TheKiteMag #7

N A M O T U S E S S I O N S T H E T H E T H E

B E S T

R I D E R S ,

U L T I M A T E P E R F E C T

W A V E ,

S W E L L . . .

ÂŁ4.50 | issue #7

Hood River Slider Jam

2016 Kite and Board Tests

Midnight Sun in Norway

Boat Trip: Grenadines

Another big step ahead for our most successful kite in the range.

RELIGION is synonymous of WAVE in the international kite language, and since its first introduction this kite has changed in every version together with the evolution of this discipline. Actually we can say that this kite has greatly contributed to improve the level of many stoked riders thanks to its phenomenal performance characteristic. A bullet proof construction, mixing the body construction between 40% heavy duty Dacron fabrics and 60% lightweight canopy. A unique mix used only in the Religion kites still today, creating a superior crash resistance and a huge lifetime extender.

The new MK6 has been redesigned in sizes 8 and smaller based on the huge positive feedback received on the MK5 larger sizes, 12-10.5 and 9. These new design is based on more swept-back wingtips, creating a more stable kite that floats better both in total lack of wind or on the opposite, under extreme strong gusts.

This new design, allows also a bigger range of use, both on the hi and low end of the kite, extending the possibility of use practically to any day anywhere. More power, better lift during jumps and an enormous, progressive de-power that will stop the kite power exactely when you need it. Simply a throttle in your hands, gearing up your rides when you need power and completely release it when you use your created speed on the wave. Neutral, powerful and silly fast when willing to get out of troubles on wave sections that close out or when you totally need that extra bost to move to the next section.

A perfect kite both in onshore and totally offshore conditions, tested in literally anywhere you could take it.

pink/cyan

2 | TheKiteMag SIZES: 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10.5 / 12

POP 5’4” Freestyle Supershortboard

ALSO AVAILABLE IN 5’2”

yellow/orange

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Cyan/Red

POP LTD 5’4” Freestyle/wave Supershortboard

MINIMAXI-K 5’4” Minisimmons

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R ID E R : AA R ON HA D LOW / PHOTO: TOBY BR OMWICH

V EG A S

THE NEW KING OF POP

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W A K E S T Y L E / F R E E S T Y L E

RE LATE D PRODUC TS

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S I Z E S 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14.5

Quality commitment in every detail.

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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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THE NAMOTU SESSIONS The first we heard of this was when our trusty wave sniffer Patri McLaughlin fired a few grainy lo res shots our way. There was much excitement. Then we got the hi res from Patri, and then we got the shots from the rest of the riders… Then people fell off their chairs, jaws open. This is the longest feature we’ve ever done.

You’ll see why…

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WE’RE JAMMIN’ For much of the professional US kiteboarding community, the world of the VKWC and of following contests tirelessly around the world just doesn’t hold much appeal… Chuck a kicker and a couple of sliders in the mix though and it’s a totally different story. The Ro-Sham Throwdown was a truly core and exciting event for a few years, and now the Hood River Slider Jam has emerged to fill the gap.

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B OAT T R I P : G R E N A D I N E S Tommy Gaunt takes us on our first sojourn around the ‘heaven on earth’ that is the Caribbean. Guided by Zenith Ocean Voyages, he and the CrazyFly crew traversed the Grenadines, stopping only when appropriately dreamy backdrops were identified…

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MIDNIGHT SUN For some people kiting is not a hobby or a pastime, or even an obsession. For some people it is quite simply their life… Kari Schibevaag is one such person and has traveled the world chasing swells and perfect kiting conditions. It turns out that – despite the number of sessions and the number of spots she has clocked up – back home might just be as good as it gets…

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ISLAND HOPPING TO BONAIRE Our second Caribbean stop takes us to Bonaire… Not the easiest of spots to get to, and you’ll need a bag full of phrase books to navigate your way through the various airports en route.

But – as with all trips – the end destination is always worth the journey. Dylan van der Meij takes another hit for the team and signs up for the assignment.

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T H E

R E G U L A R S …

In 100 Words… My proudest creation.

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I’m On It… Damien LeRoy on the Double Agent

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Tangled Lines with Roberto Ricci

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On the List… Bali

44

Technique with Stefan Spiessberger

102

In the Pipeline with North Kiteboarding

106

Tell me about it… ION Wire_Tec & Peter Lynn Escape

114

Behind the Clip… Color My Ride

125

Meteorology with Tony Butt

132

The Dark Room with Stephan Kleinlein

134

5 things you wouldn’t know about this shot

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with Kjell van Sice

C O V E R : We could have picked 100 covers from the number of quality shots from these sessions. So it was actually a very difficult call choosing one… Props to Keahi this time round.

Photo: Glenn Duffus H E R E : No-wind-fun taken to a whole new level. Here’s photographer Lukas Pitsch’s interpretation of Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man…

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6

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9 10 11 12 14

SIZES

SIZES

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TORCH

PARK HD

PRO PERFORMANCE FREESTYLE

9 10 11 12

5

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9 10 11 12 14

FREERIDE/FREESTYLE SIZES

ALANA

WOMEN’S FREERIDE/WAVE

SIZES

PIVOT

FREERIDE/WAVE

5

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NAISH 2016 KITE COLLECTION Meet the heavy-hitters for the 2016 season. With shapes customized to amp up the riding of weekend warriors, seasoned pros and everyone in between, the new line-up is ready to take you to the next level. Find the kite that compliments your style, visit NaishKites.com.

Get inspired! Download the background to your smart device at: NaishKites.com/ThisIsYourMoment.

NaishKiteBoarding

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NaishKites

Photo: Q. Dein, Rider: Jesse Richman

THIS IS YOUR MOMENT.

BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS. TheKiteMag | 13

EDITORIAL

PHOTO: ANDRE MAGARAO / VKWC

S T O R M Y

CARLOS MARIO MIDWAY THROUGH SOME KIND OF A RENEGADE MOVE….

Having worked hard all year here at TheKiteMag HQ we thought we deserved a bit of a holiday, so we hit the road and headed out to the Kitesurf World Cup in Germany. I say holiday. It was kind of work really – with a little bit of drinking thrown in for good measure…

The first thing to say about the Kitesurf World Cup is: WOW. It is truly epic. It was our first time there and you can’t fail to be impressed by the scale and the ‘festival’ vibe, and that’s before you even get to the North Sea... As someone who’s been involved in the sport for over 15 years, it really is quite an affirming experience to see it represented on such a massive scale. Talking to the brands who were showcasing their kit there, they were all really pleased with the amount of genuine kiters (there is also a significant number of “don’t kite/do like a party” visitors) and with the number of people testing equipment. The set up for kit testing runs along the beach for about half a mile with that entire area packed with hundreds of kiters grabbing kites and boards and taking them for a quick blast.

It’s also great to see the number of brands represented – not just the bigger brands who we expect but a whole heap of smaller brands who are putting out some very, very impressive equipment.

On the water and for the riders it’s a great event. Despite the fact that the weather was a bit – err – inclement, the beach was 14 | TheKiteMag

lined with hundreds of people for the final few rounds of the freestyle, with plenty of excitement and noise spurring the riders on. It really is everything that kiting could and should be and – especially as the tide dropped out for the final and the beach was slightly elevated giving a great perspective on the action – was a great spectacle for professional kiters and for Joe Public as well. (Especially with the likes of renegade young gun Carlos Mario in the mix – what is that kid on?!)

The ‘stormy weather’ wasn’t just on the beach though. Once again the ongoing dispute between the various Associations and Bodies supposedly nurturing our sport were at play. It is pretty sad to see and – although we wouldn’t express an opinion either way – we’d just say: please, please, for the sake of the sport, sort it out… Events like this show that, aside from being the best sport on the planet, kiting is also a massive industry with phenomenal potential. Let’s not mess it up.

And so, politics aside, welcome to Issue #7 of the magazine. It’s a cracker. As you no doubt spotted on your way here from the cover, we have a mega-feature about the recent insane session at Cloudbreak. That’s pretty crazy. Plus we have a whole lot of Caribbean action, plenty of 2016 products and tech, and all of the usual TheKiteMag epicness.

Enjoy.

Alex

AND HERE’S FLYSURFER’S DYLAN VAN DER MEIJ EXPLORING ANOTHER LITTLE NOOK OF THE AMERICAS… .

PHOTO: ANDY TROY

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S UBSC RIBE TO THE K IT E M AG EI GHT ISSUES PER Y EAR (that’s more than any other kiteboarding magazine)

D ELIVERED

to you before it gets in the shops

F REE

top quality tee with every subscription

The Team: Editor: Alex Hapgood (editor@thekitemag.com) Sub editor: Cai Waggett Senior Correspondents: Toby Bromwich, Jason Keller Hudson US Correspondent: Brian Wheeler Cape Town Correspondent: Graham Howes Art Director: Jody Ward Assistant Art Director: Dave Clifford Contributors: Glenn Duffus, Toby Bromwich, Quincy Dein, Gustav Schmiege, James Boulding, Damien LeRoy, Lukas Pitsch, Brandon Scheid, Colleen Carroll, Andre Magarao, Tommy Gaunt, Roberto Riccardo, Dylan van der Meij, Stefan Spiessberger, Philipp Becker, Bas Koole, Markus Morbitzer, Roy van Baarsen, Raphael Salles, Stephan Kleinlein, Patri McLaughlin, Jesse Richman, Robby Naish, Pete Cabrinha, Ben Wilson, Keahi de Aboitiz, Kjell van Sices, Justin Bufton TheKiteMag is…

WATER BORN Published by M E D I A in Hayle, Cornwall, United Kingdom.

Advertising enquiries: advertising@thekitemag.com.

All material in TheKiteMag is subject to copyright.

Reproduction without the express permission of the publishers will result in prosecution.

Submissions: Online: If you have a clip or would like to get something on the website please send it over to us: media@thekitemag.com.

In the mag: TheKiteMag welcomes both written and photographic submissions. Photography should be submitted in both RAW and edited format. Please note that the publication of written content is generally dependent on the provision of high quality photography, so in the first instance please send photographic samples and a 150 word synopsis of your writing to: checkmeout@thekitemag.com

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T H E

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#7

B E S T R I U L D E T I R S M A , T E P E R F W A E C V E T S , W E L L . .

Hood Riv Slider er Jam

2016 Kit e Board and Tests

You can find TheKiteMag on:

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Midni ght Sun in No rway

Boat Tri Grenad p: ines

WH AT ARE YOU WA I T ING F OR? !

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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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TOUGH

CALL. BLACK OR WHITE. THE ALL NEW CORE XR4.

OUT NOW.

THE GERMAN WUNDERKITE. PERFORMANCE FREERIDE . BIG AIR . WAVE . RACE

FOLLOW CORE KITEBOARDING: corekites.com 18 | TheKiteMag

facebook.com/corekites

instagram.com/corekites

twitter.com/corekites

#wunderkite

CORE Kiteboarding – a Hiss-Tec brand // Fehmarn, Germany T. +49 (0)4371-88934-0 // info@corekites.com // 54.445874 N : 11.191058 O

THOMAS „BEANY“ BURBLIES, CORE PRO TEAM

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IN 100 WORDS

IN WORDS Time for the unsung heroes of the kiteboarding world – the kite and board designers – to have their say…. We asked them: which of your creations are you most proud of ?

PHOTOS : CO U RT ESY F LYSUR F ER

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Yaron Barlev, Blade Kiteboarding For me it is the Fat Lady. For years people were flying huge kites – I’m talking about 25m kites back in 2001. Nevertheless, it took many years to bring out a fun big kite. The Fat Lady was probably the first fun big kite in the industry and that was due to the thin leading edge that made the kite very light and much more efficient. The Fat Lady gave people the ability to genuinely have fun in light wind, which is something that wasn’t really available before so it is a kite that I am very proud of.

Raphael Salles, F-One The Bandit is a kite that I have developed for 9 years now. Each year me and my team make many prototypes to produce the best kite we can. And even after 9 years we still have possibilities to bring something better to the Bandit and that’s always our goal. In the development process you have many doors opened, and you need to search and try as much as you can to create the very best. I’m really happy to produce such a great kite which is perfect for every discipline.

DK, Cabrinha As a kiter, board designer and cablepark rider and designer it will come as no surprise that I am most proud of the cross-over board in our range, the CBL. It is the first kiteboard to use Basalt-fibre, and during development I loved the telling look when people picked up my board complete with boots and it weighed less than their boards without accessories, then on the water it produced the effortless pop that enabled them to stomp the tricks they had been trying all season. The added bonus is that this board works in all kiteboarding conditions from light wind with the Contra kite to high winds with the FX. Ralf Grösel, North Well, this question isn’t that easy to answer.

During my long career of producing flying objects, over 20 years now, I have developed several kites which I am proud of. The Evo for example, which is an extremely versatile and stable all-round kite with a wide fan base.

Or of course the Vegas, which is the most successful C-Kite on the market. So let me answer your question this way: in terms of the market impact and positive feedback we have received from our clients, the Dice is probably the most successful kite I have created. But then, the next project is always the most exciting!

“Lou” Mierswa, North I’m really proud of being the designer and engineer of the North Kiteboarding Trust Bar. With the launch of the Iron Heart IV in 2010, we set a new benchmark of safety standards within the kiteboarding industry. Since then a lot of our competitors have tried to copy our system or at least have improved theirs and if you look at the safety systems today, you can see where most of the designers got their inspiration from. To me, this is the best compliment someone can do!

Dano See, BWS I would actually have to say our Undertow Bar is by far the most significant development we have achieved over the years. The design and engineering of the system was, at the time, a major step ahead of everyone else. Only now, 5 years later, we’re seeing improvements to the concept. Also, design creations are a team effort, not an individual’s assignment. If you are claiming you did it all by yourself then you are doing something wrong! So thank you to ALL the team and all involved for making our great products possible!

Abel Lago, RRD By far the proudest baby that Werther Castelletti (the RRD designer) and I created is the Religion kite. We designed this kite without any other reference because we were the first to think of making a kite exclusively for wave riding. We thought that was something missing in the market and as a wave rider, I was always looking for a really fast kite which was reactive with easy maneuverability.

We are happy to see that after more than 7 years, finally some other brands have started to follow us and it shows that we were heading in the right direction.

Damien Girardin, Naish Kites Our freeride/freestyle is the kite I’m the proudest of. It is the result of years of development condensed into one kite. Based on the previous year’s Park, we’ve added elements from the Torch and Pivot models. A higher aspect ratio provides steering as precise as the Torch and the turning is as good as ever, making it my go-to for kiteloops. Its overall performance has increased at every level, improving pop, easy jumping, low-end power, unhooked riding and strapless riding.

Jozef Bukovcak, CrazyFly I am extremely proud of the 2016 Raptor board with the Hexa bindings. The Raptor boards have always been the drivers of CrazyFly Kiteboarding and after 10 years, we completely reworked the 2016 Raptor and topped it off with brand new Hexa bindings. Right now, for me, this is the best board and it will be hard to design a better one in this category. I am proud that the Raptor has always been the board that our company has been known for and it tells you just how good the board is…

Torrin Bright and Dominik Zimmermann, Ozone It has been super exciting recently for our R&D team with advancements made in closed cell foil kite designs. New understanding in design and improvements with our custom CAD software have enabled us to push the boundaries of high performance kite design and we are proud to be at the forefront of this sector pushing the limits. With the advent of the R1 competition race kite, and now our all new Chrono V2 all-round high performance kite, performance kiting on all surfaces has been redefined.

Andi Hanrieder, Flysurfer For the past 8 years I’ve worked on many projects, with different strong and weak points.

The best and most versatile combination of what riders want, in my opinion, is the Boost.

The performance to boost out 10m+ jumps, combined with fast turning-speed and kiteloop fun. Plus it excels in lightwind performance, getting you up riding in 5-6knots with a hydrofoil and is even relaunchable in these marginal winds. It is always easy to create a product which can do one thing very well. The hard point is to create a product which can do everything well. Our Boost kite comes close to this.

Lars Moltrup, Naish Boards This year, we put a lot of time and effort into the Skater, our versatile wave/freeride directional board, which has been refined in all aspects. Its construction is unique in the market and it has an extremely low strengthto-weight ratio due to our Honeycomb Impact Cell construction, which is 15% stronger than conventional constructions but at a very low weight. The Shape has been reworked, with a pulled in tail, wide point slightly back, increased tail rocker and the new Triple Angled Channels. This makes the board very stable when going upwind, but allows for increased maneuverability riding the wave.

Pat Goodman, Cabrinha It is difficult to pinpoint one kite in particular as I take pride in everything I do related to kitesurfing (and in life as well for that matter!). If I had to nail it down, I would go for the Switchblade for all of the people it has safely helped enjoy the sport. At most beaches I visit around the world I see quite a few Switchblades on the water which is a great feeling. A very close runner up is the FX. Developing this kite was a blast – it has so much life and energy and is just simply fun to fly! Plus I got to work with a new group of high-end powerful kiters such as Nick Jacobson. I particularly like this kite as it feels quite different to the “normal” Cabrinha product being much lighter in bar pressure yet very direct and fast in the steering. It also boosts like a rocket!

Julien Fillion, Liquid Force The product I’m the most proud of is the WOW. This is the first kite from Liquid Force entirely designed as a team, with deep involvement at a rider and dealer level all the way through to the material manufacture. We worked closely with Challenge Sailcloth on the unique Leading Edge material, DK210, which is an ultra low stretch high modulus weaved Dacron which let us reduce the LE size by 30% – which is crucial for upwind ability and outstanding drift. It’s also the first wave specific kite for LF and, although we are now finding it also outstanding in other riding conditions, its DNA is in the waves.

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pir ed by na tu re // dr ive he y t n b

DEDICATED WAVE

ins

REO

el em en ts // fl yo zo ne

HANDLING

DIRECT HANDLING - TURNS ON A DIME

VERSATILE

VERSATILE PERFORMANCE IN ALL CONDITIONS

FLOAT

EXCELLENT FLOAT AND DRIFT CHARACTERISTICS

m

MEGA DE-POWER RANGE

.co

DEPOWER

OZONEKITES

WAVE RIDING FREEDOM PHOTOS : HANNES BURNER //

T E A M R I D E R : PAU L I N O P E R E I R A

FOCUS

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RIDER AND WORDS : PATRI MCLAUGHLIN | PHOTO : QUINCY DEIN | LOCATION : SOMEWHERE ON MAUI

This shot is from a session just after we returned from the the crazy Fiji sessions [you can check that out later in the mag]. I chased a massive swell down there with my buddy Jesse Richman, and flew home in time to get the same swell as it hit Maui. I landed at 5am and Sky Solbach picked me up at the airport. We needed to get shots of the new kites for the North catalogue, and it was the only swell on the forecast. We set out to a bit of a secret spot with photographer Quincy Dein and, as you can see in the photo, it’s a bit of a dodgy wave. It basically breaks straight on to a jagged lava rock shelf. If you fall in the wrong spot you end up properly skewered. It’s awesome though because it’s virtually impossible to surf, so it keeps the crowd to a minimum.

Sky and I had it to ourselves all day and we traded off barrels as Quincy nailed some epic photos.

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FOCUS

RIDER AND WORDS : ALEX LEWIS-HUGHES | PHOTO : BAS KOOLE | LOCATION : 7BFT, EGYPT

This came from the usual situation for a shoot: last day, last few hours before you leave, last chance to get a shot. I made this little leg up for the pipe in a rush the night before, and luckily Bas was keen enough to help me drag the super thick, super heavy pipe out and try and get a shot that next morning. The wind was super strong that day with Bas shooting on an 8mm Fisheye, which meant he had to be pretty much right in the splash / impact zone. Bas didn’t really care though because it wasn’t his camera, it was mine! I did make a poor man’s attempt at wrapping it in a plastic bag, but it got soaked anyway. In the end we had some fun, including getting this nice shot of a boardslide on the pipe.

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FOCUS

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RIDER AND WORDS : EUDAZIO DA SILVA | PHOTO : GREGORY C | LOCATION : FUERTEVENTURA

This shot was taken during the product shoot for Nobile’s new Earth and Spaces 2016 collection.

After a morning session near El Cotillo, in the afternoon we decided to head to a great lagoon close to Corralejo called El Burro, which means donkey in Spanish! I thought that it was a good idea to pull one of my favorite tricks, a Heart Attack 5 and S-Mobe, while just in front of our photographer…

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FOCUS

RIDER : DIMITRI MARAMENIDES | PHOTO : GUSTAV SCHMIEGE | LOCATION : TURKS AND CAICOS

When it comes to pure unadulterated kiteboarding joy, there are few riders who seem to get as much out of the sport than Dimitri does. Dawn to dusk, freestyle to waves, the US to Europe.

The man is always kiting and always developing his kit… Here he is testing the low end of the Screamer 14 on a lightwind morning in the Caribbean when – in his words – everybody else was still asleep. Which kind of sums him up.

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FOCUS

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RIDER AND WORDS : STEVEN AKKERSDIJK | PHOTO : THOMAS BURBLIES | LOCATION : ISLAND OF FEHMARN

Photo shoots are always interesting, you need a different mindset and style of riding to get good results. But for this picture we added something amazing! It just happened that we had two Core riders on the island of Fehmarn where Core HQ is based. To get to this island you have to go over a bridge (this being the bridge you see in the picture). But instead of going over it as people do every day, we decided to go kite round and under it! This was a totally new experience for me and it blew my mind. I was riding shorter lines and even though the numbers on the pillar suggest that the bridge is 22m high, it still felt like I would fly my kite straight into the bottom of the bridge.

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NO STRETCH STRUCTURE

HIGHER AIR PRESSURE

THINNER EXOSKELETON FRAME

IMPROVED AERODYNAMICS

IMPROVED RIPSTOP

HIGHER UV PROTECTION

BETTER FLIGHT STABILITY

FOLLOW CORE KITEBOARDING: corekites.com 34 | TheKiteMag

facebook.com/corekites

instagram.com/corekites

twitter.com/corekites

#exotex

CORE Kiteboarding – a Hiss-Tec brand // Fehmarn, Germany T. +49 (0)4371-88934-0 // info@corekites.com // 54.445874 N : 11.191058 O

Made in Germany

HARD CORE ExoTex. CORE’s new hi-tech Dacron. Like a shark cage that protects its diver, the asymmetrical weave protects the kite’s exoskeleton frame. It also allows the design of thinner yet more rigid struts and leading edge.

The kite flies with a crisp, intuitive precision.

It heads better upwind and creates more lift.

ExoTex. Developed in Germany by Dimension Polyant, the world leader in yacht sail design and manufacturing.

And now, fully integrated into the new CORE XR4.

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B OA R D : D O U B L E A G E N T: H Y D R O F O I L / S U R F S K AT E

I ’ M

O N

I T

DA M I E N

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DIMENSIONS: 5’2” X 19.7”

LE R OY

One of kiteboarding’s true ‘done it all’ ambassadors talks us through what he’s currently getting his kicks on…

I first rode a foil board at the end of 2012.

I had always been intrigued by it but never had seen one in person. Then when I was in France at the Mondial Du Vent speed event they had a long distance race. This is when I saw the potential of what a foil could do and I came straight home and got in contact with MHL out of Puerto Rico.

The Double Agent comes with very low aspect foil wings which are perfect for a regular rider. If a person did want to upgrade their Double Agent all they need to do is replace their wings with the higher aspect option that Cabrinha will be selling separately. They will then have a much faster foil that can be raced.

The evolution of foils started with racing as we saw the potential with faster speeds and how incredibly efficient it was in light winds.

Now all doors are opening and it is becoming easy for the weekend warrior to get on a foil and join the movement. The foils have just got stronger, easier and more consumer friendly!

A few years back I thought a gybe was impossible then as I got better I decided to try a handlepass. I unhooked and hooked right back in and said “no way”! Now in light winds under 10 knots you can boost way into the air doing board offs, handlepasses and much more. I think there is something to it. If you want to ride powered in light winds this is a great option to have fun and do almost everything you would do on a twin tip.

All hats go off to Dave Kay on the development of the Double Agent as he really put his time into developing a very user friendly and fun foil, with some special added features like the Surf Skate board. You can take off the shaft and go for a surf or ride it like a normal board in waves or flat water which makes it so versatile for travel. It truly is a board of all trades.

For me the big advantage of the Double Agent is how easy and predictable it is to ride. It is a stable and slower foil so you can learn fast and start to really enjoy this new sport. The board also has a different construction so it is more like a twin tip which makes it very easy to get up and go as it will sit under the water when you are water starting, like a twin tip does, whereas most other boards sit on the water.

The bigger nose helps when you come off the foil as the nose of the board can dive into the water. With the rounder nose it actually wants to bounce back up, keeping you from going over the front of the foil board.

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As your skill increases you know your limits and what or how to not come down on the foil. Saying that, I am scared of trying any more Slim Chances at the moment as I have landed a few but it gave me a scare once, so I haven’t tried any in a while.

Like anything you just have to be careful. The most dangerous time is your first few days learning…

Foiling will change your life! You will love light winds again and the possibilities are endless! It is like a whole new sport. Be safe when you start – long lines and a smaller kite are helpful. Ride the board around with the foil under water for a while before you start coming up onto the foil.

Take it slow – it’s like riding a bike: scary at first but once you get it you never lose it…

AGE: 34

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W E I G H T: 1 5 5 L B S

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H E I G H T: 5 ’ 8

THE FOILS HAVE JUST GOT STRONGER, EASIER AND MORE CONSUMER F R I E N D LY !

PHOTO: JAMES BOULDING

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TA N G L E D

L I N E S

ROBERTO RICCI

WITH ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE CVS IN THE SPORT, ROBERTO RICCI R E A L LY H A S D O N E I T A L L . A N D H E S H O W S N O S I G N O F S L O W I N G D O W N …

Q A

Q

A

Q A

Soufiane Hamaini I know Roberto the waterman, Roberto the businessman, Roberto the family man, and Roberto the artist. How do you manage to combine all that and manage to be everywhere, every time for everyone AND be in the right state of mind?!

That's also what my wife keeps asking me! How do you think you can manage this lifestyle? I do not know if I am doing it right for everyone, but for me I am happy as I am and use my time with my family and with the rest of the world. In the end this is what matters, right? Be happy. Life's too short to worry!

Abel Lago When did you first decide to start your company, and why did you call it RRD when it is so hard for a Spaniard to say that in English?!

Woooo, that’s a while ago but it seems like yesterday. I decided to make my own company during a trip to Japan in 1988. I’ve always loved making custom products which suit everyone’s very personal style and needs, and being in Omaezaki, Japan that spring of 1988, racing with my team mates in the PBA made me realize how important the attention to details, product customization and enthusiastic research is to achieving an excellent product. Coming back to Italy from that trip, I built myself the first RRD board, made in the garage of my parent’s home. It was the most beautiful thing I had seen until that day.

With the name, I wanted to call the brand “H2O design” or “Waterdesigns”.

Then my friend Michi Eskimo from Maui suggested I should call my brand with my Italian name, and he said: Ricci sounds great, it’s like “Pucci, Gucci, Ricci.” You will be a fashion designer of watersports! I liked the idea and I took him seriously, so we went for Roberto Ricci Designs with the abbreviation and the logo as RRD.

Q A

Lyde Heckroodt What tip would you give for building a progressive and expanding brand and maintaining a strong brand family?

As one of my friends from Cape Town always says: keep it real! Keeping the heart and passion for what you consider the real foundations on which your house is built. And go in the water as often as possible since the stoke you get from riding does not compare to anything else in the world. The rest is details…

Q A

Andy Grandolfo Based on your experiences, what would be your favorite conditions for a quad fin set up and for a thruster set up?

I like to use them both anywhere in any conditions depending on the wave quality and type. I must say that a technical rule for me is that for a board with a wider tail you need more fins or bigger fins. So for light wind boards, or summer "bump and jump" wide designs over 20” wide, a quad setup is a must.

In any case, given the choice of a condition for a real surfboard, I like the quad feeling on a COTAN board as it feels short, fast and compact and enables you to really change direction at the very last moment on any wave section. A little bit like riding a skateboard. I prefer the thruster set up on a classic shape when using boards from 5'7" up, when you have more of a nose in front of you. Then the thruster setup gives you a much more precise, reliable feeling – especially in bigger surf.

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Kari Schibevaag After several years with only men in the team, what made you change to suddenly promote girls within RRD and make girl specific gear?

Because kite girls started to be all over the place and it’s hard to keep them quiet! Especially the ones from the very north of Europe… The real fact is that the level of girls riding has increased constantly and it was then clear that we had to design and develop specific sizes and make functional changes in the product to meet this increasing demand. We can clearly say now that we’ve got stuff for those keen ladies.

Q A

Jerrie van de Kop If you were 15 years old right now... Which discipline would you choose to focus on?

I'd probably start with freestyle and waves at the same time, since when you are young you tend to prefer freestyle, but if at the same time you start to surf or kitesurf in the waves, the amount of experience you will get at the early stage will be really valuable once you stop freestyling and completely dedicate yourself to kitesurfing in waves when you get a bit older...

PR O FI L E

LEAH

M C HA R D Y

FOR THOSE OF US WHO STRUGGLE DRAWING A STICK MAN, THIS KIND OF ARTISTIC WIZARDRY IS PRETTY ASTOUNDING. WE CAUGHT UP WITH BONA FIDE KITE ARTIST LEAH MCGRADY TO FIND OUT HOW SHE DOES IT… Thanks for sharing your awesome artwork with us Leah.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to painting kiters?

I grew up in a little place called Hill Head in the UK, with a great community for sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved the sea and feel claustrophobic any time I am away from it!

I had my first kite lesson when I was fifteen and I instantly fell in love with the sport. For me it was almost an escape from my shyness in school, and with the power of the wind and the freedom of the sea, I really found a place where I could be myself, and where everyone was welcoming and friendly.

I have always been a creative person, whether it was making things or painting things. I paint things I’m passionate about and that inspire me, which has led me to painting kitesurfers and other sea inspired pieces.

So you still have time to kite?

Yes I still kite, I can’t believe it’s been 10 years! My local spot was Hill Head but I recently moved to Bournemouth. I’ve kited all around the world: New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, Bali, Egypt and lots of other places. In 2009 I got my instructor license and since then I have taught in Australia and Greece.

I’ve always kited freestyle but with frequent trips to Cornwall I’m really getting into my wave riding.

And how do you find painting kites and kiteboarders – it must be pretty tricky with the perspective and the angles involved?

It can be very tricky but I like the challenge! I love the light, reflection, the expressive power and the movement of the kiter.

PHOTO: JENN JAMMAERS

What paints and materials do you work with?

Mainly acrylics and metallics, but I also work with charcoal, chalk pastels and collage effect.

Are there any painters who you particularly take your inspiration from?

Colleen Wilcox. Her art is similarly inspired by her passion for surfing and her beautiful Hawaiian surroundings. I love the vibrant colors and the really happy feel.

What do you do when you’re not painting kiters?

When I’m not painting, I’m kiting, surfing, wakeboarding, skating or just enjoying the beach lifestyle!

And you have been taking some commissions – how does that process work?

I have. When people ask for commissions I generally request a photo and a color scheme. I then paint an original piece on canvas or to fit in a frame of their choice. I make this as personal as possible and any request is welcome Finally, do you have any tips for ‘doodlers’ out there who really struggle to get their kites looking right?!

Take lots of photos and watch lots of kite movies! Learn how the kite moves and then it is easier to draw it…

We are stoked to be offering a commission of one of Leah’s paintings as a prize for our latest Instagram competition. Just tag your IG shots #LIVETOKITE to be in with a chance to win.

And head over to leahmchardydesign.com to check out more of her work…

TheKiteMag | 39

STUFF

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

Blade Trigger The Trigger is one of the most versatile kites on the planet. We’ve tested them over a couple of years and the fact is that it is just a very very well engineered kite. Fun to fly but with plenty of performance when you need it…

2016 sees an all-round refinement of the kite and the addition of a max-flow pump. So you’ll be out enjoying it quicker…

40 | TheKiteMag

Ride Engine Taking the harness world by storm, Ride Engine harnesses have made it out of Coleman Buckley’s garage and very much into the spotlight.

Pictured here we have the Hex Series which is built around the super rigid Armor Shell which keeps the harness completely locked to your back. There’s a lot of hype about these harnesses – maybe it’s time to see what all the excitement is about.

Core Impact Several years in the making and – somehow – kept under wraps, the Impact is part of Core’s new specialized series and is a ‘proper’ C kite geared at the ‘I want to feel the power’ end of the market – available in black or white, and you’d better be able to back it up on the water if you’re planning on heading out on one…

RRD Fifty Fifty Hot off the press is news of RRD’s entry into the split board market.

Available as a 138 and in 2 widths, the Fifty Fifty offers travelling convenience and – we were assured by Abel Lago at the Kitesurf World Cup – most riders genuinely would not notice the difference in flex between this and a conventional board.

Naish Custom LE You want to ride it like you’re surfing it? Then you want to be on the Custom LE. No inserts because this is geared purely towards progressive strapless riders, and with a PU core for that pure surf feel and flex, the Custom is a fast and responsive nocompromise wave riding thoroughbred.

Flysurfer Speed4 Lotus LTD Flysurfer are being 100% straight with us when it comes to the Speed4 Lotus: we genuinely can’t see a way of improving it right now. When it comes to low wind performance it is right at the top of the pack, and at the core is the Lotus cloth which is exceptionally light, water repellant and air tight. But they have managed to find some cloth in a different colorway so they have produced a limited run of the iconic kite with a smidge of blue or orange in them. They won’t be around for long so start hunting if you fancy one.

Mystic Legend For those of us in the northern hemisphere there’s no denying it any longer: winter is on its way…

Thankfully the guys at Mystic haven’t been in denial and have been hard at work creating top-end products to see us through the darker months… The Legend is as good as it gets for winter warmth, it has Mystic’s new quick dry inner lining which keeps you warmer for longer and dries more quickly between sessions. Then the M-Flex 2.0 neoprene provides the flexibility for you to continue pushing yourself harder, even in the depths of winter…

Renegade Infinity V4 Epic’s lightwind kite doesn’t have a ‘let’s just get on the water’ attitude, it wants you to be able to continue to push yourself while you’re out there… The V4 improves turning speed by 15%, and also offers 2 bridle settings – waveride and freeride – to give everyone the motivation to get off the beach when conditions look marginal.

North Jaime For kite brands it’s 50% about introducing new kit to your range to keep up with the latest trends and 50% ensuring that your core products still tick the right boxes for their devotees. The Jaime Pro is very much in the second category and has had an astoundingly long and respected run... It’s back for 2016 and is sure to continue working for those who believe that it’s “Jaime Forever”.

Shinn Monk 6.0 A board which needs no introduction: the Shinn Monk. With many accolades and a dedicated band of followers who border on the obsessive, there will be much anticipation of V6. At its core is the same ‘versatile’ attitude which has made it so many friends over the years – this is a true do-it-all stick which enables you to unleash your inner kiting primate.

TheKiteMag | 41

STUFF

Slingshot Rally With the arrival of the Wave this year, the Rally has gone back to its roots as a true all round fun machine.

Super accessible, super responsive and super fun – it’s one of those kites that just puts a smile on your face.

F-One Mitu Monteiro Pro Model Has it really only been 2 years?! It feels like Mitu’s signature stick has been around for far longer... As we know it may look like quite a ‘forgiving’ board for onshore and marginal conditions (which it is) but it also absolutely flies when conditions turn on. For 2016 there is a reduced concave through the back, the HD foam flex composite, and the F-One ‘Color my Ride’ theme is also evident…

Cabrinha Drifter This is the kite that got Keahi onto the cover…

Do you need to know more? Okay then, it’s the latest version of the Drifter. For 2016 there are a couple of new tuning options, one geared towards snappy performance in onshore conditions and the other towards slacker-lined, down the line performance. Is it a superb wave kite? Yes. Will it get you on the cover? Probably not…

CrazyFly Raptor Celebrating its 10th birthday, the Raptor has been at the very core of the CrazyFly board range since the beginning... It’s celebrating the occasion with a pretty serious revamp – there’s a new multichannel bottom shape and V tips, as well as a new Step Cap deck to allow for thinner rails for improved edging and upwind performance. Will it still be going strong in another 10 years? You wouldn’t bet against it…

Nobile WMN Part of Nobile’s fresh new Earth and Spaces collection, the WMN is one of the female-specific boards in the range. But don’t be fooled by the pink: this is a board designed to perform. With Nobile’s APS fiber pressing technology and SQ3 3D deck mold, you can leave any girly pretenses on the beach and go and hit it hard…

North Dice The Dice returns for round 3. As the action in this sector of the market hots up, these three strut performance freeride kites are becoming some of the best sellers, and appealing to a broad range of kiters who want a bit more grunt and a bit more fun for their money. The 2016 Dice sees a meatier low end and some profile refinements to tune up one of the kites that started this craze…

Ben Wilson Signature DHD Nice place to be in life when you get a board put together with one of the best shapers on the planet which meets your exact requirements, and then you get to share it with the masses… So this has been developed specifically for Ben’s size (82kg, 6’2”), and for his style. It has a relatively accessible outline with plenty of volume and width, but it also has more rocker than the other boards in the range enabling you to step up with confidence when conditions turn on…

42 | TheKiteMag

TheKiteMag | 43

ON THE LIST

O N

T H E

BALI L I ST

For anyone worth their salt in the world of paddle surfing, Bali has true ‘rite of passage’ status. With a whole heap of world class breaks on the island, you can’t walk onto a beach without recognizing that particular perspective from a magazine or a video. There are famous waves and famous views at every turn…

The island has changed immensely over the last 30 years from ‘laid back surf haven’ to ‘mega-commercialized party mayhem’. Most people would say it’s not a great change but, sheesh, what can you do. Might as well get stuck in.

Cool, so enough about surfing… We’re here to kite remember.

Yes, gotcha, I guess I’m just giving you a bit of background. So, for kiting. Well it ain’t great.

O right.

Yeah, the wind isn’t really that dependable and the grinding reefs that you see in the magazine are generally elsewhere in Indo… BUT, there are options. And Bali is very much a gateway to the numerous ‘truly world class’ kiting options that you have throughout Indonesia.

44 | TheKiteMag

Like where?

Well, like their surfing cousins, a true waveriding kiter would never spill the beans. But there are a few angles that we see plenty of and which have graced the cover of many an esteemed kiteboarding publication. Also there are 17,000 islands which make up Indonesia so let’s just say that there are a few options…

But for now we’re stuck on Bali.

Yes, I guess we are. But there are worse places to be. You have breaks such as Canggu, Sanur and Balian which can offer up some very solid waveriding on their day. Most of these tend to be onshore, but for the switched on kiter there are barrels to be had and – on the rare days that the wind is nuking – plenty of options for above the lip antics.

As the ‘gateway to better things’ you will have seen plenty of shots of the very best waveriders in the world warming up on Bali’s shores…

Cool – doesn’t sound all bad.

No, it’s not. Pack your 13m, your boardies and a bit of patience and you’ll probably end up with a smile on your face.

BALI

PHOTO: JASON WOL COT T

And is it just waves?

P H OTO : A NNA KUZ MIN A

No. A common mistake.

Indo’s not all waves. In fact, the flat water options probably win out against the waveriding options on an average day. Places like Black Sand Beach and Sanur provide epic tropical freestyle options. And as we know our freestyle brethren don’t mind those bigger kites.

Is it dodgy?

P HOTO : JA SO N WO LCOTT

In the water, sometimes, out of the water, not really…

Bali is a chilled island and the Balinese are pretty chilled too. Predominantly Hindu, you can’t turn a corner without walking in to a sacrificial offering (think flower and incense, not slaughtered animals) or a temple. Take the usual precautions of a traveling kiter and you will be just fine.

What about at night?

The only thing to fear at night is yourself… The very word

P H OTO: A NNA K U ZMINA

‘Kuta’ will either fill you with a sense of nervous excitement or with a foreboding sense of dread. Which way you go will probably depend on which side of 30 you are. If you want to party and consume drinks of dubious origin until the sun comes up then this is the place for you… Hot, sweaty, and guaranteed to be regretted the next day, what’s not to love?

And is there a best time to go?

Well you have the rainy season from December through to February. You will get some wind but, guess what, some rain too. If you have your big kites ready to rumble then your best bet is from May to September. This is the dry season and also the best season for waves. But it could be 9 knots for days on end, or it could be 19. So you’ll either have the most frustrating or the best trip of your life…

VITALS GETTING THERE: GET YOURSELF TO DENPASAR I N T E R N AT I O N A L A I R P O R T AND YOU ARE PRETTY MUCH STRAIGHT IN TO THE ACTION, AND THE C U LT U R E S H O C K .

IN THE BAG: THINK BIG. SO, EVEN IF YOU’RE JUST RIDING WAVES, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A 13 MINIMUM, A 15’S NOT A BAD PLAN. YOUR BIG KITE CONTROL SKILLS ARE GOING TO IMPROVE… F O R B A L I Y O U P R O B A B LY A L S O WA N T A M O R E ‘A L L ROUND’ BOARD TOO. I N D O ’ S N OT A L L P O I N TAND-SHOOT BARREL HUNTING. NOT IN THE BAG: YOUR BELOVED 5M STORM CHASER. RUBBER: NO. JUST A FEW T E E S T H AT YO U D O N ’ T MIND BEING SHREDDED UP ON THE REEFS. BEER: €2 / $2.20

M O S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : I THINK I JUST SAW A WHITECAP… L E A S T L I K E LY T O H E A R : THOSE MOPEDS DRIVE V E R Y C O N S E R VAT I V E LY.

TheKiteMag | 45

8TH GENERATION

GET CREATIVE, LAND THE TRICKS, WIN THE GAME! - Massive hangtime - Highly responsive - Maximal versatility - Skill building for all levels Sizes: 5,7,8,9,10,12,14

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46 | TheKiteMag

SUPERMAN’S CAPE

HAMMOCK

HOVERCRAFT

SWISS ARMY KNIFE

GLOBE

BEER TheKiteMag | 47

NAM

SESS

Every sport has its heroes and every sport has its iconic spots. Sometimes – if you’re lucky – you find a sporting hero at an iconic spot.

48 | TheKiteMag

MOTU

SIONS

Sometimes, only once in the very bluest of moons, you might find six of the very biggest heroes at one of the most iconic spots on some of its most epic days‌ Prepare to have your mind blown.

Photos: Glenn Duffus

TheKiteMag | 49

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

PATRI

MCLAUGHLIN

Some time ago I said to a friend, “life is short.” He

I have a long bucket list of stuff I want to

responded with “yes, short but also long...”. Now,

experience before my time comes, and for the last

even though that’s a contradiction, the statement

few years kiting Cloudbreak in Fiji has been on

really resonated with me. You only have so much

the top of my list. I’ve been talking about going

time on this planet, but you can’t treat every

there on a big swell forecast ever since I saw Ben

day like it’s your last because the truth is you’re

Wilson get it good years ago and I’ve been watching

probably going to be alive tomorrow. Plan for the

the forecast there for quite some time now, and it

future, but don’t be afraid to live every day to

appeared to be looking big and windy on July 21st.

the fullest. I still treat life as though it is short,

However, I had just got back to Maui from a three

because every day you’re a little older and the days

month trip away and I wasn’t eager to jump right

seem to fly by. If you want to have an extraordinary

back on a plane.

life you need to do extraordinary things today.

50 | TheKiteMag

I called my good buddy Jesse

him back and said, “Let’s book

my face. Jesse rigged a seven

Richman to see what he

tickets. I’m on my way home

meter Naish Pivot, and hit the

was up to. He said, “I’m just

to pack.”

water. Shortly after Jesse and

looking into going to Fiji for

I got out there, Robby Naish

this swell, I think I’m going to

Seven hours later we were on

was out on his windsurfer,

fly out tonight.” Maybe time

a plane to Fiji.

and Ben Wilson and Ben

for a change of plan… He’d

Meyer followed. It was clearly

already been looking into

When we landed my contact

going to be an amazing

flights, and the only way to

picked us up from the airport

session. If you’re in the same

get there in time was to get on

and took us to a farmers’

place as the two time wave

a plane in eight hours. Jesse

market so we could load up

champion and some of the

had some friends that were

on organic veggies. The guy

biggest legends in kitesurfing,

staying a ten minute boat ride

was super friendly and he told

then you know you’re in the

away from Cloudbreak, but

us we could jump on a boat

right spot.

they didn’t have room for us to

to Cloudbreak an hour later.

crash. So I started to look into

Before we knew it we were

The waves were super

places to stay. I was striking

paddling into some perfect

consistent and big and it

out everywhere. Finally I

waves. It was a great way to

seemed every wave I caught

phoned a friend of mine that

get familiar with the lineup,

was better than the last one.

has experience with Fiji and

and the forecast for the next

I remember dropping into one

he told us who to contact to

day was looking like it would

wave that was absolutely

make it happen. I called my

be big, but we weren’t sure

massive. I looked up the reef

contact and it was on, but it

how big.

and it was probably a 30 to

was going to cost a small fortune to go.

IF YOU’RE IN THE SAME PLACE AS

Since this wasn’t a

THE TWO TIME

planned out trip, I wasn’t sure I would get any support on it, and my bank account was

WAVE CHAMPION AND SOME OF THE BIGGEST LEGENDS IN KITESURFING,

definitely suffering

THEN YOU KNOW

after three months

YOU’RE IN THE

on the road. I called

RIGHT SPOT.

35 foot face with a top to bottom barrel. The wave was so incredibly powerful I just stood in awe watching it. I felt like I was looking at a dragon. It was beautiful, but at the same time terrifying. After a moment of disbelief I thought, “Hey I’m riding

Jesse back and said, “No way

The next morning we motored

this thing, it’s time to get

man, it’s out of my budget.” He

back out to Cloudy. As we

going.” I looked down the line

agreed and said, “This is true,

came around the point we

and I was deep. I swung off

but you won’t remember not

could see the white water

the bottom and got up on the

doing it…” This was another

exploding into the air from a

face of the wave and had one

statement that resonated in

mile away. We knew that it

of the biggest pocket rides of

my mind, and it became the

was going to be a special day.

my life. I was so close to the

slogan of the trip. I knew that

We pulled up in the channel

impact of the wave it sounded

this week would fade into

and saw a solid 10 footer

like thunder on my heels.

the year, and ten years from

throw itself into a perfect long

Once I made it to the channel I

now I wouldn’t remember July

barrel. Keahi de Aboitiz and

started giggling like a little girl.

21st, 2015. Even though we

Pete Cabrinha were already

Two days prior I was debating

agreed we weren’t going to go

kiting. Pete was back on the

whether I should go to Fiji

because of the cost, I couldn’t

boat rigging a smaller kite.

because I didn’t want to spend

get that statement out of my

Jesse and I were frothing

the money. Now I just got one

head. He’d given up on the

to get out there. I rigged my

of the best waves of my life

trip and so had I, but Jesse’s

seven meter North Neo, waxed

and that alone was worth

words floated around in my

up my 5’8” WAM, and hit the

every penny.

mind for the next hour. I called

water with the biggest grin on TheKiteMag | 51

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

We all spent the afternoon

be another pulse in swell on

trading waves. There was

the fourth day so we rested

more than enough for

up, and ate a fine dinner in the

everybody. I lost count of how

main town. We only had one

many world class bombs I got,

day left on the boat charter,

and I’m sure everybody else

so we decided to split it up

did too. Jesse and Robby both

into two half days. The fourth

said it was one of the best

day we floated up to the break

sessions of their life. It was the

and it was blowing 30 knots

best session of my life.

and gusty. The waves seemed unaffected by the gusty and

After a marathon day on the

strong wind though as they

water, Jesse and I went back

rolled down the point with

to our room in disbelief at

ferocious perfection. There

what had just happened. The

was not a soul in sight, and

next day we motored back out

Jesse and I were about to have

again. It was still solid but

Cloudbreak to ourselves.

the swell had dropped quite a bit. The wind was light and

The fifth day ended up being

there were 15 surfers in the

strictly a surf day. The wind

water, so we decided to have

was only blowing 5 knots and

a relaxed morning. Jesse had

it was straight offshore. We

some friends on a nearby

got out early and ended up

island, so we dropped by for a

scoring perfect waves. There

coffee and some lunch. Turns

were only 10 guys out. Jesse

out Robby was also on the

waited out the back for that

island so we reminisced on

perfect wave. He ended up

how good the previous day

going on the first one. When

had been. Then, after relaxing

he kicked out he was greeted

for a couple hours we went

with the set of the day on his

back up for another session.

head. He told me he tried to

The wind had picked up and

duck dive an eight footer and

the waves were nothing short

hit the bottom with his board.

of perfect. We all got some

One guy went for the same

insane barrels. The waves

wave and fell. He ended up

were still really critical, but

dislocating his shoulder. That

they seemed tame after the

set cleared out half the lineup,

monsters that were coming in

but Jesse managed to make

the day before. After a couple

his way back out after quite

hours riding I pulled into a

the ordeal. That session really

pretty solid barrel and fell. My

was the cherry on the cake

kite got annihilated by a wave

for us. We were ready to go

and ripped in half. Luckily I

home. Sufficiently satisfied,

was ok, but my session was

and surprisingly not broken.

finished. Jesse managed to

Although we can’t say the

smash two boards to pieces on

same about our gear. We each

the reef. We took our tattered

destroyed a kite. Jesse broke 6

gear and motored back to the

leashes, two boards, and two

harbor.

bars, but neither of us were injured. It was time to catch a

After three amazing days on

flight home and score the same

the water we were sufficiently

swell when it hit Maui…

satisfied. There was meant to 52 | TheKiteMag

TheKiteMag | 53

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

JESSE

RICHMAN

54 | TheKiteMag

Fear is a huge driving factor in my life.

because of any amount of money I have but

The rush I get out of being scared is unlike

because of the riches that my memory is

any other. On this trip I had moments I will

filled with... So many amazing moments.

always remember, visions that are embedded

So many to come. These were some of the

in my mind forever. I can still feel remnants

best sessions of my life. I have never been

of the stoke and fear from our big session.

soooooo pitted…

One day I will die truly a ‘rich man’, not

TheKiteMag | 55

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

56 | TheKiteMag

KEAHI

DE ABOITIZ Two years ago I got the chance to go

that moment on I knew I wanted to

and spend some time in Fiji while

go back and try and score it properly.

shooting a SUP movie. We spent two

Luckily for us, that all came together

weeks traveling around surfing some

a few months ago with a trip aboard

of the amazing waves Fiji has to offer

the Cabrinha Quest, shooting for the

and luckily for me I had taken kite

new Chapter One movie with the guys

gear along as well. In the end we

from Eyeforce. When I got the call up

spent two days at solid Cloudbreak

to be a part of this trip, I was stoked.

and getting to kite it for the first time

We were going to spend ten days

was a real eye-opening experience. In

on the boat sailing down the coast

my opinion, it really is one of the best

checking out everything Fiji has to

kiting waves in the world and from

offer along the way.

TheKiteMag | 57

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

Like any trip planned out far

not why we were here and we

Having all the guys come

in advance, you never really

all wanted more…

over for the swell was really

know what you are going to

So seeing that swell pop up for

cool to see. To have all the

get. You hope you’ll luck into a

the end of the trip was a huge

generations together with

good swell but unfortunately

relief. There was light at the

Pete and Robby, Ben Wilson

that’s not always the case

end of the tunnel and although

and myself, Patri and Jesse

and leading into the trip,

we were going to catch some of

all riding together in waves

that looked like it was going

it, the majority of the swell was

like that was an amazing

to happen. For three weeks

going to arrive the day after we

experience. Everyone was

before the trip I watched

left. In the end that made for a

drawing different lines and

consistently perfect conditions

pretty easy decision to extend

cheering each other on and

forecast with solid swell and good winds just hoping that it

BETTER FEELING COMING OUT OF

would hold into the time we got to be there.

Unfortunately in the end we were looking at

having a vibe like that

THERE’S NO

A GOOD BARREL, KICKING OUT AND WATCHING A MATE

a couple days of fun-

GET A GOOD ONE

sized swell and wind

AS WELL.

in the water makes you really want to push yourself out there. I came away with so many good memories from that session and I’m sure it’s a trip we will all remember for a

in the beginning before a pretty

the trip and I think a decision

very long time to come. There’s

big patch of light winds and

we are all very grateful for.

no better feeling coming out of

small surf. It’s always a hard

It was a bit of a scramble for

a good barrel, kicking out and

pill to swallow knowing what

everyone extending tickets

watching a mate get a good

it can be like and then having

and booking tickets but I think

one as well. Those experiences

to settle for less but sometimes

we were all very stoked in the

are what we all live for, and it

that’s just what happens. For

end. I know Patri was calling it

definitely goes down as one of

the first week of trip we had a

the best kite trip of his life and

the best trips ever for me…

great time surfing and kiting in

it was definitely up there for

some fun conditions but that’s

me too.

58 | TheKiteMag

Here's Ben Wilson getting towed onto a wave by Keahi de Aboitiz while Robby Naish looks on.

It was one of those days...

TheKiteMag | 59

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

60 | TheKiteMag

ROBBY

NAISH The first time I went to Fiji was almost thirty

and varies in strength from nothing to 8 meter,

years ago, when I flew with Pete Cabrinha and the

averaging nice 10 meter conditions. The waves are

rest of the Gaastra crew to shoot the windsurfing

long and clean, and it is normally warm, sunny

movie “Angle of Attack”. Check it out, it’s a time

and beautiful. I have been there many times over

warp into the days of windsurfing past with short

the years since that first trip for windsurfing

shorts, bright fluoro colors and a new sport that

competitions, waterman multi-sport events, family

was taking the world by storm. At that time the

holidays and photo shoots. It really is a kiting

“island” of Namotu was just an atoll with a few

paradise, offering nice and easy flat water as well

bushes and one or two coconut trees on it. We

as waves from all angles depending on which side

stayed on Plantation Island and took a boat out

of the island you ride. But even though I have kited

to Namotu each day to sail the barrier reef break

there many times over the years, this trip was

now known as Namotu Lefts. The wind is sideshore

exceptional…

TheKiteMag | 61

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

I had originally planned to fly

around the reef at Cloudbreak, the

pass on. The biggest difference to

over and work with the Eyeforce

outer peak is sideshore and has

me between windsurfing a wave

guys shooting their kitesurfing

some exposure that makes it a bit

like this and kiting it is the power

documentary, Chapter One. Pete

bumpy at times. As the wave winds

and speed bottom turning. On a

Cabrinha and Keahi would be over

along the reef it gradually pulls to

windsurfer I can take off behind the

there on the Odyssey, and if and

the right, making the wind more

peak and bottom turn at full speed,

when the conditions got good, Kevin

and more offshore as you ride,

using the full rail of the board to

Langeree and I would fly over and

and making the wave cleaner and

drive up into the section. Kiting,

hook up with them. It was kind

smoother the further in you ride.

especially strapless (which I was

of a meeting of generations, two

Ride too far, or get behind the peak,

not) makes for a fairly tentative

from Naish and two from Cabrinha

and you find yourself on dry reef

bottom turn when the waves are

looking for some awesome lefts.

with straight offshore winds.

big. Beyond that though, the kite

We had a two week window but

has an accelerator in the flats, and

the conditions never transpired,

I can really only spend a few

to get around sections that nothing

the window closed, and Kevin

minutes sitting on a boat before

compares to. If you get shut down

had to head back on tour. As luck

my stomach turns inside out so I

behind the peak on the windsurfer

would have it though, a solid swell

rigged up first, not caring too much

you are finished whereas kiting you

appeared on the radar right when

whether it was windy enough or

can often get around it or just “pop

everyone was scheduled to head

not. I had to get off the boat! It

over” the back of the wave. I sailed

back home, together with a really

turned out to be windier than it

for a couple of hours, then got back

good wind forecast, something that

looked, and in no time Ben, Pete,

to the boat, put away the windsurfer

does not happen all that often down

and Keahi were also out, along with

and rigged up an 8. The crew

there. So the crew extended their

some of the Namotu crew that might

was already out killing it. Jesse,

stay in Fiji and off I went, together

have ventured into conditions that

Patri, and Keahi were all pulling

with Patri McLaughlin and Jesse

were a little above their pay grade.

in and showing that skill and no

Richman, on a last minute trip.

One of them went down and lost

fear make a great combination.

everything; kite, bar and board, and

Pete was getting some good ones,

Sometimes you get lucky. This

he was lucky he was able to swim

as were Ben and Ben. The bigger

was one of those times. We arrived

back out through the surf rather

sets made strapless backside look

just as the swell began to pick up,

than onto the reef. Jesse and Patri

pretty undesirable at times, but you

along with the trade winds. With

opted to surf and save their energy

could tell that everyone was having

Pete and Keahi on the boat, Jesse

for the next day and bigger swell. It

an absolute blast. I was loving life

and Patri staying with Surf Fiji on

was a decent warm up session, but

riding frontside for a change. I am

the mainland, and Ben Wilson,

Ben and I called it a day fairly early

still more of a top to bottom surfer,

Ben Meyer, myself and a host

due much to the crowd and fact

loving to lay down fast and hard

of recreational kiters staying on

that there were still some surfers in

bottom turns more than just about

Namotu, it was not going to be a

the lineup that were not just fellow

anything. My normal routine is to

solo session by any means, but it

kiters. That’s a pretty big no no.

ride fast and hard and to smack the

was certainly an awesome group to be riding with.

lip rather than waiting and stalling Day two was solid six to eight foot

to pull in – one of the main reasons

with a couple of even bigger sets

that I still love to ride strapped. If

Flights arrive in the morning,

with cranking winds making even

your mission is to get tubed though,

but once on the island and with

an eight meter Pivot a handful

strapless is the ticket and this is

baggage sorted, Ben Wilson and I

at times. I windsurfed my first

the place! I still have maybe a little

headed up to Cloudbreak to have a

session and then switched to

too much respect (fear) of my lines

look. The wind was just picking up,

kiting for the rest of the day. I

kiting in bigger surf, and the thought

and the surf was only three to four

couldn’t help myself seeing mast

of pulling into a barrel, getting

foot Hawaiian so there were still

high perfection rolling in, wave

clipped in the head and rolling head

several surfers in the lineup (it gets

after wave, unridden. Being a

first into my flying lines is enough

really crowded there until the waves

goofy foot, being able to get a few

to make me fairly cautious in terms

are big enough to clear the surfers

on my windsurfer and then hit it

of positioning. But by the end of

out). The way that the wave wraps

with the kite was just too much to

the day, and especially by the next

62 | TheKiteMag

day I was more comfortable about

would feel the same. That day and

I was getting six to ten massive off-

pulling into the pocket. But watching

the next were solid Cloudbreak, and

the-lips, section after section.

Jesse and the other two young riders

the third day was the best Namotu

Between having the best winds ever

dive right in without hesitation and

Lefts that I have ever ridden in all

and a pretty good sized swell for

take massive beatings on occasion

my years traveling there. Overhead

three days, combined with being

as a result (all losing kites in the

waves, straight sideshore wind, 8m

able to ride with a crew of friends

process) was pretty rad. I watched

Pivot, 5’8� Global wave board and

that also happen to be some of the

all three of them get absolutely

peeling waves that were just begging

best wave kiters on the planet of any

shacked. I for sure had the best

to be slaughtered. Namotu Lefts

age made this trip one to remember.

wave kiting of my life so far, and I

does not offer the perfect barrel of

am pretty confident that the others

Cloudbreak, but on a day like that TheKiteMag | 63

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

PETE

CABRINHA I consider myself a lucky person. I

(and don’t think that this a complaint

base this simple claim on the good

in any shape or form) but in reality

fortune I have received over my

I shouldn’t possess any more good

lifetime. Don’t get me wrong, life isn’t

fortune than anyone else. But… a

all rainbows and unicorns for me

lucky person I am.

64 | TheKiteMag

The kind of luck I’m talking

Then somewhere on the flight

about is the roll-of-the-dice

between Hawaii and Fiji,

brand of luck. Putting all

magic happened.

of my money on red kind of luck. Finding a needle

By the time I landed in Fiji,

in a haystack kind of luck.

the forecast started showing

Booking a week long surf trip

a shift in size for the end of

a year in advance, and then

the week. With each new day

scoring a perfect swell in the

the forecast for the end of the

span of that week… that kind

week got better. It went from

of luck. Okay, that doesn’t

good, to better, to excellent,

always happen but I only

then to… “What’s this? I’ve

remember the trips where

never seen a forecast like

that does happen.

this here before.” All of the computer models were calling

Luck landed on my side

for an XL swell and a week

recently during a trip to

of strong trade winds. Lady

Fiji (which I booked a year

Luck reared her beautiful

in advance) to sail on the

head once again.

Cabrinha Quest. Any time I’m aboard the Cabrinha Quest

I could go on and on about

our main mission is to search

how amazing the surf was

for the right combination of

and what it was like to ride

wind and swell. But Mother

Cloudbreak at that size.

Nature ultimately decides

I think the photos will tell

your fate and this time she

that story pretty well. The

came through.

highlight of the trip for me was the intersection of this

So right about the time I’m

amazing swell and the cast of

supposed to leave for the

characters that showed up to

trip I see a small blip on the

play. I knew Ben Wilson was

forecast that is indicating

already down there for his

a small swell right at the

annual kite week so I knew

start of my week in Fiji.

I’d get a session with one

I’m excited, but the initial

of the guys who knows the

forecast, which is represented

place like no other. I had also

by a small slope of little blue

been scheming and plotting

bars on my mobile device,

a trip with Robby Naish to

quickly flattens off to a short

ride a left hander for years

blue fence of stubby bars

which has never materialized

with the numbers 2-3 foot

due to our often impenetrable

stamped on them for the

schedules. So it was good

remainder of the trip. That

when I heard he was on a

was to be my week aboard

flight down to Fiji. Keahi

the Cabrinha Quest. 2-3 foot

was on the boat with me and

surf and a boat full of hungry

he, Ben and I already had

cinematographers from the

a magic solo session under

Eyeforce team hoping to film

our belts from the previous

Keahi and I in Fiji’s tropical

evening.

best. “All good” I say as I zip up the last of my board bags and head to the airport.

TheKiteMag | 65

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

66 | TheKiteMag

Then there were Ben Meyer,

I had obsessed on the forecast

broken rib and an early trip

Patri McLaughlin, and Jesse

for this day ever since it

back to the boat.

Richman, all who made a

showed up on my mobile.

surprise appearance but rode

There was a lot of anticipation

Luckily the broken rib

the place like they have been

leading up to the day. When

happened on my last day of

planning this for years. The

it finally hit it was an intense

the trip. Considering the size of

idea of being halfway around

mix of focus and fun. I rode

the surf, I feel lucky that’s the

the world at a reef pass

a few bombs and saw a few

only injury sustained. Luckily I

miles out to sea with a small

being tamed by my friends. My

already had a flight booked for

group of like-minded guys

session ended abruptly about

that evening.

is what made this session

an hour and a half into the

extraordinary for me.

day when one mistimed exit

Lucky? Lucky indeed.

from a set wave earned me a TheKiteMag | 67

THE NAMOTU SESSIONS

BEN

WILSON

I was in Fiji wrapping up the

The first day was super hectic

The next day was a bit different.

July Namotu Kite Weeks and

because there were heaps of people

The swell had picked up again.

everything just fell into place.

surfing. I don’t normally kite when

Cloudbreak is really weird: it’s good

There was a really good swell

there are surfers around but I knew

at about 6-8ft but between 8-15ft

and wind forecast and a bunch

some of the crew in the water so it

it’s kind of weird and tends to break

of crew were there to shoot a film

was okay for a bit. But the line-up

between the ledge and the second

as well. I guess above and beyond

got too crowded so I went back to

reef. And that’s what it was like on

that I hadn’t seen Pete and Robby

the boat. Then later in the afternoon

the second day. There were some

for ages – they first got me into

everyone except Pete, Keahi and I

good moments but the most fun I

kiting years ago – so I was keen

left and we had a window of an hour

had was when Keahi was towing

to kite with them. Plus I hadn’t

or so just before sunset that was

me on some waves. I guess a bit of a

seen Keahi in ages so I stuck

absolute perfect Cloudbreak. One of

novelty and fun. Cloudbreak can be

around and we got lucky.

the best sessions I’ve had there, or

daunting when you’re sitting there

anywhere, with just the three of us

on a surfboard waiting for big sets so

in the water.

towing in really made my session…

68 | TheKiteMag

TheKiteMag | 69

WE’RE

70 | TheKiteMag

TheKiteMag | 71

WE’RE JAMMIN’

WE’RE JAMMIN’ or an enjoyable few years there was a part of the kiting calendar around June and July when the world of kiting was all about two things: The US and park riding. The very best from the world of wakestyle would cruise out to Hatteras for the Triple S, and

then mosey over to Hood River for the Ro Sham Throwdown. The last Ro Sham was in 2012, and it’s fair to say that it’s been missed as the more low key compliment to the Triple S. And it wasn’t just us who thought that – a few of the riders have been hankering for some more competitive Hood River hits too. And this year they decided to do something about it…

PHOTOS: TOBY BROMWICH UNLESS STATED Words: Brandon Scheid and Colleen Carroll

The Hood River Slider Jam came about because a few of us wanted to start a full ‘park’ event in Hood River to bring back the feel of the Ro Sham Throwdown. For a few years the Ro Sham was a great event for the US kite scene as well as the town of Hood River. Most of the pros would head west following the Triple S and the event had a really progressive vibe, without taking itself too seriously.

the number of contestants, and run a fully progressive yet comprehensive rail jam.

We’d been inspired by Street League skateboarding and their amazing presentation of skateboarding to the masses, so we were considering how to create a similar product for kiteboarding. After a few meetings it was settled: we decided we would hold the first annual Hood River Slider Jam…

We wanted to create something similar. So a 100% park, jam style event that would showcase top end riding as well as the scene and the park in Hood River.

Even just three weeks prior to the event it was just a running conversation, then we decided to make it all happen... We wanted to limit

The format was broken down into three sections, Tech, Line, and Build. The tech section consisted of all the riders getting three hits on the existing park features – the North up down, the Cheese wedge, and the kicker. They could hit the rails whenever during their heat and they would score only on their best

72 | TheKiteMag

hits. This allowed the riders to progress to their hardest moves on the features.

The line section was basically as it sounds. Each rider was given three runs through the park. Everyone was scored on each feature in the lineup until they crashed. If a rider was able to get two rail hits but then crab on the kicker, then they would score up until the kicker. If they were unlucky enough to crash on the first feature, then that line was scored as a zero. So this day favored those riders who could consistently land high level tricks on command. Once again the riders would only keep their highest scoring line, so it gave them a chance to land their hardest tricks.

CRAIG CUNNINGHAM GETTTING HIS PRESS ON.

TheKiteMag | 73

Then finally we had the build section.

After a few days building we modded out the existing features with various additions and ran everyone through each feature three times. The line-up was North cheese wedge to corrugated flat tube, Joby’s pole to raised tube rail, and we started with the North up down rail to double tube shotgun. However during the warm-up one of the tubes cracked due to one of Craig’s botched hits (!), so scrambling we ended up putting the corrugated tube as a step-up from the end of the down on the North rail.

Once again only the highest score counted, giving the riders multiple chances to get a good score on the harder features. This day saw some amazing tricks go down on the rails, as well as some near season-ending crashes.

Both of which were crowd pleasers.

74 | TheKiteMag

We didn’t want to make a big deal about structure or organization, instead keeping it loose to let the riders shape the ultimate outcome and that’s exactly what happened.

When an unforeseen decision needed to be made, we’d put it to a rider vote and then went with the majority. Riders judged each other in viewing sessions hosted at various riders’ houses and everyone lent a hand building, hauling and filming.

So what went down was an event by the riders, for the riders. We ran the event when participants wanted to be on the water, holding out for ideal conditions and never forcing the

competition to run just to get a result. This was part of the beauty of having no sponsors or prize money, we were free to change the format whenever and however we saw fit. Don’t get me wrong, sponsors and prize money are wonderful parts of having an event but for this particular case we wanted to keep it simple, to start small and see what would emerge.

But – when it came to it – this was still a competition… So when all the riding was over, it was time to vote for the winners. We did the first day’s judging during the contest to give the riders an idea where they stood and how hard they needed to go over the next two stages.

PHOTO: ANDRE MAGARAO

TheKiteMag | 75

WE’RE JAMMIN’

The judging process consisted of all the riders watching each hit from each rider per feature and scoring them on a 1-10 scale as they saw fit.

We then totaled all the scores and took only the highest score from each feature. There was plenty of arguing and debating, as there should be, but what it really boiled down to was how you felt about the trick, and that’s what you scored. At the end of day one Sam Light was in the lead with Brandon nipping at his heels.

The fight for 3rd place was close with Sam Medysky, Aymeric Martin, and Craig Cunningham all within three points of each other. We waited for the end of the event to judge the last two sections, and after judging the Line section, Brandon was able to pull ahead of Sam by linking up the highest scoring line of the contest.

Then we tackled the judging of the Build section. This was by far the favorite to score as if it wasn't a banger hit it was more than likely a horrific crash. This made for some great excitement for all the riderjudges. Once all the scores were locked, we put them into Sabo's excel equations and out popped the results. By the end of the 3rd section it was the consistency of Brandon that ultimately prevailed over the tech from Sam Light, and he took home the coveted Golden Hammer for the first ever Hood River Slider Jam… The week as a whole was a great time, we had plenty of great sessions on the water and lots of great parties off the water. We had a great group of riders and could not have asked for a more successful first year.

Along with the inspiration from the riding and contest vibe similar to the Street League, we’re also impressed by the broadcasts of their contests and the aim is to make a similar comprehensive video – so the hope is that anyone, whether they kite or not, can watch and feel like they are on the beach rooting for their favorite rider. So be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s HRSJ…

76 | TheKiteMag

SAM MEDYSKY O N T H E U P/ DOWN

TheKiteMag | 77

WE’RE JAMMIN’

CO L L E E N M I D WAY THROUGH HER RUN.

results 1st Brandon Scheid 2nd Sam Light 3rd Sam Medysky Best Crash - Aymeric Martin Best Line - Brandon Scheid Best Kicker - Sam Light Best Rail - Craig Cunningham

78 | TheKiteMag

T HEK ITE M A G

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BO A T

s e n i d a n e r G e Th Tommy Gaunt made the ‘difficult’ decision to bail out from the UK and move to the BVIs to set up his own kite school last year. Tough call. On the plus side he didn’t have too far to go for the CrazyFly product shoot around the Grenadines. Sickening isn’t it.

Words: Tommy Gaunt | Photos: Andre Magarao

80 | TheKiteMag

TheKiteMag | 81

B OAT T R I P : T H E G R E N A D I N E S

CrazyFly team rider Liloo Gringa nailing a ‘boost to smile-at-camera’

82 | TheKiteMag

R

eceiving an email headed “2016 Photoshoot” was always going to make me happy! When I found out it was in the Grenadines I was particularly excited about it though – I had heard a lot about the kiting down there and it had all been good.

I had actually moved out to the British Virgin Island’s last year to open my own kite school on the island of Anegada, so it was pretty convenient for me to jump on a two hour flight to St Lucia where we would start our trip and I could join the CrazyFly team and board the Zenith

Ocean Voyages catamaran to sail south to the Grenadine islands. As I got on the boat I was surprised to be told we were setting off soon, it was 10pm at this time so I was a little bit skeptical and thought everyone was joking.

They weren’t! The captain had decided we should set off and sail 16 hours through the night as the wind was in a good direction and we’d get there in the morning for a full day of kiting. Sailing through the night was a little bumpy and having to do 2 hours of ‘watch’ at 3am also meant that sleeping patterns were a little messed up.

Union Island

I woke as I heard the anchor being put out. There were no more waves throwing me from side to side so I knew we had arrived but just wasn’t sure where – as I looked up I recognized the spot immediately, we were at Union Island. I had seen a lot of media and people had spoken to me about this world class kiteboarding location. And I could see why – the azure water with steady, reliable winds covering the north easterly-facing, quiet beaches, make it an ideal place for kiteboarding…

Just in front of the actual Union Island is a little island that is built from conch shells, called Happy Island. It’s manmade and has no other purpose than to serve as an oasis for rum lovers with a proclivity for “limin”. So after we bagged a lot of video and pictures of kiting around the bay at Union Island, and in front of Happy Island, we made a little trip over one night and enjoyed some rum and danced to some Caribbean tunes. It has to be said that the dancing was appalling…

After unpacking all kites, boards and camera gear we headed to Union Island beach for a morning session.

Getting used to the spot didn’t take too long, as the water on the inside of the reef is very flat and shallow so the camera crew could stand, which always makes things a lot easier. It was amazing riding over such beautiful reefs and water colors and – after checking a few forecasts – we decided to base ourselves at Union Island for a few days as there were a lot of options for shooting pictures and video and the forecast looked good. Union is a true Caribbean island - by that I mean it is very laid back and the locals live a simple but great life which seems to be without any stress or worry. There is also a really cool local crew, with teenagers kiting from sunrise to sundown and it is always great seeing the sport producing so much stoke.

There were probably a couple of hazy heads in the morning but we set sail again, leaving Union and Happy Island behind. And it took about 40 minutes before we arrived at another flat water spot called Frigate Island.

Frigate has a stretch of land coming from the main land like a big sand spit which the wind blows over, creating perfect flat water on one side. The coast line is rocky and is only accessible by dinghy to the small beach which is just big enough to rig your lines. We were lucky enough to have this spot to ourselves for two days and I had a lot of fun. The flat water and super strong winds made it perfect for throwing big tricks, and one of my favorite sessions was at this little island when I was on a 9m with 20m lines and the wind was cranking – throwing Megaloop late rolls right in front of the camera felt good!

TheKiteMag | 83

B OAT T R I P : T H E G R E N A D I N E S

It’s a product shoot.

Here’s some product...

84 | TheKiteMag

Desert Island

The next island we went to was probably the coolest of them all for me – it’s called Mopion and for me there is no way that you can travel all the way to the Grenadines and miss this unique photo opportunity. Mopion is a small dollop of sand surrounded by a transparent sea, there isn’t even a palm tree. The only speck of shade on Mopion is from a thatched hut in the middle of a sandbar 100 feet around. It is a real life desert island.

The kiting here is good but can be a bit hazardous as it is very small and surrounded by reef but we had a few hours playing around on the tiny island and managed to get some good shots with the distinctive single hut on the white sand.

After a session at Mopion, we carried on sailing in search of the next kiting destination – our skipper showed us some images of Tobago Cays and it was an instant response from all of us: yes! It took about an hour to sail there, unfortunately the wind wasn’t blowing as much as we expected but it was still pretty special being in such a pristine and beautiful place! We had a day with no wind, so it was time to relax. I did some fishing and snorkeling and drank some beers, taking in the stunning surroundings of small islands and crystal clear ocean.

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B OAT T R I P : T H E G R E N A D I N E S

Salt Whistle Bay

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Our fingers were crossed as the last two days of our trip looked really windy and we had one more spot to go to… Mayreau was the last island on our list, and it is the smallest inhabited island of the Grenadines.

The best kiting beach there is called Salt Whistle Bay. It seemed to me like a dream place to kite, with a sand spit running out from the island covered in palm trees it really gives that exotic feel, and with several small bars and souvenir shops playing loud music, it also had that typical Caribbean vibe…

The kiting at this spot can be a bit hit and miss, there can be too many boats moored up which can obviously be quite sketchy – especially when you’re trying to throw tricks – but luckily we had one day which was the perfect wind direction and not too many boats so it was the perfect way to end the trip.

With the cameras on the beach at several angles, flat water and solid wind it was probably the most productive day of the shoot.

Our last day approached which meant flying home was upon us. My 11 days sailing through the Grenadines had exceeded my expectations – the kiteboarding was phenomenal, and all of the flat water sessions had given me the chance to practice

and enjoy many different styles of riding. The Grenadines by boat really is a special experience – the place, the kiting and the vibe is absolutely top notch…

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RAPTOR

Experience future now.

88 | TheKiteMag

SCULP 5m / 7m / 8m / 9m / 10m m / 11m / 12m m / 13m / 14m FREERIDE DE/F /FREESTYLE LE.

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Kari Schibevaag has spent many years traveling the world and scoring plenty of competitive success as well as ticking more places off her ‘places I’d love to kite’ list than most of us manage in a lifetime. It also turns out that – when it comes to kiting nirvana – for Kari there is also ‘no place like home’…

Words: Kari Photos: Richard J.Varga & Kari

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When we meet new people for the first time we start by telling people our names, but then the next question is often, “and where are you from?” Coming from Norway, I often get the same response: Wow, do you live there? Is it dark all the time? Are there polar bears in the streets? I don’t know how many times

I´ve been asked those questions, but I think I´ve answered something different every time. And often saying something like this: “For sure, we have polar bears lurking around every corner, but they prefer to hang around in the water, snorkeling for seals, enjoying themselves and trying to live a peaceful life

like the rest of us. If you strike lucky, you will see them once in your lifetime and of course this will only be possible when the sun is finally up, maybe two times a year…” Is this really the perception people around the globe have about Norway?

I don’t know. But the fact is that the truth is far more exciting…

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THE MIDNIGHT SUN

THE REALI YOU WILL OFTEN FIND ME SITTING IN MY ‘HOUSE’ (THE VAN), LOOKING AT THE SUNSET THAT NEVER ENDS Norway is a small but beautiful country full of contrasts. You have city-life just like the big cities around the world, but for me all these cities are just the same: it’s all about shopping, drinking coffee, looking at people trying to show how good-looking and how fashionable they are, and spending money. Then you also have beautiful countryside and small villages, and a fantastic variation of nature all over Norway. It is this great diversity that I love about my country.

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Yes, the polar bears are real...

TY I grew up in the city of Stavanger, in the south-west of Norway where the landscape is flat with sandy beaches, but some years ago I fell in love with a totally different part of Norway called Lofoten.

This is an archipelago situated in the northern part of Norway, containing many islands which stretch far out into the sea.

Steep mountains reach the clear ocean with white sandy beaches and this is the land of the midnight sun, with 24 hours of daylight in the summer… You will often find me sitting in my ‘house’ (the van), looking at the sunset that never ends, tired after a really nice kite session, knitting a new Schibevaag hat and staring out at the ocean thinking: so what is the perfect life for me? What makes me happy and what keeps me going year-after-year with this lifestyle?

A lot of questions have been running through my head the last few years. I´ve been traveling around the world and seeing a lot of different things. But after every trip it becomes clearer for me... I just don’t like the cities and everything they create (with the shopping and the girls with fresh new boobs and no wrinkles).

I love the real thing, the real “you”, and real nature. I’m happy with my wool clothing, Gore Tex, kiting gear, neoprene and my hair hidden under my hat. The van is the best home in the world. It has everything I need. It has a big bed full of pillows and blankets, a bathroom, kitchen and toilet (all this of course outside) and it has amazing views which change every day. Then if I need a change of scene I also have my tent which I can take to the beach or up on the mountains.

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THE MIDNIGHT SUN

It’s morning and the wind is starting to blow. I have my kites stacked under the bed ready to get pumped. There are small waves and I’m ready to play with my big yellow surfboard. I love waves, but in the summer there aren’t always waves. That makes me really love it when they are there. Small or big, it’s just the good feeling of hitting the water with a surfboard.

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After the session, it’s time for a hot shower, some homemade food and some relaxing time before it’s time to kite or do something else again. Lofoten is just a big playground. It’s hard to decide what to do. You can kite, SUP, snorkel, surf, fish or hike. And the midnight sun makes it possible to do different things 24/7, day and night.

My summer passes quickly, but that means I’m having fun working and playing everyday. Alone but also together with friends and with the twins who live next door. I met them last year and they didn’t do any watersports. Now they are doing SUP, fishing, windsurfing and some kiting. They live close to my watersports center and nearly every day they come to play with me. I have to say it’s cool to see them improving so fast

and growing to become real water girls.

This keeps me smiling and wanting to teach them more. They love the neoprene and they love testing out new things. This summer was amazing and I hope these two kids just keep on growing and enjoying the water with me.

So Lofoten has just about everything that a water and mountain girl like me could wish for. I just need a bit more time – if I could push the pause button right now then that would be nice. I hope to see you there some time – and please come and say hello if you are passing by Lofoten‌

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Island hopping to Bonaire Dylan van der Meij leaves no stone unturned in his tireless exploration of the Caribbean and its wealth of kiteboarding opportunities…

PHOTOS: ANDY TROY

H

aving spent two weeks photo and video shooting with the Flysurfer crew on the beautiful island of Guadeloupe it was time to move.

My next destination? Bonaire…

From Guadeloupe I flew to Grenada in a Fokker 50. As the name suggests, this plane only fits 50 passengers – although there were only 15 people taking this plane and the flight attendant told me, ‘Take a seat wherever you want, as long as it is in the back or in the middle.’

Which was reassuring! After a

short flight with my own row of chairs we arrived on Grenada.

The plane made a quick fuel stop and most people left the plane as this was their final destination. Then, with only two of us left, the plane took off again and I flew to the ‘Dutch side’ of Saint-Martin (the island has a French and a Dutch side, there are no formal borders, but each side claims that they’re the best!).

As we cruised over the beautiful Caribbean Sea with all her tropical islands, I felt like I was in my own private jet…

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A

rriving in ‘Dutch’ SaintMartin and I assumed everybody would speak Dutch. However, after my first Dutch sentence the lady behind the counter looked really confused and I soon discovered that in fact English is the main spoken language, so I continued my journey with an English mindset and arrived on Curaçao, where the customs lady behind the counter asked me something that I didn’t understand. After repeating her sentence three times I finally got it. She was speaking Dutch!

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Eventually, after 4 flights, I arrived on Bonaire. On arrival we picked up a pretty unique rental car which got us a lot of attention. The owner had ‘self-converted’ a standard car into a black and bright yellow cabriolet. To rent the car we just gave our name and phone number with no deposit or contracts – that’s how it goes on this relaxed island. Seatbelts and helmets are not worn and all intersections are replaced by roundabouts so there are only crossroads. There is only one right-of-way rule: if you go straight, you have the right of

way. It takes some time to get used to, but after a while it is super-efficient.

Bonaire’s part of Holland, but the currency is the US Dollar.

For Europeans, with the Euro exchange rate, the island is a pretty expensive place. So, for example, in the supermarkets you pay €5 for a yoghurt! The capital of Bonaire is Kralendijk and here you find all the hotels, apartments, supermarkets, bars and restaurants. Big cruise ships come and go and mainly American and Dutch tourists visit the island. Most of them

come for the amazing diving conditions. They all drive around in rented pick-ups with their diving kit in the back and there can be few other places in the world where diving is so easy. The conditions are such that you can just park your car next to the ocean, and walk in.

From Kralendijk it’s a 15 minute drive to Atlantis, the kite spot.

The road to Atlantis runs parallel to the ocean and is almost completely straight. On one side you see the beautiful blue ocean and on the other side you can find Bonaire’s bright

and multicolored salt pans.

Then halfway to Atlantis you can find the place where the salt gets stored and shipped, and big white mountains of salt lay next to the road.

At Atlantis there are two kitesurf schools, both operating from buses. The biggest school is called Kiteboarding Bonaire and has a big American school bus on the beach. The bus is cool and has power, fresh water and even a compressor! The vibe at Atlantis is relaxed, with everybody enjoying the great

kitesurf conditions and hanging out in the buses on the beach.

The wind speed is generally somewhere around 20 knots. In the mornings the wind is side offshore and because of this the water is a bit choppy. During the day the direction changes to straight offshore and the water gets flat and is perfect for freestyle. The best sessions in Bonaire were the sunset sessions where the wind was usually a bit stronger, the water was flat and if you are really lucky the dolphins pass by! It was so cool to kite with

these magnificent animals. They come super close and start to play with your board. One time I had 7 dolphins underneath my board, all jumping and playing next to me.

Aside from the amazing kite sessions it is good fun to discover the island. On the west coast of Bonaire, just above Kralendijk you find ‘1000 steps’ beach.

From the road you walk down the steps, luckily not 1000…

This beach is nice for snorkeling and cliff jumping. North of the beach there’s an old rusty

abandoned building, and from one of the houses you can jump into the ocean. Then, since you’re already wet, you can drive straight to Lac Bay. This is one of the best windsurfing spots in the world. A big reef prevents the waves from rolling into the bay and the big bay stays shallow for a long time, the perfect spot to learn. You can take lessons or rent gear at Jibe City. Looking for a nice place to lunch? Jibe also has a good menu and a terrace that looks over the actionpacked bay.

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ne of the coolest things I did was to head to Klein Bonaire (which means ‘Small Bonaire’).

This is the tiny island that lies in front of Kralendijk. Nobody lives here and there’s nothing actually on the island.

The underwater world is super nice though and you can kite here. A few times a day the water taxis come and go from Klein Bonaire so you can get over there. The wind is sideshore but comes over Bonaire first, so it is a little bit gusty.

So, overall, despite the number of flights and language changes it takes to get there: Bonaire is well worth a visit…

100 | TheKiteMag

UNLEASH ITS POWER!

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TECHNIQUE

TECHNIQUE WITH

S T E FA N

S-MOBE MELON GRAB

The S-Mobe Melon Grab is one of my all-time favorite tricks. It’s not the hardest trick for sure, but it’s the one trick I like to do as styled out as possible. You can play around with any grab you want on an S-Mobe. Even double grabs. A lot of tricks are hard to get a good, long grab in, but with the S-Mobe you really have time to hold your grabs and lock them in. I like to compare my Melon S-Mobe during my heats with a big Backside Air that snowboarders do in their halfpipe runs! It breaks the tension a bit during all the high technical tricks during a heat, it feels good, you can go really big and you can gain some style points.

THE STEPS

Get some good speed going into the trick. Speed might be scary in the beginning but it will help you get the height you need.

Edge hard into the front rotation and keep your arms close.

As you finish the front rotation, initiate the Frontside 360 Handlepass by looking over your front shoulder.

Keep your bar close to the hip and bend your back foot to reach for the Melon-Grab.

Note: The closer you keep the bar to your hips, the longer you will be able to hold on to the grab.

Pass the bar behind your back and face your landing.

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PHOTO: CAM E RON M A R A M E N I DE S

PHOTOS: TOBY BROMWICH

S-MOBE MELON GRAB

I E S S B E R G E R

BACKMOBE 5

The Backmobe 5 looks easy, feels good and is all about a flawless rotation. Just when you think you landed the perfect one, you realize that you can still do it better – a little higher, faster, or with the kite a bit lower. In my heats I use the Backmobe 5 as one of my opening tricks. I can do it consistently, it scores well, and it puts me in the right mindset for the rest of my heats.

THE STEPS

Edge hard on your take off. The key for me is to hold your edge longer on the take off which adds some extra degrees of rotation before you leave the water.

Don’t invert too much on your backroll. This will give you more of a flat kind of spin which makes it easier to add that extra rotation in the end.

Now pass the bar. As with any other trick, it’s important to bring the bar close to your hip. Not only will it help you pass the bar behind your back, it will also create slack in your kite which is going to help you at the end of the trick.

Once you are into the Backmobe there is no going back. Don’t start thinking during the trick – you have to commit to a Mobe 5 from the very beginning of the trick until the end…

After passing the bar your “new” front foot should be ahead of your body rotation. This feels scary in the beginning, but once you commit it is really helpful.

Line up your landing and stomp it!

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#split

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#nobile

#earth&spaces #nobile2016

www.nobilekiteboarding.com SHOP ONLINE: shop.nobilesports.com

IN THE PIPELINE

Ph i l i p p B e c k e r f r o m No r t h K i t b o a rd i n g t a k e s u s t h r o u g h w h a t w e c a n l o o k f o r wa rd t o i n 2 0 1 6 …

Hey Philipp, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. Let’s kick off by talking about the last year for North – how was it?

Hi Alex, anytime, it´s a pleasure. We had a really good season and reached our goal to stay worldwide market leader.

The situation with our products has changed a little over the last couple of years. Whereas the Rebel and the Vegas have been the important kites and leading our range, the mini-revolution of three strut kites – for us the Dice and the Neo – have become very important.

Looking at boards and the freeride/ freestyle boards, the Xride and the Jaime are our absolutely best sellers, followed by the carbon Select. A fantastic revival has been our Teamboards and the Gambler, they´ve been completely reworked in collaboration with the whole team. The surfboards are fighting hard against all those custom shapes, but quality, guarantee and durability have kept them very popular. With the 2016 compact shapes and the Light Team Construction, we think people will be surprised by how close the feeling of the surfboards will be to custom PU boards…

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Is there any big news with where or how your boards and kites are being produced for 2016?

Not sure if it´s big news but we´re changing from one manufacturer in Austria to another manufacturer in Austria. It´s still the same quality of a very experienced company, who have been building snowboards and kiteboards for a couple of years now. As we´re trying to be a sustainable brand, we tried everything possible to keep the production in Europe. And for the coming years, the cooperation with this company will ensure progress and the highest quality standards.

So you’ve just released the 2016 Rebel, Dice and Vegas – what have been the main developments with each of these?

It´s kind of funny, our oldest kite in the range, the Rebel, which sometimes did not get a lot of love from our side, seems to have had a massive resurrection. The unique feel of the 5th line in combination with 5 struts and the unbelievable sheet and go acceleration are refined to the max by Ken Winner.

So this year the boost and the hangtime

TH E NE W R E B E L, A LWAYS A P LE A S U R E ....

in combination with how easy and accessible those are, are the major changes. The 16 replaces last year’s 18 Airstyle as the performance of the 16 has been overwhelming. The Dice is a very successful kite in its niche, especially for advanced riders in waves and for freestyle, but at the same time it was sometimes a bit too sporty for some kiters. The aim for this year was to keep the sportiness but also make it more accessible and forgiving. The Dice is always my choice in spots like Cape Town, when I´m limited with gear but know I´ll have wave days but also will be putting the boots on for the perfect flat water days in Witsands. In technical terms, the Dice has a higher delta angle on the tip, which results in a better low end performance. A slimmer center

NORTH

P H ILIP P A ND U K R E P E MMA B E C K INSA LE S P R E A DING TH E WOR D....

TH E GA M B L E R A ND HA D LOW TE A M S E RI E S

profile increases the speed, and it has a better low end. The increased structural stiffness on the tips helps to prevent the kite from shaking. The all new straight LazyPump system was added on all kites which reduces weight and protects the cloth from damage. Newly designed Canopy-Dacron-patches are also added to protect this LazyPump system. The draft-back profile increases low end and results in a smooth drifting ability.

The Vegas was completely reinvented from scratch with the 2015 model and the addition of the Hadlow Setup. The whole team as well as many freestylers and even freeriders have been so happy with this all new Vegas that the designer Ralf Grösel was almost a little afraid to touch it! The main attributes are the pure C-feel but interpreted in a modern way, with a lot of depower and a lot of trim options, so you can get the exact right freestyle kite that you want. The settings options are complicated, but once you realize the benefits, you´ll definitely customize your Vegas. My personal recommendation on the 2016 Vegas is to try the Hadlow setup in combination with the Wakestyle Bar. The feeling of the Vegas then is just insane.

Using the Vegas with the Trust Bar, make sure you´re using 22m lines, even with the bigger sizes, the low end will just

be a little bit less, but responsiveness and bar feedback is great. For the first time a new dacron stripe is used on the

leading edge at the connection to the canopy. The radius of the waves in the dacron stripe, Dacron and the canopy is not identical. There are differences of up to 10 millimeters. The resulting pretension ensures a nice flattened canopy with exceptional aerodynamic results.

Additionally the general pre-tension of the canopy of the kite is higher, which allows for a really crisp and direct feel at the bar.

And what is your program for releasing the rest of the kites?

The Rebel, Dice and Vegas are always first on the market. Then the Neo, Evo, Juice and Dyno will follow, so that by February 2016 all of the kites are on the market. There’s also something new in the range – a one strut kite which you´ll hear about soon.

Then with the boards, can you talk us through the main developments in the twin tip range for 2016?

The main developments are four new and different constructions. The Premium Performance Construction (Team Series, Team Series Hadlow), the

Textreme Carbon construction (Select, Spike Textreme), the Premium Construction (Jaime) and the Biax Fibre Construction (Gambler, X-Ride, Soleil, Spike, Gonzales).

And the surfboards?

For 2016 we will offer surfboards in three different constructions, the completely new Light Team Construction (Pro Surf, Pro CSC, Pro Kontact), offering the best feel you ever had on a production surfboard; the Classic Construction (Wam, Woohoo, Whip CSC, Nugget CSC) and the TT Construction, which means Tough Technology (Nugget TT, Quest TT), which is a really durable construction and already in its third generation. Certainly the Light Team Construction will turn some heads as the feeling is so close to conventional surfboards, but the durability is so much higher. The Pro Surf and Pro CSC also come without inserts to reduce weight even further. In general I think it´s a very modern range with some great shapes from Sky Solbach.

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IN THE PIPELINE

PHOTO S : O L I VE R UM P IER R E

How important are your team riders in developing new equipment?

For some years now, the influence of our team riders has been very important, some like Sky Solbach have moved in to our R&D team, where he´s now shaping all waveboards. Additionally he´s involved in the testing of all kites Ken Winner is responsible for - the Rebel, the Neo, the Juice and the Dyno. Ralf Grösel is testing his Vegas with the whole freestyle team, and the Dice with Tom Court and Fabio Ingrosso. All waveboards are cross checked with the wave team, twin tips with the freestyle team. But also the whole office team and the boss, Till Eberle, are involved and have a veto if they think a product wouldn’t work in the range.

Aaron has now been with you guys for over a year – what has been his impact and which products has he had most involvement in developing?

I just came back from the VKWC in Saint Peter-Ording – which he won for the second year in a row – I helped him out signing posters, organizing press conferences and attended riders meetings, and you can see he´s already kind of a living legend. People adore him, listen when he talks and watch everything 108 | TheKiteMag

he does. The way he conducts himself is just super professional and friendly, which of course reflects on the brand.

The combination of North Kiteboarding and Aaron Hadlow seems like it´s always been there from the start. When I first met Aaron with Ralf in Cape Town, we asked him to do us a favor and to give us his opinion about a prototype. After 5 minutes he came back from the water and precisely described the kite, explaining what he would change. From there on a never-ending discussion with Ralf started, and that’s when we first thought of getting him on board. Now, already two years later, the Vegas has been completely reborn, we’ve got the Hadlow setup, a Hadlow Team Series, and more to come. I would say the cooperation is pretty good and productive. And I think Aaron’s also pretty happy with his job at the moment.

How has the foil done for its first few months and are there any plans for a new version of this?

The foil has been doing really well, so well that I couldn´t send one out to magazines to test yet, they all went to waiting customers, sorry! The niche we hit with a non-racing freeride foil was not there before, so that must have been one key to success, paired with the unique shape to make foiling a bit safer. Still, we

are a very performance and innovation driven brand, so the racing sector is not ignored and we´ll work in this direction too.

You guys seem pretty happy with your range of kites and boards now – do you think you’ve got ‘something for everyone’ now?

I´m scared to say it, but just looking at the wishes of the whole NKB team behind the scenes, there seems to be even more products which could be made. Additionally, the moment you start reading the catalogue, watch some product clips or talk to a shop you´ll realize the segmentation of the products is on the point. Just don´t be afraid to get informed and you´ll get the best fitting product for your preference and style you ever had. Also a tip from my side, visit the demo tours! There´s no better recommendation than a personal test.

Any plans for any new additions?!

A hover board, Bluetooth connection from bar to kite and an electric VW T6 to get to the beach in cooperation with Tesla. No, not all true, but you´ll be surprised by the one strut kite and I hope I´ll get you on a foil at some point!

That´s exciting enough for the moment…

high tech made in austria T H E N E W F R E E R I D E G E N E RAT I O N

JAIME

SELECT

X-RI D E

With more than 20 years of experience in composite technologies, our Twintips are produced in a high tech facility in Austria.

Using highly skilled workmanship we’re confident with our fair wages and meeting of European working standards.

Environmentally responsible, we strive to deliver the product to market fast and efficiently and reach our goal of being a truly sustainable brand.

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WWW.NORTHKITEBOARDING.COM

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OU Y O D W O H NT R E P R E S ER ?

G N I D A O KITEB SO FI CH EV AL IER CA N CU T SH OW IN G SH E R. ..

TE WA E TH IT ON

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This is quite a question to start the second edition of our section in these pages, but as our sport grows and more and more people learn about what it is that we do and love so much, it is an important question. And whether you have just bought your first board or you’re riding for Red Bull, this is an issue that’s relevant to you.

SO LET’S START FROM THE BOTTOM AND WORK OUR WAY UP… Do you remember the very first time you laid your eyes on a kiteboarder? For us at KiteSista it is a clear memory: it was 2001 and the rider was out on their own doing back rolls in the sunset, and to our virgin eyes this was the coolest thing we had ever seen. We never got a chance to speak to the rider as we had to leave the beach long before he left the water, but the image was embedded in our minds forever.

Now back to the present day and the chances are that if you see kiteboarding for the very first time, you’re unlikely to see just one lone rider.

In fact you’ll probably see tens if not hundreds of us – of all ages and levels. And you will probably still be stoked by the sight and want to have a go.

But, there is also another side to the reality of someone’s first encounter with kiteboarding.

What if it is with an out-of-control rider getting dragged up the beach, or someone not respecting the swim zone and coming in too close to your children as he punts his tricks too close to the shore. Then there are ‘the shouters’: “You just walked on my lines”, “Get out of the way I am about to launch”, “Your dog better not pee on my kite or I’ll kick it”. You may think these are all exaggerations or worst case scenarios, but we have either seen, been on the receiving end of, or been responsible for (nobody’s perfect…) each of these scenarios.

So now back to the question at hand. How do YOU represent kiteboarding? Let’s break it down into a few categories…

BEGINNERS From the moment you pick up a kite you are an ambassador. You may not think it, but once that kite is in your hands, in the eyes of the non-kiter

you are the real deal. Now we could get caught up here with a long list of safety requirements you should follow and rules and regulations on the water, but instead think of it like being a new driver: you have zero experience and experience counts for a lot, so relax, be calm, smile, don’t get angry, don’t create conflict and do go out of your way to leave more than enough space for others. Also remember that if you want others to be part of the sport, make sure you tell them all the good stuff, the sense of achievement, the sensations of freedom and accomplishment. Don’t just focus on the moment you got launched and then dragged 30 feet underwater because you accidentally pulled the wrong side of the bar…

THE OTHER 80%...

So you can kite. You have no interest in competing, joining the world tour, getting sponsored or know whether you are supposed to wear board shorts over your wetsuit or not (you’re not. In case you’re wondering). You like to kite as much as you can but chances are you have a life outside of kiteboarding and you probably see yourself as neither an ambassador nor a representative of the sport.

But remember, you are the majority! It is you who REALLY represents our sport. It is easy to forget this, but turn up to the beach in Tarifa, Zanzibar, Dakhla or Brazil or your local spot and it is immediately clear to see. You represent kitesurfing. Now what are you going to do about it?!

Chances are, not a lot. You would rather be left alone to enjoy your sport and don’t have time for the glossy magazine image side of things.

But maybe you should think about showing some love. You can show some love to the brands who help to make our sport so great.

You may think that kite brands are all giant corporate sellouts overcharging for products you could make in your garage for less, but the reality is that 95% of kite brands are rider run and owned, and even if they are not now, they were once and built on a love for the sport.

Then, on the beach, it is your absolute obligation to ensure that kitesurfing doesn’t develop a negative association with other beach users so show some respect and – if you want to encourage greater participation – then share your stoke as well!

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SE N SI G RAV E S: “ FOR M E IT’S ALL ABOU T G IV IN G BACK TO THE SP O RT THAT HAS G IV E N M E SO M U CH. ”

COLLEEN CA RRO L L M I X I NG I T UP O N O NE O F THE B I G G ES T S TA GE S ( A ND S L ID ERS !) O F A L L

LOCAL HEROES What is a local hero? It is the guy or girl that everyone who rides at your local beach knows. They kick ass, you are impressed, the other kiters are impressed, the beginners and intermediates alike are in awe of their skills. Good job, this means that you are showing people the possibilities of our sport, where it goes when you progress beyond the basics, and this is an important job when you are on the water.

That is where it stops though. Once you step off the water, you are just like everyone else, a kiter. Leave your beach and leave your hero status behind and then you have another responsibility, you are a nice friendly ambassador for the sport and you represent your local area and country.

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But don’t take our word for it, here’s Colleen Carroll, “One thing that I see occasionally when kiting in smaller locations is riders being reckless for the sake of showing off. Even if you are a professional you can make mistakes and it is completely unacceptable to risk another person’s safety for the sake of showing off your latest move to the crowds.”

SPONSORED RIDERS This is where it starts to get interesting.

A brand likes your image enough to use it to sell their products. Hold on. Wait.

What did we just say? Yes, let’s get this out in the open: being sponsored means that you are given product to promote on behalf of a brand in order to raise awareness of that brand and sell its products.

This does not make you in any way superior to your fellow riders. It does not entitle you to more space on the water.

In fact it’s quite the opposite. You are now the promoted face of kiteboarding.

You may not be getting a salary but you are being funded with equipment to represent our sport. And there aren’t any brands who view ‘negativity’ as an attribute they want to be associated with.

Your responsibility is to ‘share the stoke’.

Here’s Sensi Graves: “I represent the sport of kiteboarding mostly by getting out there and doing it. I’m fortunate enough that I get to travel a lot to kite. Every time I interact with people on a new beach I have an opportunity to spread my love for the sport.

Sharing photos and videos of these awesome opportunities I hope encourages interest in kiting. I believe representing kiteboarding is all about supporting the industry, be it riding in events and contests, attending kite movie premieres and kite-specific industry events, encouraging more women to get into the sport or simply showing up when you need to. For me, it’s all about giving back to the sport that has given me so much.”

PRO RIDERS We have reached the pinnacle: the pros.

The best our industry has to offer. Those entrusted to carry the flame that is the image of our sport to the mainstream media masses. Does this mean that you have to be the very best rider out there, to be a fierce competitor and be able to lay down double passes as and when demanded? No, it doesn’t. Of course there is a special spot reserved for those competing at the very highest level and the brands will always be queuing up to sign them… But there are also ambassadors and icons in our sport whose place in the industry goes beyond their tricks and their last competition place. Back to Colleen, “As one of the lucky professionals who gets to make their living through our awesome sport, I feel it is my obligation to always represent our sport in a positive and progressive way. To push my physical abilities on the water as well as be a good role model off the water.”

We’re going to avoid listing names here to avoid a “Flash Austin is more influential than Lou Wainman” type of argument, but we are going to say that there are many riders who do more than showcasing the ‘competitive potential’ of the sport, but instead showcase the potential that it has as a lifestyle choice. Liquid Force rider Malin Amle sums it up well, “I know that ability will take you far, but that with a great attitude you can go so much further. There are many great riders these days and I feel like if you want to stand out from the crowd you can do this by showing a great attitude towards the people you meet who share the passion. I say ‘yes’ to an attitude of gratitude to be able to do what you love on a daily basis! And to those not respecting other people in the sport I think we all should remember that we started this sport because of the love that we have for it.”

AN N E LOU S LAM M E RTS EN JOYIN G HE R CHAN CE TO RE PRE SE N T THE SPORT AFTE R HE R SE CON D PLACE IN G E RM AN Y.

So we finish with this call to arms. No matter if you’ve just had your first or your ten thousandth session, whether you ride for fun or for a living, and whether you kite at a beach with 200 other kiters or just with a couple of close mates: we all have a responsibility to consider how we represent kiteboarding and to ensure that we are doing our bit to ensure the success of our sport.

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I O N WI R E _ If you haven’t had a new harness in a year or two, then when you next head out to check out the latest harness offerings you are in for a shock. The world of harnesses is moving on at breakneck speed…

Markus Morbitzer takes us through ION’s latest innovation, Wire_Tec.

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So, first up, can you tell us, ‘what is Wire_Tec?’ Wire_Tec is a brand new system, developed by ION. The system has a specific number of cords running through the harness body with a precise space between each of them. You can compare it to a cable-stayed bridge, the principle is substantially the same: drag or pressure peaks are evenly distributed among several ‘pillars’.

What are the cords made from?

The cords are adapted from the kite lines. So the material is Dyneema. Kite lines are ideal for our purpose, because they have a low coefficient of friction and a low strain value. Furthermore the lines are saltwater and weather resistant.

And what’s the end result?

This system is designed to evenly distribute the forces which arise at the hook. Compared to conventional harness systems, the Wire_Tec system provides an even load distribution of the forces coming from the kite via the buckles directly into the cords. These cords are set at equal intervals over the entire harness body.

Consequently the forces are spread over the entire back. The cords are not sewn into the sides, so the system is able to compensate the forces which occur both vertically and horizontally. Therefore Wire_Tec offers the possibility to compensate punctual pressure points by distributing the load evenly across the back.

For conventional harness systems the buckles which the straps attach to are fixed to the harness body. In contrast, the buckles of the Wire_Tec system are fixed to a separate‚ freefloating plate (our Floating Buckle System) to prevent the common stiff spots at the side of the harness. In addition, thanks to this plate, the forces coming from the kite are spread over the entire back which avoids pressure points at the sides.

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How do you test the dispersion of the load when you are developing the harness?

Our long-term experience in the development of harnesses has shown that testing with team riders, opinion leaders and other ambitious watersport guys are more efficient than theoretical mathematical tests. With all these individual persons (individual in body shape, riding style and preferences) you receive much more specific results.

For waveriders who want a good amount of ‘swivel’ in their harnesses, will the Wire_Tec still provide this?

The Wire_Tec system does not influence the rotation of the harness. The system primarily increases the wearing comfort and perfects the fit.

Where will these fit in terms of their price point in the ION range?

Currently our patented Wire_Tec system can be found only in the

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Select harnesses: Apex Select, Vertex Select and Nova Diamond.

So for now this is our top product with the highest price point.

Harnesses seem to be getting a lot of attention at the moment – is it an exciting time to be working in the world of harness tech?

Do you think this is the future of harness design, and are there any plans to roll it out across all of your range?

Due to the ever-growing market with an increasing number of brands, the pressure increases for each brand to improve and thus extend their innovation.

That´s good for us, as ultimately everybody in the market benefits.

Not specifically the brands themselves, rather the end consumer – because in the end, the end consumer decides what is good and what is not.

We are definitely convinced that this system has enough potential to expand it throughout the ION range. Back problems amongst kiters are commonplace, and this system relieves the strains.

How long does it take to develop a harness and how many prototypes do you go through on average?

It´s not possible to generalize on this as it depends on the complexity. For us the maximum is two years of development time.

Also the number of prototypes will vary with the complexity. We want the products to ‘work’, so it is more important to take the time to produce a good product than to set any time records.

Is there one ‘perfect’ harness?

At ION we think that it is important that we develop each harness for the target market for that specific harness so that it can be the perfect choice for each end consumer and their personal wishes and requirements. But of course as there are so many different preferences and disciplines, such as freestyle, wave and freeride there will never be one harness for everybody.

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P E TER L Y NN E S C A PE Peter Lynn’s Roy van Baarsen takes us through their Escape kite and also takes a broader look at what’s in their range right now.

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Hey Roy, Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. So the 2016 Escape is now available – for anyone not familiar with the kite can you just explain to us which kites are in the Peter Lynn range and where the Escape sits?

Hi Alex, thanks for having us! Yes both the Escape 2016 and Fury 2016 are renewed kites in our lineup. Our lineup consists of 3 kites. The Escape, Fury and Swell…

Escape - Simply put, the Escape is made for the riders who would like to have most fun out of their session. Many kiters are able to go out 10 or maybe 15 times a year. If that is you then you don’t want a kite that punishes you when you make a mistake.

The Escape makes you look good on the water and enables you to have maximum fun, and makes it easy to bust out your most radical moves. It’s aimed at ambitious riders who want a kite that pops hard and boosts big and is the ultimate freeride/freestyle machine. The Escape lets you decide: fly it smooth for a lazy afternoon sesh, or whip it around for some blistering freestyle action.

Fury - The 2016 Fury is built for those who go big and ride hard with maximum performance in mind. It is a fantastic piece of engineering that will maximize your jumps, provide you with massive airtime, have you screaming upwind and enable you to ride at teeth-grinding speeds.

All of this insane performance is delivered in an easy, predictable and reliable way so that you always feel in total control. The extremely rigid 5-strut frame combined with its high aspect ratio and high performance profile, make it the perfect tool for boosting big air.

Swell - A versatile 3-strut SLE kite that combines waveriding and freeriding performance in one perfect package. The Swell is designed to give you the responsiveness and maneuverability of a wave/ wakestyle kite and combines it with smooth drift and great stability that allows you to focus on surfing the wave. Add to this a massive wind-range and you end up with a versatile kite that performs in a large variety of conditions.

Can you talk us through the main developments for 2016?

We were really satisfied with the improved performance of the previous generation Escapes so we took a good look at how we could improve upon this shape and design. We decided to focus on the “nose” of the kite design to maximize its poppy freestyle performance. This focus resulted in a kite that enables you to pop harder and boost bigger and gives you more time to get those tricks perfected.

The 2016 Fury is a total redesign of the kite. We started from the ground up with a completely new shape and canopy profile. Of course the design goal of the Fury was maintained: a fast, stable and hard performance machine for those who go big and with speed!

We spend a lot of attention on keeping the kite predictable and stable while still remaining able to deliver insane airtime at just a bar pull away.

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And the Escape is a 4 strut kite, why is that and why does it fit the requirements of the Escape?

Many kiters and shops ask why we chose a 4 strut design. These days many kiters think that it is normal to either choose a 3 strut or a 5 strut, leaving the 4 strut out. This is judging a book by its cover in our opinion. Many kiters are influenced by today’s kite brand marketing rubbish which blurs the real knowledge about kites and can leave many kiters not very well informed. Many riders are told they should drive a Formula One car in order to ride hard, leaving the kiter with a kite that does not fit their level of skill and taking away the fun and joy of a great session. I play the guitar myself and had always desired 120 | TheKiteMag

an incredible expensive guitar in order to play like a rock star. You probably guess what happened when I had that guitar... I didn’t have the skills to make the most of it. The same goes for many kiters unfortunately. That is why we made the Escape. Every kite session should inspire you to push your riding while having a blast on the water, and the Escape gives you the ability to progress with success. In order to make a kite that matches the design goals we found out that the 4 strut setup had the best characteristics in terms of stability, predictability and performance.

How does the development process of your kites work – who are the main guys who test and help to develop your kites?

We are proud that our designs and products are developed in the Dutch Nordsea. They are tested by a group of specific riders for each kite who match the design goals. After being tested in the Dutch washed up and stormy conditions, the kites are spread out across the globe to be tested in specific conditions.

For example, the Swell has been thoroughly tested in the heavy waves of South Africa, the Fury has seen some serious nautical miles on the waters of Fuerte, and the Escape looped its way through a greater part of Europe and Brazil.

You recently had your range of kites available for testing at the Kitesurf World Cup. How did they go down with the notoriously switched on German kiteboarding community?!

We are always happy to display our kites for testers, sometimes we surprise kiters at a local beach, sometimes we announce a big test weekend and sometimes we do the Full Monty at a big event like the VKWC in SPO. We were very happy with the amount of testers and their reactions.

Some fall in love instantly, some need to make an extra round or change the bridle setup to match their specific preferences. Most riders are amazed by the change in performance by moving a knot a few centimeters down or up the tip. It is still sad to see so many kiters that are afraid to make any adjustments with these setup options. There is so much to discover!

The Escape flies on your Navigator bar – has this had a rework for 2016?

Yes there were some major improvements on the bar. We kept our clean setup up but made the flag out safety the standard setting, whereas this was only an option that could be installed on the previous bar. Of course the soft bar ends are very comfy for our freestyle-minded riders.

And what can we expect next from Peter Lynn?

We still have something up our sleeve for the coming months, we expect to launch a complete redesign of the Swell, however we’ll only do that when we think it is ready. We are working hard on numerous projects though, so you can be sure that 2017 will have plenty of surprises!

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H E R E ’ S A L I T T L E TA S T E R O F W H AT T H E K I T E M A G ’ S TEST TEAMS HAVE BEEN UP TO. Remember, these are summaries of the tests, and you can find the full results at TheKiteMag.com/tested

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The Rabbit has had a reboot. The kite has kept its philosophy of being a true all-rounder (especially for riders who really know how to get the most out of a kite), and has had a couple of obvious changes – there is now a one pump (The RAF Rabbit Air Flow!) and the graphics have been changed up – as well as making some subtler refinements to the profile. The outcome is a kite that remains TEST DE very well balanced and versatile and delivers plenty in the hangtime department as RI DE PO E well as being very responsive and having all of the things you need to really get down W E E to business in the waves. You can really place the Smoke where you need it to be and it is a really fun kite to fly. The range is again pretty incredible – you can ride this 9m in 15 through to 30 knots and it’ll still be happy. There are few other kites where you think that a 2 kite quiver really would cover all conditions. As with the previous Rabbit this is also a tweaker’s dream with a whole heap of set up options for you to drill in to until you find your perfect set up. The ‘carrot stick’ bar has also had a refresh and the safety system has been modified, and it still has probably the most effective front line swivel on the market. Overall the Rabbit 3.0 keeps all of its impressive performance characteristics and adds a few well thought out refinements…

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When it comes to wave kites, the Reo has a truly obsessive following. One of the first ‘pure wave’ kites on the market, it ticked all of the boxes for waveriders looking for a refined kite that would work with you and not against you in the waves. There VE TEST can be few lighter kites in the market W AT Y DE – the Reo packs down to virtually LI PO TI A W S nothing with super skinny struts E R and minimal reinforcement. As with all Ozone kites, as soon as it goes in the air it has the distinctive Ozone ‘tuned in’ feel. The lighter weight really does equal astounding responsiveness and even the smallest bar input is immediately recognized. The Reo is a kite for all levels of rider – you can do very little with it and it’s a very accessible and easy to use kite, but if you really utilize it and know how to coordinate your board with the wave and with the kite then it can be a magical kite to fly. It responds very cleanly whether sheeted in or out and you can really work it to get where you need to be but then switch it off and it’s like it’s not there. For cross-off drifting it goes without saying that the Reo is as good as it gets, but for conditions that require a more reactive kite, the Reo has also evolved into a real player…

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With much “WTF?!” earlier in the year Core landed their ‘specialized’ range which includes the Section (wave) and the Impact (pure C). The Section is a three strut, super lightweight ‘boxier’ kite which looks like it will fit right in with the waveriding E TEST gang. The Section makes AV TY DE W TILI PO use of Core’s unique Exotex A W S E R Dacron, enabling thinner and stiffer struts. The wingtips are relatively square but with less width than the GTS3, illustrating that the Section is an ‘onshore and offshore’ wave kite.

On the water and the Section is a very nimble kite. It spins around on its axis making it very easy to use in onshore conditions where you are snapping the kite around as you snap your board off the top.

The pulleyed bridle delivers excellent on/off and a fantastic wind range without giving any real lag in response. For drifting you can sheet right out for pretty much complete depower and the Section will head off down the line without any dipping or complaints at all. Overall a very impressive entry into the wave-specific market…

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As ever Epic are all out to make us question our expectations when it comes to kiteboarding equipment.

The Surf has a lot of the elements that we expect from a surf kite: three struts, lighter weight construction and a lower aspect ratio, but VE TEST WA Y it couples this with a T DE LI PO TI A W radical angular and S E R swept back tip design.

For this test we rode the Surf on 18m lines, as recommended by the guys at Epic. The first thing to note with the Surf is the low end which is insane… This is a super grunty kite and you could probably ride the 8 when other guys are out on 10s or 12s.

It feels a bit like you are cheating.

The good thing about the Surf though is that this power doesn’t mean that you get pulled around when you are on a wave – sheet out and the depower is quick and pretty much complete. In onshore conditions turning speed is good but not lightning quick, but the additional low end enables you to really generate some speed to get through flatter sections or to power around close out sections. In cross-shore conditions you can use the depower to really get the kite out of the picture and focus on your riding. Overall, and it is a slightly different riding style which takes a little adjusting to, but once you are in the zone it is a great wave kite. And definitely worth flying on the shorter lines where you feel super tuned in and connected….

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The Switchblade is one of the most anticipated kites to be released each season. Now in its 11th year, we’re always excited to see the next chapter from Cabrinha and once again we were not disappointed, especially with the much publicized new ‘A & B’ settings. First impressions and – as always with Cabrinha – the attention to detail is impressive and the whole package, from bag to bar is well thought out. This year also sees the arrival of a new bar option – the Overdrive 1X with TrimLite – which has an above the bar cleat system both reducing weight and putting E T D E S T a smile on the face of those riders who RI have never got on with the pull/pull EE DE PO R W system. On the water and we were F E keen to try the kite on the two alternate settings. On setting A that familiar Switchblade feeling is there, you always know where the kite is and get fantastic feedback and stability with relatively high bar pressure. Switching to setting B genuinely does give the kite a different feel – bar pressure is a lot lighter and the kite becomes more nimble and responsive, moving it very much in the direction of the FX. It’s nice to see that this isn’t just a gimmick and that Cabrinha have spent time ensuring that the kite is well balanced and perfectly tuned on each setting. So, the 2016 Switchlade will keep die hard Switchblade riders happy, but also provides a livelier alter ego to broaden its appeal…

Exciting times.

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The Radical5 is a crossover performance board by Flysurfer for freeride, freestyle and wakestyle. The keen eyed amongst you will notice straight away that this is not your standard twin tip as it has an asymmetrical outline. This gives you a longer heel edge for more pop, speed and improved upwind performance, and reduces the length of the toeside edge which gives you better carving and control when riding on your toes. The Radical comes with Flysurfer’s new Space and Galaxy pads and footstraps and pad, which are incredibly comfortable and offer more grip and good dampening for heavy landings. On the water and the Radical5 is an extremely comfortable board to ride. It is smooth, fast and has minimal face spray due to its well thought out shape. For freeriding, the board really does excel, but for boosted freestyle the heelside channel offers superb grip and speed for edge control pre boost, then we were surprised by the amount of pop that the board generated when unhooked. The stiff mid-section coupled with the flex was ample for throwing even the toughest of wakestyle tricks and, although the board isn’t aimed at hardcore wakestylers, it would keep them happy and for all other freestyle riders it will do the job exceptionally well. Excellent work.

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The Sculp remains at the core of the CrazyFly range for 2016.

It has always been pitched as the ‘accessible do-it-all’ option and this year it has been given some extra RIDE TE EE ST R attention. With Double Ripstop DE F PO now bringing the Sculp up W E to the ‘gold standard’ for current kite construction it is clear that CrazyFly are keen to ensure that the Sculp is a kite that delivers for the entire spectrum of riders.

Three struts and a few construction tweaks keep the weight nice and low and the kite is 10% lighter than last year. We don’t often comment on bags, but it has to be said that this is one of the classiest on the market and merits a mention. The Sick Bar has also had a revisit with a new colorway and with a softer EVA grip. Full carbon, 100% made in Europe and one of the lightest bars on the market… What else do you need to know? On the water and the Double Ripstop delivers a crisper and more assertive feeling Sculp. Power on and off is very smooth and intuitive and you could quite happily send someone out for their first few sessions on the Sculp. Turn things up a notch though and the Sculp performs very nicely indeed – the low end is excellent and powers you around very nicely, then the turning is positive and you feel very plugged in wherever the kite is in the air.

For boosting you can really pull on the bar and it’ll send you sky high, and if you want to slip a kiteloop in it’ll spin round positively. It’ll happily unhook if you want to lay down some wakestyle moves and it’s also a nice responsive kite for onshore riding with a surfboard. Overall a great evolution to one of the true all-rounders.

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There has been much excitement about this new addition to the Slingshot range. As the name suggests, this is a kite with a purpose: ride it in the surf! Although the Wave SST has that characteristic open Rally-style profile, the tips are squarer and the outline boxier. It looks like it means business. The Surf Tough seams are there and the Wave SST has Teijin cloth with a new Rip Stop surf grid pattern in high stress areas, and with Pat Rebstock on the team you know that it has to be prepared to take a few beatings… In the air and there is that ‘Slingshot feel’.

Pull on the power and it is there – immediately – there is no hesitation and you’re good to go.

Turning is very pivotal and quick – it takes a few minutes to get used to as you really can spin the Wave round in a nano-second. For onshore riding this is great – you can drive off the bottom and really snap around the kite as you come back off the lip, ensuring it is in the right spot as you line up the next section. It is very satisfying. For cross-offshore conditions, the low end is good so you can get yourself going and into waves easily and then you really can just switch it off when it’s time to drift and it will just roll with it. Overall this is a very welcome addition to the surf kite club – it does feel ‘different’ and we think a few other brands might be flying it around over the next few months and asking: just what is it about that kite?!

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We had the iconic Vegas with the wakestyle bar on test, which is a full 10cms shorter than the standard bar for the diehard wakestylers amongst you. It boasts upgraded features such as a PU center line to stop the fingers being destroyed when passing the bar, and to give it extra strength when you need to trust your bar hucking mega loops. Flying the Vegas is really all about the setup, it is super important that you set the 5th line up with the correct tension – set it right and you will have an incredibly smooth and stable kite, which is also fast through the air and through the turns. But – as you would expect – it is when you unhook that the Vegas really comes alive... There is just LE TEST Y an insane amount of pop – delivered T TY UN HO like it’s on steroids – and ample ESSIBILI O E ES K E slack line for your passes, but the most impressive thing with the Vegas is that it’s super stable unhooked and you really can just get on with throwing down some killer tricks without worrying about the kite. This is great for intermediate to advanced riders looking to progress their riding – you really don’t have to have Hadlow as a surname to get the most out of this year’s Vegas. Jumping and hang time is also there in abundance and if you have kite skills there is still plenty to be said for C kites boosting the best – the Vegas takes you up with plenty of thrust and holds you up there. Overall we commend North on producing this kite to accommodate both Aaron Hadlow and the rest of the world’s kiters. If you ever wanted to fly C kites, give it a try, you will be surprised at how easy the world’s best kiter’s kite is to use!

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When F-ONE drop a new clip you know it’s worth putting the kettle on and giving it your complete attention… For the latest clip, the team made the most of their familiar stomping ground of Mauritius to showcase their new 2016 ‘Color Your Ride’ range. Raphaël Salles takes us through it.

F-ONE have a great reputation now for producing top quality films. What was your plan with Color Your Ride to ensure that you kept that reputation going?

How much planning goes in to your shoots, or do you just arrive at a spot when the forecast looks good and then plan it out?

We planned to shoot for the new collection with our top riders and we wanted to do a video as well to present our 2016 products.

It’s not quite as big a production as usual (like Antandroy or Te Tainui), but we wanted to have a good video presentation and we wanted to keep it a high quality production because it is really important for us. The idea was to show all the design and products and present all the disciplines. The location is really important because you need to be able to do freestyle, strapless, waves and foil at the same place and have all conditions, so Mauritius was perfect for getting all of that in a short time frame.

We plan everything we need to shoot: each board, each kite etc. We organize everything with the riders by choosing the right combos, but after that it depends on the forecasts. If conditions are good for waves, then it will be surf today, if it’s light wind then it will be a foil session with the Diablo and the Foil.

You have filmed a lot in Mauritius. How do you manage to keep it looking fresh?

Mauritius has been used many times but it offers so many good conditions that it’s perfect to practice everything. We worked with Olivier Sautet from Petole Prod who has everything you need to create a good film. Then the top riders were there, the gear and the wind so everything you need plus really high quality cameras and the drone. Thanks to the drone you can see Mauritius from another point of view. It’s like discovering a new place because it’s a new angle. That was a big advantage for the video – especially for the foiling. Also I think the new design of the kites and boards gave another “look” to Mauritius too.

How much has the use of drones changed the way that you film?

It’s incredible! You can see Le Morne better and you are looking at the same place as before but it looks really different, really fresh and new. We also had a nice foil session at another spot in Mauritius and this was only possible thanks to the drones.

So there was the usual crew, and also Antoine Fermon was there for this one?

The usual crew yes, then Antoine Fermon is back after a big injury last year, and he came back to an incredible level by winning the French championship. It was nice to have him on board, he is really well integrated into the team now – a cool guy with a good spirit who loves to spend many hours on the water to try to mastering all of his tricks.

You have continued to push your 10+ minute films with high production values when a lot of brands just go for shorter (and cheaper!) edits. Is this a good business strategy for you?

Our job is to put together the best we can. We want to show all the incredible possibilities you have as a kitesurfer. Plus it’s necessary for us to show our products and the pleasure you can have with them!

The soundtrack is quite varied – do the riders choose some of the music or is it all down to the video production team?

Yes the soundtrack is quite varied! Olivier from Petole Prod chose everything in order to match the actions with the music.

So it fits really well and he can do the arrangements and everything. Afterwards the marketing team just check if it’s okay and make any changes. But he made some nice choices!

With a film such as this, when you are promoting new products, how difficult is it to get the kites and boards that you need and to complete the filming in time for the launch?

That’s the challenge of the launch! We need to finish everything at the same time and receive all products for the shooting. Our factory produces everything we need in advance for the shooting and then they just send the gear. For this, we directly received the gear in Mauritius – it was difficult to manage to finish everything at the same time, but we managed! It was a tough schedule, but we got good pictures, a good catalogue, and a nice movie for the launch!

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K » KITE BOO E R - 424 PAG E S V O » HAR DC Y level l » For EVE R s, Airstyle, Newschoo ic s a » Superb

G N I D R A O B KITE

Y R A N O I T K C I TR TW

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METEOROLOGY

METEOROLOGY WITH TONY BUTT

PHOTO: CARLOS TORO W W W.W H I T E WAV E S . E U

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The sea breeze and its counterpart, the land breeze, are the daily onshore and offshore winds that blow at the coastline in some parts of the world. The sea breeze typically starts around mid or late morning and reaches its peak sometime during the afternoon. In some places it can get quite strong, perhaps even up to gale force. It dies down in the evening and is sometimes replaced by a much lighter land breeze. The reason the sea and land breezes occur is because of the different ways in which the land and the sea respond to the sun’s heat input.

The way it works is pretty simple. Water has a much higher specific heat capacity than land. The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of heat energy required per unit mass to raise the temperature of that substance by one degree Celsius. For example, to raise the temperature of a kilogram of seawater by 1ºC you need to pump about 4,000 Joules of heat energy into it; but to raise the temperature of a kilogram of typical vegetated land by 1ºC you only need to pump about 800 Joules into it. Therefore, if you pump the same amount of energy into the same amount of seawater and typical vegetated land at the same time, the temperature of the land will increase five times as much as the seawater.

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As a result, coastal land and sea will respond differently to the sun’s heat energy input during the day: the temperature of the land will increase much more than the sea. By midday, for example, after a few hours of sun, the top layer of the sea might have warmed up a bit, but the land temperature could be ten or more degrees warmer than it was at sunrise.

Now, as the land heats up, the air overlying it will also heat up. As this air heats up it will expand, become less dense and therefore ascend – a familiar process called convection. The rising air will result in a drop in pressure at the surface, which will try to suck in surface air from its surroundings to ‘fill the gap’. The nearest thing available to fill that gap is the cooler

air lying over the sea, which will then start moving horizontally towards the land. This movement of air is what we know as the sea breeze.

Later in the day, when the sun starts to go down, the land quickly begins to cool off.

Its low specific heat capacity means that it will quickly go back to the temperature it started off at, at the beginning of the day. With the land now much cooler, the overlying air will stop rising and the sea breeze will stop blowing. If the land temperature falls below the sea temperature, the entire mechanism is reversed and you will get a land breeze.

Note that the land rarely gets much colder than the sea, so the land breeze is almost never as strong as the sea breeze.

So where are you likely to get sea breezes? Obviously, where it is hot and sunny. This could mean countries near the equator where it is hot all the time, such as Mexico, or regions with hot summers, such as southwest France. Warm places with coastal deserts are likely to have sea breezes, because deserts tend to heat up and cool down a lot more during the day than vegetated coastlines. At places such as Arica in the Chilean Atacama Desert, you can count on a strong sea breeze practically every day of the year.

Of course, you won’t tend to get sea breezes in places where the daytime land temperatures don’t get high enough. This could simply be because the climate is too cold, or it could be because of persistent low cloud or coastal fog (which, incidentally, also tends to occur at some coastal deserts such as in Namibia). Also, you need enough of a land mass for that convection process to get going. Very narrow peninsulas or small islands, for example, don’t tend to get very consistent sea breezes.

Finally, sea breezes can be masked by strong trade winds or winds enhanced by the coastal topography, such as in Portugal or in the Cape Peninsula. These winds I’m going to talk about a bit more in the next couple of articles.

You can find more on sea breezes in my book Surf Science: an Introduction to Waves for Surfing.

10:00H

13:00H

20:00H

The sea breeze: Blue arrows indicate cold air and red arrows indicate warm air.

The times of day are arbitrary.

Tony Butt holds a PhD in physical oceanography and is the author of Surf Science, an Introduction to Waves for Surfing (2014) and The Surfer’s Guide to Waves, Coasts and Climates (2009). Tony is also a big-wave surfer who spends the northern winter in a forgotten corner of Northwest Spain, and migrates to Southwest Africa during the southern winter…

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THE DARK ROOM

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T HE D A RK R O O M Part 6:

NOT JUST A C T I O N PHOTOG RAPHIC WIZARD RY WITH S TEPHAN KLEINLEIN

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THE DARK ROOM

This issue we are going to take a little look at the other side of ocean photography. The side we often don’t write or talk about or give enough attention to. But for me it is also a very important part of ocean and travel photography. I am talking about those moments we capture on the side while we’re waiting for the right conditions, the snap shots when we have our eyes open and capture a special moment when you didn’t expect to. Whether it’s capturing the landscape and scenery at its most majestic; the people on the beach who create a special moment, or maybe something a bit surreal or out of place that just makes a great shot…

Those “mixed bag” shots, as I like to call them, can often bring the whole story together. Having tons of action shots is great (and it is hard work to be concentrating and making sure all the settings are right and to be alert nonstop so we don’t miss the best move of the day) but to make the story complete, it is also important to have images from the surroundings. It could be the location, the locals, the people on the beach, the journey to the location, the preparation for the session, the debrief after, the sunrise and sunset moments, or what happens when we go out for dinner with a bunch of crazy kiters and have a good night.

There is potential everywhere!

Often these are the real special shots for the friends and family members to get a better idea about the amazing times we have and the incredible locations we travel to. Also a magazine story doesn’t really work without some cool, funny and beautiful scenery shots. So keep your eyes open. I actually love this part of photography – sometimes even more than going out and shooting some serious water action. Don’t get me wrong, I love the action too, but sometimes hanging around – a bit like a sniper – and waiting for the special moment is a lot of fun and needs some skill too.

So what is important here is to always have your camera ready and with you all the time. Sometimes you don’t feel like it or you don’t want to carry a camera with you at night when you go out, and then all of a sudden something funny happens and you wish you had it with you. Anyway, try to be ready, maybe not all the time, but the more often you have your camera with you, the more special shots you will get. It takes commitment and effort, but it can also become addictive. It is a kind of street-photography. Over the next few pages I have tried to put into categories some of these special shots that I try to get.

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THE FUNNY MOMENT This is the moment when all of a sudden someone turns up wearing a bathrobe on a busy kite surf beach, or some tourists cruising up and down in front of huge massive ocean waves with their pedalo boat. Just be ready!

THE LANDSCAPE To have an eye for the colors and the special features of the landscape will be reflected in your images. Framing the waves with coastal elements likes rocks and cliffs, or following the lines of the river or the horizon will split the image in a way that makes the sky and clouds seem like a separate world from the ocean. All these will add to your travel ocean photography story. And these images will appeal to a completely different audience who would love to have one of your ‘paradise’ landscape images on their living room wall…

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THE DARK ROOM

SUNRISES AND SUNSET MOMENTS The start and end of the day always needs special attention from any photographer. The colors are boosted by nature’s sun, and the angle of the light will make landscape or scenery shots look really different and special. These are the moments you really don’t want to miss. People in silhouettes, shades of orange and pink skies, misty and foggy coastal villages: everything looks warm, smooth and protected in the morning and evening light, so don’t miss it!

CAPTURING THE LOCALS Often they don’t know that you are taking a photo and these are the most natural shots and have the appeal of a real life situation. Our job is usually to make people look beautiful and to capture nice moments, and our images should give a good feeling to the observer and to the people in the image. If you are in a foreign country, always respect the locals’ point of view when taking photos of them. In some places people love to have their photo taken but in other places people have a different view... So make sure you don’t break the rules, and you do respect the local culture and their opinion.

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ANIMALS… I love taking photos of animals. In some places (such as Lord Howe Island) it is easy as all the animals come to you – whether it’s fish, sharks, dolphins, turtles, birds or whatever moves on or around the island – everything is photogenic and likes to have its photo taken. In other places you will need more patience. But wildlife images are always impressive and people are often astonished by ocean creatures.

A ‘MIXED BAG’ Those categories can go on and on. There are plenty of objects, moving creatures, special moments, colorful patterns, and beautiful, astonishing and awesome split seconds we can capture. Just always have your eyes open and always be on the lookout…

You can also now purchase some of Stephan’s awesome images for your own wall… Head over to shop.oceanbluesky.com.

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THI NGS YO U WO U L DN ’ T K N OW A B O U T T H I S S H OT KJELL

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VAN

SI C E

I took this shot of local teen talent Hector Paturau off the northern coast of Mauritius.

This kiting destination is well known for its trademark turquoise water, and the conditions this day lived up to that reputation.

I shot this session on a 24-70mm lens attached to my Nikon D4s and Aquatech housing combination. I hit the water thinking I would make some surface split shots. As a fine art photography college student, I soon felt compelled to innovate and make something different, something better…

My aim was to make a photo that would really show the foil in its environment, I got the crazy idea to shoot the wing from underneath or the side. Despite the physical risk, I felt confident that Hector would be in control of the foil and not turn me into human sashimi! But I was honestly more worried for my camera.

Five seconds before Hector passed over me, I dove down about six or eight feet and hung motionless, looking into the gloom for the paperthin form of the foil rocketing by. It took some test passes before I could even get a focus on the blade. If you think foils look fast from the beach, try sitting less than two feet away underwater!

Finally, the timing came together as the foil passed just downwind of me. I’m not sure I could duplicate the image – It’s a reminder that luck plays a major role in creating innovative sport photographs.

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