred. Then it’s dinner, more kite chat, homework and sleep. Repeat.

Kite sessions at the WCKA are something else. Students are motivated after

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a long day at school and it is often a race to rig up. Having the team around them pushes students to try the next trick; it means they get filming done and they have mates with whom they can celebrate their successes on the water. We hold school competitions every quarter, inspired by the GKA format. Students get fired up to compete against each other for the title – literally, as the school competition the following quarter is titled after the winner.

Being based in some of the kite world’s favorite spots means students got to shred with Coccolutto in Sicily, Therese Taabbel in Cauipe, Oswald Smith in Cape Town and Valentin Rodriguez in Taiba. In Brazil, we had the opportunity to work with renowned photographer Andre Magarao. The school has also worked closely with guest coaches. Sam Light came to Greece with us to share his expertize in the industry and technical tips on the beach and in video review sessions. In South Africa, Ewan Jaspan and Luke McGillewie joined us as guest judges at our school competition. In Brazil this year, we had guest coaching from Blaine Baker and Lindsay McClure – the WCKA super couple that set up the programme and made it what it is today.

I sat down with some of this year’s graduating class to get the inside scoop on daily life at the Academy…

Taiba set up

Algebra class

Langebaan

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Kimo Khaled KITE SCHOOLED

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Luca Payne

Gabe Payne

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TOM SEAGER, 17, UK

KIMO KHALED, 17, PORTUGAL

Tom, as a World Class veteran you’ve experienced it all during your five years at the school. What it the most important lesson you’ve learnt?

Kimo, as our most technical rider, crushing it at the school competitions and on the GKA tour, what has helped your progression at the school?

Yeah being at the WCKA for over four years is a crazy thought, it’s been the best opportunity I could have ever imagined and I’ll be forever grateful to everyone and especially my parents for making it possible. The most important thing I’ve learnt is that, no matter what’s happening, happiness is the most important thing in life, and to just have fun and make the most out of every single opportunity that gets thrown your way, because it may not come around again. One memory I’ll never forget is waking up on the ferry in the Philippines not having any idea where we were going and not entirely trusting this rusty, tipping boat but watching the most beautiful sunrise while eating breakfast with friends.

That was a special moment.

Kiting with my schoolmates was mainly what motivated me, pushed me and always has given me a confidence boost to land that new trick.

LUCA PAYNE, 18, UK

Luca, you thrived off riding with your teammates. You experienced quarters in Brazil, Peru, Italy, Greece and South Africa; which session sticks in your mind most?

One session in particular which springs to mind was the time I landed my first BS317 and then broke my foot next trick on a Heart Attack! WCKA was in Cumbuco and everyone was at the lagoon sending it. It was one of those sessions when everyone is psyching each other up to land new tricks. I was trying to get some clips for a wild card entry video to the GKA, so after landing my first BS317, I was even more motivated. I came down the lagoon full speed, but I missed my pop and under-rotated, landing badly and crushing my foot. Unfortunately, I was off the water for the next month, and spent the night waiting in a hospital near Fortaleza for an X-ray.

ELIAS OCHNER, 18, ITALY

Elias, you were training part-time to be an electrician when you started attending the school. What makes WCKA different from other schools?

WCKA is not like school. It’s like a family. Teachers become your friends – I never thought this was possible. You will also meet some of your best friends.

The biggest difference from other schools is that the WCKA is a high school where you kite in the afternoons, for me this was like a dream because before I could only kite on the weekends.

JENNA DE VRIES, 17, NETHERLANDS

Jenna, your photographs feature in this article and they are littered across the school Instagram. Why did you turn to photography as a way of capturing school life?

I turned to photography to capture school life when I hurt my ACL again in Brazil during my senior year. I had to take about two weeks off the water, and those two weeks were in Brazil! Seeing everyone being able to shred daily when you have to watch from the side lines can be quite hard, so I decided to pick up my camera. I had already been taking photos and video for a long time, but that’s when it really clicked as I was able to spend hours on the beach experimenting with different angles, finding out what worked with different riders and how to get as many unique shots as possible. During our third quarter in South Africa I injured my ankle looping and was forced to watch from the side lines once more. Photography allowed me to turn a negative situation into a positive one, while creating content for the school and my friends. I’ve recovered from my injuries so will be spending more time on the water now, but I will also pick up my camera more often.

GABE PAYNE, 18, UK

Gabe, you hold many accolades at the school: from being surrogate father to the school chick ‘Greg the Egg’, to being known for your amazing injury comebacks. What are the best things for you at WCKA? It’s really tough to choose my favorite memory from my time at WCKA as there are too many. But if I had to pick one, I would probably say last year’s graduation in Sicily. It was so great to look back at all the memories we made and to remember all the amazing kite spots that we had visited. The sessions with the whole crew will always be unforgettable. When everybody is in a nice rotation, watching and pushing each other to send new tricks, the vibe is unbeatable.

GRAY FOSTER, 18, USA

Gray, you made the most of every opportunity to ride, whether it was waves, strapless freestyle or twintip. What was your favorite WCKA location?

Brazil was definitely my favorite because we had a range of wind and great waves for both kiting and surfing. Having flat water lagoons was also a plus for getting some strapless freestyle tricks down.

L EF T

ANNA HASHEM, 17, EGYPT

Homework will have to wait...

Young talents, Luca and Gabe Payne stoked to be riding after hours

Anna, you embraced the opportunity to experience the fullness of culture of the destinations the school visited. What is your best memory of traveling with the school?

A B OVE

Although it is difficult to pick one memory from the many beautiful ones, my best memory with the school took place in South Africa with the 9 Miles Project, which uses surfing to engage vulnerable children. Volunteering and surfing with children so little, with such strength and dignity, was amazing. I enjoyed spending time with the group of people at 9 Miles, faces I will never forget. ■

When injury meant Jenna de Vries couldn’t be on the water, at least she could be in the water

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RIDER LIAM WHALEY P H O T O S V E T L A N A R O M A N T S O VA

The 319 is not actually a trick I do that often. It is a bit of a spin-to-win trick, but if performed properly it can look pretty impressive. It consists of a railey or a shifty, then a 900-degree frontside rotation while passing the bar twice, then landing toeside. I like to extend as much as possible on the take off until reaching the peak, and then spin very quickly on the way down, keeping the kite at 45 degrees or lower. To be honest I save this kind of trick for competitions or great conditions because if you crash you are going to crash hard!

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STEP 1

Get a lot of speed, as this trick requires as much of it as you can manage.

STEP 2

Edge hard upwind and do a very aggressive pop with the kite at around 11 o’clock.

STEP 3

STEP 5

Just before reaching the peak of your jump, pull the bar in aggressively towards your hip, and start to spin while passing the bar.

STEP 6

If your pop was good enough, you should get a lot of slack which will make the handle passing easier.

As you are taking off, put a little bit of pressure on your front hand, so the kite goes down progressively during the move.

STEP 7

STEP 4

STEP 8

Extend both your arms and legs as much as possible during the railey.

Once you are coming around to 900 degrees, try to get two hands on the bar for a smoother landing.

Brace for impact and ride away!

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KT KITEBOARDS

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You don’t get a bigger seal of approval for your boards than Kai Lenny, who can regularly be spotted with a KT under his feet. Keith Teboul, founder of the Maui-based brand, gives us the lowdown on the brand’s two kiteboards – the Driver and Trickster.

C A N YO U T E L L U S A B I T O F B AC KG RO U N D T O T H E K T B RA N D ?

KT has been around for over 10 years now. It was basically born out of our love for surfing! Both myself and Lalo are avid surfers, so it was a natural progression to work on surf shapes, which ultimately led to the kite shapes.

H O W H AV E Y O U R T R A D I T I O N A L S U R F B O A R D S A F F E C T E D T H E DESIGN OF THE KITEBOARDS?

I have been watching boards being shaped since I was in high school, and this time has really helped my eye develop for curves and foils. My prone surfboards heavily influence the kite shapes in thickness, flows, rockers, outlines, foils and so on… it all starts with the surfboard and goes from there. I can then adjust to the speeds and control that riders are looking for while kiting.

G I V E U S A R U N T H R O U G H O F Y O U R T W O K I T E B O A R D S , W H AT IS EACH MODEL AIMED FOR?

We have the Driver which is geared as a drivey surf-oriented shape that can handle those classic side-off days, but is versatile enough to work in less-than-ideal onshore conditions. I did a lot of R&D with Nicollo Porcella and Kai Lenny on this board. Kai is currently using the 5’7 for kiting, but he is even using it for regular surfing, saying it is his favorite surf shape at the moment. We are using this as a base for a new quiver of boards for everything from riding Sunset through to grovelers for the summer. Let’s see where it goes.

The Trickster is a fun all-round freestyle board. It’s good for edging and rotational tricks, and those mediocre onshore days. It’s a fun, stable, short board that is very versatile.

KT T RIC KST E R

KT DRIV E R

KT KITEBOARDS

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TELL US ABOUT THE OUTLINES AND SHAPES AND HOW THIS AFFECTS THEIR PERFORMANCE.

The Driver has a more traditional surf outline that favors down-the-line surfing. It has a pulled-in nose and narrower swallow tail, to allow for fast transitions and pivots to the lip when most needed. It’s fast, grippy and positive.

The Trickster has a much shorter length with a parallel outline, for good edging control, more pop and more efficient hydrodynamics. It has a concave deck that gives the rider a more connected feel when shredding. The concave deck also creates a lip of sorts on the top of the rail that acts as a gripping spot when doing rotational tricks and jumps. The swallow tail leads to more grip and pivot at speed.

W H AT I S T H E C A R B O N E X O S K E L E T O N C O N S T R U C T I O N B R I N G I N G T O T H E PA RT Y ?

The carbon exoskeleton is a reference to the carbon stringers being on the outside of the blank, and not cut into the blank. EPS epoxy boards are already stiffer, so I wanted to get a more traditional PU feeling board, with all the weight and strength benefits of EPS epoxy. The carbon on the outside adds a springier stiffness and strength, while still allowing the blank itself to have some give and flex.

Y O U R B R A N D I S P R O U D LY H AWA I I A N . H O W D O T H E C O N D I T I O N S T H E R E D I C TAT E Y O U R D E S I G N S ?

I definitely see the conditions heavily influencing and adding to the design, but I also take real world conditions into account, and I try to make something that is easily accessible. I have many different riders try the boards and use them in varied conditions to get a broad feedback. I assess and then can tweak if needs be.

H O W D I D B I G WAV E L E G E N D A N D A D R E N A L I N E J U N K I E N I C O L LO P O RC E L L A I N F LU E N C E T H E D R I V E R B OA R D D E S I G N ?

Nicollo was the driving force and main tester for this model. His fast, aggressive and powerful style really pushed the design elements in this shape. I needed something loose and skatey that turned on a dime, but that was drivey and fast enough for him to perform consistently. We did a lot of testing as well to find the balance of weight, strength and feel.

W H E R E D O YO U S E E T H E K I T E B OA R D RA N G E E X PA N D I N G FROM HERE?

We like to keep our lines running for two years, so for this year things will remain the same. Working more closely with Kai Lenny has added another super sensitive rider who is extreme, but can give some great directions and feedback.

I foresee small refinements and adjustments to make the board an extension of your body, which allows you to concentrate on what you want to do with complete confidence in the board to get you there. But with Nicollo and Kai, let’s see where this goes… ■

KT KITEBOARDS

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AIRUSH LIFT

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While technical freestyle has always been a focal point of elite kiting, there’s something really satisfying about hucking a huge jump. Ultimately, Big Air is what sets us apart from other watersports: it gets the biggest whoops on the beach from non-kiters, and is a major catalyst for the uptake of the sport. What better than to perform your jumps on a kite called the Lift, a rebooted classic brought completely up to date from Airush…

I T ’ S G R E AT T O S E E T H E L I F T M O D E L B A C K . H O W D O E S T H E NEW ONE MEASURE UP TO THE PREVIOUS OLD SCHOOL LEGEND?

In essence, the Lift is true to the original kite, meaning that it is all about performance freeride and Big Air. We were chasing explosive power, massive lift and hangtime, while still being stable in high winds and easy to fly. From a technical standpoint, the new Lift is completely different to the old one. The old Lift was a classic four line C-kite, that had very little depower, and to jump it high, you needed to be very specific about where you placed it in the window, whereas the new Lift has tons of depower and is way easier to jump. Ultimately, it still targets the same type of rider – those who want to go massive and enjoy really good hangtime, but who also want to see a vast improvement in design and performance.

AIRUSH LIFT

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W H AT S P E C I F I C D E S I G N F E AT U R E S G I V E I T T H E S I G N AT U R E LIFT CHARACTERISTICS?

The main difference from our other kites, is the sweep (how far back the wingtips are relative to the center of the kite), and the high aspect ratio. It is also the only non C-kite in our range to have five struts. These help massively to enhance stability in the top end of the wind range.

T H E R E ’ S A N O P T I O N A L H I G H - Y F E AT U R E I N T H E B R I D L E , HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE?

We found that the high-Y feature changes the feel of how the kite reacts to bar movements, specifically depower, but we also know that some people prefer the low-Y. It is more of a personal preference and what works best for your riding style. Unfortunately it doesn’t increase performance – you are not going to get an extra two meters added to your WOO score just because you put the high-Y setting on!

Y O U H AV E O T H E R K I T E S T H AT B O O S T W E L L T O O , W H AT WO U L D YO U R OT H E R O P T I O N S B E ?

The other big booster in our line-up is the Union, or if it is super windy the smaller Razors really boost as well. But if your main focus when you hit the water is boosting and you also want a great all-round kite then the Lift is going to be the kite for you…

YO U R W E BT EC H SYST E M I S N OW U P TO V E R S I O N 4 , A N D U N I Q U E I N T H E I N D U S T R Y. H O W H A S I T B E E N I M P L E M E N T E D WITH THE LIFT?

The WebTech is implemented in the same manner as with the rest of our wideopen C-kites, reinforcing the Load Frame in areas you have broader loads.

This helps maintain the structure of the kite, particularly in high winds, and helps spread load evenly from key areas such as the attachment points.

W H I C H O F Y O U R T E A M H A S B E E N I N V O LV E D I N T H E D E S I G N P R O C E S S ? H AV E A N Y O F T H E M B E E N U S I N G I T F O R S T R A P LESS FREESTYLE?

During the design process we used quite a few of our team, predominantly Oswald Smith, Gijs Wassenaar, Sam Medysky and Victor Hays, as well as some of the office staff and designers. So there were a lot of people involved at varying riding levels and styles, each of whom preferred different aspects of the kite. Recently we signed Kiko Torres, so although he didn’t have any input into the Lift, he got his hands on the final prototypes and is raving about it for strapless freestyle. The hangtime has allowed him to fit in extra maneuvers to each trick, like the front-roll tic-tac flip which I believe is a first.

A N D W H AT A R E Y O U G U Y S W O R K I N G O N N E X T ?

We are constantly working on new kites, so there is a lot going on with testing and prototyping. We are set to launch the Session kite in a few weeks, which has taken the place of the Wave kite – it is still perfect for wave riding, but we felt that it was boxed into being a kite purely for waves, whereas it is actually a really good kite for strapless freestyle and all-round freeride too. We have also kept the optional fixed and pulley bridles on the Session, so those who love the Wave for wave riding can still benefit from it. It is still a highly regarded product, just with a new name. We will have more details on that in the next month or so… ■

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WOO

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The WOO device is essential for comparing your jump heights to some of the most notable Big Air legends of the sport. But if you thought that’s all it does, well think again. It will also give you feedback on your jump technique, your freestyle moves, and can also earn you some indisputable kudos and extra swagger at your local spot...

We caught up with the guys at WOO HQ to find out what they have been up to.

T E L L U S W H AT ’ S N E W W I T H W O O ! Y O U ’ V E J U S T L A U N C H E D S O M E E X C I T I N G N E W S T U F F. . .

Yes, indeed – boy was that a busy few months! We did a lot of work behind the scenes to get our tech stack ready for the next evolution of WOO, but the first thing users get to enjoy as part of the WOO PRO membership is the Analytics package. Basically, we tried to squeeze as much as we can out of the WOO 3.0 device (and other hardware that users own - we can get GPS from your phone).

We believe many people completely underestimate just how sophisticated this little powerhouse, the WOO 3.0, is.

Our aim was to deliver users as much data and insight on their jump technique as possible, so they can jump higher. So, we now measure your edge angle at take-off (edging is key!), your pop (that direction change just before you take off), the explosiveness of the pop, and the take-off velocity. We spoke with a lot of pros – there was 100% consent that all those are key for a big boost.

W H AT I S T H E J U M P G R A P H A L L A B O U T ?

This plots your exact height over time. On bigger boosts, you can really spot your downloops. And you will be surprised by how many different trajectories jumps can produce, depending on your kite control, kite type, spot and so on. Jump distance in itself will be a whole new game, literally. Some jumps, particularly at gusty spots (think Misty Cliffs or Valdevaqueros), don’t get you that high, but you keep hanging there and gliding downwind – they are very lofty jumps. We’re very excited to see some of the results of these jumps. We’ve already measured jumps well over 100m in distance in our testing, so it’s rad!

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It’s all about the WOO score. Here’s Janek Grzegorzewski, Mike MacDonald and Angely Bouillot looking for those extra few centimeters...

Photo: Steven Akkersdijk WOO

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ASSUME I KNOW NOTHING, TELL ME HOW THE WOO DEVICE WORKS, AND WHERE IT SHOULD BE MOUNTED?

The device measures rotations and accelerations up to 8,000 times per second – the mathematics of that would break the scope of this short interview! The result is we get to a full jump trajectory and height reading. The WOO always needs to be in the middle of the board – everything else we consider cheating!

If the WOO is mounted on the tip of the board, for example, the vibrations are much more erratic compared to the middle of the board, which can produce outliers. It would be like you measuring your body temperature on your pinky toe – just not the right results.

A small but powerful processor on the WOO calculates the jumps on the device, where they are stored and wait to be transferred to the phone via Bluetooth. With Analytics, of course, we transmit much more information than just height, airtime and landing g-force. There is even more we can get out of the device, but all in good time.

THE WOO CAN BE USED FOR FREEST YLE, NOT JUST FOR BIG A I R . T E L L U S M O R E . I S T H I S F E AT U R E B E C O M I N G M O R E P O P ULAR?

It is gaining quite a lot of popularity. The nature of the game (pun intended) is that there isn’t always wind to boost big, and we want to give riders options for those times. Freestyle is perfect to score and dial in short duration freestyle tricks. So, we’re looking at airtimes longer than 2.5 seconds – think raileys, backrolls, backroll to toeside type stuff.

Then there is Freeride, which is purely GPS-based and does not require a WOO. It is for super light wind days, where you may be inclined to take out your foil and explore your surroundings. Nick Jacobsen recently rounded an island in Denmark – it was really cool to see, and we hope it gives our users an opportunity to engage with the community even on light wind days, and share their stoke about their adventures.

W H AT I S W O O P R O A L L A B O U T ?

WOO PRO is all about you. Our community and company would be nothing without our users. For one, we’re trying to become closer to our kite community, particularly as the brand is now completely re-focused on kiting – that’s where our heart is and where our passion lies! Aside from that, we have built a huge community over the years, and there is so much more we can do for and with the community, outside of just measuring jump height. So PRO is designed to encompass a broader aspect of your kiting experience. We are just at the beginning of this, but we are not short of ideas and concepts. Now it’s about putting pen to paper and making them reality.

H O W M A N Y U S E R S D O Y O U H AV E N O W ?

50,000 users have signed up on the app, 26,000 riders on the Big Air leaderboards, and over 30,000 sessions are posted every month. WOO riders have collected over two years of airtime; we’ve measured over 50 million jumps; and collectively, we have made it two thirds of the height distance to the moon (that’s 200,000,000 meters!). So, it’s a very active and fast-growing community.

WHERE ARE THE BIGGEST JUMPS HAPPENING?

Cape Town, hands down. You have those crazy days at Kite Beach, where Josh Emanuel is overpowered on a 7, and then there is Misty Cliffs with those magic updrafts. There, it’s a little like playing the lottery, but if you want to go big, that’s the place to be. That said, anywhere a storm happens, you can boost big.

We’re quite excited to see what happens and we’re sure there are a few other spots in the world that deliver prime boosting conditions. So, WOO community, let’s go explore!

W H O D O I N E E D T O B E AT ? !

Well, Maarten Haeger, Mike MacDonald and Joshua Emanuel are the top three on our global all-time leaderboard, and they are all on the kite that right now we know is the best for boosting big, the CORE XR6. I think we saw what an impact it has on a rider when he posts a big WOO score. In all three cases (Maarten, Mike and Josh), it was a huge boost for their career. That said, we’re likely to re-engage with a few riders – it’s fun to be working with some of those guys, and they are very helpful, for instance, when it comes to testing products in harsh and extreme conditions. ■

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Niccolo Porcella on Driver by Sofie Louca, available in 5’7”, 5’9”, 5’11”. ktsurfing.com, @ktsurfing

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CRAZYFLY PURE BOARD

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If you are into foiling then the new Pure board from CrazyFly is one to get excited about. CrazyFly pitch it as the lightest foil board on the market, making it the perfect weapon for mastering your transitions as well as for staying comfortably within your luggage allowance…

H O W H AV E Y O U G O N E A B O U T D E S I G N I N G T H E L I G H T E S T FOIL BOARD IN THE WORLD?

The Pure board is the result of over 20 years of experience in constructing lightweight products – windsurf boards, surfboards, kiteboards and foils – that CrazyFly has made over the years. There are three main aspects that allow the Pure board to save a lot of weight. First is the ‘Air Inside Woodcore’, where we’ve created true hollow spaces between the top and bottom layup layers of carbon fiber, with air trapped inside – this results in the lightest possible board core. Second is the lightest possible layup of the board, where we use advanced carbon fiber material with an ultra-light weight and high strength to prevent the board from breaking. Third is our unique technology where we do not use a top or bottom sheet foil on the carbon, saving further weight.

T H E ‘A I R I N S I D E WO O D CO R E ’ LO O K S U N I Q U E I N T H E I N D U S T R Y. T H I S H A S A L S O B E E N S E E N I N Y O U R T W I N T I P S R I G H T ?

Yes, this technology was first introduced in our Elite II twintip, which until very recently was the lightest twintip in the world (we will claim the lightestboard-in-the-world title again soon!). The technology came out in August 2019 and proved very successful, so we decided to use it on the Pure foil board.

At the moment, we do not plan to use it in any other boards. We will see where the trend in boards takes us – if it leans towards lightweight boards, then we are ready to offer the lightest boards in the world with this tech.

T E L L U S M O R E A B O U T YO U R U S E O F C A R B O N A N D H OW I T AFFECTS THE FLEX RESPONSE OF THE BOARD.

We have been using carbon since day one at CrazyFly, and believe that in some designs, like the Pure foil board, carbon is simply irreplaceable. The weave and angle placement of the carbon fibers determines almost everything on the board – with straight fibers running along the length of the board, we control the flex; with angled fibers running sideways, we control torsional stiffness.

The weight of the carbon per square meter also determines the overall strength of the board, and the overall weight of the board. You can play with options forever, and it takes many years of experience to get this right.

CRAZYFLY PURE BOARD

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YO U M E N T I O N E D A U N I Q U E T EC H N O LO GY W H E R E YO U D O N O T U S E A T O P S H E E T F O I L . W H AT ’ S T H I S A L L A B O U T ?

This is the Carbon Touch technology, which means that when you touch the board, you are touching the carbon material itself. We love the raw, natural beauty of carbon and the feel of the board. But it is not there just for the looks – the main reason is to save weight, as we do not apply any top or bottom sheets on the outer layers of carbon.

H OW M U C H O F YO U R T W I N T I P CO N ST RU CT I O N C RO S S E S OVER INTO THE FOIL BOARDS?

Almost everything – we use the same wood for cores, the same material for rails, and the same insert technology. The layup and molding of the foil boards is different, as they are stressed at different sections compared to a twintip, and they also have a different shape overall. We use different carbon types and weights per square meter on the foil boards. The higher nose on the foil boards was tricky to make at first, but with a few experiments we got it dialed.

W H I C H F O I L F R O M T H E R A N G E W O U L D Y O U I D E A L LY P A I R T H I S W I T H ? A LS O, T E L L U S A B O U T YO U R FO I L M O U N T I N G SYSTEM.

The Pure board, with its small sizes (and with a 77cm size is coming soon) is aimed towards experienced foilers. These riders are often demanding, so I would suggest pairing it with our full carbon foils: The Up and Master. These are upmarket foils and work a treat, not to mention the Up won its category in TheKiteMag’s Ultimate Test – it simply flies. All CrazyFly foil boards have inserts on the bottom to mount the foil on. This is another unique tech, where the insert holds a lot of pressure from the foil, but creates comfort on the deck, as the screw does not go through the board. We use 165 x 90mm insert spacing, which is considered to be standard in foils.

W H I C H O F Y O U R T E A M H AV E H A D A G O A N D A R E T H E Y E X CITED?!

We have to give credit where credit’s due, and I would like to thank our US rider, Jeff Howard, who did the majority of testing for these boards – they love them in South Texas! We also had our specialist Kihwan Kwon and other team riders on these for quite a while, and they do not want to ride anything else. We keep being asked to go lighter and smaller – let’s see how far we can go!

H O W D O E S H AV I N G Y O U R O W N F A C T O R Y I N E U R O P E A I D YO U R D E S I G N A N D T E ST I N G P RO C E S S ?

It helps in every possible way; we believe this is the best setup. If we do not like something on a prototype, we literally just run downstairs to production and have it changed – sometimes in a few hours, sometimes in one day. This massively speeds up the design process, and eliminates errors, as all teams are present. Trends in kiting change quite quickly, and we are pleased to be able to react rapidly to these changes. Having the production right here at HQ drives innovation, as we constantly play and prototype new ideas, and try new technologies. It is our addiction, we love every bit of it, and I would not change our setup for the world!

YO U ’ V E G OT S O M E N E W K I T E S H I T T I N G T H E M A R K E T S H O RTLY. C A N Y O U G I V E U S A Q U I C K P R E V I E W ?

The original plan was to launch three kites for 2021 on 1 August 2020, but Covid caused a big disruption in our testing due to travel bans. All three kites will eventually come out, but at the moment I can only confirm the product launch of the 2021 Hyper, which will be ready in mid-August 2020. Our design goal was to reduce bar pressure, and increase hangtime and turning speed. We managed to improve these aspects with a few wingtip tweaks and a completely new bridle setup. We are also launching a brand-new lightwind version of the 15m Hyper. The next two kites are even bigger news – the Sculp is completely new and we worked hard to finetune kiteloops, and I can confirm it loops! Last one out the door will be a brand-new Infinity kite, which is a two-strut design aimed at foiling. This was all about weight saving for re-launch, drift, and ease of use – a very exciting addition to our kite range. ■

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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

CRAZYFLY PURE BOARD

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Flysurfer Sonic F O I L K I TE TE ST TURNING SPEED

LOW END

HIGH END

POWER

BOOSTING

German soft kite aficionados Flysurfer have been in the foil game since its inception, and the Sonic has always set a benchmark for high-end performance kites that you don’t need to pump up. From a development perspective, the third version Sonic has DNA from the full race VMG model as design basis, but lowering the aspect ratio, rounding the wing tips and adding a bridle layer to make it more user friendly. It is worth noting the aspect ratio is tailored to each size increment, with the number diminishing on smaller sizes.

From a build perspective, there are a lot of cells there. It is certainly a product that has been designed to an incredible technical specification.

The trailing edge benefits from double cells across its entire span. The leading edge has curved plastic battens to keep the profile tidy up front.

The internal construction makes it very rigid in the airframe for such a high-aspect soft kite. A single deflation valve does its job well, and the bridling is very low diameter, minimizing drag. It features the same fabric construction as the SOUL, with a mixture of X-lite and DLX cloth in areas prone to abrasion.

ACCESSIBILITY

Off the mark, an updated internal structure means inflation and launch is easier than ever in light wind, with a quick tug of the front lines and some steering line pressure on climb the Sonic takes its shape very quickly. There’s no frantic sheeting of the bar required to get those pesky wingtips inflated. Turning has that classic high aspect foil ability to stall in the middle of the window and put it into a flat spin, which is mighty useful in lighter wind to boost you up on to a hydrofoil where the higher aspect means there is less initial grunt.

With a twintip, it lends itself to old school Big Air, providing high lofty jumps and gentle descents and enough time and float to let you grab and put in as many multiple rotations as you desire. It has definitely got a lot more height potential than the SOUL. A higher aspect and thinner profile provide a killer upwind performance and rapid forward flying speed. For sure I’m comparing apples and pears, but normal turning speed is fairly similar to the SOUL – the key difference is the ability to stall turn it and skid the back end out around the corners like a rally car.

Water relaunch is often the Achilles heel of the soft kite, but considering

RRD Vision A L L- R OUN DE R TE ST

BOOSTING

RANGE

TURNING SPEED

ACCESSIBILITY

FREESTYLE

The Vision has been a mainstay in the RRD stable for many moons. It parks itself into the freeride all-rounder category from the long established and proudly Italian brand who have been around wind-based board sports since their inception.

When it comes to the look and feel of a kite, RRD have a reputation for creating quality gear. This is evident in everything from the ultra-stylish PVC bag, to the custom-molded one-pump systems, to the no-expensespared cut in jaunty graphics. As always, Italian style and high-end design is the order of the day. But don’t let yourself get distracted by the glossy exterior – the technical build is well worth close examination too, as this is equipment built to a specification, not a price point.

Immediately you notice some unique butterfly-shaped reinforcements behind each strut to spread load evenly out into the canopy. Orange Kevlar scuff protectors cover each leading edge segment, with some larger EVA pads covering the larger areas down the back of each strut which tend to get a hammering on self-launching. There’s a large screw-in style inflation valve which has extra wings to make it really easy to get a decent grip on with wet hands. Even the bridle points have a CNC-sewn custom-molded load spreader.

The other good news is, even with all this decadence attached, it still comes out relatively light for a 9m. There is minimal screen printing on the canopy, and a sliver of Dacron down the wingtips. Teijin D2 cloth is used throughout which gives that proven balance between structure and weight.

The Global bar system, much like the kite, provides a luxurious experience – it is like the dashboard of a high-end sports car. A polished dugout lets the depower line slide through the aperture with minimal friction.

All potential abrasion points have been eliminated and it has longevity written all over it. There is no safety line dangling about loose, as that is all run up inside the PU cleanly, and a bungee keeps it neat and tidy.

Previous RRD owners will be glad to hear that their unique low-stretch, high-stiffness line material is still implemented. The quick release is simple and carried over from the previous year. It is a more traditional non-seatbelt style reload and requires two hands to reset.

In the air, all the relatively light weight for a three-strut machine means

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it is an early flyer. We would class it as medium speed turning, requiring assertive bar input to initiate, but providing steady bursts of power and grunt on demand. It is a kite that loves to climb and has quite a bit of C shape to the arc, providing a grunty user experience. It is definitely going to surprise you; it is powerful for its square meterage. Aside from that, it sits in the middle of almost all performance characteristics, which is a good shout considering its intended use. We were impressed with how well it performed unhooked – its gentle turning characteristics are confidence inspiring, and all that grunt is great to load and pop against, without having to worry about little bar input errors disrupting your flow.

General bump and jump with the Vision is a powerful and rewarding affair. It is easy to initiate jumps, and you are not going to get any nasty surprises. On a hydrofoil, the Vision does an admirable job in its low end due to its early flying, but be wary that grunt comes on quick as the wind picks up. When depowered you do lose a little bar feeling and need to be more conscious of the kite position.

IN A SENTENCE: You could be forgiven for buying an RRD kite for the graphics and snazzy bag alone, but that shouldn’t be the motivation for your purchase as this is an insanely well-built, luxurious and fun kite which proves a sturdy cross-discipline companion.

T E S T E D

its performance the Sonic does an admirable job. A two-line reverse launch seems the most safe and reliable method. Winch it up a few meters off the water and use the pivot turn to get it back up the window. The wing tip drains do their job noticeably well here.

For the uninitiated, there are a few caveats to all this performance with regards to flying technique. You need to be wary to keep rear line pressure on constantly and not sheet out too suddenly to keep the tips inflated, plus keep an eye on the overflying tendency when it is gusty as it flies so far into the window.

The Infinity bar has had a good working over and now sports some decent molded EVA floats on the steering line. The front-line flag system runs approximately three quarters of the way up to the kite and flanks one of the front lines. There is a lower auto-untangling system with two PU-covered depower lines running through a dual aperture bar insert.

These are typically elegant narrow diameter and low friction.

If you are coming from an LEI background, it is going to take a little time and technique adjustment to learn what conditions it suits and fully trust the kite, but once faith is instilled you unlock a generous dollop of rewarding performance, the key being to keep the back lines tight at all times.

IN A SENTENCE: Flysurfer have done a great job with the new Sonic, it is spicy enough to keep the die-hard foil flyers interested, but is now accessible enough to also captivate even those with minimal foil kite experience.

CrazyFly Cruz 690 AL L- R O UN D E R TE ST

GETTING UP

STABILITY

UPWIND

CARVING

SPEED

For a brand which (until now) only had two foils, CrazyFly have done remarkably well. The UP won the freerace category in our Ultimate Test last year and – paired with one of CrazyFly’s foil boards – their UP and MASTER foils have been real carbon treats… But with this level of performance comes a hefty price tag. With this in mind, CrazyFly have now introduced a more price-conscious member to their foil family. Their Cruz 690 comes in around a third less expensive than the UP which brings it in line with other foils in the alu/carbon marketplace. It is not just the price though, the Cruz 690 also has some additional surprises up its sleeve. The wings are injection-molded carbon providing a weight reduction as well as a less brittle and more durable construction, and the mast is hollow, providing reduced weight and increased buoyancy (something you might need if you are planning on pairing it with CrazyFly’s insanely light new Pure foil board). The overall effect is that this is a seriously light foil – CrazyFly claim it is the lightest aluminum foil on the market, and we can’t think of a lighter foil in this construction.

At 690cm2 you might understandably question whether this is a wing that is going to be suitable for less experienced foilers – with many other wings in this sector of the market coming in at 800+. The Cruz 690 is, however, a fantastic example of how far foil technology has come and how size doesn’t always matter... If you look at the profile you can see that this is significantly wider than that of the UP for example, and is in fact more comparable to a surf or wing foil. This profile promises more lift with less area, and mirrors foil design elsewhere in the incredibly rapidly developing world of foil science.

On the water and the Cruz does indeed perform as the wing shape suggests, it lifts early and gradually – you can accelerate and the foil will begin to lift progressively without trying to leap out. So this would be a great foil for someone with good board skills and balance who would find that they would not outgrow it after a few sessions. Once you are up and riding the Cruz proves itself to be a super fun foil – it is very nimble and you can throw it around, we rode it in some rolling swell and you could really carve it around and enjoy some nice ‘surfy’ feedback. It also responds well to pumping, whether you are trying to pick up some swell

ACCESSIBILITY

or are working to get it up and going in marginal conditions.

Unlike some aluminum foils, the Cruz is silent, even at higher speeds, and the whole set up feels very solid and responsive. For transitions there is that extra second of float compared to the UP so if you are mastering these then the Cruz would be a good option to step on to for a few sessions.

IN A SENTENCE: The Cruz 690 brings many of the latest innovations in technology and in foil design and slots it into a very solid and very enjoyable package: this is foiling as it should be in 2020.

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Reedin Supermodel A L L- R OUN DE R TE ST

BOOSTING

RANGE

TURNING SPEED

ACCESSIBILITY

FREESTYLE

Kevin Langeree and Damien Girardin need little introduction, but let’s go ahead and do it anyway – Kevin is a multiple Red Bull KOTA winner and all-round water athlete; some would go so far as to coin him the Dutch Kai Lenny. Jokes aside, Kevin is an ultimate waterman across multiple kite disciplines, not to mention SUP and foiling, with as much technical ability as the best of them, but perhaps most notable for his Big Air antics of late.

Highly experienced and world-renowned kite designer Damien has been lead designer for a major brand and has a significant lineage of world class experience behind him.

We were fascinated to see what they’ve produced for us in the Supermodel, their debut kite. It is pitched as an all-rounder with big boost potential as well as freeride wave abilities. A quick pump, inspection, and quizzical stroke of the beard leaves us immediately impressed with the build. A three core ripstop has been implemented from Japanese textile goliath Teijin for the canopy. A familiar high volume, high pressure inflate valve with a flap check is present, making inflation fast and effortless. This is important, as the kite requires 10-12 PSI in the low diameter front tube to get that airframe extremely rigid. The bridle is notably minimal, with the Dyneema utilized set at a low angle weave to prevent stretching. Parasitic drag is minimized and it is as lean as a whippet, flying pleasantly advanced in the window. Overall, the materials and construction focus is on minimalism and weight saving – this extends to the simple, smart graphic and absence of heavy screen printing, which gives a refreshing no-gimmicks approach, perhaps from people whose primary objective is the product’s performance.

Handling-wise, if you’ve experienced any of Damien’s designs before, things will feel immediately familiar. Turning and bar feedback have the trademark Girardin perkiness. It is very easy to initiate the turn, and you can visibly watch the wingtip flare and the kite immediately rotate. There is almost no vibration or flapping, even when you really force the kite across the window. Power development is very linear on bar sheet, with an impressive amount of both torque and dump available immediately in your arm’s reach. The kite definitely likes to be ridden with fast board speed.

That low diameter high-pressure leading edge drives upwind like a knife and makes for delightfully rapid forward speed, resulting in a low effort transfer into incredible lift and exceptional glide. Loops are controllable, solid and simple to dial in. Loop the Supermodel as deep as you dare to go and the catch factor remains immaculately consistent. At no point are you worrying about knee surgery mid-loop with a stalled kite. The kite feels well-trimmed, and maintains a decent amount of rear line tension and handling characteristics even when heavily depowered. The Supermodel isn’t high maintenance, it is easy to throw around and unflappable in all

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situations, be it twenty meters in the air or towing into a demonic lump of water with a surfboard. We even took it freeride foiling where all that weight saving and rapid turning made for a great session. You could take all three disciplines of board down to the beach and not be disappointed with its performance on any of them.

You’d be forgiven for assuming a fledgling brand would have a less than perfect bar system off the starting grid, but this is where all that industry manufacturing experience shines through. A push-in seatbelt style quick release is comparable to the best available on the market. The grip is a narrow diameter which fits nicely in the hands and translates feedback from the kite telepathically well through the flying lines from French manufacturer, Cousin. The Supermodel feels like artistic freedom in a kite design. It is fuss free, and crammed with raw useful functionality. A debut kite from these two legends is a pivotal moment in starting up a new brand from scratch, and remains faithful to their work as a team. It is clearly a culmination of years of good development and communication between them, resulting in a product which must be very rewarding for them and definitely is for the end user.

IN A SENTENCE: There is a definite feeling of liberation found in flying the Supermodel – whatever your kitesurfing intentions, the kite is ready to deliver and is an outstanding introductory offering from Reedin.

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CORE Nexus 2 A L L- R OUN DE R TE ST

BOOSTING

RANGE

TURNING SPEED

ACCESSIBILITY

FREESTYLE

It is hard to imagine that a few years ago the three-strut all rounder wasn’t really a thing, whereas now it is the biggest sector in the market. As kiters we have realized that versatility does not have to mean compromise, and also that these kites really work, and work to a high level. With this market in mind, the Nexus arrived with considerable fanfare from CORE a couple of years ago. Part of their Universal+ series of kites (which generally have a ‘speciality’ but are also usable in other disciplines), the Nexus sat itself clearly in the middle: a kite for waves and for freestyle with no clear preference in either department. It was a great kite – we tested it in Cape Verde and it was immediately clear that not only was this a kite that would be used for whatever you wanted to use it for, but also that it was fun to fly and had as much performance as you wanted.

As with all their kites, the Nexus is on a two (ish) year design cycle so V2 of the Nexus has been refined over a solid period of time and is definitely not just a graphics refresh. The first thing that you’ll spot with the new Nexus is the wider tips with the distinctive knuckle. CORE are calling these their Radical Reaction Tips and they have been one of the main focuses for this incarnation, designed to improve turning speed and responsiveness without compromising the allround appeal of the Nexus. The other significant tweak is the inclusion of ExoTex Light in the struts – developed for the X-Lite, this lighter weight Dacron has proved its worth and has now been rolled out to the Nexus 2 resulting in a weight reduction of around 10%.

We undertook the bulk of this test in Cape Town, so we got to test all sizes from 5m through to 12m – it was one of those weeks. On the water and the Nexus immediately feels like a predictable and dependable partner.

It sits exactly where you want it to be in the window when you are cruising around and – even in super gusty conditions – it will move slightly in the window but delivers rock solid stability at the bar end. You have no doubts in the kite and even when overpowered with full depower on, the Nexus 2 was still comfortable to ride. Or at least to get you back to the beach to downsize!

For riding in the waves, the wider tips provide a quicker and more pivotal turn which we really enjoyed. In cross or cross-on conditions the kite 162

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snaps around beautifully and the power ‘off’ enables you to really use the kite power to bottom turn and then switch it off as you ride back up the wave. It has to be said that after a few sessions I genuinely felt like a better waverider! If the wind switches offshore then the drift is great – there is plenty of depower and the Nexus 2 will do the easy bit while you focus on finding your top-to-bottom rhythm.

When you are done in the waves you can switch to the Freestyle CIT mode. With this switch made, the Nexus 2 immediately has a noticeable bump in power. The kite remains stable, but when you sheet in you can feel that the kite has an extra chunk of power to be utilized, and if you send the kite and sheet in then it is an entirely different beast – like when someone you have known for years does something you would never expect… It loves to boost and is happy to loop, with the pivotal turning in the wave setting replaced by a wider, more GTS-esque arc. You can tell this is not just a token gesture: the Nexus has had the freestyle treatment and really works here.

IN A SENTENCE: The Nexus 2 builds on the philosophy of its predecessor as an all-round kite that is definitely not a ‘freeride’ kite – the Nexus 2 loves the surf but, flip the CIT switch, and it’s equally happy looking down from above.

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Slingshot UFO N O ST R UT K ITE

RELAUNCH

TURNING SPEED

FOILING

FREERIDE

WAVE

It is no secret Tony Logosz is a man that loves foiling, and last year Slingshot released their first single-strut foiling-specific kite in the form of the Ghost, to complement their huge range of kite foils. The UFO builds (or rather reduces) from that platform, losing the middle strut to become completely strutless. It is available in four sizes ranging from a tiny 3m to a 9m. The UFO feels completely designed around freeride foiling, developed with Fred Hope, whose freakishly high skill level is pushing boundaries.

Build-wise, weight loss has clearly been a high priority in the design process. We seem to see that across all manufacturers currently, but the UFO is very much on the extreme end of the spectrum. Single-core D1 Teijin ripstop is utilized for maximum weight saving. The only Dacron present other than the front tube is a tiny quadrant on the steering hang points. These are placed right at the back of the wingtip to spread decent leech tension into the back of the sail, and maximize turning speed. The elasticated IRS bridle carries over from other models, and removes slack from the lines, improving the kite’s overall response. The pack-down size is tiny, perhaps a third of the size of an average three strut kite, making it a serious option for traveling. As you would expect it is light, very light in fact. We measured the 9m at 2.02kg post-use so you can probably remove a bit for sand and water. Some small and effective soft battens are sewn into the canopy by the wingtips.

In the air, the first thing you notice is the lack of flapping, which is the usual Achilles heel of this design. The canopy looks very well-tailored, and tension seems maintained in all positions. It is a work of ripstop art, and provides a clean riding experience. Turning is very snappy and pivotal, and you can feel that IRS bridle bungee evening things out and keeping power delivery smooth and progressive as the kite shoots across the window. When it comes to early starting, the grunty low-aspect shape and fast turning speed pops you up onto the foil immediately. That pleasant power on demand seems to time well with when you most need it as you lay down tacks and transitions. Other kites in this sector will fly out across the window and drop you off the foil. The UFO likes to sit high in the window in lighter airs and hangs in the sky like an obedient hawk.

The slimline build gives the wing shape an unearthly efficiency which affects two factors noticeably. Firstly, the upwind ability for a low-aspect design is surprisingly good – the leading edge diameter isn’t huge, and secondly the wind range is definitely extended at both the low and top end. When drifting the kite upwards for a foot swap, the weightless point is predictable and extended, giving you more time and a better success rate, making it ideal for the intermediate hydrofoiler.

Relaunch can often be the worry with a strutless kite, but there is very little suction on the leading edge as the center section isn’t in contact with 164

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the water when nose down. We purposefully bogged the top of the canopy with water in some small waves to provide a worst-case scenario, and once the wind sneaks under the wingtips, it unfurls itself and drains the water off well for a casual reverse relaunch. If it has landed trailing edge down, it requires a little front-line tension to persuade it to climb. In some scenarios it is marginally more technical to relaunch than a strutted kite, but certainly nothing that should dissuade you.

There is really not much to dislike about the UFO. Some people are going to be quizzical and perhaps scratch their heads about a 9m being the largest available, but the evidence is compelling. The 9m got us going in sub ten knots at 90kgs with a 1000cm2 freeride hydrofoil, and what is more it was both an entertaining and a reliable experience.

The kite is small and light and has the ability to still be playful, whereas a 12m single strut will probably give you very little low-end advantage and be a slug to turn.

IN A SENTENCE: Although small in weight and stature, the UFO is without doubt a formidable player, and enhances the whole experience of freeride foiling over a strutted kite – I daresay it could be a ‘gamechanger’.

WAVEMASTERS [ NATIONAL KITE WAVE RIDING CHAMPIONSHIPS ]

OCTOBER 4-9 2020 BRANDON BAY [KERRY, IRELAND]

For more information contact: info@britishkitesports.org 165

FITNESS

Upper back and arm exercises 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 wind is howling. But often the hardest and most dangerous part of kiting is getting in and out of the water! Many accidents happen on land because of the lack of skill or strength to control the kite. Strong core muscles are important for kiteboarding as is a strong back and arms. The upper back and bicep muscles are responsible for pulling and therefore it is important to exercise them in order to be able to sheet in efficiently and control the kite safely.

Narrow Grip Row M U S C L ES WO R K E D: THE BACK MUSCLES IN GENERAL, PARTIC U L ARLY T H E LATI SSI M US DO R SI AND RHOMBOIDS. THIS EXERCISE AL S O WOR KS UP P E R A R M S A N D FOREARMS, SUCH AS THE BICEPS AND F L E XO R M USC L E S.

1 For this exercise I have chosen to use a band which is a great piece of equipment as it is versatile and easy to travel with. Sit with your feet in front of you and legs extended. Hook the band around the soles of your feet and grip the handles with your thumbs facing up. Try to keep a neutral spine (i.e. a straight back) and look directly in front of you. Depending on the flexibility of your hamstrings you might have to bend your knees.

2 Keeping your elbows close to your sides and core muscles engaged, slowly pull the cable with equal force towards you. Focus on bringing your elbows as far back as you can. As you pull the cable, exhale.

4 Slowly release the tension of the cable in a controlled manner. Inhale as you extend your arms and release the tension.

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3 As you reach full extension of the cable, and full extension of your range of motion, pinch your shoulder blades together and focus on your back muscles.

5 Fully extend your arms and prepare to repeat the movement. I would suggest that you do three sets of 10 repetitions to start off with. his is only one example of how this exercise can be done. You might also like to do this exercise standing, or in the gym using cables. The principles remain the same.

Wide Grip Row M U S C LE S WO R K E D: THE BACK MUSCLES IN GENERAL, AN D I N PA RTI C ULA R THE L ATISSIMUS DORSI AND RHOMBOIDS. T H I S E XE RC I S E A LSO WO R KS THE POSTERIOR DELTOIDS AND THE ARMS I N CON TR AST TO THE P REVIOUS ‘NARROW GRIP ROW’. ALS O, I N CONT R AST TO THE N A R R OW GRIP ROW, THE ARMS ARE NOT WORKE D AS MUC H A N D THE FOCUS IS MUCH MORE ON THE UPPER B AC K.

1 The positioning is the same as with the Narrow Grip Row, however instead of having your arms by your side, you are going to lift your elbows to armpit height and hold the handles with your palms facing down.

3

2 Pull the handles towards you keeping your forearms parallel to the ground.

Remember to exhale during the exertion phase of the exercise.

As you reach full extension of the cable, pinch your shoulder blades together to get maximum engagement of your back muscles and finish with your elbows at 90 degrees.

5

4 Release the tension of the cable slowly, inhaling as you do so.

Fully extend your arms and prepare to repeat previous steps. Start with three sets of 10 repetitions. As with the Narrow Grip Row, this is only one example of how this exercise can be done. You might also like to do this exercise standing, or in the gym using cables.

FITNESS

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Reverse Fly M U S C L E S WO R K E D: THE REVERSE FLY IS A RESISTANCE EXERC IS E T HAT TA R GE TS THE REAR SHOULDERS I.E. THE POSTERI OR D E LTOI DS, A N D B AC K M USCLES SUCH AS THE TRAPEZ IUS AND R HO M B OI DS.

1 Firstly, hook the band underneath your feet. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees slightly and tilt at roughly 45 degrees keeping a neutral spine. Hold the handles with your palms facing inwards. Your elbows need to be slightly bent too.

2 Using your posterior deltoids and your upper back muscles, lift your arms as if you were flying as high as you can without bending your elbows any more than they are already. As you lift your arms, exhale.

4 Slowly release the tension of the cable in a controlled manner. Inhale as you bring your arms back to the starting position.

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3 Once you have reached full extension of the cable (or you have gone as high as you can) focus as with the previous two exercises on pinching your shoulder blades together to engage upper back muscles.

5 Once you are back to the starting position repeat the previous steps. As with the Narrow and Wide Grip Row, do three sets of 10 repetitions to start off with. You might also like to do this exercise using dumbbells.

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What’s the point?!

W I T H JE SS E RIC H MAN

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard the phrase “in these unprecedented times” recently. Despite humans asking what the point of life is since the dawn of time, it seems like the collective is finally being forced to truly think about it. There is no way to ignore the situation at hand and not question it all these days. Faced with a global pandemic, the most perilous environmental crisis the planet has ever seen, and the reality of so many countries being in social, political and economic turmoil, life as we know it is being tested in every way imaginable. And so, we now ask more than ever before, “what is the point of anything?!”

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REFLECTIONS

JESSE RICHMAN

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I decided to always strive to be someone who

maintained humility and gratitude, someone who took every opportunity to share his passion and stoke with the world around him. For without these attributes, I was just some asshole with a trophy, and that’s a pretty pointless thing to be.

When I was 10 years old, I figured out the point of life, or at least the point of my life: why I was here and what I would do… I was going to become the kiting World Champion! How cool would that be, how awesome would I be? If only I was the champ! And then, six years later, I did it – I won the World Tour and became ‘the man’, or so I thought. Winning itself felt good, but what I was really looking forward to, was my new life as the World Champion.

Strangely, the next day I woke up, and I was deeply confused. What felt different? Well, nothing: I felt exactly the same. I imagined that I would wake up in a mansion, entangled with naked supermodels, and that I would walk downstairs to a breakfast feast with all my friends, where we would truly feel like kings. But, to my surprise, who did I find lying in bed that morning? It was me, just me, the same exact me as before; except my purpose had been fulfilled, and now what was left for me to do?

It was then that I realized it was always going to be just me, no matter what feats I accomplished, what events I won, what heights I soared to, and when I landed, it would always be me standing there. Once we realize that we are always left with ourselves, we should probably make sure that the person we are spending the most time with is pretty cool and bearable, the best version of ourselves. I decided to always strive to be someone who maintained humility and gratitude, someone who took every opportunity to share his passion and stoke with the world around him. For without these attributes, I was just some asshole with a trophy, and that’s a pretty pointless thing to be.

JESSE RICHMAN

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No matter how much money you have, it cannot buy skill, passion, and drive.

The true beauty of a sport is to share it, which extends to a greater beauty in life – it is meant to be shared. In the world of sports, we get to be a part of a great equalizer, where money and privilege mean nothing; the currency shifts to stoke and the desire to share the love of something with fellow enthusiasts.

I was fortunate enough to be born into a society and family that allowed me to explore the world of water sports from a young age. Many people cannot begin to imagine having access to this luxury, and I am humbled at my luck to have had it. But this is just how my personal story links me to the bigger picture to which we all belong. We understand that it takes a lot of specific circumstances to become a kiter – that you need to live near the water and have the means to purchase the gear.

In reality, we then enter the general wondrous world of sports, which is one of the greatest equalizers when it comes to success. No matter how much money you have, it cannot buy skill, passion, and drive. In fact, all of the greatest and most awe-inspiring stories of rising to the top come from those who were driven to succeed by sheer will – people who had nothing else and so much to push up against. The victors in these stories are always the most humble and iconic, they are true heroes: the Davids to the Goliaths, from the Carlos Marios to the Cristiano Ronaldos – people who, despite having little, were able to rise to the top, share the stoke, and unite people from around the world through their passion.

Their approach to life is the perfect example of “what the point is” because they are always so full of humility, gratitude and love.

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And so it is quite simple, because anyone can have this positive effect on the world about them. Anyone can harness their passion for something and share it with the world and use it as a source by which to connect to the greater whole with positivity and inclusion. This is the point! You take whatever you were given as a skill or a passion (you don’t even have to be good at it, just live for it!) and share it with the four corners of the globe. From the microcosm of your small community to the macrocosm of the world at large, share love and compassion through the channel of whatever drives you, the reason you get up in the morning.

We are all bonded by an inherent and unspoken obligation to leave the world a better place, this world that at times can seem so hopeless, corrupt and full of horrors. That is why now, more than ever, we must do our part and, in the face of so much environmental, social, political and humanitarian injustice you should wake up every day, grab your passion by its collar, and fling yourself with it into the world with total commitment!

Use your passion to share love, compassion and stoke – and that will help to make the world a better place. Perhaps this is an idealistic and naive approach, but it is my theory and I think it is as a good a plan as any other!

If we never underestimate the power of a smile, maybe we can be the change that this world needs. And, if I am wrong and humanity is beyond saving, then at least we can blow the world up loving each other and making the most of every session! ■

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