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The Features 070
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MAI TIME Susi Mai has been at the heart of the kiteboarding scene since the very beginning… She helped the sport to develop and evolve and now spends more of her time focused on her MaiTai events. With more events and a new film around the corner we thought it was a good time for a catch up.
W I N D VOYA G E R T R I P L E - S 2 0 1 6 They say a week is a long time in politics (which has certainly been the case recently in the UK) but 10 years is an absolute age in the world of kite evolution. So to think now, with the kit we have, of guys taking on triple overheard One Eye with what were essentially C kites, well – the mind boggles…
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D AYS I N T H E SA N D Here’s a pretty well known fact: Matchu rips. So when he offers up some shots from a recent strike mission to another of the less-explored Cape Verde islands, you can expect photographic gold. And that is exactly what we got…
TEN YEARS ON: THE MAURITIUS I N V I TAT I O N A L 2 0 0 6 Here’s a pretty well known fact: Matchu rips. So when he offers up some shots from a recent strike mission to another of the less-explored Cape Verde islands, you can expect photographic gold. And that is exactly what we got…
092 THE GREENLAND TENDERLOIN When it comes to snow-kite missions, they are all pretty serious. When you have to put up a $25,000 bond to the local authorities so you know they’ll come and pull you out if things go wrong, you know you are at the upper end of the ‘serious’ scale. Renowned climber but inexperienced kiter, Leo Houlding, thought it would be a good option for his first kiting expedition…
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// I’m On It… Patri McLaughlin
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// Pro Tip: POV cams with Steven Akkersdijk
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// Tangled Lines with Hannah Whiteley
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// Profile with The Freeride Project
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// On the List… St Kitts and Nevis
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Technique with Billy Parker
// In the Pipeline with RRD
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Tell me about it… Cabrinha Fireball; Naish Hover Foil
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Tested... TEN foils on test
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Meteorology with Tony Butt
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Kite Sista... The Bare Necessities
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Behind the Clip… Euadzio Earth & Space 2016
COVER Cover: Damien LeRoy getting nicely inverted while photographer James Boulding deals with the eerie light and shark jitters (someone had been attacked a few days earlier). Note: We went to print just as we heard about Damien’s paragliding accident - it’s one of the craziest crashes we’ve ever seen and it’s safe to say that someone must be looking down on him... Hopefully scoring a cover will help aid his recovery, and we continue to wish him all the best! HERE Is there a more perfect freestyle vista? Probably not… Photo: Lukas Pitsch TheKiteMag | 13
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EDITORIAL
It's not all black and white... One of the great things about our sport is that you don’t have to pigeon hole yourself into one category. You can go hard out in boots one day laying down some mega tech wakestyle moves, then stick on straps and go for 20 meter kung-fu boosting moves the next; you can head out hunting for barrels in overhead surf one day, and be pulling flatwater strapless freestyle rotations the next, and you can of course decide to ride a twinnie one day, and have a surfboard in the bag for when the surf turns on the next. There are plenty of options – plenty of ‘shades of grey’ if you will… One thing that has really changed in the last few years though is that the consensus from freestylers, waveriders and, well, pretty much anyone who has been in the sport for a while is that: whatever you do, you’ve also got to foil! The transition from ‘niche’ to ‘nice…’ has been pretty comprehensive – it seems as though it has been France’s best kept secret for the last decade or so but the cat is now out of the bag. With that in mind we thought it made sense to break away from our normal testing regime to dedicate one issue to just testing foils – so over the course of two months we’ve put ten foils through their paces with some pretty interesting results which you can find on the Tested pages. You can also check out how times have changed in our ‘Mauritius Invitational – Ten Years On’ feature, where we reflect on this game-changing event from 2006. The riders were ‘blessed’ with some of the biggest waves ever ridden at One Eye and stepped up with what was the standard waveriding kit of the day. Some strapped, some unhooked, lots of different styles but no one with much in the way of depower… It’s pretty interesting looking back. Then we catch up with someone who knows more than most about the ebbs and flows of the kiting world – Susi Mai talks to us about her journey through the last decade-plus and about her focus now on the non-profit MaiTai world… Plus we have Matchu in action back home, the wakestyle guys killing it at the Triple S, and we have the first tastes of the 2017 kit drop. So in this fantastic world of ours which is full of options (and of contradictions) we invite you to get stuck into the latest issue of TheKiteMag – hopefully you’ll find that it’s not all black and white… Enjoy the issue. Alex
HERE’S BLADE’S SIVAN OZ TAKING THE TIME TO CONTEMPLATE THE BIGGER QUESTIONS IN LIFE AS HIS FAT LADY GIVES HIM PLENTY OF HANGTIME. PHOTO: OR WHARTMAN
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The Team: Editor: Alex Hapgood (editor@thekitemag.com) Sub editor: Cai Waggett Art Director: Louise Kelly Assistant Art Director: Jody Smith Contributors: James Boulding Lukas Pitsch, Renato Balbino, Paul Smyth, Manuela Jungo, Anna Kuzmina, Andre Magarao, Svetlana Romantsova, Clark Merrit, Chris Curran, Quincy Dein, Jason Wolcott, Erik Aider, Owen Buggy, Claudio, Leo Houlding, Brian Wheeler, Ydwer van der Heide, Mark Moore, Toby Bromwich, Marcus Graichen TheKiteMag is‌ BORN Published by WATER M E D I A in Hayle, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Advertising enquiries: advertising@thekitemag.com. All material in TheKiteMag is subject to copyright. Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution. Submissions: Online: If you have a clip or would like to get something on the website please send it over to us: media@thekitemag.com. In the mag: TheKiteMag welcomes both written and photographic submissions. Photography should be submitted in both RAW and edited format. Please note that the publication of written content is generally dependent on the provision of high quality photography, so in the first instance please send photographic samples and a 150 word synopsis of your writing to: checkmeout@thekitemag.com You can find TheKiteMag on:
This magazine is printed on paper sourced from responsibly managed sources using vegetable based inks. Both the paper used in the production of this brochure and the manufacturing process are FSCÂŽ certified. The printers are also accredited to ISO14001, the internationally recognised environmental standard.
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FOCUS
RIDER YARON MOURA
LOCATION CAUĂ?PE LAGOON, CUMBUCO, BRAZIL
PHOTO RENATO BALBINO
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YM: It was a lazy Wednesday, rainy season with no wind at all when I traveled from Jeri to Cumbuco with not much hope for kiting that day. My friend Renato had insisted because he said the wind would come up for us. But it did not. We woke up later next morning, still hoping to have a nice chance to shoot, and when I started to pump my kite the Gods started to blow together, and there was just us, the CauĂpe lagoon and a horse! We moved to the flattest part to get some nice shots, and this horse followed us to compose our background.
RIDER PAUL SERIN
LOCATION SAFETY BAY
PHOTO PAUL SMYTH
Western Australia was definitely my best training trip so far. Flat water, wind consistency, smooth living, warm weather, all I was dreaming for in one place. The picture was taken in Safety Bay, in the city of Rockingham, a well-known spot with this typical tree background and also a world class freestyle spot, with a steady sea breeze and a sandbank which creates flat water. A few other pros were there to train as well. Pushing each other on the water is the best way to learn new tricks and stay motivated but it’s also a good opportunity for photographers to get some sick shots. Like this KGB in front of Paul’s lens on a sunny afternoon!
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THIS IS THE SHORT VERSION OF THEKITEMAG DIGITAL. DO YOU WANT TO READ THE WHOLE MAGAZINE? THEN JUST SUBSCRIBE TO THE FULL DIGITAL MAGAZINE FOR ONLY £14 / $19 AND YOU’LL GET:
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BOARD: NORTH PRO SURF
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D I M E N S I O N S : 5 ’ 8 ” X 1 7 7/8 ” X 2 1 /8 ”
The surf-world’s ultimate all-rounder takes us through his ‘go to’ board… I love the Pro Surf because it handles really well in all waves. It has the perfect balance of control and power. In small waves it’s easy to pump the board to generate speed. It’s also easy to get the fins loose when doing snappy turns. In big waves the rail holds really well when turning at high speed, and it’s really easy to blast the fins out when you are hitting the lip. I’ve ridden a lot of boards in the past that only work well for one thing – some boards hold well at high speed, but they don’t work in small waves – and I’ve also ridden boards that are super loose and snappy but feel really unstable in big surf. The North Pro Surf feels really good in anything from flatwater to seven meters waves. For 2017 our production boards have a lightweight EPS foam core and a combination of glass fiber, cork, bamboo and carbon lamination. The deck has multiple layers of 4oz glass, a full sheet of bamboo and two long strips of cork to absorb heel impacts as well as other reinforcements in key areas. The bottom has a couple layers of glass, two strips of bamboo to prevent buckling and a unidirectional carbon beam to help prevent breakage but mainly for added reflex and response. There’s a little more to it than that but we can’t give away all the secrets! 32 | TheKiteMag
It’s a lamination schedule we’ve been fine tuning for a long time and it’s pretty unique.
we are releasing another option for fins. They’re hand sanded glass fins and they work really well…
The bottom shape is very simple but effective. It’s a moderate single concave that reaches max depth just between the front fins and fades to flat at the tail. The rails are super hard at the tail for maximum grip and really round up front to reduce catching. The rails are also pretty foiled so you can really lay hard into your turns without a lot of the deflection you might get from a thicker rail.
We decided not to produce a production Peahi board because there are only a handful of people in the world who need one. The board I ride at Peahi (Jaws) is very narrow and there is very little rocker in the board. It’s also weighted. Peahi boards weigh nearly 10 kilos so it’s almost like a speed board.. I have tried using a production board out there before, but you’re going so fast that the boards feel wobbly. And the last thing you want on a fifteen meter wave is the speed wobbles!
I really advocated lighter boards. It’s been a real challenge finding a light construction that is also strong. Over the past few years Sky and I have tested a bunch of different factory constructions, and 2016 was a breakthrough for us. We finally got a construction that was both light and durable. I’ve been using the same 5’8” through the biggest winter in decades and it’s still in good shape. I also really like the feel of the board. It feels better for kiting than my standard construction surfboards. In the past I have generally ridden with non-production fins. A lot of people don’t realize, but fins make a tremendous difference in the way a board feels. For 2017 though,
I ride with a back deck pad and I wax the rest of the board all the way up to the nose. I’ve always liked the way wax feels under my feet. It also makes the board feel thinner. I’ve noticed over a longer period of time that a front deck pad can wear out and can become even more slippery then wax. The only thing I do like about the front pad is the added cushion as, if you kite for really long sessions, the wax can make your heel hurt. I also use the Pro CSC for flat water freestyle tricks. The CSC board is super light and short so it’s easy to launch higher and rotate faster.
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Pro T ips: POV cam s with S t even Akke rsdij k
ALTH OUGH WE C THAT AN BE THE L A BIT AST F CAM R E LU EW YE CO M E CTAN A RS HA T TO R ON LI THAT VE SE GHT Y UN TH THEY EN TH E EM IN A C R A S E Q UA STEV N … A K THE M E N EN AK EP UP D FOR LITY O AG, T K T F SHO P E H ROS T RSDIJ HERE US TH EIR M TS YO HEY A K NEV IS NO ROUG EDIA U CAN RE A CO M M DOUB ER LE H HO GET F G W HE AVES T O I T O M D R E O MAN O N H M O P T S WH TION ME W A P OV AGES ILST T FOR E ITHOU TO G E HEY A NSUR T HIS T THE RE ON ING TO M T MOST O T H M E R OA OUT O , AND D. F THE HERE HE TA LITTL E FEL K E S LA.
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THIS IS THE SHORT VERSION OF THEKITEMAG DIGITAL. DO YOU WANT TO READ THE WHOLE MAGAZINE? THEN JUST SUBSCRIBE TO THE FULL DIGITAL MAGAZINE FOR ONLY £14 / $19 AND YOU’LL GET:
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’2 POP 5
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Photo: Klaus Schulz | Model: Sabrina A. Parisi
d n o y e b n . . o . i t a t c e p ex
HIGH PERFORMANCE CROSSOVER L.E.I
Sizes 5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13 / 15 LW / 18 LW Airstyle, Freeride, Hydrofoil
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TA N G L E D
L I N E S
HANNAH WHITELEY
HANNAH HAS DONE A SUPERB JOB OF CARVING HERSELF OUT A G R E AT C A R E E R W I T H I N T H E K I T I N G WO R L D. CO M I N G F RO M T H E M I G H T I LY C H I L LY N O R T H O F E N G L A N D , S H E R A R E LY S E E M S T O S P E N D TO O LO N G O U T O F A B I K I N I N OWA DAYS , A N D W E TS U I TS A R E S U R E LY J U S T A DA R K , D I S TA N T M E M O R Y … S O W H AT ’ S H E R S E C R E T ?
Q
SENSI GRAVES What’s the coolest move you can do on roller blades?
Q
YOURI ZOON Hannah Montana, I see you’re doing a lot of calisthenics workouts. Is that to keep yourself in shape or more to relax? Or both maybe?
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Hmmm. I guess a front flip with a 180.
A
I love learning new skills, when it’s not windy I’m always searching for something else I can push myself in. I crave sports, and the good endorphins they give off. I have really got into calisthenics workouts (body weight training) as it builds the most efficient kind of muscle. Functional movements are so much better than the average monotonous gym workout with isolated body motions so it’s great conditioning for kitesurfing. In calisthenics you are constantly learning new tricks and moves like in kiting so it feels less like a workout and just a lot of fun! And if you’re having fun you’ll work out for a lot longer and have the best results.
Q
LUKE WHITESIDE One time in Turkey we made a funny music video to Nirvana with the guys at Radical Kitesurfing. You were a natural! If you could be any singer in the world who would it be?
A
Ha! I am literally the worst singer ever! So bad, in fact, my Dad banned me from ever singing out loud! However, I do think I excelled in miming in the Turkey Nirvana video. That was very funny! But if I could be any singer in the world I think it would have to be Beyoncé.
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POLLY CRATHORNE Do you reckon there is space for women to compete for a King (or Queen) of the Air title?
A
Definitely, us girls can go big and radical too! It’s about time we showed the boys how it’s done. I think it would be a very good thing to have a ‘Queen of the Air’.
Q
JULIAN WISKEMANN (BEST PR) Do you have any rituals before your sessions, like listening to a certain tune that gets you pumped?
A
Yes, firstly I like to eat chocolate – very important! Secondly I like to do a bit of a warm up on the beach before kiting, so I am nice and hyper for when my sugar high hits.
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MANUELA JUNGO I remember that you told me a while back that you can’t get a six pack. Look at you now! What is your secret?!
A
Well, I think that’s because I haven’t been on a trip with you for a while! Your cooked dinners are too yummy and more-ish, I just keep eating. You and I had a good deal going on a Brazil trip where you cooked all the meals and I was the cleaner. It was great! But not for my six pack.
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SAM MEDYSKY If it wasn’t kiteboarding what would you be doing?
A
I think I would have my own painting and decorating/interior design business. This was the route I was going down before the kitesurfing got serious. I also had a very big passion for rollerblading/inline skating so maybe I would have been a professional skater… But I’m stoked to be kiting!
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By Tom Court
Jibbing a 9 step set handrail out in Indonesia whilst filming the ‘Weekend Wanderlust’ clip and the Indonesia section of the FRP3 movie. 56 | TheKiteMag
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STUFF
S T U F F W E L I K E T H E L O O K O F
AXIS Liberty Designed to get you up, riding, and then nailing your first serious moves, the Liberty brings AXIS’s renowned build quality to ensure that your riding progresses as quickly as it possibly can. The flatter rocker line ensures you’ll be up on the plane with minimal fuss, and the softer flex ensures that your knees won’t take a battering as the kiteboarding world opens up before you…
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Zeeko Notus AIR The bods at Zeeko came off very well in our foil test – they had one of the very best alu foils in the entire test no less. So the fact they have also turned their hand to creating a kite with foilers as the target market should definitely get your attention…This is a superefficient one strut kite and now comes with their ERA (Easy Relaunching Assistant) for when things get too light even for foiling.
EPIC Renegade Infinity V4 Epic’s light wind specific kite is the king of stealthy performance. So stealthy in fact, that Epic don’t even let us know the exact size… But, coming in to V4 it’s clearly doing something right. And V4 brings with it a 15% improvement in turning speed as well as improved lift and upwind performance. Epic recommend their “Xtend Control Bar” to ensure maximum control over their lightwind monster.
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STUFF
Blade Fat Lady The perfect kite for those light wind days. The 4th generation Fat Lady has improved upwind performance to help you to maximize your trick count. It also enables you to continue laying down some of your top end tricks thanks to its quickturning and responsive performance. Your session is never over with this Fat Lady. Even if she sings…
Best Roca Lightwind Available in 14 and 17m, the Roca is a lightwind beast designed with those seabreeze afternoons in mind… But don’t be fooled: even if the weather is mellow, you can still expect plenty of performance to continue boosting, and you’ll still power upwind on the Roca – it’s no slouch…
RRD Vision The Vision has been in the RRD range for 6 years when it rocked up as a beginner’s all-rounder. The thing was: it turned out that everyone loved it! Since then it has embraced the ‘all terrain’ attitude and proven itself as an incredibly fun kite to fly with attributes that appeal to any kiter who is looking to keep things simple but not at the expense of performance.
Cabrinha Apollo No, your eyes do not deceive you: this really is in insanely high aspect new kite from Cabrinha. Delivering super-efficient power delivery and insane upwind performance, the Apollo is a foiler’s dream or perfect for anyone looking for maximum lightwind performance or for the kind of lofty jumps that give you plenty of time to take in the scenery.
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STUFF
SU2 Proseries The Proseries is an epic all-round offering from SU2 which borrows from the hyperbolic paraboloid: the perfect geometric shape. This is a super-smooth, incredibly light board and is designed to give you maximum control in flat water or in chop, with the 2mm extra thin rails enabling you to hold your speed and really carve through your turns…
Ozone Chrono V2 Ozone’s design goal when stepping up to improve the top-of-class Chrono was to take the original Chrono’s high performance characteristics and make it easier to use for riders looking for all-round performance in any conditions, on any surface. The result? The Chrono V2 is more stable and easier to inflate, and brings high performance characteristics to everyday competent riders. It’s fair to say that the initial feedback, as well as results around the racetrack, have been very positive.
CORE GTS4 The GTS3 blew a few minds and proved that you could have an all-round kite that really could turn the power up to 11. We know that Core don’t rush their releases and take the time to get it right, so the GTS4 has been released with a lot of hype: guaranteed to deliver in waves, flat water or 30 meters up, hucking you into a megaloop….
Slingshot Rally 2017 At the heart of Slingshot’s first 2017 kit release is one of their most iconic kites: the Rally. Its compact pulleyless bridle delivers precision turning and it can be finetuned to match your personal style. This is kiteboarding versatility at its finest and you can expect it to turn on for you whatever the conditions and whatever your style…
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ON THE LIST
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ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
You’ve probably heard of Barbados, Aruba and Puerto Rico. They’re all solid Caribbean destinations to escape the treachery of a North American or European winter. But if you look a little deeper, there are lesser-known Caribbean treasures that await. One such nugget is St. Kitts and Nevis… Words and photos: Mark Moore
Sounds delightful. It is. It’s part of the West Indies, so the vibe is unpretentious. This place is a far cry from the European Caribbean and its snobby $12 coffees and scones. Kitts is Rasta and mellow, with stunning vistas and volcanic peaks. So, St. Kitts OR Nevis? It has to be both. St. Kitts is the main island with most of the shops and nightlife. There are two medical schools and a veterinary school on the island and the ratio of girls to guys is 3:1. So if you’re a single guy looking for the ultimate kite destination then St. Kitts should have just leapfrogged most other destinations and made it to the top of your list… 64 | TheKiteMag
Then you also need to take the 30 minute ferry ride over to Nevis. It’s more expensive to stay over there, so just go for the day. There is a nice flatwater spot just east of the airport then after kiting check out Sunshine’s bar for a “Killer Bee”. It’s pretty rummy… So, tell all – where are the best kite spots?! Ah, I can’t tell too much… But I would say check out Turtle Beach and North Frigate Bay. Then there really are just heaps of spots: just drive around and prepare to be amazed. You’ll definitely need a rental car though as public transport is basically nonexistent. Can the wind be a bit sketchy? No, not with the fabulous Caribbean trade winds. From early November through to July you can expect five to six days a week
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HARNESSES
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Kitesurfing has more than its fair share of ‘high value’ participants, and the sport seems to effortlessly draw in those who aren’t short of a buck or two... Whether this is the nature of the sport of kiteboarding, or the fact that kiting is often at the heart of networking events such as MaiTai is a moot point. But someone who has true ‘core’ credentials and has also managed to find herself right at the very heart of this scene is Susi Mai, who now spends the bulk of her time organizing her MaiTai events. Having spent her childhood ripping it up on the beaches of DR, it’s fair to say that it’s been quite a trip from then to now. Brian Wheeler sat her down to find out exactly what she is up to nowadays, and to see just how she got there... TheKiteMag | 67
MAI TIME
d l r o w e h t g n i k a M e c a l p r e t t e ab
Whether you’ve been kiting for ages or you’re new to the sport, chances are you’ve heard of Susi Mai (and if not, you really should know who she is). One of the ‘original’ crew of kiters to begin getting mainstream recognition, Susi kills it on the water and has probably done more for the sport than any other kiter out there. As co-founder and President of MaiTai Global – a spectacular community of athletes, innovators and entrepreneurs – Susi has transformed her love for kiteboarding into making the world a better place (while still logging quality time on the water). Last year Susi and the MaiTai community demonstrated the kiting community at its finest, raising nearly a quarter million dollars to help fellowkiter Ruben Lenten get the best medical care possible
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when he was in need. And this past November, I witnessed the MaiTai magic firsthand at The Ocean Gala (presented by MaiTai and Ocean Elders), where Sir Richard Branson delivered an inspiring keynote speech, and in just a couple of hours the event raised $600,000 in the name of protecting the ocean. Additionally, a recent MaiTai Expedition helped the British Virgin Islands become a shark sanctuary. The list of accomplishments that Susi helped make happen could go on and on, which is to say nothing of the 10 years of epic kiting/networking events that she’s helped create. But rather than ramble on about all the legendary stuff she has done or what a remarkable person she is, let’s talk to Susi herself…
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D AYS I N T H E SA N D
D AY S I N THE SAND
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For a few moments Matchu and Sean stood side-by-side, anticipating the moment of stepping into the sea as another series of waves approached them. The sand under their feet, the temperature of the water, and the wind that blew made them slowly awaken from a rough night’s sleep in our lonely camp in the desert. There was something deep going on there, something intimate. The sky was covered with clouds of a pink hue, it created a grace in the air and I felt overcome by the poetry of the moment. I thought of how the ocean builds relationships and enriches the lives of those who live in it. I felt blessed to be there. Words and photos: Claudio
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D AYS I N T H E SA N D
IT IS INTERESTING HOW PERSPECTIVES CAN SHAPE OUR W O R L D V I E W.
Seen from outside, the life of a professional kitesurfer seems to be a fairytale. Who would not enjoy traveling the world, seeing unique places, and enjoying the best possible conditions? Having had the opportunity to witness the intimate life of one of them, I do think it is a dream profession. But nevertheless there are many commitments to be fulfilled, and for a big part of the year I sensed that it can be a bit exhausting. Words such as “classic conditions”, “epic”, and “perfection” are common for those who have the chance to surf regularly at Ponta Preta, Matchu´s home spot, but with his adventurous spirit, Matchu felt the need to look for new horizons, to reconnect with old friends, and to explore. For a long time we had been talking about the possibility of going on a trip together and –when we least expected it – the opportunity appeared. A solid swell was inbound from the southern hemisphere. Combined with winds around 25knots it presented the perfect conditions for a remote spot on another island. It would be a kind of pre-season training trip, a little free time to be in the sand before the marathon of events, travels, and commitments that were coming up in the following months. Although the forecast did not guarantee continuous days of waves, we decided that the wind would be enough for some strapless freestyle sessions to fill our stay. So two days before the swell arrived we decided it would be worth making the trip and started getting ready to leave.
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words & photography By leo houlding
We’re lucky enough to read a lot of great kite tales here at TheKiteMag, but it is pretty rare to have something drop into our inbox that really blows your mind and leaves you sat, staring at your screen for a while after you’ve finished just thinking: Wow. This is one of those… Words and photos: Leo Houlding The day began with a flying start, literally. With 1400 kilometers of our mission behind us and 200 kilometers to go we had everything to play for to catch the once weekly flight south from our isolated destination in two days’ time. With a steep, 1600 meter decent to make from the ice cap down to the frozen fjord, followed by a six hour dog sled ride to town and with the wind forecast to drop at midday it looked like we’d be spending a week learning to ice fish with the local Inuit in the world’s third most northerly town – Qaanaaq in NW Greenland. By now – 18 days into icecap life – we were well drilled in our morning ritual, having woken at 4am. We were caffeinated, fed, packed and ready to ride within an hour and a half. The icy katabatic easterly, which is much stronger at night, was still in full force blowing a steady 18-20 knots. It was forecast to deteriorate gradually until dropping off completely, so we opted to start out overpowered on the Ozone 15m Chrono V2’s on 65m lines so as to save critical time on kite changes. We were each hauling 120 kilograms in a pair of sledges called ‘pulks’, rafted together side by side, trailing
behind us on 30m ‘trace’. We were ready for take off. My partner for the mission, Bruce Corrie, hadn’t been on a serious expedition before, nor anywhere nearly so remote, but was a vastly experienced kiter and one of the UK’s original snowkiters having started out 25 years ago on the predecessor of modern snowkites, the “Up-Ski”. Over the last few winters it was Bruce who’d mentored me from having not flown a kite since childhood to being a competent expedition snowkiter. Well, reasonably competent…
The 24k trip To kite from Narsaq at the southern end of Greenland to Qaanaaq in the NW corner covers around 2400 kilometers and almost the full length of the world’s largest island. It takes around 40 days. North Atlantic low pressure systems dominate the southerly third of the journey creating unstable, unpredictable, unpleasant kiting conditions, so you need to allow around 20 days for this first 800 kilometer section. Thankfully, having got through this, once you reach the Arctic circle at latitude 67˚N, the prevailing Greenlandic high pressure system dominates the weather patterns and usually creates idyllic kiting conditions in the spring / summer season. Cold, clear, sunny skies, predictable katabatic easterly winds and a seemingly endless, featureless ice cap of terrain to traverse without obstacle, meaning that allowing 20 days for the remaining 1600 kilometers ought to be sufficient.
At home on the vast, featureless landscape of the Greenlandic icecap; the best expedition snow kiting terrain on Earth.
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Reflections
2016
Colleen Carroll tail pressing her way onto the podium at the action-packed 2016 Wind Voyager Triple-S Invitational.
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Will James lines one up and hopes his kite stays in the air...
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TEN YEARS ON
THE MAURITIUS INVITATIONAL It’s fair to say the equipment we use to kite with has evolved a whole lot in the last 10 years. But if you had to pick one area that has come on more than any other (okay, ignore foiling!) then it would have to be waveriding… Freestyle specific kites do now have depower, but your pure C kite is still comparable to your pure C of 2006. With surf kites it’s a different story – for a start there weren’t really any surf kites back then! So when you dropped into a solid wave, you’d ease out the bar and… well… not much would happen, you would just keep accelerating. Which really puts the Mauritius Invitational which was held at maching One Eye into context… Words: Leena Ballack | Photos: Stephane Fournet
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The concept was simple: invite 10 of the best kite waveriders to One Eye over a three week holding period. Then just rip as hard as possible for the cameras. So no judges, no sitting on the beach waiting for your turn and then, at the end of the event, the riders just rank each other. So each day the judgement was confirmed by looking at the videos of Elliot Leboe and photos of Stephane Fournet. Pure and simple. The local organizers and kiters Patrick Deveaux and Laurent LeBolloch did a great job. They have been riding this wave for years and they know the set up perfectly. One Eye had always been considered a racetrack where you could attempt a suicide barrel or a speed top turn whilst trying not to be pulled out the back. For the event we were blessed on the first day by Mother Nature. It was massive. 20 feet on the wave face, and 15 to 18 knots of wind. It was challenging, hooking into one of these monsters, and the scene was set‌
Whichever way you measure this: it’s a whopper. Martin Vari looking a bit thoughtful 84 | TheKiteMag
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The Shoot Hermanus, Western Cape.
Ydwer Van Der Heide
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TECHNIQUE
WITH
B I L LY
F R O N T S I D E 3 6 0 T O TA I L P R E S S T O BAC K 1 8 0 T H E M OV E
This sequence is sick! By far the best sequence shot ever taken of me while kiting or pretty much any sequence. By far my favorite thing to do in the Real Kite Park is the Kicker to Slider Transfer. The most important thing is setting it up right to make sure the ramp to slider is setup just right to make the transfer and also to finish the slider without being pulled off by your kite. Next you’re gonna need to hit a few lines to get your speed and distance dialed in. Not enough speed and you can’t make the down section of the slider, too much speed and you will overshoot your landing. Now that you have dialed in your line you are ready for the transfer.
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PHOTO: TOBY BROMWICH
PA R K E R T H E ‘ H OW T O ’ Approach the kicker with more speed than you think you need. This will give you ample power for distance and height in the air to complete your first rotation before contact with the slider. To get the landing solid you will need to spot the slider after your first 360. Make sure you ride all the way off the ramp before starting your first rotation (don’t pre-spin as this can cause you to go off axis, lose balance or crash) this will give you the time needed to spin 360. Pass the handle and then spot the landing. Once you have spotted the slider and are about to make contact, get ready to absorb the landing, and also think about board and body position. This is important for making the trick look good and also to perform it properly. You will be spinning, so focus on stopping the body spin by using your shoulders, core, locking your abs, hips and everything below the waist to keep the board in line with the slider. This will also help on the exit to redirect the spin in the opposite direction. Once you’ve landed, being on the slider never felt better! Keep your board and body in a straight line with the slider – you need to get your weight leaned to the back of the board and raise the nose for the Tail Press. Get ready for the end as it’s coming fast. Holding your Tail Press until the last second, keep the bar steady and near the front hip, then use the tail to spring off the slider and start your Backside 180 using the tension you have from the bar to help pull you around, while looking over your shoulder in the direction of spin. Bend the knees, absorb the landing and hold position while smiling huge and feeling good that you just had your way with Real Watersports John Wayne Cancer Foundation Slider. It’s the best kite park slider in the world!
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IN THE PIPELINE
It is exciting times with RRD who have gone hard out this year with a new logo and consequently a MASSIVE release of new kit. We don’t know quite how Roberto Ricci does it. There are unverified rumors that he has succeeded in cloning himself – otherwise it is hard to see how there are enough hours in the day… Here he takes us through what he has been up to with the rest of the RRD team, and what we can expect over the coming weeks. As a brand RRD tend not to have an ‘annual’ release, but it is fair to say that you have a lot of new equipment coming out this summer – is this one of the biggest releases you have done? Yes, this is the first completely new release after nine years. Because we decided to change the logo along with the corporate outlook, we had to stop the timetable and change all of the graphics throughout the entire collection. The new cohesive look was presented at the distributor meeting in May. Normally, products are released periodically during the year with continuous updates only when the product is ready for the market and has been properly tested. This is our company philosophy. For this year, Year 22, we started from scratch to provide the collection with a radical new look that embodies our attention to detail, high quality design, and nonstop research and development. 94 | TheKiteMag
Have there been any major changes in terms of the factories you are working with or the materials you are using for the latest equipment? We are constantly looking for new manufacturers and production facilities. For example, since we changed our factory to Portugal to produce some of the new wave boards, the finish and quality of our boards has improved a great deal. Bringing the production of our boards to a real surfboard shaper maybe made production slightly more expensive, but it increases quality – especially of the finishing in the PU and LTD construction. There are some changes in construction for the surfboard – so we will release our new wave boards in three different constructions: PU, LTD and Wood. Our Wood surfboards are made in Thailand. We are excited to announce that we are
using a completely new technology to manufacture these boards. The High Definition Technology (HDT) is available only in our Wood construction which allows the boards to be stronger, lighter, and more resistant to high impacts. The combination of these three things are extremely difficult to achieve in a kite surfboard, but it is now possible to release a “strapless freestyle”-specific kiteboarding range that is lightweight, extremely durable, all the while remaining flexible. To keep the board flexible, we did not add a stringer and focused on the perfect amount of fiber rotation. The bamboo fibers are different on the top and bottom of the boards which allow our boards to be softer and more flexible than the classic bamboo construction. Then another important technology we have introduced is the autoclaved molded pre-pregged technology. This technology
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Tell Me About It:
CABRINHA FIREBALL Sometimes it makes sense to take a step back from something, to tilt your head, and to try to look at it from a completely fresh perspective. That’s what Cabrinha have done with the most fundamental element of any kiter’s setup – the connection between the rider and their kite. Pete Cabrinha talks us through the brave new world of the all-new Fireball… When and why did you decide to take a fresh look at the way we connect ourselves to our kites?
I was always a little suspicious of the chicken loop. It has worked pretty well for the needs of kitesurfing but it was one
of many kitesurfing parts that was not originally designed
for kitesurfing. The hook and loop connection came directly from windsurfing and we have spent the last 20 years trying
to modify it for our needs. We had early prototypes of Fireball back when we were developing Quicklink™ but we didn’t put it into full development until just over two years ago.
What was the main objective that you set yourselves? The main objectives of Fireball was to simplify the connection. To minimize the shape and design. To address the unique
forces and extreme angles that happen when a kite is connected to a rider. In simple terms, we decided to start from ground
up and make a purpose built connection rather than continuing to repurpose the windsurfing loop.
Did you try different types of connection before arriving at the Fireball?
Fireball and the connection spreader went through many
different prototypes and variations but they were all based on
the ball and socket idea. Most of them were originally made to be cross compatible with the existing hook and loop system.
But we found that trying to make Fireball compatible with the hook and loop system was a huge compromise to both
systems. So we decided to make the Fireball connection uncompromised and that’s when we really saw its potential.
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Why ‘Fireball’? It wasn’t much of a stretch to come up with the name.
We wanted something descriptive that pointed to the ball and socket design.
Can you summarize the main advantages of the system? Fireball is a friction free, rotational connection that is closer
to the core than a traditional loop and hook system. It has a more streamlined minimal design. It has an auto locking gate which secures the ball in place. Autolock™, as we call it, is located right on the socket and is non-binding. It does not
restrict movement the way a security pin does. It’s also more elegant and simple to use.
How do you go about testing the various forces and range of movement of the system?
For strength and durability testing we do thousands of cycle
tests in the lab. But performance testing is all done on the water. The main difference between Fireball and a hook and loop is that the hook and loop was originally for a windsurfer
who’s body stays in a similar proximity to the boom the whole
time he or she is riding. Whereas a kite is sometimes straight
above the rider (at the zenith), sometimes it’s far to the sides of the rider (when riding toe side), and even sometimes it’s
below the rider (inverted tricks like a deadman for example). So we needed a system which is fully rotational and nothing does that better than a ball and socket.
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Tell Me About It: NAISH HOVER FOIL
Naish arrive on the foil stage for 2017. Just released, the Naish Hover Foil aims to have a broad appeal and introduce ‘foil face’ to the masses. The man behind it, Des Walsh, takes us through the new arrival...
So, before we start looking in more detail at the foil, can you explain to us why you thought the time was right for the first Naish foil?
How did you decide which materials would be the right fit for your vision of the foil?
The goal was to offer a product that would get as many people
We have been keeping a close eye on the scene and riding
out on the water foiling and having fun as possible. The right
time and been in and out of vogue. The possibilities that foils
long-lasting. Aircraft grade aluminum 6061 provides great
Naish felt that the time was right to develop foils for kiting,
while molded glass wings deliver nice durability.
different foils for years. Kite foiling has been around for a long
materials would make our product affordable, durable and
offer has been embraced in many forms of sailing recently and
stiffness and corrosion resistance in a lightweight package,
windsurfing, and SUP.
How many prototypes did you go through until you thought
And what was the remit that you set yourselves for the foil? Who’s it geared towards?
We wanted a classic foil that would be comfortable to ride and easy to progress with. The Hover Foil offers a lot of stability
and is especially geared for foiling at relatively low speeds for a great, all-round experience that makes it easy to learn on.
How does the R&D process of producing a new foil begin?! As with any R&D process, we start out with a specific goal
in mind. In this particular case, the Hover was born out of
the need to deliver something that was accessible and easy enough for riders to get started, but functional enough to grow
their skills with. We did a lot of research to get just the right shape that would provide the best, most stable experience. Features like the adjustable back wing position – which
delivers increased stability when positioned towards the back, or increased maneuverability when positioned forward – ensure the Hover can adapt with riders as their skills progress.
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you had ‘got it’ and how long did the process take?
We really took our time with this one and wanted to make sure we offered the right product for a broad market and that they would not outgrow or have it become obsolete. We tried all types of foils made with many different constructions before the Hover was finalized.
Who were the main team riders feeding into the development process?
There was a broad spectrum of riders’ opinions that were considered in the process. We have guys like Kai Lenny (who
has been foiling since he was 9), Jesse Richman and Kevin Langeree, plus guys who work in the office who don’t kite very often, but want to foil on lightwind days.
Was there a ‘Eureka’ moment when you thought: that’s what we’re looking for!
This freeride foil is a timeless shape that won’t be obsolete in a few years. For this project, the ‘aha’ moment was when
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Here’s Olly Bridge booting it around the Isle of Wight on his Levitaz foil. We didn’t go quite this fast in the tests… Photo: Mark Lloyd
THEKITEMAG 2016 FOIL TEST Regular purveyors of these pages will know that we generally like to mix up what we test and to bring you a range of kites and boards from a mixture of genres… Well, we do. And normal service will be resumed for next issue. But as the products of 2016 ebb away and the brands prep their 2017 launches, we thought now would be a good time to just look at one thing: foils. There is no escaping the fact that foiling has now hit the mainstream. Those of you thinking it looked a little bit scary and hoping it would perhaps just quietly disappear will have been disappointed. The fact is: if you kite in 2016 then you need to get yourself a foil. So with that in mind we gathered up a selection of ten foils and have spent the last two months putting them through their paces. On the test team were a mix of riders, ranging from beginner through to ‘experienced intermediate’ and testing took place in a range of conditions, from 6 knots through to 25, and from perfect flat water through to choppier conditions. So we have given them a true ‘real world’ workout. We hope over the next few pages to give you some insights into the best foil for you, and to help you to get stuck in and to start getting your ‘foil face’ on…
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WIND WAVES SURFARI
BEST BEACH IN AFRICA 108 | TheKiteMag
SEA VIEW OR BUDGET ROOMS
DIANIBEACHKENYA www.thekenyaway.com info@thekenyaway.com +254728886821
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METEOROLOGY
METEOROLOGY WITH TONY BUTT
PHOTO: CARLOS TORO W W W.W H I T E WAV E S . E U
WIND SCALES: PART 2 Last issue we looked at two commonly-used ways of expressing the windspeed in a marine environment: knots and the Beaufort scale. The Beaufort scale stops at force 12, equivalent to about 64 knots. However, if you want to categorize tropical cyclones or tornadoes, you will need a wind scale that goes way above that. These scales do exist, and there are many different ones used in different parts of the world. Here I’m going to talk about the most common ones: the Saffir-Simpson scale for tropical cyclones, and the Torro and Fujita scales for tornadoes. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) runs from one to five, and is used in the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific to categorize tropical cyclones according to the windspeed. The windspeed ranges work in a similar way to the Beaufort scale, but starting at 64 knots (force 12). In a similar way to the Beaufort scale it provides descriptions of different sea states according to each force, the Saffir-Simpson scale provides descriptions of the type of damage to buildings and other structures according to each category. This is very useful for alerting the public about the possible damage expected when a hurricane is about to hit.
to infer the windspeed. Just to add to the confusion, the original categories were associated with specific values of storm-surge height (the amount of seawater that floods onto the land), assuming that this was pretty well correlated with wind. Confusing, right? Well, a lot of people thought so too. By 2009 meteorological aircraft were able to fly directly into the storm center, so it was possible to measure windspeed directly, and so there was no longer any point using pressure to infer windspeed. And associating the categories with storm-surge values was misleading, because in reality storm-surge isn’t very well correlated with windspeed. So, in 2009 it was decided to remove both these parameters and base the scale solely on windspeed. In 2010, the revised version – the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) – became operational.
The scale was originally developed around 1971 by Herbert Saffir and Bob Simpson. It was called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (SSHS) and put into general use in 1973. At first the categories were not based directly on windspeed but on values of the central pressure inside the storm. This was because accurate wind measurements inside hurricanes were not available before around 1990 so, instead, they used pressure
Full descriptions of all the SSHWS categories can be found at: www.nhc.noaa.gov
1
2
3
4
5
64
83
96
113
137
Saffir-Simpson scale with windspeeds in knots at the bottom: The windspeeds shown correspond to the lowest at each category, e.g. Category 1 is 64 to 82 knots. Category 5 is 137 knots or above 110 | TheKiteMag
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The Bare Necessities DO YOU REALLY NEED ALL THAT GEAR?
KITE? CHECK. BAR? CHECK. PUMP? CHECK. BOARD? CHECK. HARNESS? CHECK. LET’S GO! We all have a list of what we need to get our session started, however I would be very surprised if any of you reading this has a list that stops there. The very nature of our sport permits us to quickly be112 | TheKiteMag
come equipment junkies and oHen the only thing that can put a stop to this hoarding of kite-associated gadgets and accessories is the dreaded airline excess baggage fees.Having to choose between your
helmet and your impact vest at the airport check in is always a situation to be avoided, which is why we are here to help you understand a little bit more about all the gear options available and decide if you can live without it and potentially be a better kiter to boot. Of course as you may already be aware if you are regular readers of our KiteSista section, this may contain sprinklings of our personal thoughts (just a few) but we all know it is helpful to have a second opinion from time-to-time, so consider us the posers of all the questions you were afraid to ask.
HOW DO THEY GET IN THE WATER SO FAST? Have you ever noticed how quickly that experienced rider gets on the water after arriving at the beach? They are not in a hurry (and will often then spend 5-10 minutes warming up once on the beach), yet they can still be seen tightening their boots and riding off into the horizon whilst you are still walking out your lines or applying sunscreen. The reason: simplicity and minimalism. We are not talking about interior design here, just a simple uncluttering of your kiting life to the absolute essentials.
“I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY PEOPLE GO SO FULLY EQUIPPED WHEN THEY ARE IN THE POST-KITE COURSE STAGE. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THIS “ALL THE GEAR” ATTITUDE THAT I AM JUST NOT A FAN OF.” - JULIA CASTRO
Rider: Maureen Castelle Photo: KiteSista TheKiteMag | 113
WHAT’S IN YOUR KITE BAG? WIND METERS. These devices come in many flavors from the dedicated anemometer to the iPhone app that uses your microphone noise to guess the wind speed. Let us break it to you gently: everyone is laughing at you. You see, the speed of the wind alone is not the only gauge of which kite to pump. Air temperature and density, whether the wind speed is forecast to increase or fall, storm clouds on the horizon, the movement of sand on the beach, how easily birds are able to fly into the wind (a personal favorite) and the sure fire method that 99% of experienced kiters use: WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE RIDING? Use these factors and make an informed decision, because consulting a wind meter and then the recommended wind range of your kites is not ideal, it is only a guide. Abandoning the wind meter will help you really feel and understand the wind – not just see it as a number.
“PUT YOUR WIND METER AWAY AND LOOK AROUND YOU AT ALL THE CLUES THERE TO HELP YOU CHOOSE YOUR KITE SIZE, IF YOU DIDN’T ALREADY KNOW BEFORE YOU GOT TO THE BEACH WHICH SIZE YOU WERE GOING TO FLY.” - MAUREEN CASTELLE LINE WINDERS. Although many have hit the market in the last 10 years, thankfully these haven’t gained a whole lot of traction on the beach and we do not often see them. In essence they are a device to aid you in rolling your lines and keeping them untangled so that you can connect your kite and get on the water that little bit sooner. But nothing is certain in the untangling of kite lines, just ask anyone who landed their kite on the beach, placed the bar on the ground, came back five minutes later to relaunch and suddenly the lines were tangled. How? One of the great unsolved mysteries of our time. Add this to the fact that if you go to launch your kite and then realize your lines are crossed, you enter into that annoying moment where the person launching your kite regrets ever saying yes and you have lost a kite buddy on the beach.
“I CAN GET ALL MY NECESSARY THINGS FOR MY SESSION ON TO A MOTORBIKE.” - THERESE TAABBEL BOARD FLOATERS. What on earth is a board floater or “GoJoe” some of you might be asking. It is an inflatable orange device that looks much like a child’s armband and attaches to the handle of the board. Its purpose being to make your board very easy to find if you lose it as the floater catches the wind which gently blows your board downwind.
Rider: Therese Taabbel Photo: KiteSista 114 | TheKiteMag
“IT IS SOMETHING THAT BEGINNERS GET SOLD ON THAT ONLY HOLDS THEM BACK FROM DIALING IN THEIR BODY DRAGGING SKILLS FROM THE GET GO.” - COLLEEN CARROLL
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BEHIND THE CLIP
Eudazio Earth And Spaces 2016 Sometimes it’s not the clips with all the hype and the big intros that blow you away, sometimes it’s the cheeky little sub two-minute ones that have you transfixed. This one was shot over the course of two sessions but the quality of the drone shooting and the general vibe made it a real standout for us… We asked Eudazio to tell us how it came about… Where was clip filmed? This clip was filmed at two beaches on Fuerteventura. El Burro Beach (Corralejo) and Calle Majanicho.
And are we right in thinking that this has been part of a bigger series of ‘Earth and Spaces’ clips with Nobile? Yes, there were three clips filmed on Fuerteventura last summer which we have rolled out over the year.
So did you film them at separate times? Yes, we planned everything with Nobile before and then we filmed them separately.
We thought this was the best freestyle footage we had ever seen shot from a drone! Who was flying the drone and how did you co-ordinate with them so you knew you were pulling your moves in the right place? It was the ‘Off Creative’ crew. The drone pilot was Aleksander Lewandowski who 116 | TheKiteMag
was also filming and editing the clip. Aleksander is also a Nobile ambassador, so he knows when, how and why I will do this or that on the water! Can you imagine that we just spent one hour on the water in El Burro and one hour in Majanicho! It was done quickly but we were very happy with it.
What is your favorite move in the clip? At 1:09 I like the Double Heart Attack.
Did you choose the soundtrack? Nope, but I like it a lot. It’s Maciej Jazwiecki from Off Creative’s idea.
And how are you doing after your injury? Very well. It was a stunning idea to come to Poland for the operation thanks to Gosia Rosiak-Brawanska, the Nobile CEO. This is true support and I appreciate that a lot. I am feeling good and my knee works perfectly. Now I need to work in the gym and do some special exercises. So I will be back soon!
Cool, and when do you hope to be back on the contest circuit? Next season for sure. I will have plenty of time to prepare for the fight for the title!
Nobile have some new kites and boards launching soon – did you have a chance to ride them before your injury? No, because of my injury I could not complete the tests. But I can say that my favorite board, the 50/Fifty, is probably the best freestyle board ever made! Perfectly engineered construction, and carbon fibre in the upper part of the board between the bindings ensures that the board’s tips always stay on the surface. This increases the chances of landing even after the most difficult tricks, while you don’t have to worry about your joints. I can only say that the new black design is outstanding and 50/ Fifty 2016-17 is very light which makes it faster, more responsive, with a wide wind range. I can’t wait to get out on it!
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