TheKiteMag #2

W E S T S ID E H A C K A TTA C K : T H E OT H E R S I D E O F MAU I

THE IN VI S IB L E MASTER : I NFINI TE LI FE L E S S ONS FR O M THE WIN D

A P O S TC A R D FR O M P A R A D IS E: I N D O D REA MI NG

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C O N T E N T S

T H E

F E AT U R E S …

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AW E S T R U C K I N PATA G O N I A Jesse Richman gets the call to head south for the winter… He makes many new discoveries including 6mm neoprene, ball-eating guanacos, and ‘by far and beyond the craziest wind I have ever felt’...

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W E S T S I D E H A C K AT TA C K When the classic Maui breaks get a bit ‘samey’ (something most of us can only begin to imagine) it’s time to get in the truck and go exploring. Quincy Dein leads the way.

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THE INVISIBLE MASTER Brian Wheeler, TheKiteMag’s US Correspondent, kicks off his contributions reflecting on the similarities between the worlds of business and of kiteboarding, with a few notable interviewees…

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FRONTIER: NOVA SCOTIA The extreme east coast of Canada is Mark Moore’s well-stocked hunting ground for his big-game of choice: chunky kiteable waves…

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A POSTCARD FROM PARADISE The perfect kiteable wave at the end of your garden? Yes, you are dreaming. Tuva Jansen and Bertrand Fleury are not.

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C o v e r : Good job the Health and Safety guys aren’t in town: kiting in the dark looks kind of hazardous… Thankfully for us Eric Rienstra laughs in the face of danger.

Photo: Andre Magarao H e r e : Stephan Kleinlein working his magic. We’re stoked that he’s going to be contributing to TheKiteMag regularly and sharing some of his knowledge of the dark arts with us. Head to page 96 for the first instalment…

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r e g u l a r s …

30 words on… Getting in the groove Tangled Lines with Keahi de Aboitiz On the List – Perth Interviews with Luke McGillewie and Olly Bridge Technique with Mitu The Dark Room with Stephan Kleinlein Tell me about it… with Brandon Scheid and the Echo Behind the Clip – Alex Caizergues

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editorial

T h at d i ff i c u l t s e co n d a l b u m …

A much feared syndrome of the music industry ‘that difficult second album’ reflects the challenges that come with following up a successful first effort; the pressure to reproduce the excitement both of the first album and of the arrival of a new player on the scene. In TheKiteMag’s case I am pleased to report that the feedback on issue #1 (okay, I will now dispense with the struggling ‘album’ metaphor) has been truly epic. Pretty much everyone who we have heard from has complimented either a) The quality of the content, b) The quality of the magazine, or c) Both. In fact the only slightly negative comment that I got at the beach was, “I’m going to need to buy a coffee-table to put it on now.” I can live with that.

So as a team we would first like to say: thanks. We have worked hard to bring TheKiteMag into the world, and for it to be so well received straight away is just awesome.

And so on to the ‘difficult second magazine’ and…. Well, actually, it hasn’t really been that difficult. It turns out that when #1 comes out well you have no shortage of people wanting to get involved with #2. And our philosophy of working with and looking after the independent writers and photographers where we can has also ensured that within the pages of TheKiteMag #2 you will find a whole lot more high quality and – in the main – 100% exclusive content. So if you don’t buy it, you won’t see it… Not even on Facebook kids.

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What can you expect from #2? Well this issue we have been fortunate enough to have some ‘themes’ emerge that make it look like we have planned it this way…

The dominant theme is that of ‘frontiers’.

We have Mark Moore not giving too much

away about the vast wave factory that he calls home: Nova Scotia. And then – at the complete other end of ‘the Americas’ – we have Jesse Richman donning a 6mm

wettie and trying not to get annihilated in Patagonia. When one of the biggestballed men in the sport is humbled by this vast winterland you know it ticks the ‘hardcore’ box…

We also have Brian Wheeler drawing some comparisons between the world of kiting and the world of big business, and also recounting the tale of the time Richard Branson and Larry Page both almost didn’t make it back from an island-hopping escapade thereby nearly – literally – sinking two of the biggest companies in the world.

On top of that we have two epic perspectives on the world of waveriding – a celebration of the classic ‘hack’ with Sky Solbach and Patri McLaughlin, and a hunt for its classier cousin ‘the barrel’ with Tuva Jansen and Bertrand Fleury.

Plus – well you go see – there is a load of other exceptional stuff. Difficult second issue? Not here my friends: enjoy.

Alex Hapgood Editor.

BWS’s Ian Alldredge definitely not having any problems with ‘that difficult second hack’.

Photo: Stu Gibson

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S UBSC R IBE TO THE K I T E MAG EI GH T ISSUES PER Y EAR (that’s more than any other kiteboarding magazine)

DELIVERED

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: Andre Magarao, Stephan Kleinlein, Stu Gibson, Maria Enfondo, John Carter, Trent Hightower, Toby Bromwich, Vincent Bergeron, Thomas Burblies, Paul Smythe, Ning Ma, Jesse Richman, Quincy Dein, Sky Solback, Christian Black, Eric Rienstra, Mark Moore, Tuva Jansen, Jason Wolcott, Bianca Asher, Mitu Monteiro, Brandon Scheid, Alex Caizergues, Axel Reese 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.

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:

W H AT ARE YO U WAIT ING FO R? !

Get over to www.thekitemag.com/subscribe

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This magazine is printed on paper sourced from responsibly managed sources using vegetable based inks. Both the paper used in the production of this brochure and the manufacturing process are FSC® certified. The printers are also accredited to ISO14001, the internationally recognised environmental standard.

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IN 30 WORDS

You know how it is: you’ve just got on the water, everything feels right and you hope that you’ve got a good session in you. But maybe there’s a niggle in the back of your head, maybe you lost your heat yesterday, maybe you had a frustrating session last time out, maybe you shouldn’t have had ‘one last beer’ last night…

Whatever’s happened, there is one fact in the life of any kiteboarder: it’s always great to nail that first move. It just sets everything else off on the right tone… So, in 30 words: what’s it going to be to get you in the groove?

MAT CHU GET T ING HI S GRO OV E O N .

P HOTO : MAR IA ENFO N DO

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IN 30 WORDS

Youri Zoon A Blind judge 7 because it’s a high level move, so if I can nail this as a first trick of my session or heat it gets me pumped up and makes me want to push myself more and more.

and I know that whether it’s nuking or light I can land the trick.

Liam Whaley Front Blind Mobe or a Back Mobe 5 because they are easy tricks that don’t put too much strain on your body and of course they are stylish.

Annabel van Westerop Blind Judge because it’s one of my favorite and most consistent tricks and it gives me a good feeling about nailing all Ozzie Smith my other tricks for the rest of the session. The move I like to do right at the start of Steven Akkersdiijk a session to get myself in the groove is a A Megaloop with the kite real low, 315 because it helps me get a quick feel Mallory de la Villemarqué because this gets the heart beat up The move I like to do right at the start of for the rotations again just to refresh the instantly! Plus my first trick is somehow memory. a session to get myself in the groove is a always one of the biggest, so I better go Slimchance because I know I’ll land it big or go home!

Karolina Winkowski and it’s always nice not to crash on the A big S-bend because it stretches my first trick…

Colleen Carroll body and gives me information about I love coming in hot with the kite nice the wind. If I hardly lift off it means that Eric Rienstra and low edging as hard as I can and I should change my kite immediately, if Backside Boardslide as it is the best busting off a big ol’ Railey first thing in I can’t go unhooked it means it’s super a session. It stretches out the body and a slide trick to do when testing out a rail strong. nice powered up Railey just feels so darn or box feature. If I can’t make it all the way across the feature clean and easy good!

Jalou Langeree doing that then I know I need to change Catch the nicest wave of the set and make something.

Chris Tack my bottom and top turn as powerful The move I like to do right at the start and aggressive as possible because if it of a session to get myself in the groove is Craig Cunningham satisfies me I know I’m in the zone and it Front Blind Mobe because it’s a trick you The move I like to do right at the start makes me feel hyper and strong! need to do very precisely which helps me of a session to get myself in the groove is a Double Shifty Stale Grab to Blind focus on my other tricks. because it’s an easy trick to do but a hard Alby The move I do is a Moby Dick, because trick to make look good…

Mitu it is one of the best feeling tricks and I At the very beginning of a session I like to know I’m gonna land it!

Jesse Richman crash myself into the water because that helps me to wake up and be ready for the Slim Chance because it’s a fun and consistent rotation. With a grab it’s pretty Victor Hays action!

Grab Slim 5 because this trick is easy stylish and it is the first trick I would do in almost every one of my freestyle heats to do and I just love this feeling, plus it Mario Rodwald doesn’t hurt and pull shoulders. I love to when I competed.

The move I like to do right at the start warm up with this trick. of a session to get myself in the groove Rob Kidnie is a Mobe 5 because the rotation feels Marc Jacobs The move I like to do right at the start incredible and the landing is smooth. of a session to get myself in the groove is The move I like to do right at the start of the same as the move I want to do in the a session to get myself in the groove is a Hope LeVin I take my Alana surfboard out. It’s super middle and at the end of the session: get Front Blind Mobe because when I land a solid FBM it gets me in the groove ready a barrel. I dream of barrels! fun so it gets my mind off the serious for competition mood! trick thinking and is a good way to warm Sam Medysky up for the harder impacts of freestyle Matchu Slim Chance because it’s my go to trick. landings.

If it’s blowing 40 knots or 10 I can almost The trick I like to do to get me in the always do it. I drop that one and it builds groove is a Shove It on both sides, then I Ruben Lenten move on to my sweet Shove It Varial!

The move I like to do right at the start of my confidence then I can proceed to up my session to get myself into the groove is my session from there.

James Boulding definitely a big fat Megaloop maybe with A Slim because it’s my most consistent Shawn Richman a frontroll as that’s my way to feel the trick and it’s important for me to land my The move I like to do right at the start power of the elements right away! of a session to get myself in the groove is first move. I’m very psychological when it comes to kiting: crashing my first trick an Inverted Frontflip right off the beach Brandon Scheid puts me in all sorts of bad places! because I love starting off with a quick, The move I like to do at the start of my high energy maneuver. session to get myself in the groove is a Backmobe because it has a great feeling TheKiteMag | 17

FOCUS

S C H E I D UNION ISLAND

Working with a talented photographer is a special treat. Maybe it’s their tack sharp focus, their artistic approach, or their tireless work ethic that set them aside. Any way you look at it, they are just as important as the riders themselves. This past year I had the privilege to work with Vincent Bergeron on several trips for Liquid Force. Just two years ago he was just another Quebecer going about his life, eating poutine and drinking wine. Upon learning to kite he was motivated to get into action photography… After a few work trips with LF designer Julien Fillion he blipped onto my radar as someone I wanted to work with. We finally met in Brazil in 2013 and immediately hit it off. His artistic approach to photography and his unyielding work ethic immediately impressed me. Since that first trip, Vinny and I have been on several shoots, and I plan on several more this year. I am continually impressed with the photographs that come out of my favorite Frenchman’s camera. This particular shot was taken during our Union Island trip. Vince had to swim out for 20 minutes to get to the spot where you could see the sun setting over the hills and then tread water during the whole shoot. Sometimes they say it’s not the rider that makes the shot and this one was all Vincent.

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PHOTO: VINCENT BERGERON

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focus

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PHOTO: JOHN CARTER

L A N G E R E E IRELAND

I had only been in Cape Town for a week when I saw a huge storm developing in the north Atlantic. It looked epic so Ruben Lenten and I decided to do a stormchase with Eyeforce, the production company who are working on a brand new kiteboarding movie called Chapter One. At the heaviest part of the storm, on ‘Black Wednesday’, it was very windy, rainy and cold and the conditions were almost too hard to ride. By Thursday the storm had backed down a bit but the waves were still forecast to be massive. It turned out that the waves weren’t as big as we had hoped for, but we still found this perfect left hand break that was great to ride and with no one around. The wind was very up and down and with the air temperature around 4 degrees it wasn’t easy to stay warm, but I still managed to stay out for two-and-a-half hours. The trip was a great experience and we got some amazing footage for the new movie…

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focus

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BY TRENT HIGHTOWER

C H R IS T I A N S O N K L I C K I TAT R I V E R

I love working with Drew. He is always stoked to try all the wacky ideas that I come up with in our quest to capture truly different and unique perspectives on kiting. On our last shoot of the summer we set out to frame shots within the bridge at the buttery mouth of the Klickitat. Drew and I both knew the shot that we wanted, but getting it done was a different story as we were in a huge wind shadow there. The first few attempts landed Drew on top of the 30 foot cliff on the left, almost above the bridge. But after at least 50 attempts Drew finally nailed the spot I’d been pointing to, and we got the perfectly framed shot we were after. I was super impressed with Drew’s piloting skills.

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focus

h a d low P i n g ta n , C h i n a

The perfect wind and waves rarely come along for a trick as technical as a 900. This was my second session back from a rib injury so I was excited to test the waters after being out for so long, especially with ramps like these‌During a contest, even if the spot is set up well for it, it is still hard to take the time out of your heat to search for the perfect line up, that is why you will usually see this sort of thing being thrown during a free ride session. This day everything lined up perfectly. I remember joining Youri on the beach, it was light and I was on my 14.5 Vegas. I saw him going for a 720 so naturally I was motivated to get spinning too. Next he got a 900 so I searched for the perfect take off and nailed one too. These are the days new boundaries are broken, two riders pushing each other to the next stage. There were talks of 1080s on the shoreline that day, but unfortunately as the tide flooded in the swell never gave us that opportunity we were looking for‌

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Photo: Toby Bromwich

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FOCUS

Z A C H BEL OMBRE, MAURITIUS

Besides Le Morne I would suggest this as one of the best spots on the island. Like the rest of Mauritius, Bel Ombre is surrounded by reef which forms a shallow natural lagoon. On this particular day the more southerly wind direction allowed us to shoot this special angle with the stunning Heritage Hotel in the background. As well as tubing left handers and turquoise flat water lagoons, Mauritius also overwhelms me with the hospitality of the people living there, and we enjoyed this on the beach with the Kite Globing crew after this unique session.

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PHOTO: THOMAS BURBLIES

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TA N G L E D

L IN E S

Q

Q

A

KEAHI DE ABOITIZ - WAVERIDING WORLD CHAMPION

A

Q

A

Maurício Pedreira: After being a world Champion a couple of times and having to travel to the most insane surf spots in the world, what gives you motivation to keep pushing the level of wave riding?!

I guess it comes down to my passion for the water and the sport. I still love kiting as much as when I first started and being in the top group of guys pushing the sport gives me a lot of motivation to try new things. In terms of waves, I think there are still so many locations to be explored which keeps me pretty excited for the future

Reo Stevens: With your recent ankle injury being your first “real” injury, and a bad one at that, have you learned anything from the experience (besides how to fly a drone)?

Yeah, it’s definitely made me start thinking things through a little more. Sometimes after a while with no injuries you start to think you’re a little bit invincible so it was a little bit of a reality check. Before I wouldn’t really hesitate pulling into a giant closeout or launching a big air out into the flats and now I’m definitely taking it a little easier on stuff like that – at least while I’m still healing.

Q A

I guess it’s a bit of a love/hate relationship sometimes. There’s a lot of pressure there to produce so they can be a little stressful at times.

Sometimes Mother Nature doesn’t like to cooperate so you might find yourself traveling halfway around the world and struggling to get the shot whereas other times you might score insane conditions. Lining up with the photographer can be pretty difficult – especially if they’re shooting from the water – and you’ll find yourself blowing long waves just to get the single shot. That being said the results are usually worth it and to have the memories to take away from a trip is always a nice bonus.

Jalou Langeree: What would you be doing if you weren’t an all-round waterman?!

Good question. I couldn’t really see myself having a life away from the water and I don’t really think there was a time when I loved anything else as much as water sports so it’s hard to say. Professional drone pilot maybe?!

Q

Ryland Blakeney: Do you prefer riding barrels backhand or forehand, and why?

A

To be honest, I don’t really have too much of a preference! A barrel’s a barrel and I’ll take anything that’s on offer. They both work better for certain situations and I’ve always enjoyed mixing it up. Generally forehand barrels are a little easier so when you make a good backhand barrel they can be a little more rewarding. I’ve always been a fan of guys getting backhand barrels though, as it’s something you generally don’t see as much in kiting.

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Stephan Kleinlein: Working with different photographers all year around, what do you like and not like about photo shoots, and how could they be improved?

Q

Rob Kidnie: I couldn’t choose one so, 1) You always have such a relaxed facial expression in the barrel, do you practice it in the mirror? 2) I’ve seen you ride big waves in super light wind, I heard a rumor that you are using helium in your kite now, any truth in that?

A

Haha! I guess the facial expressions just get better with time and I think I’m a little more relaxed in barrels maybe. My freestyle face was always a good one and I’m sure you’ll still see me pulling that one back out on special occasions! With the light wind, it’s top secret.

Everyone thinks that body-dragging upwind was what made those sessions possible, but maybe there’s more to the story… Being honest? I guess it’s just all those light wind grom sessions when I was young and would try and kite any chance I got. It taught me how to get the most out of the wind and I always liked the challenge of trying to prove that it was kiteable. Beats sitting on the beach anyway.

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AARON HADLOW BACK IN PERTH, NOW THERE’S A SIGN...

P H OTO: PAUL S M Y TH E

ON THE LIST

O N

TH E

L I ST

When the big guy upstairs was pondering how to lay out this planet of ours he was pretty mean spirited when it came putting ‘good places to earn a living’ in close proximity to ‘good places to go kite’. You can count the number of places where you can travel from a ‘proper’ job to a ‘proper’ beach in under half an hour on both hands, and if you add in ‘it had better be hot and sunny’ as a criteria, then you are pretty much down to one hand… Perth is no great secret, but thankfully that doesn’t really matter as there is plenty of it to go around.

So, let’s get real, how many beaches are there within half an hour of the city?

Well, there’s Woodies for a start, that’s a big draw, and then there’s Safety Bay – they’re the two biggies. You can be out of your posh suit and into your wetsuit in… Ah, hang on that doesn’t work, you don’t need a wetsuit – but you get the picture…

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The trouble with cities is that it’s easy to get dragged into the dark-side of city life: next thing you know it’s 4am and you’ve got no chance of being at the beach for first light…

Ahhh, see the big man thought about this and he decided to go easy on the young and carefree kiteboarding population by decreeing that there would be no wind before 11am. Only then would the Cape Doctor cruise in and gently nurse your well-laidin-self back to normality…

This does all sound quite promising and I’m sure it must to a lot of other people. It must get pretty busy?

Yup – it does get pretty busy… But there is plenty of space. It can get pretty busy where the schools are teaching but if you know your backroll from your Blind Judge 5 then you’ll be able to find your own slice of kiteboarding perfection to bust out your classic moves and expand your repertoire all day long…

PERTH

O F F I C I A L LY T H E ‘ H I G H E S T D E N S I T Y O F P R O F E S S I O N A L F R E E S T Y L E R S E V E R R E C O R D E D O U T S I D E O F A N E V E N T ’. P H O T O : P A U L S M Y T H E

With this kind of a rep I’d imagine you spot the odd pro kiter?

Pro kiters are an interesting breed – they are all actually amateur currency traders and tend to head wherever their brand-bucks go the furthest.

Perth was ‘de rigueur’ for pro kiters for many years before the strength of the Ozzie Dollar meant that a beer in a bar cost more than a modest pousada in Brazil for a month… The balance is now tipping back the other way though, and this December there has been a pretty significant ‘return to Oz’ contingent. So, yes, you might well spot a pro or two. Or three.

Do I need wheels?

WE LOVE IT TOO MUCH. PHOTO: LUKE WHITESIDE

GETTING THERE: PERTH IS ONE OF THE MOST I S O L AT E D C I T I E S O N THE PLANET, SO YOU H AV E T O F LY T H E R E .

BUT DON’T THINK, “I’LL F LY I N T O S Y D N E Y T H E N HOP ON AN INTERNAL F L I G H T. ” S Y D N E Y TO PERTH IS 4½ HOURS…

YIPEEEEE PHOTO: PHIL RAWCLIFFE

BRIGHT LIGHTS... BEER... BUT GET STUCK IN: N O K I T I N G T I L L M I D D AY.

V I TA L S

You don’t really need wheels, no. This isn’t like the East Coast where picking up a

BEST SEASON: NOVEMBER THROUGH TO MARCH IS WHEN THE DOCTOR IS IN TOWN.

gas guzzling, oil dropping, sixteenth hand horror story of a campervan is acceptable behaviour. That said, if you have wheels then there are rumours of a few pretty passable wave spots roundabout the place. Okay: you can get down to Margaret River.

IN THE BAG: 9, 12, 14M KITES, AND SOMETHING FAST FOR THE LIGHTHOUSE TO LEIGHTON

Do I need a stubby holder to keep my bevvie cool?

BEER: PINT = $11 AUD (€8.5 / $9.50. YUP, FOR REAL.)

NOT IN THE BAG: A N Y P R E T E N S I O N S T H AT YOU’LL BE THE BEST K I T E R O N T H E WAT E R .

RUBBER: D O N ’ T B E S I L LY.

If you can’t drink one of those tiny beers before it warms up then you probably shouldn’t be drinking at all my friend.

Sounds like there must be a catch.

Nope, no catch. Well, you might be a shark’s catch if you head down the coast a bit, but life’s for living and all that. Just don’t fall in.

M O S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : “ I S N ’ T T H AT [INSERT NAME OF PRO FREESTYLER]?!”

L E A S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : “CHUCK ANOTHER TINNIE O N T H E B A R B I E M AT E . ”

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AW E S T R U C K I N PATA G O N I A

AWEST RU C K

I N

Jesse Richman has lived life to the full. He has been higher, faster and harder than most of us can even dream of. The number of ‘awesome’ things he has done is only surpassed by the number of times he has described these things as ‘awesome’. So when Jesse says that he has been awestruck by a place, it’s time to take note.

Words: Jesse Richman Photos: Ning Ma

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Aw e s t r u c k i n Pata g o n i a

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f you ask me, adventures are what life is all about. Anything that breaks you out of the comfort zone. Traveling usually feels like an adventure and is most of the time really awesome, especially when going to dream kiteboarding locations and exploring the world through a kiteboarder’s eye. You see incredible places and get to go on really wild adventures.

The wilder the better and enough is never really enough - there’s always one more run, one more jump or one more wave… But even after some of the most epic moments, there is always a little rockstar deep in the brain that wants more. Sometimes in my downtime between trips, or when it’s flat with no wind, and murky water and rain has ensured there are no adventures to be had, I will ponder the last trip I took and look at the good, the bad and the kiting. Regret is rarely something I think about, but can be an issue if there was an opportunity that I saw come and go and did nothing about.

That can really bother me. I hate it when there is something that I know I could have done but didn’t do, that wave that I should have gone for, the girl I should have talked to, or the gust I should have looped in.

Those are my nightmares, because the fear of not going for it haunts me more than the fear of crashing. I look for ways to make sure that I don’t end up missing out on these opportunities so I can stay stoked all day every day. To do this I always say ‘yes’. I take advantage of what I’ve got because I want to go for it with every opportunity I see come my way. If I do that, then there is nothing to look back on and wish that I had done differently, because I will have gone for it, win or lose, land or fall, makes no difference because I’m not a golfer: I don’t count how many times I screw up, I remember the times that I score, the waves that I got barreled on and the kiteloops where I looked down upon my kite. This epic adventure we call life is about going for it.

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AW E S T R U C K I N PATA G O N I A

M YST I C A L L A N D S My adventure to Patagonia went from a dream to reality really fast. A good friend and inspiring entrepreneur, Christian Sanz, reached out to me and made it clear that he was ready for an epic adventure. On a quest to make the world a better place he created the Skycatch Athlete program, formed to push limits and break boundaries while keeping the planet in mind. We had spoken about going to Patagonia a while back when we were sitting on the beach in Maui. He is from Chile, and Patagonia has been on his bucket list since he was a child. Finally the day came that he was ready to check it off the list and, out of the blue, he hits me up and says “we’re going” and the adventure was born. At first I was overwhelmed with everything that I felt needed to be done to be ready to go. I was a bit nervous - I travel to beaches and tropical islands, not to the middle of the Andes Mountains in freezing cold icy lakes. The internet said it would be in the 33°F range (-1°C) but looking at the photos it looked way colder than that. So, getting as much warm gear as possible, I packed my bags and headed out the door and a couple of days later, Christian and I found ourselves in one of the most mystical lands we had ever seen.

Getting to know people on a trip like this can be either a really good thing or a terrible thing, but luckily for me I met up with two radical people. Christian and Ning Ma Ning is a super fun friend who flew down from New York and takes outstanding photos. The three of us didn’t have any strict set plans other than to explore and map out awesome kiting locations. So crossing each bridge as we came to it worked out quite well and we made a great team.

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AW E S T R U C K I N PATA G O N I A

N O - K I T E

PA RK

The region of Patagonia that we went to was Torres Del Paine, a famous National Park with some of the most breathtaking sights in the world. Exploring the park was amazing but also proved to be a bit frustrating. The Park has very strict rules that no one is allowed into lake waters; rules that don’t really work for me. As we started showing up to beautiful spots that were totally kiteable with solid wind I was extremely excited and yet not, looking at the beautiful, radically crazy spots and not able to ride them... It was more painful than I expected. Although the rules were ridiculous, if we wanted to return to Patagonia on good terms with the park authorities, then rule breaking was not an option. So we met with the National Park rangers and did what we could to make sure we were doing the right thing – it’s always important in a place like that to work with the people who could end up rescuing you one day. Unfortunately after talking with them it was clear that there was to be no kiting in the National Park waters on this trip. So now our mission changed to finding epic kiting conditions outside of this huge, windy park.

We were staying right outside the park along a narrow winding river that flowed down from Glacier Grey in the north. Exploring this area was a lot easier and more fun with our super cool local guide known as “Speedy Gonzalez”, earning his name from the pace he sets on the trails. He grew up in Patagonia and knows it very well, he’s down for any adventure and doesn’t have to leave his homelands to find one as there are many lifetime’s worth of exploration right outside his front door...

E X P LO R I N G T H E PA R K WA S A M A Z I N G B U T A L S O P R OV E D TO B E A B I T FR U S T R ATI N G . T H E PA R K H A S V E RY S T R I C T R U L E S T H AT N O O N E I S A L LOW E D I N TO L A K E WAT E R S ; R U L E S T H AT D O N ’ T R E A L LY WO R K F O R ME .

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A BA L L E AT BA L L WO R L D In the process of looking for great spots we hiked for hours, climbed mountains and found countless crazy sights with tons of wild animals. The locals that we ran into the most were the guanacos. They are Patagonian lamas and from what I heard they are total players. The story goes that the male guanaco will have a group of females that can number up to 50. He stays busy, real busy. To ensure that the females stay around he will get them all pregnant. They will then stay close by for the safety of the unborn chulengos (baby guanaco). Once they give birth, he does what males do best and gets them pregnant again. Keeping his babes around and slowly growing the size of his herd. Once the male chulengos turn one-year-old they are kicked out of the group and sent off to become a guanaco themselves. The only terrifyingly scary thing about being a guanaco is when a male who has been cast out, he gets jealous, and goes after another male by sneaking up behind him while he’s at it and biting off his balls. If executed properly, he becomes the new baller. It’s a ball eat ball world down there.

After a good few days of exploring we knew the day had come to make kiteboarding history. This region of Patagonia is so untouched and nobody has seen or heard of anyone kiteboarding in the lakes before, so we set out to change that. The local

forecast showed winds ranging from 30-60 knots, however the weather there changes so fast that none of the forecasts are very reliable. Driving south to a lake just outside the park boundaries we were pumped. It was a strange experience to be headed to go kite but driving through thick snowfall, nonetheless motivation was still high.

The first spot we rolled up to we were greeted by a man and his rifle. We assured him we were just there to have a good time, and after parting with 20 bucks in local currency we proceeded.

I put all my gear on and was stoked to see what it was like to ride with a hooded 6mm wetsuit, booties and gloves. I launched my 7m Naish Torch and it felt good. Riding out and feeling 50 knot gusts and the frigid water on my face, not as good, and I soon realized that being cold before you start a session in weather that cold is a bad idea.

It was pretty wild and I had about 15 minutes of riding before most of my arms and legs went numb and I couldn’t hold on in the gusts anymore.

It was a cool session and I had a few jumps but the wind was so gusty and wild that it wasn’t totally satisfying. I kited there and it was cool (also really cold), but it wasn’t everything that I was looking for and I felt somewhat unaccomplished.

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I saw w e i r d sw ir li n g m i st vo rt e x e s com in g towa r ds me , I p ut m y k ite d ow n to t he ed g e o f t he wi n d ow and wa i t e d , w he n i t h i t I g ot t h r a sh e d f o r wa r d .

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T H E

C R A Z I E S T

The next day didn’t have as good a forecast but we wanted more and I was ready to give it another shot. After getting the first day out of the way, going for it didn’t seem as gnarly.

I wasn’t really that scared and above all I wanted to go big: I was pumped and ready… Or at least I thought I was. Patagonia works in strange ways and I think this was her way of luring me in. We found a lake that looked epic, windy and steady, I wanted to go bigger than the previous day so I almost pumped up a 10m Naish Torch to be lit, but both Christian and a little voice of reason in the back of my head both convinced me that might not be the best idea. So I took the 7m Torch and hoped it would be enough. Warming up and staying warm until I got in the water seemed to be a much better method this time.

However, being warm and ready on the 7m was not enough for what I was about to go up against, as it turned out it was definitely windy enough. From the second I launched my kite I knew this was a different story to the previous day. The wind was averaging 40 knots with gusts over 60 knots… For a kite, that is pretty out of control. I had a few big jumps that felt good but I saw weird swirling mist vortexes coming towards me. I put my kite down to the edge of the window and waited.

When it hit I got thrashed forward, managed to keep my board on my feet but I have absolutely never felt anything like that.

It was an uncontrollable gust from the depths of Patagonia: strong, wild and untamed. I couldn’t move my kite and was barely able to hold it down, there was so much power and it

W I N D

was so wild my jaw simply dropped. Patagonia was playing with me as I tried to kite in her lake, she knew I was coming and probably laughed as I got tossed around. I was out for about 25 minutes until I couldn’t survive anymore. When I landed my kite it was such a rush of relief filled with stokeness and awe. It was radical: by far and beyond the craziest wind I had ever felt.

The crew and I were stoked, we were all ready for a celebratory Calafate Ale (the local beer). We enjoyed the fact that life is awesome, wild and totally unpredictable. No one knew what we would find on this trip. Some advised that it was not long enough and the chances of getting good conditions were extremely slim, but nothing stopped us and we were overwhelmed with what we found. Patagonia is the most untamed and wild land that I have ever seen. Thankful for everything we experienced there and that nothing went wrong, it was an incredible experience that we will all remember for the rest of our lives. With this adventure we had said ‘yes’, and we went for it, we did the best we could do with what we had – you can’t change the cards you get dealt, but you can use them and everything else to your advantage…

Jesse and the team were supported by

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W E S T S I D E H A C K AT TA C K

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WES T

SIDE

HACK

ATTACK What happens when you start questioning the quality of one of the most iconic waves in the sport?

It’s time for a refresh. Time to dial in some punchy hack time.

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W E S T S I D E H A C K AT TA C K

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he rumours and whispers had been swirling around the Maui kite community for the past few years. Passing words of beautiful white sand, aqua blue water, great wind, and a punchy, rippable beach break. The beach had seen a few images published over the years, but it always went unnamed, unspoken, and stayed off the radar.

While Maui’s north shore is incredible, it is also overcrowded, super windy, and photographed to the point of banality. Excited by the prospect of something fresh, Patri, Sky and myself quietly agreed that on the next swell we would leave our comfort zones and go exploring…

After checking the swell forecast and wind direction we loaded up the truck and set out on our expedition. The northwest swell had been massive the past few days, so we were fairly confident we would at least find waves, but finding waves and wind together is never a guarantee. As we walked down to the beach, pro surfer Dusty Payne and his film crew walked up the path in the other direction – a great confirmation that we were in the right place for the swell. And we were: the waves were pumping, with wedgy fast peaks offering up steep sections for fast and powerful manoeuvres on the outside, before clamping down on the inside.

However, from the lookout over the bay we nervously glanced around as there was absolutely zero wind where we were standing. Not wanting to ruin the optimism and see the mood turn sour, I suggested that we walk down to the beach and – after a few minutes of observation – it became clear the wind would go through cycles filling all the way into the sand then backing off again and leaving the conditions dangerously light for kiting. One wrong move and it would be impossible to relaunch.

Thankfully Patri and Sky are not the kind of guys to be deterred by tricky conditions, and they quickly pumped up and proceeded to have a ridiculously fun session.

Tourists who had never seen kiting before quickly lined up and started snapping photos of the spectacle.

Sky combo-ed swooping carves off the bottom with explosive fin releasing hits off the top. Patri, being a goofy footer, waited until the last possible moment before going completely vertical on his back side hacks. The smooth, punchy beach break was a great contrast to the windblown reefs on the north shore. Patri, never one to play it safe, managed to get a little too aggressive on a few waves and lost his kite to the wind shadow on two occasions and had to swim back to the beach with no hope of relaunching. After three hours of non-stop waves, we packed it in and began the long drive back to the north shore. The day was a huge success and a refreshing break from kiting Lanes and Kanaha. And we all quietly agreed that we would be back on the next solid forecast.

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W E S T S I D E H A C K AT TA C K

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T h e S k y S o l ba c h p e r s p e ct i v e We were having an incredible start to the winter season on Maui with strong trades and pumping surf for weeks on end, and honestly we were getting a little bored with kiting the same waves day after day. On this particular morning, I got a phone call from a heavily caffeinated Patri telling me that he and Quincy wanted to go check out this spot and try to shoot something different. Having tried kiting there on numerous occasions over the years, I knew it would be a crap shoot. The wind was always flukey and unpredictable, and given that you pretty much had to sacrifice a great day of huge surf on the north shore in the hope of maybe finding kiteable conditions pretty much took this spot off of every kiter’s radar on Maui. But, even with all of this in mind, the prospect of riding a different spot for a change sounded too good to pass up and – in the end – everything came together perfectly and we had a really fun session with just the two of us out. The waves were really rippable and it was fun getting knocked around in the shore pound when they unloaded on the shallow inside bank. In a place as crowded and heavily photographed as Maui, it's really refreshing to ride somewhere new and we gotta say a huge thanks to Quincy for dragging us out there…

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W E S T S I D E H A C K AT TA C K

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T h e p h oto g r a p h e r ’ s p o sts c r i p t …

As a photographer, routine becomes the death of creativity.

For creatives, working in the kite industry can begin to feel alarmingly repetitive after a few years of product shoots and marketing campaigns.

Year after year brands pump out new boards, new kites, new colors. The same riders are flown to the same beaches to do the same tricks to show off season’s new products for the camera. Sometimes it feels that the only thing different from one season’s images to the next is the graphics on the boards. The marketing mantra is usually an iteration of: this new kite is better in the waves, that kite has extreme de-power, this board will cut through the chop better.

Evolutionary progress.

Step by step, year after year.

The formula has been working as recent industry figures show kite sales are higher than ever and, to be fair, the technological improvements are real and the gear really is much better. So if the sport is growing and the brands profits are strong then what seems to be the problem?

Well for me the problem is that the brands and the media become complacent and comfortable. The sport begins to stagnate.

Creativity withers.

The logic behind the current situation makes sense: why mess with a winning formula? Aspirational marketing works. Sun, surf, style, and a touch of sexiness create the lifestyle images we all love and aspire to achieve.

Brands have sales projections to meet and quotas to fill.

If last year’s photoshoot made great images and sold a ton of kites why do something different next year?

The danger behind such complacency is decline. Just look at windsurfing. When was the last time something truly new and eye catching went viral from the windsurfing media?

People respond to innovation and risk.

A great example of risk and reward was the recent LED night skiing shoot produced by Sweetgrass Productions - vimeo. com/108679594. The video went viral and was picked up by all the major national news media.

The production costs

were massive by any standards, but the execution was solid, and the reward was great for the brands, athletes, and skiing industry as a whole.

It is time for the kiteboarding industry and media to begin to push its own boundaries. To take more risks. To dream, to experiment, and to grow. We have the visionaries – just look at incredible characters like Ruben Lenten and Jesse Richman. It is time to harness the talent and leverage our resources.

Sometimes exploring requires leaving good waves for the chance of hopefully finding even better undiscovered waves over the next horizon.

It is essential for the sport to leave its comfort zone to evolve to its full potential and realize its future. The journey will not always be painless, and like any evolution it will have its frustrating moments. The risk, however, of not pushing the sport and ourselves is much more severe.

Let the exploration and experimentation begin.

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THE INVISIBLE MASTER

T H E

I NV I S I BL E

IN FI N I T E

L I FE

L ESSONS

M AST E R :

F R OM

T HE

WIND

By Brian Wheeler, TheKiteMag US Correspondent Photos: Christian Black unless stated

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“The heads of Google and Virgin nearly disappeared that night,” recounted Sir Richard Branson. Why

is that, you wonder? Because Branson, a passionate kiteboarder, and his buddy Larry Page (Google’s

CEO), were kiteboarding of course. Business tycoons, it seems, thrive not only on colossal, world-changing business ventures, but on exhilarating outdoor excursions too.

“I think adventurers and entrepreneurs are quite similar,” remarked Branson. “You know, if you’re an entrepreneur, you’re trying to protect against the down side, make sure that you don’t go bankrupt. And if you’re an adventurer you’re getting out there, you’re pushing yourself to the limits; you’re trying to see what you’re capable of, but equally you try to make sure you don’t damage yourself too badly.”

A M A S T E R O F B U S I N E S S A N D A PA S S I O N AT E K I T E B OA R D E R , S I R R I C H A R D B R A N S O N TA L KS W I T H T H E E L I T E B U N C H O F E N T R E P R E N E U R I A L K I T E R S AT T H E A N N UA L M A I TA I N E C K E R EVENT, SET ON HIS 74-ACRE TROPICAL UTOPIA IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS.

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THE INVISIBLE MASTER

Featuring countless parallels, the connections between kiting and business run deep. Anyone who kiteboards knows that the sport is far more than just “the new golf.” In the pages ahead, we will take a look at the spring of valuable lessons freely available from the wind. When the kite is seen as a natural extension of one’s body, then the very act of kiteboarding can empower and even transform one’s business mentality or life altogether. But before proceeding further, let’s turn back to Branson’s voyage gone awry.

Two of the most powerful men in the world nearly disappeared that night, yet Branson called for celebration.

“It was quite fun,” he reflected. Just a day later, the idea of a Kite Jam event hosted on his home turf, was born. For a couple of years thereafter, a small group of lucky kiters would flock to Branson’s beloved home — the 74-acre tropical utopia known as Necker Island — for a week of unspoiled nature, inexpressible beauty, networking, epic parties, and conditions fit for royalty of all stripes.

“Larry Page, myself, and Lucy (Larry’s girlfriend, now wife) decided to kitesurf from an island about 15 miles away back to Necker Island. And everything sort of went wrong,” recalled Branson. “First of all, I headed off before the others because I was slightly older than them, so thought I would take a bit longer. And then they both headed off, the rescue boat going with them. Lucy’s kite got tied up around the propeller of the boat, but Larry carried on, so we didn’t have a rescue boat.

Then the wind died right down, and we ended up taking four hours to cross from Anegada to Necker. We both ended up getting back here in pitch darkness. We were lucky actually…

But all was well.”

Just like Branson and Page, John Rost is passionate about kiting and entrepreneurialism too. Enjoying the boon of adventure on both interrelated fronts, Rost is the president and owner of Fiesta Auto Insurance. Similarly, he’s a worldclass adventurer who has done it all, from summiting Mount Everest and driving racecars to building his own plane (and then setting speed records) to falling madly in love with kiteboarding like the rest of us. Rost also sees the sport of kiteboarding as a far cry from golf. “It’s like being in a racecar,” he says, “and recognizing that if you run into a wall you’re really going to hurt yourself.”

S U S H I D O E S N ’ T CO M E BY T H E P L AT E O N N E C K E R I S L A N D , I T C O M E S P O O L S I D E V I A B OAT.

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I N S U R A N C E M A G N AT E J O H N R O S T E N J OY S A SESSION DURING A KITING-NETWORKING CONFERENCE IN HOOD RIVER, OREGON.

TWO OF THE MOST POWERFUL MEN IN THE WORLD NEARLY DISAPPEARED THAT NIGHT...

N E C K E R I S L A N D O F F E R S 5 - S TA R E V E RY T H I N G , INCLUDING KITEBOARDING.

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THE INVISIBLE MASTER

With over 130 franchises of Fiesta Auto Insurance under his belt and his sights set on cashing in his business karma to live the kiteboarding lifestyle full-time, Rost thinks that “kiteboarding is as every bit as challenging and humbling as starting a business.” Conversely, if you “learn to deal with the pain and process [of kiteboarding], and you push yourself, that helps you deal with the pain and process of being an entrepreneur.” Moreover, he suggested that tenacity, resilience, and persistence are at the heart of both business and our beloved sport.

Naturally, we might then wonder: Why do so many high-profile and innovative people love the sport of kiteboarding so much? Perhaps the attraction lies in business and kiting sharing a similar nature.

Legendary waterman Jeff Kafka thinks that the interconnection between an entrepreneurial mindset and spending time in the wind and waves is largely about “being comfortable being uncomfortable.” That very mentality seems to be one that Rost, Branson and Page employ, both on and off the water. Perhaps thriving in uncertainty is one of the keys to business success — and becoming a multimillionaire or multibillionaire.

Finding comfort in discomfort has most definitely been a prime factor in Kafka’s success too. No stranger to the paradox, Kafka thrives in extreme and unpredictable environments, from mega waves and market forces to gale-strength winds and risky adventures. On his 18th birthday, for example, Kafka ventured out into one of the heaviest surf breaks on the planet, Maverick’s. As he made his way to the water’s edge, with 30-plusfoot waves detonating in the background, passing friends cautioned Kafka against going out, warning that he would drown. Undeterred, the fearless waterman paddled out: falling on his first wave, and catching a second before heading in.

Twenty-two years later, Kafka is now the lead rescue for the ASP’s Big Wave Tour, plus he assists with water rescue operations when the

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WHEN SPENDING TIME ON NECKER, ANYTHING BECOMES POSSIBLE.

T H E M A I TA I N E C K E R E V E N T , W H E R E LU X U RY AND BEAUTY MEET KITING AND BUSINESS.

surf gets huge at Maverick’s or Jaws, or when a big wave film is being made. That being said, Kafka doesn’t just protect surfing’s all-star athletes from the most powerful and potentially lethal waves on the planet; he surfs the epic aquatic canvases with the pros too. “My surfing is progressing really fast and I’m pushing it more and more,” he says. “And you know, a lot of those guys kite as well: so it’s kiting and surfing, whatever the conditions are best for really.” Having kited since nearly the beginning of the sport, Kafka can most definitely hold his own on a kite too — even at Maverick’s, where he became the first person to use a kite to surf the legendary wave.

Just as Branson, Page and Rost repeatedly achieve business success of unprecedented scale, Kafka seems to have similar karma on the water. He attributes much of his achievement to things like trial and error, loving what he’s doing, being good at calculating risk, learning a lot from others, having unwavering patience, and getting into a state of flow.

Additionally, “I’ve got really really good at crashing: falling and usually not getting hurt,” he says. “You can relate that

A LO N G -T I M E PA R T I C I PA N T I N M A I TA I E V E N T S , D R E P O I N T S T H E WAY TO N E C K E R ’ S E P I C K I T I N G B E A C H .

to business as well, because when you’re taking risks or business opportunities, sometimes you’re putting it on the line. But you got to know when to call it quits, when to bail out, and what risks not to take. Kiteboarding is not a sport that is the same each time you go,” he added, “the conditions are always changing. The business world is the same. For an entrepreneur, it’s not all laid out for you. It’s being creative, utilizing your resources, and building friendships.”

Unsurprisingly, Kafka is an entrepreneur too. Running his own shop and school (Wind Over Water) in the San Francisco Bay Area, he also takes small groups of techminded kiters out to Utah each winter for snowkiting and networking adventures. Additionally, Kafka and a friend recently purchased a 42-acre island together, Buckler Island, which will become an exclusive, private kiteboarding club.

Located in The Delta, just northeast of San Francisco, the setup features a huge private bay, epic slicks, plentiful downwinders, and the wind blows all day from April through to mid-October. Eight houses will be built, and eight memberships will be sold…

M A I TA I M A S T E R M I N D S : LEGENDARY KITER SUSI MAI AND V E N T U R E C A P I TA L G U R U B I L L TA I .

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Ironically, one of the most formative business lessons that Kafka learned over the years happened during a kiteboarding experience gone terribly wrong. Back in 2005, he set out with Adam Koch, Chip Wasson, and Steve Gibson to circumnavigate the Farallon Islands, located an unswimmable distance off the Northern California coast. Their intended 75-mile route began at Point Reyes, wrapped around the Farallon Islands, and ended just past the iconic Golden Gate Bridge at Crissy Field.

“You know, you’re really limited a lot by your mind, by what you think you can and can’t do,” Kafka reflected about the life-changing experience. “It is calculated risk. … In your mind, you’re questioning if it’s possible or not. But you go and assess the situation, and you don’t tackle it all at once. You just deal with every couple of miles at a time, trying to make sure you’ve got plenty of power but not too much. And you’ve got to make sure you know what’s coming as far as the wind goes. Same with business, you’re always trying to keep track of everything to keep on top.”

Stage one of their epic adventure went smoothly: Kafka and the crew kited from the Farallon Islands to Crissy field. During their first attempt at the full circumnavigation route, however, nearly everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. The Farallon challenge quickly

became a grueling test of survival. Amidst 50-mileper-hour winds, 13-foot seas, and fog, “the support boats couldn’t even handle it, let alone us,” Kafka recalled.

Before long, the trailblazer found himself nearly two miles from the support boat, very uncomfortably overpowered.

While Kafka’s kite lofted him out of the water, slamming him back into the ocean, Wasson was in far worse shape. “He almost drowned,” Kafka said. “His harness ripped in half, the kite started death-looping, dragging him half of a mile, and he almost completely passed out.”

In dire trouble himself, Kafka eventually decided to bail, pulling his safety to disconnect from the kite. When the boat reached him, the turbulent sea presented the next seemingly impossible challenge. As Kafka oscillated from floating to being submerged under the grueling waves, the boat too was tossed around by the insane conditions. Bobbing at the mercy of a stormy sea, the two eventually struck a similar frequency, where Kafka could be safely pulled aboard. But then, similar to Branson and Page’s session-gone-wrong, Kafka’s kite became tangled in the prop — amidst huge, breaking waves. Miraculously, the team somehow cleared the kite from the boat and they began heading home.

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Despite the group’s epic trials, however, even more danger lay ahead. “Once we were driving in,” Kafka remembered, “the driver crashed the boat at the bottom of a wave, which went through the windshield, and flooded the boat all the way to the top.” Without radio support, and nearly 16 miles off shore, “all we could see was whitewater, and no land,” he said. Chest deep in ocean, on a soon-todisappear boat, the crew faced yet another major challenge: removing shards of broken windshield that had clogged the boat’s bilge pumps. After diving underwater and removing the glass, the group joyfully watched water drain from what soon re-became a boat. And finally, after the trial of a lifetime, they safely motored back to the certainty of shore.

A year later, Kafka and company gave the circumnavigation another go: this time completing the full route without a hitch — or the prospect of death. Reflecting on this formative Farallon Islands adventure, Kafka said: “As far as business stuff goes, it’s pretty similar… You’ve got to plan ahead and take everything into consideration. Sometimes you hit it big, sometimes it’s luck, and sometimes it doesn’t work out… Those experiences are calculated risks, and sometimes things turn out worst than you think, and sometimes they turn out better.”

A N A P T M E TA P H O R , S I R R I C H A R D B R A N S O N L E N D S A H E L P I N G H A N D TO M A I TA I N E C K E R PA R T I C I PA N T S , WELCOMING THEM TO HIS WONDER-FILLED WORLD.

JEFF KAFKA ENJOYING SOME NONL I F E -T H R E AT E N I N G WAV E T I M E .

PHOTO: RICHARD HALLMAN

After reviewing the adventures and experiences of Branson, Page, Rost and Kafka in my mind, one thing seems certain: that the wind offers us an infinite supply of lessons — both on and off the water. Additionally, just as Rost suggested, it seems that tenacity, resilience, and persistence are at the very heart of both business and of our beloved sport.

B A C K I N 2 0 0 7 , L E G E N D A RY WAT E R M A N J E F F KAFKA BECOMES THE FIRST TO KITESURF ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST FRIGHTENING WAVES, MAVERICK’S. AFTER WITNESSING THE M A G I C O F S U R F I N G W I T H A K I T E T H AT D AY , FOUR OF THE BIG-WAVE SURFERS IN THE WAT E R H AV E S I N C E TA K E N TO I T A S W E L L .

PHOTO: FRANK QUIRARTE

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S C O T I A

If you like riding waves with a kite and aren’t overly averse to 1) the cold, 2) a bit of driving around or 3) outdoor living, then Mark Moore just might have the place for you…

N O V A

FRONTIER

FRONTIER: NOVA SCOTIA

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photo: Shaun Lowe

NOVA ’ve been a lot of places and seen a lot of faces: 43 countries to be precise. I’d like to say that I have a great collection of stamps in my passport, but I lost it in the wall of a house in rural Ireland (that’s a whole other story…) Most of this travel has been in pursuit of wind and waves. I’d like to return to many of these places, while others were nice to experience just one time. The majority of this travel has been a gritty existence of living in vans and camping with one-star accommodations on a good day, while I’ve been searching for the surfing and kitesurfing conditions that we all dream about.

In this day and age, the Internet has ruined much of the mystique of searching for waves. Even remote breaks with big reputations are often feverishly crowded. It’s pretty

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SCOTIA disheartening to travel for three days only to find your cherished destination more packed than Australia or California. Barf. I’ve made a few of these types of trips and have learned some valuable lessons.

Having been many places, my standard for memorable sessions is quite high. The thing with surfing and kitesurfing is that it’s relatively easy to find contestable conditions, but very difficult to find something epic. I’m referring to the kind of sessions that tattoo your heart. In the world of kiting waves, we’re seeking swell and a certain combination of wind direction, and finding both of these factors working together at the same time is tedious. We ask much of the ocean.

Onshore slop is fun for strapless airs and one-hit wonders, but as a surfer I’m more intrigued by waves that offer sections and length of ride, by peeling waves that hold kiteable wind…

PHOTO: SHAUN LOWE

FRONTIER: NOVA SCOTIA

THE FAR EAST

PHOTO: SHAUN LOWE

I’m going to share a secret with you. There is a place in far-eastern Canada where this kind of kitesurfing magic happens with alarming regularity. You may wonder why I’d want to blow this place up in a magazine? That’s a pretty simple one to answer: because knowing about a gold-rich region and striking gold are very different …

Nova Scotia is the place. Dubbed Canada’s ‘Ocean Playground’, Nova Scotia is a relatively small province at 575 kilometers in length. As a peninsula, Nova Scotia is a myriad of bays, inlets and point breaks. In fact, if the coastline were to be stretched out, it would span an impressive 7400 kilometers in length. Have a look on Google Earth and you will see the insane setups for surf and wind. You’re going to froth as your mind conjures dreamy images of ridiculously fun waves.

The reason I feel comfortable sharing Nova Scotia as a destination is because of the complexity of its swell and wind source(s). Nova Scotia is not the sort of place that one flies into, drives to a beach and easily scores memorable sessions. That may happen, but local knowledge is of paramount importance in this convoluted oceanic region.

Patient and intrepid explorers will be rewarded.

PHOTO: GRACE CHEN

METEOROLOGY… The province’s swell sources deserve an article in their own right. We’re most frequently hit by SW-S swells with less frequent SE-E-ENE swell. In the cold months, it’s also possible to surf and/or kite WNW swells on a predominantly southeastfacing province. Does that even make sense? Most swells are generated by tropical systems and North Atlantic lows that push off the continental USA. These are complex and dynamic weather systems that add to the complication of scoring epic sessions in Nova Scotia.

Then, once you think you have the swell train dialed in, it’s time to head back to university for another degree in frontal wind. There is a small window of summer thermal breeze but most wind in this zone is generated by fronts. A pilot friend of mine who has flown around the world often told me that the area of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland has some of the most harsh and intense weather in the world. It’s deathly cold in the winter, and surprisingly mild during the summer.

PHOTO: MARK MOORE

PHOTO: GRACE CHEN

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FRONTIER: NOVA SCOTIA

INTREPID TRAVELLERS REWARDED Nova Scotia is mostly known for its point break waves that reel down the cobblestone headlands for hundreds of meters. I’m not talking about a small handful of points. There are dozens and dozens of them. And some of these points are set up to hold kiteable crossoffshore wind. On their day, the points are 150-200 meters long with clean faces. I’m talking 3 to 10 turn waves with faces so clean that you wouldn’t believe that the wind was blowing 20 knots. World class in every sense. This is the sort of place for rugged travellers who realize that finding a memorable session is part of its beauty. This is the sort of place that you visit for a month or more and spend time exploring in search of moments of perfection.

If you know much about worldwide wave generation, you’ll understand that most east coasts are usually not the consistent sides of the continents. That is yet another factor that plays into the complexity of scoring a session to remember in Nova Scotia.

On their day, the points are 150-200 meters long with clean faces I have a good buddy who became the province’s first professional surfer. He has spent the better part of 10 years exploring this dynamic coastline with planes, helicopters and various sea craft. His fabled surf map is priceless – kept closely guarded for a handful of close friends. Oh, the price you’d pay to have access to his knowledge.

The province only has about 35 active kiters and they mostly kite the same beach break daily. If you venture away from this zone, there are literally thousands of potential spots to session. I wish that I could show you my entire collection of Nova Scotian kiting pictures...

Many of the places that I’ve visited can get “good”, but just don’t have the potential to get “epic”. Nova Scotia has the goods to deliver a session that will leave you awestruck… If you do decide to devote weeks of your life to Nova Scotia then just keep looking until you see one lonely kiter on a peeling pointbreak with 20 knot crossoffshore wind. And I’ll see you out there….

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FRONT

PHOTO: ADAM CORNICK

TIER

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A POSTCARD FROM PARADISE

A P OS TC A R D FR O M PA R A D I S E Determined? Astute? Committed? Lucky?! Who knows exactly which attributes have enabled Tuva Jansen and Bertrand Fleury to settle themselves down in the tropics with a world class kiting wave at the end of their garden. But if you tell me you’re not even a bit jealous then I would think a little less of you‌ Tuva reflects on the last few months in paradise.

Photos: Jason Wolcott

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A postcard from paradise

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always find that coming back to Europe after being on our remote island in Indonesia is a bit of a shock. The cold weather, the stress, spending time inside, having to go to the shops to get food, then there are so many people to see and so many options of things to do. But a change is always good.

And I guess it is the same for all people who come to visit us on the kite camp, just the other way around…

Sometimes it takes a couple of days for people to get into the “chill out” mood that you have to have here in Indonesia.

There’s not much stuff happening except for what is going on right in front of the house: the ocean. So we wake up early in the morning, lift our heads to check out the waves and if it is good we go surf and SUP, if not we sleep in or go spear fishing to catch some fresh food for lunch. Then we chill out, eat, hang out and wait for the wind to pick up. Then we kite, hang at the beach for sunset and drink beers, and then we eat, watch the footage from the day and then go to bed early. And that is what we do every day! It’s always the same.

For us it is heaven because we love the ocean and spending time with people, but for others I guess it might sound pretty boring.

We get people from all around the world with completely different levels of kite experience, age and life stories coming to stay at our kite camp. I find it so interesting to meet all these people and to hear about all the different things you can do in life! In recent years it has been more or less only guys, but this year we got a bunch of girls too and they were

charging! So for me it was nice to see that more and more girls are getting into wave riding as well and pushing it further.

This year was the most consistent year we have ever had for waves, it was swell after swell. Not always big, but always some waves to play around with. The wind kicked in a bit later in the season this year too, but then it was on and we had so many unreal sessions. Being able to share that with only a few people in the water and to sit down at the end of the day with a cold Bintang while the sky is turning red and look at the video from that day is just perfect.

We also teamed up with F-ONE this year, and we have been so happy with our gear in the waves here. The kites are super stable and you can just park it and ride the wave without having to worry that it will fall down. We also had some extra kites, boards and SUPs for our customers to try out and we got great feedback on the gear. Since everything is right in front of the house we don’t need to waste time or energy wondering if it might be good now or not and we don’t have to always go and check – that is what I love the most.

The setup here is so perfect with sideshore winds and it’s easy to ride the waves. There are customers who have never ridden a wave before, and after just one session here they have taken plenty of waves and actually ridden them. To see how fast people improve their riding here is so much fun because they get so stoked, and when people are stoked everyone around them gets stoked too!

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T H I S YE A R WAS T HE MOS T CO N S I ST E N T YEAR W E HAVE E V ER H A D FOR WAVES , I T WA S SWE L L AF T ER S W ELL.

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N i c e t o h a v e a b i t o f c o mp a n y i n t h e f o r m o f p h o t o g r a p h e r J a s o n W o l c o tt .

Bertrand shows him around the place...

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THE RIENSTRA DIARIES

THE RIENSTR A DIARIES Occasional dispatches from kiteboarding’s true nomad…

I awoke in the 5th floor apartment of my homie, John Perdina, Slingshot’s South American ambassador. We had just been in Barra Grandé, Brazil, doing a product shoot when he mentioned he was going to Argentina next and had a place I could crash if I wanted to stop by. Having never been to Argentina before, I jumped at the opportunity, even though I only had one week before I needed to be in Panama for Nitrothon. After spending the previous day flying from Fortaleza to Buenos Aires and the night on a bus to reach our current location in the city of Rosario, I was lagging pretty hard. But seeing the Parana River stretching across the forested plain before me, and Argentina’s third largest city towering around me, I got the ting of anxious excitement I usually get when I see a new place for the first time. For some reason I had pictured Argentina as a mountainous area, seeing as most Argentinians I have met in the past had been visiting my home town in Lake Tahoe to work at ski resorts for the season, but after driving four hours inland from the coast we had only gained 100 feet in elevation. Which was a relief because, in my experience, mountains and smooth wind never really go well together.

That said, today wind was the last thing on my mind since I had just spent the last two months on the northern coast of Brazil kiting every day.

Today was the grand opening party of Renton Wakeboarding Complex and I had been invited as a special guest to put on a show.

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SHOWTIME

Burritos, beers, and bikinis... my favorite combination.

eeing as I hadn’t ridden cable since visiting England prior to arriving in Brazil, I was frothing to hit a kicker, but I didn’t expect what was laid out before me when I caught the first sight of the setup. Sure they had kickers but also double pools with down rails, a crazy looking half rainbow to down to flat, and a flat up flat single pipe! These were no beginner features and right away I knew the locals here meant business. On the patio a crowd of beach goers and riders were already enjoying the summer sun, jamming to music and ordering drinks and food at the bar. Burritos, beers, and bikinis... my favorite combination. After conversing for a bit it was show time. My first few laps went well considering it was my first time riding there, but after that I remembered just how much more strength and stamina it takes to ride a two tower cable compared to kiteboarding… That and how getting your heart rate up pumps the beers through your system much quicker. Five laps in I could feel my head getting light and my arms started burning, and all of a sudden I was going down hard on basic tricks, and I even smashed myself on a rail for the first time in years. The crowd was loving it though and I kept going until I thought my arms were going to fall off. I always enjoy putting on shows like that since it’s not a competition, so whether you are riding your best or not it’s all fun. Plus people enjoy big crashes just as much as big tricks! But

eventually the drinks and the jet lag caught up with me, and I fell asleep for the rest of the day.

We returned to Renton the next day so I could put on a small freestyle clinic for the operators there. All of them already had a sizeable bag of tricks so I was worried that I wouldn’t have many new tricks to teach them. But one of the great things about boardsports is that no matter how advanced a rider you are, there are always basic trick techniques to be improved upon to help you keep pushing your limits.

Even if you can already flip, spin, and ride rails, taking a step back to build upon your foundations will help you take the next step.

Basic things like toeside, switch, and grabs, once mastered at a basic level, can be added to tricks you already know. After showing the guys some techniques to make spinning, flipping, landing blind, and edging toeside easier, I could see the lights begin to turn on in their minds and excitement in their eyes – the best part of being a teacher – and almost immediately they were adding grabs and 180s to the spins they already knew and gaining more speed toeside. Within a few tries everyone had landed a new trick! It was awesome to see everyone feeding off each other and throwing down fearlessly. After they had pushed as far as their bodies could go, it was my turn to shred. Only this time I was well rested, and a little more sober. And then, after an amazing session, we ended the day with more burritos, beers, and bikinis…

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THE RIENSTRA DIARIES

TURBINE POWERED fter sleeping off the hangover from the night before, the wind arrived! The first spot we hit up was Florida, a small beach on the northeast end of town, just before the Victoria Bridge.

When we arrived there were already a dozen kites pumped up on the beach, their owners anxiously waiting for the wind to fully fill in. Luckily I had my 17m Turbine so I was the first on the water. My big kite combined with the strong current going against the wind provided plenty of power to stay upwind and get good pop for tricks.

Then as the wind increased the kites waiting on the beach all scrambled to take off. Within 30 minutes there were about 40 kites on the water but it didn’t feel crowded. Unlike other kite spots, everyone spreads out across the river instead of staying as close to the beach as possible.

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The next day we went to Banquito, the main kite spot in the area. It is across the river from Rosario so you need to take a quick boat ride to get there. Local kite legend, Tortu, has an amazing set up there with a bunch of rails and a kicker. But the wind was blowing in the wrong direction so unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to session there, but instead we did a downwinder through the city back to Florida. About a quarter of the way, along the shore of Parque Espania, there was a huge rock wall that was perfect for wall rides. Finding urban features that you can kite on is rare, so when everything lines up right it is an amazing experience and is the most fun I ever have kiteboarding. That evening we returned to the spot to try to get some flash shots on the wall.

Only this time instead of downwinding to the wall, we pumped up right in the park and jumped down into the water.

It was so sketchy launching close to the huge buildings and on top of a wall, since the wind gets really crazy. Luckily I made it into the water without issue but after just a couple of hits the cops came and kicked us out as we didn’t have lights.

And so, after a week, it was time for me to move on to my next destination. Not getting to ride the kicker and sliders reaffirmed that my usual policy of never going anywhere to kite for less than two weeks is the best way to go, but this was a great trip to explore and see what Argentina is all about and next time I will be sure to give myself more time.

Finding urban features that you can kite on is rare, so when ever ything lines up right it is an amazing experience and is the most fun I ever have kiteboarding.

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Interview: Luke McGillewie

Interview:

l u k e mcgillewie

uke McGillewie made a real impact on the KSP during its unfortunately short-lived run. As with a lot of budding wave-riders nowadays though, it’s hard to make an impact and raise sponsor dollars without the exposure that a competitive career brings – thankfully for Luke he was taken under the wing of RRD and now lives a pretty dreamy life riding and testing in Cape Town.

photo: courtesy rrd

Photos: Bianca Asher unless stated

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I ’V E BE E N W ITH RRD FOR 4 YEA RS NOW. I T ’S SUC H AN INSANE TE A M TO R IDE FO R.

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Interview: Luke McGillewie

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TKM: Hey Luke, tell us a bit about your background. How did you end up in Cape Town?

L: Well I am originally from the UK, and in 1999 my family came on holiday to Cape Town and – while on holiday – they bought a house! We were back in Cape Town full time in 2000 and in 2006 I got into kiting.

TKM: What about your relationship with RRD? L: I’ve been with RRD for 4 years now. It’s such an insane team to ride for. As a team we come together and test the gear in a huge variety of conditions and give each other ideas and feedback. I love it as I get to help test kites that suit myself, and that everyone else will enjoy.

TKM: Which kites and boards have you mostly tested and what are you most impressed with for 2015?

L: I test most of the kites from beginner kites to race kites to wave kites, and from my perspective the Religion has improved a lot, and also the Obsession Pro: that’s one insane C kite.

TKM: What are the main changes with the Religion?

L: We’ve changed a few flying characteristics making the kite more stable while still turning fast enough and having enough downwind drift.

TKM: Do you still hop on a twinnie and give some feedback there?

L: I do now and again but I’m more involved with the surfboard side of things.

TKM: What’s Roberto like as a boss?

L: Robby! He’s a legend, he has the most energy out of everyone! We have a lot of good fun with him and the team, he is like a good mate who respects everyone’s opinion. Although

he does tend to eat too much pasta…

TKM: Where are the best spots to ride in the waves if it’s howling, and can you find clean waves?

L: That is a topic I can’t talk about!

Cape Town has so many insane spots you will always be able to find a clean wave to ride but you might be on a 4m…

TKM: The KOTA has raised the profile of Cape Town even higher – what’s it like in Cape Town during the main season now?

L: The KOTA is such a unique event – it’s such a great event to be involved in and hopefully the world tour will get to the same standard. When you get Cape Town on an epic day you will see thousands of kiters within a 20 kilometer stretch. It’s as good as it gets. Yet there is still always enough space to have an insane session.

TKM: You had a good run on the KSP – what’s it like for younger waveriders like yourself without a competitive circuit at the moment?

L: I did indeed. It’s hard if you are a dedicated wave rider. It makes it hard to get sponsors and the support you need. I’m very fortunate to have such good backing from Roberto. I would love for there to be a dedicated wave tour supported by Virgin, but we will have to wait and see…

TKM: Be honest: do you look forward to the arrival of the masses every November or is it a bit heartbreaking to see all of your favorite spots packed?

L: It’s a great thing to see the industry growing in Cape Town, to be honest I can still get in my car, take a drive, and ride a perfect spot with no one out. There are so many spots that are undisclosed. The vibe may change from spot to spot, but it’s always good, I mean who can complain – we are all on the water instead of in an office!

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Interview: Luke McGillewie

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TKM: Which guys do like to watch riding?

L: I love watching Kevin Langeree – he is such a great all round athlete! Also a huge mentor and a guy that stands out the most to me is Mitu, he helped me so much in Portugal with my riding, giving me tips to improve. He did the same in Mauritius telling me about timing and sinking my rail, so it was a dream to go head-to-head with him and come out with the heat win! He came to me and said, “See, you put it all together and it worked, well done.”

Hands down the most humble person I have met.

TKM: What do you do when you’re not kiting?

L: I either surf or SUP but at the moment in my free time I’ve taken to the task of running the South African Kiting Association (SAKA) and we have huge plans for the future. At the moment we are really focused on putting on great events like the one we held this January. It was a huge success. We had wave and freestyle disciplines and we cut off entries at 50 but we still had plenty more people trying to enter – definitely a huge step for kiting in South Africa.

TKM: The South African road trip seems to be pretty much compulsory – where do you like to head to if you hit the road?

L: Oh it is! The east coast is great and a must, but I tend to head up the west coast to a few undisclosed locations…

TKM: Would you ever consider living anywhere else?

L: No! (But if I had to, it would be Mauritius hands down!)

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Interview:

I N T E R V I E W : O L LY B R I D G E

O L LY

BRIDGE

lly Bridge had a remarkable 2014 in the course racing world.

Everything he touched seems to have turned to gold and, if it wasn’t for one slight ‘it was mum’s fault’ glitch at the world championships, it would have pretty much been a clean sweep. Back home for some downtime between events, Olly and his dad Eric headed down towards TheKiteMag HQ for some action in the waves (it turns out that Olly’s packing a pretty decent frontside hack too) and we sat down

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post-session to find out exactly what has gone so right for Olly this year…

Olly’s pretty understated about his achievements. Has it been a good year? “Yeah, it’s been really good,” he concedes. You wouldn’t know it looking at the overall results but it has been pretty tight at the sharp end of the fleet explains Olly. “My main competitors have been Maxime [Nocher] and Florian [Gruber], we have had some close racing.” This year has seen the arrival of a new breed of super fit younger riders

who are now dominating the fleet.

There are definite comparisons with the early competitive freestyle scene when the ‘kids’ suddenly started to dominate, and – as with freestyle – the level now is reaching new heights.

Olly’s highlight of the year was the ISAF (the International Sailing Federation, a stepping stone to Olympic inclusion) event in Abu Dhabi where they were trialing a new format of shorter and more intense races. The average race

it’s actually much easier,” explains Olly.

“You haven’t really got any bar pressure as all the power is coming through the center line, so when you are traveling upwind fast, the power is all coming through your harness pretty much.

They turn a bit slower, but the tacking is easier as they come forward over your head more and you can go further upwind on a tack.” So will he just be riding these from now on? “Yeah I think so. I have an 18 and a 15 then an 11 and a 7, and I should be getting something in between the 7 and 11.”

Olly dominated the formal race circuit this year, but he was also invited to

time was only four minutes and – unlike the standard racing format with an upwind start – the racers start at full tilt traveling across the wind. “It looked pretty good,” said Olly. “We were in front of the city with the flat water so it was really cool. All the ISAF events next year will have that format with a series of events globally over the course of the year and the top 20 riders returning to Abu Dhabi for the final again.” The hope is to get an easily understandable and quick-fire format that will transfer well to the Olympic platform. One big advantage for the kiters is the lightwind potential. Eric points out that, “if you skip forward or backward on the video of the event that day then all of the dinghies are struggling to get going, even the catamarans, yet the kiters are going full speed – it looks like someone has turned the wind up 20 knots.” This is a real plus for an Olympic ‘class’ where the sight of sailing dinghies traveling not-very-fast or windsurfers pumping their way round a course doesn’t make for the most enthralling spectacle. The format seemed to suit Olly and he dominated the event winning all of his races and then the final ‘medal race’.

The other headline event of the year was the World Championships in Istanbul

in August. Olly had been dominating the event and looked certain to win until he found himself without a kite for one of the crucial final races. The reason: Mum (Steph Bridge) had it. “Yeah she had been saying all week that she wasn’t going to take my kite,” explains Olly.

“But the day before she was in the last race of the day so she took it and said it was really good. The next day she took it again and she dropped it in the water and couldn’t relaunch it. She was taking forever and crashing tacks and she just didn’t make it back to me in time for my race, so I missed my start.” The points system in place for the race meant that Olly did not have a discard for the event so had to count the result and missed out on the win. You’d imagine that there were a few uncomfortable silences on the flight home, and Olly probably got out of the washing up for a few weeks…

Another big development in the last 12 months in the world of kite racing has been the rise of the foil kite. These have made a return from the pages of the ‘kite history’ books (for water use at least) and are now back at the front of the fleet. Olly has had to roll with the times and quickly get on board with what are currently the undisputed kings around the racetrack in anything under 15 knots.

So was the transition challenging? “No,

one of the most iconic water events on the planet, the Lighthouse to Leighton in Australia. This is a 19 kilometer race from Rottness Island to Leighton Beach. It may not be the most technical event on the planet but it has legendary status in Australia and this year easily filled the allotted 110 places. Local kiters spend months training for the event and have even developed specific asymmetric boards to maximize their chances of scoring a podium. So with 110 kiters on the start line – and with Olly knowing that he had a good chance in the race – did he hold back and make sure he got away cleanly? “No, I was bang on the start,” laughs Olly. “It was a good feeling – then you just race full on!” He recalls. “There’s a boat that you have to follow so that you know where you are going, so you spot that and just go for it!” Olly wiped over a minute off the record but thinks he might have gone faster. “Yeah I was a bit underpowered and with a foil kite and a slalom board I think I could have gone a bit quicker.”

Has it been a better year than expected for Olly? “Yeah for sure, it’s been really good.” And he looks genuinely stoked.

So will he be traveling the world and be 100% focused on the racing for 2015.

“Yeah, well when I finish school in June I will be!”

And the lesson? Don’t listen too hard at school, kids: get on the water instead.

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TECHNIQUE

TECHNIQUE WITH

MITU

THE POP

A couple of sequences here to get any aspiring Rodeo Kiteloopers off on the right foot… Mitu takes us through the essential beginning to any strapless trickery, the pop, and then on to the next logical progression, adding a grab…

THE GRAB Go through the same moves as for The Pop, but as you bring your legs up, bend your front knee more and bring the board close to your hands. You can then reach down and grab it.

When you have the board, pull more on the bar, which will give you extra lift and send you up higher (but keep your hand close to the center of the bar to keep the kite steady).

To go down, release the bar slowly and you’ll start heading down, but pull on the bar again just before landing to keep the impact soft.

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THE POP Keep your speed up and then get ready to pop.

Put pressure on the back foot and then when you kick up on a small bit of chop, bend your front leg as much as you can, and then put the board into the wind. The wind will automatically fix the board to your feet. Release the bar a little as well because if you pull on the bar the kite’s going to push you away from the board and you’re going to lose it… As you start coming down, release the bar further until you are about to land, and then pull on the bar as you come down to keep the landing soft.

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SCAN ME FOR THE FULL TESTS!

S O M E T E A S E R S H E R E O F W H AT T H E K I T E M A G ’ S TEST TEAMS HAVE BEEN UP TO. You can find the full test results at TheKiteMag.com/tested

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C O R E R I P P E R 2 6 ’ 2 From the classic surf PU core, to the FCS II fin system, to the wooden stringer: the Ripper 2 is a surfer’s kite board. It needs to be treated with respect but if you want a PU feeling board that doesn’t ‘ping’, and that you can also paddle out and surf if the wind dies out then the Ripper 2 is a fantastic option. In terms of the shape, there is a classic shortboard outline, with a medium rocker and a relatively generous amount of width in the nose to get you planing early. On the water and the ride is incredibly smooth then, turning on to a wave, and the thruster set up and the rounded square tail mean that the Ripper 2 snaps around assertively and doesn’t miss a beat. DownARD TES the-line and the BO T F single to double R U concave delivers plenty of speed and stability, and rail-to-rail performance is excellent. In short: the Ripper 2 is a real pleasure.

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R R D O B S E S S I O N P R O RRD’s ‘no compromise’ freestyle beast has been a favorite with ‘I wanna feel the power!’ riders for a few years now. The 2015 model is looking particularly lethal with thinner struts shaving some weight off, and one of the thinnest leading edges we have ever seen… The result is impressive with extremely fast turning speeds and constant power.

The Obsession Pro sits deep in the window which makes it ultrastable for unhooking with no sign of stalling, giving you time to gain tension for the pop and to complete your landing. For us though the main highlight was the precise turning circle: it just turns right on its axis without losing any power which makes it a looping machine. The Obsession Pro comes with 20m lines which you have to be more aggressive with, but once you get it going it comes alive and creates exceptional power for extreme high speed boosts – it gives you the feeling of being ripped off the water and really has that that pure “C” feel. It’s not for all, but if you are a hardcore freestyler then the Obsession Pro will put smile on your face for certain.

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S L I N G S H O T R P M Slingshot’s RPM has done them very well, with two world titles and a dedicated and highly committed following. This year’s release has been given particular fanfare due to the addition of the new IRS ‘suspension system’ which eliminates pulleys, replacing them with a bungee system. Other improvements in materials are also evident, as is a new ‘high flow’ one pump. Riding the new RPM and there is an immediate difference STYLE TES T in the feel of the kite – it feels DE EE KED P O R a lot less bridled and more W F HOO E R N direct. Sheeting is more direct and it has a more ‘C’ feel. It’s very nice. Looping and unhooking and the freestyle credentials are still very much there but was a slightly jet-powered feel. RPM devotees will certainly be satisfied, but freestylers who like a bit more ‘grunt’ may also be in the queue…

VE TEST W AI T Y DE

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N O R T H N E O North’s Neo made the full transition to the world of ‘wave specific’ last year and proved itself to have real pedigree in the waves, with the low end giving it some of the oomph that other wave kites can lack.

The 2015 Neo keeps that low end and adds something new: high end!

Last year’s Neo was a beast when it breezed up, but this year’s incarnation doesn’t mind being stacked. You can feel at your harness as if you are struggling, but ease off the bar and ride the wave and it really turns off – it feels like something of a magic trick. As with last year ride it 1 or 2 sizes smaller, you might feel underpowered on the beach but once you start generating some apparent wind it settles down and pulls really nicely. Drift is excellent and all round a very positive evolution of the Neo which places it right in the mix at the top of the ‘wave kite’ table.

TRAVEL DIRECTORY

TRAVEL DIRECTORY

TRAVEL DIRECTORY

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STUFF

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

North Evo

North’s Evo has evolved into something of a classic within the North range. Kind of like a slightly cheekier Rebel which has something for everyone… This year’s Evo has been tuned up and now ticks those big-air and unhooked boxes more confidently, and with 5-struts it’ll also handle all the breeze you can throw at it…. Bring on Big Bay.

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Liquid Force Envy

Now something of an elder statesman within the world of kites, the Envy isn’t resting on its laurels, oh no…

Refinements continue, the most striking stat being that the 2015 Envy is a STAGGERING 25% lighter than the previous incarnation, bringing with it all of the benefits that a lighter, more sprightly kite delivers.

2015 BWS Noise Pro The 2015 Noise Pro is an impressive evolution of the previous year’s model.

It’s nice to be able to gear a kite 100% towards one discipline and that’s what the BWS team can do with their 100% surf focus. Expect top of class drift, superresponsive handling and bombproof construction.

There’s even a bit of color injected into the graphics for 2015 too: BWS you are spoiling us.

F-ONE Trax HRD The benchmark for top-end freestyle extravagance, this year’s Trax HRD has an entirely new shape and features the new Helical Rail Design, a three stage rail profile designed to improve precision and directional stability… Plus there’s a new layup incorporating a carbon laminate bringing the weight down.

It just keeps getting better.

CORE Sensor 2 The Sensor 2 bar is the latest evolution of CORE’s control system.

It is very, very light and very nicely thought out, with the new Supported Single Line safety, providing you with all of the benefits of single line safety without the negatives…

The perfect bar?! Maybe.

RRD C.O.T.A.N The COTAN (or Cut Off Tail And Nose… Clever) has a traditional shortboard outline but without the restricting additions of a pesky tail or nose.

So we’re talking less volume and length which equates to a faster and more responsive board.

Sounds like hype? Check out the product clip of the team riders shredding it at One Eye…

ION Spectre If you are the kind of person who likes ‘options’ then the Spectre is for you. Top of the “let’s have a play with that then” list is the new ION T–Sticks which enable you to adjust the support characteristics of the harness depending on what you do with your sticks…

There is also the Airframe providing plenty of support but not holding too much water, and the Slingbelt to keep everything in place.

Clever stuff indeed.

Slingshot Vision The 2015 Vision has been stiffened up for improved pop and softer landing and is also packing the bombproof DURA base. Plus there are new NACA TECH channels which move water from the middle of the board to the tips in double time. And we have got to the end without mentioning the graphics…

CHECK THEM OUT!

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Meteorology w i t h T o n y B u tt Meteorolgy

photo: Carlos Toro w w w.w h i t e wav e s . e u

If you are reading this, wind is almost

on the island of Crete, archaeologists

life. You are probably aware of the

to around 130 thousand years ago.

certainly going to be a big part of your direction, strength and quality of the

wind 24 hours a day, and are probably up-to-date with the forecast for the

coming days. This regular column will take a look at that wind from a more

have found stone tools dating back Crete has been an island for around five million years, so the people using those tools must have crossed the sea to get there; experts believe they used

But of course, nowadays, we know that wind isn’t generated by large bearded gods, or small winged fairies; we know that it is a physical process essential for the correct functioning of our planet.

Wind is just one of many mechanisms that the Earth uses to maintain its heat

primitive sailing boats and the wind…

balance. In simple terms, the solar

with looking at where wind comes

Those first people to perceive wind

the equator is more concentrated than it

workings of the planet, then we’ll

what wind actually is and how it is

scientific point of view. We’ll start

from and how it fits into the general have a look at different types of wind,

secondary consequences of wind such as chill factor and water temperature and then, of course, we’ll look at how we can predict the wind.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines wind as: The perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction. Wind is ‘perceptible’ because the air molecules are moving and, when they bump into something, energy is transferred from the air to that object. That is why we feel wind blowing in our face, why it drives ocean currents and generates waves, and why it can be used to propel

probably didn’t know much about formed. Throughout the centuries early civilizations believed that wind, like many other things, was controlled by gods, pixies, or other mythical creatures. Civilizations all over the world had their own particular personages to take charge of their winds. For example, the Greeks relied on Aeolus as a general wind overseer, with various other gods in charge of winds of specific directions and seasons of the year. Aeolus is still alive now, in the form of terminology such as

energy received by the Earth’s surface at is at the poles. In the absence of a heatdistribution scheme, this would result in the equator getting hotter and hotter with respect to the poles. It doesn’t, therefore that heat-distribution scheme must exist. It is the moving fluids of the planet – the atmosphere and the ocean – that carry all that heat around. And, of course, the atmosphere in motion means wind…

Next issue I’ll dig a little deeper into how the system works, and how the atmosphere forms part of the planet’s own giant thermostat.

aeolian sediment transport, the process by which dunes are formed, or the expression for wind energy in various

Tony Butt holds a PhD in physical

European languages, such as the

oceanography and is the author of Surf

Spanish Energía Eólica.

Science, an Introduction to Waves for Surfing (2014) and The Surfer’s Guide

us along behind our kites.

to Waves, Coasts and Climates (2009).

Wind has played a part in our lives for

Tony is also a big-wave surfer who spends

a long time. Some of the first humans

the northern winter in a forgotten corner

or proto-humans who lived many

of Northwest Spain, and migrates to

thousands of years ago were conscious

Southwest Africa during the southern

of it. Recent evidence found in Greece,

winter…

for example, has put a possible date on the first wind-powered voyages where, 94 | TheKiteMag

'Aeolus 1' by Ed Stevenhagen

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THE D ARK R OOM

P H OTO G RAP HIC WIZ ARDRY W I T H ST EPHAN KL EIN L EIN Welcome to the Dark Room. This regular slot sees one of kiteboarding’s most revered photographers sharing some of his knowledge about the world of ocean photography. Stephan will be bringing us some practical advice from next issue onwards, but we thought we’d kick off by asking Stephan a pretty essential question:

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The Dark Room

Wh y b e a n o c e a n p h oto g r a p h e r ?

I believe all good things in life start and continue out of a strong passion and the dreams we have inside of us.

For myself, after being here for almost 50 years on our beautiful blue planet, I can say for sure that adventure in or around the water has been the path of my life. Whether it was surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, SUPing or diving (preferably free-diving) I was always straight into it. Which wasn’t easy growing up in a town in Germany which was far, far away from all the beautiful oceans!

It didn’t take long though before I was traveling the world to follow my dream to one day live on the beach.

In my early years of traveling I lived in Hawaii, Maui, California and the southern countries of Europe (and I still try to travel every year to these places for the big wave seasons).

Then, aged 27, I moved to Australia which became my home, and Byron Bay on the east coast is now my base from where I travel the world with my photography every year.

So photography and the interest in art has been my focus since I was young. I have always been a more visual person, seeing details and beautiful things around me, and especially capturing things that the normal person doesn’t really see. For example the breaking wave underneath the water surface.

If you think about it, even a surfer doesn’t really see clearly how a wave looks when it breaks underneath the waterline because they don’t wear googles, and a scuba-dive photographer doesn’t really spend much time in shallow waters to capture those incredible moments. I was also inspired by other surf and wave photographers, guys like Clark Little and Russell Ord, so I went out experimenting

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with different types of water camera equipment. Coming home with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of images every day and going through them on the computer to find the few really special ones was, and still is, incredibly exciting. Shooting fast action sports like kitesurfing on fast rolling waves, freezing the split second, and turning it into some colorful or incredible black and white photo images is very satisfying.

So if you are aiming to become a professional ocean photographer you need to be willing to put the time and effort in, with years of learning and a willingness to experiment with new equipment and techniques, plus you need to train hard to be able to swim for many hours in the ocean with your camera water-housing equipment whilst getting hammered by set waves or getting nailed by the fins of some of the guys buzzing around you, and you also have to be comfortable having other much bigger creatures around you while you are waiting for the next shot!

The passion and the urge to capture special moments that nobody has captured before is crucial to success.

And in the end it is a lifestyle. It can become a way to see amazing places, to meet incredible people and travel the world. But in most cases your income will be eaten by new camera equipment and travel expenses (especially for excess camera luggage, equipment maintenance and insurance and all the other bits and pieces we have to pay for). Luckily I have been a skydiving instructor and camera flyer for many years and have over 15,000 jumps on my belt, and my work here has supported my ocean photography adventures.

These days I mainly shoot for kite and surf brands, magazines and advertising companies as well as focusing on my own art work. These photoshoots often involve weeks or months away from home, shooting whole days in and around the water. Then in the evening – when everyone can relax and have a beer – my job just really starts with several hours on the computer importing the footage and editing, then cleaning and preparing the equipment for the next day.

So being a professional ocean photographer works only with 100% commitment, tons of self-motivation, and heaps of dedication to get through a job from the beginning to the end.

Thankfully at the end, when the job is done, normally the clients are really happy and I feel satisfied (and of course you will get a lot of free beer from other kiters who hope to one day be in your shots!).

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1.

Kiting is just a pure energy sport. Playing with the elements and having the best fun out there. Fast shooting is often the case with fast moving objects. Trying to get each single droplet that splashed into the air during a jump or on a wave. Get the angle, get the trick. Try something different and enjoy.

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2.

Be there, in that special moment. Always have your eyes open for the next shot. I believe the best shots happen when the performer doesn’t know you are shooting. But for those shots you as a photographer have to work even harder and be alert all the time, because things can happen anytime. Sometimes I’m in the water waiting for the next rider to come and perform when all of a sudden I turn around and a board is right there, almost in my face. Be ready for anything. A cameraman in the water, especially for kitesurfers, is almost like a magnet.

Filming or shooting far away on an outside reef you can still tell where the photographer is swimming as you can see where the bunch of kiters are hanging around!

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THE DARK ROOM

3.

Here are some pics of me: selfies! Pretty much the only shots which exists of me these days because I am behind the lens all the time. But I enjoy being the photographer more than being the performer on the board – plus wave photography is like a sport on its own and can be very demanding when the waves are big, the current is strong, and the sea life large.

4.

Don’t forget it is all about having fun in the water, in front or behind the lens. Capturing the pros is fun when they do their radical tricks, but getting a smile from someone while they are enjoying their time in the ocean is just as rewarding.

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5.

Here are a few shots of my personal passion: water photography and art work. I think the images speak for themselves. Lines, colors, patterns, nature, beauty and energy. I love to capture those moments and turn them into a piece of art for us, so we can watch them on our computer, on the walls in our houses or wherever.

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THE DARK ROOM

6.

Waves are the queen category for surf photographers. Kiting, SUPing, surfing: it all looks spectacular if the shot is taken from the right angle. The power and riding with the energy of the waves, it doesn’t get more pure than this. Being in the water as a photographer can be very challenging, especially when the waves are getting bigger. But the images can be amazing. When shooting with a long lens from the shore, it can also be challenging to get the right angle, but be creative, think about composition, think about the fore and background as well as the rider.

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7.

This is me winning my first competition after 10 months kiting, the Asian Windsurfing Tour on Saipan. The only real trick I knew was a back roll, but at the end I was consistent with it and won against some top riders who tried to pull the big tricks in low wind and didn’t score. Well, it was a joke, but I won!

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THE DARK ROOM

8.

These were many years ago back in Tarifa.

I was there for some kitesurfing action – a place I used to go even in the early days for windsurfing when it all started with wooden booms and very big sails! At this stage (in the shot with me in the green tee) I was standing in the lagoon near Tarifa to take some shots with my little tiny Canon camera. I got frustrated with my shots as everything was too far away and I didn’t have a proper water-housing. Then I watched those pro surf photographers with the huge lens (the guys in the other shot) and I was able to have a glimpse through that lens. From that moment I knew that I had to save my money and I knew that I would love to get more seriously into surf and water photography.

9.

Rule number 1 is to have fun and enjoy your time! Don’t worry too much about what other photographers do.

Try to find your own style and play around. Experimenting is often more successful than reading tons of books about photography, especially when you try to work out your style of photography.

What does all the technical knowledge about cameras and the settings mean when you don’t have an eye for it? And the eye for photography comes from going out to shoot, shoot and shoot some more!

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10.

What is really happening under the wave when it breaks and loses its energy? I personally love this particular part of surf photography – to capture and freeze those moments. They just look awesome.

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T EL L A B OUT

M E

I T

Brandon Scheid got stuck in at the coal face when he had a few ideas around the Echo, a new board to slot in to Liquid Force’s Profiled Wood Core range…

So, what happened first? Did you have a concept for the Echo, or did Liquid Force say they wanted to develop a board and you started from scratch?

It all started with a random shaped one off proto that was made during the development of the Focus board.

Somehow that board ended up in my hands and I started riding the board quite a bit. At the time we only had the Drive in our profiled wood core construction, so this proto was to see how we could modify the bottom shape and contours in this particular construction. After some amazing sessions, I began

to think about how we could improve and modify this board to better suit my own personal needs. A tinkerer at heart, I was up late making templates for the boards out of cardboard in my garage.

Around this same time Liquid Force was trying to make a board to resonate with those that loved the DLX. They were looking to make a progressive, higher rocker board for the people

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wanting more of a “wake-style” feel. So after some phone calls and meetings, it was slated into the 2015 line plan and I was given the green light to begin the development process with Jimmy Redmond.

After the decision was made, what are the main decisions to be made before you start development?

Once we decided that we were going to make the board, we had a lot of questions to answer. What kind of construction, what outline,

how much rocker, dimensions, shape, price, name, marketing ideas – the list goes on. Most of the important physical things are addressed while working with Jimmy Redmond, who is a legendary board shaper, however things like marketing and artwork are handled by other in-house departments. This makes the board largely a team effort and we wouldn’t have it today without

a lot of work from all involved. It is our belief at LF that a great product sells itself so most of my effort went into making a killer board that people would love. This meant finding a shape and a bottom contour that was progressive, new, and fun to ride. We initially decided to make the Echo in our profiled core, which drove us to develop all new processes and techniques to create the shapes and bottom contours we were thinking of. Prior to this project Jimmy was unsure if he could even do the things I

was asking for in the board. Ultimately we were able to create something that really pushed our board technology to the next level while simultaneously delivering on all our performance needs.

With the type of riding I like to do it was really important for the board to have a few key characteristics. First, I ride hard and in some cases in unforgiving locations, so durability is of upmost importance. I wanted the board to be able to handle anything I could throw at it. Secondly, I like to ride fast and go big. This meant that the board needed to have ample amounts of pop and the rocker to handle the landings. However I did not want the board to be a waterplower, so finding the right balance of rocker was very important. Thirdly, I really like wake tricks but that’s not all I do on the water. I wanted something that would perform at a really high level but still be fun to carve and turn as well as have a slightly forgiving feel. These characteristics are mostly controlled by flex profile and outline, so we needed to make sure we found a balance between performance and

fun. Lastly, I wanted something that wouldn’t have a high price tag. Most of the people I see looking for a park board don’t have tons of cash, nor do they want to take their $800+ boards on rails. So creating a board that would not break the bank was also very important.

And when it is time to start putting the board together, can you take us through the process from the initial concept to the first proto?

The starting point for the board is 100% on paper - working with our brand manager, Gary Siskar, we wrote a product brief. This is then given to our board designer Jimmy Redmond and he begins to work out concepts in his head and begins to get an idea for the shape.

During this time Jimmy and I had a lot of conversations about the goals of the board and the way I wanted the board to perform. Once we decided on some initial dimensions and concepts he began to make the first set of protos.

On the Echo we were trying to do some curves in the bottom channeling, not knowing if this was possible for us we made some initial protos to test this process. Essentially we made an existing board shape with some curve to the channeling. Once we confirmed that we

could make this happen, Jimmy began the programming for the first tool for the board. The first “test” tool is made of MDF and it is used to make the initial set of protos at a very low initial cost when compared to a metal tool. After this point we finally had the first actual correct-shaped board to start the testing process.

And how does the process develop then?

Once we receive the first initial set of proto boards the testing can begin.

Initially we test the board in a small group of our core team members (R&D team, brand manager, head of sales, etc). Once we feel a little more confident about the board, we broaden the circle to include a more varied test group. We spend a lot of time testing the product against current boards and against slightly altered protos of the same type.

It is during this phase that the board gets really run through the paces. We did most of the initial testing in Cape Hatteras, so we were able to ride the board in a variety of wind and water conditions. We were also able to utilize the slider park at Real Watersports for some extensive durability testing. After this first phase we get together and re-evaluate the boards. At this point there is a lot of talking, lots of ‘what if?’ questions,

and plenty of heated discussions. From the feedback we gather during the riding we are able to tweak and modify the board and get the running changes made in the next prototype set. After a few rounds of this same procedure (test, talk, modify) we arrive at a board we are all happy with. Once we finally reach this stage we can program and cut the working metal tool and begin

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PHOTO: VINCENT BERGERON

What were the main things that you thought had to be a part of the Echo?

to produce the boards. Due to the nature of pressing the boards with wood (MDF) vs. metal tools there is a bit more tweaking to the board before we can start the real production. Finally we work in the graphics and other minor details and we arrive at the finished product.

and slight outline changes. Sometimes Jimmy doesn’t even tell us what he’s changed, a kind of blind test, to see if we can notice the change and what effect it has. Most of the time the collective group can sense the changes as a whole and make a choice to pursue the best option available.

How did you feel about the development process – do you find it easy to pick up on the differences between boards? Can you really feel the difference if you have made a few subtle changes to the rails for instance?

Can you talk us through how technology plays into the process?

This is not the first time I have been involved in board development, and the experience definitely helps. There are slight nuances that change per board and it takes a bit of time to develop the ability to “sense” those changes.

It is really easy to feel the difference between 3.5cm of rocker and 5.5cm.

However it is much harder to feel the difference between various glass lay-ups

To be able to create a high caliber board you need to be able to draw on as much technology as you can get your hands on. The staggering growth in technology over the recent years has led to some amazing improvements in the boards. Whether it is a new core material or layup, the ability to modify those cores in new ways, or with new laminate materials, has seen genuine improvements in our boards every year. All this can be attributed to the increase in the technology used and the consumer demand for more advanced products. There has

been a technological synergy/arms race (depends on your perspective) happening between surf, snow, wake, and kite and it has drastically improved the products in all the sports. Over the years the crossing of ideas and tech between wake and kite at LF has helped lead to some amazing leaps in performance. Thanks to the marvels of the 21st century, we can all look forward to more exciting things in the near future.

What would you say is the hardest thing about the development of a board?

I think for me the hardest part is the initial feeling of worry that people are not going to be stoked on the board.

I knew I loved the board and that our team was really pleased, but you never know what the general consumer will think. Luckily we have had nothing but great feedback and it is a minor concern. I can’t imagine what a musician must feel performing or recording an album…. Sheesh!

And are you now working on the next edition or do you have a chance to enjoy this one?

Well for now I am riding the shit out of it. We have been working on some subtle changes and the artwork for next year, but I will not see most of this stuff until the end of the first quarter. So for now I am certainly enjoying the Echo.

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b e hinD

the

c l ip

If you wanted to put yourself on a baddun about your plans for 2015 then the best place to start would be Alex Caizergues’ round up clip for 2014. That boy gets around and if sickeningly sunny and windy spots are your thing then chances are Alex has been there. Here are the 2014 stamps on the passport: Madagascar, South Africa, Martinique, Tahiti, Brazil, Saint Martin, Chile, Leucate, Salin-de-Giraud. It’s all there and all captured in glorious POV Technicolor.

Good work Alex, did you plan to put this clip together at the start of 2014?

Definitely not. I started using my GoPros at the end of 2013 in Australia and just loved the possibilities… I ended up with so much cool stuff by the end of 2014 that I felt the need to put everything together!

Which camera are you using and what do you have in your ‘accessories’ bag?!

Of course the GoPro 3+ Black, and then since October the new GoPro4, still the Black one. I have so many mounts but the coolest are the “3 Ways” camera grip/extension arm/tripod, then the Wizmount backpack and recently I bought the Camrig Strut mount to take pictures from the kite.

We aren’t normally big fans of GoPro footage but you seem to get the most out of it! What would be your advice for anyone looking to film themselves riding to get the best results?

Best is to shoot as close as possible,

especially if you have a friend with you (but don’t kill them with your fin!).

Make sure you never have drops on the lens, that’s the worst… Use some RainX to clean the lens before. Then use as many different points of view as you can to vary the angles.

There is some helicopter footage too – did you lend them your GoPro?!

Yes, actually I did! The GoPro was fixed on the big camera that was shooting!

The foiling looks awesome – how was the learning process?

Foiling is simply great! You learn something new that you can use in very very light winds and still have so much fun… There is no spending hours on the beach waiting, or worse, ruining a trip because the weather conditions are not there. The learning process is not a very big deal but make sure you have someone to give you the first steps (or don’t be afraid to take lessons). Don’t think you’re going to master it within the first hour, it will usually take you

some sessions, and you will save time starting in 15 knots rather than 8!

You seem to have perfected the ‘smile to GoPro’ face. Do you practice in the mirror?

Every morning, after my chocolat chaud!

You got close to the world record – can it be done in France do you think?

It’s part of the plan for this year! We will try a new Salt & Speed attempt next March, there is no doubt that if the gods of wind are with us this time (and the Mistral wind too) then we will smash it again in the Volkswagen Transporter Arena!

The clip is enough to make anyone with a desk job feel a bit sick. Can you make them feel better by telling us you have ‘no plans’ for 2015?

I better keep my mouth shut… Way too many cool plans for 2015, it’s going to be even crazier!

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B Y

A X E L

R E E S E

This was shot at Lancelin, a versatile spot an hour-and-a-half north of Perth which is one of our favorite spots in Western Australia because it caters for all tastes, with waves as well as flat water.

There are often nosy dolphins playing around just a couple of meters from you here, especially in the morning light when they will follow you all over the bay.

The rider here is Lasse Girolstein and he’s pulling a nice railey with good pop and the kite deep: perfect.

This was shot with a 16-35mm Canon 2.8 with Canon 5D MIII, I find that shots like this made with a wide angle are much more exciting compared to shots made with a standard focal length.

This spot reflects the Australian lifestyle perfectly because after kiting there are always a lot of public barbecues welcoming you for the real Ozzie dinner!

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T HEK ITEMA G

D I G I TA L

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