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the riders ’ revolution 14 £4.85 ISSUE #14
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TheKiteMag | 7 r i d e r : C o l i n H e c k r o o d t - P h o t o : s v e t l a n a r o m a n t s o va - w w w. r o b e r t o r i c c i d e s i g n s .c o m
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Introducing the most advanced kite canopy material ever made *
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FREERIDE/WAVE SIZES 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14
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NaishKiteboarding
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M-Flex 2.0 offers superior stretch and flex to maximize your freedom in movement.
The Aquabarrier is a sillicone printing which forms a barrier, preventing water from entering your suit.
Polar lining offers a soft feel on the inside of your wetsuit, reflects body heat and makes sure you will stay warm longer.
WE CREAT E PRODUCTS TH A T P USH RI DERS FURTHER, A LLO W I NG THEM TO BREAK ALL THE EX I S TI NG B O UNDA RI ES A ND TA K E A CTI O N WATERS P O RTS TO A W HO LE NEW LEV EL.
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The Features 058 HEAD IN THE CLOUDS There can be few other kiters as versatile as Jesse Richman. Big Air, sliders, stomping freestyle: he has it all in his bag. But you kind of sense that if he had to choose his perfect session it would probably include waves‌ So when he scores Cloudbreak with just a few surfers for company he is, understandably, pretty stoked. And we all know that Jesse can do stoked.
COVER Where most people would feel complete, utter, abject terror, Jesse Richman finds the time to take his hands off the bar and illustrate just how much water there is looking to take him out‌ Photo: Mark Thompson HERE Here are some wind turbines. And a Slingshot Turbine. Clever hey. Photo: Thies Johannsen 12 | TheKiteMag
The Regulars 038
070
// I’m On It…Alex Fox
FEEL THE FORCE 0 4 0 // Tangled Lines with Ewan Jaspan As a sport, kiteboarding rarely seems to take the easy route. And the last couple of years on the competitive 0 4 2 // Profile with The first European kite factory circuit have been a case in point… It’s not been great for either freestyle or for waveriding. And 2016 wasn’t 0 5 4 // On the List… Cape Town looking much brighter and then, suddenly, it was! We catch up with the guys behind the WKL, the GKA 1 1 8 // Technique with Youri Zoon Wave and Strapless Tour and – just for good measure – Eyeforce, the guys behind Chapter One… There’s a 1 2 0 // Buyer’s Guide… Winter Wetsuits whole lot of love. // In the Pipeline with Slingshot + Liquid Force
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094 RIO: THE FLIP SIDE Rio does of course have a deserved rep as one of the top cities on the planet to go and check over, do a bit of sightseeing and – most of all – to go party. The keen eyed amongst you may have also noticed that a fair few pros also come from the city. Colleen Carroll investigated with Reno Romeu as tour guide.
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138
Tell me about it… CORE + Airush
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Tested...
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Meteorology with Tony Butt
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160 HOOD RIVER SLIDER JAM It’s that time of year when the US has its moment in the sun in the world of competitive riding. And what do they dig? Slider and kickers of course. After the success of the Triple S, it was time for the show to switch coasts and rumble into Hood River…
// //
Kite Sista... Fed up with kitesurfing?! Behind the Clip… Cameron Maramenides
TheKiteMag | 13
10 YEARS
HIGH LEVELS of development with
OF REQUIREMENTS
14 | TheKiteMag
TheKiteMag | 15
EDITORIAL
Here’s Mitu adding to the many thousands of revolutions he has made at One Eye...
THE 2016 REVOLUTION Has it really only been seven weeks since the last issue of the magazine?! It feels like so much has happened… So will 2016 become known as one of those years when the sport really changed? Like the first time we saw a 4 line kite, or a bow kite or – eventually – a hybrid? Or the first year of the PKRA, or the KSP…
First up in the ‘big shocks of 2016’ is that we’ve gone from being completely exasperated by the freestyle tour to being blown away by the quality of the show put on by the WKL and the fact that we suddenly had not only 1) contests, but 2) contests that are easy to follow for Joe Public and have excellent media output. The riders have picked it up and run with it, and it is great to hear the ‘older’ guys on tour talking about how they are motivated by the legacy they want to leave the younger guys for the rest of their careers.
In other ‘less revolution, more evolution’ news we head over to the Hood River Slider Jam where we find more features, more riders and generally ever-more excitement about this element of the sport. And in a similar vein we’re stoked to have two epic features from Rio and from Cloudbreak where riders are pushing and evolving what is possible in their chosen niches of our sport.
Then – if you believe the hype – 2016 is genuinely the year of the revolutionary new product. There are a few things which have been launched with significant fanfare – you know what they are – and from what we hear there are more to follow. Although these are never going to be in the same league as the big kite design moments of the last 15 years, it is great to see that brands aren’t resting on their laurels and are genuinely seeking to improve the quality of our kiting experience…
Then we had the sudden emergence of the GKA Wave and Strapless Tour. FIVE stops, no less. With three in waveriding venues. We didn’t see that coming and it is great news for the waveriding pros who have been doing a whole lot of thumb twiddling since the demise of the KSP a few years back.
So, wherever you are on your kiteboarding journey, now is a great time to be involved with the sport – and you can say that you were there during the 2016 Revolution.
We catch up with the main players behind both of these new tours in our ‘Feel the Force’ feature where we also hear all about Chapter One: The Kiteboard Legacy Begins… which has picked a great time to begin charting the legacy of our sport.
Alex
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Enjoy the issue.
Rider: Marty Dovick - Photo by: Darren Zurbrigg
sizes: 7, 8, 9, 10 & 12m | 17 visitTheKiteMag oceanrodeo.com
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S UBSC RIBE TO THE K IT E M AG The Team:
SEVEN ISSUES P ER Y EAR (that’s more than any other kiteboarding magazine)
D ELIVERED
to you before it gets in the shops
F REE
top quality tee and Mystic Rashie!
Editor: Alex Hapgood (editor@thekitemag.com) Sub editor: Cai Waggett Art Director: Louise Kelly Assistant Art Director: Nicki Parker Contributors: Thies Johannsen, Mark Thompson, Gilles Calvet, Anna Kuzmina, Jason Wolcott, Shelby, Andre Magarao, James Boulding, Svetlana Romantsova, Orestis Zoumpos, Antoine Auriol, Sensi Graves, Colleen Carroll, Jesse Richman, Marcus Graichen TheKiteMag is… BORN Published by WATER M E D I A in Hayle, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Advertising enquiries: advertising@thekitemag.com. All material in TheKiteMag is subject to copyright. Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution. Submissions: Online: If you have a clip or would like to get something on the website please send it over to us: media@thekitemag.com. In the mag: TheKiteMag welcomes both written and photographic submissions. Photography should be submitted in both RAW and edited format. Please note that the publication of written content is generally dependent on the provision of high quality photography, so in the first instance please send photographic samples and a 150 word synopsis of your writing to: checkmeout@thekitemag.com You can find TheKiteMag on:
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This magazine is printed on paper sourced from responsibly managed sources using vegetable based inks. Both the paper used in the production of this brochure and the manufacturing process are FSC® certified. The printers are also accredited to ISO14001, the internationally recognised environmental standard.
fl ysurferkiteboarding ever yday is a kiteday with flysurfer.com
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FOCUS
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RIDER EVAN NETSCH
LOCATION MAUI
PHOTO JAMES BOULDING
JB: This shot was taken from a place my knees don’t like so much anymore. It’s an amazing place to shoot wave kickers and will provide some truly stunning shots whenever you decide to shoot. But when that Maui trade wind cranks up and the Hawaiian swell punches over the reefs you know you are going to be putting your body on the line for the shot. For this pic I swerved my duties being in front of the lens and stepped behind to line up Evan Netsch launching off a solid roller. You don’t want to get these things wrong, especially at sunset with a dangerous rocky coastline downwind for miles and a long journey back upwind to the beach, but Evan rarely dodges his duties and puts his body on the line every time.
TheKiteMag | 27
FOCUS
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30 | TheKiteMag
We have completely changed how the strut is connected to the leading edge. The connection is now stronger, cleaner and straighter without unwanted material folds, which cause quicker wear. The whole junction is reinforced with Arptex material for ultimate strength and durability. We moved the strut connection points on the leading edge much closer to the canopy. This is tedious work, but the canopy now precisely follows the proďŹ le of the strut and ensures much more efficient airow.
Sculp
Tango
Cruze
CRAZYFLYKITES.COM | CRAZYFLYSHOP.COM
TheKiteMag | 31
BOARD: ASYLUM
|
DIMENSIONS: 141” X 43.1”
The Asylum was introduced (or actually reintroduced!) to our lineup in 2013 and I’m proud to say that I have been involved in the development ever since. I was fortunate enough to receive some of the first samples from Tony Logosz and to start the testing process and begin its road to production. I can say there isn’t much outside influence in the Asylum but the Asylum has been sort of a turning point in our own line and has influenced a lot of shapes in both our kite and wake rosters. For this year we have introduced our Carbon Bedrock inserts which are a new technology for our proprietary fasttrack system. We wouldn’t abandon something that we were so fond of if it wasn’t going to make these boards perform better. So after extensive testing and research we determined this new insert and insert construction provided the rider with more strength, better and more consistent flex, and made the boards significantly lighter than their predecessors. We utilize our US factory to its utmost potential. We usually sample three or four different shapes or existing wakeboards pressed in our kite rocker table and then go from there. All that innovation jumpstarts the testing process. Having the factory there allows for 32 | TheKiteMag
extremely fast and rapid prototyping and when you are able to produce that many prototypes and get these boards on the water almost in the same day it allows for you to cycle through iterations way faster. Not only that but this process happens for both our kite and wakeboard departments. This allows for so much cross pollination seeing as how the sports share similar dynamics. If there is something that has worked well in one department then chances are it will work well and find an application in the other one. It essentially doubles our innovation rate.
are other shapes in our lineup that are better suited for use at the cable, such as the Refraction.
Sam Light and Carlos Mario have been providing feedback for this board all along its refinement process as well. Sam Started out riding the Asylum before his board came out, and since Carlos tried this board it has been his favorite as well.
I have always been drawing and doodling and always had a passion for photography. Then I have been working in Photoshop since I was a teenager. I always loved graphics and I always loved Slingshot graphics, so I’m very grateful to be in the position that I am in!
My dad really enjoys this board and he rides it with straps. Personally I wouldn’t ride it with straps, but no deck in our lineup is designed to be ridden exclusively for boots. This board is developed around both platforms and making sure that it can excel no matter your choice of footwear. You could ride the Asylum at the cable but this board is really designed around the dynamics of kiting. Its main attribute is great grip and in turn ridiculous pop. There
For inspiration for the board designs I have been more into textures and effects than anything. I have been looking everywhere: fashion, signs, ads, everything. We are living in such a visual world that inspiration is everywhere. Plus my girlfriend lives in New York so I have been spending time there and it’s such an art and cultural epicenter. It makes you look at things differently and definitely pushes you to be a better artist and designer.
I have been kiting since 2003 and I come from the days where a board with 5mm of concave was considered a crazy shape! It’s great to see how top level performance has influenced and driven the product innovation and has created better boards for the average consumer. And consumers are getting more bang for their buck with all the new technology and manufacturing innovation.
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TheKiteMag | 33
TA N G L E D
L I N E S
EWAN JASPAN EWAN JASPAN HAS HAD A CURSED COUPLE OF YEARS WITH A BAD RUN OF INJURIES. IT DOESN’T SEEM TO HAVE HELD HIM BACK T H O U G H A N D A LOT O F T H E TA L K F RO M T H E U S E V E N T S T H I S Y E A R HAS BEEN ALONG THE LINES OF, “SHEESH, EWAN IS RIPPING…”
Q Q
If you could choose another country to call home where would it be and why?
DAMIEN GIRARDIN
A
How do you think all of your injuries have affected you in your riding and overall motivation?
Well I want to say Hood River, but I don’t want to say the United States! Ha! Maybe back to my home country in Scotland, but I don’t think I could last there, so I guess it’ll have to be the USA…
A
Injuries set me back quite a few years, but sometimes I wonder if I would have even got to the level I am at now without them. Two extra years riding before you’re 22 can always help, but I think the extra motivation, and time thinking about what I want my riding to look like, has helped me a lot. I spent a lot of time watching many other board spots, including a lot of other kiteboarders, to help shape my style, and I think I’m on a track that I am happy with and hopefully will continue to progress my career in the industry.
Q
LANCE KOUDELE
Ewan who will be more upset when you knock ‘em off the podium, Sam or Brandon?
A
I think it might be Sam – he’s just been winning too much and I think it’s time myself, Brandon, or one of the other riders knocked him off the top spot! Sam, don’t get too comfortable up there, we are coming…
Q
ERIC RIENSTRA
SAM MEDYSKY
Q
Q
CHRIS BOBRYK
If there was a party at my house and you were a mile away and you had an option of a scooter or rollerblades which would you choose?
A
Well right now I’m in the Cook Islands and I’m riding a scooter to and from the party each night and loving it. I can only see roller blades ending in tears…
How are you able to constantly make up new lingo – what fuels your creativity there?
A
I know they are a personal favorite for you, but honestly it all just stems from Alexander Lewis-Hughes (A.K.A Rowdy/Tweak) and myself spending way too much time together and coming up with some stuff that doesn’t really make sense to anyone else. A lot of the time we think we are being hilarious, when in reality we probably just sound like idiots. I like that you think it’s ‘creative’ though!
A
Grim is a word I throw around a bit. But for me to really label something actually grim it’s usually a trick that has just been executed poorly, or the person has put no effort into making the trick look good. It’s definitely grim when your sole focus is just getting the trick done. I would like to see people spend more time on making simple tricks look nice, and mastering the rotation, before rushing into a new more technical evolutions of that trick. When people do this the trick ends up looking messy, rushed and dangly, hence the tag ‘grim’.
ALEXANDER LEWIS-HUGHES
Who will land the first 1080 off a kicker?
A
Well I recently landed both Frontside 9s and a backside 9 off the kicker, so if I get some time on a good kicker soon, I would like to say I’ll hopefully be the first! Otherwise I think Christophe Tack or Sam Light will be the first to land legitimate 1080s. I have heard some riders in Brazil have come close, but seem to be using a lot of tension from the kite to get the time and height, making it more of a strength maneuver rather than rotation and execution based. 34 | TheKiteMag
JAMES BOULDING
What is it with you and animals, this summer all I heard you talk about was Walrus and Geese?
SENSI GRAVES
You’ve described certain tricks you’ve seen riders do as ‘Grim’. What make a grim trick?
Q
Q A
I guess it’s something that has just come about over time. I love the walrus.
Q
RICH SABO
Ewan, how does slider riding rank amongst your multifaceted riding abilities? Do you find that you get the most progression out of a slider park or do you simply have the most fun riding on plastic?
A
Well I’ve been aiming to progress my freestyle since the day I started the sport, but in the last six months my main focus has been on park riding. Right now I am at a stage where I’m learning new tricks almost every time I go for a park session, whereas my load and pop game has got to a stage where it can take me a lot of sessions to learn a new trick. Progression is always what keeps you motivated, and right now my progression is all in the park.
Q
BRANDON SCHEID
Can you explain the benefits of C4 supplement? I was told its like paying $20 for 10 new tricks. Is it the cause for all your on water arguing/shredding?
A
Well Brandon, funny you should ask this, as you yourself know all about the benefits of C4! As for the readers who don’t know, C4 is a magical potion that can mentally prepare you, and make your believe you can do tricks you have only dreamt about! It’s actually a pre-workout supplement I take when I need that extra kick before a session, or when I need that extra motivation to throw a new trick. Seems to help me, and as you said $20 for 10 new tricks is a pretty fine deal!
TheKiteMag | 35
THE FIRST
EUROPEAN
KITE FAC T O R Y
Having checked out CrazyFly HQ in Slovakia a couple of years back to take a look around their board factory, we were pretty excited to hear that they had decided to open their own kite factory – the first ever in Europe. As we will go into with them over the next few pages, there were a variety of reasons why they felt that the time was right to take this step. The fact that there are a lot of snowboard and ski factories in Europe and the increasing cost of building boards in Asia has seen several brands move their board production back to Europe or the US, but the kite building business has stayed firmly in Asia, with a handful of mega-factories producing kites for 95% of the brands. So we were intrigued, what had led CrazyFly to break away from the pack? We sat down with kite factory manager, Pavol, marketing manager, Juraj, and CrazyFly head honcho, Jozef, to find out.
Let’s start at the beginning. What were the factors that made you consider developing your own kite factory?
One year, and now all of your 2017 kites will be coming from your factory!
Mainly for independence; not to have to worry about late deliveries and to have the quality control in house. Plus all of the opportunities in development: it’s much easier and faster to develop new products. With the factories in Asia we always had difficulties with quality, delivery times and the time that it takes to make new prototypes. And you also have limited options for new technologies because they can’t always change their production process for us. Plus we had concerns about the working conditions at some of the factories over there.
Yep!
So when did you decide, “let’s do it in Slovakia?” It was pretty much exactly a year ago.
36 | TheKiteMag
That’s pretty impressive. Did you think you could do it and what were the local factors that made it possible? We knew the possibilities due to our experiences in board production. If it’s in house, we can do anything we want. We can try any materials, any shape – everything. Then we are definitely lucky to be in this area, because there were previously big factories for fashion (mainly for suits) so we can find a really highly skilled workforce for sewing the kites, and then economically it works out as labor is cheaper here than elsewhere in Europe.
The team: Pavol, Jozef and Juraj
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STUFF
F-ONE Bandit It’s that time again and this year it’s a special one: it’s the Bandit #10. Wow. Ten years. And still evolving. 2017 sees a new squarer outline, and the focus has been on keeping the kite light and maneuverable while still having that ‘Bandit predictability’ in the air. Is it still one kite for all riders? We look forward to getting one on test…
Naish Slash Right up there with the ‘tech talking points of 2016’ is Naish’s new Quad-Tex ripstop. The numbers look very impressive for the material, and there are also some nice new kites to showcase it on. Here we have the Slash: Naish’s first ever 100% wave kite… As you can see from the cover of this issue and from the feature coming your way in a few pages time: it works!
S T U F F W E L I K E T H E L O O K O F
Ozone Zephyr V5 The Zephyr set the standard for lightwind kites and has been a favorite of our test teams for the last couple of seasons. Back for V5 Ozone promise us that this is a more stable version with a smoother feeling on the bar. There is also a straighter leading edge which increases the kite’s drive and acceleration through the turn. So, yes, this is lightwind fun – but it is much more than that too.
38 | TheKiteMag
Nobile ZEN Foil Nobile haven’t just jumped on the hydrofoil bandwagon and have spent over 15 months tirelessly working through protos until they were completely happy with their new hydrofoil. The ZEN promises to be one of the finest aluminum/carbon foils on the market and – this being Nobile – they already have a split option so you can pack the whole thing (board and all) into one airline friendly bag. Genius.
TheKiteMag | 39
STUFF
Cabrinha Spade Amongst numerous other big Cabrinha developments for 2017 comes a revisit of the surfboard range. The Spade is right at the heart of this and has ‘versatility’ at its core. There is plenty of width so plenty of volume, so you can ride the Spade in weaker waves and still keep momentum (even if you’re not Keahi) and the swallow tail then gives you the hold and drive you need to perform when the waves turn on.
Epic Droid V3 The Droid is an incredibly versatile board from Epic that is designed to put a smile on the face of pretty much any rider. For V3 of the Droid freeriders can expect a silky-smooth ride and no issues with chop, while for more top-end riders you can really hang on to an edge and then unleash a truly eye watering amount of pop…
Carved Imperator V6 In an age of mass-production and annual product cycles it is always nice to come across a product that is so top-end that it has no choice but to take its time… The Imperator is as close as you can possibly get to a pure carbon riding experience. Four years in development, V6 has a full length ‘hard keel’ sandwiched between a double concave. It also has new tucked in rails and it does – of course – only come in black.
SU-2 Prorider 3D The Prorider 3D is one of SU-2’s flagship boards. It has been in their range as their specialist freeride/beginner board for many years and is a truly versatile and accessible freeride machine. Many kiters have begun their kiteboarding journey on the Prorider 3D and many still have it as their weapon of choice.
40 | TheKiteMag
TheKiteMag | 41
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ON THE LIST
O N
T H E
Steven Akkersdijk getting his CT moves on during his annual pilgrimage...
L I ST
CAPE TOWN
It is that time of year again. That time when the first chills of autumn set in… When that memory of those few sunny days of the European summer begins to fade and a sense of complete horror sets in as you slowly come to realize: winter is coming. It’s easy to talk the big talk about more wind, less crowds or better waves but – come on – you’re only lying to yourself. It’s pretty grim. And it entails a whole lot of rubber… And so, roundabout now, European kiters begin their first tentative explorations of Skyscanner. Where is guaranteed wind, where can I find likeminded riders and where can I head off for a week/month/the whole winter without needing to remortgage my house. This year, as for the past few years, for many many kiters there will be one option that wins out over all of the rest… And that is of course, Cape Town… Photos: Bianca Asher
Wow, I’m sold. So what’s the big attraction?
Wow, with those kind of stats it must get pretty rammed?
Well first up, if kiting is your thing, then it would have to be: wind. Although something (climate change perchance?) has flung a bit of a spanner in the works at points over the last couple of seasons, Cape Town is still as close as you’ll get as a dead cert for solid wind from November through to March.
Yes, it does with the great and the good from throughout Europe capitalizing on the ‘other hemisphere science’ thing to get some wind and get some sun whilst their pals back home are having fun with 5mm boots and chilblains… So as a bonus you also get to fill your social media feeds with annoying sunny South African backdrops…
Something about a Doctor? You’re got it – the Cape Doctor kicks and provides the goods like a wind-giving Santa Claus day-after-day-after-day… And he doesn’t mess about. We’re talking serious amounts of wind: 25+ knots most days, and routinely up above the 35 knot mark.
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So can you get away from the crowds? Your certainly can. Check the map – this is one big country and the Cape itself is pretty massive. So jump in your beat up hire car and head east or west and within an hour you’ll be looking at empty beaches and perfect line-ups.
CAPE TOWN
The trophy that’s worth putting everything on the line for.
Santa kiting. Europe this is not.
A Cape Town party. Probably more exciting than it looks. Cool, what’s the hitch? Well if you are heading out into the water on your own then you might get THE FEAR about our grey suited friends. Once that gets in your head in can be hard to relax. Although, in reality, the chances of a kiter being chowed down are pretty close to zero. But only pretty close… It would be great to see a few pros in action – maybe learn some new tricks? If it is pros you want then you can’t swing a kite pump without bumping in to at least three of them. They are there for the same reason as you… So you want to see pros? Then this is the spot… If you don’t spot them at the beach then just head to famous prohaunt Carlucci’s where you’ll find them all tucking into their skinny lattes and discussing the previous night’s shenanigans. Don’t they have any competitive commitments to be worried about? Well, yes, a lot of them do. You might have heard of the King of the Air? That’s on in January. As you know last year’s event was in the news for the right and the wrong reasons so it’ll be interesting to see what the form is for this year… Wow – free entertainment as well then… So for this amount of funon-tap we must be talking a megabucks trip? Well, that’s the thing. Bad for them, good for us, but the rand has been on a bit of a shocker the last few years, so your Euro or Dollar will go at least three times further than it did a couple of years back.
V I T A L S GETTING THERE:
Head to Cape Town International Airport. Simple as that. The only downside is that flights are going to cost you a bit more than for your European trips. So you’d might as well stay a while…
IN THE BAG:
Definitely a 5m. Then head up from there… You’re unlikely to need anything bigger than a 12.
NOT IN THE BAG:
Speedos
RUBBER:
Yup. Depending on the air temp and how hardy you are anything between a 2mm rashie and a 5/3.
BEER:
$2 / €1.80 / £1.50
Wow. Well, err, I’d better be off then.
M O S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : “Don’t I recognize that rider?”
Really? Where you heading…
L E A S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : “I am just BORED”
Cape Town of course. I’m In. See you there.
TheKiteMag | 45
Contact: client.service@nobilesports.com
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TheKiteMag | 47
When the email from Jesse came in saying, “Hey man, I’m at Cloudbreak – it’s firing and I’ve got some sick shots – you wanna take a look?” we didn’t even check the shots before committing to locking in a main feature… Thankfully our instincts were right. Words: Jesse Richman
Few places on Planet Earth have the perfect setup to do what all high performance kitesurfers dream about: getting super barreled with a kite. Pulling into a huge barrel is one of the most incredible things in this world. There is simply nothing like the overwhelming sensation of getting barreled, traveling through time and space in a vortex of spiraling energy. Life almost stands still as you’re engulfed by the radiant and powerful ocean tube. It’s hard to do anything but stand there in awe. Now throw a bar in your hand and a kite into the mix and life gets totally ridiculous. There is a certain breed of surfers who are on the endless search for barrels. Traveling to the far corners of the world, looking for nothing more than the barrel of a lifetime. Will they ever find it? Maybe, maybe not. One thing I’ve learned about these sports is you can absolutely never get enough. For most of us the high we get from our sports can be more addictive and way more fulfilling than any drug on the planet. To surfers, it probably doesn’t get any better than a huge barrel.
48 | TheKiteMag
|
Photos: Mark Thompson
Yes, there are many other incredible aspects to surfing and to life but if you’re passionate about your sport then your dream in that sport becomes incredibly important to you and ridiculously awesome, not to mention extremely addictive. Every person is different and may have their own goals but we are all after the stoke we get when going for it and it’s this drive to get there that we all have in common and brings us together. We have the desire to elevate our state of mind and reach a new level of stoke through a fun or wild experience. This becomes our mission in life, our goal in the sport and our dream to fulfil and our bond to one another. Whether it’s getting barreled, pulling out a huge kiteloop, or even just a simple backroll: the actual trick doesn’t matter so much because it’s the feeling of going for it that gives us our satisfaction. We all get stoked from riding, and we get super stoked when we put it all on the table and go for it! We love it and it’s this feeling that makes us who we are and sets us apart from the rest of the world.
Keeping it low: the lip is not your friend...
TheKiteMag | 49
It not allAdeath HE D I Ndefying T H E barrels C L O U-Dsometimes S you get to put a hack in on Namotu...
50 | TheKiteMag
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TheKiteMag | 51
BLOWING IN THE WIND
feel the
force TWO NEW TOURS AND THE MOVIE OF THE MILLENNIUM. 52 | TheKiteMag
SHOOTING FOR CHAPTER ONE IN BRAZIL PHOTO: LACI KOBULSKY
If you’re an athlete then you train hard to be the best that you can in your chosen sport – you get up early, you train when you’d rather be doing something else with your mates, and you make sacrifices to be the very best that you possibly can. In return you expect to be able to prove yourself – to be able to put yourself up against other athletes who have the same ethos and the same passion that you do – and to be able to show your true skills on the competitive battlefield. If you’re a professional kiteboarder then this has proved a whole lot more difficult than it should’ve done over the last few years. For surfboard riders there really hasn’t been much on offer since the demise of the KSP, and if you ride a twin tip then, well, you know that it’s been a shocking couple of years. And when the clock chimed midnight and we all welcomed in 2016 things weren’t looking any brighter… Not one little bit. Yet here we are, midway through the year, and suddenly the landscape of competitive kiteboarding looks entirely different. We have riders taking control of freestyle, and we have five waveriding events lined up! It’s been quite a year… The Force has been strong. So here we talk to some of the main players behind this miraculous turnaround and we also take a look at what – in any other year – would be the headline news in our sport: Chapter One. Kiteboarding’s first full length feature.
TheKiteMag | 53
chapter one
FEEL THE FORCE
Having examined the rapid turnaround in the world of competitive kiteboarding we thought it would also make sense to showcase what will surely be recognized as a major ‘force’ within the sport for many years to come. Chapter One… The most ambitious kiteboarding movie ever. Chapter One’s director, Bob van de Gronde, found some time to take us through it… Hey Bob, thanks for taking the time out to chat to us. You would have to have been living under a rock for the last few weeks but, for anyone yet to log in to the internet this year, can you tell us in a couple of sentences: what is Chapter One?
54 | TheKiteMag
C R E D I T: Y D W E R VA N D E R H E I D E
Chapter One: The Kiteboard Legacy Begins is a travel and adventure film that documents the lives of kiteboarders from all walks of life. It is the first 4K feature film that unites all of the kiteboarding legends, current champions, and future talent. It is shot in nine locations around the world, from Hawaii to Ireland, and from Fiji to Holland, and aims to put kiteboarding on the map for action sports lovers around the world. Cool. So before we get into the nuts and bolts of the movie, can you take us through the crew behind it – who are Eyeforce for starters? Eyeforce is a crew of 12 guys and girls, and is mainly focused on action sports videos. We shoot commercials, webseries, music documentaries, fashion and TV. Most people know us from our kiteflicks but we do a lot of other stuff
for brands like Corona, Uber, KLM and Red Bull. And how did the WeTransfer collaboration come about? This might sound a bit posh, but the collaboration for the movie Chapter One was born on a sailing yacht anchored in front of Necker Island, Richard Branson’s private island! I was there with WeTransfer founder Bas Beerens to attend an entrepreneurial event. I showed him the surf video ‘Adventure of Dreams’ that we just shot, and he was super stoked. When he asked me who we made it for I explained that Adventure was a ‘passion-project’, something that we made without any client or briefing, but just out of our passion for surfing. We got talking and I explained to him about our next passion project: Chapter One.
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TheKiteMag | 55
Antoine Auriol had a very successful competitive kiting career through the noughties, including winning the then KPWT. Since that time, supported by F-ONE and his other sponsors, he has focused more on travel and on a media career and has had successful programs on French TV and beyond. In short: he’s pretty much done it all. Here he reflects on the direction his life has taken and on his most recent project, ‘The Quest of the Winds’ where he heads to seven different countries chasing the planet’s most famous wind phenomena… Words and photos: Antoine Auriol
56 | TheKiteMag
One of my favorite moments of the day to ride is during sunsets... Like here in Ericeira, Portugal.
TheKiteMag | 57
BLOWING IN THE WIND
Today I am writing to you from Puerto Escondido in Mexico. A surf spot where the air and water is 30 degrees all year round. I came here to recharge my batteries. Sometimes it’s good to focus on yourself. It allows you to head towards new horizons with a fresher mind. Carpe diem, I have lived like that for a long time: connected with the now, waking up in the morning as if every day were a new start. I remember the first time I glided over the water with a kite. It was summer 2002, I was 17 and my whole family was on holiday in Spain. The wind had brought us there, my parents, my brothers and my sister. All driving towards Oliva to spend the month of July at the “Olé” campsite attached to a beach with a clockwork thermal wind of 20 knots on the menu, and the sea 29 degrees. We left there with the trailer loaded with boards, sails and camping equipment, and we found a lot of kitesurfing enthusiasts… I returned there several summers in a row with my friends and we always had an incredible holiday and this is where my kitesurfing adventure began. When I was there, time no longer existed. I alternated between training for Olympic windsurfing in the morning and funboarding in the afternoon. But one day something caught my attention. Downwind from us two people were kitesurfing and it looked like they were really enjoying it. I approached them and, one day, I was able to try their kites on the beach. The next day I went out on my first kiteboard. I still remember that new, gliding feeling. Everything seemed light and soft – a little board under the feet and, there before my eyes, just a 50cm long bar. The upward pull impressed me and the freestyle potential of the discipline immediately jumped out at me. Back in Britain my best friend and I bought a kite with our savings, and I became addicted to the sport. Despite the fact that – after winning the European youth championship – a successful future in Olympic windsurfing was beginning to appear in front of me I decided to choose kitesurfing as my main focus. I then developed my style by mixing all the sports I had practiced before: gymnastics, trampoline and of course windsurfing. It is through these practices that I have always developed the fluidity of my style in kitesurfing. The beauty of the movement, the details in the slides and the subtle sensations. During my training as a young athlete, I was fortunate to be guided by coaches that inspired me. Sylvain Widmer for trampoline and Pierre Gaubert for windsurfing. I was fascinated with their teaching methods: knowing how to push the limits without getting hurt, having fun, being a pro in decisive moments, listening to your body... All this in a relaxed and respectful spirit. This was vital for my kitesurfing career, 58 | TheKiteMag
because they taught me self-discipline, openness and relaxing which were necessary skills for me. My parents also played a key role in my development. I think about them often, thanking them because they taught my brothers and I the beautiful values of brotherhood, generosity, independence, freedom, and especially to do things that I love. It does not matter what we do as long as we love doing it. My father often said that you must have several strings to your bow, so it can always bounce back. The important thing is to keep it simple, positive, not to forget where you come from, and always have goals. Then, you just need to look around a little and you find out there are thousands of possibilities in your life. I really feel that kitesurfing appeared when I was looking for new sensations, including a very strong one which is still with me today: freedom. I immediately saw that with this sport a new door opened, and I was going to be part of the first movements of kitesurfers. There was excitement. There were two world circuits at that time, and shortly after starting kitesurfing, I chose to participate in the Kiteboard Pro World Tour (KPWT). It allowed me to grow, to have goals, but especially to travel around the world. This thirst for discovery, adventures, encounters, magical connection to a sport and nature has constructed me as a person. So I traveled the world for ten years with few resources but a lot of inner wealth. Competitions and more competitions, I grew off the experiences I was living and languages I was learning to speak. There were about eight events on the circuit and I always made sure to arrive as early as possible to the place of the competition, and stay as late as possible. That’s how I learned to travel differently. I have often found myself in magical places, where I met people who had amazing stories to tell. I had to learn to handle it, and I always tried to be curious and take inspiration from every person I met on my way. I also had the desire to be connected to my body and mind to achieve physical and mental wellbeing. A sort of constant quest that I continue to work at. So I tried to meet people that attracted me, from different backgrounds. Pure practices. One of my friends does Tai-Chi, another yoga, another music, or even magic, slack-lining, surfing, paragliding. I spent some time with each of them and so I expanded my world by practicing new disciplines that are part of my routines today. I quickly realized that each of the practices were interconnected. I think that for inspiration and to maintain good energy, you have to open yourself up to new worlds. I believe in karma, that life returns the waves that we make ourselves. The positive vibrations.
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TheKiteMag | 59
RIO: THE FLIP SIDE
60 | TheKiteMag
The flip side Colleen Carroll
Toby Bromwich
Colleen Carroll has done her time in the lagoons of Brazil. In fact she can probably put much of her success down to the hours spent training in them. But when you ask the rest of the non-kiting world what they associate with ‘Brazil’ it’s pretty likely that the cities will be the first things they mention. And one in particular: Rio. Colleen decided it was time to hit it up with some of her NKB compatriots, and with local hero Reno Romeu as guide. And as well as discovering the city, they also discovered that the kiting’s not bad either… Bonus.
TheKiteMag | 61
RIO: THE FLIP SIDE
62 | TheKiteMag
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TheKiteMag | 63
HOOD RIVER SLIDER JAM 2016
HOOD RIVER SLIDER JAM 2016: THE SLIDER SURGE CONTINUES The last few years have seen the world of hitting obstacles with a kite really explode. With a lot of the ‘freestyle’ riders now also making the crossover, the field is super competitive and the skills required to get to the top of the podium seem to increase with every competition. The HRSJ 2016 attracted a truly stellar crew of riders and – with some exciting new features introduced for the event – it really did raise the bar… Words: Sensi Graves | Photos: Toby Bromwich
64 | TheKiteMag
THE SLIDER SURGE CONTINUES
ERIC RIENSTRA AND A KICKER: GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN
TheKiteMag | 65
THE BACKGROUND:
HOOD RIVER SLIDER JAM 2016
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In 2015 four slider riders, Colleen Carroll, Craig Cunningham, Brandon Scheid and Rich Sabo launched a small, progressive slider event. Dubbed the “Hood Jam” and with the initial goal of just riding with their mates and generating some quality media in the world’s best slider park, what started as a back-yard, grass-roots kite jam has quickly turned into a serious event attracting riders from across the globe. So what has sparked this seemingly sudden influx of park riders and growth of the slider movement? Despite years of promoting slider media and sharing park-style videos, slider riding has remained a fringe discipline of kitesurfing – but it is now becoming increasingly popular. In 2016 alone, the surge of kiteboarders attempting to hit rails and kickers has soared, with two new kite park contests popping up. As world champion and relatively new slider-park competitor, Christophe Tack reflects, “The slider movement is getting more and more attention, especially as the level is going up so much”. It’s taken years but slowly this element of the sport has started to gain momentum and grow. The reason for park-riding’s historically underground standing can be quite easily explained. Firstly, the number one deterrent with slider riding is simply an access to features. Kite parks are few and far between and riders need to be really motivated to construct a feature. Secondly, ‘freestyle’ riders have generally had more opportunity for coverage, to win prize money and therefore to continue to progress and develop their careers. Finally, there was the lack of a slider world tour. With only a few events (the Triple S Invitational being the first and standalone for years), riders were left on their own to generate media content and gain exposure for their side of the sport. But these reasons are being turned on their heads. Versatility and an endless series of set-ups and possibilities are attracting more and more new riders to the discipline all the time. Rookie, and a rider who has quickly became a threat in competitions, Noè Font, agrees, “The combinations of rails you can build are endless and there are even more lines you can hit on them. At the same time there is a lot to be done with kickers. I feel like there hasn’t been many people trying to push it as hard as they are now and it will go a long way.” The potential and possibilities are endless. Additionally, in the wake of the freestyle world tour’s difficulties, an opportunity has arisen. Freestyle riders are seeking to challenge themselves in new ways. As Tack says “You see footage and you get hyped so you want to give it a go.” And Hood Jam competitor Issy von Zastrow agrees and cites watching her friends and particularly the ladies of the Triple S rip that inspired and challenged her to try slider riding for herself. While the aforementioned reasons are helping to create this surge of slider riders, it’s also the third component, the launch of new events that are helping give slider riding a chance on the global stage. It really isn’t a question of the chicken or the egg but of an evolution of the sport as a whole and years of pushing slider riding that’s caused it to arrive where it is now. At the forefront of this charge and one of the tour stops on the recently formed Kite Park League (AKA the slider world tour), is the Hood Jam. What makes this event so different and progressive is that it was truly started by the riders in an effort to collaborate and ride with other riders.
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TheKiteMag | 67
TH E
P EO P L E
WH O
M A K E
IT
H A PPE N . . .
UNDER THE HOOD W I T H
NORT H
K IT E B OA R D IN G
This issue we look at one of the most successful brands in the business – with an enviable portfolio of riders and alwaysinnovative equipment, North have generally been right at the front of the kiteboarding curve. So where did it all begin and what exactly goes on Under the Hood of North Kiteboarding? Let’s start at the beginning – when and where did North Kiteboarding begin. Can you give us the full backstory? North Kiteboarding had its beginning under the umbrella of Boards & More, already successfully running the brands North Sails and Fanatic.Ken Winner, Jaime Herraiz and of course Till Eberle have been the key players from the very beginning, pushing the brand with all their passion and knowledge at that time. All three are still very important today, with Ken designing the Rebel, the Neo and the Mono, Jaime Herraiz being the importer for Spain and a very important character in developing the whole sport in the right direction and of course Till, being the boss as CEO of Boards & More, including ION and ION bike. If we were riding North kit back in 2001 then what would we have been on?! Probably on the kites which everyone has seen. First the Rhino, of course, then a bit later the Rebel and then the Vegas. The Rebel and Vegas are still very important kites for us in terms of 68 | TheKiteMag
sales, but the Vegas has been fundamental in shaping the rest of the line. One of the first boards was the Jaime, named after Jaime Herraiz, which is still in the range today and this year has a posh brother called the Jaime Textreme. If you had to pick two of the biggest innovations for North between when the brand started out and now, what would they be? In terms of safety and performance it was the 5th Element. It’s the safest way to release your kite. Then with the first Jaime boards started the snowboard construction of twin tips, which is still the most durable construction with the best performance. Then we moved on to being the first to use the ultra-durable Technoforce D2 canopy material. That really made a difference in the durability of our kites. Over the last couple of years there weren’t many big innovations, it was more about refining. But I can tell you the biggest innovation is coming right now – the Clickbar! This product will really enhance your ride and make a noticeable difference in your kiteboarding experience. Once
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TheKiteMag | 69
TECHNIQUE
WITH
YO U R I
T H E 3 1 7 T H E M OV E
The 317 is definitely one of my favorite tricks both in freeriding and in comp riding. I have it pretty dialed in. Of course the 319 is around now as well, but you need some proper conditions for that.
70 | TheKiteMag
PHOTO: ORESTIS ZOUMPOS
Z O O N
T H E ‘ H OW T O ’ Okay off we go – basically we start off with a 313, then the next step is the extra spin. After you make the first rotation and pass (so you have done the 313) then move your back hand on the bar very quickly and work your hip towards the bar again. It’s very important that you are high enough and that you get yourself moving faster for the second rotation. To help with the rotation speed you can tuck your knees in a little bit and pull the bar hard towards your hip. If you have enough height then you should be able to spot your landing as you come around. Then once you have the bar, brace yourself for the landing as you’ll be coming in pretty fast… And then next up the 319. Easy!
TheKiteMag | 71
BUYER’S GUIDE
WINTER INSULATION TheKiteMag’s Comprehensive Guide to Winter Warmth
RRD – FAHRENHEIT
RRD – AMAZONE
RRD CELSIUS – PRO
The Fahrenheit is a super quick drying wetsuit combined with extra durability and stretch. It has a quick dry lining which also absorbs 20% less water. Internally, it’s made with an especially engineered lining that features two layers of fibers on top of each other, woven with a squared pattern design that allows water to flow through it to the outside and quickly downwards. The whole suit is made without any stitches and is fully liquid taped on the outside and fabric taped on the inside to offer superior stretch and a longer lifetime This is top-end wettie tech from RRD.
For female riders who want to have maximum flex and perform at their best in all kind of water temperatures, the Amazone is 100% Superstretch limestone neoprene with a 360 ultrastretch back panel to increase back flex and to enable you to easily get in and out of a chest zip wetsuit. The Amazone is the wetsuit made with the lowest number of panels in their collection and less panels mean more flexibility. Then the new asymmetrical panel layout creates a completely new look that will ensure you stand out from the rest of the crowd.
The Celsius Pro brings extreme flexibility where pattern design is combined with the best available neoprenes in the market. The zippers close from the out to the inside, which is better for pressure distribution, resulting in stronger and more crash resistant front zips. The Celsius Pro is made with 100% Superstretch limestone neoprene and has the lowest number of panels in their collection and is pure fabric taped on the inside, and only on the seam joint areas. This allows even more flex, especially around the arms. So if you want flexibility and warmth then you want the Celsius Pro.
$620 | € 549 | £475
72 | TheKiteMag
$417 | €369 | £319
$440 | €389 | £335
W I N T E R I N S U L AT I O N
MANERA – METEOR X10D 4/3 The Triplex X10D offers unparalleled freedom of movement and this layer is the most flexible material you can find on a suit, it makes you feel stretchy and light, with a super-comfortable feeling on the skin. The X10D suits are used by freestylers or waveriders who require warmth but also exceptional maneuverability and comfort. $339 | €300 | £258
MANERA – METEOR MAGMA HOODED 5/4/3 Manera’s exclusive Triplex neoprene has been developed in two versions depending on your needs: Triplex Magma and X10D. The Triplex Magma is focused on warmth with its plush loops working as effective insulators and heat generators while providing a smooth and soft feeling that makes the suit incredibly comfortable. It also dries extremely fast. Tested and proven in the cold waters of Iceland, the Meteor Hooded is the weapon of choice for supercold sessions… $559 | €494 |£425
MANERA – METEOR MAGMA 4/3 The Triplex Magma has warmth at its core and is clearly designed to be warm with its lining working as effective insulators and heat generators, and providing a smooth and soft feeling that makes the suit incredibly comfortable as well as being quick drying. The Magma 4/3 has an incredibly large temperature range and can easily be used in the coldest waters but also works great for mid-season sessions. $462 | €409 | £352
TheKiteMag | 73
BUYER’S GUIDE
ION – ONYX SELECT The main purpose of the Select level is warmth. It has upper body windchill protection for your torso and warm, quick drying Plasma Plush lining underneath, with the seam-free shoulder construction Sweep Cut giving freedom of movement where necessary. ION sacrificed the Ninja Knee and Ninja Spine features for more heat retention, so this suit is focused on those days when you really want to feel the warmth… $470 | €475 | £390
ION – FUSE The Fuse is built to conquer even the fiercest of subzero temperatures. Then after warmth, safety is the primary concern so you also have a storm whistle and reflective prints so that you can go forth and ride confidently. The FUSE also features a detachable hood if you’d prefer to wear a beanie, while the built in Hero Meter will keep you up-to-date with temperatures and – new this year – there is an abrasion resistant Supratex Buttock for an extend lifespan! $750 | €770 | £630
ION – STRIKE AMP SKIN Offering optimum windchill protection and outstanding warmth and great flexibility, the Strike Amp skin is based on the 2016 Hybrid Amp panel layout. Then there is a Smooth Skin material with a closed cell structure to prevent heat evaporation. Finally there is the rounded Ninja Knee and the Ninja Spine which offers unstoppable flex whatever the conditions. $360 | €360 | £290
74 | TheKiteMag
DAILY WORK WEAR S T R I K E A M P Z I P L E S S
AARON HADLOW'S D A I LY W O R K W E A R
S TR I K E AMP Z IPL E SS
SURFIN G EL EMEN T S ION-PRODUCTS.COM
TheKiteMag | 75
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TheKiteMag | 77
IN THE PIPELINE
SLINGSHOT This issue – as the first 2017 kit begins to drop – we catch up with Slingshot’s Adam Lapierre who fills us in on all that’s new from their Hood River HQ… So you guys are out of the blocks for 2017. Before we look at the products, can you let us know if there have been any changes for 2017 in terms of production processes or factories? We are always looking ahead and looking to progress our manufacturing processes. Having our own factory right in our backyard really helps us with this, and when you combine a team of passionate engineers and one of the most decorated kiteboarding teams on the planet, you get great results. We really focused on weight reduction and better, more consistent flex in our boards for 2017. We always stood behind our fastback mounting system because we didn’t like the standard insert packs. Well, now we have found a suitable answer that meets our manufacturing as well as our performance standards. Our new carbon Bedrock Inserts featured on all of our twin tips are a pound lighter and 30 percent stronger than previous years. It’s powerful and exciting stuff. 78 | TheKiteMag
So the kite releases have seen the Rally, Wave SST and Fuel released so far. Can you take us through these and what’s new for 2017? We’ve had some exciting developments in our kite line this year and some sick stuff down the pipe. We’ve trimmed the Rally to do more of what you already love but better. We increased handling in the larger sizes and went through each size specifically to increase durability in key spots. The Rally has proven time and time again that it’ll deliver the best power on demand right when you need it.
Wave SST
Users will notice high jumps and better upwind reach in its 2017 iteration. New for 2017 we also filled out the Wave SST size range. You can now fill your quiver in 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12M sizes.
Fuel
Rally
SLINGSHOT
Then looking at the twin tips and we have four models available now. Which are these and can you tell us a little bit about them?
Refraction
We just released the 2017 Asylum, Misfit, Refraction, and Karolina Pro. We have our hard-charging and grippy Asylum back. This board is one of our most popular, due to its great tracking and edge control. It returns, along with all of the other boards in our lineup, at over a pound lighter. Then one of the most exciting boards last year was the Refraction. Sam Light’s pro model deck returns for its sophomore season better than ever! Due to its success, we brought it back in three sizes: 135, 139 and 143. We have also added a new, more durable ballistic base to make the Refraction the most robust twin tip in our lineup. With the Refraction in three sizes, we changed the name of Karolina Winkowska’s pro model to avoid confusion. The Karolina Pro is tuned for hard charging freestyle and is the lightest, snappiest board in this release. It’s also tuned specifically for women. We really wanted to have a great offering for the females in our spot. Karolina is an amazingly talented and passionate kiteboarder and we wanted a board to represent that.
Misfit
Asylum
Karolina Pro
TheKiteMag | 79 PHOTO: QUINCY DEIN
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TheKiteMag | 81
TELL ME ABOUT IT
Tell Me About It: CORE TWIN TIPS
CORE keep things pretty simple with their twin tips, with the focus very much on quality over quantity... So when they release new versions you can be sure they have spent plenty of time to ensure they are 100% happy with the evolution. So you have recently released V2s of two of your iconic Choice and Bolt boards. How long have you been working on these for?
What were your objectives when you decided they were next up for a revisit?
We’re glad you liked the originals, we liked them too. Our engineers worked very hard on the new boards for well over a year to refine them.
Our objectives were to noticeably reduce board weight and
The new Bolt
improve stability. We wanted our customers to say to themselves, “Wow, this board is light! And it handles everything I throw at it.” This is a pretty tall order when you are starting off with an already amazing board. At CORE you are the kings of carbon! Have there been any evolutions in the type of carbon used or in how you have approached the layup of the carbon? I guess we are the kings of carbon! We continue to use, in our biased opinion, the best carbon fiber for kiteboarding on the planet. Why are we so confident our cloth is the best? Well, we tested just about everything out there and came to the conclusion a few years back that off-the-shelf cloth did not meet our needs. So we had a special cloth made just for us. It was expensive but in the long run, it has proven itself many times over. As for the second part of your question, yes there has been some changes in the layup for some of our boards. But we don’t discuss proprietary methods! You have taken a look at how your processes to bring the wooden core closer to the edges of the board – how have you done this and what is the effect of this? Without giving away too much of our proprietary know-how, we are now manufacturing boards with their own custom sized Paulownia wood cores to give us more control over rail/edge thickness. This means that each board size gets its own 3D CNC milled wood core which reduces the overal weight of the board.
82 | TheKiteMag
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TheKiteMag | 83
FUTURE-C SHAPE
3 STRUT FRAME
RADICAL REACTION TIPS
ULTRASHORT BRIDLE SYSTEM
CORE INTELLIGENT TRIM SYSTEM (CIT)
GTS4. FREESTYLE NINJA. Meet the newest member of the Universal+ Series: The indomitable GTS4. An allrounder with super powers in unhooked freestyle. Built with the same radical, bridled, 3 strut C-kite configuration as its forerunner.
Photo: mediahouse.one
But now, with a shorter, more active, Short Bridle System; an unbelievably responsive ExoTex frame construction; and dare we say, a little more badassery.
FOLLOW CORE KITEBOARDING: corekites.com 84 | TheKiteMag
facebook.com/corekites
instagram.com/corekites
twitter.com/corekites
#gokiting
CORE Kiteboarding // T. +49(0)4371-88934-0 // info@corekites.com a Hiss-Tec brand // Fehmarn, Germany // 54.445874 N : 11.191058 O
SIZES
5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 11.0 12.0 13.5 15.0 LW 17.0 LW
Now, at your local CORE retailer. corekites.com/shops TheKiteMag | 85
NEW!
TELL ME ABOUT IT
Tell Me About It: OCEAN RODEO
Hey guys, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. So
And then also two new boards, the Jester and the Mako
Ocean Rodeo… First up you have just released the latest
at and what they bring to the Ocean Rodeo range?
rumor has it that it’s exciting new times in the world of version of the Razor. This has been a really successful
kite for you guys. Can you let us know what you’ve been working on with it and the changes we should look out for in this latest incarnation?
Duke. Can you take us through these, who they are targeted I don’t think we have been more excited about a board than
the Jester. Last season the Duke was an incredible success for us, but we had always wanted to expand the offering with a
smaller size. The Jester is what came out of that and although
The Razor’s been in our line up since 2011 with year-over-
it shares a lot of similarities with the Duke, it really is its own
freestyle kite we are incredibly proud of. For 2017 the most
freestyle the Jester offers crazy speed, a chop-smashing ride,
cut by a razor! – and the addition of high flow valves but we
The Duke for 2017 also got a serious makeover. After extensive
year iterative changes that have resulted in a highly refined
board. For smaller riders and those focused heavily on strapless
obvious changes are cosmetic with the new clean lines – as if
and fantastic maneuverability for on and off the water moves.
continue to work to refine the kite with noticeable attention to detail on all aspects of the kite and a smart looking new bag.
Then you also have a brand new kite in the range, the Roam, can you take us through this?
The Roam is our newest kite but has been in the works for
years. It’s a dedicated wave kite, meaning it is our best drifting
kite with the ability to pivot around it’s center axis and redirect itself without yanking you off the wave face. For riders that spend the bulk of their time on the coast but want a fun kite to
freeride, this is their choice. For those who spend more time
freeriding but who hit the waves occasionally, we’d suggest
they stay with the Prodigy. We’re very excited to launch the Roam, we expect it will be a very popular kite for us.
86 | TheKiteMag
testing we finally got it to work with a quad setting we liked
and thus this year the Duke comes with a convertible quad/ thruster setup and an insanely nice new layup to boot!
It’s been a busy few months for you guys! Are you happy
with the outcome and do you feel like you have a pretty complete range now?
Definitely, there are more pieces of the puzzle in place, but we pride ourselves on never being completely happy with the status quo. We’ve always focused on solving problems
with the products we release and standing out with a unique solution, we sell very few ‘me too’ products. That being said,
we still have a few tricks up our sleeve for the fall including a fresh new Prodigy and a fully overhauled line-up of drysuits.
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TheKiteMag | 87
H E R E ’ S A L I T T L E TA S T E R O F W H AT T H E K I T E M A G ’ S TEST TEAMS HAVE BEEN UP TO.
CRAZYFLY SCULP
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In TaI Nsentence: The three piece split system takes a little more work to assemble but delivers improvements in stiffness and in performance. If you want the benefits of a split board but still want to continue to push yourself then the Big Foot Yeti is a great option.
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88 | TheKiteMag
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In a sentence: The 2017 Sculp is a genuinely positive evolution of CrazyFly’s flagship kite – we found it to be responsive, accessible and – most importantly – great fun to fly.
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L S BI The Big FootNYeti from SU-2 is –W as G E the same suggests – a bit ofS I N I S D a whopper.N The length isn’t exceptional but the width comesE in at 42cm ensuring that the Big Foot delivers a whole lot of surface area. This is also a very popular model for SU-2 and is now into its ninth year… We had the split version on test. For their take on the world of ‘split’ SU-2 have opted for a three piece system. So the board is split cleanly into two parts and then a third panel is secured on the top via four locating tabs and four screws. The center of the board is also thicker to increase strength and to promote a more even flex pattern through the mid-section of the board. As a system it takes slightly longer to re-assemble the board than others currently available on the market, but we must say that it does feel very U Nand – with the extra thickness ITY L assembled solid indeed once HO HT BI A O IG S E S mid-section – still hadK a through the pretty respectable E W E amount of stiffness. Which is often what you want out of a lightwind board to ensure maximum efficiency. The strap and pad set up is basic but with plenty of adjustability, and we found them comfortable, and there are some nice chunky fins to further aid your progress towards lightwind domination. On the water and the Big Foot Yeti has you up and riding immediately. With plenty of surface area you are planing in no time and the Big Foot will lock in and it drives upwind very nicely. The additional stiffness with the three piece system does make a difference and this translates into a more ‘performance’ feeling split board. When it comes to throwing down some moves, the relatively short length of the Big Foot enables you to attempt some of your standard freestyle repertoire, and there is a decent amount of pop meaning that SU-2 Big Foot Yeti Split you really can continue working on some freestyle moves even in HTWIN LIG D marginal conditions.
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Rumor has it that the 2017 Sculp we had on test was one of the very first few ‘ready to go’ kites to come out of the new CrazyFly kite factory… We were excited to be first on the BO GE TY DE TY TT LI Freestyle O / SURFBOARD PO ILI ST TI list and pretty N check out one of the first I B intrigued to getI to A G IN S WE S S R U E kitesurfing kitesR to ever be made in Europe. First impressions are that there are a lot of changes compared to the 2016 version… There are several new features that havingWave their own factory has enabled CrazyFly to implement. So there is a new ‘swept’ leading edge seam which improves the flow of air Freeride / ALL ROUNDER around the wingtip thus improving aerodynamics, the panel linking the leading edge to the first strut is also now all one piece enhancing both strength and responsiveness, and there Kite / Freestyle Kite are several other things that fall into the ‘nice touch’Bigcategory – such as the use of colored thread along the seams. Overall the kite looks cleaner and more refined. In terms of the shape, Lightwind Board aspect ratio is slightly higher for this year, and thereFoil is/also now a fixed bridle. In the air and the ‘accessible freeride’ feel HT PO IG P PE O HT G is still there for the Sculp, but the overall performance does I W P E W feel more crisp. The new bridles play a big part in this but the new build features also seem to contribute too. Getting going and the low end is good – you can pretty much sheet and go – and then the upwind performance is excellent and an improvement on last year. Turning the kite and there is very little flutter – the Sculp feels very taught and stiff and turns very assertively. Turning is not particularly pivotal so you need to be assertive with the bar to really get it to drive around. Wind range is good although there is a top end and when you get there it’s time to change down as it’s not a kite that likes to be ridden overpowered. For boosting the Sculp delivers plenty of lift and you can really load up and pull on the bar to get some impressive hangtime. In the surf and the Sculp has a great amount of depower so you can really Blade Fat Lady RRD Passion Sculp commit to dropping in toCrazyFly bigger waves and the fact that it doesn’t sit R TEST DE too far Eforward gives it ED N LO BO P S W O PO U ST G plenty of usability in E N IN IN P O D N onshore conditions.
PER FO
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TheKiteMag | 89
METEOROLOGY
METEOROLOGY WITH TONY BUTT
PHOTO: CARLOS TORO W W W.W H I T E WAV E S . E U
WIND MEASUREMENT PA RT 1 : LO W-T E C H In the last couple of articles I talked about various different ways to express the speed of the wind, using units such as knots, or scales such as the Beaufort or Saffir-Simpson scale. You could say that something like the Beaufort scale is an indirect way of measuring the windspeed, because it uses a proxy – in this case the sea state – to infer the windspeed. You can, of course, measure windspeed much more directly if you use mechanical and electronic instruments. A bewildering number of these exist, from the simplest rotating-cup anemometers to highly-sophisticated methods using lasers or satellite-mounted microwave transducers. In the next couple of articles I’m going to have a look at one or two of these instruments, starting with the simplest ones. The earliest official record of a wind-measuring device goes back to about 1450. It was designed by Leon Battista Alberti, an Italian writer, painter, sculptor, architect, poet, philosopher, linguist and priest; in other words, a true ‘renaissance man’. Alberti invented the first version of what would subsequently be termed a swinging-plate anemometer. It was a disc placed facing into the wind, which was allowed to incline upwards as the windspeed increased. Alberti’s anemometer was subsequently improved upon by Leonardo da Vinci, the most famous renaissance man of all. Da Vinci’s design consisted of an arch inside which was suspended on a rectangular wooden plate, which lifted up as the windspeed increased. The big improvement was that the
90 | TheKiteMag
arch had a scale printed on it allowing the user to read the windspeed directly. Around 1775, the famous Scottish physician James Lind developed an anemometer based on the pressure of liquid in a tube. Lind found that, if a liquid-filled tube is placed with one end facing the wind and the other end in a position unaffected by the wind, there will be a pressure difference between the two which varies according to the windspeed. As a result, the level of the liquid in the tube will change according to the windspeed. Pressure-tube anemometers are still used nowadays, often to measure windspeed but more typically to measure the speed of an aircraft or to measure airflow in difficult-to-reach locations. It wasn’t until 1846 that the classic rotating-cup anemometer, widely used nowadays, was invented by the Irishman Thomas Romney Robinson. It originally consisted of four spokes attached to a central vertical axis, with a horizontallyfacing hemispherical cup on the end of each spoke. The more modern three-spoke design was introduced in 1926 by Canadian meteorologist John Patterson.
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It’s a thing that can happen to all of us: the moment when we become fed up with kitesurfing. So how can this happen and does it mean it is time to find another sport? Absolutely not. We all get some form of this feeling from time-to-time. Have you ever been getting ready for another session and asking yourself what trick you’ll try, but knowing in the back of your mind that you’ll probably just have the same session as last time and not try anything new? This can quickly evolve into a lack of motivation to go and ride as you feel your lack of advancement is removing the fun and the satisfaction from your sessions. Sound familiar? It can happen to anyone – regardless of your skill level – and it is quite a normal feeling as we all reach a stagnation point in our progression. Luckily we can get rid of this feeling just as easily as we can find it… At KiteSista it is a situation we come across often as we spend a lot of my time with kiteboarders from all over the world, of all skill levels and we often come across riders who are becoming a bit fed up with their kiting. 92 | TheKiteMag
One such client comes to mind, let’s call him Craig… Craig spent a season in Cumbuco in order to improve and immerse himself in the kite scene, but he was telling me how hard it was for him to progress past just tacking back and forth over and over and never trying any tricks on the water. Of course he loves kiting, this was not the problem, but he had reached the point of stagnation: he knew it was time for him to start throwing down tricks but he just wasn’t doing it. This of course was certainly not helped by the stark realization that the lagoons of Cumbuco are filled with some of the best kiteboarders in the world and, whilst this is an impressive site to behold, it can be more than a bit demoralizing when you are plucking up the courage to try a front roll. So we passed on some advice to Craig, and we would say the same to you, with the aim of ensuring that your sessions remain fun and relaxed and do not turn into a psychological battle against yourself.
Rider: Sofi Chevalier Photo: KiteSista
SET UP SOME GOALS You have heard it said many times but it really does make a difference. Not too many and make them realistic (a goal to ‘try something’ is more attainable than a goal to ‘not leave the water until you land your dream trick’) but the most important thing is to stick to them. Small goals can also
be very interesting, like riding toeside on your weaker tack, adding a grab to your trick, or adding a jump to your transition. These small steps can actually help you add style and variation to moves you already have dialed in, which can help remove the feeling of repetitiveness from your tricks. TheKiteMag | 93
Rider: Sofi Chevalier Photo: KiteSista
BE POSITIVE ON THE WATER Not many great things in life are achieved in a bad mood or whilst annoyed at yourself, and kiteboarding is no exception to this. So breathe, relax, smile, and find your happy place: it will make the world of difference.
a lot and then when you go to talk to them after the session, not only will they be very flattered you were paying attention, they will also most likely be happy to share the tips they have to help achieve their style.
PREPARE YOURSELF BEFORE GOING KITING
GET SOME RELATIVE PERSPECTIVE
So many professionals in all aspects of life will tell you that preparation is the key to success. A warmup routine is an important aspect of any sport, but whilst preparing your body, it is also a chance to prepare your mind. Take yourself seriously (even if you are smiling on the outside) and go over your goals for your session in your head.
It is just kitesurfing. We all know how important this sport is for us and how sometimes it feels as if we live and breathe it, but it is still supposed to be fun. Not being able to land a specific trick is not the end of your life, you will not be a better person off the water because of it, especially if it makes you desperately unhappy in your failed attempts. This attitude can also help you as you might adapt your goals to work for you, rather than ticking off the default trick list everybody seems to want to work to these days.
COMMUNICATE AND EXCHANGE IDEAS Don’t feel embarrassed to ask for some tips before your session. Other riders will want to help and probably appreciate the fact that you deem them worthy of your questions! You can also look around you and if you see someone riding with a good style then have a break, take a seat and watch them. You can learn 94 | TheKiteMag
GO ON A KITE CAMP Whether it is an intensive coaching camp or just a group holiday, it doesn’t matter. What is important is that you are not kiting by yourself and if you are lucky
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BEHIND THE CLIP
Cameron Maramenides
Cameron Maramenides has a big pair of shoes to fill with Dimitri as his father… With that in mind we were very impressed to see his first ‘solo’ clip – some great moves including some very tidy booted action – and a nice edit put together by Cameron as well. Not bad for a 14-year-old. There is a crazy combination of old and newschool tricks and some riding in boots and some in straps – do you mix it up every session or some sessions do you focus on one more than the other? I like to mix everything and it also depends on the conditions I will be kiting in. My dad said it is good to make your own style and mix these different riding styles into one style. Kind of like martial arts. My dad does karate, taekwondo and jujitsu, and as you can see he has his own style in kiteboarding. This is why I like mixing up boots and straps. Plus using boots is easier for doing unhooked moves and kite loops because you don’t have to worry about your foot coming off your board and you can load way better than straps. On the other hand, my dad hates boots because it doesn’t give him the freedom he needs to express his riding style and his crazy stuff!
Can you tell us a little bit about what you do when you’re not kiting? Usually if I’m not kiting I’m helping my dad with the Epic Kites and boards. I also help design the kids products for my dad’s company. Then I also play a lot of tennis since I go to the Inspiration Tennis Academy School in Florida and I also love surfing, skimboarding, snowboarding, playing soccer, working out and whatever else comes along. But I stay away from video games – my dad doesn’t even allow any video games in the house. Obviously your dad is a big inspiration, but which other riders inspire you? Yes, my dad is the one who teaches me the moves you see. Some of his moves are so tricky that it is very hard for me to do them without getting hurt… Other riders who inspire me are: Aaron Hadlow, Youri Zoon, Kevin Langeree, and Nick Jacobson, who reminds me of my dad with his crazy stunts. I think these two should make a movie together! Do you have any plans to begin competing in events?
Cameron has come a long way since having to hitch a ride with the old man... There’s also a bit of foiling in there – so do you foil and ride in the waves as well? Yes, that was my first day on a foil board! My dad gave me a board to try and in 15 minutes I was on it.
I don’t have time to compete because of school and tennis. But if I have to compete in kiteboarding I will just do it for fun. I told my dad when we were filming my new kite video that I was going to use this video to enter the King of the Air competition!
So what would be your perfect session?
Your dad is well known for his boot camp attitude to kiting – how long do you guys normally spend on the water if you’re having a session together?
Kiting with my dad without having any arguments on who’s turn it is to film! No, seriously, a perfect session for me is when it’s blowing 40+mph, doing mega kiteloops and looking at my dad’s kite from above.
Yes, my dad is well known for his boot camps. But doing his “boot camps” is something that I don’t like much because he wakes me up early in the morning when the sun is not up yet and doesn’t stop
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until the sun goes down. So I try to avoid his boot camps! But kiters do like it a lot and I can see a lot of progress in them after they are done them. Where have been the best places you’ve kited so far? Because of school it is hard for me to travel with my dad. But I love Greece the best. I have also kited in Mexico, Grand Cayman, Aruba, Florida, and of course the Outer Banks in North Carolina which I like a lot also. You’re responsible for the kids program with Epic – can you tell us about this? We are one of the only kite companies that makes products for kids, and it is very easy for us to do so because we come up with kites, boards and harnesses that work well for me, and then produce them for other kids. In the clip at 02:45 you jump off a pontoon aiming to get your feet into the straps of the board that your dad’s holding about 10 feet away. The clip cuts before we see if you made it… Did you?! I had to do this four times and could not make it! So my dad took the kite from me and showed me how to do it. I guess I need more practice. But that was my idea to do it and he stole it from me. It’s an impressive first clip – what did you film it on and how long did it take to edit it? Thank you. I used Final Cut Pro and my dad showed me how to use it. So then I took all the clips that we had and made my own video. Did it take long to edit? Yes. For this movie it took me a total of six days to finish it. And what are you up to next? Any trips lined up? Well that is a good question. All I know right now is that I am on my way to Florida for school at the tennis academy. But if it’s windy I will also be kiting. Also I might starting to train for the 2018 Olympics for kiting and representing Greece.
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