TheKiteMag International by Water Born Media

S TA R I N G D OW N T H E BA R R E L : PAT R I M C L AU G H L I N S T E P S U P AT O N E E Y E S H O OT I N G S TA R S : TOBY BROMWICH RETURNS TO BRAZIL AARON HADLOW INTERVIEWED LOST IN JAVA WITH ABEL AND KARI JASON WOLCOTT’S: INDO SCRAPBOOK

whatever the conditions seize the moment! F R E E R I D E

F R E E s T Y L E

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Rider_Tom Hebert / Pic_Mario Entero

R E L AT E D F R E E R I D E / F R E E sT Y L E B OA R D s

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6 | TheKiteMag

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The HELICAL RAIL DESIGN is a tri-part rail which is thick and inverted in the feet area, thin and defined in the centre of the rail and then returns to its original thin shape towards the tip of the board. This helical shape delivers insane precision, directional stability and ultimate comfort. The HRD provides new performance and a truly unknown riding sensation, it feels like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re riding above the surface of the water.

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TheKiteMag | 7

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Enjoy latest twintip technology including exclusive Double Edge, Basalt Carbon Compound and 100 % spread tow carbon construction.

BREEZE LIGHT WIND PERFORMANCE FREERIDE SIZES: 145x44 / 158x46

Whoever thinks that the development progress in kiteboards is slowing down, has not heard of the latest innovation which was introduced earlier this year: the double edge rail. Sliding the thumb along the rail of the Admiral or Breeze, one cannot help but notice the deep concave in the rail.

SPARK FREERIDE PERFORMANCE FOR ALL RIDER LEVELS SIZES: 132x40 / 136x41 / 142x42

The idea was to channel the water which is suppressed by the rail. The concave steers the water flow to the tail of the board, minimizing the spray which is gusting into the face of the rider. Another effect of this water channeling is that the board starts planing way earlier resulting in an improved low wind performance. This special rail has a better grip than regular rails, which comes in handy when the boards are ridden in strong chop or high winds.

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BESTKITEBOARDING.COM 8 | TheKiteMag

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PROFANITY

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TheKiteMag | 9

C O N T E N T S T H E

F E AT U R E S …

T H AT C A P E TO W N T H I N G Four months of madness – most kiters dip in for a week (or a month) or two, but Graham Howes lives it. The whole crazy circus. He takes us through That Cape Town Thing from the inside looking out.

S TA R I N G D O W N T H E B A R R E L There are times when even the hardiest of Maui based kite aficionados think that maybe this time they’ve gone a bit too far. Patri McLaughlin has one of those moments.

S H O OT I N G S TA R S King lenseman and TheKiteMag correspondent Toby Bromwich follows the pros around Brazil for a few weeks with predictably pleasing photographic results.

JASON WOLCOTT’S SCRAPBOOK The man whose Indo door is always open takes a scan through recent history and picks out some of his favourite house guests, and some of his favourite shots.

AARON HADLOW INTERVIEW It’s all been going on for Mr Hadlow of late… Back on tour, back on the podium, and back in the R&D game. Time for a catch up.

LOST IN JAVA RRD partners in wave-killing crime Abel Lago and Kari Schibevaag head off the radar and score some unridden Indo perfection.

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C O V E R : Patri McLaughlin wonders whether it’s time to meet his maker… Photo: Mario Entero H E R E : The Muizenberg Beach bathing huts. A popular spot for tourists, kiting, surfing and Great White avoiding. This is one side of Cape Town. Head to page 38 for a different perspective on kiteboarding’s great metropolis. Photo: Bianca Asher

T H E

R E G U L A R S …

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Tangled Lines with Christophe Tack

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Under the Hood – with Bernie Hiss

50 words on… The World Tour On the List – Peru Behind the Clip – Northern Fresh Tech – What’s in a wingtip? Tell me about it… the F-ONE foil

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Photo: S. Whitesell Rider: Kevin Langeree

Advancing

the art of flight 12 | TheKiteMag

The 2015

TORCH

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A proven, two-time “King of the Air” champion, the 2015 Torch is the #1 kite of choice for dedicated freestyle riders. Featuring a newly reduced leading edge taper for increased stability and outstanding control, this state-of-the-art C-kite provides prescision response and smooth power delivery for riders who don’t just jump. . . they fly.

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NAISH_KITEBOARDING TheKiteMag | 13

W E L CO M E Well, hello! How are you doing? Come on in, don’t be shy, put that harness down and don’t worry – sandy feet are just fine – grab yourself a beer and let me say first of all: Welcome to TheKiteMag! Me? I’m Alex, the editor behind this premium kiteboarding publication. So, “what’s it all about?” might be your first question. Well, TheKiteMag is – you’ll be glad to hear – mainly

about kiteboarding. Our aim is to bring you the very best from our sport in the very best format: a magazine. Be it on paper, your iPad, or your other digital device of choice, the fact is that kite shots never look better than when in a mag – you can discuss the ‘end of the magazine in the internet era’ all you like, but there is no finer format for a sport like ours than the humble magazine. The best pictures, the most interesting interviews, the quirkiest little titbits: they all belong in a magazine. Which is why we are very proud to be able to bring you this one… “But,” you may ask next, “what exactly has TheKiteMag got in it?” Well, another good question. When TheKiteMag team first sat down to discuss what we should prioritize within these glossy pages of ours, we first thought about what we (and TheKiteMag team ALL spend a good portion of their lives in the water) want from a magazine. On the top of everyone’s list was one word: photos. You can flick through low resolution screengrabs, and Facebook photos, and watch 3 minute clips all day long, but absolutely nothing beats seeing a well composed shot in a magazine. Plus you can take your time in a magazine; you can study the shot, understand it, and appreciate the art of both rider and photographer.

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The next items on people’s lists varied – some went for rider interviews and profiles, some liked tales from trips to far flung lands, and some were keen on features ‘about’ the sport. We figured we could do all three. Where we did agree was that we shouldn’t rush anything. That we wouldn’t have any four page features with the shots crammed in, that we would embrace the 10-plus page feature and that we would give the riders and photographers the space they need to truly express themselves…

Next on the list was ‘tech’. There are – we all know – different types of kiters. Some kiters spend 90% of their session standing on the beach happily talking about kit, and some – to be honest – don’t really care. If it gets them up in the air, onto a slider, or round a close-out section then it’s job done… So with this in mind we do ‘do’ tech – you can find out incredibly interesting things like how Carved’s Bernie Hiss builds his carbon beauties, and Naish’s Damien Girardin will tell you all about wingtips – but we don’t overdo it… We have the same attitude with our testing. We definitely ‘do’ testing (we have the biggest test team of any kiteboarding publication, with testers in Cape Town, the US, the UK and Tarifa, all testing kit as quickly as the brands can get it to us) but we aren’t going to fill these pages with the results… You will find all of our tests published online as soon as we finish them, so no waiting until July to find out if you want that 2015 kite when the 2016 incarnation is but a few weeks away… We will publish a little teaser in the mag but would encourage you to head to the website for the real deal (and, 607 words in and I haven’t mentioned it yet: check out our website, www.thekitemag.com: it’s epic).

Pulling this vision together though and making it happen is – we soon realized – not a ‘one editor’ job. And so we put our heads together and thought: who are the best writers and photographers in the sport? Who really knows their stuff ? Who would we like to sit down and discuss our day’s session with over a couple of beers? And we ended up with some serious players and some big names on our list. So we hit up Skype and tentatively explained the

philosophy behind TheKiteMag to them, and asked them if it is something that they would be interested in working on. Could they bring their knowledge, their experience and their top-of-class content to our pages? We were stoked that they all said yes. So on TheKiteMag team we have Brian Wheeler (US Correspondent) who has edited and written for more publications than you or I have had bust pumps, Toby Bromwich (Senior Correspondent) who has provided the kiteboarding world with the very very very best in photography from the PKRA and beyond over the last few years, and we have Graham Howes (Cape Town Correspondent) who, with his Dirty Habits Crew, has kept life spicy both on and off the water for many of those who choose to orbit the out-of-control metropolis that is Cape Town over their summer months. And then we have many other guys (such as Jason Wolcott in this issue) with their fingers very much on the pulse and ready to bring us the good gravy when they have it... So: that’s us, and that’s what TheKiteMag is all about. We’d all like to welcome you on board, and we hope you enjoy the ride… Alex Hapgood Editor

Jeremy Chan rubbing noses with One Eye Photo: Stephan Kleinlein

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S U B S C R I B E TO T H E P R I N T E D I T I O N EI GH T ISSUES PER Y EAR (that’s more than any other kiteboarding magazine)

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to you before it gets in the shops

F REE

top quality tee with every subscription

The Team: Editor: Alex Hapgood (editor@thekitemag.com) Sub editor: Cai Waggett Senior Correspondent: Toby Bromwich US Correspondent: Brian Wheeler Cape Town Correspondent: Graham Howes Art Director: Jody Ward Assistant Art Director: Jodie Matthews

Contributors: Stephan Kleinlein, Nate Appel, Matthew Burridge, Svetlana Romantsova, Harry Winnington, Quincy Dein, John Bilderback, Toby Bromwich, Miguel Cortez, Marie Desandre Navarre, Graham Howes, Bianca Asher, Patri McLaughlin, Mario Entero, Jason Wolcott, Tom Court, DiNG, Sophie Mathews, Abel Lago, Kari Schibevaag, Sam Medsky, Damien Girardin, Bernie Hiss, Charles Bertrand, Maria Enfondo, Gilles Calvet TheKiteMag is… WATER BORN Published by M E D I A 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.

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W H AT ARE YO U WA IT ING F OR? ! Get over to www.thekitemag.com/subscribe

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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:

TheKiteMag | 17

FOCUS

R I E N S T R A N U K E G L I D E . C A P E H AT T E R A S , N C .

“Eric Rienstra is a rider’s rider. His style, power and fearlessness demands attention, while his lack of competitive silverware is more than made up for by a stack of photo features and video parts way taller than a PKRA trophy. On photo shoots there are riders you need to push a little to get the perfect shot, and then there are riders that push you to be a better photographer. Eric is the latter. His ability to think outside the box, know which grab will look the best, and see images before they’re created make him one of my favourite riders to work with – especially with a brand new kicker in an empty Cape Hatteras Slick...”

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BY N AT E A P P E L

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FOCUS

H A RV E Y GWITHIAN, CORNWALL, UK.

It is of course taking extraordinary liberties to compare Gwithian on the westernmost tip of England to Maui’s iconic Ho’okipa. For a start, there cannot be many a kiter who has headed out to Ho’okipa in a 5mm wetsuit hood. And Gwithian only truly turns on a handful of times each year. And Ho’okipa is a right-hander and Gwithian a left... But those differences aside there is one significant similarity between the two breaks: windsurfers. Gwithian is a magnet for our carbon-masted comrades. They will drive from all over the country (and from across Europe) when it looks like it is ‘on’ and a good day can see 50+ on the water (for a brief stint before coming in and changing their sail – again – as is the way with the windsurfer). For kiters the numbers are stacked against us – maybe 2 or 3 against this wall of windsurfers. But it is usually worth rolling the dice, as demonstrated here by Lee Harvey…

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P H OTO : M AT T H E W B U R R I D G E

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FOCUS

ZO O N BRAZIL

For the last four years I have been running training camps. These camps give me a lot of joy – it is great to teach people – and the camps also allow me to ride in amazing spots and to train myself… This shot was from my recent camp in Brazil just before the PKRA up north. We were pretty lucky and during the camp we had solid conditions every single day... The grabbed S-Mobe I am doing in the picture was correctly called up by one of my clients (the guy watching on) who was learning how to do the S-Mobe. So it is good to know that they are learning something as well!

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PHOTO: SVETLANA ROMANTSOVA

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FOCUS

B U R B L I E S MAURITIUS

A friend of mine was going big this day in Mauritius. He performed really well and I was on the beach taking pictures, but after a while I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t resist performing as well in front of the camera! I have contributed to the Kiteboarding Tricktionary recently and that has really made me realize how much potential there is in all of us, and it has also shown me that a lot of the time we use much less of our true potential than we could! I think that here I was thinking of that and really trying to push myself.

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PHOTO: HARRY WINNINGTON

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FOCUS

H I L A R I O TA H I T I

No, this is not another drone shot! It is a shot I made of Robinson at the top of the mast of our catamaran on the F-ONE shoot. I actually spent a lot of time in Tahiti shooting from the top of the mast because the lagoon is as flat as a swimming pool and I was super stable up there. Therefore I could free my two hands (and my mind) and set up the shot. It is always about the details that you put in... My goal here was to have a good balance between the action and the background. I always love to get as much surroundings into an action shot as possible and this shot would be nothing without the beauty of the island and of the surroundings...

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BY G I L L E S C A LV E T

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FOCUS

R IC H M A N MAUI

In my eyes, the coolest thing after all the spray settles and the sun goes down is the amount of awesome people I have met on this wild journey. Throughout my kiteboarding career Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had the chance to ride and hang with tons of the top riders from around the world. Ruben Lenten has always been a standout as our styles and mind-sets are similar, and we both share a passion for pushing the limits and going huge. Ruben came to Maui earlier in the year and we stayed together, training, eating and cooking super healthy food and riding together. This session we went out to a pretty gnarly spot which is almost never kited but looked epic from the beach... When we got out though the wind was absolutely terrible and we were barely able to hold on in the gusts, but I will always remember this session because we made it fun and it was such a blast to ride with a good buddy like that in a totally different wild spot.

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PHOTO: QUINCY DEIN

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TA N G L E D

L IN E S

W I T H 2 0 1 4 P K R A C H A M P I O N C H R I S TO P H E TA C K

Q A

The final in Egypt between Liam and I. Liam climbed up the double elimination and got more consistent and used to the choppy, gusty conditions. I had a prototype 7m that wasn’t finished yet (it was really off and nothing compared to the sweet 7m Hifi X we’ve brought out now). The hardest part during that heat was finding a take off and landing spot in the chop. I took my time and was able to bust out five decent tricks, but nothing I would be proud off, while Liam actually busted out a Crow Mobe 5 which would have

Youri Zoon: If you could be any person for a day who would it be and why? I would choose to be you Youri. You know I always said when I grow up I’ll be just like you!? But I would dress really badly and have an even worse hair cut than I have now and ruin your fashionable image.

changed the outcome of the comp, but it was his 13th trick, and you can only have 12…

Haha! No I do love sleeping in tents and camping in general, but with a good crew and without any duties the day after… Perhaps we should do a Liquid Force Europe tour again and catch up with my hobo camping skills!

Karolina Winkowska: What is it with Polish girls? [Editor’s note: Chris is dating one of Karolina’s friends…]

I have absolutely no idea... It’s this sexy eastern European thing I guess, you know the looks, the clothes, and the language I don’t understand at all. This makes it all so mysterious and appealing!

Tom Bridge: What was the most difficult heat throughout the season?

Gary Siskar (LF Brand Manager): Will you miss living in a tent?

Noè Font: How do you do to keep your consistency on tricks when you are back home for a while?

Well I’ve decided not to kite for a month now after the title to let my body rest from the exhausting season, and I’m stuck in Belgium doing media work – which fits perfect actually! So now I’m just imagining my tricks the whole time, that’s the key. Visualizing and feeling the tricks. The next session I do I’ll be able to bust out most of my tricks, some I’ll do better than before, some worse…

Liam Whaley: How do you get so good at kiteboarding living in Belgium?! It was about maximizing my sessions, giving 200% because there might be no wind for the next two weeks. Then besides this I was visualising my tricks the whole time – in school, at home, I would pass every object I have in my hands behind my back. That gave me the push to progress to a certain level and to turn pro. Nowadays I barely kite in Ostend and I can kite as much as you lucky Tarifa boys kite!

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Q A

Luke McGIllewie: What does it take to get a brand to bring out a pro model?

There is no special formula. Having some knowledge about what board features you like and what you don’t helps in the process. It really just starts with giving feedback for the next year’s board, then have other people stoked on it, and then it was me pushing at LF. Some brands just don’t give out pro models, I’m not sure why not – for me it’s the future.

Marc Jacobs: Who’s your favourite hairdresser on tour? It’s definitely not Mario Rodwald. He’s terrible. I shouldn’t trust this German kiteboarder anymore (he tried to make an ‘undercut’ in Venezuela 2012, luckily I had someone in the pousada that actually knew something about hairdressing). So yes, Marc, you are by far the best hairdresser on tour! I haven’t had a haircut since PKRA Fuerte so it’s time to get a MJ cut soon…

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IN 50 WORDS

WO R D S

T H E

O N . . .

WO R L D

The news that the World Tour is soon going to be under new management was both unexpected and kind of exciting… The PKRA has indisputably done a lot ‘right’ over the last few years and now delivers an engaging competition format and schedule, which has seen the level of riding continue to improve and has produced some worthy champions. But there have also been understandable grumbles about the quality of some elements

of the tour – most loudly about the live feed which, despite the heroic efforts of the commentary crew, has generally felt a little bit, well, amateur…

PH OTO : TO BY B RO M W I CH /P KRA

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TO U R

With much excitement around the promise of a serious cash injection and improvements in the media department, there have also been some questions about the direction the tour will take: the riders are in the main pretty happy with the set up now (if not always the judging…) so is the time right for a major shakeup or is that likely to alienate the riders who make the tour a success? But we mere minions at TheKiteMag can speculate all we like – what do we know? Not a whole lot. So we thought we would ask some riders and a few other bods what they would do if they were handed the reins.

IN 50 WORDS

So, in 50 words: if I was in charge of the world tour then I would… …create a tour that will have a discipline that is great for people and the media to watch and follow, but at the same time it has to push the riders and the sport to the next level. All this has to happen in prime locations with a high tech live stream. Having an indoor kite event just like Nitro Circus would be my ultimate. Kevin Langeree …have four disciplines: Freestyle, Park, Big Air and Slalom. I would run each discipline in venues where it would accommodate the highest level of riding for that particular style, with 5 stops for Freestyle and Slalom, then 3 stops for the Park and Big Air contests. This way we can show the top level and the top spots for each discipline! Craig Cunningham …say that I’m really excited that this sport has the chance to restructure and refocus the pro tour because it needs some work. It’s a great opportunity and I hope that we can all make the best of it. Robby Naish ..add more disciplines. I would have 5-6 disciplines and, depending on locations, the organizers can select disciplines (minimum 4) from: Freestyle, Big Air, Airstyle, Boardercross, Kicker & Slider, Wave, Strapless Freestyle. Then riders can show their skills in 1-3 heats and get points. The most points win... Toby Braeuer …fix the live stream first. It is pretty much unwatchable at the moment and I think if it could be as good as the ASP one (good commentators that have a lot of background info, HD quality, different camera angles etc). 30 minute surfing heats are boring compared to 7 minute kiteboarding heats, but the ASP live stream is so good that it makes surfing look more interesting. Liam Whaley …would have more of a balance between height and technicality with the tricks.

Often the tricks are too complicated for the audience to follow and all tricks look the same. If there are some more high and powerful tricks intermixed it becomes a lot more spectacular to watch. One day I hope for the tour to become as big as snowboarding or motocross… Annabel van Westerop …make the small things more professional like food, storage, accommodation, transfers etc. Besides that the livestream should be improved. Youri Zoon …make the competition more interesting so that it could attract the Average Joe – but a good Average Joe, not just a weekend kiter. For me kiteboarding is about big air, big kite loops, big handle passes, big board offs. SO JUST GO BIG! That’s what the tour should represent. Dimitri Maramenides …ensure that kiteboarding events take place in superb venues with decent conditions and with a TV production company that distributes all over the world so kiteboarding gets exposed to the masses. I would ensure that women and men get equal prize money, and that foil boarding, freestyle and racing all get a show. Steph Bridge …make the obvious upgrades on the locations, disciplines to fit the locations, overall variety based judging, epic prize money, rider hospitality, media and TV. Then introduce a new discipline: Death Rally Boardercross. It would be total mayhem, riders jumping over huge objects, through the ring of fire, under the low pole and over the shark pit for the finish. Take it all over the world and there is your world tour. Jesse Richman …make prize money for men and women equal, invest in high quality live streaming and generally bring the tour much closer to how the ASP is run currently. Jalou Langeree …have more specific events depending on the location and introduce several new disciplines: park riding, wave

kickers, extreme big air. I would spend a lot of money on the live stream to improve it and look after the riders better. Sam Light …have a new live stream, probably change the judging criteria to make it more interesting for the public, for sure cancel a few PKRA destinations which don’t deserve riders and live stream (Leucate, Fuerteventura etc.) and add some more top locations (Brazil Cauipe, USA, New Caledonia …). Plus get prize money for everyone and fire a few guys! Victor Hayes …spend all the money on parties and concentrate on making it the most bitching crazy party central tour in the world. People love scandal and raving. Drum n bass kite tour worldwide? Why not... James Boulding …create a better overall event production, meaning solid flow and build up throughout the event by the commentator, music, side-acts, parties, visuals, info for spectators and a legit live stream. Plus have several formats ready to go depending on weather conditions and have more legit media, and maybe involve/invite celebrities or sports teams to be part of some of the event. Ruben Lenten ….say that at the moment it is focused on one discipline which really doesn’t showcase the versatility of our sport. It’s hard to say what the world tour should consist of: Park riding, freestyle, big air and racing? And wouldn’t it make more sense to have all these disciplines at each event? Also locations should be nearer big cities to attract a crowd. Sam Medsky …leave the sport side of things all the same but make the whole world aware of how far we have pushed the limits and people would follow every tour stop if we had a decent live stream. Our sport is more interesting than many others because something happens every 10 seconds! Mario Rodwald

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ON THE LIST

T H E

L I ST

Sometimes it’s nice to have to work for your water time. And if riding waves is your bag, then you have to work harder than most to get to those spots that manage to pull off the geographic and climactic wizardry that can see you reeling down the line and your turn count passing the double figures mark… It might be a mission, but Peru does that. It does that a lot.

marinated in lime and chilli) and a nice cold cerveza. Once your appetite is sated and you are rehydrated you can look at the best way to get around. For maximum freedom look at finding yourself a few buddies and chipping in on a 4x4, or rent a tuk-tuk for short trips, then head out on the open road.

I’m intrigued, tell me more. It must get pretty crowded?

You’ve got good hearing. That’d be Pacasmayo. They don’t come much longer or more iconic. It is actually a few different sections, but when they link up it comes in at a smidge over 1km. The KSP came here in 2011 and even the most hardened waveriders were weeping in disbelief when they saw it working all the way through…

Actually, no. You can expect to have waves to yourself. Even the real bangers like Lobitos rarely get too busy. And even if there are a few in, if you play nicely then there are plenty of waves to go round.

So I can just rent a 2-door hatch from the airport and hit the road? Err, not really. Check the map. It’s a pretty big country. Best bet is to get a bus to one of the local surf towns like Huanchaco, Punta Hermosa or Mancora and then order some ceviche (raw fish 36 | TheKiteMag

Did I hear something about a 1km lefthander?

I heard they eat Guinea Pigs? Those little critters are pretty cute. They are pretty cute. They do eat them.

P HOTO: MI GUEL CORTEZ

PHOTO: JOHN BILDERBACK

O N

PERU

PHOTO: JOHN BILDERBACK

PHOTO: MIGUEL CORTEZ

PHOTO: MARIE DESANDRE NAVARRE

V I TA L S GETTING THERE: F LY I N T O L I M A . H E A D NORTH (EITHER BY BUS IF YOU HAVE A HARD DRIVE OF BOX SETS YOU’RE KEEN TO GET THROUGH, OR ON AN INTERNAL FLIGHT IF YOU DON’T WANT TO LOSE THE WILL TO LIVE) BEST SEASON: APRIL TO OCTOBER BUT THERE IS NO 100% OFF-SEASON IN THE BAG: 7, 9, 12M KITES AND SOMETHING POINTY AND FAST NOT IN THE BAG: 5’3 X 21” GROVEL BOARD RUBBER: YES. 3/2 FOR SURE, M AY B E A S H O RT I E . BEER: S/. 5.00 ($1.80)

So, Lobitos and Pacasmayo. That must be it right?

Amazingly they’re just the headline spots. This whole stretch of coast has an improbable number of perfect lefthanders, most of which are kiteable. But if you’re heading away from the well-known spots, don’t kite solo. It’s cross-off and next stop Mexico if you’re lucky, Russia if you’re not.

Right, my bag’s packed. Anything else I need to know?

Not really, you should come back with your backside hack dialled in or, if you’re goofy, a smile that’s unlikely to leave your face for the foreseeable future.

M O S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : “MY LEGS ACHE.” L E A S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : “ S H O U L D ’ V E G O N E R I G H T. ”

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T H AT C A P E TO W N T H I N G

T H AT CA P E TOW N T HI N G TheKiteMagâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resident Cape Town Correspondent, Graham Howes, takes us through the four month Groundhog Day extravaganza that draws in thousands of committed kiteboarders every yearâ&#x20AC;Ś Words: Graham Howes Photos: Bianca Asher

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T H AT C A P E TO W N T H I N G

eople go on and on about Cape Town all the time: good food, great steaks, cheap wine, whales, wildlife... Blah blah blah... We all know you get tired of taking pictures of Table Mountain after the second day. Do you really think that those are the reasons the best kiters and windsurfers choose Cape Town as their number 1 off-season destination? Nope. Not close. Don’t get me wrong: when the wind doesn’t blow for a week, sure you’ll catch Aaron Hadlow or Youri Zoon getting shit faced on a Franshoek wine estate with a world class Pinot Noir, or hugging newly born lion cubs or chasing penguins around Cape Point, but chances are they’re just trying to impress their girlfriends. For kiting the fact is that Cape Town is simply in another league, it can be compared to Hawaii’s North Shore for surfing. It’s the place where pros are made, careers are ended, 40 | TheKiteMag

friendships are bound, limits are bent, history is made, and tales that you will tell your grandkids come to life. I am lucky enough to be in the middle of all this dog show for those explosive four months. It seems like a weekend in Vegas that drags on for an entire summer, until you are literally consumed by the chaos and in the middle of this surreal ‘summer bliss’. All surrounded by the cream of the crop of international kiters. The rebirth of the Red Bull King of the Air a couple of years back seems to have fuelled this ‘summer vibe’, bringing even more riders from places like America and Canada, who we don’t usually see as much of. Being a competitor in one of the worlds’ most prestigious kiteboarding events is a real privilege, but to be honest, it is just another day on the water with a bunch a mates, only now they are just showing off for the ladies…

So, let’s backtrack. The season starts in midSeptember for us, the Cape Doctor first kicks in and it begins then... If I told you that I kited Big Bay with 35 knots and 4 meter waves with only me and my best mate, with the whole bay to ourselves, you wouldn’t believe me. I kite it every day, then the tourists arrive and I stay far away. It starts in mid November when you will see the old banged up Rent-a-Mercs with duck taped bumpers and 7 board coffins on the roofs (tied on with shoe laces or surfboard leashes) pull into Blouberg. Within a week, our quaint surfing town erupts with Dutch, German and Italian windsurfers and kiters taking over. The parking lots, the bars, the line ups, the secret spots, the beaches, the girls, all taken over by testosterone, and egos. By December I am too scared to go to my local spots – at Sunset Beach you will see six naked Dutch butts, and two German sausages before you can even find a parking bay. At Haakgat, the Italians will be sporting their ‘banana hammocks’ [ahem - small speedos] and frequently

pulling knives at other wave riders on the beach after altercations in the waves. Don’t even get me started about Kitebeach. At any moment you will have up to 15 kite schools busy with lessons, 28 absolute beginners looping on the beach, 19 wannabe pros looping over the beach, five kooks trying to self-launch upwind of kids building sandcastles, and then 1 guy who trumps the 40 others by trying to wave ride in the one-foot shore break. This is all on ONE KILOMETER of beach! It totally baffles me as there are kilometers and kilometers of empty beaches just upwind or downwind which are just as good, if not better.

B U T D O N ’ T T H I N K F O R A M O M E N T T H AT I D O N ’ T E M B R A C E T H I S C A R N A G E …

But don’t think for a moment that I don’t embrace this carnage…

So, what happens on an average summer’s day..? Well, I’ll wake up with Nick Jacobsen on my couch. He’ll probably be wearing a pink tutu recovering from a night of debauchery in town with the Dirty Habits crew. We will sit on the deck with Tom Court (he stays downstairs) and sift through hours

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T H AT C A P E TO W N T H I N G

I T I SN ’ T UN CO MMO N TO B E FIV E PIN TS D OW N AND S T I L L BE IN YOUR W E T S U I T LE AVI N G PU D DL E S B E H I ND T H E BAR …

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of footage from the previous day’s sessions, drinking strong coffee and nursing our hangovers. Maybe hit a little mini ramp session to sweat out some of the booze and decide which spots to hit for the day. Witsands or Brandvlei? Big air or freestyle? Then we’ll stop off at Carlucci’s for brekkie... The only trouble there is that you will have to fist-pump and deal with the 10 different handshakes from the top 10 PKRA riders drinking carrot juice and discussing yoga poses. So I think I’ll skip that today. I need the energy for my freestyle session at Muizenberg, followed by a 20 kilometer wave downwinder from Milnerton to Haakgat. I’ll be heading home from that unless I get a WhatsApp from Ruben: “Mate, it’s peaking at 40 knots... Keen for a quick sunset loop sesh at Dolphin Beach? 7m or 9m, see you in 5.” The only problem about riding with Ruben Lenten, is that he twists my arm into joining him for a ‘balls to the wall’ high intensity workout on the park jungle gym. But I’ll give in because he’s cooking the steaks and spinning the decks at the party later…

There are two very distinct groups of pro kiters here in the summer: the pros who take themselves way too seriously, who don’t drink too much, don’t party too much, and spend way to much time in the gym, and then there are the rest. Though their results may reflect this, one has to realize that a professional kiteboarding career lasts on average 4 years. And those who realize this will be in Doodles (local bar) on a Thursday night for the 2 hour happy-hour. Doodles is also at the parking lot at the end of the downwinder stretch, so it isn’t uncommon to be 5 pints down and still be in your wetsuit leaving puddles behind the bar… If there is one thing that the blow ins are good at embracing, it is the braai (barbeque) spirit. At any night of the week there will be at least 4 braais at mates houses within a 2-kilometer stretch. So skating between braais is not uncommon, usually spending the least time with the Euros who are attempting to braai whole frozen chickens… The king of braais is usually at Ruben’s. He has a permanent DJ booth set up, pumping killer tunes and is usually braaing over 10kgs of rare red meat at once. It’s the usual story though at these braai’s. As you can imagine, having a group of extremely competitive guys around a fire together – many of whom are often PKRA podium rivals, Kevin Langeree, Aaron Hadlow, Chris Tack, Youri Zoon - things can get pretty heated pretty quickly, but usually it’s nothing a game of Beer Pong, or ‘The Cinnamon Challenge’ can’t resolve. And if it’s the the UK crew in town then the boys will be waging over games of FIFA Pro Evo Football. If it’s 2am and no one is in the pool yet, and the wind is peaking at 45 knots, I’ll convince my understanding other-half to drive 10 of us 20 kilometers upwind in my bakkie (pick-up) with skateboards, and with umbrellas to propel ourselves all the way back to town. The usual crew is always up for it: Nick Jacobsen, Sam Light, Billy Parker, Tom Court, Lewis Crathern… And then the race is on: who can get back to the party first with their umbrella propulsion system, stopping for munchies at the 7 Eleven. This repeats night after night for five months, every other night is a welcoming party when a new crew arrives, or farewells when good friends leave. Throw in some big nights in the City, for the Cape Town

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“

The rebirth of the Red Bull King of the Air a couple of years back seems to have fuelled this ‘summervibe’, bringing in even more riders in.

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I F I TO L D YOU T H AT I K I T E D B I G BAY WI T H 3 5 KN OT S A N D 4 M E T E R WAV E S WI T H O N LY M E A N D M Y B E S T MAT E YO U WO U L D N ’ T B E L I E V E ME . . .

T H AT C A P E TO W N T H I N G

Electronic Music festival and other world class festivals, and you find a lot of reasons to have a good time in Cape Town. So by the time the King of the Air is done, I am pretty much done too. I’m ready to kick the boys off my couch, and return to the real world. By the 20th March, to the day, the Mercs are gone, the models have moved back to Europe, the spots are empty, and the winter swells start to show their faces. And Cape Town lets out a sigh of relief. Cape Town is magical in the winter. I pack my kites away, and surf every day, the waves fire all winter long. I drink gluhwein and take long road trips, I get to do all the touristy things like climb Lions Head to watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean, and the full moon rise over the Indian Ocean with no crowds, and no queues, and no naked Germans. I embrace winter and wait patiently – some might say a little anxiously – for summer, when it all begins again…

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S TA R I N G D O W N T H E B A R R E L

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S TA R I N G D OWN T H E BA R R E L I guess there comes a time when all of those hard hours pay off. When I say hard hours, I mean all of those hours spent kiting. So maybe not that hard. But anyway, for Patri McLaughlin the call came through for a trip to Mauritius, the forecast looked epic, and all he had to do was get to the airport. Go on then. Words: Patri McLaughlin Photos: Mario Entero

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S TA R I N G D O W N T H E B A R R E L

For those of you not familiar with Mauritius – and there probably aren’t many – it is one of the most beautiful islands in the world situated just east of Madagascar. It also has some of the best waves for kitesurfing on the planet. Most of these waves are located on the Le Morne peninsula, but the intrepid explorer can find an assortment of waves all around the island… I was heading out there to get some shots with the rest of the waveriding team so I was joined by riders Airton and Sebastian, along with filmer and editor Carlos, drone pilot Martin and photographer Mario. The forecast for the first five days looked insane and we were all super excited to get our feet wet. The first day of action saw us heading to explore some new spots. We drove to the end of the coastal road where there’s a beach at the bottom of some cliffs – the swell was pumping from the south and the wave looked quite unruly and risky... As it was day one we opted to go back to another spot which has an onshore right which is good for doing airs, and there’s also a wave on the other side of the reef with a short punchy left and side onshore wind. The launch spot is quite sketchy and really only doable at high tide, and the three of us switched between doing airs on the right and slapping some power turns on the left – a great way to warm up for the solid run of swell that was approaching over the coming days.

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WO R K

The waves had dropped significantly overnight, and we had a long list of product shots to get done. We all knew we were there to work, not just enjoy the beauty of the island. We set up a reef chair on a shallow sand bar and focused on getting footage with the three of us lined up in a row. We focused on riding with our kites close together while the drone got footage for the catalogue. We did that for a few hours before we finally got to let loose with some strapless freestyle. After five hours on the water we took a break for the day and bolted to the nearest sandwich truck.

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GA M E

O N

Day three and, as forecast, the waves were back in full force. We know that when One Eye is working that it’s the spot to go to, but the wind was light that morning. We were all psyching to log some tube time though, so we took a boat to the reef and surfed some perfect waves for an hour before the wind came up. There’s a rule now in Mauritius that you can no longer put a ‘chair’ (it is a big chair!) on the reef to film from, which makes shooting out there nearly impossible. So we decided to ignore the law and throw the chair out anyway, and Carlos and Martin set up to film us trading off waves. Ninja Bichler, the local Mauritian ripper and two-time One Eye champion, also joined us. The wind was a bit light with Sebastian and I on 9s kites and Airton on a 10, but this ended up being a good thing because it made it difficult for the average kiter and nearly impossible for even the most professional windsurfers to get waves. The very first wave I got was one of the longest cleanest barrels I have caught with a kite in my hands. Unfortunately, the lip pinched closed on my right before I could make it out… The four of us traded off bombs for the next four hours. The boys were nailing clips from the drone and the chair, and Mario the photographer got some insane photos from the boat. That night at dinner we were all feeling pretty stoked with ourselves: after just three days we got most of the needed footage with flat-water tricks and two days worth of wave riding on the hard drive. 52 | TheKiteMag

PAY I N G YO U R D U ES The swell dipped for the following day, but the day after (day five for us) and the swell was massive again: back to One Eye... Unfortunately it turned out that we had been reported to the coastguard for having a chair on the reef, so this day we couldn’t use one. This made filming difficult. Mario and Martin decided to take photos and film from the boat, and Airton, Sebastian and I went out and got some of the best waves of the entire trip. One set came through and Laurant waved me into one of the biggest waves I have ever caught in Mauritius… Which is saying something! I was a little on the shoulder and I wanted to get deeper on another one so the next wave I caught was a solid ten-foot and I pulled in the barrel. I didn’t make it out. The lip landed on my head, broke my leash, and snapped my board in half. That ended my session early but I was happy to be in one piece. I remember sitting on the boat and watching Airton get a huge wave and link ten turns together. It was as good a day as you can have kiting, and that night we celebrated by going to Ocean Vagabond for pizza and live music where they had a DJ. Then after dinner we let loose at local venue Enso. It wasn’t all work…

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S TA R I N G D O W N T H E B A R R E L

I S L A N D H O P P I N G After this epic day the waves dropped on the south so we decided to ‘hop’ up to the north of the island. Hop isn’t quite right though… It took us three hours zigzagging across the island because we got lost. Then we got there and the waves were flat. Luckily Tom Hebert – the freestyle master from New Caledonia – was with us so he enjoyed the beautiful lagoons while Airton, Sebastian and I watched on, and the crew got some amazing footage of the scenery that the north provides. On the drive back we got lost again. I don’t think Siri is familiar with the Mauritian roads… When we got home the only thing for dinner was four baked potatoes and five pieces of burnt chicken. Tom and myself decided to head back to Enso for dinner. As the clock ticked by towards the end of the trip we headed back to One Eye where Mario decided to swim and get water angle photos. The wind was a bit light but we managed to get some good shots and Laurant also came out with the GoPro and followed us down the line which made for a unique angle, and the footage came out really well. Then that night we went for a BBQ with a bunch of the locals – the people in Mauritius really remind me of the people from my home, no one is there to make a fortune, they are there to enjoy the lifestyle that the island provides.

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PATR I

TA LKS

THROUGH

TAKING A HIT…

S TA R I N G D O W N T H E B A R R E L

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There was one particular wave from that trip that will stand out in my mind for a long time. I had just caught one of the biggest waves I’ve seen in Mauritius. Although it was big I didn’t put myself quite deep enough so it ended up being a bit anti-climactic. The wave after that one was terrifying though. It was also big and I decided there was no way I was going to be anywhere near the shoulder this time, so I held myself back until the wave was feathering in front of me. I dropped in and started to race down the line. The wave was already breaking in front

of me so I had to get around the whitewater and get back on the face. As I came around the section I could see that this thing was standing up 20 feet tall, sucking all the water off of the reef and it was going to barrel hard. After coming from behind the section I was a bit low on the face and I didn’t really have the speed I would like pulling into a wave of that size. I watched the lip throw out in front of me, and suddenly I thought to myself ‘Holy shit I’m gonna die.’ I knew the only way to safety was to try to make it as far as I could. As the lip landed I was briefly

looking out of the biggest barrel I have ever ridden holding onto a kite… Then I exploded into the air and started to flip around violently. I had no clue where my kite was so I decided to loop it. Luckily I kept the kite flying and it ripped me out the back of the wave. However my leash snapped so I was just body dragging between waves. I knew that I had to get my board back if I wanted to continue my session, so I looked into the mass of whitewater between myself and the lagoon. It was then I saw that my board had been snapped in half, and my session was over. Normally this would be a very scary situation because the wind blows offshore at One Eye and the wave itself is half a mile out to sea, and with the waves being that big

there is a ton of current and it would be very difficult to get back to the beach. Luckily we hired a madman of a boat driver to drive the photographer and the drone pilot so I body dragged out to sea away from the waves and waited for them to get me. Unfortunately the drone was out of battery at that very moment and the boat was out of position so there were no photos of that particular wave. That’s how it is I guess. Often, the craziest moments in life are left only for your memory... That wave broke my leash and my board in half, but luckily I came out in one piece. It’s amazing how powerful the ocean is, and I love to be there and witness it close-up and first hand.

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E Y E S

C A M E R A

Always a favorite with the riders, and the following day it was time to get the interview footage for the clips, so we had to describe the benefits of the 2015 Neo. The actual interviews were quite hard, seeing as I had to recite the memorized lines in front of the camera, my boss, and all the other riders. Because of this, the interviews took some time… After my part was done, Tom began the Evo interview. I imagined this was even harder for him seeing as English is his second language. Then, after the interviews were wrapped up, we decided to play some poker. Sebastian said it was his first time playing but he still managed to clean us all out. Sometimes it’s just the luck of the cards… The final day saw us heading back up the coast, back to the onshore right. Our aim was to collect some airs for the clip. Unfortunately I was pretty much blowing it – I think I only landed one air. Usually onshore airs are my thing, but sometimes you’re just off. Thankfully Airton was on fire this day. I saw him stomp a huge front roll into the flats, and I think this day really added some variety to the video. Our final two days and we stayed at the St. Regis Hotel located on the shores of One Eye. We ate some of the best food and relaxed before heading home. This really was the cherry on top. I think we can all agree that we had an amazing trip and really scored with conditions.

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LOV E M AU R I T I U S A N D A L L T H AT I T P R OV I D E S – F R O M T H E P EO P L E , TO T H E F O O D , TO T H E WAV E S . I T R E A L LY I S A PA R A D I S E … TheKiteMag | 59

S H O OT I N G S TA R S

S H O OT I N G S TA R S TheKiteMagâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Senior Correspondent, Toby Bromwich, treated himself to a little down-time outside of his hectic PKRA schedule earlier in the year. And what does a kite photographer do when he wants some time to chill out? He goes and shoots kiters of courseâ&#x20AC;Ś Words and Photos: Toby

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With a PKRA set in the north of Brazil this year I decided to extend my ticket to allow myself a few weeks either side of the competition to spend some time with the riders and get back into the Brazil vibe. It had been over four years since I was last in this region but – as you see from magazines and the many videos coming from this corner of Brazil – it has continued to be a mecca for wind junkies and pro riders alike. I set out with the plan to do a few photo shoots, first off to follow and document the first sessions back on the water of the 2013 world champ Alex Pastor after the shoulder injury that took him out of the 2014 season, and then line up with Aaron Hadlow after the PKRA stop in Barra Grande, and with a few stops lined up in between… I’ll take you through them.

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C U M B U CO The first location on my trip was the famous kite town of Cumbuco. Having seen its popularity increase, I was kind of surprised that not much had changed since my previous visit. The town of Cumbuco is almost exactly the same, although the lagoons have gotten a little busier and there was a few new local riders tearing it up, but apart from that the vibe was very much the same as I had experienced on my previous visits. Living is easy in Brazil with palm trees lining the endless beaches, hammocks everywhere to disappear into, and perfect warm temperatures all combined with more wind than you know what to do with. It’s these steady winds and prime water conditions that allow riders to progress so quickly, with many often commenting that two weeks here is like a year’s worth of progression at their home spot. The

trick then is to learn how to transfer these newly acquired moves into those trickier competition conditions. It’s a fairly well practiced regime in Brazil. Mornings (with the exception of a few early starts) normally involve waking up around 9, meeting up in town with the crew for an Acai and breakfast coffee, before discussing the plans for the day. Then – plan in place – it’s back to the comfort of our hammocks to communicate with the world and rattle off some emails before loading up the buggy to begin the trip downwind to the lagoon. We’d usually arrive no earlier than 3pm so the crowds would start to clear out and the light would be getting better for photos. Despite often being busy, getting shots normally worked out fine with the riders all taking their turn to come

into the arena to execute their trick, and then quickly continuing on allowing the next to follow the sequence. Alex was keen to conquer his demons and land a Front Blind Mobe – the trick that had caused his shoulder dislocation. Remarkably he was landing them within four days of riding, and each day he was rapidly growing in confidence and his repertoire was expanding. Gisela also needing some strong results for the end of the season and she was focused and training hard, rigorous gym sessions most mornings with training partners Paula Novotna and Brazilian champion Dionena Viera, she was in the form of her life and landing her first, and the women’s first, Front Blind Mobes alongside a variety of technical toeside maneuvers to the amazement of her peers.

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BA R R A

N OVA

After my nice chilled time in Cumbuco it was off to the PKRA, a lightning fast transfer with local judge Bruno Corriea, and an incredible week and level of competition. Although things werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so great for Aaron Hadlow who suffered a rib injury in a warm up session which resulted in him needing to fly home to get it checked out

fishing village. The spot is vast but tide dependent, with Stefan pointing out that it makes the conditions change three or four times a day which is pretty good for competition training. Plus you get a choice of many flat water areas regardless of the tide, and some incredible sunsets to boot. For shooting I was very excited as there were

and rest, resulting in a bit of a change up in my schedule, so I decided to stay on and do a bit of a traveling around to some other locations. First up was an hour-and-half-drive to Barra Nova. I had heard lots of good things and it was the preferred choice for riders such as Stefan Spiessberger and Christophe Tack and, after a chat with the boys at the PKRA event, I made my way down. The town has less of a touristy feel than that of Cumbuco, and is more of a

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so many different options and backdrops, and the beauty was that the pousada where we stayed was right by the spot, so you just walk out the door and rig up. Although the boys were a bit tired after the week of competition I managed to coax them into a couple of good sessions before packing up and heading off to my next location, Uruau where I was meeting up with Noe Font and Sam Meysky.

U R UAU I had been to Uruau a few years previous to shoot with Alberto Rondina. It’s his local hangout and he and Youri even bought apartments there… Again this is a quiet a little town but with a very friendly vibe. The spot is a short walk and the lagoon is probably the smallest of the three locations and is one of the better for tricks going right foot forward. Also out the front is a world of ramps and waves if you feel the need for a break from flat water. For me, one of the best things about Uruau is the friendly vibe down at Pro Kite Brazil, and Chef Bassi – his pasta is worth the trip alone!

I turned up in the town to try and hunt down Sam and Noè and I found Sam working on his computer in the center of town, pretty hungover from a party the night before and it turned out he thought that I was coming the following day. After a quick breakfast back at Sam and Noè’s place we hit the water, the wind in Cumbuco at this time was too strong, so Uruau was the place to be with perfect 11-9 meter conditions. Whilst the lagoon is more compact than other spots, it is just a case of waiting your turn to throw your move which works well.

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TA I BA After a good day’s shooting with the guys the next morning it was a three hour drive up to Taiba to catch up with Craig Cunningham. This was my first time to Taiba – it’s about 30-40 minutes north of Cumbuco and the town has a more modern vibe (and more finished buildings) and again some great locations to ride. I ended up going with my friend Javo in his buggy for the day, which caused a bit of drama when the rear axle decided to go on the beach, so it was a quick session in town in the kickers while we waited for the mechanic to turn up and have a look at the buggy (which pretty much sums up life out there). Then, as the sun was hitting midday, we took a break and hit up the local café with some of the best Acai of the trip and amazing sandwiches. Fed and watered we eventually found out the buggy was un-repairable here, so we called up our friend Bruno with his Hilux to help us out. He turned up and we managed to hitch the buggy onto the back and proceeded to the lagoon for an afternoon session. We shot until the sun went down then proceeded back to Cumbuco with the buggy in tow for the last few days of my trip. After an action packed month and a healthy tan it was time to pack up my things and board my flight back to Europe - I was missing the acai and the Brazilian warmth before I had even landed...

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WO L COT T ’ S

S C R A P B O O K

Photographer Jason Wolcott has a pretty dreamy life. He lives with his wife and daughter on Bali, at the gateway to some of the most alluring waves on the planet… As the popularity of riding waves on a surfboard has exploded and the potential of waveriding in ‘proper’ waves has been truly revealed with evolutions in kite and board design, Jason has been on hand to capture the progression, and to travel with many of the best riders in the sport on trips all over the world. We asked him to have a sift through his hard drives and pick a few shots from the last few years that he would slot into his scrapbook – the kind of shots that tell a story and have a place in kiteboarding (and Jason’s) history…

Sometimes you get done with a day of driving and you almost make it to your destination, your 4x4 is buried up to its axels, and you just can’t take it anymore… We were doing the Filthy West trip up and down the wilds of West Oz and found ourselves stuck again. At least this time, we were close enough to the water and the wind was blowing, and Ryland Blakeney washed off the miles with a sick hack as the sun sets over the filthy west… One of the most memorable trips of my life: sharks, kangaroos, amazing landscapes, good friends, and one hell of a cook (Ben Wilson). One day I hope we get a chance to do it again!

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Patrick Rebstock is one of the riders truly pushing what is possible strapless on a surfbaord. On a windswept beach an hour’s drive from anything, he usually has all the room he needs to bust these suborbital front rolls. Central California is home to big waves, unpredictable weather, big sharks and, best of all, strong wind. Every time I go home to California I make my way down the miles of winding road that lead to this magical coast to see what they have cooked up in my absence. It’s not uncommon for Ian Alldredge, Patrick, and Bear Karry to all be riding together and this was one of those days…

Patrick warming up with a post session beer all bundled up against the cold central coast afternoon!

This is a few years back, but you can see the direction Patrick’s taking the sport even back then.

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Somebody pinch Reo Stevens to let him know that his life is not just a good dreamâ&#x20AC;Ś Cabrinha rider and Patagonia ambassador, Reo has spent the past few years bouncing around the planet on dream trip after dream trip. Reo is one of the best tube riders in the business and with his itinerary, he damn well better be! Luckily for me, he decided to slum it here in Indo again recentlyâ&#x20AC;Ś Sorry, no catamaran and dream atolls on this tripâ&#x20AC;Ś Just diarrhea inducing nasi gorang, shit beer, bed bug bites, potential malaria, and a few too many kiters with the same idea.

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Ian Alldredge is like a little brother to me. I have known him since he was 14-years-old and have watched him go from an average spray tray rider to become arguably the best in the world on a surfboard… He is for sure the most stylish and powerful rider I have seen. Ian is a bit of a homebody, with a beautiful girlfriend, a great family life, wind, waves, and good Mexican food – why would he want to leave Santa Barbara, California? We have had some great adventures in the past but they are few and far between these days… This photo is from the last time we traveled together to Japan. It turns out Ian is one of the most well-known kiters in Japan! His arrival sparked many a sick day from the weekend warriors of Tokyo that work hard all week to kite hard on the weekends… One day we had a caravan of 10 cars following us around just to watch Ian ride! As usual Ian put on a show, drank some beers and laughed…

Ian gets his quiver ready in Japan. One of the best parts of traveling is seeing how people live in other parts of the world… When we opened the door and saw a pile of blankets and a couple of futon mattresses on the bamboo floor we both thought, “are you kidding me?!” But hey, when in Rome, it was actually really relaxing just chilling out on the soft floors.

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Rob Kidnie is an Australian, but not your typical one… He’s been living in Vietnam for a while where he runs a kite school with his beautiful Russian girlfriend… Tough life. And it gets better – he spends 2 months a year deep in Indonesia with aforementioned wife, eating cheap, living cheap, and getting the best barrels that most of us have seen. Rob is definitely charging and living the dream, and the fact that he is one of the nicest guys you could meet says a lot… So many riders with this much talent carry an equally large ego – not Rob. His philosophy is to smile and let your riding do the talking…

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“One of the best things about growing up in the Caribbean is the number of kitespots” says Hope Lavin, born and raised in one of the most magical places in the world – the island chain of Turks and Caicos. If you don’t like the wind direction at one spot, just walk to the other side of the dune, and you find this…

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Wes Matweyew is a unique personality in kiting. He pretty much rips on anything you put in front of him: an old kneeboard, skimboard, surfboard, SUP, twin tip… And he’s usually the best guy out no matter what he is riding. That translates to terrestrial sports as well, where he’s a two-time world champion dirt bike rider, pro skateboarder and snowboarder, stunt man, and blackbelt… I met Wes when I was first looking into learning to kite back in 2003 in Ventura, California. I asked a few of the local kiters how I could learn, and they said to go find the dude that lives in the van in the parking lot and ask him for a lesson… The scraggly, long haired bearded guy that rolled down the salt crusted window of that van turned out to be my introduction to kiting and to shooting kiting, as well as becoming one of my best friends. He has since moved to Turks and Caicos, to chase wind and waves on a number of ocean going craft all in the most beautiful setting imaginable. Hey Wes, thanks for teaching me everything I know about kiting! Legend. As you can see he’s equally comfortable on frozen or liquid water and is always up for a session.

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This is where I live now, well… not on this beach… but on the island of Bali. I get to meet lots of interesting people as Indonesia is one of the best ocean play lands on the planet… I bumped into brother and sister Kevin and Jalou Langeree as they were on a huge road trip just surfing and exploring the many islands of this vast archipelago… I had a few great days shooting and showing them around my adopted home. The only thing you gotta know about Kevin: the guy likes to eat and eat often. I have no idea how he maintains the incredible hulk physique he is known for…

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Once again, Bali… A great meeting point to meet likeminded people that love the sea. Daniel ‘Beaver” Baven is one of Ben Wilson’s good friends who happened to be in Bali on his honeymoon. Lucky he brought a kite and got in the mix. Beaver is an example of a hard working guy that rips at kiting when he is not doing his 9-5… Bali is pretty average as far as wind goes, but there are a few days here and there and as long as you have a big kite and don’t mind driving all over the island in snarled traffic, you may get a fun day like this…

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There is no one else in kitesurfing that has done so much to get accepted by surfers as Ben Wilson. He is just as good at surfing as he is at kiting so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no wonder guys like Joel Parkinson take their first kite lesson with him. He is a hell of a fisherman too. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see enough of this guy anymore: get your ass back to indo Ben!

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If you put the world champ in heavy conditions, you get amazing results… Keahi De Aboitiz is one of those rare Kelly Slater like guys that are just so natural in the water. Whether it be on a SUP, shortboard, surf style kiting or even on a twin tip, he’s simply great at it. I think he has green alien blood, like Slater (that’s my theory at least). This is Indo 2013 before he broke his leg. Now he’s on the mend and hungrier than ever and I can’t wait to shoot with the boy wonder again…

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Interview:

A A R O N H ADLOW

t’s kind of funny when you spend any time with Aaron Hadlow. He is the most competitively successful kiteboarder ever; he has been at the heart of the kiting scene since the sport began looking like it had a genuine future; he has developed a brand, started a successful brandwithin-a-brand, and then moved on to pastures new. And yet he is… Only 26… And (sorry Aaron) probably looks a few years younger than that in the flesh. For those of us who have been on the kiting journey since the early days, you kind of expect Aaron Hadlow to look a little more like Yoda…

I caught up with him in Cornwall, at the Watergate Bay Hotel, not many miles away from where it first began for him [not really all that] many years ago. As the late afternoon sun lit up the bottles ranged behind the bar and the ‘afternoon tea’ punters began making way for the ‘cheeky early pint’ crew, I started the dictaphone, fired off my first question, and soon discovered that – behind that early-twenty-something visage – there is, in fact, more than a hint of Yoda…

PHOTO: D I NG

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TKM: So you’re back on tour and signed up with a big brand – is life busier now? Or just busier in a different way? A: I think it’s the same! Towards the end of my time with Flexi I was getting quite swamped under with a lot of the product side of things and I was really getting quite involved with trying to launch that. Coming to North has given me more motivation to concentrate on riding and what I can do as a rider. It’s a massive turning point as I’ve gone back to riding more and competing. I’m still focused on North but I’m not having to deal with the smaller things, the nitty gritty, or with doing the extra promotion. TKM: So you’re back on the PKRA horse, there have been a few changes since you last pulled that particular lycra on I guess?! A: Yeah, so before I did five years on the tour and then on the sixth year there was some controversy with the points system and the amount of events and it was all a bit wishy washy. I lost motivation to a point and wanted to do something else. I never knew if the concept of the event would ever change, and if it stayed as it was then it wasn’t really for me – it was just getting too tight at the top and something needed to happen. So I thought ‘I’ll step away from this until something comes in that will make a difference’, and it did. They put the new points system in and I saw it happening for the first year, and that’s when I started going for it. But I guess I was maybe pushing it too hard and that’s when the accident happened. And that was a year out without kiting and maybe a year getting back to where I was, and now I’m finally on it full time next season. I thought I’d fare a little bit better at the start of the season but that just shows you how tough it is at the top these days… TKM: When you were preparing to

come back on tour did you think you had a solid idea of what would be required to be on the podium? A: I spent a solid season in Cape Town getting the tricks that I thought would make a difference and I think I was just a few months shy of having that

consistency which came through in Germany. In Germany I saw everything line up at that event that took me all the way. I just think ‘why can’t I do that every time!’ I know it’s within me to do it. TKM: So you think you’ve got the tricks now, and you understand your own frustrations – do you feel like you are a master of your own destiny? A: Yeah most definitely. I mean you can argue, yeah, it was a tough round, or yeah, I had a hard opponent, but if you want to win you’ve got to win at any point throughout the whole competition and beat anyone. If you come up against someone who’s probably going to get on that podium early in the heat with a bad draw, yeah it plays on your mind, and maybe you still know you can beat that person, but maybe you expected it further down when you had a little less to lose! So that’s probably where I had my downfall throughout the first half of the season. When I relaxed in and got a bit more consistency and everything came together then I saw what can happen and was looking good for the rest of the season. TKM: Is it intriguing for you coming up against Youri? You never competed with him back in the day and he has emulated your success to a certain extent? A: It was good yeah, it’s interesting with Youri because he’s been super unlucky with injuries – worse than me or anyone else – but the way he fights back every time is insane. He’s really fit and he’s a good guy, it’s nice to see him so motivated to do it. It was interesting, not necessarily the heats against me but how he was playing it and it just showed you how much things have changed because he was still doing similar heats to those he was used to winning with before and it wasn’t putting him up in the podium – or the top five really at the beginning – and I think something just suddenly clicked in Tarifa when he finally came back and was fit. We all know how good his tricks are and what he can do, and for me it was always really weird that he never really pulled it out earlier, and then in Tarifa it was almost like ‘right, this is the level that

everyone’s at, I have to go for it’ and that’s what he did against me! And that’s where he’s at now. TKM: And the new kids? A: There are a lot of young kids coming though. Like Liam for instance, he’s 17 and already winning events, for sure a standout competitor and he’s already established himself. Last year in China there were nice wave kickers and he doesn’t really train on wave kickers or do many tricks but he saw me and few others doing a few types of tricks in the heats, and he went out maybe five minutes before the heat to practice and then during the heat I was up against him and he was doing tricks he had never tried before and had just seen us do before our heats – tricks like Flat 7s that I had never seen him do before – and he was landing them in the heat! There’s other kids coming through but not really consistently at that level at the minute, but you’ll have random events where a couple of Brazilians are on their home turf and they’re just doing finals in every heat, with final winning scores. So it really is insane right now – from me coming from so much dominance all the time and only having a couple of competitors that kind of phase me a little bit, now from the beginning I’ve got to put it together straight away! Just the fact that five or six people can now win an event at any time is pretty incredible. TKM: I think it’s a good reflection of the sport when you’ve got that many people riding at that level… A: Yeah exactly. What I like from it is that, if you do get on that podium, it’s not just the first place any more, it’s like the podium is a pretty big deal now because if you get in that top three and you’re seen on there then you’ve done pretty good to get to that point. It’s quite cool. TKM: Your focus for the last few

years has really been on driving the wakestyle side – is that compatible with life as a PKRA competitor? A: I mean I’m happy with my level on rails and obstacles for sure, I can still hold my own at the Triple-S, and this year I was a bit unlucky and maybe TheKiteMag | 83

could have done better overall but yeah, I mean, when the other guys focus on it I do get a bit jealous that I’m not able to do it as much, especially the rails. The kicker stuff kind of comes hand-in-hand with what I do anyway and I can kind of relate it to the flatwater side. But yeah, I really like that side of the sport, there’s a lot of progression still in it but the conditions are harder to line up, it’s harder to get set up. But yeah, it’s hard when there’s so many things that I like to do, to take to the highest level. And I mean that’s without waveriding, without racing, without all the other stuff!

TKM: You talk about German efficiency, but it’s pretty crazy how quickly you have slotted in to the team! A: Yeah I think it’s quite impressive how it’s all lined up and lucky in some ways but yeah – stick to deadlines and they make it happen! I’m really super comfortable. It’s like I’ve been here for years already, but I only started with them in January and got to meet everybody and spend a lot of time with the team and I feel very much at home now. That’s what it’s about.

TKM: It sounds a bit like the Holy Grail, but do you really think that – through the different ways of setting the Vegas – you have got the kind of unforgiving ‘pure C’ feel that you want, and also kept the more

TKM: Obviously you’re now on the same team as Tom Bridge. Is it cool to have someone younger to work with? A: Yeah it’s amazing. I mean that’s also one of the things we thought about when I joined – the different routes and paths that I take in the future with North, and youth development is quite a decent part and could be incorporated in the future. But, yeah, just having Tom on the team already is pretty convenient for helping out. It’s really cool, I see a lot of me in him from when I was younger and the motivation is incredible. To think that at his age I was probably only just really starting to get into it and realized that I could do alright, and for him to be busting out double handle passes and pretty much all the tricks that the top guys do…

PHOTO: COURTESY PURE MAGIC

TKM: And ‘Aaron Hadlow and North’ happened exactly as it was reported – all from you having a quick blast on a Vegas proto earlier in the year in Cape Town?!

TKM: So it was a smooth transition to work with Ralf ? A: Yeah totally. I mean I’ve only worked with two other designers in the past and I think they were all obviously aiming for the same sort of thing and they have their own knowledge of what works for them and how it works. With Ralf I think he’s had a lot of experience and not only with kiting but with other areas of business and, you know, the stuff that he does blew me away with a lot of the projects that he showed me on the side – he’s a very motivated guy!

A: There’s no more story other than that really. It’s just convenient timing for us both. Or maybe not even for North! They were there at the time, I guess it was more that I met the designer Ralf and spent some time with him, and he came to learn how my situation was then he obviously talked to the big boys in the company and said this is a great opportunity for us and for him personally to work with me from a design point of view, and one thing led to another and this is where we ended up. I automatically fitted in with the whole process and with the German efficiency! 84 | TheKiteMag

accessible Vegas vibe? A: Yeah it’s amazing. Everyone expects me to say that! But yeah, genuinely from the heart, it’s done that job and everyone’s really proud of it. I know for sure Ralf is so happy with the fact that I can ride it in a competition and I have a very unique set up, but that the other guys are riding it on tour and are really

happy with it on their set up too. Ralf is the perfect candidate for the average guy busting some big jumps and kite loops and hooked in freestyle stuff, and it works perfect for him. It’s an evolution from the last kite and it just does so much more.

When I was his age it was different because there weren’t so many young kids, it was kind of unknown territory. But for the level to be so high now and for him to be where he’s at is, yeah,

I mean it’s obviously incredible and where it leads is only positive if he still enjoys it and loves it over the next few years.

PHOTO: THEKITEMAG

“

PHOTO: SOPHIE MATHEWS

WHE N I R E LA X E D IN A ND GOT A B IT MOR E CONSIST E NCY T HE N I SAW WHAT CA N HA P P E N.

“ PHOTO: TOBY BROMWICH/PKRA

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PHOTO: TOM COURT

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TKM: I guess having the tricks in the bag is one thing but it’s the competition mentality and learning how to cope with the structure of a comp that is more challenging? A: I mean I don’t know how much I’ll really… You need to learn your own way. It’s quite cool to talk to Tom and see his ideas and where he’s at and I think that I was probably quite like him when I was little – the way he answers things and the way he catches on with stuff. TKM: And the UK Crew? Any plans? A: It’s just a good laugh really! And just how things come together out of the blue –we have a rough plan but never anything like ‘right, this is what we’re doing and we’re going to do it’ and you know the team’s always lined up in the past, but I think things only get better and the quality of what we can produce and what we can do is only going to get better over time. I think we’re always looking for new things and whether it involves all of us all the time or not but, you know – I hope it does – because they’re really good times and we all get along really good and it’s a good laugh! TKM: Statistically the UK isn’t anywhere near the top of the table participation wise but it seems your generation and the UK crew in particular box above their weight in terms of publicity? A: You know it’s just about having different styles, different characters and it’s something that’s often missed in kiting – the characters of people. That’s what people relate to and maybe that’s what people like is actually seeing something more of the person. If you get to meet us as a crew together, it’s kind of funny how different everyone is, but we’re quite patriotic and passionate and we love England, and we want to see it do well. Without such a UK competition scene now it’s kind of a different time for UK kiters. But it’s fun, there’s so much potential I think. I mean it’s hard to nail down and make a good film in the UK because of the conditions but when it’s on it’s just, you know, like today on the beach is like what I look for everywhere. You go round the world and then on my doorstep where I learnt to kite is just the ideal conditions that I want to be out in – little kickers and sideshore wind and flatwater in between on the way in – that’s what we want and that’s part of the freeride thing because that’s not something you always get in competition. It’s something new, different, progressive and that’s what we are always looking for.

PHOTO: THEKITEMAG

PHOTO: TOM COURT

PHOTO: THEKITEMAG

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LO S T I N

Turtles Bunglaows

J A V A

As kitesurfing frontiers go, there are now parts of Indonesia that are very much ‘on the map’ and attract a good number of kiters. But – you probably know this – the Indonesian archipelago is freakin’ massive! So right now there are literally thousands of kiteable waves going unridden. RRD team mates and experienced travel companions Abel Lago and Kari Schibevaag headed to Java and ticked a few of those spots off the list. Words and photos: Kari and Abel The idea of a trip to Java started when I was visiting Bali and Sumbawa last year – I heard rumors about a spot in West Java with big waves from the left and a lot of wind. When researching it, I didn’t find much about kitesurfing, but I found some photos of windsurfing in a big beautiful left that looked like it would be amazing for kiting. I called up my team mate Kari Schibevaag and the planning began.

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Jakarta

We decided to go at the end of September which is in the swell season and is the windiest month. The wind starts in June and finishes around the middle of October when the wet season starts in Indonesia. Flying into Java was more simple and economical than we thought. We travelled out on the same day, me from Spain and Kari from Norway and we met up in Dubai, from where we took a second direct flight to Java’s capital Jakarta. The total cost of the flight from Madrid was around €550. Java is one of the most populated islands in the world so life is a bit stressful and crazy in the cities, but as soon as you get out of the city, life is very relaxed, and the whole of Java’s coastline has beautiful beaches and amazing waves, and some of the most famous destinations for surfing after Bali.

B A L I

We arrived in Jakarta and we were supposed to have a prebooked taxi driver picking us up but – when we were done passing all the police controls (which takes an hour and costs $35 to enter and another 35 US$ to leave) – we went out to the meeting point only to realize the taxi driver wasn’t there… After waiting for more than an hour, we decided to negotiate with a local taxi. Road trips in Java can take time due to heavy traffic and bad roads, and we were unlucky with our new taxi driver who obviously didn’t know the road very well so every five minutes he stopped to ask for directions, pee, eat, smoke, drink, or just talk with some people on the street! The locals don´t seem to understand a lot of English, so it is hard to communicate, but finally we arrived in our final destination,

Turtles Bungalows. The manager at Turtles was really worried about us and explained that the driver they sent for us got stopped in a jam, arriving 3 hours late. But we would really recommend prebooking transport with the hotel because if not, you will have to pay a lot more like we did. Our taxi was 2.000.000 Rupiahs (around €130) but the one from the hotel is half the price, knows the roads, and speaks a little bit of English…

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T H E

S E T

Turtles Bungalows is located near a great surf wave, Turtles Left. It’s a fantastic barreling wave, not very easy but with no people you can always get waves and choose the better ones for your level. The wind starts every single morning between 8 and 9am and gets stronger and stronger during the morning. In the two weeks

of our trip, we had wind of between 15 and 30 knots every day. So the best kite sizes to bring would be a 9 and a 7 (Kari did ride her 6m). Turtles Left gets a lot of wind but it’s very offshore and gusty with big holes, so it is really hard, almost impossible to ride with a kite. However, 200 meters upwind there´s a reef break that works when the swell is big. The wind is gusty, but we got some good days here. Other wave options include Ujung Genteng Harbor, which is a big left at the outside of the harbor of Ujung Genteng town. The wind is side - off and the wave is really fast and

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U P

shallow but breaks perfectly. The first time we went out there it was massive. Turtles Left was already double overhead and we first decided to go upwind around the point from town, which was a bad idea. The upwind took us more than half an hour and when we reached the top of the bay, the waves were

massive, a bit onshore, and really choppy breaking on top of the reef. So from there we went downwind for a few minutes and found this magic spot with a wave that was much bigger than Turtles and really fast, but the channel was big and you felt very safe even at this size. The Harbor´s only disadvantage is that it is hard to get out there, but as soon as you´re in the spot, whatever the tide, the waves are fantastic and the wind is clean. Some of the waves barrel, especially around low tide, and in general it was one of the most fun and best waves we´ve ridden.

O N S H O R E When we had had enough of waves, or if the wind was a bit sketchy elsewhere, we would head to onshore bay which is located in town. It’s a bit upwind from Harbor and is a long sandy beach. The wind is constant and stronger than the other places, and the waves are smaller and onshore which is super fun for jumping, so we had a lot of sessions freestyling with a twin tip or strapless. The beach does have a big problem – together with the rest of Indonesia – and that is the garbage. In Ujung Genteng there isn’t a garbage disposal at all, so people throw garbage on the floor or in the ocean. On the beach you always find a lot of plastic and aluminum cans which kids are playing with like toys. The only solution they have is to burn it, but they don’t understand that the smoke they produce can be even worse than the garbage itself. Plastic in general is one of the worst non-organic inventions created with no degradable abilities. We were shocked when we saw a man throwing all his garbage straight into the ocean, and even sadder when we realized that all the people there did the same… Ujung Genteng is a small town and

BAY

there’s not much to do if you don’t kite or surf. We had wind and waves every single day though, so we were generally really tired after a long day in the water. We did visit some other towns on our trip, and it was great fun to see something else after some weeks in the water. The waterfalls in Surade were really nice (not that there was much water when we were there!), but it was an amazing place and we’d recommend a day there if you need a break from the waves. Then the main tourist activity in the area is to see the turtles on the beach. The whole of the coast of Ujung Genteng is full of them and there are small and big turtles, and with big we mean like Kari’s size! Close to our hotel, there was a big natural reserve where the turtles go to lay their eggs. Here you can see the little turtles facing the ocean for the first time. It’s an incredible experience fully recommended to see. The big adventure of a small turtle trying to run into the angry ocean just makes you wonder: how can a little turtle survive the massive swell that is waiting for them in the ocean?!

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O N

S H O E S T R I N G

In general, Indonesia is very cheap for a foreigner. You can find hostels for as little as 100.000 rupiahs (7€) per night, and eat for less than 15.000 rupiahs (1€). This area is safe from malaria or dengue, but it´s recommended to be careful and don’t go too deep into the forest. We slept almost every night in Turtles Bungalow for a cost of €25 per day with 3 meals. Everything was clean and well presented, the food and rooms were very good and the service fantastic. And the hotel is located half way between the surf spot and the kite spot… It´s amazing to sleep when you can hear the waves breaking in the dark

and waking up every morning with the sound of surfers waxing their boards, normally around 5.30. Then we would go out and check the surf and – if it was good – wax our surfboards and grab a lycra rashie (you don’t need any neoprene surfing, but for kiting we used a ½mm because of the wind). The surf was a bit better between 6 and 9 in the morning because the wind is light, almost glassy, but also a bit more crowded because the surfers hate the wind! After a surf we got a good breakfast and shared some stories from the previous session with the other

guest from Turtles Bungalows. Then the wind picks up strong and fast every day between 9 and 10, so after a big breakfast with omelets, pancakes and delicious juices of papaya and watermelon, we were very ready for some kite action. The wind came up every day to over 15 knots, so our only worry was to check the swell. To reach the kitespots we rented a small motorcycle. Those are cheap but not easy to drive with all the gear over the sand. The price of this little bikes comes in around 35.000 Rupiahs (€2). Gasoline is also very cheap, to fill the tank you only need 15.000 Rupiahs (€1).

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P L E A S E R S

The safest and easiest spot to kite was the onshore beach, so we had a lot of sessions there, usually with a big crowd watching. The locals were very excited to see us kiting, but especially to see the little blonde girl jumping around with her kite! The kids from the local town came down to the beach every day to scream and shout every time we jumped, but especially when we crashed hard. After a few days we already had our caddies following us from hotel and helping us out to carry boards and kites! Kids go to school from 5.30am to 9.30am so after school they were just waiting for us to move around and they followed us with motorcycles to every place. Everyone drives motorcycles whatever their age, some use a helmet but the majority don’t. You often see a full family on a bike, or a kid less than 10 years old driving his parents or brothers around. After morning sessions we normally drove back to the hotel to eat lunch and then headed back to kite or surf. The sun goes down at half-past-five in the afternoon so

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the afternoon sessions were normally short. The wind starts to drop a bit with the sunset, so at the end of the day you can get another good surf session looking at the sun going down in the ocean. The days passed very fast, and we had good conditions and an easy life there. We only worried about surfing or kiting, and were leaving the rest for the hotel people that really took good care of us. The food and the company was fantastic, and the locals are easy going and very fun – always ready to help and excited to see us kiting or surfing. The beaches are beautiful with white sand and incredible reefs, and with amazing colors in and out of the water. This was our first time in Java, but I am already organizing next years trip to go back to kite in Harbor or surf in Turtles Left, and I hope to see some other kitesurfers there next time round… ACTION PHOTO Luke Walker

C R OW D

KITEBOARDING

RELIGION

MKV

P U R E

W A V E

K I T E

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H E R E ’ S A L I T T L E TA S T E R O F W H AT THEKITEMAG’S TEST TEAMS HAVE BEEN UP TO. You can find the full write-ups at TheKiteMag.com/tested

C O R E G T S 3 The GTS3 is responsive and the input at the bar is direct.

VE TEST

The low end is very impressive – some three strut kites can be a little gutless which can make riding in marginal or in onshore conditions frustrating, but the GTS3 has plenty of power. The reduced weight of this latest version (the GTS2 had five struts) is evident when riding in cross-off condition and the GTS3 drifts very nicely and – with a lot of throw – you can really switch it off when you need to. Overall the GTS3 is an impressive evolution of the GTS range. Core have taken a chance in making the transition to 3 struts, but this has paid off. The kite is still very stable and responsive, but with all of the attributes that you get with a lighter kite when riding in the surf.

R R D R E L I G I O N RRD’s Religion has been a favorite in the surf for many years. MKV continues to impress and is a definite evolution of the model. Build quality is tough without being weighty, with additional reinforcements evident this year and with bombproof looking seams. On the water and the agility of the Religion is impressive as is the wind range. You do need to work the Religion to really get it going if conditions are

AVE

TEST

marginal, but as ever the massive plus of the Religion is the ability to turn it pretty much completely ‘off ’ enabling you to do your thing on the wave. Drift is also very impressive and the Religion continues to be a true thoroughbred in cross off conditions.

L I Q U I D F O R C E E C H O The Echo is a new addition to the LF twin tip ‘range and is designed with Brandon Scheid’s wakestyle requirements in mind. The Echo is the most advanced board in terms of shape and design in LF’s wood core line-up. We found that it likes to be ridden fast and hard to get the most out of it, with the W-tips outline allowing it to plane early and to be a very controllable board – and the pop is truly explosive. The triple concave center ensures excellent grip and smooth glide in any conditions, and the Echo rides super-smooth finless when setup with bindings, with the angled channels

TIP

providing an accelerated water flow for faster riding. A great looking board too, and certain to put a smile on any true wakestyler’s face.

WAVE TES N A I S H P I V O T A new addition to the Naish range, the Pivot adds another dimension to the freeride/wave side of the Naish operation. For this test we have focused solely on its attributes in the waves where the Pivot’s three strut but very swept profile set it apart from its boxier wave riding counterparts. On the water it is a very agile kite. The term ‘Pivot’ is 100% appropriate and – particularly in onshore conditions – you can position it exactly where you would like it to be, and spin it around ‘on a dime’ enabling precise power control and drift. The Pivot is also happy to boost so is a useful tool for strapless tricks. Overall an intuitive and very enjoyable kite to fly.

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It’s a three minute world we live in people… Our retinas constantly seared by quick hits of kiteboarding videography. The good, the bad, the depressingly terrible… But occasionally a clip comes through that makes us stop, lift our head from the desk and take stock. A clip that adds a little bit of joy to our lives… Maybe even a clip without a dubstep soundtrack. In this segment we pay homage to those clips that brightened up our day, boosted out serotonin levels and – go on I’ll say it – maybe even warmed our hearts a little… This issue we get behind Northern Fresh, which brings together kiteboarding veteran Sam Meysky and relative – as the kids – ‘noob’ Noè Font for a joint Canadian venture… So, Sam, what was your plan with the clip? Well I had spent some time with Noè in Brazil and Spain over the past year. We wanted to do a project together somewhere that hadn’t been shot before. We decided Canada was the spot. There are plenty of videos from beautiful lagoons, turquoise waters and palm tree locations, so our plan was to show unique riding locations in Canada and to build our own slider park. A lot of our inspiration came from wakeboarding and snowboarding for this project, and we tried to give our features and video a bit of an industrial look.

Airport. Despite the fact that when he came it was September when the weather starts to drop so it was a bit cold at times, he seemed to love it. I showed him the stereotypical North American land marks – Walmart, Tim Hortons, Drive Thru – and we spent lots of time soaking up Canada’s nature, we even had a few bonfires in the evening… Did you see any moose? We unfortunately didn’t see any moose. We have a lot of bears around my house but again unfortunately we didn’t spot a bear. They normally come out at night and try to break into people’s garbage for a snack. We saw some cool birds, a few snakes and that was pretty much it.

Had Noè been to Canada before?

You have more of a rep as a wakestyle rider and Noè seems to be following the freestyle route. Obviously there’s a lot of crossover, but did you learn a bit from each other?

Noè had never been to North America before apart from going through Miami

I’m always blown away by Noè. He is only 15 but he looks 18 and is wise

beyond his years. We really feed off of each other. I have more experience with rails and features whereas Noè is a machine with his tricks. We work pretty well as a team and both benefit from riding together I think. He’s really keen to hit features and looks up to the wakeboarding world a lot. For me I’m stoked to learn some new tricks from him. He can break them down pretty easy. There seems to be some interesting outerwear in evidence – did you lose any buttons? Haha! No not a new trend. We went on a shopping trip one day when there was no wind to a second hand clothing store called Value Village. We tried to find some tacky button-up shirts to ride in for the film and those were the best ones we could come up with. Surprisingly enough we didn’t lose any buttons…

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STUFF

S T U F F W E L I K E T H E L O O KO F

Carved Imperator 5

The Imperator is not a kiteboard. It is a piece of contemporary art work. Weighing in at a staggering 1.8kg (for ‘bag of sugar’ comparison enthusiasts out there: that is less than 2) it is by some distance the lightest board currently on the market, and it is strong too… A miracle of the modern age? You know it.

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North Gambler

The banana has gone, to be replaced by an ice lolly… But what else lies beneath. We asked the man behind the Gambler, Mr Tom Court, “The 2015 Gambler has been tested harder than any of our previous boards, we have put it through its paces on rails, in cable parks and behind a kite. We have tweaked the rocker line and adjusted the flex pattern to eliminate torsional flex as well as changing the base material so it is more durable and doesn’t show scratches or marks. We have also put straight line inverts into the Gambler that allows you to use both sides of the board as your heel side edge, giving longevity and reducing rail wear and tear.”

F-ONE Fish

With their roots in the world of surfing it’s nice to see F-ONE call it as it is. No pretense: this is a Fish. So it has more volume, less rocker and a wider outline. What does this mean for you? This means unbeatable lightwind, small surf fun. That’s how it is.

Liquid Force Prime

Slingshot Fuel

It is round 13 – YES 13! – for the Fuel. The no compromise hardcore weapon of choice for many a weathered freestyler just keeps on giving. The 2015 Fuel now employs Slingshot’s new Nitrous 4 point pulleyless bridle system. This system allows you to set up your Fuel two different ways. Either in ‘Nitrous’ mode with the bridle installed, or in direct connect mode with the bridle removed. So maybe it is mellowing a little with age. But only if you want it to….

Reaching for the stars is the new LF Prime harness. With less support than other harnesses in the LF range, the Prime excels in the surf where you need a bit more ‘swivel’ and suits riders who don’t like to feel too hemmed in. Also incorporates the incredible new Locking Cam Strap which is, to borrow an Aussieism: too easy mate.

Manera Magic Wax

In the new world of abovethe-lip aerial trickery everyone needs an edge, something to give them a little bit of extra schtick. Manera’s new wax delivers exactly that. Who knows how they’ve done it but it is 1) very very sticky, 2) doesn’t melt in the sun, and 3) Right On in terms of environmental credentials. Someone has sold their soul to the devil, but you don’t care: your feet are stuck to your board and you are a legend.

BEST TS

The TS is a modern day classic, it brings all of the defining kite design knowledge of the last fifteen years and slots it confidently into one super fun package that really does do-it-all. Now on to V4 the TS has versatility at its core, but don’t think that means compromise. O, no. Turn it on and it really lights up. Go ride one.

RRD Fahrenheit

No stitches; fully liquid taped; quick drying and looks the business. If you see the RRD Fahrenheit and don’t immediately think ‘I want a slice of that’ then you have issues…

Naish Skater

Not looking to do things by halves, Naish have stormed into the ‘noseless’ age with their no compromise full revamp of the Skater. With obvious benefits for the ‘flat water trickery and above the lip’ brigade, reports also suggest that it performs very nicely in the waves too…

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TECH

W H A T ’ S W I T H Back to basics here with TheKiteMag. Naish’s head kite designer takes us through the humble wingtip… Okay, let’s start with the fundamentals: why does a kite have wingtips?! Well, that one I guess is pretty easy – wingtips are here because the kite needs to end somewhere! Having said that, there are a quite few different types of wingtips and also a kite can stop at different heights, making your kite arc flatter or more “C” shaped. Can you break down different types of wingtip and how these effect the performance of a kite? You can categorize the wingtips into three main types: • Square wingtips are the oldest kind of wingtip, they’re found on more freestyle oriented kites. • Swept wingtips are the ones where the wingtip looks like just an extension of the kite, they’re found on all-round freeride and race kites. • Rounded wingtips end the kite with a more sudden curve and are found on freeride kites. And then – within these – you can find subcategories where the curves are made with more or less segments making the curve angular or smooth… What effect does wingtip design have on the steering of a kite? Wingtips greatly effect the steering of a kite for different reasons. First, the shape of the wingtip dictates where the flying lines and bridles will connect to the kite, offering more or less leverage between front and back lines, and more or less pull in the harness. (Note that technically, when you design a kite, you pick your bridles and flying line attachment point positions and then adapt the wingtip shape to make it work) Typically, the smaller the wingtip (in terms of width) the higher the bar pressure. A swept wingtip will offer lighter bar pressure while a round wingtip will provide a more direct feel at the bar. Swept wingtips provide a lot of leverage, so usually they give lighter bar pressure and make the kite turn around an axis that is close to the centre of the kite, while rounder wingtips will provide a more direct bar feel and an axis of 100 | TheKiteMag

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rotation that will be closer to the wingtip of the kite. Square wingtips will produce the most direct bar feel and the least pivotal turns. One of the reasons the square wingtip delivers a kite that turns around the wingtip is partly because at the 90 degree angle you have a “weak point” in rigidity, so when you steer the kite there is less torque transferred to the entire leading edge making it twist less, so the wingtip acts more like “flap” (indeed the kite turns around the wingtip). What effect does wingtip design have on the depower characteristics of a kite? Square wingtips, by nature, make the front tow point (where the front line connects to the kite) quite low on the overall kite which results in less depower than a swept wingtip or a rounded wingtip. Note that a kite with square wingtips can still have a lot of depower if the bridles are designed to do so (for example the Naish Park, F-ONE Bandit and Slingshot RPM). What are the main trade-offs you make when working on the wingtips for your kites? Well, square wingtips can limit the amount of depower while, at the other end of the scale, swept wingtips will give a “loose” bar feel where you won’t feel the kite’s position as well. When you look at the kite in terms of aerodynamics, then it’s easy to guess that rounded and swept wingtips create less drag, this is why they are the kind of wingtip shapes you find on race oriented kites, but at the same time they provide a very non-direct bar feel and less responsive steering. How have wingtips evolved over the years? The wingtip shapes we’re used to seeing nowadays on kites actually come from the original 2 line kites that had a pointy wingtip where one of the two lines was connected. Back in 2001, Don Montague and Bruno Legaignoux came up with the 4 line kite idea and the square wingtip as we know it on today’s freestyle kites was born. With the rise of bridled kites back in 2007, a kite’s overall outline changed and wingtips changed with them. Bridles

allowed the wingtip shape to be less determinant of the flying characteristics of the kite. Before bridles the tow point was 100% dictated by the shape of the wingtip (and indeed, the depower, grunt, turning speed, jumping ability, pop and bar feel). Now with bridles you can adapt these characteristics without changing the wingtip shape. In developing and testing a kite, how do you assess whether the wingtip is

performing as you would expect? When we design a kite at Naish, we start with aspect ratio, general outline, and the centre of effort’s position. The wingtip is then the result of this design. One of the key factor for us is that the wingtip will not ever collapse when riding, so we’re fighting between having the smallest LE diameter in order to reduce the drag, whilst still keeping the wingtip area stiff enough to transfer the steering line’s input to the kite. You have a new kite this year, the Pivot, how did you end up with the wingtip profile for this? The Pivot did not really evolve from any other kite in our line, it was a brand new design. Our goal was to make a “pivoty” kite, with the focus on its turning characteristics. It has a very constant leading edge diameter in order to have a very good transfer of torque from the wingtip up to the entire kite, and the overall outline is slightly swept. When we were looking at the design of the kite, we were looking for pivotal turns (like you would get with a swept wingtip) while still keeping a direct bar feel, so we designed the Pivot with a wingtip that is a mix of a swept wingtip, and a rounded angular wingtip. You can then see on the kite that the wingtip has a sudden angle at the last bumper. This sudden angle helps in separating the leading edge from the wingtip in order to have the right balance of quick pivotal turning and direct bar feel and steering.

WH AT ’ S I N A W I N GT I P ? POINTY WING TIP ON ORIGINAL TWO LINE KITES

SQUARE WING TIP

SEGMENTED/ ANGULAR ROUNDED WING TIP

ROUNDED WING TIP

SWEPT WING TIP

PHOTO: QUINCY DEIN

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TheKiteMag visited Hiss-Tec HQ on the stunning Fehmarn Island on the northernmost coast of Germany. Bernie-Hiss – who founded the company – can trace his family’s history on the island back to 1604 and it may go back even earlier… I guess there wasn’t much of a kiting scene back then, but Bernie has been at the hub of the windsurfing and now the kitesurfing scene on the island since the very beginning, and he now heads up Hiss–Tec (which encompasses the Carved and CORE brands) and is one of the fastest growing kite companies on the planet.

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TKM: Hi Bernie, thanks for taking some time out to speak to us. So, when did you first begin building boards? B: Well, I have been building boards since 1981, so for more than 30 years now. One of my brothers and me started building windsurf boards when I was 14, and I set up the cellar room in my parents’ house. They lived on the island around 40 meters away from the water, so we started to build boards from that moment on. TKM: So your parents’ house must have

smelled nice! B: Haha! Yeah. The biggest issue was always the dust you know – when we were sanding, the dust was going under the door, through the keyhole and every tiny gap. It was in the whole house when we were sanding in the cellar! My mother was not amused.

TKM: But your parents probably realized then that you had quite a passion for board sports… B: Yes for sure. The first board my brother and I got we bought secondhand with a sail, and we had to work for this for a very long time, because we did not get any money from our parents. So we built the second board ourselves then. We bought the materials and it was much easier for us to afford financially than buying boards. We began selling them then as well, and it was a nice income. We were still going to school, but it was a nice income for us as it allowed us to buy sails. Actually we sold our first surfboard to our teacher! TKM: And you got a Grade A as well I imagine?! B: I got average, the board was not perfect! Although I saw him a few days ago and he still has the board!

TKM: And then did you go straight from school into working in the windsurf industry? B: At the time when I finished school – which was almost 30 years ago – you had to go into the army first and I was in the army for 15 months. You had to do this, there was no choice at that time. I started to work at North Sails then, when it was a sailing and windsurfing brand. After that North Kiteboarding, but then I left and started my own company. I mean we really started from scratch, without any distribution network, not like the windsurf companies which just plugged-in kitesurfing easily, but we are growing every year and discovering new countries to distribute. In some countries we’re still at the beginning, and in some countries we’re advanced already, but I think there is great potential because we have a different philosophy.

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TKM: Yes, you keep things fairly simple. Yes, it’s simple: we have only two kite lines and two board lines. That’s it. Maybe you remember 6 years ago, Nokia had 60 telephone models. And then a brand came up with one telephone, Apple. They have 2 different models now, not 60. That’s also our philosophy. Only one bar system for all kites, not 3 different bar systems. There are three different editions of our bar system, but it’s the same safety system, the same construction principle, the same release system, and it’s the same mold also. I would say that we have the most tidy and clearest bar system on the market. We keep everything simple and easy to understand for consumers. TKM: And when you started Carved – which just builds the carbon boards – had you always planned to put the quality at the heart of the company rather than cost effectiveness? B: Yes. I don’t care about cost! TKM: Your accountant must love you?! B: Ha! Yeah. But with Carved boards there is no compromise. Absolutely no compromise. The lightest and strongest board as possible is what we are building here, and it’s absolutely different from any other product on the market. We have the Imperator which is into the fourth year with the same model, which is unique. Construction wise there is no other board on the market which can compete with it – at the moment we just don’t know how to improve it! And why should we replace it every year… There’s no reason for that. TKM: And have the materials evolved in that time? B: At the moment I don’t see that we can improve the board. We have the Cartan® carbon, which is very different to the other kinds of carbon. The fibers are very close together. They’re so close that you only need a very small quantity of resin to laminate it, and you just need a few drops of resin because there are no gaps between the fibers. The Resin is 104 | TheKiteMag

only used to hold the fibers in the same position as you want them, that’s the only reason for resin. And the less resin you need, the lighter the board is.

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TKM: And do you have the patent on that carbon? B: There’s no patent on that one. But there’s only one manufacturer who can build it and we have an exclusive long term agreement. So, it’s pretty safe. It’s hard to produce it and I think there’s nobody who will produce this around the world in the next five years. And also

the fibers of the carbon are at an exact 30 degree angle. It’s difficult to produce that angle. You often see zero degree fiber on the market which just makes the board stiff. If you want more pop in the tail, you get it from the angle. When you use 45 degrees, it’s better, but too soft. When you mix 45 degree with zero degree, the board will be too stiff again. The only solution is to have an angle in between, and that’s 30 degrees. TKM: And have you experimented with 25, 35 and… B: Everything. Really everything! TKM: And the magic number is 30. B: That’s the magic number. TKM: So no other board models on the horizon? You’re happy with the range at the moment? B: Yes. Absolutely. And with CORE, we don’t see any need to have more than two kite models and more than two twin-tip models at the moment, although we also have the Choice wakeboard and the Ripper surfboard. Then it’s just the GTS kite is for unhooked and the Riot XR kite is for hooked. With these two kite lines you can cover everything. As with the boards, the Fusion is for hooked and the Choice is for unhooked. So it’s very easy to find the right product for the consumer and it makes everything very simple for the dealer, because he doesn’t need to have so many different models in stock.

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TKM: Then with the surfboard, the Ripper, that’s built around a PU blank with the inserts built into the stringer. It’s a stunning looking board, how is that produced? B: You have to shape the blank with the stringer and then you mill the position for the wood piece with the inserts after shaping the board. After that you put it in and you can start to laminate it. Real simple. Personally I don’t see any future in sandwich boards. They’re just stronger when you transport them… That’s it! The rails aren’t so nice, I have

never seen a sandwich board with perfect rails. They’re always different on the left and the right side, not symmetrical. The 3 or 4mm PVL layer on the Styrofoam causes many problems. With polyester, the advantage when you’re laminating is that when it starts to become harder, then you can put on a second layer of resin and – especially on the rails and the tail area – it’s easier to build up. Or to make the rail sharp then to build up a little bit what you sand later, and the shape is really perfect. With the sandwich construction it’s very difficult to produce it like that. And what we want is the very best quality and finish for all our products.

TKM: What’s your philosophy with your team riders – you don’t expect them to be too focused on the competition scene? B: Nope. We’re happy like this. I was a contest rider when I was a windsurfer. I also became German windsurfing champion in 1999, so my thinking is competitive. Then when I started Carved we had a German champion on Carved boards every year between 2001 and 2008, and we also had the world champion with Kristin Boese, and that was okay to load up the image

for Carved. But then I changed my opinion and realized that we should focus on more consumer products; on what is good for the people, so normal but performance-oriented people, and that we should produce products which everybody can use as well as the proriders. When you see Steven Akkersdijk third at the Red Bull King of the Air on the podium with Kevin Langeree and Ruben Lenten, that shows also that our products are competitive. We also have the speed rider Sylvain Hoceini, who won the title of the Speed Leucate 2014. It was never our intention to develop the XR3 being a speed kite, it was just our intention to construct a kite for

high jumps, with a lot of hang time and which turns fast and which is easy to ride. But it turns out that it is also really fast too! TKM: So Hiss–Tec has been a real success story – you began 14 years ago and the company’s grown every year and continues to expand? B: Yes, we are still growing, and I expect that we’ll continue growing quickly over the next 5 years, too. TKM: And it must be satisfying

personally for you to have started from a small operation and seen it develop, and to have more people working for you and to have the whole thing expand. Do you have to spend less time at the beach now or… B: No! I’m on the water almost every day – that’s the reason why I do my “dream-job”. And I think that we are the only company in the industry where all employees are real kitesurfers. All twenty of them live and work here on the island for the same reason: to be on the water as much as possible. Even the storekeeper and the accountant are and also have to be kitesurfers. And that sums up our brand’s philosophy.

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TELL ME ABOUT IT

T E L L THE

F - ONE

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The future is here. And it has wings. There is nobody of sane mind who would deny that a foiling kiteboard is one of the most graceful sights on the planet, as well as being possibly the most efficient means of water transport ever conceived. The French have been well ahead of the curve with the whole foiling game, and now Montpellier based F-ONE have stepped into the fray with their production foil offering. Their new foil designer Charles Bertrand takes us through it… First up can you tell us a little bit about your background, you trained in naval architecture right? Indeed, I studied yacht design and naval architecture in Southampton in the UK for 3 years and then a Masters in CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). I was then involved in several performance oriented sailing projects as an independent designer where I was designing hulls and foils as well as being in charge of the structural design of the yachts. I also worked for a carbon spar making company where pre-preg carbon and high tech processes were standard procedure. So how did you end up with F–ONE? It was a happy encounter! I had the opportunity to meet Raphael at a time when he was looking to strengthen his R&D team. I’ve been really pleased with the way we have worked since then. What was your previous experience with kitesurfing? None actually. I had been sailing competitively and windsurfing for 15 years but had never tried kiting. I took a couple of lessons right after starting at F-ONE and I was hooked immediately and have been on the water with a kite in my hands whenever I can ever since! Had you worked on foils before? I’ve had to design foils on many occasions through my previous activity in performance yacht design. So I’m very familiar with the whole design and optimization process. The new challenge this time was on achieving balance and control for this specific kitefoil setup.

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Can you tell us something about how a foil works? A kitefoil is basically a set of wings working together. When going through water or air at a given speed a wing creates a lifting force. If your wing is set vertical it creates side force to resist the sail/kite force and works as a fin. If you set your wing horizontally it creates a vertical force that can lift you out of the water. The general setup has the main wing at the front with a stabilizer at the back. The main wing creates all the upward lift needed to get you out of the water, but a wing on its own would be very unstable and also has a tendency to pitch down. That’s why we need a smaller wing at the back, which generally acts in the opposite direction from the main wing to generate the forces required to keep the foil in trim. This is essentially the same setup as used on planes and gliders. So why do you not keep going ‘up’ on a foil? The lift created by a wing depends on speed but also on the angle at which it runs through the water. At low speed, you need more angle to achieve the required lift (which is more or less your gear and body weight) while at high speed the foil is working at very small angles to maintain the same lift. This angle is changed by shifting your weight forward or backward, so it’s all about balance. The stabilizing wing also usually acts downward, so the faster you go the more upward lift you get from your main wing, but this is reduced by the amount of downward force you get from the rear wing which also increases.

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TELL ME ABOUT IT

Is it the same principal as the International Moth sailing dinghy and the America’s Cup AC catamarans? The reasons why the foiling Moth and the AC boats can fly come from the same basic principles. The differences come from the setup and control. The foiling Moth has two foils but both of them work in the same upward direction. Because you can’t adjust the trim of the boat by your body weight as quickly as on a kitefoil, the ride height is adjusted by a system which regulates the lift generated by the main foil, while

setup is crucial to the performances of the foil. We spend a lot of time testing to find the best trim and our setup makes sure the foil does not get out of trim so you can enjoy your foil, session after session, even if you take it apart every time. This system also enables us to adapt several different wings on the same mast. That means we were able to design a mast with a lot of potential on which you can fit a beginner’s wing or a speed crossing blade, and the size and shape of the wings can be tailored for

We were fortunate to have Marc Blanc and Alex Caizergues testing for us from quite early on. These guys are a pleasure to work with. It has been a very complementary development because the official F-ONE test team, Raphael and Micka, have also been able to test the foils but from a beginner’s point of view, while Marc and Alex kept pushing the boundaries in terms of high speed control.

How many prototypes did you work on for the F-ONE foil? F-ONE has always used the same approach for development. Just like we make about 80 kite prototypes every year, we have made tens of masts and tested many different wing shapes, sections and sizes. No stone is left unturned and Raphael will not rest until he has tested everything!

What would you say to kiters who worry that if they spend a lot of money on a foil that it might become ‘outdated’ quickly? As with every F-ONE product, we make a lot of efforts to create products that will keep performing over time. The same applies to this foil. Our foil has a massive potential in terms of use thanks to the range of wings that will be made available. I don’t think you’ll find the limits of it over a short period of time. Besides, when I see a guy like Alex Caizergues having so much fun riding our foil even with the beginner’s wing, I’m not too worried!

I think it will become much more popular than the current race discipline. Foiling brings more than one discipline and has something really special about it, it brings a new dimension and it’s so exhilarating. You can go kiting so many more days with the foil and you can enjoy it in so many different ways. You can race it hard, or just enjoy cruising along while being the most efficient watercraft out at sea.

the angle of the rear wing can also be adjusted so that you can act on the trim of the boat. The AC catamarans are a bit different. The main aspect is always control of your ride height and longitudinal trim but because of the sheer size of these boats, errors and wipe-outs are not an option. So you need to use some shapes which can actively help you regulate your riding height and trim. I tend to see the kitefoil as a unicycle, the foiling Moth as a bike, while the flying cats are more like gokarts. The kitefoil has the simplest setup because you can achieve the balance through your body position which makes it super-efficient.

The F-ONE foil can be adjusted depending on the experience of the rider right? Can you tell us more about that? Well, the unique and patented assembly concept we have developed was designed specifically to maintain the wings at their exact, optimized position and angle over time. This is super important as the accuracy of the wing 110 | TheKiteMag

different uses.

Who have been the best people at testing and helping you to develop the foil?

Where do you see the future of Kite Foiling – do you think it will become a popular racing discipline?

And what about you, can you tack and gybe the foil? Me personally? No, I can’t do it yet – it seems that I’m spending quite a bit of my time in the office designing products for you guys to enjoy!

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This was taken while on a trip around the Red Sea on the Kitepiter kitesafari megayacht and was the fifth or sixth week for the guys on board running the trips.

That day we got up for the first kite session at 6am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it was the same every morning, we kited from dawn to dusk.

The Red Sea is an incredible place and paradise for kitesurfing but can be dangerous and one sharp shell can make the difference: step on it and you can be limping for weeks...

After this session we went back to the boat and had freshly caught shrimps, calamari and fish. The same every day, it was like traveling with a master chef.

Right after this shot was taken Ivan performed Sir Richard Bransonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trick with a hot (but not naked) girl on his back.

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This shot was from my recent camp in Brazil just before the PKRA up north. We were pretty lucky and during the camp we had solid conditions every single day... The grabbed S-Mobe I am doing in the picture was correctly called up by one of my clients (the guy watching on) who was learning how to do the S-Mobe. So it is good to know that they are learning something as well!

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PHOTO: SVETLANA ROMANTSOVA

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